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Xenophobic attack: MTN apologises for poor network

Telecommunication service provider, MTN, has appealed to its customers to bear with them concerning the poor network experienced for the past few days.

Although the reason for the poor network was not given, it’s likely that the attacks on MTN offices by Nigerians protesting xenophobic attacks of fellow citizens in South Africa may have been responsible.

The statement shared via its twitter account @MTN180 reads: “Dear customers we apologise for the difficulty you may be experiencing on our network.

“We are working hard to resolve it quickly.

“Please bear with us.”

NE reported the invasion of MTN Nigeria’s office in Abuja by a group of angry Nigerians protesting the continued Xenophobic attacks on their fellow citizens and other Africans in South Africa.

Also, Bayelsa State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Monday, uncovered plans by some persons to attack investments of MTN in the state as reprisal for ongoing attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

The Istanbul attack marks a new age of terror in Turkey.

The heinous terror attack in the heart of Istanbul, targeting more than 500 guests celebrating New Year’s Eve in a popular nightclub on the Bosphorus, marked the peak of a series of massacres that has shaken Turkey to its core over the past year. These have partly been attacks against security forces claimed by offshoots of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK); and partly attacks by jihadi groups, imported from Syria.

The bloodbath has now been claimed by Islamic State. But – and it is a big but – there was a particular significance to the target. Jihadi terror has previously targeted Kurds, Alevis and leftists in Turkey, leaving hundreds dead. But, for the first time, a venue representing the secular lifestyle of the urban upper-middle classes was chosen. And the attack came at a critical time when Turkey’s ruling AKP party had made the basic secular tenet of republican Turkey vulnerable.

Weeks before New Year’s Eve, banners were hung by pro-government Islamist organisations in Turkey’s cities, telling people that “Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas”, followed by photos depicting groups of young men in local dress, chasing Santa Claus with guns and knives.

The icing on the cake was the sermon by Turkey’s powerful directorate of religious affairs (Diyanet) – which represents the pious Sunni majority (roughly 70% of Turkey’s population), though it is financed by all taxpayers.

The statement told Turks not to waste money on new year celebrations. Secular Turks saw it as an undue intrusion on their lifestyles. But the sermon had already encouraged widespread hate speech on social media in the final days of 2016, including death threats towards those planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve. (For this reason, Mehmet Sönmez, the head of Diyanet, is now being asked to resign by the pro-Kurdish HDP party for “incitement to hatred”, probably to no avail.)

Remarkably, no minister or bureaucrat has resigned; nor were any removed from their posts, despite the fact that the death toll of the seemingly endless series of terror attacks since July 2015 – when the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdo?an terminated peace talks with the PKK Kurdish militant group in reaction to PKK-linked violence – has risen to nearly 1,800, out of which more than 600 are civilians. The government’s arrogant disregard of calls for resignations raises suspicions that the AKP will never leave power peacefully, adding to the tension felt by many Turkish people.

While Turkey has seen several mass killings over the past 18 months, it was during the second half of 2016 that the acts of terror somehow became routine: while the PKK targeted security forces en masse, jihadi terror crept into major urban areas. The pattern clearly shows that the state’s intelligence network is now at its weakest.

Observers claim there is a correlation with a massive purge of the security apparatus that Erdo?an launched before the failed coup of July 2015. The ruling AKP blamed that exclusively on military officers affiliated with Fethullah Gülen, a reclusive cleric based in Pennsylvania, although outside experts largely question this official narrative. This “institutional cleansing” of otherwise highly qualified officers who were indiscriminately labelled as Gülenists led to hasty replacements. The suspicions are that their posts were filled by recruits sympathetic to jihadi movements, or, at best, people unqualified for the job. The Turkish state’s security deficit leaves the country vulnerable to further acts of destruction.

The terror in Istanbul left few in doubt over the connection with Syria. Less than 24 hours after the massacre, it was Numan Kurtulmu?, the deputy prime minister and spokesman of the AKP government, who said: “It is a message against Turkish cross-border operations. The operations in Syria obviously stirred unease among terror organisations. We will take measures at home and across the border.”

The deadly equation is apparent. Once seen as a “regime changer” in Syria, Turkey has long been far too supportive of murky elements of radical Islamism, partly in an attempt to realise a neo-Ottoman dream of turning Syria into a Sunni-dominated hinterland and partly to use them in a combat to prevent Syrian Kurds to establish autonomy on the Turkey-Syrian border. And now, Turkey has fully reversed its Syria policy, ceasing its logistical support for the Syrian opposition to Bashar al-Assad, as a result of shrewd Russian moves and the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.

Turkey will inevitably come into greater conflict with Isis and al-Qaida elements from now on. Murder in Ankara and the bloodbath in Istanbul may only be overtures that tear apart Turkey’s already explosive social faultlines. The battle of al-Bab, and the imminent siege of Idlib, both very close to the Turkish border, promise more trouble ahead.

El-Rufai Meets Buhari Over Southern Kaduna Attacks

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on Thursday met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja over the renewed violence in parts of the state.

The state government had on Wednesday imposed a 24-hour curfew in Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a Local Government Areas of the state following the Tuesday attack on the governor’s convoy.

The governor and his entourage were reportedly pelted with stones and some of their vehicles were damaged after the governor addressed some demonstrators.

Speaking with State House correspondents, El-Rufai confirmed that he had, at the closed door meeting with the President, informed him about the security situation in the state and efforts being made to put the situation under control.

He said he was receiving tremendous support from the President on how to stabilise the state.

The governor said, “I came to brief the President about the situation in Southern Kaduna, what happened in the last few days and outlined to him the measures we have been taking as state government with the support of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services.

“The President has given us unqualified support to stabilise the state and bring all those responsible for the violation of our laws to justice.

“So, we have the full support of the President to move on and we are quite confident that things will return to normal very soon.”

Reacting to criticism that he was planning to impose curfew on the affected areas on Christmas Day, the governor said the curfew for that day would be for only 12 hours.

While saying he should not be blamed for the development, El-Rufai said the state government decided to impose curfew because of what he called the irresponsible behaviour of some people.

