Thursday, May 11, 2017
Video - Can Nigeria's Chibok girls ever be truly free?
Eighty-two of Nigeria’s Chibok schoolgirls are free thanks to a prisoner swap between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The release is the biggest since the armed group swarmed a school in northern Nigeria in April 2014, kidnapping 276 girls. News of the deal has brought both happiness and anxiety as families wait to hear if their relatives are among those freed.
Aisha Yesufu, of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, told Al Jazeera that counseling and rehabilitation must now be a priority.
"At the end of the day, we want to have world leaders out of every one of them so that they can be what the terrorists did not want them to be," Yesufu said.
But critics of the campaign say the girls have become too famous to ever truly be free. Writing in the New York Times, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani said: "The campaign made them famous and, as a result, precious to the jihadists. The military says it can't guarantee their safety if they go home, so they remain essentially prisoners of the state."
Peter Joseph, a family member of one of 21 girls released by Boko Haram in October 2016, agrees. Those girls are in a government rehabilitation camp where they rarely see their families.
"I think it’s another kind of imprisonment," Joseph told The Stream.
So when it comes to rehabilitation, what is the best way forward? And can the Chibok girls ever really be free?
Video - Nigerian entrepreneur finds muse in hand-pressed coconut oil
A Nigerian entrepreneur has found her muse in hand-pressed coconut oil. The former banker and actor is so comfortable in her new skin, she is confident of exploring markets beyond Nigeria.
Video - Nigerian government struggles to harmonize forex rates
Nigeria's Central Bank is facing the difficult task of harmonising the multiple foreign exchange rates in the country, some of which it ironically created. There are at least six exchange rates for various market segments in the country and the apex bank has been opening more windows in an attempt to bridge the gap between the official rate and that of the black market.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Video - China donates $5 million for emergency food aid to Nigeria
China has provided Nigeria with 5 million dollars in emergency humanitarian aid to support relief efforts in the north-east. The contribution is to help purchase food and support for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in Borno and Yobe States. The World Food Programme says the aid comes at a crucial time. The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, has thanked the Chinese government for its invaluable support to Nigeria.
BBC apologizes to Emir of Kano for false report
The British Broadcasting Corporation has apologised to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over claims that he was under probe by anti-graft officials for alleged mismanagement of Kano Emirate fund.
Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, informed Mr. Sanusi that an April 24 story that said the traditional ruler was amongst those being investigated in connection to alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was "not correct."
Mr. Angus explained that the station's editorial staff in Abuja had inaccurately translated an April 24 interview with Muhyi Magaji, the Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who allegedly stated that Mr. Sanusi was under investigation.
"The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.
"It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.
"Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies," Mr. Angus said.
In the apology letter, dated April 28, 2017, Mr. Angus said the BBC removed the inaccurate interview from its website on April 26, but PREMIUM TIMES' check revealed that Hausa version of the report was still live as at 9:06 p.m. Tuesday.
Mr. Magaji said his commission was investigating the Kano Emirate Council as a body over alleged misappropriation of up to N6 billion, but not Mr. Sanusi as an individual.
But the Emirate Council denied allegations of fraud and said the amount involved was only N4.3 billion.
Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, informed Mr. Sanusi that an April 24 story that said the traditional ruler was amongst those being investigated in connection to alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was "not correct."
Mr. Angus explained that the station's editorial staff in Abuja had inaccurately translated an April 24 interview with Muhyi Magaji, the Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who allegedly stated that Mr. Sanusi was under investigation.
"The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.
"It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.
"Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies," Mr. Angus said.
In the apology letter, dated April 28, 2017, Mr. Angus said the BBC removed the inaccurate interview from its website on April 26, but PREMIUM TIMES' check revealed that Hausa version of the report was still live as at 9:06 p.m. Tuesday.
Mr. Magaji said his commission was investigating the Kano Emirate Council as a body over alleged misappropriation of up to N6 billion, but not Mr. Sanusi as an individual.
But the Emirate Council denied allegations of fraud and said the amount involved was only N4.3 billion.
Freed Chibok girls reunite with family in Nigeria
The uncle of one of the 82 Chibok schoolgirls released this week described his “amazing joy” after being reunited with his niece, who has been held captive by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram for three years.
“Today is a wonderful day,” said Yakubu Nkeki on Monday night. “I saw the girls and Maimuna. When she saw me, she ran and grabbed me and started crying. I was so overwhelmed.”
Nkeki, the chairman for the Chibok parents’ group and a primary school teacher who taught many of the schoolgirls, spent three hours with his niece Maimuna Usman, 20, and the other 81 former Boko Haram captives in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, where they have been kept since their unexpected release on Sunday.
“I was so happy to see her and so relieved that she looked fine, no scars or wounds on her body. She looked well kept. I can’t describe it.”
But his joy was tempered by concerns over when other parents would be allowed to see their daughters and for the wellbeing of the women and girls.
Nkeki met the minister of women’s affairs on Tuesday to discuss when the families can meet their daughters.
The women and girls, who were among the 276 mostly Christian schoolgirls seized from their dormitories in April 2014, causing an international outcry, were released last Sunday in exchange for five militant leaders, following months of negotiation by participants across two continents.
The families said their release gave them hope that others would soon be freed.
The girls will spend five to seven days undergoing medical and psychological tests. Nkeki said only he had been able to see the girls, although some parents had spoken to their daughters by phone. He said that when some of the schoolgirls were released in October 2016, “I shared the joy with other parents but with faith that we would get her too. Now as I celebrate with other parents I can see that my own niece is here.”
He said the parents of the other 81 girls were hoping they would be able to see them soon. “They want them to receive all the care from the medical staff but they also want to be reunited with them as soon as they can. We’re waiting on the government to let us know when this will be possible.”
He was happy the government had helped the girls, he said, but added that many of the relatives had “gone through hell in the last few years” and needed support.
Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was working to verify the identities of the girls, in order to reunite them with their families as soon as possible. A list of names was published last Sunday and photographs of them have been sent to the remote town of Chibok for cross-checking.
“When we had the first 21, because of similarities in names, more than two, three sets of parents came to Abuja. So, we don’t want to create that confusion,” Shehu told Agence France-Presse. “When they get the pictures, they see them and verify, then they come on board to Abuja to see their daughters.”
Shehu said he hoped the verification process would be concluded soon, and promised: “The government will not stop any parents from immediately establishing contact with their daughters.”
He also told the local TV station that one of the schoolgirls among a group of 83 that Boko Haram had agreed to release had refused to return because she had married a militant fighter.
The Nigerian government has been criticised previously for the length of time it has taken for former hostages to be reunited with their families.
Twenty-one of the girls’ classmates were freed in October. They are being kept in Abuja, ostensibly for schooling. In December, the parents of those girls were told by the government that they could not take their children back to Chibok, 500 miles (800km) away, because of the security situation. But the families said this had improved, and the young women were expected to return home.
Another parent, whose daughter was not on the list, told the Guardian the release had brought him hope that his own child would soon be free.
He said: “I rejoice with the parents because I understand what they are going through. It has been hard to go for three years without seeing or hearing from your child. Seeing other people’s joy makes me more hopeful that soon the government will rescue her too.”
The release deal was negotiated by Mustapha Zanna, once the lawyer of Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram. The girls were picked up in Red Cross vehicles and taken to Abuja in military helicopters, where they were met by Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari.
