Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Video - Barack Obama pledges support to Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram
US President Barack Obama has pledged to support his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
In the first meeting between the two since Mr Buhari's election, Mr Obama said the Nigerian leader had a "very clear agenda" for defeating extremism.
The US has committed $5 million (£3.2m; €4.6m) to the fight against Boko Haram since Mr Buhari came to power.
The jihadists have killed thousands in north-east Nigeria since 2009.
Speaking after the two met at the White House, Mr Obama called Nigeria one of the most important countries on the African continent and praised Mr Buhari for tackling corruption, an issue which compromised Washington's relationship with the Nigerian leader's predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan.
Boko Haram has carried out attacks in northern Nigeria since its insurgency began in 2009, most notably the April 2014 kidnapping of 276 Nigerian school girls who are still missing.
President Obama's wife Michelle got involved in an online campaign to draw attention to the girls' plight, #BringBackOurGirls, and the US sent surveillance flights over Nigeria to help locate them.
However, the US refuses to sell weapons to Nigeria because of concerns over its army's human rights record.
BBC
Monday, July 20, 2015
2 dead in suicide bomb attack in Damaturu, Nigeria
At least two people were killed on Monday after a car suicide bomb detonated at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Damaturu, capital of Yobe state in northern Nigeria, witnesses and a hospital source said.
The checkpoint is along a major highway that connects the city with Borno state capital Maiduguri. The road and villages along it are frequently hit by bombs or raids by suspected members of Islamist jihadi group Boko Haram.
Reuters
The checkpoint is along a major highway that connects the city with Borno state capital Maiduguri. The road and villages along it are frequently hit by bombs or raids by suspected members of Islamist jihadi group Boko Haram.
Reuters
113 vessels banned from lifting crude oil from Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate ban of 113 crude oil vessels from doing business in any of the 27 oil terminals within the length and breadth of the Nigerian territorial waters.
The ban followed a directive contained in a memo dated July 15, 2015 by the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Gbenga Komolafe, to all terminal operators.
Copies of the memo were also sent the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service.
No reason was stated in the memo why the ban was imposed on the affected vessels.
However, industry sources familiar with the development said the ban may not be unconnected with certain discrepancies between the volume of crude oil lifted by the affected vessels from various Nigerian terminals and the volume eventually discharged abroad to buyers.
The source, who pleaded not to be named, as he was not authorised to speak officially on the issue, said the NNPC had faced the challenge of explaining huge differences between the volume of crude oil lifted from Nigeria by these vessels and what they actually delivered to customers abroad.
Considering the huge volumes involved, the source said it was difficult to rule out high level connivance to steal the country’s crude oil using the affected vessels, a development that costs the Nigerian government huge losses in revenue.
Since his assumption of office, President Buhari, himself a former Minister of Petroleum, has met the top hierarchy of NNPC management and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to express his concern over the huge impact of crude oil theft on the country’s economy.
The President has also met with the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Navy to emphasise the need for them to step up their processes to ensure close scrutiny of all NNPC’s operations at all terminals within the country’s territorial waters.
Some of the affected vessels include MV Eliza, with international maritime organisation registration, IMO, No. 9387578 with MV Happines, with IMO No. 9212905; MV Progress, with IMO No. 9180152; MV New Harmony (No. 963207); MV Cosgrace Lake (No. 9294587) and MV Plata Glory (No. 9172674).
Others include MV Humanity (No. 9180281); MV Scf Shanghai (No. 9325968); MV Tenyo (No. 9222443); MV Astro Challenge (No. 9237072); MV Maran Thetis (No. 94214427); MV BW Bauhinia (No. 9315070); MV Dream (No.9356893); MV Xin Dan Yag (No. 96140048) and MV Desim (No. 9395305).
Premium Times
The ban followed a directive contained in a memo dated July 15, 2015 by the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Gbenga Komolafe, to all terminal operators.
Copies of the memo were also sent the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources; Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service.
No reason was stated in the memo why the ban was imposed on the affected vessels.
However, industry sources familiar with the development said the ban may not be unconnected with certain discrepancies between the volume of crude oil lifted by the affected vessels from various Nigerian terminals and the volume eventually discharged abroad to buyers.
The source, who pleaded not to be named, as he was not authorised to speak officially on the issue, said the NNPC had faced the challenge of explaining huge differences between the volume of crude oil lifted from Nigeria by these vessels and what they actually delivered to customers abroad.
Considering the huge volumes involved, the source said it was difficult to rule out high level connivance to steal the country’s crude oil using the affected vessels, a development that costs the Nigerian government huge losses in revenue.
Since his assumption of office, President Buhari, himself a former Minister of Petroleum, has met the top hierarchy of NNPC management and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to express his concern over the huge impact of crude oil theft on the country’s economy.
The President has also met with the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Navy to emphasise the need for them to step up their processes to ensure close scrutiny of all NNPC’s operations at all terminals within the country’s territorial waters.
Some of the affected vessels include MV Eliza, with international maritime organisation registration, IMO, No. 9387578 with MV Happines, with IMO No. 9212905; MV Progress, with IMO No. 9180152; MV New Harmony (No. 963207); MV Cosgrace Lake (No. 9294587) and MV Plata Glory (No. 9172674).