“Well, we have curfew even on Christmas Day but it is for 12 hours. People will be able to get out in the morning at 6am and be back at 6pm. It is because of the security situation.

“I do not think the state government should be blamed. Those responsible for the violence that broke out in those parts of the state should be held responsible for that.

“We have not imposed curfew in other parts of the state. We had to impose curfew here because of the situation that was caused by the irresponsible behaviour of certain people,” the governor concluded.

Read More: punchng

Berlin Attacks: Killer on the loose as arrested Pakistani has denied involvement.

The suspect in the Berlin lorry attack that killed 12 people and injured 48 others has denied any involvement, Germany’s interior minister said.

 

Berlin police chief Klaus Kandt later said he could not confirm the suspect in custody was the driver of the lorry.

 

The man being held is believed to have arrived in Germany from Pakistan at the end of last year.

 

He was captured in a park 2km away after reportedly fleeing the popular Christmas market in west Berlin.

 

Mrs Merkel has vowed to punish those responsible for the Berlin attack “as harshly as the law allows”.

Nigeria Lost Over N1.5 trillion To Attacks By Niger Delta Militants, Oil Vandals In 2016

The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, lost N1.5 trillion due to attacks on its facilities in 2016, an official has said.

Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, stated this on Wednesday.

In a statement ?signed by Ndu Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Baru said that the exploration and production subsidiary of the corporation lost the amount due to attacks on its facilities from January till date.

Mr. Baru disclosed this when he declared open the 2016 NNPC Security Awareness week with the theme:? “NNPC Security: A Task for All Stakeholders”.

He ?lamented the rising spate of criminality in the society at large and in the oil and gas industry in particular leading to loss of much needed revenue.

”At industry level, we are all conversant with the seriousness and frequency with which national assets in form of pipelines, flow stations are vandalised and crude oil and white products stolen with impunity.?

”In 2016, January to date for example, NPDC alone recorded 59 security incidents resulting in crude production shut down/deferment and revenue loss of over N1.5 trillion,” he said.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/217964-nigeria-lost-n1-5-trillion-attacks-niger-delta-militants-oil-vandals-2016.html

Nigerian Soldiers Repel 10 Boko Haram Attacks In 2 Weeks– Theatre Commander

Nigerian soldiers repelled at least 10 different attacks by Boko Haram in the past two weeks, a military commander has said.

The commander of the ‘Lafiya Dole’ counterinsurgency operation in north-east Nigeria, Lucky Irabor, said on Thursday that scores of insurgents were killed in the attacks while a few soldiers also lost their lives.

Mr. Irabor, a major general, however said troops under his command are prepared to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency.

He called on Boko Haram members to give up their dying struggle and surrender to the Nigeria troops or face the bitter fate that befell their killed colleagues.

Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri, Mr. Irabor said the troops in the past two weeks raided several camps of the Boko Haram around Borno and Yobe states during which a total of 801 captives were freed.

A total of 27 Boko Haram insurgents were also arrested by the troops during the raids, he said.

He said in the last two weeks, the Nigerian troops have been able to move “deeper into Sambisa Forest on many fronts, under its present Operation Rescue Finale.”

The operation rescue finale was launched last month as a continuation of an existing Operation Crackdown, which was aimed at rescuing all the Chibok girls and other hostages held in Sambisa forest.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/217323-nigerian-soldiers-repel-10-boko-haram-attacks-2-weeks-theatre-commander.html

Tompolo Denies Involvement In Planned Niger Delta Attacks

Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, a leading figure in Niger Delta militancy, has dissociated himself from planned attacks on oil facilities and installations. Tompolo was reacting to allegations made by an online medium and on a Channels Television program that militants have vowed to attack more oil facilities if the corruption-related charges slammed on him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are not dropped.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by his media consultant, Paul Bebenimibo, Tompolo dissociated himself from this threat, saying he gave nobody instructions to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta region because of his case with the EFCC.

The statement added that Tompolo has consistently denied involvement in the resurgence and bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region and accused those mentioning his name of seeking cheap relevance.

“This online publication came two days after one Michael Johnny accused Tompolo on a Channels Television program, ‘State of the Nation’, of being behind the bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. Tompolo watched the program with great disbelief, as Michael Johnny accused him of being the brain behind the bombing of oil facilities,” the statement said.

It added that information at the disposal of security agencies, however, indicated that a suspect in custody has confessed that Michael Johnny sent him to bomb oil facilities.

“That means Michael Johnny is the one behind the bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta. Tompolo has instructed his lawyers to sue Michael Johnny for malicious damage.

“Tompolo sued the EFCC for illegally placing a non-debit order in his company account in Warri before he was hurriedly dragged to court by the EFCC in Lagos. And after a year, the court has refused to hear his case for frivolous excuses. And he has vowed to patiently pursue his case rather than resorting to violence and bombing of oil facilities which is greatly affecting our economy,” added the statement.

Ethiopian Court Jails 8 Somalis Over Failed Attack in 2013

An Ethiopian court has sentenced eight Somali nationals to jail terms ranging from two to nine years after they were convicted for planning a failed attack in the capital Addis Ababa.

The convicts, who were accused of belonging to the Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, were found guilty of plotting a suicide attack at the Addis Ababa Stadium during Ethiopia’s World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria in October 2013. The attack did not succeed.

Prosecutors said a number of explosive devices, weapons, hand grenades and football jerseys were recovered from the house rented by the Somali nationals.

Two Somalis died while trying to make final preparations to construct the bombs for this bombing, the government said at the time.

Niger Delta militants threaten more attacks.

The militant group, Niger-Delta Avengers, on Monday warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to deal with some persons it tagged as “sycophants” in his quest for peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta Region.

The group gave the warning in a fresh statement issued by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbimbo.

It asked the President to visit the region to find out things for himself, saying, “You cannot treat the Niger Delta region with disdain while you treat your brothers that are terrorists and kidnappers (Boko Haram) like kings and queens by committing the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement from Geneva to witness your transaction with them before they released their hostages to you.”

