Terrorism

Christian Obodo Regains Freedom After Abduction By Gunmen
Nigeria, Terrorism, Violence

Christian Obodo Regains Freedom After Abduction By Gunmen

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Christian Obodo, who was reported to have been kidnapped on Sunday evening by gunmen in a Delta community, has been freed by the abductors. It was gathered that the ex-international was abducted by gunmen along the Refinery Road in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State alongside a female friend when he stopped by to buy banana at about 5pm. It was learnt that both Obodo and the lady friend were released by their captors on Sunday night. It was also gathered that the footballer, who retired recently from a Greece Football Club, paid undisclosed ransom before he was freed around 10:30pm on Sunday. Confirming the release of Obodo to journalists in Warri on Monday, one of his longtime friends, Big Sam, said, “He has been released. He wa...
CBN Faults #EndSARS Promoters for Terrorism
Crime, Judiciary, News, Nigeria, Security, Terrorism

CBN Faults #EndSARS Promoters for Terrorism

Following the nationwide #EndSARS protests, the Federal Government has secured the freezing of accounts of 20 #EndSARS promoters after approaching a Federal High Court in Abuja on the basis that the funds might have been linked to terrorist activities. This was revealed in a written address in support of a motion ex parte filed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The apex bank froze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners thereafter sought an ex parte order from the court. However, CBN in the suit filed before Justice A, R Mohammed made no mention of the fact that 20 accounts frozen were owned by individuals that partook in the #EndSARS protest but alleged that the fuds might have come from terrorist activities. The written address partly read, “My lord, the nature of the tra...
US Forces Rescue Kidnapped American in Nigeria
Africa, Armed Forces, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Terrorism, United States of America

US Forces Rescue Kidnapped American in Nigeria

US military forces has rescued an American citizen in Nigeria, the Pentagon stated on Saturday, days after he was kidnapped by gunmen in the south of neighbouring Niger and apparently taken across the border. The hostage, Philip Walton, was kidnapped on Monday night at Massalata, a village about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border with Nigeria. Walton is safe and in the care of the US State Department, the Pentagon said in a statement released on Saturday. US forces did not suffer any casualties in the rescue operation, it added. “The United States is committed to the safe return of all US citizens taken captive,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a separate statement. “We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria, where some of our bravest and most ski...
APC Governors Condemn Attacks on Zulum, Say Attacks Targeted at Distracting Peacebuilding
Boko Haram, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Terrorism

APC Governors Condemn Attacks on Zulum, Say Attacks Targeted at Distracting Peacebuilding

Governors elected under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), have said the recent attacks on the convoy of Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum were aimed at distracting the him from ensuring that life returns to normal in the state. On Friday, the governor’s convoy was attacked near Mongunu town. They were ambushed on their way to Baga where governor Zulum was billed to receive returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Another convoy of the governor was reportedly attacked in the early hours of Sunday on their way out of Baga by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. However, the governor made it back to Maiduguri unscathed. Reacting to the attacks, the APC governors in a statement said the attacks were ploy to distract the governor from building on his fight on i...
Nigeria: Boko Haram attacks Zulum’s Convoy, Soldier Injured
Armed Forces, Boko Haram, News, Nigeria, Safety, Terrorism

Nigeria: Boko Haram attacks Zulum’s Convoy, Soldier Injured

  The convoy of Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, was involved in a fresh attack on Sunday morning around Baga. The fresh attack which did not record any death, happened when the governor and his convoy were returning to Maiduguri. This latest attack is coming two days after the governor was involved in a similar attack on Friday which led to several casualties. The fresh attack on Sunday on Zulum’s convoy was gathered to have happened about 10.30am on two kilometers away from Baga. The Governor had gone to resettle over 521 households in Baga affected by the insurgency. A member of the convoy told newsmen, “There was no death recorded this time around except some minor injuries. “The windscreen of some vehicle were scattered; some vehicles had their tyres ...
30 Dead as Boko Haram Attack Borno Governor’s Convoy
Boko Haram, News, Nigeria, Security, Terrorism

