It was another black weekend in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria, as the terrorist group, Boko Haram, continued their reign of attacks on Saturday, this time killing more than 100 people.
They have also taken the audacious step of hoisting their black and white flag over a town that is 85 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state's capital, which was reportedly left unguarded by the military, a civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday.
The attack caused a cascade, as hundreds of villagers in Askira Uba are currently on the run for safety, after receiving letters from the Islamic extremists threatening attacks.
A confirmation of the attack came from Abbas Gava, spokesman of the Civilian Vigilante group.
The latest attack on Borno comes on the heels of an assurance by the Nigeria Police that insurgency in Nigeria is nearing an end. This is, however, with a prize, as the Force Headquarters have also said there are bound to be more terror attacks.
Nigeria Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sunday Independent in Abuja, at the weekend said the likely upsurge in attacks from terror groups like Boko Haram is a sign of desperation, which he said is rising from the fact that terrorists are being choked out of their comfort zone by the combined efforts of the military, police and international assistance.
The weekend Borno attack has reportedly sacked nine major villages, as survivors recounted how insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs into homes, gunning down people as they tried to escape the fires in the attack on Damboa town launched before dawn Friday.
Also at the weekend, leaders of Damboa town, led a delegation to the Shehu of Borno, with a request for him to intervene to save them from further attacks from the deadly sect that has killed tens of thousands in the area.
The vigilante's spokesman reportedly said that the only defence to the insurgents came from his colleagues, who were armed with clubs and homemade rifles.
Damboa has been under siege for two weeks.
Mba said: "We have stepped up the war against terrorism from all fronts. There is equally a very strong synergy among the security agencies now.
"There is also a global alliance, a global coalition and conscious efforts to mobilise countries around Nigeria and even beyond to join the battle. And so it is obvious that Boko Haram does not have a hiding place now.
"But we expect to see some desperation on their part. It is also our job and that of all Nigerians to put down all forms of desperate actions or activities they may embark on.
"So, we will continue to do what we doing. We will continue to consolidate on our achievements and continue to explore new ways of getting a stronger and upper hand over them and continue to work together with the government, citizens and international community to bring a permanent end to their activities."
Daily Independent
Related stories: Death toll of civilians killed in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria this year reach 2,053
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
FIFA to lift ban on Nigeria participating in international football
FIFA are reportedly set to lift the ban placed on Nigeria after the country's government reinstated the ousted members of the Nigerian Football Federation.
Turmoil has reigned in Nigerian football ever since the Super Eagles returned from their failed 2014 World Cup campaign, with NFF members, including president Aminu Maigari, being removed from their positions by government.
That sparked FIFA into action, where an indefinite ban was placed on all footballing activities in the country, ranging from the men's and women's national teams all the way down to the domestic leagues.
However, Nigerian government have since withdrawn their order to suspend the NFF, resulting in FIFA lifting their own ban on the country.
Paul Bassey, spokesman of the NFF's technical committee, briefly stated that "commonsense has now prevailed".
The BBC, meanwhile, quote a top official as saying: "Aggrieved parties have agreed to put the country before personal interest and this is a bold step in our quest to have the ban lifted.
"This should have been sorted earlier but a judiciary workers' strike led to it being delayed. We are extremely confident now that FIFA will be happy that we got everything resolved before the new deadline."
Yahoo
Related stories: FIFA gives Nigeria new deadline to reinstate NFF board
FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
Turmoil has reigned in Nigerian football ever since the Super Eagles returned from their failed 2014 World Cup campaign, with NFF members, including president Aminu Maigari, being removed from their positions by government.
That sparked FIFA into action, where an indefinite ban was placed on all footballing activities in the country, ranging from the men's and women's national teams all the way down to the domestic leagues.
However, Nigerian government have since withdrawn their order to suspend the NFF, resulting in FIFA lifting their own ban on the country.
Paul Bassey, spokesman of the NFF's technical committee, briefly stated that "commonsense has now prevailed".
The BBC, meanwhile, quote a top official as saying: "Aggrieved parties have agreed to put the country before personal interest and this is a bold step in our quest to have the ban lifted.