The statement further read, “We are disposed to dialogue but we want Mr. President to come down and negotiate with us rather than using his political aides who are sycophants and will be feeding him with wrong information. We will not take such from Mr. President; we want him to interface with us as a way to providing a lasting solution to the Niger-Delta crisis; we will not interface with political sycophants.”

Just few days ago, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate warned the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari not to rejoice yet over the recent rise in oil production in the country.

The violent group warned the current government to prepare for another attacks on oil facilities in the region in the no distant time.

However, the President of the Ijaw National Congress, Chief Boma Obuoforibo, has stated that the Niger-Delta stakeholders will not give the Federal Government an ultimatum or deadline to implement their demands for the development of the region.

According to him, the stakeholders were hopeful that the President would not rescind on his promise to alleviate the sufferings of the Niger-Delta people.

He said, “We are not going to be negative about the ability of the Federal Government to implement the demands because we have a positive mindset and we have never reached this length in the past, we are doing all this in good faith.”

Attacks on oil installations, vandalism crash monthly allocation by N90.2bn

Despite increase in average price of crude oil at global market from $46.0 per barrel in May to $48.43 in June, sustained attacks on oil installations and pipeline vandalism have reduced total allocation available for sharing to the three tiers of government by N90.2 billion.

The picture was made clearer yesterday as the sum of N420 billion was approved for September for sharing as against N510.270 billion disbursed among the three tiers of government in August.

Militant attacks on oil installation led to a decrease in volume of crude oil export by 1.15 million barrels in the month of June alone.

Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa- Dutse, confirmed the figures and the adverse effect the attacks are having on the oil-rich region when he presided over Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja. The decrease in revenue cuts across statutory revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Nigeria Customs Service’s duty.

For instance, while net statutory allocation was N315.045 billion in the previous month, it came down to N250.947 billion in September, VAT was N75.962 billion in previous month but came down to N64.265 billion in September.

On statutory allocation, Federal Government got the highest sum of N120.351 billion, states, N61.044 billion, while local governments got N 47.062 billion.

The sum of N13.729 billion went to oil producing states as their share of 13 per cent derivation. Balance in Excess Crude Account stood at $2.454 billion.

ISIS urges Western Jihadis to carry out knife attacks to spread fear

Islamic State has hatched a diabolical new tactic to spread fear in the West by ordering homegrown jihadis to become Islamist serial killers.

The fanatical hate group is urging extremists in Europe and the US to carry out multiple random knife attacks to strike terror into the hearts of civilised societies.

In its latest poisonous propaganda offering the unhinged Islamist cult urges would-be jihadis to overcome their squeamishness and use knives instead of guns, because it is easier to carry out large numbers of murders undetected.

Jihadi chiefs argue that random stabbings are almost impossible for security services to detect and stop when compared to shootings and bombings, which require coordination and the purchasing of illegal equipment.

In an article for the terror group’s glossy Rumiyah propaganda magazine they even give advice on what types of knives to use, and suggest striking in secluded places after dark to avoid detection.

Islamist commanders suggest a “campaign of knife attacks” in which lone-wolf jihadis “could dispose of his weapon after each use, finding no difficulty in acquiring another one”.

They wrote: “Many people are often squeamish of the thought of plunging a sharp object into another person’s flesh.

“It is a discomfort caused by the untamed, inherent dislike for pain and death, especially after ‘modernization’ distanced males from partaking in the slaughtering of livestock for food and the striking of the enemy in war.

“However, any such squirms and discomforts are never an excuse for abandoning jihad.

“One need not be a military expert or a martial arts master, or even own a gun or rifle in order to carry out a massacre or to kill and injure several disbelievers and terrorize an entire nation.”

Hinting that the article is one in a forthcoming series about terror tactics, the author says that knives can help potential terrorists with the “ocean of thoughts” that “might pour into one’s mind” when considering an attack.

And they even advise would-be jihadis which blades to use, saying: ”It is explicitly advised not to use kitchen knives, as their basic structure is not designed to handle the kind of vigorous application used for assassinations and slaughter.

“Avoid troublesome knives, those that can cause harm to the user because of poor manufacturing,” they add.

A footnote in the article also betrays ISIS’ sensitivity about how their actions are reported in the West, insisting that supporters should not use the term “lone wolf” to describe radicalised Westerners.

Instead they order extremists to refer to such attacks as “just terror operations” – with just in this instance referring to the sense of justice the twisted barbarians see in them.

Rumiyah, meaning Rome, is ISIS’ latest propaganda tool and is significantly shorter than its main English language publication, the hate-filled magazine Dabiq.

It is published by the group’s Al-Hayat Media Center and is published in English, Turkish, German, French, Indonesian, Russian, Arabic and Uyghur.

The hate-filled magazine has been widely distributed in PDF format online, and has been released as ISIS commanders continue to grapple with the impending defeat of their so-called Caliphate in the Middle East.

Terror experts have warned that the jihadi group will increasingly turn to inspiring attacks overseas as it tries to cement its survival in the face of military annihilation.

Sudan Accused Of Chemical Weapons Attacks In Darfur

Sudan’s government has been accused of killing scores of civilians this year in at least 30 suspected chemical weapons attacks in a remote area of the country’s Darfur region.

In a report released on Thursday, Amnesty International estimated that up to 250 people, including many children, may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents in the Jebel Marra area since January.

The UK-based rights group, which said that its investigation was based on satellite imagery and more than 200 interviews, alleged that the most recent attack occurred on September 9.

“There have been relentless attacks, there have been crimes against humanity, and now this level of viciousness with the use of suspected chemical weapons,” Tirana Hassan, Amnesty’s director of Crisis Research, told Al Jazeera.

“The use of chemical weapons is a war crime. The evidence we have gathered is credible and portrays a regime that is intent on directing attacks against the civilian population in Darfur without any fear of international retribution,” said Hassan.

Amnesty said it had presented its findings to two independent chemical weapons experts.

“Both concluded that the evidence strongly suggested exposure to vesicants, or blister agents, such as the chemical warfare agents sulfur mustard, Lewisite or nitrogen mustard,” the watchdog said in a statement.

