Photos: Bizarre accident along Ring road in Benin city

Nasarawa: Gunmen kill 20, burn 70 houses

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani attackers, on Friday night, killed 20 persons and burnt over 70 houses in Arikya and Anshangwa villages in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that many residents were displaced in the attack which occurred around 11 pm.

The incident took place barely six days after Fulani invaders, numbering over 200, raided Gidan Gambo, 30 kilometres away from Lafia, the state capital, killing 10 people, razing over 50 houses and leaving hundreds displaced.

Abdullahi Buldi, one of the insurgents captured by the youths during the attack on Gidan Gambo, had told journalists that they were hired to attack Eggon communities in the state.Continue...

Ebola deaths in West Africa ‘pass 3,000′ – WHO

(BBC Monrovia) The latest figures indicate that more than 6,500 people are believed to have been infected in the region.

Liberia is the worst affected country, having recorded around 1,830 deaths linked to the latest outbreak.

The outbreak is the world’s most deadly – US President Barack Obama has called it a “threat to global security”.

Some studies have warned that the numbers of infected could rise to more than 20,000 by early November.

The report said two new areas, in Guinea and Liberia, have recorded their first confirmed cases of Ebola in the last seven days.Continue...

Lagos govt withholds doctors’ salaries

Following the recently suspended strike by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Lagos state government has refused to pay working in its employment salaries for the period the strike was on.

The Lagos State government said its action was in compliance to its “no work, no pay policy.”

Dr Abdulsalami Moruf, President, Association of Resident Doctors(ARD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital(LASUTH), Ikeja, said  that the state government has decided not to pay doctors’ September salary because of their July 2014 salary which Lagos state government said they paid in error while Lagos doctors observed NMA’s nationwide strike action.

Moruf said on Thursday, September 25, 2014, Lagos state paid all her employees except doctors, an action he described as selective victimization of Lagos doctors.

WILD, WILD EKITI: Ekiti boils as hoodlums go on rampage

The murder of former chairman of Ekiti State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr. Aderiye Omolafe late Thursday night, has triggered chaos in the state as hoodlums went on rampage early yesterday burning and destroying almost everything in sight.

The murdered Aderiye was said to be a staunch supporter of the governor-elect, Ayo Fayose and also alleged to have led the hoodlums that attacked judges, lawyers and other judicial workers during proceedings at the State High Court on Monday and Thursday. Aderiye was murdered by unkown gunmen late Thrusday night at his office in Ejigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The angry mob vented their anger on the offices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ajilosun area of the state capital. The buildings, which serve as the party’s secretariat, were burnt along with properties of major members of the APC.Continue...

Flood destroys buildings, valuables in Ogun

A torrential rain which lasted for four hours in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday destroyed property and valuables worth millions of naira and displaced hundreds of residents in the Abule-Otun, Lafenwa area.

The rain started around 3pm and lasted till 7pm.
Travellers and motorists were also held up in a gridlock around Brewery and Lafenwa roundabouts for hours.
The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, which terminated at the roundabout, was taken over by flood, which nearly submerged small vehicles.

The flood, which was said to have been aggravated by the blockage of a stream known as ‘Odo Baale’, which passes through the area, wrecked havoc by flooding several houses and shops in the area.

On Wednesday when our correspondent visited the area, residents were seen scooping water from their flooded apartments.Continue...

Senate approves GEJ's $1billion loan to fight Boko Haram

The Senate has approved the $1billion (N165bn) loan requested by President Jonathan in July to help in the fight against terrorism and tackle insecurity in the country. The loan would be used for the purchase of military equipment and the training of military personnel.

The loan approved will be in addition to the N968.127bn voted for Defence in the 2014 budget by the federal government.

Panic in Liberian villages as two Ebola victims 'rise from the dead

There's currently panic, fear and confusion in two villages in Nimba County in Liberia after reports that two female Ebola victims have risen from the dead.

According to local reports, 44 year old Dorris Quoi who lived in Hope Village Community and a 67 year old woman identified as Ma Kebeh, died of the Ebola virus and were about to be taken for burial when they resurrected and are now walking among the living.

According to reports in a local newspaper, New Dawn, Ma Kebeh had been indoors for two nights without food and medication before her death, while Dorris had suffered for several weeks before she died alone in her family home. This is the first report of dead Ebola victims resurrecting. Despite some people's reservations about the story being true, it hasn't stopped them from panicking

South African victims, families may sue Joshua

The Founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun, Lagos State, Prophet T. B. Joshua, may face a class action suit if a plan by a South African opposition party materialises.