More than 100 of the girls remain in Boko Haram’s hands along with hundreds of other women and children, some of whom have been forced by the militants to carry bombs to busy areas and to kill themselves and civilians. The Chibok girls reached international attention when the hashtag #bringbackourgirls was promoted by Michelle Obama and other celebrities.
Manasseh Allen, a campaigner for the Bring Back Our Girls group, said: “Reaching the parents has been hard because they live in remote areas, so sometimes we have to call someone who then finds some of the parents in person. The government and the parents also want to leave space for the girls to have a debrief, which they’re having now and then medical tests and assessments.”
A spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as a neutral intermediary and organised the transportation of the girls and young women to freedom, said their privacy should be respected and they should be given support.
“For their own wellbeing, we are advocating the girls should be given privacy. They are going to need a lot of support for them to reintegrate into the community.”
“Today is a wonderful day,” said Yakubu Nkeki on Monday night. “I saw the girls and Maimuna. When she saw me, she ran and grabbed me and started crying. I was so overwhelmed.”
Nkeki, the chairman for the Chibok parents’ group and a primary school teacher who taught many of the schoolgirls, spent three hours with his niece Maimuna Usman, 20, and the other 81 former Boko Haram captives in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, where they have been kept since their unexpected release on Sunday.
“I was so happy to see her and so relieved that she looked fine, no scars or wounds on her body. She looked well kept. I can’t describe it.”
But his joy was tempered by concerns over when other parents would be allowed to see their daughters and for the wellbeing of the women and girls.
Nkeki met the minister of women’s affairs on Tuesday to discuss when the families can meet their daughters.
The women and girls, who were among the 276 mostly Christian schoolgirls seized from their dormitories in April 2014, causing an international outcry, were released last Sunday in exchange for five militant leaders, following months of negotiation by participants across two continents.
The families said their release gave them hope that others would soon be freed.
The girls will spend five to seven days undergoing medical and psychological tests. Nkeki said only he had been able to see the girls, although some parents had spoken to their daughters by phone. He said that when some of the schoolgirls were released in October 2016, “I shared the joy with other parents but with faith that we would get her too. Now as I celebrate with other parents I can see that my own niece is here.”
He said the parents of the other 81 girls were hoping they would be able to see them soon. “They want them to receive all the care from the medical staff but they also want to be reunited with them as soon as they can. We’re waiting on the government to let us know when this will be possible.”
He was happy the government had helped the girls, he said, but added that many of the relatives had “gone through hell in the last few years” and needed support.
Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was working to verify the identities of the girls, in order to reunite them with their families as soon as possible. A list of names was published last Sunday and photographs of them have been sent to the remote town of Chibok for cross-checking.
“When we had the first 21, because of similarities in names, more than two, three sets of parents came to Abuja. So, we don’t want to create that confusion,” Shehu told Agence France-Presse. “When they get the pictures, they see them and verify, then they come on board to Abuja to see their daughters.”
Shehu said he hoped the verification process would be concluded soon, and promised: “The government will not stop any parents from immediately establishing contact with their daughters.”
He also told the local TV station that one of the schoolgirls among a group of 83 that Boko Haram had agreed to release had refused to return because she had married a militant fighter.
The Nigerian government has been criticised previously for the length of time it has taken for former hostages to be reunited with their families.
Twenty-one of the girls’ classmates were freed in October. They are being kept in Abuja, ostensibly for schooling. In December, the parents of those girls were told by the government that they could not take their children back to Chibok, 500 miles (800km) away, because of the security situation. But the families said this had improved, and the young women were expected to return home.
Another parent, whose daughter was not on the list, told the Guardian the release had brought him hope that his own child would soon be free.
He said: “I rejoice with the parents because I understand what they are going through. It has been hard to go for three years without seeing or hearing from your child. Seeing other people’s joy makes me more hopeful that soon the government will rescue her too.”
The release deal was negotiated by Mustapha Zanna, once the lawyer of Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram. The girls were picked up in Red Cross vehicles and taken to Abuja in military helicopters, where they were met by Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari.
More than 100 of the girls remain in Boko Haram’s hands along with hundreds of other women and children, some of whom have been forced by the militants to carry bombs to busy areas and to kill themselves and civilians. The Chibok girls reached international attention when the hashtag #bringbackourgirls was promoted by Michelle Obama and other celebrities.
Manasseh Allen, a campaigner for the Bring Back Our Girls group, said: “Reaching the parents has been hard because they live in remote areas, so sometimes we have to call someone who then finds some of the parents in person. The government and the parents also want to leave space for the girls to have a debrief, which they’re having now and then medical tests and assessments.”
A spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as a neutral intermediary and organised the transportation of the girls and young women to freedom, said their privacy should be respected and they should be given support.
“For their own wellbeing, we are advocating the girls should be given privacy. They are going to need a lot of support for them to reintegrate into the community.”
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Video - Over 80 Chibok girls released by Boko Haram arrive in Abuja
The latest group of abducted Chibok girls to be released by Boko Haram militants, has arrived in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The more than 80 girls, in captivity since in 2014, were expected to be officially received by the Nigerian president. A Nigerian government official has been quoted saying five Boko Haram commanders were released to secure the release of these Chibok girls.
Femi Kuti breaks saxophone world record
He attained the feat on Sunday at the New Africa Shrine as shared by his sister, Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti on her Instagram page @yenikuti.
“This evening 7th May at the New Africa Shrine, Femi Kuti broke the world record for the longest single note on a saxophone note set in 1997 by Kenny G.
The record stood at 45mins 37 seconds….Femi did 46mins 38seconds!! Give it up, we have a world champ. This was witnessed by a large audience that included Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, the deputy high commissioners of Netherlands and The United Kingdom.“ The record was previously first set in December, 1997 by legendary saxophonist Kenny G when he held an E-Flat for over 45 minutes.
Kenny G was reported to have used a technique called Circular Breathing, which keeps a steady stream of air flowing through the saxophone even as the player breathes. For Femi Kuti, it is unclear yet what technique he used or even, the member of the sax family he used to achieve the massive feat.
He started playing the sax when he was 15 and joined his father’s band “The Egypt 80.” He later formed his own band, “Positive Force’’ in the late 80s. Femi, four-time Grammy award nominee, is skilled on other musical instruments including the trumpet and the piano.
According to media reports, Femi awaits an official recognition by the Guinness World Record.
According to media reports, Femi awaits an official recognition by the Guinness World Record.
Dozens on trial in Nigeria over gay wedding
Fifty four people went on trial in northern Nigeria on Monday on charges connected to allegations that they were celebrating a gay wedding, which are outlawed in the country.
The court began hearing the case against the defendants -- most of whom were not present in court -- who have been charged with criminal conspiracy and holding an illegal gathering.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill in 2014 that criminalized same-sex relationships, despite pressure from Western governments to preserve the rights of gay and lesbian people.
The bill contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amorous relationships" and membership of gay rights groups.
Defense lawyer Kimi Appah said the gathering had been a birthday party held in April to honor a man who appeared in court.
"Police got wind of it, arrested them and made trumped up charges that they are trying to celebrate a gay marriage," he told the court in Zaria, a city in the northern state of Kaduna.
The man appeared in court with three other people. They were charged with criminal conspiracy and illegal gathering, to which they all pleaded not guilty. The other accused were not present in court.
The court began hearing the case against the defendants -- most of whom were not present in court -- who have been charged with criminal conspiracy and holding an illegal gathering.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill in 2014 that criminalized same-sex relationships, despite pressure from Western governments to preserve the rights of gay and lesbian people.
The bill contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amorous relationships" and membership of gay rights groups.