Read More: aljazeera

Boko Haram Members Planning Attacks In Kano, Kaduna & Kogi Nabbed

The Department of State Service (DSS) says it has arrested Boko Haram members planning attacks in Kano, Kaduna and Kogi states.

A statement today from a DSS official, Tony Opuiyo, said a Boko Haram leader Mudaisiru Jibrin, was arrested on the 17th  of July 2016 at Sauna quarters in the Yankaba area of Kano.

Opuiyo said preliminary investigation revealed that he was also the mastermind of the shooting of some students at Government Secondary School (GSS), Mamudo village near Potiskum, Yobe State, in 2013.

He added that the service also arrested a notorious Boko Haram fighter Mukhtar Tijani and three of his accomplices Isiaku Salihu, Abdullahi Isah and Hindu Isah at Kinkinau area in Unguwar Mua’azu, Kaduna metropolis.

He said the four suspects were apprehended while perfecting arrangements for major coordinated attacks on selected targets and locations in Kaduna State.

Opuiyo also said the Service arrested three members of the Ansaru terrorist group in Kogi state. He said they were arrested on 12th August 2016.

He explained that Usman Abdullahi, Abdulmumuni Sadio and Ahmad Salihu were arrested while making arrangements to launch attacks on some selected targets in Edo and Kogi states, before escaping to join ISIS in Libya.

Credit: dailytrust

Herdsmen Attacks Claim 1,269 Lives In Benue- Report

Attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the North-central Nigerian state of Benue has led to the killing of at least escalated 1, 269 persons.

Out of the 23 local government areas in the state, the rampaging herdsmen have invaded and occupied 14 and may invade the remaining nine unless urgent measures are taken to curb the menace, authorities said.

Our findings, confirmed by residents, security officials and the state governor, also showed that in the North-east Senatorial District of the state, the herdsmen have invaded Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Logo, Ukum; leaving out Vandeikya, Konshisha and Ushongo.

In Benue North-east Senatorial District, the killer herdsmen have attacked all the other local government councils except Gboko.

The council areas invaded and occupied by the killer herdsmen include Guma, Gwer-West, Gwer-East, Buruku, Tarka and Makurdi local government councils.

The invasion of Ogbadibo, Agatu and Apa local government areas in Benue South Senatorial District are however believed to be the most brutal.

On February 29, for instance, the herdsmen invaded several Agatu villages and farm settlements in broad daylight, gunning down children, women, men and the elderly.

At the time the gunshots subsided, over 500 villagers were reportedly massacred and over 7000 were displaced in 10 villages including Aila, Okokolo, Akwu, Adagbo, Odugbehon and Odejo.

Read More:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/208366-investigation-herdsmen-attacks-claim-1269-lives-benue.html

Death Toll In Adamawa Herdsmen Attacks Hits 30

The Adamawa State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ghazzali has been criticized over his comment and handling of the Fulani herdsmen attacks on Kodomun, following the discovery of eight more corpses.

Youths from Kodomun who brought out the corpses of the slain members of the community from the bush said, the recovery of the additional bodies had raised the death toll from the attacks which started on Friday to 30.

The incident, came on the day the Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla, visited the paramount ruler of the area, the Hama Bata, HRH Alhamdu Teneke, and held a security meeting with him at his palace with other service chiefs in the state in attendance.

Ghazzali, who visited the area on Monday shortly after the attacks by herdsmen, had reportedly claimed no life was lost.

Ghazzali’s denial of any casualty resulting from the attacks, while addressing journalists, after the security meeting, elicited anger from those present at the palace.

Ghazzali explained that his refusal to deploy policemen to Kodomun, which had come under attacks, from Fulani herdsmen, earlier on Friday and Saturday, before that of Monday was done so as not to make him look like “taking sides”

He said, “My men were on the ground. We would not risk our men to be there just to give security to one side so that the other side will not think we have taken side with one side.

“There are two different people involved in these clashes: the herdsmen and the farmers. And we have to be very careful in handling such type of communal clashes.”

It was, however, the police commissioner’s insistence that no life was lost in the Monday attacks which sparked the uproar.

The angry youths who threatened to unleash mayhem in the aftermath of his comment were dissuaded from their action by the elders in the palace.

The monarch, who said his people had been killed in the attacks, challenged the security chiefs to visit Kodomun, to find out for themselves if indeed there were “no deaths”.

Credit: Punch

Oil Facilities Attacks: Tompolo Calls On Militants To Ceasefire

The ex-militants leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), yesterday called on the new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, to put an end to its attacks on oil facilities, saying it would not do the nation any good, especially at this critical period of the country’s economy.

In a statement titled: ‘A Call to the Niger Delta Avengers to give Peace a Chance in the Niger Delta Region,’’ which he personally signed, the Ibe-ebidouwei of the Ijaw nation denied any involvement in the recent attacks.

According to him, ‘’You members of the Niger Delta Avengers group are aware that some mischievous persons have continued to point accusing fingers at me that I am either behind you or directly carrying out the destruction of oil pipelines across the Niger Delta region, therefore I should be arrested by the Nigerian military.

“Sadly, the military had bought this ethnic induced and wicked accusation without a single proof to show that I am truly behind you people. On the other hand, some have suggested that you may be part of the multitude of persons I had catered for, from economically empowering to payment of school fees, hospital bills, and house rents and so on.

“And that as I am out of circulation as a result of my travails in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), you might be tempted to strike out on your own for sheer survival.’’

Maintaining that he knows nothing about the new militant group and the destruction of crude oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, Tompolo said he had made it clear in many occasions that the issue he has with the EFFC would not make him resort to violence and bombing of oil pipelines.

He added that his team of lawyers had already challenged the defective process of legal service on him at the Court of Appeal.

Credit: Thisday

Pipeline Vandals Vow Further Attacks

A group that claimed responsibility for a major attack on a pipeline in Nigeria’s oil-producing Delta region said it will carry out more strikes, just days after President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to crack down on “vandals and saboteurs”.
The Niger Delta Avengers has said it carried out the attack on a Shell underwater pipeline in February which interrupted oil flows and forced the company to shut down its 250,000 barrel-a-day Forcados export terminal for weeks.