The party, the Democratic Alliance,   intends to write to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, urging her to assist South African victims of the SCOAN building collapse and their families to sue the cleric.

The party, according to its   Parliamentarian, Stevens Mokgalapa, believes the church may be criminally liable.

He spoke shortly after some survivors of the tragedy, including two orphaned toddlers, arrived in Pretoria and a call by the South African Minister in Charge of Pretoria, Jeff Radebe, for a probe by the Nigerian Federal Government.Continue...

Controversy over alleged Shekau’s killing

The reported killing of a top Boko Haram leader said to be Abubakar Shekau has again ignited a fresh controversy between Nigerian and Cameroonian troops.

The Cameroon Concord had on Monday quoted a military source as having said that Shekau was killed on Saturday by the Cameroonian Army during a cross border aerial bombardment of his hideout in Nigeria.

To prove the killing, the newspaper also published photographs of the bearded man it said was Shekau who usually appears in videos as the leader of Boko Haram.

It made reference to a statement by the Cameroonian military authorities on the killing but was silent on its content.Continue...

Five Boko Haram fighters surrendered to soldiers – DHQ

The Defence authorities have said that five members of the Boko Haram sect have surrendered to the troops at Konduga.

The Defence Headquarters said in a tweet on its twitter handle on Sunday that the five insurgents surrendered to the military with all their weapons and pleaded for mercy.

It was also stated in another tweet that other terrorists in custody of the military were volunteering useful information on the activities of the group signifying their readiness to cooperate with the security forces.

Guess who is in this photo....

In Umuahia, it’s garbage, garbage everywhere

Going to Umuahia, the capital of Abia State is a tough task; it is like a journey to Golgotha. It is an exercise that has deleterious effect on commuters as well as takes a heavy toll on vehicles. Whether you are coming from the Port Harcourt/Aba axis or the Okigwe section, it is the same sto­ry. It is the story of an expressway filled with gullies and craters, an expressway to hell.

Ordinarily, it takes about 50 minutes or less to drive from Aba to Umuahia but with the current state of the road, it can take be­tween two and five hours. This is because some portions of the Port Harcourt – Aba – Enugu expressway have failed completely. In fact, the level of degradation and devasta­tion of the road is unimaginable. Some por­tions have become death traps; it is worse than what obtains in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Somalia. One notoriously bad spot is the Osisioma junc­tion where vehicles are sometimes trapped for hours and commuters forced to trek long distances. And because of the indescribable state of the road, drivers do not observe traffic rules. They drive against traffic in an attempt to avoid the gullies dotting the long stretch. This often results in head-on collisions and, consequently, injuries and deaths. Again, bandits operate freely at the bad spots where vehicular movements are impeded. Ironically, scores of billboards dot the expressway from Aba to Umuahia dress­ing Governor Theodore Orji in the robe of a miracle worker. Billboards of the governor also litter the capital.

Boko Haram reportedly abduct men and women in Adamawa state

Daily Trust is reporting that about 50 men and women were abducted after an attack on Gulak community in Adamawa state on Saturday September 13th.

The residents of the community reportedly confirmed that the attack took place and people, including married women were loaded into trucks and taken away.


Musa Uba, a resident of Husra village in Michika LGA which is one of the villages that came under heavy attack said able-bodied young men were forcefully converted into the sect after recruitment efforts through preaching failed to attract volunteers.

“They conducted preaching sessions to attract converts to their sect but people only listened out of fear. The next day they asked if anybody wanted to join them but there was no response, so they selected many healthy looking young men and ordered them to follow them. One of the victims is my relative who did body building exercises regularly,” he said.

The 12 soldiers who attacked their GOC in Maiduguri have been sentenced to death

13 out of the 18 soldiers standing trial for participating in the mutiny (revolt action) against their General Officer Commanding, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mohammed at the newly created 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri on May 12th have been sentenced to death by a military court that sat in Abuja yesterday night September 15th.

Five others were discharged and acquitted while one was jailed for 28 days with hard labor. Choi, they should temper justice with mercy biko o. Continue

BREAKING NEWS: Boko Haram Kidnap Another 50 Women In Adamawa

According to Daily Trust, Residents who got free and ran away said that the group kidnapped at least about 50 young women in Gulak town on saturday as the victims were assembled at a preaching ground.

Boko haram has been controling the areas of Madagali, Gulak and Michika, damaging lives and properties in the area.

One man known as Tija told reporters that he was trapped in a village near Gulak before his subsequent escape on Sunday.

He said that the women were loaded on to several vans and then taken away.Continue...

Seven feared dead as hoodlums invade Lekki community

No fewer than seven persons were feared dead after hoodlums stormed a community in the Lekki Phase 1, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, and razed about 500 cabins.

