More than 2,000 prisoners have escaped over the past five years in Nigeria

More than 2,000 prisoners have escaped over the past five years in Nigeria, officials say, mainly as a result of attacks on jails by the Islamist militant Boko Haram group.

They say that dozens of prison staff have been killed during the raids.

Last month hundreds of prisoners escaped when jihadists overran Mubi town. This week they blew a hole in a jail in Kogi State to free dozens more.

Almost 500 prisoners escaped in the city of Maiduguri in 2009.

A total of 2,251 prisoners have got away and most of them are still at large, officials say.

Figures released by the Nigerian Prisons Service show that as of 30 June there were nearly 57,000 male and female prisoners in 239 jails.

The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says that the jihadists have recently attacked a French cement plant in northern Nigeria and seized a large supply of dynamite - so more jail breaks may be on the way.

Boko Haram has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country through a wave of bombings, assassinations and abductions.

It is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers, even when the country had a Muslim president.

Our correspondent says rampant insecurity is increasingly worrying for Nigerians who wonder how the militants will ever be stopped.

There are many reports of soldiers fleeing rather than defending towns and villages as the insurgents continue to capture territory where they impose their own strict version of Islamic law.

BBC

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare gives authentic rendition of Lagos, Nigeria

Call of Duty gets a lot of stick - some of it deserved - for being "stupid", but here's a neat little touch I found in Advanced Warfare's singleplayer campaign that's worth a closer look.

Real estate in Lagos can be...chaotic, and these warnings are to remind folks that even if a "real estate agent" turns up carrying property papers, there's no telling if they're actually genuine or not.

Seems like a pretty minor thing to get hung up on, but I guess I like it because, while developers taking trips to actual locations for scouting is nothing new, it's rare you see them work anything other than architecture into their games. Slotting some cultural commentary - however out of place it might be by 2055, the year the game takes place - gives AW's Lagos a little more sense of being than if they'd just copied the streets and facades.

Kotaku

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Nigeria's own Comic-Con celebrates 3 years

The United Kingdom returning £6.8million stolen loot of former Nigerian governor James Ibori

 The United Kingdom government is to return an additional 6.8 million pounds of the confiscated loot of former Delta Governor, James Ibori, to Nigeria.

Rupert Broad, U.K. Metropolitan Police Senior Investigator, disclosed this in London on Tuesday at a meeting on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria: What Role for Police in the Nigerian Diaspora” held in the House of Commons.

While speaking on UK and Nigeria’s anti-corruption partnership, Mr. Broad said “out of the eight million pounds confiscated from Ibori, 1.2 million pounds had so far been retuned to Nigeria, while the rest was waiting for redistribution as to when it would be sent back to Nigeria.”
He also said that an additional 80 million pounds had been temporarily confiscated from Ibori and his associates, including Mr Patrice Gohil, one of his lawyers.

“Approximately, 80 million pounds is temporarily frozen and a confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 2015, where the judge will determine how much was stolen, after which it would be returned to Nigeria.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the British Southcrown Court in April 2012 sentenced Ibori to 13 years jail term for fraud and money laundering.

Broad, who attributed the success of the Ibori case to partnership with the nation’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), said “the case signified Nigeria’s commitment to the fight corruption.

“In the light of the Ibori case, Nigeria has done a fantastic job in tackling corruption.
“Corruption does not go away easily, addressing it requires continuous process and the UK
Metropolitan Police will continue to collaborate with Nigerian authorities on cross border international investigation.”

Similarly, Nsikan Etuk, the Director of the UK Nigeria Police Forum, said that the diaspora was a powerful tool for the reformation of the nation’s police force.

Mr. Etuk, who spoke on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria”, expressed the commitment of the Forum in
collaborating with government in tackling challenges impeding efficiency in policing in the country.
He said that the Forum, whose membership included serving and retired police personnel, was established following challenges facing the Nigerian community in the UK.

In the same vein, Kunle Bamgbose, the Nigerian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, said the nation’s police officers were among the brightest in Africa, adding that they were only impeded by operational challenges.