Others include MV Humanity (No. 9180281); MV Scf Shanghai (No. 9325968); MV Tenyo (No. 9222443); MV Astro Challenge (No. 9237072); MV Maran Thetis (No. 94214427); MV BW Bauhinia (No. 9315070); MV Dream (No.9356893); MV Xin Dan Yag (No. 96140048) and MV Desim (No. 9395305).
Premium Times
Friday, July 17, 2015
10 year old girl and erderly woman carry out suicide bombings in Nigeria - 49 dead
A 10-year-old girl and an elderly woman carried out two suicide bombings Friday targeting Muslim prayer grounds in Nigeria's northeastern Yobe state, an army spokesman said.
They detonated their devices at screening areas set up by security forces outside two sites where worshippers were gathering for prayers in the town of Damaturu, said Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, killing nine people and injuring 18.
Police spokesman Gbadegesin Joshua Toyin had earlier said at least 12 people were killed in the blasts as well as the two attackers.
A day earlier, two simultaneous bombings ripped through a market in the city of Gombe, capital of neighboring Gombe state, killing at least 48 people and injuring 58 others, a Red Cross official said.
One of the blasts was caused by a female suicide bomber, the other by a bomb hidden at the market, the official said.
The deadly attacks struck a region where violence blamed on the Islamic militant group Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people in recent weeks.
Highway barricaded
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. But Boko Haram terrorists have previously carried out suicide and bombing attacks on bus stations and markets in Gombe and other northern cities.
Damaturu, which is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) northeast of Gombe, has repeatedly found itself the target of attacks tied to Boko Haram in the past.
Earlier this week, gunmen barricaded a highway that links Damaturu to another town and killed more than 20 motorists, a lawmaker said.
Security forces responded immediately to Friday's blasts in Damaturu, and the situation is "currently under control," an army statement said.
"The Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Geidam and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Yusuf Buratai have (sympathized) with the victims and the people of the state and urged residents to stay calm and be security conscious at all times," it said.
CNN
They detonated their devices at screening areas set up by security forces outside two sites where worshippers were gathering for prayers in the town of Damaturu, said Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, killing nine people and injuring 18.
Police spokesman Gbadegesin Joshua Toyin had earlier said at least 12 people were killed in the blasts as well as the two attackers.
A day earlier, two simultaneous bombings ripped through a market in the city of Gombe, capital of neighboring Gombe state, killing at least 48 people and injuring 58 others, a Red Cross official said.
One of the blasts was caused by a female suicide bomber, the other by a bomb hidden at the market, the official said.
The deadly attacks struck a region where violence blamed on the Islamic militant group Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people in recent weeks.
Highway barricaded
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. But Boko Haram terrorists have previously carried out suicide and bombing attacks on bus stations and markets in Gombe and other northern cities.
Damaturu, which is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) northeast of Gombe, has repeatedly found itself the target of attacks tied to Boko Haram in the past.
Earlier this week, gunmen barricaded a highway that links Damaturu to another town and killed more than 20 motorists, a lawmaker said.
Security forces responded immediately to Friday's blasts in Damaturu, and the situation is "currently under control," an army statement said.
"The Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Geidam and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Yusuf Buratai have (sympathized) with the victims and the people of the state and urged residents to stay calm and be security conscious at all times," it said.
CNN
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Nigeria govenment to shut down pirate signal of Radio Biafra
Nigeria's government has vowed to shut down an illegal radio station operated by people sympathetic to the breakaway state of Biafra.
The ministry of information said it has "successfully jammed the signals" of the station.
However, the BBC's Abdussalam Ahmed in Enugu says Radio Biafara is still broadcasting.
It is not clear where it is based but it mainly broadcasts to the Igbo-speaking south-east of the country.
The first republic of Biafra declared its independence from Nigeria in May 1967, but was eventually defeated after a three-year civil war that cost more than one million lives.
Our correspondent says the station hosts phone-in programmes with listeners calling to talk about issues affecting their region and their desire to break away from Nigeria.
It also attacks and ridicules President Muhammadu Buhari and other government officials.
Although the Biafra uprising was quelled by the military, a group called the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob) has attracted the support many young people in the region.
They feel they have been discriminated against by those in power in Abuja and demand independence.Several of their leaders and sympathisers have been detained by authorities and accused of treason.
BBC
The ministry of information said it has "successfully jammed the signals" of the station.
However, the BBC's Abdussalam Ahmed in Enugu says Radio Biafara is still broadcasting.
It is not clear where it is based but it mainly broadcasts to the Igbo-speaking south-east of the country.
The first republic of Biafra declared its independence from Nigeria in May 1967, but was eventually defeated after a three-year civil war that cost more than one million lives.
Our correspondent says the station hosts phone-in programmes with listeners calling to talk about issues affecting their region and their desire to break away from Nigeria.
It also attacks and ridicules President Muhammadu Buhari and other government officials.
Although the Biafra uprising was quelled by the military, a group called the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob) has attracted the support many young people in the region.
They feel they have been discriminated against by those in power in Abuja and demand independence.Several of their leaders and sympathisers have been detained by authorities and accused of treason.
BBC
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