It was learnt that the assailants had laid siege to the community named Otodo Gbame while a large number of its residents had left for their places of work.

Those that were around reportedly scampered for safety as the attackers chased them with weapons and set about 500 cabins ablaze, including homes, churches and schools. One of the men who were trying to put out the fire was said to have been shot and hacked with cutlasses. Others sustained various degrees of injuries.Continue...

Boko Haram attacked our building ─ T.B. Joshua

The founder and General overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T. B. Joshua has said Boko Haram may be responsible for the collapse of a six-storey building in the church premises.

Joshua, who told members of his church on Sunday not to be afraid, said the attack was targeted at him and not at them.

The prophet made it clear that the collapse of the six-storey building at around 11.45am on Friday which led to the death of no fewer than 16 persons was a Boko Haram attack.

Joshua buttressed his claim by showing to his congregation on the Emmanuel TV the chronology of events shortly before and after the accident as captured by the church’s CCTV.Continue...

G.E.J in a meeting without shoes!

This is not a news anyway, I was just surfing the net and I came across this pics so I decided to post it for you to see.

Enjoy your self 

With Maiduguri In Sight Of Terrorists, Nigerian Army Is Upbeat

 In a tweet posted on its Twitter handle today, the Defense Headquarters asserted that the military was using air and land attacks to “stabilize” Mubi, Michika, Baza, Gulak, Gwoza, Bama, Gamboru Ngala and other towns and villages in the northeast region that were recently captured by the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

As intelligence continues to point to a determination by Boko Haram insurgents to launch a major offensive against Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters today issued an upbeat statement, contending that soldiers continue to score big victories in the war against Boko Haram.
Nigerian soldiers In a tweet posted on its Twitter handle today, the Defense Headquarters asserted that the military was using air and land attacks to “stabilize” Mubi, Michika, Baza, Gulak, Gwoza, Bama, Gamboru Ngala and other towns and villages in the northeast region that were recently captured by the terrorist group, Boko Haram.Continue...

Quarantined South African National Tests Negative To Ebola

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu   has said that a South African woman earlier quarantined at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos over suspicion that she has Ebola has tested negative to the disease.

The South African national  who showed symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was earlier quarantined in Lagos.

Mr. Onyebuchi’s Special Assistant on Media, Dan Nwomeh  sent a text message to the media stating that the unnamed South African’s result came out negative.
 
However, the minister said the quarantined South African would still be examined to check if she has any other infectious disease.
(Sahara reporters)

FG deploys more troops in Adamawa… as B’Haram seizes two Borno villages

Residents of   two Bura villages in   Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State now live in fear after   Boko Haram insurgents struck   and ordered non-Muslims to convert to Islam within 24 hours.

The insurgents were said to have invaded   Shaffa and Tesan Aledeh which are predominantly Christian communities on Wednesday evening.

Before they left unchallenged, they   vowed to return if their ultimatum was not met, and killed two retired army officers and an ex-policeman.

The insurgents were said to have killed one of the   former   officers     in Tesan Aledeh   before leaving for the nearby Shaffa   where they took the lives of the second retired   officer and the ex- policeman.Continue...

Boko Haram Finally Agrees To Exchange 30 Chibok Girls For 18 Captured Members

There are indications that Boko Haram has agreed to swap some of the abducted 219 Chibok girls for 18 commanders.
According to The Nation, they want to exchange the female students kidnapped in April for 18 key sect members currently in detention.

Some disagreements appeared last night however as the Nigerian authorities wanted Boko Haram to release all the 219 girls missing for almost 5 months, while the latter agreed to free only 30.
According to the sources, the delegation, whose membership was kept under wrap, discussed with the commander, who is simply described as Umar.
The source was quoted saying:

Anambra state University renamed Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

The Anambra House of Assembly on today September 11th passed a bill, changing the name of the state-owned university at Uli to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

The bill was passed during the plenary of the legislature in Awka to honour the former Biafra hero.
The decision followed the report of the House Committee on Education which recommended the change of the name. Continue...

FG set to ban ‘ponmo’

Federal Government may have concluded plans to ban sale and widespread consumption of hides and skins(Ponmo)which is a delicacy to most Nigerians.

This indication emerged Tuesday  when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina called for competent regulations that would check the consumption and sale of the product.
He said this at the 3rd joint anniversary of Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) and Nigeria Institute of Animal Science held at the University of Ibadan.
If this is achieved, he noted that livestock farmers would stand good chances of making high dollar return if the hides and skins are tanned into leather.Continue...