Defense lawyer Kimi Appah said the gathering had been a birthday party held in April to honor a man who appeared in court.
"Police got wind of it, arrested them and made trumped up charges that they are trying to celebrate a gay marriage," he told the court in Zaria, a city in the northern state of Kaduna.
The man appeared in court with three other people. They were charged with criminal conspiracy and illegal gathering, to which they all pleaded not guilty. The other accused were not present in court.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Video - President Buhari left for medical tests in London Sunday night
President Buhari left Nigeria on Sunday night to seek treatment in London. According to his office, Buhari will be going for follow up medical tests. Buhari returned to Nigeria two months ago after receiving medical treatment in Britain. Officials have refused to disclose details of his medical condition. Buhari's health has been a major cause of concern in a country where there are fears that a power vacuum could affect its recovery from recession.
President Buhari meets with freed Chibok girls
“We’ve always made it clear that we will do everything in our power to ensure the freedom & safe return of our daughters” and all captives of Boko Haram, Buhari said on his Twitter account.
Minutes later, the 74-year-old president startled Africa’s most populous nation with the news of his departure. Buhari, who has missed three straight weekly Cabinet meetings, spent a month and a half in London on medical leave earlier this year and said he’d never been as sick in his life. The exact nature of his illness remained unclear.
“There is no cause for worry” about this latest medical leave, a statement from his office said, adding that the length of Buhari’s stay in London will be determined by his doctors.
Photos released by the government showed the rail-thin president standing and addressing the Chibok schoolgirls at his official residence Sunday evening, a day after their release.
“The president was delighted to receive them and he promised that all that is needed to be done to reintegrate them into the society will be done,” adviser Femi Adesina said. “He promised that the presidency will personally supervise their rehabilitation.”
The young women have been handed over to government officials who will supervise their re-entry into society, Adesina said. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped negotiate the girls’ release along with the Swiss government, said they would be reunited with their families soon.
Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the girls’ freedom, a Nigerian government official said Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters on the matter. Neither Nigeria’s government nor Boko Haram, which has links to the Islamic State group, gave details about the exchange.
Parents of the schoolgirls were waiting for a government list of names of those who had been freed.
Some parents of the kidnapped girls gathered in the capital, Abuja, to celebrate the release, while others expressed anxiety over the fate of the 113 girls who remain missing after the mass abduction from a Chibok boarding school in 2014.
The Rev. Enoch Mark, whose two daughters have been among the missing, was still awaiting word if they were among those freed. He emphasized that he considered all 82 of the girls to be his daughters “because most of them worship in my church.”
Some parents did not live long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year saga. And the recovery process is expected to be a long one for the girls, many of whom endured sexual assault during their captivity.
“They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram,” said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF Nigeria.
Boko Haram seized a total of 276 girls in the 2014 abduction. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they’d been radicalized by their captors, they said.
Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls have been used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings.
Last year, a first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October, and they have been in government care for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation. Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, nearly 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Chibok.
It was not immediately clear whether the newly freed girls would join them.
They should be quickly released to their families and not be subjected to lengthy government detention, Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said, adding that the girls don’t deserve to be put through a “publicity stunt” and deserve privacy.
Though Boko Haram has abducted thousands of people during its eight-year insurgency that has spilled across Nigeria’s borders, the Chibok mass kidnapping horrified the world and brought the extremist group international attention.
The failure of Nigeria’s former government to act quickly to free the girls sparked a global Bring Back Our Girls movement; U.S. first lady Michelle Obama posted a photo with its logo on social media.
The Bring Back Our Girls campaign said Sunday it was happy that Nigeria’s government had committed to rescuing the 113 remaining schoolgirls, and it urged the president to “earnestly pursue” the release of everyone held by Boko Haram.
Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been “crushed,” but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Friday, May 5, 2017
Two Nigerian officials jailed for selling food aid
Two Nigerian officials have been jailed for selling food aid meant for people fleeing militant attacks and food shortages in the country's north-east.
The two sold 180 bags of rice donated by an international aid agency, the court in Maiduguri, Borno State, heard.
They were jailed for two years and fined 1m naira ($3,200; £2,500) each.
More than two million people have been displaced in north-eastern Nigeria where security forces are battling Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
The prosecution of the two officials was brought by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC.
Umar Ibrahim, a local councillor, and Bulama Ali Zangebe, a member of a camp feeding committee, are said to be the first convicted for corruption in relation to food aid in Nigeria since the insurgency began in 2009.
The rice had been donated by the Danish Refugee Council for victims of insurgency in the town of Mafa, and had been marked as not for sale.
The two admitted the charges against them but told the court that the rice was about to expire.
President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015 with a pledge to root out corruption in government.
Last month his office ordered an investigation after the head of the national intelligence agency was suspended over corruption allegations.
He acted after anti-corruption officers found more than $43m (£34m) in a flat in the main city, Lagos.
The two sold 180 bags of rice donated by an international aid agency, the court in Maiduguri, Borno State, heard.
They were jailed for two years and fined 1m naira ($3,200; £2,500) each.
More than two million people have been displaced in north-eastern Nigeria where security forces are battling Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
The prosecution of the two officials was brought by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC.
Umar Ibrahim, a local councillor, and Bulama Ali Zangebe, a member of a camp feeding committee, are said to be the first convicted for corruption in relation to food aid in Nigeria since the insurgency began in 2009.
The rice had been donated by the Danish Refugee Council for victims of insurgency in the town of Mafa, and had been marked as not for sale.
The two admitted the charges against them but told the court that the rice was about to expire.
President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015 with a pledge to root out corruption in government.
Last month his office ordered an investigation after the head of the national intelligence agency was suspended over corruption allegations.
He acted after anti-corruption officers found more than $43m (£34m) in a flat in the main city, Lagos.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Video - Abubakar Shekau 'injured' in an air strike in northeast Nigeria
Nigerian militant group Boko Haram's leader has reportedly been injured and one of his deputies killed in an air strike. According to sources, who spoke to AFP news agency, Abubakar Shekau was wounded last week, during bombings carried out by two Nigerian Air force jets in northeast Nigeria. The Air Force jets had attacked the insurgents, who had gathered for prayers in a village 40 kilometres from Damboa, on the edge of the Sambisa Forest. The sources say Shekau was just leaving a house nearby for the mosque, when the first jet struck. He is believed to be receiving treatment around Kolofata area. The air force says assessment conducted after the strike has shown that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation and their followers have been killed during the attacks. Nigerian authorities have claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. Boko Haram has killed over 20,000 people and displaced more than 2 million from their homes.
President Buhari misses third straight cabinet meeting
Nigeria's president hasn't been seen in public for more than a week and he's missed his third straight cabinet meeting. That's got Nigerians wondering what's going on with his health.
Muhammadu Buhari is under increasing pressure to "disclose the nature of his illness to the nation," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports. She says some prominent Nigerians are demanding that he take medical leave amid questions about his fitness to govern.
The president's wife, Aisha Buhari, took to Twitter to try to calm the growing health concerns. "I wish to inform everyone that his health is not as bad as it's being perceived," she wrote, adding that her husband "continues to carry out his responsibilities."
He missed his third straight cabinet meeting this morning. A tweet from the presidency's verified Twitter account indicated that the vice president led the meeting.
After Buhari returned from medical leave in March, he told reporters that he had never been so sick, according to the BBC. And while he hasn't revealed his condition, he mentioned receiving blood transfusions, The Associated Press reports.
