The leader of Boko Haram has claimed that the Nigerian armed group will rule a northeastern town as part of an "Islamic caliphate", a claim quickly rejected by the military.
"Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in [the town of] Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate," Abubakar Shekau said in the 52-minute video revealed on Sunday.
The military rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact".
Reacting to Shekau's video, Nigerian Defence Spokesman Chris Olukolade said: "Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime.
"Operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits [are] still ongoing."
Earlier this month, heavily armed Boko Haram fighters stormed Gwoza, spraying the town with automatic gunfire, burning houses and overrunning the palace of its traditional ruler, the Emir of Gwoza.
Days later, the military launched strikes to push the Boko Haram fighters out of Gwoza, and the garrison town of Damboa, which Boko Haram sacked a month ago.
In the new video, members of the group can be seen carrying out attacks, with Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declaring that the armed group has taken over the town.
"We did not do it on our own. Allah used us to captured Gwoza, Allah is going to use Islam to rule Gwoza, Nigeria and the whole world," the Boko Haram leader said.
"Some of these messages are preaches so that people can repent, some of the messages are advises, while in another way the message is a display of the way we use the power of Allah so you can fight him and that is it," he added.
No word of Baghdadi
In a July video, Shekau voiced support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State armed group.
In the previous months, the Islamic State group has captured large swaths of in Syria and Iraq and in late June, Baghdad declared himself "the caliph" and "leader of Muslims everywhere".
But there was no indication from Shekau in the latest video that he was associating himself with Baghdadi, whose Sunni Muslim fighters have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
As such, it was not clear if Shekau was declaring himself to be a part of Baghdadi's call or if he was referring to a separate Nigerian caliphate.
The military has struggled to stamp out the highly mobile, combat-hardened fighters of Boko Haram, who want to carve an Islamic state out of religiously mixed Nigeria.
The group is seen as the main security threat to Africa's biggest economy and leading energy producer.
The violent five-year-old campaign of Boko Haram has been in the international spotlight since the group kidnapped more than 200 girls from a school in the village of Chibok in April. The girls are still missing.
Aljazeera
Related story: Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Monday, August 25, 2014
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Militant group Boko Haram has said it has set up an Islamic state in the towns and villages it has seized in north-eastern Nigeria.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.
It is not clear if Mr Shekau has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's army has rejected the claim as "empty".
Thousands of people have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria since 2009, when Boko Haram began its insurgency.
Gwoza, which had 265,000 residents in the last census, is the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
It has raised its flags over the palace of the Emir of Gwoza, the town's traditional ruler, residents say.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.
It is not clear if Mr Shekau has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's army has rejected the claim as "empty".
Thousands of people have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria since 2009, when Boko Haram began its insurgency.
Gwoza, which had 265,000 residents in the last census, is the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
It has raised its flags over the palace of the Emir of Gwoza, the town's traditional ruler, residents say.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Nigeria lose to Germany in FIFA Under 20 Women's World Cup Final
Lena Petermann scored in the eighth minute of extra time to lead Germany to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria to claim the under-20 Women's World Cup at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Sunday. The game finished tied 0-0 after 90 minutes.
The victory is Germany's third at this competition, after winning the event in 2004 and 2010.
The Nigerians looked to have won the match in the 85th minute of regular time when midfielder Asisat Oshoala headed the ball across the line, but the play was called dead for offside.
Nigeria was the better team for much of the game, as the Falconets pinned the Germans in their own half for lengthy periods of time. Nigeria's shots were dangerous, and its crosses constantly threatened the German defence.
But it was Petermann who broke the deadlock in extra time, firing home from close range past goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii for her third goal of the competition.
Forward Pauline Bremer of Germany got the play going, stripping Nigeria's Gladys Abasi of the ball on the edge of the 18-yard-box. Bremer walked in to the penalty area and squared the ball to Petermann, who scored Germany's 17th goal of the tournament.
The loss was Nigeria's second in the final of the U-20 tournament, after losing 2-0 to Germany in 2010.
Nigeria came closest to opening the score in the first half. Oshoala had a glorious chance in the 22nd minute when she stole the ball from German defender Margarita Gidion, walked in on a breakaway, and sidestepped goalie Meike Kaemper before finding the side netting.
The tournament's leading scorer Oshoala, by far the game's best player, was denied another promising opportunity in the 38th when her teammate Loveth Ayila walked into her shot, deflecting it wide.
The game was 0-0 at halftime, with Nigeria directing nine shots towards target to Germany's four.
But Germany began pulling away as the game wore on. Its best chance in regular time came late when Petermann walked in on the Nigerian net on a partial break in the 78th, but her shot was scooped up by Chiichii.
The Germans finished with 13 shots on target. Nigeria had six.
Germany and Nigeria are familiar foes at the U-20 event.
In 2004, when the tournament was an U-19 format, Germany defeated Nigeria on penalties in the quarter-finals en route to its first championship.
