Tag Archives: Bombing

Human Rights Watch Asks Nigeria To Compensate Victims Of Accidental Bombing

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The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the Nigerian Government to compensate victims of the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camp in the northeast who were mistakenly bombed by military jets.

 

The attack took place on Tuesday near the border with Cameroon, where the military engaged in what it called its ‘final push against Boko Haram’.

 

A senior researcher at the HRW in Nigeria, Mausi Segun, said that “prompt, adequate and effective compensation” was needed, even though there was no evidence of a willful attack on the camp.

 

She added that the “Victims should not be denied redress merely because the government decided the bombing was accidental”.

 

The military had insisted that the incident did not occur in an IDPs’ camp as reported in some quarters, but a settlement said to be occupied by civilians.

 

The spokesman for the military, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, who confirmed the incident to Channels Television, admitted that it was an error deeply regretted by the military.

 

He explained that soldiers got information of movement of Boko Haram members and deployed ground troops and air cover to tackle the terrorists before the unfortunate occurrence took place.

 

Source: Channels TV

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Cairo Cathedral Bombing

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So-called Islamic State say it was behind a bomb attack on a church in Cairo on Sunday in which at least 25 people were killed.

One of its fighters carried out the suicide attack on the Coptic Christian cathedral, the group said in a statement.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi had earlier named the attacker as Shafik Mahmoud Mohamed Mostafa, 22.

Mr Sisi said the attack caused “pain to all Egyptians”.

IS named the attacker as Abu Abdallah al-Masri.

President Sisi used his address at a service for victims on Monday to urge the government to amend the country’s terrorism laws, which he said were “restricting the judicial system” in its battle to prevent such attacks.

He also declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the blast.

The Christian minority in Egypt has frequently been targeted by Islamist militants.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013, when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who backed the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists.

Some of Mr Morsi’s supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow.

Credit: BBC

Those Bombing #Aleppo ‘Must Answer To God’- Pope

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Pope Francis has decried the bombing of Aleppo in Syria, saying those responsible for killing civilians will have to answer to God.

Speaking at his public audience in St Peter’s Square in Rome, he called it “an already martyred city, where everybody is dying”.

Russian-backed Syrian government forces have launched a fierce campaign to take back rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

Airstrikes continued to hit the besieged northern city overnight.

Pope Francis urged all sides to “commit themselves with all their strength to protect civilians”.

“This is an imperative and urgent obligation. I appeal to the consciences of those responsible for the bombings, who will one day will have to account to God,” he said.

Read More: BBC

Militants Threaten To Resume Bombing As New Group Emerges

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Niger Delta militants have threatened to re­sume hostilities and have alleged that the two weeks ceasefire agree­ment elapsed without any commitment on the part of the Federal Gov­ernment.

The fighters said gov­ernment officials are more interested in grand­standing rather than initiating dialogue with them.

In a statement entitled: ‘If you make the peace­ful change that we seek impossible, we will make violent change possible’, a group called Ultimate Warriors of the Niger Delta said if the situation continued that way, mas­sive attacks on oil assets will commence in the days ahead.

“Our patience is run­ning out and we have decided to let the world know our grievances pure and plain again. We are sounding this as a last warning before the whirl­wind gets down.

“The tsunami that will descend in coming days would be severe for the current government to handle. The operations that would follow these plans are strategic and all operations would be codi­fied as our goals have been codified in a one line mis­sion statement.

“The Federal Govern­ment cannot continue to give us crumbs. We own the oil, we own the wealth, we will no longer accept outsider’s controlling oil blocs that are in our land. We want 60 percent of it for our people because we own the resources that sustain the country,” Sibiri Taiowoh, spokesman of the group said in a statement.

Also, former militant leaders in Bayelsa State have vowed to stop the spread of bombing of oil installations in the state by criminal elements.

Warning members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the former mili­tant leaders said they will resist attack on oil instal­lations in the state. The former militants leaders commended the Minister of State for Petroleum Re­sources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the state government for their commitment to bringing sustainable peace in the state and the Niger Delta region.

Meanwhile, the De­fence Headquarters has scrapped the Joint Force Operation Pulo Shield and immediately replaced it with Opera­tion Delta Safe. A state­ment by acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said the change was necessary in the face of current security chal­lenges.

Credit: Sun

I Sold Car Used For October 1 Bombing, Witness Tells Court

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Trial of the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bomb blast that killed twelve persons at the Eagle Square in Abuja, Mr. Charles Okah?, resumed yesterday, with one of the witnesses, Ishaka Abba, admitting that he was the one that sold the car that was used ?for the terrorist act. ?

Abba who made the disclosure before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, testified as the eleventh prosecution witness. He was bought before the court by the federal government which is prosecuting Okah alongside his alleged accomplice, Obi Nwabueze.

Abba who could only speak pidgin-English, gave his Evidence-in-Chief through an interpreter. Narrating how the transaction took place, the witness, said it was the 2nd accused person, Nwabueze, that persuaded him to sale the Mazda 626 Saloon car to him. Abba told the court that ?he is an automobile electrician based at Oshodi in Lagos. He also identified the 2nd defendant in the dock, saying he had also disclosed the transaction to the Department of State Service via a statement he made on March 19, 2011.

Noting that the 2nd defendant firstly approached him on October 15, 2010, the witness said the transaction was however perfected two days later. He told the court that Nwabueze used the first visit to inspect the car? which he said was given to him sale by one of his customers.