"The 74-year-old returned to work in mid-March but often works from home, according to aides," according to the AP. "The uncertainty over Buhari's health has raised fears of instability in Africa's most populous nation and one of its top oil producers."
Muhammadu Buhari is under increasing pressure to "disclose the nature of his illness to the nation," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports. She says some prominent Nigerians are demanding that he take medical leave amid questions about his fitness to govern.
The president's wife, Aisha Buhari, took to Twitter to try to calm the growing health concerns. "I wish to inform everyone that his health is not as bad as it's being perceived," she wrote, adding that her husband "continues to carry out his responsibilities."
He missed his third straight cabinet meeting this morning. A tweet from the presidency's verified Twitter account indicated that the vice president led the meeting.
After Buhari returned from medical leave in March, he told reporters that he had never been so sick, according to the BBC. And while he hasn't revealed his condition, he mentioned receiving blood transfusions, The Associated Press reports.
"The 74-year-old returned to work in mid-March but often works from home, according to aides," according to the AP. "The uncertainty over Buhari's health has raised fears of instability in Africa's most populous nation and one of its top oil producers."
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Video - Nigerians reflects on Anthony Joshua's heavyweight success
As Anthony Joshua slugged it out in the ring with Wladimir Klitschko last Saturday for boxing's world heavy champion, it was not only the British who were rooting passionately for him, millions of Nigerians too were because of his Nigerian heritage. Both of Joshua's parents are Nigerians and there was a huge euphoria in the country when he beat Klitschko to become the heavy weight champion of the world.
Video - 40% increase in cement prices slows growth in real estate sector in Nigeria
Nigeria manufactures nearly 90% of its cement locally, but a recent 40% price hike has significantly slowed growth in the country's real-estate sector.
President Buhari misses third cabinet meeting
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has missed his third cabinet meeting in a row amid ongoing questions about the state of his health.
He has not been seen in public for more than a week.
His wife Aisha Buhari had tweeted on Tuesday that her husband was not as sick as is being perceived.
In March, Mr Buhari returned from seven weeks of medical leave in the UK where he was treated for an undisclosed illness.
When he returned home he said he had never been so ill in his life.
In her tweets, Mrs Buhari that he was continuing to "carry out his responsibilities" and has been meeting with ministers. She also thanked Nigerians.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was the acting president while Mr Buhari was away in the UK, is chairing the cabinet meeting in the capital, Abuja.
Earlier this week, a group of prominent Nigerians has called on Mr Buhari to take medical leave as concerns about his health grow.
He uncharacteristically failed to show up at last Friday's prayers at the mosque on state house grounds.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed told the BBC that the president's health was "a personal matter" and that Nigerians have been kept aware of his condition.
Thirteen influential civil society figures, said in a statement on Monday that the president's absence from the cabinet meetings, as well as the weekly Friday Muslim prayers, "has fuelled further speculation and rumours" about his medical condition.
The 13 said they felt "compelled" to ask Mr Buhari "to heed the advice of his personal physicians by taking a rest to attend to his health without any further delay".
Mr Buhari's personal assistant Bashir Ahmed said the president had met Justice Minister Abubakar Malami and other officials at the presidential villa on Tuesday as part of his official duties.
Last week, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Mr Buhari was "taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment" in the UK.
He has not been seen in public for more than a week.
His wife Aisha Buhari had tweeted on Tuesday that her husband was not as sick as is being perceived.
In March, Mr Buhari returned from seven weeks of medical leave in the UK where he was treated for an undisclosed illness.
When he returned home he said he had never been so ill in his life.
In her tweets, Mrs Buhari that he was continuing to "carry out his responsibilities" and has been meeting with ministers. She also thanked Nigerians.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was the acting president while Mr Buhari was away in the UK, is chairing the cabinet meeting in the capital, Abuja.
Earlier this week, a group of prominent Nigerians has called on Mr Buhari to take medical leave as concerns about his health grow.
He uncharacteristically failed to show up at last Friday's prayers at the mosque on state house grounds.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed told the BBC that the president's health was "a personal matter" and that Nigerians have been kept aware of his condition.
Thirteen influential civil society figures, said in a statement on Monday that the president's absence from the cabinet meetings, as well as the weekly Friday Muslim prayers, "has fuelled further speculation and rumours" about his medical condition.
The 13 said they felt "compelled" to ask Mr Buhari "to heed the advice of his personal physicians by taking a rest to attend to his health without any further delay".
Mr Buhari's personal assistant Bashir Ahmed said the president had met Justice Minister Abubakar Malami and other officials at the presidential villa on Tuesday as part of his official duties.
Last week, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Mr Buhari was "taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment" in the UK.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Video - Liquefied Natural Gas Company: Proposed act will have detrimental effects on Nigeria
Nigeria's liquefied natural gas company, the NLNG, is on a collision course with the country's parliament after it criticized plans by lawmakers to introduce a law to compel the gas firm to pay a levy, which is about three percent of its annual budget. The NLNG warns that if the bill is enacted, it could have a detrimental effect on new investments in the country's oil and gas industry.
New heavy weight world champion Anthony Joshua to be honoured in Nigeria
Majority leader of the State House of Assembly Yinka Mafe says he will move a motion in the state legislature to have the Sagamu International Stadium renamed Anthony Joshua Stadium, and the popular Cinema Street in Sagamu renamed Anthony Joshua Street.
Of the two, the street is the most significant, as his family owns almost half the land and property on one side of the street.
The cinema, from which the road takes its name, was built by his great grandfather Omo-Oba Daniel Adebambo Joshua in the 50s, and is one of the oldest of such facilities in the country.
Mafe joined hundreds of Sagamu youth to watch the fight in an open air viewing event organised by the Sagamu Youth Congress, and was thrilled by both the turnout and the outcome.
"We are proud of what he has achieved as a son of Sagamu, and we will be happy to do our own little bit to show our appreciation and support for him," Mafe said.
President Buhari urged to take medical leave
A group of prominent Nigerians has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, 74, to take medical leave, amid growing concern about his health.
There was an "apparent deterioration" in his health following his failure to attend the last two cabinet meetings, the group said.
Mr Buhari took about seven weeks of medical leave in January, and flew to the UK for treatment.
When he returned home in March, he said he had never been so ill in his life.
Mr Buhari has not disclosed his illness, but hinted that he had had a blood transfusion.
The president had not been seen in public for the last week, and his absence from the cabinet meetings, as well as the weekly Friday Muslim prayers, "has fuelled further speculation and rumours" about his medical condition, the group of 13 Nigerians said in a statement.
The group included some of the Nigeria's most influential civil society figures, including lawyer Femi Falana, political analyst Jibrin Ibrahim, and Transparency International Nigeria head Anwal Musa Rafsanjani.
The 13 said they felt "compelled" to ask Mr Buhari "to heed the advice of his personal physicians by taking a rest to attend to his health without any further delay".
Mr Buhari's aides have not yet commented on the statement.
Last week presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Mr Buhari was "taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment" in the UK.
There was an "apparent deterioration" in his health following his failure to attend the last two cabinet meetings, the group said.
Mr Buhari took about seven weeks of medical leave in January, and flew to the UK for treatment.
When he returned home in March, he said he had never been so ill in his life.
Mr Buhari has not disclosed his illness, but hinted that he had had a blood transfusion.
The president had not been seen in public for the last week, and his absence from the cabinet meetings, as well as the weekly Friday Muslim prayers, "has fuelled further speculation and rumours" about his medical condition, the group of 13 Nigerians said in a statement.