In 2010, Germany's Alexandra Popp scored early in the final to defeat Nigeria's Falconets 2-0 in front of 24,633 in Bielefeld, Germany. Current Germany coach Karen Meinart was in charge of that team, as well.
At a press conference in Montreal on Saturday, Peter Montopoli of the Canadian Soccer Association said he was disappointed by the turnout in Montreal during the U-20 tournament, where an average of 9,000 soccer fans attended games at the Olympic Stadium.
On Sunday, there were 15,822 in attendance at the Big O.
Earlier in the day, France beat North Korea 3-2 in the third-place match. France's centre half Aissatou Tounkara scored the winner in the 79th minute to lead the Bleuettes to their first podium finish at the U-20 Women's World Cup.
CBC
Related story: Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final
The victory is Germany's third at this competition, after winning the event in 2004 and 2010.
The Nigerians looked to have won the match in the 85th minute of regular time when midfielder Asisat Oshoala headed the ball across the line, but the play was called dead for offside.
Nigeria was the better team for much of the game, as the Falconets pinned the Germans in their own half for lengthy periods of time. Nigeria's shots were dangerous, and its crosses constantly threatened the German defence.
But it was Petermann who broke the deadlock in extra time, firing home from close range past goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii for her third goal of the competition.
Forward Pauline Bremer of Germany got the play going, stripping Nigeria's Gladys Abasi of the ball on the edge of the 18-yard-box. Bremer walked in to the penalty area and squared the ball to Petermann, who scored Germany's 17th goal of the tournament.
The loss was Nigeria's second in the final of the U-20 tournament, after losing 2-0 to Germany in 2010.
Nigeria came closest to opening the score in the first half. Oshoala had a glorious chance in the 22nd minute when she stole the ball from German defender Margarita Gidion, walked in on a breakaway, and sidestepped goalie Meike Kaemper before finding the side netting.
The tournament's leading scorer Oshoala, by far the game's best player, was denied another promising opportunity in the 38th when her teammate Loveth Ayila walked into her shot, deflecting it wide.
The game was 0-0 at halftime, with Nigeria directing nine shots towards target to Germany's four.
But Germany began pulling away as the game wore on. Its best chance in regular time came late when Petermann walked in on the Nigerian net on a partial break in the 78th, but her shot was scooped up by Chiichii.
The Germans finished with 13 shots on target. Nigeria had six.
Germany and Nigeria are familiar foes at the U-20 event.
In 2004, when the tournament was an U-19 format, Germany defeated Nigeria on penalties in the quarter-finals en route to its first championship.
In 2010, Germany's Alexandra Popp scored early in the final to defeat Nigeria's Falconets 2-0 in front of 24,633 in Bielefeld, Germany. Current Germany coach Karen Meinart was in charge of that team, as well.
At a press conference in Montreal on Saturday, Peter Montopoli of the Canadian Soccer Association said he was disappointed by the turnout in Montreal during the U-20 tournament, where an average of 9,000 soccer fans attended games at the Olympic Stadium.
On Sunday, there were 15,822 in attendance at the Big O.
Earlier in the day, France beat North Korea 3-2 in the third-place match. France's centre half Aissatou Tounkara scored the winner in the 79th minute to lead the Bleuettes to their first podium finish at the U-20 Women's World Cup.
CBC
Related story: Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final
Thursday, August 21, 2014
DJ Jimmy Jatt dethrones 2face on iTunes Nigeria chart
The Industry, which was released August 17 at the Intercontinental Hotel to mark JimmyJatt’s 25th anniversary features over 60 artistes.
It has 26 digital tracks and, according to its producers, is the biggest collaborative album out of Africa.
Jimmy Jatt, real name – Adewale Amu, has being a fixture on the Nigerian entertainment scene since the nineties.
His first ever single Stylee featuring Tu Face Idibia, Mode 9 and Elajoe, was released in 2007 and was off his debut album, The Definition.
Glasses Up is the theme song for his 25th year anniversary. It features TuFace Idibia, Sound Sultan, Burna boy.
Premium Times
Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria's riot police training academy has been overrun by Boko Haram Islamist militants, a witness in Borno state has told the BBC.
Shots were heard after the militants arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles, he said.
A police spokesman confirmed the attack while a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy since Wednesday.
The Liman Kara college is near Gwoza town, seized by Boko Haram this month.
Thousands have been killed across north-eastern Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.
The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns.
'Residents fled'
The militants have been in control of Gwoza, which had a population of about 50,000, since the beginning of August.
They apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa - both large towns in Borno state.
But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed - and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.
BBC
Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Shots were heard after the militants arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles, he said.
A police spokesman confirmed the attack while a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy since Wednesday.
The Liman Kara college is near Gwoza town, seized by Boko Haram this month.
Thousands have been killed across north-eastern Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.
The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns.
'Residents fled'
The militants have been in control of Gwoza, which had a population of about 50,000, since the beginning of August.
They apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa - both large towns in Borno state.
But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed - and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.
BBC
Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
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