"This should have been sorted earlier but a judiciary workers' strike led to it being delayed. We are extremely confident now that FIFA will be happy that we got everything resolved before the new deadline."
Yahoo
Related stories: FIFA gives Nigeria new deadline to reinstate NFF board
FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
Thursday, July 17, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan seeking $1 billion loan to fight Boko Haram
Embattled Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday sought parliamentary approval to borrow up to $1 billion (730 million euros) in foreign loan to fight an insurgency by Boko Haram militants which has claimed thousands of lives in the past five years.
In separate letters to both houses of the national assembly, Jonathan said there is an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services help them "confront this serious threat".
Citing the "ongoing and serious security challenges which the nation is facing, as typified by the Boko Haram terrorist threat," Jonathan said he is seeking to borrow up to $1 billion.
No date has been set yet for a debate on the president's request and there is no indication of where Nigeria could borrow from.
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said last February that Boko Haram was "better armed and better motivated" than government forces, a statement rejected by the military.
Borno in the northeast has been under a state of emergency, along with neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states since May last year.
The Islamist rebels seized 276 girls from a secondary school in the Borno town of Chibok more than three months ago, triggering global outrage. Fifty-seven of them escaped while 219 others are still missing.
AFP
Related stories: Death toll of civilians killed in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria this year reach 2,053
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
In separate letters to both houses of the national assembly, Jonathan said there is an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services help them "confront this serious threat".
Citing the "ongoing and serious security challenges which the nation is facing, as typified by the Boko Haram terrorist threat," Jonathan said he is seeking to borrow up to $1 billion.
No date has been set yet for a debate on the president's request and there is no indication of where Nigeria could borrow from.
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said last February that Boko Haram was "better armed and better motivated" than government forces, a statement rejected by the military.
Borno in the northeast has been under a state of emergency, along with neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states since May last year.
The Islamist rebels seized 276 girls from a secondary school in the Borno town of Chibok more than three months ago, triggering global outrage. Fifty-seven of them escaped while 219 others are still missing.
AFP
Related stories: Death toll of civilians killed in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria this year reach 2,053
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Nigeria FIFA rankings improve to 34th after 2014 World Cup
The Super Eagles have risen up ten places in the latest global rankings released on Thursday following their second round finish in Brazil
Nigeria rose up ten spots to 34th place in the Fifa rankings released on Thursday, courtesy of the Super Eagles' second round finish at the World Cup in Brazil.
The Eagles are now the third-ranked African side behind Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire who finished in the 24th and 25th positions.
World champions Germany (1) climbed to the top of the pile after defeating Argentina (2) in the showpiece final on July 13. The South Americans are now in second place.
The Netherlands who won bronze at the World Cup rose twelve places to finish 3rd on the rankings as Colombia were also rewarded with a 4th position.
Belgium (5) and Uruguay (6) follow but hosts Brazil dropped four places to finish 7th after a disastrous end to their campaign saw them concede 10 times in two matches.
Former world champions Spain fell from first place to 8th spot as they crashed out in the group stage. Switzerland dropped three places to finish 9th while France climbed up seven places to the 10th spot.
England dropped ten places to finish in 20th place after their first round elimination.
In Africa, Ghana dropped one place to finish in 38th place and fifth in Africa with Egypt holding onto the 36th spot and fourth in the region.
Cameroon moved up three places to 53rd depsite losing all three matches at the World Cup. They are now the eighth highest-ranked African side behind Tunisia (42) and Guinea (51) while Burkina Faso (58) and Mali (60) round up the top ten.
Goal
Related stories: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger gives opinion on why Nigeria under achieved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup
FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
Nigeria rose up ten spots to 34th place in the Fifa rankings released on Thursday, courtesy of the Super Eagles' second round finish at the World Cup in Brazil.
The Eagles are now the third-ranked African side behind Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire who finished in the 24th and 25th positions.
World champions Germany (1) climbed to the top of the pile after defeating Argentina (2) in the showpiece final on July 13. The South Americans are now in second place.
