Stranded Boko Haram militants turn human eaters in Borno

Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno State have turned to human eaters after being stranded for days without food or water.
Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp at the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that he was going to be eaten.
Bukar said: “I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp.”
The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road Motor Park, Maiduguri, on Friday.
He said the militants had been in the forest since May, when they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area by the Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order after the declaration of the State of Emergency.
He added: “Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.
“We have been wandering in the forest.
“We have exhausted our food and water supply.
“And so, everybody became hungry.”
He also said that they lost contact with Shekau due to the closure of GSM services by the Defence Headquarters.
He said: “It all started last Monday when three of the combatants in camp died of acute hunger and it became obvious that all of us will die if action was not taken.
“The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a non combatant member be slaughtered to provide meal for the rest.
“The meat provided meal for the combatant for just two days and another person was killed in the same manner on Wednesday.
“So, it became certain that I might be the next person since I am also a non combatant member.”
Bukar said he escaped after volunteering to help search for drinking water for the group in a nearby village.
He said: “I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to fetch water from the village.
“After leaving the camp, I started running until I arrived at Magumeri town.
“So, I slept in the motor park before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little money on me.”
Bukar said that he was apprehended immediately he arrived at the motor park in Maiduguri by the youth vigilante group.
Commenting, an official of the vigilante group, Mallam Ajid Asheik, said the suspect would be handed to the JTF on ORO for investigation.

Niger, Nigeria forces foil regroup of terrorists

The plan by a band of terrorists who relocated to Niger Republic to remobilize and rearm insurgents with the aim of carrying out fresh terrorists attacks on some Nigerian communities has been foiled.
A statement on Thursday by the spokesman of the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said the leader of the group who, had fled Nigeria when the terrorist camps were sacked, was reportedly recruiting fresh hands and training them for renewed terrorist activities in Nigeria.
The intention of the group was to focus its attacks on some towns around the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.
Olukolade said intelligence operatives of the Multi-National Joint Task Force had been on the trail of the leader until he was eventually arrested in Karanga, Niger Republic on Saturday, with the cooperation of Nigerien forces.
His other accomplices were later picked up in other villages in Nigeria.
Olukolade said they are currently being interrogated.

Why arrested criminals return to society in Edo – Police boss

The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Foluso Adebanjo, says the
command should not blamed on why some suspected criminals often return
to the society without prosecution.
Adebanjo told the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin City, the Edo State
capital, on Sunday that there was the need to overhaul the state
justice department to correct the anomaly.
He said the police mandate was to prevent crime and to arrest
suspected criminals, adding: “We are not responsible for why arrested
suspects often return to the society.
“That observation was made when I took over as the commissioner in the
state and I promptly reported this observation to the governor, who
was angry over the incidents.
“I suggested the need for the overhaul of the justice department and
we met with the Commissioner for Justice as well as the Chief Judge of
the state on our observation.
“We are now collaborating on this in our determination to reduce acts
of criminality in the state.
“This observation is not likely to reoccur again.”
The commissioner said the command arrested no fewer than 100 suspected
criminals in the last two months for alleged rape, cultism, armed
robbery and kidnapping.
On the aiding of crime by officers and men, Adebanjo said that anyone
found wanting would be disciplined, adding: “We have no place for
corrupt and indisciplined officer in the command.
“I have often preached the need for everybody in the command to follow
the Inspector-General’s directive of zero-tolerance for crime at all
times.
“So, if any officer is found to run foul of the law, he or she will be
disciplined according to the laws.
“The Edo command is determined to ensure that it continues to make the
state uncomfortable for criminals at all times and to assure the
people of their safety and security
“I, therefore, expect my officers to be up and doing in carrying out
this mandate.
“I often lead patrol to the forest and other criminal hideouts.
“So, I do not expect anything less from any officer of the command.”

Army intercepts arms-loaded petrol tanker vehicle in Kebbi

The Army has announced the interception of a petrol tanker vehicle loaded with arms and ammunition in Kebbi State.
The Commanding Officer, 1 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Sunday Ilori, told newsmen on Saturday in Birnin Kebbi that the vehicle, bearing the logo of Mobil Oil, was intercepted on July 11, in a joint operation with men of the Department of State Security.
Ilori listed the items recovered in the fuel compartment of the oil tanker as three AK 47 Riffles, one RPG-2, nine AK 47 magazines, two bombs, three RPG chargers and 790 rounds of 7.62mm of special ammunition.
He said: “The arrest and confiscation of arms was sequel to the on-going operations of the 1 Battalion of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Sokoto, against insurgency and insurgent activities within its area of responsibilities.
“The efforts resulted in the arrest of one suspect, arms and ammunition and a petrol tanker on July 11, 2013 after a combined operation between the 1 Battalion of the Nigerian Army and the State Security Services.”
He added that two other suspects had escaped when the vehicle was intercepted, adding that investigation was on to “unravel the source and ownership of the arms and ammunition.”
The commanding officer appealed to the public to continue supporting the Army and other security agencies in the current war against insurgents in the country.
The suspect claimed that he was paid N500,000 to deliver the items to Sokoto and that the owners had threatened to eliminate his family.