Pipeline attacks and violence have risen in the southern swampland of Africa’s biggest oil exporter since authorities issued an arrest warrant in January for a former militant leader on corruption charges.
Last week Buhari, a former military ruler, said the government would crack down on pipeline saboteurs.. And on Sunday the vice president’s office issued a statement that said a permanent pipeline security force was being considered.
“We are not deterred by such threats as we are highly spirited and shall continue blowing up pipelines until the Niger Delta people are no longer marginalized by the Nigerian actors,” said the Niger Delta Avengers in a statement.
The Delta’s oil provides 70 percent of state income in Africa’s biggest economy but, like much of Nigeria, the region has seen little development which has prompted militants to demand a greater share of crude revenues.
Niger Delta Avengers, unheard of before the Forcados attack, say they want to ensure that local people enjoy a quality of life which reflects the region’s contribution to the national purse.
The group said in its statement: “We take no pleasure in claiming innocent lives hence our struggle is geared toward attacking the oil installations in our region and not the people. And we shall stop at nothing until our goal is achieved.”

Credit: dailytrust

Fayose Attacks Buhari Over Planned Increment Of VAT

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday criticised President Muhammadu Buhari, over the planned increase of the Value Added Tax, VAT, by five per cent.

The governor, who was reacting to comments attributed to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Lagos, said the move would worsen the hardship already faced by Nigerians.

He described the plan as “wicked and insensitive” to the plight of Nigerians who are suffering from the bad economic policies of Mr. Buhari and the All Progressives Congress-led government.

Mr. Fayose who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said any increment in VAT or any other tax being paid by Nigerians would make life unbearable for the people.

“Nigerians are suffering and the little that they have, the federal government is planning to take back through VAT increment. This is wickedness,” the governor said.

“Under three months, electricity tariff was increased despite epileptic power supply, N50 stamp duty was imposed on bank customers for money received into their accounts via electronic transfer, cash and cheques; petrol is being sold for as high as N400 per litre and now they are talking about increasing VAT to 10 per cent, this is the height of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.”

Lamenting the increase in the cost of living which he said is occasioned by the bad economic policies of the federal government, Mr. Fayose said recent figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, revealed that the prices of food have hit a record high while inflation is worsening.

“How can government be considering 100 per cent increment in VAT when businesses are folding up, prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed, millions of Nigerians are losing their jobs and those who are still employed are no longer getting paid regularly,” he said.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Nigerian Army To Court-Martial Officers, Soldiers Over Recent Borno Attacks

The Nigerian Army has set up a court-martial to try cases of misconduct, indiscipline, among other misconducts that led to recent deadly attacks on Dalori and other Borno communities.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman, said the Nigerian Army had already begun investigations into the matter, noting that those found wanting “will be dealt with”.

“The recent unfortunate attacks by Boko Haram terrorists on communities close to Maiduguri, despite our successes calls for concern.

“To this end the Nigerian Army has already commenced investigation into the attacks. All those found wanting will be dealt with in accordance with the Armed Forces Act.

“A standing Special Court Martial in the North East has already been established by the Nigerian Army. All cases of indiscipline and related acts of misconduct including human rights abuse in the operations will be tried by the this Special Court Martial.”

The statement added, “In recent days there were speculations in the media, especially the online media, to the effect that Operation LAFIYA DOLE has been taken over by the Defence Headquarters and that soldiers are not happy about it. This is not quite unfortunate and figment of imaginations of the respective media which was aimed at distracting the military, create rancour and disaffection among the components fighting Boko Haram terrorists…”

Credit: PremiumTimes

Warri, Kaduna Refineries Shut Production After Attacks On Pipelines

Nigeria’s state oil company has shut down crude oil flows to two of its four refineries after weekend attacks on pipelines, a company spokesman said on Monday, frustrating government hopes to start weaning the country from expensive imports.

The refineries in the northern city of Kaduna and Warri, in the southern Niger Delta, were affected, said Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spokesman, Ohi Alegbe.

“We have shut down flows for now, the military are on top of the matter,” he said, without offering
details of the attacks.

The 125,000 barrel per day (bpd) Warri refinery and the 110,000 bpd Kaduna refinery had resumed output in December after several months of maintenance. The Kaduna refinery receives its feedstock oil via the Warri refinery.

Nigeria also has a third refining complex with two plants in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt, although only the newer of the two plants is currently functioning.

No group claimed responsibility for the weekend attacks, which follow last week’s arrest warrant for former militant leader turned businessman, Government Ekpemupolo, known as Tompolo, as part of a crackdown on corruption.

A statement issued by the military’s operation Pulo Shield in the oil-rich Niger Delta region vowed to hold “community leaders responsible for any act of sabotage.”

“This warning is coming as a result of recent, multiple attacks on oil facilities and platforms by suspected militants in the Niger Delta region,” the statement issued on Sunday said, without offering further details.

The attacks follow years of relative calm in the country’s oil-producing region after an 2009 amnesty halted frequent attacks on oil installations and kidnappings of expatriate workers

W. African Leaders Seek Ban On Full-Face Veil To Prevent Attacks

West African leaders said Thursday they were seeking to “forbid” women wearing full-face veils in an effort to curb the growing number of female suicide bombers unleashed by Boko Haram jihadists.

The president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, told reporters at the close of a two-day summit in Abuja that leaders must take “measures that would forbid this kind of dress that will not allow security personnel to be sure of their identities.”

Losing swathes of territory to the Nigerian army, Boko Haram jihadists have since July started using young women and girls as suicide bombers by hiding explosives in their loose-fitting clothes.

The radical Sunni group has also used the tactic in Cameroon, Chad and Niger — countries that have already enforced bans on veils this year.

The region is reeling from a spike in female suicide bombings as a weakened Boko Haram shifts its strategy from raiding villages to relying on explosives in its quest to overthrow the government and create a hardline Islamist state in northeast Nigeria.

“Certain dress codes, which make identification of the persons concerned difficult, may considerably hinder actions geared towards protecting people and properties,” said Ouedraogo, who said countries should enforce a ban “in line with their national realities.”