The Netherlands who won bronze at the World Cup rose twelve places to finish 3rd on the rankings as Colombia were also rewarded with a 4th position.
Belgium (5) and Uruguay (6) follow but hosts Brazil dropped four places to finish 7th after a disastrous end to their campaign saw them concede 10 times in two matches.
Former world champions Spain fell from first place to 8th spot as they crashed out in the group stage. Switzerland dropped three places to finish 9th while France climbed up seven places to the 10th spot.
England dropped ten places to finish in 20th place after their first round elimination.
In Africa, Ghana dropped one place to finish in 38th place and fifth in Africa with Egypt holding onto the 36th spot and fourth in the region.
Cameroon moved up three places to 53rd depsite losing all three matches at the World Cup. They are now the eighth highest-ranked African side behind Tunisia (42) and Guinea (51) while Burkina Faso (58) and Mali (60) round up the top ten.
Goal
Related stories: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger gives opinion on why Nigeria under achieved in the 2014 FIFA World Cup
FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
German kidnapped in Nigeria
Gunmen kidnapped a German national on Wednesday in the northeast Nigerian town of Gombi, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.
Gombi is close to an area that has been plagued by Islamist Boko Haram insurgents for the past year.
The German foreign ministry said it knew about the case but
gave no details. Nigerian police had no comment and
officials at the German embassy in Nigeria could not immediately be reached.
Deutsche Welle, quoting a witness, said the attackers forced the man out of his a car at around 7 a.m., then took him away on one of their motorbikes. He had been teaching at a technical college, the broadcaster reported, without naming him.
The town in the northern part of Adamawa state lies in an area which suffers periodic attacks by the militants, who are based in the Sambisa forest 200 km (125 miles) to the north. Adamawa, along the Cameroon border, has been under a state of emergency since May last year.
Though it was not clear who was behind the abduction, Boko Haram or criminal groups linked to them primarily fund their operations from kidnapping, security officials say, targeting local business people, politicians and sometimes Europeans.
They claimed the kidnapping of a French family in January 2013, and a French priest in November that year. Two Italian Priest and Canadian nun were kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in April this year.
Nobody admitted paying any ransoms, although security sources suspect all fetched multi-million dollar prices.
West African nations are increasingly concerned that Boko Haram, which has killed thousands in a fight to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria, poses a threat to the entire region.
Boko Haram, whose name means 'Western education is sinful' in the Hausa language, stirred an international outcry by kidnapping more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in northern Nigeria on April 14. The girls remain in captivity.
Reuters
Related story: Video - Search continues for the 200 kidnapped schoolgirls
Gombi is close to an area that has been plagued by Islamist Boko Haram insurgents for the past year.
The German foreign ministry said it knew about the case but
gave no details. Nigerian police had no comment and
officials at the German embassy in Nigeria could not immediately be reached.
Deutsche Welle, quoting a witness, said the attackers forced the man out of his a car at around 7 a.m., then took him away on one of their motorbikes. He had been teaching at a technical college, the broadcaster reported, without naming him.
The town in the northern part of Adamawa state lies in an area which suffers periodic attacks by the militants, who are based in the Sambisa forest 200 km (125 miles) to the north. Adamawa, along the Cameroon border, has been under a state of emergency since May last year.
Though it was not clear who was behind the abduction, Boko Haram or criminal groups linked to them primarily fund their operations from kidnapping, security officials say, targeting local business people, politicians and sometimes Europeans.
They claimed the kidnapping of a French family in January 2013, and a French priest in November that year. Two Italian Priest and Canadian nun were kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in April this year.
Nobody admitted paying any ransoms, although security sources suspect all fetched multi-million dollar prices.
West African nations are increasingly concerned that Boko Haram, which has killed thousands in a fight to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria, poses a threat to the entire region.
Boko Haram, whose name means 'Western education is sinful' in the Hausa language, stirred an international outcry by kidnapping more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in northern Nigeria on April 14. The girls remain in captivity.
Reuters
Related story: Video - Search continues for the 200 kidnapped schoolgirls
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