The group included some of the Nigeria's most influential civil society figures, including lawyer Femi Falana, political analyst Jibrin Ibrahim, and Transparency International Nigeria head Anwal Musa Rafsanjani.
The 13 said they felt "compelled" to ask Mr Buhari "to heed the advice of his personal physicians by taking a rest to attend to his health without any further delay".
Mr Buhari's aides have not yet commented on the statement.
Last week presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Mr Buhari was "taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment" in the UK.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Nigerian reject Anthony Joshua becomes World Champion
The new IBF and WBA heavyweight champion of the world, Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua, could have fought Vladimir Klitschko, as world boxing champion, under the green white green banner of Nigeria rather than the British Union Jack.
But for one small and now ultimately significant rejection by Nigerian boxing officials in 2008, when he wanted to represent the country of his parents at the Olympic Games, was to alter the course of history, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Maybe his career would have taken an entirely different fork at the crossroads if he had been flying the green and white colours nearly a decade ago.
Joshua makes no secret of his Nigerian heritage. If anything, he embraces it. His middle name, Femi (short for Oluwafemi), is as Nigerian as they come. On numerous occasions he has not been shy to speak about his Nigerian roots.
Joshua was born in Watford to a Nigerian mother and a British father of Nigerian and Irish descent. He made his professional debut in 2013.
In a post-fight interview muck-around with Nigerian reporter Oma Akatugba, he even attempted to speak some of his native Yoruba language, and the map tattooed on his shoulder tells its own cultural tale.
It is a reflection of how connected he has tried to remain to his African roots.
Indeed, some of 27-year-old Joshua’s early years were spent in Ijebu-Ode Nigeria before he returned to the UK halfway through Year Seven to join Kings Langley Secondary School.
Growing up on the Meriden Estate in Garston, Hertfordshire, Joshua was called ‘Femi’ by his friends and former teachers. He excelled at football and athletics and broke the Year Nine 100m record with a time of 11.6 seconds.
At 11, he joined his Nigerian mother Yeta in the most populous black nation on earth for six months and attended a boarding school within that period.
Joshua told MailOnline that he felt he went to Nigeria on holiday. “I thought I was going there (Nigeria) on holiday,” he said.
Joshua makes no secret of his Nigerian heritage. If anything, he embraces it. His middle name, Femi (short for Oluwafemi), is as Nigerian as they come. On numerous occasions he has not been shy to speak about his Nigerian roots.
Joshua was born in Watford to a Nigerian mother and a British father of Nigerian and Irish descent. He made his professional debut in 2013.
In a post-fight interview muck-around with Nigerian reporter Oma Akatugba, he even attempted to speak some of his native Yoruba language, and the map tattooed on his shoulder tells its own cultural tale.
It is a reflection of how connected he has tried to remain to his African roots.
Indeed, some of 27-year-old Joshua’s early years were spent in Ijebu-Ode Nigeria before he returned to the UK halfway through Year Seven to join Kings Langley Secondary School.
Growing up on the Meriden Estate in Garston, Hertfordshire, Joshua was called ‘Femi’ by his friends and former teachers. He excelled at football and athletics and broke the Year Nine 100m record with a time of 11.6 seconds.
At 11, he joined his Nigerian mother Yeta in the most populous black nation on earth for six months and attended a boarding school within that period.
Joshua told MailOnline that he felt he went to Nigeria on holiday. “I thought I was going there (Nigeria) on holiday,” he said.
“I wasn’t prepared for it. It was a boarding school as well. It was a change and I thought I was going to go for the full course: 5.30am in the morning, up fetch your water, put like an iron in your water to warm it up. Your clothes had to be washed and ironed.
“It wasn’t an issue but I wasn’t prepared. It was good discipline. We got beaten. That’s my culture: beating. The (British) government raises your kids now; parents aren’t allowed to raise their kids, because there is so much control (here) about what you do or what you say.
“In the (Nigerian) culture it’s family, outside support; everyone has a role in raising the kids.”
At the end of six months, which he believed taught him discipline, Joshua and his family returned to the UK, and he resumed the path that led to him being discovered as a promising amateur fighter.
“In the (Nigerian) culture it’s family, outside support; everyone has a role in raising the kids.”
At the end of six months, which he believed taught him discipline, Joshua and his family returned to the UK, and he resumed the path that led to him being discovered as a promising amateur fighter.
It was that connection that drove him to try and represent Nigeria at the 2008 Olympic Games, only to be turned down by the country’s boxing coaches.
Obisia Nwankpa, former Commonwealth champion, world title contender and chief coach of the
Obisia Nwankpa, former Commonwealth champion, world title contender and chief coach of the
Nigerian boxing team, tells the story: “He reached out to us, asking to be part of our Olympic team, so we invited him to come down and take part in the trials.
“Unfortunately, he did not appear when we asked him to and came down only when we had finished our trials, finalised our team and were about to travel for a training tour. Maybe other coaches would have accepted it, but I could not.
“It’s a pity he did not get his chance at that time, but the two boxers we selected then, Durodola Olanrewaju and Onorede Ohwarieme, were outstanding and experienced and there was no way I was going to drop them for somebody I had not even seen.”
“It’s a pity he did not get his chance at that time, but the two boxers we selected then, Durodola Olanrewaju and Onorede Ohwarieme, were outstanding and experienced and there was no way I was going to drop them for somebody I had not even seen.”
Both Olanrewaju and Ohwarieme failed to go beyond their first bouts at the Beijing Olympics. Olanrewaju lost to Cuba’s Osmay Acosta, who went on to win bronze, while Ohwarieme was beaten by Lithuania’s Jaroslavas Jaksto. But Nwankpa remains convinced that Joshua would not have fared any better at the time.
“Those two were great boxers and the reason they did not do so well was partly because our preparations were not really so good, and partly because there is also some politics in the way they judge these fights at amateur level.”
However, Jeremiah Okorodudu who represented Nigeria at the 1984 Olympic Games, has another take on why Joshua was rejected. His relationship with Nwankpa is frosty at best and they do not often agree.
Okorodudu claimed that some stinging words were said to the young boxer.
“When they turned him back, they told him that if he was that good he should have fought for Britain,” Okorodudu alleged.
Okorodudu claimed that some stinging words were said to the young boxer.
“When they turned him back, they told him that if he was that good he should have fought for Britain,” Okorodudu alleged.
That snub, it seems, provided additional motivation which spurred the young boxer to fight his way into the British Olympic team. Four years later, Nigeria’s rejected nugget had become Great Britain’s cornerstone Olympic gold medalist. So is it possible that Joshua dodged a bullet by that rejection?
Nwankpa grudgingly agreed: “Well, maybe if he had represented Nigeria at that time he would not have won gold at the Olympics. And possibly, even if he had won, he may not have achieved what he is achieving now.
“Being born in England gives him a certain amount of preference and because he is representing them, he also gets a lot of support from them; good management, and world class preparation.
“Here, it would have been difficult for him to get the kind of support that he has now. And if he doesn’t have that support, he won’t have fights and if he doesn’t have fights, he cannot be champion,” Nwankpa argued.
Nwankpa grudgingly agreed: “Well, maybe if he had represented Nigeria at that time he would not have won gold at the Olympics. And possibly, even if he had won, he may not have achieved what he is achieving now.
“Being born in England gives him a certain amount of preference and because he is representing them, he also gets a lot of support from them; good management, and world class preparation.