Al-Mustapha visits TB Joshua after release from prison

After his release from the Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos State on Friday, the first place a former Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, visited was the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ejigbo are of Lagos State.
Al-Mustapha was there to see the founder of the church, Pastor T.B. Joshua.
Available information has it that Joshua stood by Al-Mustapha throughout his days in incarceration.
Joshua, who spoke with a news hound after the visit, said he got to know Al-Mustapha when Abacha was in power.
He said his visit to the seat of power in Abuja was necessitated by the need to clear his name sequel to a petition to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency that he was into drugs.
The short interview with Pastor Joshua, ran thus:
Can you tell us the purpose of Mustapha’s visit to you?
I got to know him many years ago when a petition was addressed to General Bamaiyi, who was the then Chairman of the NDLEA. As you know, several efforts had been made by my detractors to bring me and my ministry down. One of those efforts was that petition. I was arrested for investigation and it was later discovered that it was a tissue of lies. I spent nine days with them for investigation and they found the whole thing to be a fabrication. From there, I was taken to Aso Rock (City of Power) to see the president. It was there that I met Mustapha. I was able to reveal to them who I am by telling them what was to come as a prophet. One of those things I mentioned to them and to Mustapha in particular, was what he went through, though he did not believe me then. That was why when it came to pass, I was the first person he remembered. I told him that he would spend several years in prison and would be finally released, which no one else had ever told him. That is why you see him coming here as his first port of call. Where there is no vision, people perish. I am surprised you are asking me why he is coming here first. When you look into your archives as journalists, you will find many stories in the past about my visit to Aso Rock, (City of Power) while Bamaiyi was Chairman of NDLEA. Many magazines and newspapers published my visions and prophecies on the government and the presidency. When you know your picture of tomorrow, it will impart a strength to endure your present difficulty. When you know what you are passing through now will not last long, you will endure it. This is vision. This is prophecy. This can only come by revelation. This is what the Bible means by: Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). I will leave you here.

Boko Haram kills 29 students, teacher in Yobe

No fewer than 29 students and a teacher were shot dead in the wee hours of Saturday at the Government Secondary School in Mamudo, a village about 5km from Potiskum, Yobe State by suspected members of Boko Haram.
According to reports monitored on the Associated Press website, the attack was carried out at about 3am on Saturday.
Among those left dead were two brothers aged 10 and 12.
Their father, Malam Abdullahi, a farmer, told AP after finding the bodies of the 10-year-old, who was shot in the back as he apparently tried to run away, and the 12-year-old, who was shot in the chest: “That’s it, I’m taking my other boys out of school.”
Abdullahi, who said he had three younger children in a nearby school, added: “It’s not safe.
“The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no protection for students despite all the soldiers.”
The only teacher who was killed, Mohammed Musa, teaches English.
Musa was reported to have been shot in the chest.
Some of the students were reportedly burnt alive.

FG gives Dana Airline 6 months ultimatum to pay claims of crash victims or face sanction

The Federal Government on Thursday gave Dana Airline six months’ ultimatum to pay the claims of the families of the victims of the June 3, 2012 plane crash or face sanctions.
The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, gave the ultimatum at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja.
She said the airline had paid up to 60 per cent of the claims to the victims’ families but experienced a delay due to double claims that needed to be clarified.
“Dana has actually done very well in terms of compensating accident victims. The challenge Dana has is that of multiple claims, the multiple claims made it difficult to ascertain who should collect.
“And until they are able to do that, they will not pay multiple claims and we will continue verifying and re-verifying to ascertain who should be the next of kin to claim the money but I know Dana has done up to 60 per cent.
“However, Dana is giving to December, if they fail to pay completely, we would have to sanction them, they are aware of that so I am sure they are accelerating the process.“
She said the sector had put up some strategies to ensure that air accidents became things of the past in Nigeria.
Oduah said the government was rendering additional assistance to families of victims of aircraft accident, adding that the approval of the Victim Family Insurance Package (VFAP) had been secured from the Nigerian Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
She said discussions were in progress between NCAA and Zenith Bank on the implementation of the VFAP, while family assistance centre would be established to take care of emergencies.