30 Dead as Boko Haram Attack Borno Governor’s Convoy

  The Convoy of Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum was attacked by terror sect Boko Haram on Friday leaving the death toll at 30. Sources in Maiduguri said the casualties from the attack on Zulum on a highway had doubled, following the recovery of more bodies. The victims of the attack included policemen and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. However, The police and the governor have come out to said 11 people died in the attack. The police subsequently released the breakdown of victims to include eight policemen and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. Governor Zulum has since consoled the bereaved families and described the victims as priceless heroes. Chief spokesman to Governor Zulum, Isa Gusau, said in a statement yesterday that his principal ...
Sack Service Chiefs Now, Norther Elders ask Buhari
Armed Forces, Boko Haram, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Terrorism

Sack Service Chiefs Now, Norther Elders ask Buhari

The Coalition of North-central Elders (CNCE), has told President Muhammadu Buhari to reshuffle his security architecture by immediately sacking service chiefs. The group made the call in the wake of the security alert raised by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), alleging Boko Haham had laid siege on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, describing it as the first of kind in the history of the country. Mr. Usman Bida, National Chairman of the group and Mr. Moses Okudu, its National Secretary in a communique on Monday, expressed disbelief in the assurances by President Buhari to arrest the challenge, claiming that sacking the service chiefs was the only way to bolster the country’s security, This Day reports. The said the alert by NCS was testament to ‘intelligence failure’ o...
Southern Kaduna People Union (SOKAPU) – Press Statement
Fulani Herdsmen, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security, Terrorism

Southern Kaduna People Union (SOKAPU) – Press Statement

Released - Thursday, 6th August, 2020 Last night, 33  Atyap natives, who were among hundreds of thousands of already starving indigenes  under a 24 hours rigidly imposed curfew that was 65 days yesterday,  were killed in five Atyap  villages in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA in Southern part of Kaduna state by Fulani militia. The villages affected are:  Apiashyim, Kibori, Apiako, Atakmawei and Magamiya. Prior to now, they were all shutdown with fierce armed military men patrolling and enforcing the 24 hours curfew. But when the gunmen struck, they were not on ground. Four Atyap youths from Majuju, and Kibori villages who went to farm under the curfew were arrested by soldiers after being thoroughly beaten and handed over to the Police who whisked them to SCID, Kaduna. They have ...
Nigerian Army Speaks on Southern Kaduna Killings, See its Position
Armed Forces, Interview, News, Nigeria, Press Statement, Safety, Security, Terrorism

Nigerian Army Speaks on Southern Kaduna Killings, See its Position

The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports that the killings in Southern Kaduna are one-sided attacks. It stated that it was making effort at accelerated response to distress calls in steep terrain, raising the number of troops in the area and plans and coordinating with the Air Force for joint response. This was disclosed by Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Major-General CC Okonkwo in a meeting of senior security officials on Tuesday with Kaduna State Governor El-Rufai on the killings in Southern Kaduna, reports say. The security officials “confirmed that a cycle of attacks and reprisals was compounding criminal activities in the area and causing needless loss of lives and appealed to all sides to embrace peace.” Okonkwo confirmed at the meeting that he welcomed a deployment of...
Court Martial of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi: Yoruba Elders Chide Nigerian Military
Armed Forces, Justice, News, Nigeria, Terrorism

Court Martial of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi: Yoruba Elders Chide Nigerian Military

Yoruba elders have criticized the court martial of Major General Olusegun Adeniti over his comments on Boko Haram war in the North East. In a clip released in March, Adeniyi disclosed that Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents were ill equipped to combat the terrorists. The video irked the public and intensified pressure on government to contain the terrorism ensued. After the outcry, military hierarchy redeployed Adeniyi from being the commander of Operation Lafiya Dole and moved him to the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja. In what was described as cherrypicking of its soldiers, the Yoruba elders under the aegis of the Yoruba Summit Group at a meeting lamented that real culprits of the crime against the Nigerian people and nation were left unpunished. The for...