Soldiers, residents flee as Boko Haram approaches Maiduguri

As the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents continue their deadly attacks in Northern Nigeria, towards Maiduguri, it appearred, yesterday, as if the army has given up, with soldiers deserting and residents fleeing the towns and villages.

At night, a resident said he was awake and heard gun shots from a distance. “Nobody can sleep anymore,” explained a resident from Maiduguri, who wanted to remain anonymous.Continue...

Obasanjo’s soldier son shot by Boko Haram

A son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was on Monday shot   during a battle between the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram and troops near Michika in Adamawa State.

It was gathered that Lt.-Col Adeboye Obasanjo led a platoon of the army that took on the insurgents at Baza near Michika.

A highly reliable security source said that Adeboye was injured in the leg by the insurgents during the encounter. He is an army engineer at the 3rd Division in Jos, Plateau State.

The source said that the former President’s son was being treated at a military facility which identity was not revealed for security reasons.Continue...

33 die in River Niger boat mishap

No fewer than 33 persoans have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap that occurred in Dere village in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.The incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday when a boat conveying about 100 passengers to Lokoja Market from Katcha, capsized.
Checks by source revealed that the operator of the boat was temporarily blinded by the light of a pipeline patrol team boat at about 4:35a.m, which led to the boat’s operator losing control and hitting a tree.

It was gathered that none of the passengers on the boat was wearing a lifejacket, while eyewitnesses said about four people were rescued by the local divers and five persons escaped by swimming to the bank of the river.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Niger State, DSP Abiodun Gambari, said he was yet to be briefed, but later called to confirm the incident
 (Daily Sun)

Adamawa State Varsity Shut As Boko Haram Takes More Towns

To prevent an attack on students, the Adamawa State Government shut the state university in Mubi as the insurgents overran Uba, a town five kilometres from Mubi.

Other towns taken at the weekend by Boko Haram fighters are: Michika and Bazza.

Both towns, along with Uba, are in Hong Local Government Area .

But the sect suffered a major setback, with no fewer than 50 of its men killed in a military raid in Borno State. The army said yesterday that security forces raided a “hideout” of suspected Boko Haram members in Kawuri, a village about 37km from Maiduguri, the state capital, on Saturday.

The suspected fighters were planning an attack, the military said.Continue...

Soldiers Order Wizkid To Frog Jump In Lagos

Its a recent trend for fashion lovers and celebrities to take risks while trying to be fashionable and wearing of Army camouflage uniforms hasn’t been left out of the fashion risk-taking.

As a matter of fact,80% of Nigerian male artists have at one time or the other been seen wearing Camo in their videos or in public.

Like they say,everyday for the thief one day for the owner. This is the case as Wizkid,one of Nigeria’s foremost artist,was publicly embarrassed in the street of Surulere by men of the Nigerian Army.Continue...

Facebook targets advertisers as 100 million log on in Africa

 One in 10 Africans are logging on to Facebook every month, the world's No.1 online social network said on Monday, presenting a new target audience for advertisers.

Of those 100 million people, 80 percent are accessing the platform via mobiles on a continent with very low internet penetration and smartphone ownership, it said.

Facebook's global mobile advertising revenue jumped more than 150 percent in the second quarter, accounting for about 62 percent of overall ad revenue.Continue...

Boko Haram seizes more towns

The outlawed Islamist sect, Boko Haram, on Sunday continued its expansionist drive by overrunning Michika and Uba in Adamawa   State.

The capture of the two communities brings to 13, the number of communities now controlled by the sect in the North East. The others are Gwoza, Buni Yadi, Gamboru Ngala, Damboa, Marte, Bama, Bara, Banki, Gulak, Dikwa and Madagali.

News of the capture of Michika and Uba coincided with lamentation on Sunday by the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Amb. Baba Jidda,   that most parts of Borno State had been taken over by Boko Haram.

A security source told The PUNCH that the sect which took over Gulak on Friday night, moved from there to Uba.Continue...

Scores killed as Boko Haram insurgents overrun Nigerian town: sources

Islamist Boko Haram insurgents have overrun much of a northeastern Nigerian town after hours of fighting that has killed scores and displaced thousands of residents, several security sources said on Tuesday.
The Islamists launched an attack on the town of Bama, 70 km (45 miles) from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, on Monday. They were initially repelled but came back in greater numbers overnight, the sources and witnesses said.

Nigeria’s defence spokesman was not immediately available for comment. The sources said there were heavy casualties on both sides. One security source said as many as 5,000 people fled.

Two months after Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria declared the area they seized an Islamic caliphate, Boko Haram has also for the first time explicitly laid claim to territory it says it controls in parts of northeast Nigeria.Continue...