Suicide bombers disguise as worshippers, kill many in Borno mosque

Dozens of worshippers were killed on Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, Borno State, witnesses said.

“All the people in the mosque died. Not a single one escaped,” said Muhtari Ahmadu, a trader near the scene.

“We counted 42 dead bodies outside the mosque,” added Amadu Marte, a vigilante supporting the security forces in the fight against the Islamist Boko Haram group, which has carried out repeated attacks in the region.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed that the mosque was hit by twin bombings but gave a lower toll of about 14 dead.

Following the explosions, the mosque collapsed and injured “many people praying”, the police said in a statement.

“Casualties have been evacuated to UMTH (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) and specialist hospitals in Maiduguri,” it added.

The bombers slipped into the mosque disguised as worshippers, witnesses said.

One of the attackers set off the first blast when he entered the mosque, they said.

The second bomber detonated his explosives soon after, when many had rushed to the scene to help the first victims.

“When rescuers and sympathizers gathered in front of the place, the second one went off, killing many of them,” Marte said.

The blasts occurred around 6:30pm (1730 GMT) in Molai, in the western suburbs of Maiduguri, where worshippers had gathered for evening prayers, the witnesses said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which was founded in Borno’s State capital, Maiduguri, in 2009.

The city has been hit repeatedly since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29with a vow to crush the insurgency.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks in the satellite towns of Kuje and Nyanya outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja on October 2, which killed a total of 18 people and injured 41.

Nigeria’s military claims the Islamist militants are a spent force and that troops have driven them from their camps and occupied territory in the remote region.

But guerrilla-style attacks have continued, including across the border.

At the weekend, 41 people were killed in triple explosions in Baga Sola, on the Chadian side of Lake Chad, where Nigeria meets Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The four countries have launched a joint offensive against the Islamists.

Their mission received a boost on Wednesday when US President Barack Obama said he was deploying up to 300 military personnel to Cameroon for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations against Boko Haram insurgents.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless since Boko Haram began its bloody campaign.

Bayelsa confirms death of ex-Gov. Alamieyeseigha

The Bayelsa State Government has confirmed the death of a former Governor of the State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Alamieyeseigha, 63, died on Saturday evening at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He was said to have died of cardiac arrest.

He reportedly slipped into coma on Thursdayand was rushed to the hospital.

Two officials of the Bayelsa State Government on Saturday confirmed Alamieyeseigha’s death.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview.

Iworiso-Markson said the government would issue a statement later.

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili, also confirmed the death of Alamieyeseigha to to Channels Television.

Alamieyeseigha was born on November 16, 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa.

He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply.

He held various air force positions in Enugu, Markurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja.

Alamieyeseigha retired from the Air Force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.

After leaving the Air Force, he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies, Port Harcourt.

Later he became the Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company.

Alamieyeseigha was impeached on allegations of corruption on December 9, 2005 during his second term as governor of Bayelsa State

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is dead

The first Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, is dead, The Nation is reporting.

Alamieyeseigha was said to have died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State.
Calls made to the mobile telephone of the Daniel Iworiso, the Chief Press Secretary of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State,  unanswered.
More details on this news blog soon.

Death toll in Hajj stampede rises to 769

The death toll in the stampede that occurred in Mina, Saudi Arabia during the Hajj on Thursday has risen to 769.

The death toll as at Thursday was 717.
The new figure of 769 was announced by the Saudi Health Minister, Khalid al-Falih, on Saturday.
Al-Falih told a news conference: “The latest statistics up to this hour reveal 769 dead.
“That is an increase of 52 on the previous figures.
“Those are the ones who died in various hospitals since the event.”
Al-Falih said 934 people were wounded.

Bayelsa: Fresh primary for APC a cruel hoax – Sylva

The Timipre Sylva Campaign for the Bayelsa State 2015 gubernatorial election has dismissed media reports that two additional governors will be joining their Edo State counterpart, Adams Oshiomhole, to organise a fresh primary for the emergence of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

Citing unnamed sources, some news outlets and a few newspapers had reported on Saturday that Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) had been drafted to join Oshiomhole for a new primary.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by Doifie Buokoribo, described the report as a “cruel hoax”, stressing that there is no way a fresh primary can be organised on Tuesday as it would amount to an act of “illegality”.
The Sylva campaign said: “Let us restate here that an APC candidate for the December 5, 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa State has emerged and that candidate is Chief Timipre Sylva. No amount of media manipulation can change that. This is a society of law and order.
“The latest disinformation through the media goes to show the level of desperation of some people who want the APC governorship ticket through the back door. An election was conducted, Sylva won, the whole world has seen it.
“Besides, there is no way a hopelessly compromised Oshiomhole, who has also openly displayed his bias, can be asked again to go and conduct an election in Bayelsa State. Even his masters know that will be unacceptable to Nigerians.
“Similarly, as at Saturday, 26 September 2015, Tambuwal is in far away New York attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) while Amosun is attending Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Are they going to conduct a virtual election?
“Despite the orchestrated lies and disinformation, the Sylva Campaign will again urge our teeming supporters to be law-abiding, peaceful but resolute. Victory is sure.”