Credit: AFP

Boko Haram Attacks Three Borno Villages, Kills 30

Brutal weekend attacks on three villages by Boko Haram Islamists in the restive northeast of Nigeria have left 30 dead and 20 others wounded, a vigilante told AFP.

“Most of the victims were slaughtered and most of the wounded (had suffered) machete cuts,” Mustapha Karimbe, a civilian helping the Nigerian military fight Boko Haram, said of Saturday’s attacks in the villages of Warwara, Mangari and Bura-Shika in Borno state.

News of the attacks has been slow to emerge because telecom masts in the area have been destroyed in previous Boko Haram raids, hindering communication.

The Islamists invaded the villages, hacking and slaughtering their victims before setting the villages on fire.

Credit: Punch

Boko Haram Attacks Niger Village, Kills 18

Eighteen people were killed and 100 homes torched in an attack in the dead of night by Boko Haram fighters on a village in southeastern Niger, local authorities told said on Thursday.

“The toll is 18 dead, 11 hurt, almost 100 homes burned down” in the village of Wogom late Wednesday, the mayor of the nearby town of Bosso, Bako Mamadou.

A humanitarian worker said the Islamists came from Nigeria and crossed the Komadougou Yobe river, the border between Niger and Nigeria.

Armed jihadists and suicide bombers from Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist group have staged repeated attacks since February in Niger’s southeast Diffa region near Nigeria, leaving hundreds of people dead.

Credit: AFP

Man Whose Wife Was Killed In Paris Attack Writes Open Letter To ISIS

Hélène Muyal-Leiris?, 35, was one of the 89 innocent people gunned down at the Bataclan concert hall during the Paris attacks on Friday evening. On Monday, her husband, Antoine Leiris, penned a powerful Facebook post addressed to ISIS, entitled “You Will Not Have My Hatred.” ?

In the post (the original of which is in French), Leiris says he will not give the terrorist organization the satisfaction of instilling him with anger and suspicion toward his fellow man. ?

“Friday night, you took an exceptional life — the love of my life, the mother of my son — but you will not have my hatred. I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to know, you are dead souls,” he wrote. “So, no, I will not grant you the gift of my hatred. You’re asking for it, but responding to hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are. You want me to be scared, to view my countrymen with mistrust, to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You lost.” ??

Credit: Cosmopolitan

American Woman Brutally Attacks Kenyan Woman For Speaking Swahili

One Minnesota women took things to the extreme when she brutally attacked another woman, smashing her face with a beer mug because she was not speaking English but Swahili while dining with her family at a Minnesota Applebee’s restaurant.Kenyan immigrant, Asma Mohamed Jama, was taken to the hospital where she needed 17 stitches for deep cuts on her nose, eyelid and lip after the suspect, who has been as Jodie Marie Burchard-Risch, took offense at the foreign language according to authorities.

“I live in America. I can speak English but we prefer to speak our own language,” Jama said. “If it bothers you, I’m sorry,” Jama told WCCO-TV.

According to court documents obtained by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Burchard-Risch heard Jama speaking a language that wasn’t English while dining with her husband. She then started yelling at the family, even tossing a drink onto Jama and “roundhouse punching” the glass in her face all while he restaurant’s staff tried to escort her out of the establishment.

Burchard-Risch was charged with third-degree assault, as reported by the New York Daily News. However, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations finds the punishment for her heinous crime to be far too lenient.

“The current charge is insufficient to communicate the seriousness of and possible bias motive for the alleged attack,” Jaylani Hussein said Friday in a news release.

Credit: madamenoire

EFCC Arrests 2 Men With 556 ATM Cards And Travellers’ Cheques

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, has arrested 2 men identified as Jonathan Odu Isikwei and Paschal Onuora Udeh with 108 ATM cards and 448 travelers’ cheques.
Jonathan Odu Isikwei was found with 448 travelers’ cheques, while Pascal Onuora Udeh, 34, was arrested with 108 ATM cards on his way to China.
A statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren stated: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign one Jonathan Odu Isikwei for unlawful possession of 448 travelers’ Cheques.

“Isikwei 51, a native of Igbodo in Aniocha local government area of Delta State, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, by the Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the outward clearance of passengers on a Belgium- bound flight.

“The case was transferred to the EFCC for further investigation.”

“The 448 travelers’ Cheques recovered from Isikwei were discovered to purportedly belong to four banks in America, Europe and Canada.

“The banks and the travelers’ cheques are – Gun Nebo Inc. (Bank of Nova Scotia)- 117 pieces, Postbank Frankfurt -258 pieces, Safe Federal Credit Union -41 pieces and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) -32 pieces.

“All the travellers’   cheques were signed, with some having monetary value written on them. Among the cheques belonging to Safe Federal Credit Union, 27 pieces were blank, while 14 pieces of the cheques have monetary value worth 322,800 US Dollars.

“ (27) pieces of the travellers’ cheques belonging to Gun Nebo Canada Inc. were blank, while 90 pieces of the cheques have monetary value worth 354,300 Canadian Dollars.

“The suspect who claimed he exports dried fish from Nigeria to Belgium, told investigators that he collected the parcel for onward delivery to a friend without any knowledge of the content.”

It added:

“In a related development, the EFCC is investigating the activities of one Pascal Onuora Udeh.

“The 34-year-old was arrested for being in possession of 108 pieces of Automated Teller Machine (ATM)/Debit cards.

“The suspect, who claimed to be a trader and an undergraduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, is a native of Umudim Village of Obibi, Ochasi Ato, in Orlu local government area of Imo State.”

Plateau LG Chairman Blames Attacks On Border Disputes

Management Committee Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Titus Bise, has blamed incessant violent attacks in the state on communities with border disputes.

Bise disclosed this yesterday in Mangu, when the House of Assembly’s Special Committee on Security met with traditional and religious leaders, youths and other stakeholders in the area. It would be recalled that Langai District of Pyem chiefdom had consistently come under attack that left many dead, while property worth millions of naira were destroyed. The most recent attack was in Kadunung village of Langai District where many were killed, several others injured, while more than 197 houses were burnt down.