“Here, it would have been difficult for him to get the kind of support that he has now. And if he doesn’t have that support, he won’t have fights and if he doesn’t have fights, he cannot be champion,” Nwankpa argued.
Okorodudu again holds opposite views to Nwankpa: “I believe he could still have achieved all that if he had fought for Nigeria. We have had boxers who have done well fighting for Nigeria. Peter Konyegwachie won silver in 1984. David Izonritei also won silver and I trained Samuel Peter for three years before he went to the Olympic Games and later became a world champion.
“So if Joshua had been given a chance here, I believe he could still have won gold and still be a world champion.”
“So if Joshua had been given a chance here, I believe he could still have won gold and still be a world champion.”
On further reflection, however, Okorodudu admitted it would have been a harder journey for the young champion.
“Lack of fights is a big problem for our boxers. They turn professional and there is no promotion. Joshua is where he is because he is getting good promotion, so maybe it would have been tougher for him.
“But because he was born in England, he could still have moved abroad, like Peter did, and that would have worked for him,” Okorodudu added.
Nwankpa, who was close to being a world champion himself until he lost the WBC title fight to Saoul Mamby, however, maintained that he has no regrets about his decision to cold-shoulder Joshua.
“I would do it again because we must always do things the right way. Simply because somebody was born abroad does not mean he can just walk into our team without taking part in our trials.
“That would be unfair to those who sweated to take part and qualified. So no, I have no regrets at all. But I am happy for him,” Nwakpa told ESPN before Saturday’s fight.
Choices: we are the sum total of the choices we make. For Joshua, he is the sum of choices stemming from one made by Nwankpa.
Hard not to think that in his moments of quiet introspection, he will find himself thankful for the little mercy of having suffered that rejection early in his career.
“I want to give 90,000 people another chance to come back and watch some boxing here,” shouted out Joshua who is now a three-belt champion as he also holds the IBO title.
Tyson Fury accepted the challenge – some have called this next bout to be one of the biggest in 500 years of boxing history.
Nwankpa, who was close to being a world champion himself until he lost the WBC title fight to Saoul Mamby, however, maintained that he has no regrets about his decision to cold-shoulder Joshua.
“I would do it again because we must always do things the right way. Simply because somebody was born abroad does not mean he can just walk into our team without taking part in our trials.
“That would be unfair to those who sweated to take part and qualified. So no, I have no regrets at all. But I am happy for him,” Nwakpa told ESPN before Saturday’s fight.
Choices: we are the sum total of the choices we make. For Joshua, he is the sum of choices stemming from one made by Nwankpa.
Hard not to think that in his moments of quiet introspection, he will find himself thankful for the little mercy of having suffered that rejection early in his career.
Meanwhile, after winning the historic fight in front of 90,000 people at Wembley and with millions watching all over the world, Joshua challenged another heavyweight great, Tyson Fury, to a match.
Fury beat Klitschko in 2015, but was stripped of his titles shortly afterwards and has not fought since.
Taking up the challenge, Fury responded to Joshua calling him out immediately after his victory over Klitschko by saying “challenge accepted”.
Fury beat Klitschko in 2015, but was stripped of his titles shortly afterwards and has not fought since.
Taking up the challenge, Fury responded to Joshua calling him out immediately after his victory over Klitschko by saying “challenge accepted”.
“Tyson Fury, where (are) you at baby?” asked Joshua.
“Come on, is that what you want to see? I enjoy fighting. I love fighting. Tyson Fury I know he has been talking a lot and wants to come back and compete.
“I want to give 90,000 people another chance to come back and watch some boxing here,” shouted out Joshua who is now a three-belt champion as he also holds the IBO title.
Tyson Fury accepted the challenge – some have called this next bout to be one of the biggest in 500 years of boxing history.
Fury last year surrendered the world heavyweight titles he won by beating Klitschko in an effort to focus on his mental health problems.
The 28-year-old has won all 25 of his professional fights so far, 18 by knockout.
Joshua now boasts a perfect 19-0 record following his win over Klitschko, with all of the 27-year-old’s victories coming inside the distance.
The 28-year-old has won all 25 of his professional fights so far, 18 by knockout.
Joshua now boasts a perfect 19-0 record following his win over Klitschko, with all of the 27-year-old’s victories coming inside the distance.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Video - 30,000 people forced out from slum housing in Nigeria
At least 30,000 people have been forcefully evicted from their slum housing in Nigeria.
Lawyers say they're the victims of a land grab as real estate developers move in to the commercial capital.
Nigeria Football Federation gets $8.2million boos
The cash-strapped Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has received a financial boost from an energy company worth around US$8.2 million over the next five years.
The deal with the Aiteo Group will commence on 1 May.
"This will make it easier for us to plan adequately for our national teams," NFF boss Amaju Pinnick said.
"It is important to note that this will also take care of the national team coaches' salaries."
Pinnick hopes that this means no repeats of problems paying national team coaches that has troubled the NFF in the past.
"There will be no owing of coaches for the next five years," he added.
"This lucrative deal with Aiteo will cover all the national teams and has an option of a one-year extension."
"We are happy to have a sponsor come in at this crucial time and this is a big boost for our football."
Former Nigeria coaches Christian Chukwu, Shaibu Amodu, Samson Siasia,Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh and the late Stephen Keshi have all previously complained about outstanding salaries in recent years.
The chairman of the Aiteo Group, Benedict Peters, feels it is important for Nigerian companies to share their success.
"As Nigerian companies grow, I believe the benefits of that growth should be spread as widely as possible," he explained.
"Aiteo Group is as passionate about leadership as Nigerians are about football, so we are proud to be working together with the NFF and its coaching staff to reach a shared goal of a more prosperous Nigeria."
"It is an exciting time for the Nigerian Football Federation and for Aiteo - two organisations which are increasingly seeing global success, competing with global players.
"Aiteo Group is proud to sign this multi-million dollar partnership, which will help to support the Super Eagles to success in the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 AFCON and beyond."
The deal with the Aiteo Group will commence on 1 May.
"This will make it easier for us to plan adequately for our national teams," NFF boss Amaju Pinnick said.
"It is important to note that this will also take care of the national team coaches' salaries."
Pinnick hopes that this means no repeats of problems paying national team coaches that has troubled the NFF in the past.
"There will be no owing of coaches for the next five years," he added.
"This lucrative deal with Aiteo will cover all the national teams and has an option of a one-year extension."
"We are happy to have a sponsor come in at this crucial time and this is a big boost for our football."
Former Nigeria coaches Christian Chukwu, Shaibu Amodu, Samson Siasia,Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh and the late Stephen Keshi have all previously complained about outstanding salaries in recent years.
The chairman of the Aiteo Group, Benedict Peters, feels it is important for Nigerian companies to share their success.
"As Nigerian companies grow, I believe the benefits of that growth should be spread as widely as possible," he explained.
"Aiteo Group is as passionate about leadership as Nigerians are about football, so we are proud to be working together with the NFF and its coaching staff to reach a shared goal of a more prosperous Nigeria."
"It is an exciting time for the Nigerian Football Federation and for Aiteo - two organisations which are increasingly seeing global success, competing with global players.
"Aiteo Group is proud to sign this multi-million dollar partnership, which will help to support the Super Eagles to success in the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 AFCON and beyond."
5 soldiers killed by suicide bomber in Nigeria
A suicide car bomber has attacked a military convoy in northeast Nigeria, killing five soldiers and injuring another 40, security forces have said.