Timi Sylva to Odigie-Oyegun: You can’t annul my victory

The Timipre Sylva Campaign for the Bayelsa State 2015 gubernatorial election has described as misleading and completely untrue reports purporting that the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries held on September 22 in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, has been cancelled or rescheduled.
In a statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa, the campaign maintained that the primary, which it claimed was won by Chief Timipre Sylva, was conducted in accordance with the party’s rules and guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission and as such the party has no basis to cancel its outcomes.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, after the uproar that attended the primaries, had announced that it had been postponed and a new date would be made known soon.
But Sylva, in the statement, signed on behalf of the campaign by Doifie Buokoribo, said: “We want to state categorically that since the primary election was conducted according to the rules and duly won by Sylva, he remains the candidate of the APC in Bayelsa State and any statement to the contrary is mere rumour.
“The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, does not have the powers to unilaterally annul a state primary election. We are even shocked that he allowed his name to be used when he has not even received the report from members of the electoral panel. Beyond the electoral panel’s report, there is also an Appeals Committee, which has the responsibility to examine complaints arising from the primary election. It is only after the Appeals Committee has concluded its job that the National Working Committee (NWC) will meet to consider all reports from the primary, including those of the security agencies.
“There are seven members of the panel. Let us say Governor Adams Oshiomhole has submitted his own report through the pages of newspapers, there are six members left and the NWC has to sit and debate the reports.
“Oshiomhole lied that the election was marred by violence. There are pictures and videos to prove that he lied. There are pictures and video to show that Oshiomhole presided over the election and handed over the exercise to the Secretary of the Panel on the excuse that he was going to eat.
“It should also be pointed out that only Oshiomhole left the venue of the election and that the remaining six panel members and INEC officials remained in the venue till the winner was announced.
“Oshiomhole must answer some questions relating to his conducts, which completely compromised his position as Chair of the election panel. Right from the beginning, it was obvious that Oshiomhole was working towards a pre-determined answer, unfortunately for him, the will of our people prevailed.
“Lastly, you cannot abort a baby that has already been born. The APC governorship primary has been concluded in Bayelsa State, a winner has emerged, and the winner is Sylva.
“We therefore ask our teeming supporters to remain calm and ignore the rumour that a new primary is being scheduled for early next week.”

Death toll in Lagos container accident rises

Three lives were lost on Wednesday evening when a 40ft container-laden

articulated vehicle fell off Ojuelegba Bridge in Lagos and collided
with a black Toyota Corolla Car with Reg. No LSD 532 CN.
The initial death toll was put at one on Wednesday night.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accident, which happened
few minutes before 4pm, also affected a white Sunny car with Reg. No
DG 750 LND.
Olusegun Olapade, the Lagos State Head of Operations of the Federal
Road Safety Commission , said the articulated vehicle was coming from
the Tin-Can Island Port.
Olapade said: “When the truck driver climbed the Ojuelegba Bridge, he
lost control and the head of the articulated vehicle went off.
“The container with the back body of the truck fell off and collided
with a Toyota Corolla car passing under the bridge and this claimed
the lives of three occupiers of the car.
“The head of the articulated vehicle is still on top of the bridge but
nothing happened to the driver.
“How do we identify the driver with the multiple people around this scene?”
Olapade said the unit had embarked on ‘Operation Scorpion’ to enable
road safety officials to check the state of all trucks on the road.
Olapade said the unit had made appreciable number of arrests
concerning the condition of vehicles, tyres and containers.
He said ‘Operation Scorpion’ would prevent accidents, adding that the
FRSC would enforce strict compliance with the basic rules on the road.
Michael Akindele, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency
Management Agency, said the agency had been on ground since 4:45pm to
rescue the situation.
Akindele said: “A fully-loaded container fell on two vehicles.
“We are lucky to have the occupant of the first car not injured and we
had three people in the second car dead.”
Akindele said the agency would take the corpses to a mortuary in Lagos Mainland.
The corpses were moved at 8.47pm.
Also, Henry Akintomide, the Head of Emergency Unit, Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority, said the accident occurred as a result
of over-speed by the truck driver.
Akintomide said the container was sealed up, adding that this made it
difficult to know what was inside it.
He said terminal operators should ascertain the standard of trucks
before loading from the ports.
He, however, urged government to emphasise on the standard of trucks,
which would ply the roads.
Akintomide said some of the trucks moving on Lagos roads were not road worthy.
An eyewitness, Olusola Ogunsola, a Senior Executive Officer of the
National Institute for Sports, said the incident happened at 3.59pm.
Ogunsola said: “I was sitting under the bridge waiting for a friend.
“A lot of people who sat with me drew my attention to those on the
bridge cautioning the driver of the black Corolla car, but could not
hear because he had rolled up his windows.”
Another eyewitness, Yomi Ajayi, a transporter in Apapa, said he
cautioned the driver that the container was bent, while he was passing
Airways Area in Apapa.
Ajayi said some LASTMA officials at Barracks Bus Stop also cautioned
the driver of the truck before the accident happened under Ojuelegba
Bridge.
NAN.