The chairman described the attacks on his people as ‘terrible’, saying they were comparable to insurgents’ activities in the north-eastern part of the country. “The crisis bordered on land ownership and that is usually deadly,’’ he stated. He said four communities in Langai District had been under siege in the past three days. “The attackers usually come in their numbers with very sophisticated weapons to maim my people. People are being slaughtered like animals on a daily basis; sometimes it is on the road. At times, the attackers follow them to their farms or houses,’’ he said.

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Boko Haram Attacks Niger, Kills Village Head, 14 Others

Boko Haram, has attacked N’gourtoi, a Nigerien village, sharing borders with Yobe State, killing a village head and 14 people.
Hassan Ardo, an official with the Diffa State Governor’s Office, told newsmen that the attackers burnt down 22 houses and wounded many other residents.

The region is said to have suffered deadly attacks from Boko Haram. Niger is a part of a military coalition with Chad, Benin Republic, Cameroon and Nigeria, called the Multinational Join Task Force (MNJTF) to combat Boko
Haram, which has waged war against Nigeria since 2009.

In a related development, a gang of gunmen suspected to be fleeing Boko Haram terrorists, have attacked three villages, ravaging over 50 houses in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

Sources in Michika- Madagali axis of the state disclosed that the fleeing insurgents were around the bushes and mountainous areas of Madagali area which is situated few metres away from Borno State.

Read More: sunnewsonline

Boko Haram Attacks Village, Kills Seven

Boko Haram extremists on Monday raided a village in restive northeast Nigeria’s Borno state near the border with Niger, killing seven people, community leaders told AFP.

Dozens of gunmen stormed Awonori, a farming and herding village near the fishing town of Damasak, and carted away food supplies and livestock, they said.

“They killed seven people, looted grains and took away all the livestocks in the village before fleeing into the bush,” Muhammadu Modu Wan-Wan, head of the Damasak fishermen’s union, told AFP.

“The gunmen who came in vans and on motorcycles around 7:00 am (0600 GMT) besieged the village and opened fire on residents as they were having breakfast before moving to their farms,” he said.

Wan-Wan said the attack forced the villagers to flee but they returned after the assailants had left.

Abubakar Gamandi, the head of Borno’s fishermen’s union, confirmed the attack.

“I received report from my members in the Damasak area that Boko Haram gunmen attacked Awonori village this morning where they killed seven people and took away food and livestocks,” he said.

Last month, residents of Damasak and surrounding villages fled their homes and crossed the border into the Niger town of Diffa, fearing Boko Haram attacks.

But Wan-Wan said many residents have since returned to their farms.

“People have no food to feed their families which is why they take the risk of going back to their villages to work on their farms now that the rainy season has started,” he said.

Credit: AFP

Dogara Condemns Attacks In Jos, Zaria

As the country grapples with heightened terror attacks, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, has called on Nigerians to persevere in prayers for the country. While condemning the bomb attacks in Jos and Zaria which left scores dead, Dogara said recent happenings in the country can-not be solved through conventional human wisdom but divine intervention.

A statement issued yesterday by his special adviser on media and public affairs, Turaki Hassan, said the Speaker made the remarks at the commissioning of a church at Ubulu-Uku, built by Hon. J.O. Mrakpor who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State.

“I will urge that we continue with prayers for Nigeria. If Nigeria will be exalted it will be on the account of righteousness,” the Speak-er said.

“As leaders, we need prayers from all Nigerians. When you con-tinue to pray for your leaders for righteousness to reign in the af-fairs of the nation, definitely, Nigeria will be exalted and it will re-flect on our citizens.

“These are very uncommon times and all we need to survive is prayers. That is why altars like this are necessary,” he added.

Creditleadership

Nearly 150 Killed In Suspected Boko Haram Attacks In Borno Village

Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed nearly 150 people in northeastern Nigerian villages, mowing down men and children while they prayed in mosques and shooting women preparing food at home, witnesses said Thursday.

Dozens of militants stormed three remote villages in the flashpoint Borno state on Wednesday evening, setting houses ablaze in the bloodiest day of attacks by the extremist group since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in May.

Gunmen killed at least 97 people in Kukawa, the worst-affected village, a local who gave his name as Kolo and who said he had counted the bodies told AFP.

“They wiped out the immediate family of my uncle… They killed his children, about five of them,” Kolo said.

A fisherman who witnessed the attack corroborated the death toll.

Babami Alhaji Kolo, another witness in Kukawa who fled to the state capital Maiduguri, said more than 50 militants had stormed the village.

“The terrorists first descended on Muslim worshippers in various mosques who were observing the Maghrib prayer shortly after breaking their fast,” he said.

“They… opened fire on the worshippers who were mostly men and young children.

“They spared nobody. In fact, while some of the terrorists waited and set most of the corpses on fire, others proceeded to houses and shot indiscriminately at women who were preparing food,” he said.

Malami Abdulkareem, an Arabic teacher in Kukawa, said some of the victims were as young as four. “The attackers did not spare even children between four and 12 years old who went to mosques with their fathers.

“I saw at least nine kids who were killed in two mosques,” he said.

A military source in Maiduguri, who refused to be named, confirmed the attack but could not yet give a death toll.

“The military responded with aerial bombardments on terrorist positions,” he said, without giving further details.

Credit: AFP

Saraki Condemns Recent Boko Haram Attacks, Expresses Sadness Over Lagos Boat Mishap

The president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday condemned in strong terms what he described as renewed onslaught against innocent Nigerians by the Boko Haram sect especially during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Mr. Saraki also expressed pain over the death of six school children in Lagos following a boat mishap that involved 14 school children who were being conveyed across Ojo to Irewe jetty.

A statement released by the senate president’s spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, quoted Mr. Saraki as saying that the military authorities would do everything necessary to prevent the unwarranted attacks by Boko Haram from escalating.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Buhari Condemns Latest Boko Haram Attacks

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned in the strongest language the latest terrorist attacks on Borno and Yobe communities by the Boko Haram bandits.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president said he was deeply touched by these mindless incidents of violence on innocent people during the month of Ramadan.

According to President Buhari, the terrorists are enemies of everybody, and enemies of humanity everywhere.