He said “inadequate equipment such as communication gadgets, the lack of efficient forensic laboratories and other logistic problems are some of the challenges facing the police force.”
Mr. Bamgbose, however, said “it is difficult to impose UK policing culture in Nigeria because the environments are different.”

According to him, partnership in training and capacity building of officers will be an ideal area of collaboration.

The meeting, which had participants from the Nigerian community, was chaired by Meg Hillier, the Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria.

Daily Post

Related stories: Ibori's sister convicted in london for money laundering

Video - Britain to banish children of James Ibori and other corrupt leaders

Video - How ex-governor of Delta state James Ibori started as petty thief in London

Stephen Keshi reinstated as Nigeria Super Eagles coach

Stephen Keshi has been officially re-appointed as Nigeria coach, two weeks after the Nigeria Football Federation replaced him with Shaibu Amodu. He returns after intervention from Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan.

The 52-year-old had paid the price for poor results in qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations but has now been given a chance to make amends.
Nigeria face Congo and South Africa in November, needing two wins to stand a chance of making it to Morocco.

NFF president Amaju Pinnick and head of the NFF Technical Committee Felix Anyansi-Agwu confirmed in a statement that Keshi will oversee the team's final two ties.
Keshi led the team to Nations Cup glory in 2013 and also steered the Super Eagles to the last 16 at this summer's World Cup in Brazil.

And he will be determined to avoid failing to qualify to defend the African title won in South Africa.
As well as the backing of President Jonathan, Keshi also has the support of Amodu, who requested for Keshi to be allowed to finish the qualification campaign.

And Keshi has swiftly named his squad for the match against Congo on 15 November and South Africa in Uyo, southeast Nigeria, four days later.

Villarreal striker Ikechukwu Uche, whose last appearance for Nigeria was in the final of the 2013 Nations Cup final, is handed a return.

But there is no place in the squad for Stoke City's Victor Moses and in-form striker Obafemi Martins has also been overlooked.

The African champions need to not only win both matches but also to beat Congo by a margin of two goals to stand any chance of automatic qualification.

Meanwhile, Nigeria are still waiting to learn if they have avoided a lengthy ban from Fifa after a regional high court overturned its recent decision to void last month's football elections.

Fifa had given Nigeria until Friday to reverse last week's ruling by the Jos High Court that annulled the 30 September election of Amaju Pinnick as Nigeria Football Federation president.

Nigeria squad:
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United)

Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Monaco, France); Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC, Israel); Efe Ambrose (Celtic, Scotland); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough, England); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves)

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Hope Akpan (Reading, England); Raheem Lawal (Eskisehirspor, Turkey); Sone Aluko (Hull City, England); Tony Edjomari (Nasarawa United)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce, Turkey); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves); Osaguona Ighodaro (Enugu Rangers); Ikechukwu Uche (Villarreal CF, Spain); Aaron Samuel (Guangzhou R&F, China); Sunday Emmanuel (SV Scholz Grodig, Austria); Babatunde Michael (Volyn Lutsk, Ukraine): Emem Eduok (Dolphins FC,)

BBC

Suicide bomber kills 23 in Yobe, Nigeria

A suicide bomber killed at least 23 people in a procession of Shi'ite Muslims marking the ritual of Ashoura in northeast Nigeria's Yobe state on Monday, witnesses said.

The attacker joined the line of Shi'ites before setting off his device as they marched through a market in the town of Potiskum, in a territory at the heart of an insurgency by Sunni Muslim Boko Haram rebels, resident Yusuf Abdullahi told Reuters.

"I heard a very heavy explosion as if it happened in my room. It took place just 200 meters from my house," he said. Another person carrying an explosive that did not go off was also arrested, he added.

Mohammed Gana, whose brother was killed in the attack, said he counted 23 bodies at the scene.

Boko Haram's five-year-old campaign for an Islamic state, which has killed thousands, is seen as the main security threat to Africa's biggest economy and leading oil producer.

Ashoura marks the death in battle more than 1,300 years ago of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein.

Reuters