Two military officers told the AFP news agency on Friday that the attacker, believed to be loyal to factional Boko Haram leader Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, targeted the convoy, which was conducting "clearance operations" between Yobe and Borno states.
"At about 10:00 GMT on Thursday, a suicide bomber believed to be a Boko Haram terrorist riding in a van loaded with explosives rammed into a military convoy at Manguzum village," one said.
"We lost five soldiers in the incident and more than 40 sustained various degrees of injuries," added the officer, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak about the incident.
In a separate development, at least 15 gunmen believed to be Boko Haram fighters were shot dead during a battle with soldiers.
Kinsley Samuel, Nigeria's military spokesman, said that the fighting occurred in the Sambisa forest in the country's north.
There has been a spate of deadly attacks on military targets in recent months, as troops fight to end the eight-year insurgency, which has killed thousands of civilians.
A multinational force of troops from Nigeria and its neighbours last year drove Boko Haram out of towns and villages in northeast Nigeria, but isolated attacks and suicide bombings continue.
In December, President Muhammadu Buhari said the capture of a key camp marked the "final crushing" of Boko Haram in its last enclave in Sambisa Forest, once the group's stronghold.
But since then, the group, which split into two factions last year, has stepped up its attacks.
One Boko Haram faction is led by Abubakar Shekau from the Sambisa Forest. Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi leads the other faction, based in the Lake Chad region, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
At least 20,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram conflict since it began in 2009 and more than 2.6 million others made homeless.
Two military officers told the AFP news agency on Friday that the attacker, believed to be loyal to factional Boko Haram leader Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, targeted the convoy, which was conducting "clearance operations" between Yobe and Borno states.
"At about 10:00 GMT on Thursday, a suicide bomber believed to be a Boko Haram terrorist riding in a van loaded with explosives rammed into a military convoy at Manguzum village," one said.
"We lost five soldiers in the incident and more than 40 sustained various degrees of injuries," added the officer, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak about the incident.
In a separate development, at least 15 gunmen believed to be Boko Haram fighters were shot dead during a battle with soldiers.
Kinsley Samuel, Nigeria's military spokesman, said that the fighting occurred in the Sambisa forest in the country's north.
There has been a spate of deadly attacks on military targets in recent months, as troops fight to end the eight-year insurgency, which has killed thousands of civilians.
A multinational force of troops from Nigeria and its neighbours last year drove Boko Haram out of towns and villages in northeast Nigeria, but isolated attacks and suicide bombings continue.
In December, President Muhammadu Buhari said the capture of a key camp marked the "final crushing" of Boko Haram in its last enclave in Sambisa Forest, once the group's stronghold.
But since then, the group, which split into two factions last year, has stepped up its attacks.
One Boko Haram faction is led by Abubakar Shekau from the Sambisa Forest. Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi leads the other faction, based in the Lake Chad region, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
At least 20,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram conflict since it began in 2009 and more than 2.6 million others made homeless.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Video - Nigeria gets loan to modernize rail network and link Lagos to Kano
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking parliament's approval for a proposal to borrow $5.85 billion from China to modernize its rail network. Buhari urged parliament in a letter to approve the railway borrowing because China has a limit on funds available from its China Africa Fund. The president wants to sign loan agreements as soon as China approves the project. Buhari also asked lawmakers to also approve a $1.075 billion loan to help rebuild the northeast, which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency, and to expand support to the poor in Nigeria.
Death toll in meningitis outbreak in Nigeria reaches 813
A meningitis outbreak in Nigeria has killed 813 people so far this year, the country’s health minister said, as Africa’s most populous country and aid organisations attempt to tackle the surge in infections.
The government on Wednesday approved a house-to-house search in northern Nigeria to identify those afflicted with meningitis for vaccination and treatment, Isaac Adewole told reporters after a cabinet meeting under vice president Yemi Osinbajo.
The West African nation in April launched a mass vaccination campaign as part of its emergency response to the outbreak in its northwestern states, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said.
The NCDC said the infection killed 33 people in 2016.
More than 2,000 people died from an outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in 2009, with basic healthcare limited in rural parts of the country, where most people live on less than $2 a day, despite the country’s huge oil resources.
Meningitis is the inflammation of tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord which can be caused by viral or bacterial infections. It spreads mainly through kisses, sneezes, coughs and in close living quarters.
The NCDC is working with the World Health Organisation, the UN’s Children’s Fund and Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, to try to control the outbreak.
The government on Wednesday approved a house-to-house search in northern Nigeria to identify those afflicted with meningitis for vaccination and treatment, Isaac Adewole told reporters after a cabinet meeting under vice president Yemi Osinbajo.
The West African nation in April launched a mass vaccination campaign as part of its emergency response to the outbreak in its northwestern states, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said.
The NCDC said the infection killed 33 people in 2016.
More than 2,000 people died from an outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in 2009, with basic healthcare limited in rural parts of the country, where most people live on less than $2 a day, despite the country’s huge oil resources.
Meningitis is the inflammation of tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord which can be caused by viral or bacterial infections. It spreads mainly through kisses, sneezes, coughs and in close living quarters.
The NCDC is working with the World Health Organisation, the UN’s Children’s Fund and Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, to try to control the outbreak.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Video - Abuja residents learn martial arts for personal security
The rising crime rate is driving residents to learn martial arts in an effort to protect themselves in Nigeria. Although no official statistics exist, armed robberies, burglaries, car-jackings, rape and kidnappings are common.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Video - Nigerian entrepreneur revives local market for hand-made chocolates
Nigeria is the world's fourth-largest producer of cocoa. But most of its beans are exported for processing abroad. This means chocolates and sweets are almost always imported. Nigeria's oldest cocoa community is slowly trying to change that by producing hand-made chocolate straight from their farms.
Video - Nigerian Air Force shows off new weapons to fight Boko Haram
Nigeria's air force has shown off new assets it says will be used to combat the Boko Haram insurgency in its north and oil militants in its south.
The West African nation's air force over the weekend demonstrated a new attack helicopter during 53rd anniversary celebrations.
The chief of defense staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, says the military now can "deliver appropriate firepower at the right time and at the right place."
The military also expects that the Trump administration will move forward with the sale of high-tech aircraft to Nigeria for its campaign against Boko Haram despite concerns over abuses committed by the African nation's security forces.
"We are highly impressed and knowing that this air force is now on the rise again," says retired air vice marshal O.C. Obierika.
Reason behind piles of cash popping up in Nigeria
Nigerians have been shocked and bemused after huge piles of cash have been unearthed in various parts of the country in recent months. Journalist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at what is going on.
In February, $9.2m and £750,000 were discovered by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, in a property belonging to Andrew Yakubu, a former director of the national oil company, NNPC.
In March, large sacks containing bundles of "crispy" banknotes worth a total of $155,000 (£130,000) were found in Kaduna airport.
In April, a stash containing $43.4m, £27,800 and 23.2m naira were recovered from a Lagos apartment with its owner yet to be identified.
And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Whistle-blowers rewarded
EFCC head Ibrahim Magu was quoted in the local media as saying that the total amount recovered by the agency in the past few months was about $53m, £120m and €547m, on top of hundreds of millions of Nigerian naira.
He credited this to the whistle-blower policy put in place by the government in December 2016.
A particularly juicy sentence stands out from the five-page policy document made available on the ministry of finance website:
"A whistle-blower responsible for providing the government with information that directly leads to the voluntary return of stolen or concealed funds or assets may be entitled to anywhere between 2.5-5% of amount recovered."
There is a special page for submitting tip-offs.
