Nigerian Army General, others arrested over Baga attack

More than 10 senior Nigerian Army officers, including a Brigadier-
General have been arrested and are telling the military hierarchy
what they know about the Baga attack by the insurgent group, Boko
Haram.
According to the Director of Defence Information, Major-General
Chris Olukolade, the senior army officers are being investigated for
allegedly shirking their responsibilities during the attack by the
militants.
Those arrested are Brigadier-General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, his
Chief of Staff Lt. Colonel G.A Suru. Others are the Commanding
Officer of 134 and 174 battalions, Lt. Colonel Haruna and a certain
Major aliyu.
The two Nigerian Army battalions are under the Multi-National Task
Joint Task Force in Baga, attacked by the insurgents. Speaking on
the arrest, General Olukolade said that the arrested officers were
being investigated because at the time of the attack on the
multinational headquarters in Baga, Brigadier-General Ransome-
Kuti and his men were fully in charge of the military formation.
He said it was disappointing that the attack on Baga was not
repelled by both battalions, despite having the necessary weapons
to carry out the necessary operations. On January 3, 2015,
suspected members of Boko Haram attacked the base of the
Multinational Task Force in Baga, Borno State, dislodging the
soldiers there. Reports say the troops were warned to be on alert
following intelligence reports that terrorists would strike between
January 22 and January 25.
Eyewitnesses said that the attack started around 5am when
residents started hearing gunshots as the insurgents tried to gain
entrance into the MNJTF premises. Many civilians living in the
barracks were said to have been killed during the attack.

Source: Channels TV

123 Boko Haram militants killed in Cameroon

Three soldiers and 123 Boko Haram militants were killed when the
Islamist group attacked a Chadian army contingent in northern
Cameroon, the Chadian military said.
Twelve soldiers were wounded in the attacks staged by the Islamists
on Thursday and Friday near the border town of Fotokol, according
to a military statement read out on national television.
Chad sent a convoy of troops and military vehicles into
neighbouring Cameroon on January 17 to deal with the growing
threat Boko Haram poses in the region.
“The enemy was repelled by our defensive forces,” the general
staff’s statement said, adding that the troops had “routed” the
Islamists in the second attack.
The soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices, the
statement said.
A senior Cameroonian security source said the Chadian troops were
deployed to the town, which sits opposite a Nigerian town under
Boko Haram control and is also close to the border with Chad, on
Wednesday.
Boko Haram frequently stages attacks on Fotokol from their base in
the Nigerian town of Gamboru, which is just 500 metres (yards)
away.
Chad has called on countries in the region to form a broad coalition
in the fight against the Islamist group. The country has already
deployed its army along its borders as well as sending the
additional contingent to Cameroon.
Chad’s president Idriss Deby has also expressed intentions of taking
back the strategic Nigerian town of Baga from Boko Haram, situated
on Lake Chad.
The African Union called on Friday for a regional five-nation force
of 7,500 troops to defeat the “horrendous” rise of Boko Haram.
“Terrorism, in particular the brutality of Boko Haram against our
people, (is) a threat to our collective safety, security and
development. This has now spread to the region beyond Nigeria and
requires a collective, effective and decisive response,” AU
commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in a speech
opening the summit.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told African leaders that Boko
Haram was “a clear danger to national, regional and international
peace and security”.
The group’s uprising has become a regional crisis, with the four
directly affected countries — Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria —
agreeing along with Benin to boost cooperation to contain the threat
and to form a Multinational Joint Task Force.
More than 13,000 people have been killed and more than one
million made homeless by Boko Haram violence since 2009.

