Nigerian officials loot $2 billion dollar anti-terrorism fund

Thousands of Nigerians have died needlessly in terrorist attacks as officials looted more than $2-billion (U.S.) in funds intended for weapons to fight the insurgents, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari says.

In a statement late on Tuesday night, Mr. Buhari revealed details of “fictitious and phantom” military contracts of stunning scale and cynicism – including $1.7-billion allocated for four jets, 12 helicopters and unspecified amounts of bombs and ammunition. The equipment was never provided and the money disappeared, he said.

The stolen money has made it easier for Boko Haram to kill thousands of people while the Nigerian military lacked the weaponry to defeat it, the statement said.

Mr. Buhari ordered the arrest of all officials “complicit” in the “fraudulent acts,” including the former National Security Advisor, retired lieutenant-colonel Sambo Dasuki.

Boko Haram, a radical Islamist militia in northeastern Nigeria that has sworn allegiance to the so-called Islamic State movement, has now overtaken Islamic State to become the world’s deadliest terrorist organization, according to a new report.

The report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, said Boko Haram was responsible for 6,644 deaths last year, while Islamic State killed 6,073 people last year.

Nigerians have long complained of massive corruption in the Nigerian military and security agencies, and soldiers have often said that they lacked the equipment to fight Boko Haram, but the new investigation is the first to give details and name the alleged mastermind of the looting.

Mr. Buhari, who took office in May after defeating former president Goodluck Jonathan in an election, appointed a 13-person committee to audit Nigeria’s military spending over the past eight years. The committee began work on Aug. 31, but its interim report has already found “illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.”

The statement on Tuesday night said the Nigerian military was in “desperate need” of equipment and ammunition when the funds were stolen.

“Had the funds siphoned to these non-performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided,” said the statement, issued by Mr. Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, and later tweeted on Mr. Buhari’s official Twitter account.

“It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily,” the statement said.

In addition to the phantom contracts for jets and helicopters, Mr. Dasuki ordered Nigeria’s central bank to transfer more than $130-million to foreign bank accounts “for unascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions,” the statement said.

It said it was “disturbing” that the investigation also discovered that other contracts were awarded to companies that had consistently failed to deliver what they were required to supply in previous contracts.

Mr. Dasuki denied the allegations. Speaking to Nigerian media on Wednesday, he said he was “surprised” and “embarrassed” by the allegations.

Mr. Dasuki, one of the most powerful officials in the former Goodluck Jonathan government, has been under house arrest for the past week on accusations of money laundering and illegal arms possession.

The Globe and Mail

Video - 32 dead in market explosion in Nigeria

More than 30 people have been killed in a suicide attack at a market in the northern Nigerian city of Yola, officials say.

The blast, heard across the city, struck a busy vegetable market where traders were closing up on Tuesday.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Yola on Saturday, declaring that the Islamist militant movement Boko Haram was close to defeat.

Yola has twice been hit by deadly bomb attacks this year.

The city lies in the north-eastern state of Adamawa, one of the worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.

More than 80 people have been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries, emergency workers say.

BBC

Former Super Eagle and current head coach of Nigeria's U-23 football team Samon Siasia's mother kidnapped

News emerging this morning reveals that the mother of current head coach of Nigeria’s U-23 football team, Samson Siasia has been kidnapped. According to reports, gunmen stormed the family residence of the Siasia’s in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Odoni community of Sagama Local Council Area of Bayelsa State and forcefully whisked away Siasia’s mother on a motorcycle.

Bayelsa State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Ansinim Butswat, has confirmed the incident saying that the matter has been reported, but details were still sketchy.

Speaking to the media on the incident, a distraught Siasia has expressed his confusion at the occurrence of the event. Siasia said: “Right now I am confused, from the story I got, three men on motorbike stormed my parents’ house in my village Odoni in Bayelsa State, shot sporadically into the air before taking my old mother away on a bike.

“What do they expect from me? I don’t have money, I am right now on national duty, and need all the time to concentrate on this very important national task. So, I beg them to please release my mother so that I can concentrate on this task of qualifying the U-23 National Team for the men’s football event of the Rio Olympics.”

In a statement released on the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) website, NFF president, Amaju Pinnick has appealed to the kidnappers to release the 72 year old mother of the coach. “This is quite disturbing. We are just preparing for a crucial 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, and the U-23 boys are already in The Gambia for a pre-Cup of Nationstraining camp. Why this?

“All we can do is to appeal to the kidnappers to free Samson Siasia’s aged mother. Samson is on a critical national assignment presently and the last he needs is this kind of distraction,” Said Pinnick. As at the time of this report, it was revealed that the kidnappers are yet to demand ransom from the family.


Vanguard

Video - Nigeria Super Eagles make light fun of Obi Mikel during penalty kicks practice

The Super Eagles tried their legs at penalty kicks ahead of their second leg, second round 2018 World Cup qualifier against Swaziland in Port Harcourt. Players involved in the shootout were Obafemi Martins, Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose, Sylvester Igbonu, Moses Simon and John Obi Mikel against goalkeepers Carl Ikeme and Ikechukwu Ezenwa.

Video - Highlights of the 2015 African Music Awards hosted in Nigeria

The All Africa Music Awards 2015 took place in Nigeria over the weekend. The event which aims to preserve the African music culture saw East africa dethrone Nigeria as the region took more awards this year. Diamond Platinumz from Tanzania stole the night taking home three awards and being crowned the african artist of the year.