Five Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have died.
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Abdullahi Mohammed, announced the passage of four of the pilgrims on Tuesday in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city.
Mr. Mohammed, who spoke at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders, however, declined to disclose the identities of the late pilgrims as well as the circumstances that led to their death.
He said such information could only be disclosed after their families had been appropriately informed.
The NAHCON chair pleaded with the media to withhold the details so as not to further devastate the families of the affected pilgrims.
Shortly after the chairman spoke, an official on the medical team of NAHCON announced the passage of another pilgrim from Kwara.
A total 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims are performing this year’s hajj, all of whom have converged on Makkah after some of them visited and prayed at the Prophet Mohammed’s mosque in Madinah.
A few other pilgrims came directly to Makkah after flying into Saudi Arabia through the nearby city of Jeddah.
All the pilgrims have performed the rites of Umrah, the lesser hajj, at al-Masjid al-Haram in which is situated the Kabah.
On Wednesday, the pilgrims, like their counterparts from other parts of the world, will move to the city of Mina to spend the eve of the 9th of Dhul-Hijah.
The pilgrims will then proceed to Arafat on Thursday praising Allah and reciting the Qur’an.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
US sells half a billion dollars worth of military equipment to Nigeria
In its fight against Boko Haram, Nigeria’s military has consistently appeared less equipped than its adversaries. But that may soon change.
The Pentagon notified US Congress yesterday (Aug. 28) of the sale of $593 million worth of military equipment to Nigeria. The equipment consists of 12 Super Tucano A-29 surveillance and attack planes, among other weapons.
The sale comes as Nigeria looks to step up its fight against the terrorist group. Despite losing former strongholds, Boko Haram has remained active, killing 200 civilians in several attacks throughout the first half of 2017. The most prominent recent attack was the bombing of the largest university in Nigeria’s northeast region, the University of Maiduguri, which was once regarded as a safe haven. The attacks have undermined the military’s claims that the sect has been defeated.
Super Tucano A-29 planes are a boon for counterinsurgency operations, allowing pilots to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance missions, as well as providing close air support to ground troops. But despite their advantages, the sophisticated aircrafts are unlikely to give Nigeria’s army an immediate edge in fighting the insurgency. Boko Haram has become more slippery, adopting guerrilla tactics after losing much of the territory it once held in northeast Nigeria.
The militant sect has increasingly resorted to suicide bombings on soft targets, such as markets, car parks and schools, rather than the coordinated large-scale attacks on towns and villages it used previously. Many of the suicide bombings are carried out by children. According to UNICEF, the number of children suicide bombers deployed by Boko Haram this year is already four times higher than it was in all of 2016.
The weapons sale, while initially agreed to under former US president Barack Obama, was delayed over concerns about human rights violations by Nigerian troops. Those concerns stemmed from a March 2015 report by rights group Amnesty International, which claimed that Nigeria’s military arbitrarily detained and killed civilians in the northeast.
More recently, Nigeria’s air force accidentally bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 200 people. A spokesman for Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari called the bombing a “regrettable operational mistake.”
The Pentagon notified US Congress yesterday (Aug. 28) of the sale of $593 million worth of military equipment to Nigeria. The equipment consists of 12 Super Tucano A-29 surveillance and attack planes, among other weapons.
The sale comes as Nigeria looks to step up its fight against the terrorist group. Despite losing former strongholds, Boko Haram has remained active, killing 200 civilians in several attacks throughout the first half of 2017. The most prominent recent attack was the bombing of the largest university in Nigeria’s northeast region, the University of Maiduguri, which was once regarded as a safe haven. The attacks have undermined the military’s claims that the sect has been defeated.
Super Tucano A-29 planes are a boon for counterinsurgency operations, allowing pilots to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance missions, as well as providing close air support to ground troops. But despite their advantages, the sophisticated aircrafts are unlikely to give Nigeria’s army an immediate edge in fighting the insurgency. Boko Haram has become more slippery, adopting guerrilla tactics after losing much of the territory it once held in northeast Nigeria.
The militant sect has increasingly resorted to suicide bombings on soft targets, such as markets, car parks and schools, rather than the coordinated large-scale attacks on towns and villages it used previously. Many of the suicide bombings are carried out by children. According to UNICEF, the number of children suicide bombers deployed by Boko Haram this year is already four times higher than it was in all of 2016.
The weapons sale, while initially agreed to under former US president Barack Obama, was delayed over concerns about human rights violations by Nigerian troops. Those concerns stemmed from a March 2015 report by rights group Amnesty International, which claimed that Nigeria’s military arbitrarily detained and killed civilians in the northeast.
More recently, Nigeria’s air force accidentally bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 200 people. A spokesman for Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari called the bombing a “regrettable operational mistake.”
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
$21 million seized from Nigeria's former oil minister Alison Madueke
Abdulazeez Anka, federal high court judge, ordered on Monday the immediate forfeiture of the sum allegedly held in local bank accounts by Alison-Madueke, who was once one of Africa's most prominent female politicians.
Nigeria's anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses Alison-Madueke of corruption, argued in the Lagos court that she had illicitly laundered the funds with the help of top oil officials.
Since leaving office in 2015, Alison-Madueke has been implicated in bribery, fraud, misuse of public funds and money laundering cases in Nigeria, Britain, Italy and the United States.
Alison-Madueke - the former president of the global oil cartel OPEC, and the first woman to hold the post - has always denied the allegations which involve billions of dollars syphoned from oil deals and state accounts.
Monday's ruling followed two applications by the EFCC which earlier this month successfully seized properties worth $44m that Alison-Madueke allegedly purchased with the proceeds of corruption.
The court had also ordered an interim forfeiture of 56 houses linked to the former minister valued at $9m.
Nigeria is reeling from a series of corruption scandals by top officials.
Earlier in April, the EFCC uncovered $43m worth of cash during an apartment raid in Lagos.
After the discovery, Nigeria's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) claimed the money belonged to the organisation, prompting President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend its head, Ayodele Oke
Also suspended and under investigation is Lawal Babachir, Buhari's secretary and longtime ally, following his indictment by the legislature for an alleged 200 million naira ($635,000) scam.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Video - Nigeria up for tough contest against Indomitable Lions
The Nigerian Super Eagles will take on the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a double header for a place in next's world cup in Russia. The first leg comes up Friday, September 1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, south of Nigeria while the return leg takes place three days later in Yaounde, Cameroon. A win for Nigeria will all but secure the country's place in the world cup.
Alex Iwobi ruled of World Cup qualifier due to injury
Nigeria have suffered a blow ahead of their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in Uyo on Friday, after Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi withdrew from the squad with a thigh muscle strain.
The 21-year-old will also miss the away leg against African champions Cameroon in Yaounde on 4 September, according to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Iwobi was due to join the Super Eagles training camp on Monday after Arsenal's Premier League game at Liverpool on Sunday.
Iwobi, the nephew of legendary Nigeria star Jay-Jay Okocha, had played in Nigeria's first two World Cup qualifiers against Zambia and Algeria, scoring in a 2-1 win in Zambia in October last year.
He has been replaced in Nigeria's squad by CSKA Moscow striker Aaron Samuel, who was placed on standby last week.
Samuel made the last of seven international appearances two years ago.
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