He explained that no sane people who believe in any god would be destroying the lives of innocent people in cold blood, adding that terrorists don’t represent any religion.

The President said the pattern of their indiscriminate violence against innocent people shows that they represent nothing else but anarchy and devilry.

In what appears to be one of his toughest expressions of outrage, President Buhari reminded the terrorists of his uncompromising resolve to tackle them with all the resources at the disposal of his government.

“Make no mistake about it: this government is ever determined to discharge its fundamental duty of protecting the lives of its citizens from physical threats from any groups bent on creating chaos, confusion, and on destroying social and economic life of the people”, he further warned.

Read More: premiumtimesng

40 Killed In ‘Boko Haram’ Attacks In Borno

At least 42 people were shot dead by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in attacks on two villages in Biu and Hawul districts of northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, a police officer said on Wednesday,

“We received reports of attacks by suspected Boko Haram gunmen on the two villages in which 42 deaths were recorded,” the officer said from Biu, 180km south of Maiduguri, the state capital.

A Biu resident confirmed the attack on the villages.

Credit: AFP

Al Shabaab Attacks Village In Kenya’s Garissa

Al Shabaab militants attacked a village in the northeastern Kenyan county of Garissa, the ministry of interior said on Friday.

The Somalia-based al Shabaab group, which has carried out frequent attacks in Kenya in recent years to try to force Nairobi to pull its troops out of Somalia, struck a university in the same area last month, killing 148 people.

A ministry statement said the militants entered Yumbis village, 70 km (45 miles) north of Garissa town, but were driven back. “Security forces on Thursday evening thwarted an attempted attack at Yumbis village,” it said.

“Security forces swiftly mobilized and engaged the militants in a gun battle. No casualties were reported.”

A police source in the area who did not wish to be named said the militants roamed Yumbis for an hour in two trucks bearing Kenyan registration plates. They hoisted their black flag on a mosque where they held prayers, before they headed out to a nearby village called Damajale.

A combined force of police and the army drove them off about three hours later, the source said.

Kenya’s tourism industry, a top foreign exchange earner, has borne the brunt of the attacks, as worried tourists cancel their bookings.

CreditReuters

Niger Urges Evacuation Of Lake Chad Over Boko Haram Attacks

Niger authorities have urged people living on islands in Lake Chad to leave to avoid new attacks by Boko Haram, after an assault by the Islamists last weekend left at least 74 dead. The weekend attack was the country’s heaviest loss since it joined a regional offensive against the militants, and saw authorities declare three days of mourning from Wednesday. “The governor of Diffa invites people living on the islands in Lake Chad to rejoin the mainland,” a statement on Thursday said, citing security reasons.

“Measures will be taken to ensure their safety and resettlement,” the statement added.

Diffa is the provincial capital of south-eastern Niger, which borders north-eastern Nigeria, considered the jihadists’ stronghold. Niger has several islands in Lake Chad, a vast body of water between it, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, the regular site of deadly Boko Haram raids. Niger lost at least 46 soldiers and 28 civilians in the Boko Haram attack on the island of Karamga on Saturday.

Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said on Wednesday that “156 terrorists” were also killed in the assault on an army base on the island, and that 32 troops were missing. He said Niger had since retaken control of Karamga.

Niger, along with Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, has recently launched a joint offensive to end Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency, which has claimed 13 000 lives and caused about 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

 AFP

Malawi Protests Against Attacks On Immigrants In SA

A diplomat at the South African High Commission in Malawi said hundreds of people protested outside the commission in the capital, Lilongwe, against anti-immigrant attacks in South Africa.

The commission’s Welcome Simelane said on Tuesday that it was a peaceful protest and demonstrators handed over a petition to High Commissioner Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone. Malawi’s information minister Kondwani Nankhumwa said nearly 400 Malawians arrived home on Monday, travelling overnight by bus from South Africa.

Police said there was no new violence reported in Johannesburg and surrounding areas.

Credit: AP

Multichoice Condemns Xenophobic Attacks In SA

MultiChoice Africa, the continent’s premier pay-TV company, has described as appalling the violence being visited on foreigners in South Africa.

In a statement issued on April 16, MultiChoice Africa said those affected by the wave of anti-foreigner violence are brothers and sisters to their assailants.

This, the company said, is abominable and strongly condemnable.

It urged Africans to see themselves as one irrespective of differences in nationalities, traditions and religions because Africa’s potential is realisable only through unity.

“As a multicultural African organisation, we respect and embrace diversity, and all the different traditions and religions across the continent.

“This is demonstrated through our multinational staff complement, rich African programming and channels on both our DStv and GOtv platforms.

“Our condolences go to the families and friends of those who have been affected or lost their lives in these mindless and unforgivable acts of violence,” the statement said.

South Africans To March Against Attacks On Foreigners

After weeks of violence, primarily in KwaZuluNatal, thousands expected to take part in solidarity rally in Durban. Thousands of people are expected to attend a march in South Africa’s coastal city of Durban in solidarity with the country’s foreign nationals.

The march, which includes religious leaders and concerned citizens, comes after weeks of attacks against foreign nationals in which at least five people have been killed and 74 people arrested since the end of March, according to Colonel Jay Naicker, the police spokesperson.

On Thursday, as many people prepared to march in the coastal city of Durban in KwaZuluNatal, many shops also remained closed in the business capital of the country, Johannesburg.

Groups of people were said to be travelling from other provinces to join in the show of solidarity with the foreign nationals. She said that people had been gathering and that while the numbers were not yet big, the crowd was expected to grow. Similar attacks occurred in 2008 in which at least 60 people were killed.

Messages circulating on social media warned people in Gauteng province and KwaZuluNatal to be on high alert for possible attacks and to also remain indoors.

Read More: aljazeera

Soldiers ‘Capture’ Boko Haram Attackers, Seize Anti-Aircraft Guns

Reports provide that Nigerian soldiers on Wednesday morning, during the repel of boko haram insurgents in Biu, captured five Boko Haram terrorists and seized two anti-aircraft guns.

It was said that the capture happened after the troops foiled an early morning attack by the violent sect in Biu, Borno State.

Credit: Punch