Within three months Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun disclosed that they had received 2,351 tips, sent in through phone calls, text messages and emails.
Naturally, the policy also promises to protect the identity of all whistle-blowers.
Such huge sums of cash as those discovered could not have walked into the residences on their own.
The typical Nigerian wealthy man or woman, indisposed to manual labour, would have had to enlist the services of their extended family, minions or hangers-on, to transport the cash.
Cashless policy
In the past, whistle-blowers or not, it may have been difficult to find any large amounts of cash lying around in Nigeria.
The stashes would have been cooling off in banks, or en route to various foreign destinations.
But, in 2012, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, now the Emir of Kano, introduced a "cashless policy".
This placed limits on the amount of cash-based transfers, encouraging electronic transactions instead.
As the CBN notes in the "Cash-less Nigeria" section of its website: "High cash usage enables corruption, leakages and money laundering, amongst other cash-related fraudulent activities."
Imagine the predicament of the serial looters, bribe givers and takers, accustomed to handling incredible amounts of cash.
Recent reports, for example, allege that in 2011 a whopping $466m was withdrawn in cash - raw notes and bundles - to pay a few Nigerian government officials to facilitate Shell Petroleum's acquisition of a lucrative oilfield. Shell said it did not believe its employees acted illegally.
The CBN's cashless policy would have made it hard for subsequent bribe-takers to deposit such huge sums in banks.
Again, the extended family, minions and hangers-on can come to the rescue.
People could open different bank accounts in the names of their siblings, aunts and uncles, father, nephew, spouses, in-laws, house girls, cooks, drivers and so on.
The heaps of cash can be broken into smaller batches and deposited in these various accounts.
Those in whose names the accounts are opened might not have any knowledge of or control over the transactions.
Bank verification
This short-circuiting of the cashless policy seemed to be working fine, until President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and introduced yet another policy: The Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy.
Every bank customer in Nigeria was required to have their biometric details captured and linked to a unique number that could be verified across every account and transaction they made in every bank.
The first step to getting a BVN was to turn up at the bank in person.
As of November 2016, the Nigerian parliament was set to discuss the billions of local and international currency reportedly abandoned in bank accounts as a result of the BVN policy.
Apparently, owners of dubious accounts are afraid to step forward and claim their riches.
Banks in Nigeria are definitely no longer the best hiding place for unexplained funds.
The $9.2m found in Mr Yakubu's residence was discovered in a fireproof safe.
He has sued the EFCC for violating his fundamental human rights, insisting that the money was his - a "gift from unnamed persons".
After much speculation as to its ownership, the $43.4m found in a Lagos apartment was finally claimed by the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), whose director, Ayo Oke, stated that the money was released by the previous government to help with the agency's "special services".
Mr Buhari has suspended the director from his position and ordered a two-week probe into the origin of the funds.
Two years into his tenure, President Buhari's war on corruption is finally producing tangible results - cash - even if there have been no high-profile convictions yet.
In February, $9.2m and £750,000 were discovered by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, in a property belonging to Andrew Yakubu, a former director of the national oil company, NNPC.
In March, large sacks containing bundles of "crispy" banknotes worth a total of $155,000 (£130,000) were found in Kaduna airport.
In April, a stash containing $43.4m, £27,800 and 23.2m naira were recovered from a Lagos apartment with its owner yet to be identified.
And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Whistle-blowers rewarded
EFCC head Ibrahim Magu was quoted in the local media as saying that the total amount recovered by the agency in the past few months was about $53m, £120m and €547m, on top of hundreds of millions of Nigerian naira.
He credited this to the whistle-blower policy put in place by the government in December 2016.
A particularly juicy sentence stands out from the five-page policy document made available on the ministry of finance website:
"A whistle-blower responsible for providing the government with information that directly leads to the voluntary return of stolen or concealed funds or assets may be entitled to anywhere between 2.5-5% of amount recovered."
There is a special page for submitting tip-offs.
Within three months Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun disclosed that they had received 2,351 tips, sent in through phone calls, text messages and emails.
Naturally, the policy also promises to protect the identity of all whistle-blowers.
Such huge sums of cash as those discovered could not have walked into the residences on their own.
The typical Nigerian wealthy man or woman, indisposed to manual labour, would have had to enlist the services of their extended family, minions or hangers-on, to transport the cash.
Cashless policy
In the past, whistle-blowers or not, it may have been difficult to find any large amounts of cash lying around in Nigeria.
The stashes would have been cooling off in banks, or en route to various foreign destinations.
But, in 2012, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, now the Emir of Kano, introduced a "cashless policy".
This placed limits on the amount of cash-based transfers, encouraging electronic transactions instead.
As the CBN notes in the "Cash-less Nigeria" section of its website: "High cash usage enables corruption, leakages and money laundering, amongst other cash-related fraudulent activities."
Imagine the predicament of the serial looters, bribe givers and takers, accustomed to handling incredible amounts of cash.
Recent reports, for example, allege that in 2011 a whopping $466m was withdrawn in cash - raw notes and bundles - to pay a few Nigerian government officials to facilitate Shell Petroleum's acquisition of a lucrative oilfield. Shell said it did not believe its employees acted illegally.
The CBN's cashless policy would have made it hard for subsequent bribe-takers to deposit such huge sums in banks.
Again, the extended family, minions and hangers-on can come to the rescue.
People could open different bank accounts in the names of their siblings, aunts and uncles, father, nephew, spouses, in-laws, house girls, cooks, drivers and so on.
The heaps of cash can be broken into smaller batches and deposited in these various accounts.
Those in whose names the accounts are opened might not have any knowledge of or control over the transactions.
Bank verification
This short-circuiting of the cashless policy seemed to be working fine, until President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and introduced yet another policy: The Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy.
Every bank customer in Nigeria was required to have their biometric details captured and linked to a unique number that could be verified across every account and transaction they made in every bank.
The first step to getting a BVN was to turn up at the bank in person.
As of November 2016, the Nigerian parliament was set to discuss the billions of local and international currency reportedly abandoned in bank accounts as a result of the BVN policy.
Apparently, owners of dubious accounts are afraid to step forward and claim their riches.
Banks in Nigeria are definitely no longer the best hiding place for unexplained funds.
The $9.2m found in Mr Yakubu's residence was discovered in a fireproof safe.
He has sued the EFCC for violating his fundamental human rights, insisting that the money was his - a "gift from unnamed persons".
After much speculation as to its ownership, the $43.4m found in a Lagos apartment was finally claimed by the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), whose director, Ayo Oke, stated that the money was released by the previous government to help with the agency's "special services".
Mr Buhari has suspended the director from his position and ordered a two-week probe into the origin of the funds.
Two years into his tenure, President Buhari's war on corruption is finally producing tangible results - cash - even if there have been no high-profile convictions yet.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Video - Managers systematically plunged Nigerian airline into debt
Revelations that managers of Nigeria's grounded airline Arik Air systematically plundered the company, have sparked widespread condemnation Investigations by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria show that the former managers deliberately pushed the airline into 1.2 billion dollar debt. International auditing firm KPMG is carrying out a forensic investigation at the campany, and it is expected that key managers will be prosecuted. Nigeria's biggest airlines troubles mounted at the end of last year, when 70% of its international flights were delayed.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Nigeria is a destination of choice for West African immigrants
Nigeria remains one of West Africa's most attractive destinations for immigrants. Many of them looking for jobs and what they believe is a better life. Rights groups however say more needs to be done to protect such communities that remain highly vulnerable.
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