Obanikoro insists Buhari was stoned at APC rally in Lagos

He released a statement through his Special Adviser (Media
Strategy) Ohimai Amaize
Immediate past Minister of State for Defence and former PDP
Lagos gubernatorial aspirant, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro on
Friday chided the All Progressives Congress (APC) over denials
that its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari
was stoned in Lagos while making his way to the APC Lagos
presidential rally.
Senator Obanikoro had condemned the stoning of General
Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos on Friday after the news of his
stoning broke via online news media platforms and went viral
across the social media.
The APC on Friday through its spokesperson, Lai Mohammed denied
the report stating that General Buhari was not stoned but rather
received cheers from bystanders.
However, Senator Obanikoro in a statement on Friday issued by
Ohimai Amaize, his Special Adviser on Media Strategy, noted that
the APC’s denial of Buhari’s stoning in Lagos was not only pointless
and futile but also does not give the APC any advantage.
“When things go wrong, we must acknowledge and condemn it in
order to forestall any future occurrences.
“Senator Obanikoro, based on eyewitness accounts is aware of the
stoning incident at Idumagbo area of Isale-Eko, Lagos State and the
fact that a woman was injured in the ensuing fracas after General
Buhari's security detail had to shoot into the air to dispel the irate
mob”, the statement noted.
Signed
Ohimai Amaize
Special Adviser (Media Strategy) to Senator Musiliu Obanikoro
30/01/2015

Shoki ahhh, Fashola dancing at APC rally

Gov Fashola dancing shoki at APC rally in Lagos, lol

Buhari was never stoned in Lagos- APC

Press release from APC regarding the alleged stoning of Buhari at
his Lagos rally today...
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied the concocted
story by former Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro
that the party's presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari, was pelted with stone during the party's rally in Lagos,
saying a lie has never worn a bolder face.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Gen. Buhari and
other top leaders of the APC rode in a open bus from the Palace of
the Oba of Lagos to the Teslim Balogun Stadium venue of the rally,
to great cheers from Lagosians who lined the route.
''Not once was he pelted with stone during the almost two-hour ride.
It is obvious that those who were paid by Mr. Obanikoro to stone the
General failed to deliver. We therefore urge him to seek a refund of
whatever money he paid to his hired hands to pelt Gen. Buhari with
stones,'' it said.
APC said Obanikoro's statement on an imaginary attack on Gen.
Buhari in Lagos must be his own way of saying 'thank you' to his
masters for nominating him as Minister on Friday, as his reward for
ceding the gubernatorial ticket he claimed to have won to Jimi
Agbaje.
The party thanked the good people of Lagos for turning out in
unprecedented numbers to welcome Gen. Buhari to Lagos, saying
the Centre of Excellence has never witnessed such a huge and
cheery crowd.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Jan. 30th 2015

Al-makura, journalist s escape death in governor's envoy

The Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Al-Makura, on Thursday night
escaped death when some youths ambushed his convoy at
Mararaba Gurku in Karu Local Government Area of the state.
Reports gathered that the attack took place when the
governor was coming back from an installation ceremony in Gurku,
where he presented a staff of office to the Emir of Gurku, Jibrin
Waziri, as second class chief.
Scores were reportedly injured during the incident and were taken to
an undisclosed hospital for fear of being attacked by the miscreants
in the area.
Confirming the attack, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr.
Ugochukwu Theodore, said that the rear windscreen of the press
crew bus in the governor’s convoy was smashed by the protesting
youths.
The police image maker stated that the police were able to bring the
situation under control and that no arrest had been made yet.
He said investigation was still ongoing as of the time of filing this
report.

-punchng.com

Violence- 47 die in Taraba, Benue fresh violence

People have been killed in fresh violence in Taraba and Benue
states.
Many other people were also injured in the attack.
In Taraba State, 27 were killed a fresh violence at Nwonko village in
Wukari Local Government Area of the state, while 20 were killed in
Benue State.
It was gathered the attack began at the early hours of
the day leading to destruction of farmlands and other property worth
several millions of naira.
The member representing Wukari Constituency in the state House of
Assembly, Daniel Gani, said most of the victims were women and
children.
He said “At the beginning, we thought the attackers were Boko
Haram insurgents from Maiduguri because of their large numbers.
But we discovered later that they were Fulani herdsmen.”
The police spokesperson, Mr. Joseph Kwaji, confirmed the incident,
but said nine people were killed.
Also, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded Anyiin in
Logo Local Government Area of Benue State and killed 20 persons.
A resident, who identified himself as Kume, said 20 bodies were
counted after the attack.
But the local government chairman, Mr. Kester Kyenge, said that 15
bodies were seen of the time of the last count.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. John Bako,
confirmed the attack, but said five bodies had been discovered so
far while a search is ongoing for the others.
A lawyer and activist, Sonia Ajoko, condemned the attack and urged
the state government to assist the injured victims.

-punchng.com