However, while being cross-examined by the defence team led by Mr. Samuel Zibiri and Oghenovo Otemu, said he never had any encounter with Okah. Following an application by the prosecuting counsel, Dr. Alex Iziyon, SAN, trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole, yesterday, moved the court outside to inspect the charred car. Meanwhile, when the witness was shown the car, he said he could not recollect if it was the same one he sold to the 2nd defendant. Earlier, a Chief consultant Pathologist at the National Hospital, Dr. Jubrin Paul, told the court that he was the one that conducted autopsy on seven persons that died as a result of the bombing. Paul further tendered several documents before the court among which included list of the deceased victims and their autopsy reports. Justice Kolawole has adjourned further hearing on the matter till Monday.

It will be recalled that one of Okah’s alleged accomplice, Mr. Osvwo Tekemfa Francis, a.k.a ‘General-Gbokos’, died in prison custody, even as the high court in a separate judgment, jailed the 3rd accused person, Edmund Ebiware, to life imprisonment. The accused persons were initially arraigned before the High Court on December 7, 2010 and subsequently re-arraigned on January 12, 2011.

Okah and Nwabueze were said to have superintended over varying terrorist activities that hitherto took place within the oil rich Niger Delta region of the country, including the bomb explosion that rocked a post amnesty programme that was organised in Warri, Delta State. FG alleged that they endangered the life of President Goodluck Jonathan while Nigeria celebrated its 50th independence anniversary in Abuja.

They were said to have conspired with Henry Okah and one Emmanuel Allison to make a direct attempt to endanger the life of President Jonathan by seeking to drive two motor vehicles wired with time-regulated explosive devices to the Eagle Square where the Independence celebration was taking place.

Credit: vanguardngr

Why Boko Haram Keeps Bombing North-Eastern Communities– FG

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The recent bombings of some communities in the North-eastern part of the country are acts of desperation rather than resurgence of insurgency, the Federal Government has said.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who gave this explanation at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, insisted that the terror group had been degraded and were desperate to prove otherwise through bombing of soft targets.

He said, “Now, the current bombings by the degraded Boko Haram will not surprise anyone who is conversant with the ebb and flow of insurgency. During the immediate period after an insurgency has been degraded, the fact that terrorists are dispersed into the community is often followed by an upsurge of terror attacks in the form of suicide bombing and sabotage of critical facilities.

“Activities during this period are often carried out within population and against soft targets or vulnerable groups. There is often apprehension in the community that terrorism is getting worse, even though, in reality, insurgency has been weakened as a cohesive terror force. This is the current phase of insurgency in the country.

“There is no resurgence of Boko Haram. The terrorists remain massively degraded and largely defeated. The recent string of attacks is not an indication that Boko Haram is bouncing back. We warned that the terrorists would resort to attacking soft targets, which are highly vulnerable places like motor parks, entertainment and worship centres, markets, etc.”

Credit: Punch

Militants’ Bombing Of Gas Pipeline Is Sabotage- Naval Chief

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Chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas on Friday, described the bombing of the gas pipeline supplying gas from Escravos-Warri to Lagos and Abuja, as sabotage saying that Nigerian Navy has consequently being put on alert to contain any other act of sabotage.

the CNS said, “It is sabotage but the Commanders on ground at our Eastern, Central and Logistics Command are on top of the situation. Presently, we have arrested some of the perpetrators of this heinous crime because what they have done is something that affects the whole nation.

“I want to assure you that the Nigerian Navy will do all within its powers in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure more security for oil and gas platforms in the country and those trying to cause carnage and economic sabotage will be made to face the music.

Continuing the CNS said, irrespective of whom these hoodlums are, they have to realize that their own families, communities and the nation at large will bear the brunt of this unpatriotic act. We will spare no one responsible when caught”

Credit: Vanguard

They Want To Frame Me For Bombing Oil Facilities, Tompolo Cries Out

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Niger Delta ex-Militant, Government Ekpemupolo also known as Tompolo alleged yesterday  that there is a plot by some aggrieved politicians in Bayelsa State to launch bomb attacks on oil installations and pipelines in the region with the aim of attributing such attacks to him . Tompolo said this was as a result of his open support for the re-election of Governor Seriake Dickson.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has already secured a court order to arrest him over allegations of financial crimes in NIMASA.

According to Tompolo, in a statement issued yesterday via email, he said though the election has thrown up bad blood among indigenes of the region, loss of lives and bitterness, the anger felt by some politicians against his support for the re-election of Dickson should not be transformed to the destruction of the nation’s assets.

“Furthermore, I want to admonish those that are still aggrieved as a result of the outcome of the election not to resort to destruction of national assets, specifically, crude oil facilities and pipelines and attribute it to me because of my position on the election to desist from such acts as it will not do us good as a country, as we all need to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to succeed.”

He reiterated his earlier statement that, “we cannot all be in APC” and also noted that  “our people had always believed in the Nigerian project and had always hoped to join hands with this administration to move this project forward.

“ The conditions being attached are not acceptable, therefore, I, once again, insist on believing in the Nigerian project unconditionally.”

Credit: Sun

Borno Market Bombing: Residents Recall Ordeal

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Nigerian villagers on Wednesday described the carnage unleashed by a huge market bomb explosion in jihadist group Boko Haram’s northeastern heartland as the death toll rose to 50.

The bomb — concealed in a crop-spraying backpack — ripped through the weekly market in the village of Sabon Gari, around 135 kilometres (85 miles) south of Borno state capital Maiduguri, during peak trading on Tuesday.

“When the blast happened people in the market fled in fear. They abandoned their wares. Some managed to return for their wares but some never came back,” Samaila Biu, a local trader, told AFP.

“The market was littered with all sorts of articles. The mobile phone section was a mess with many dead and pieces of flesh and blood splattered all over.”

The explosion went off at about 1:15 pm, (1215 GMT) Biu said, just after the market had entered its most busy trading hours and the immediate vicinity of the bomb was packed with merchants and shoppers, witnesses said.

Authorities said in the immediate aftermath 47 people had been killed but upped the toll by three overnight.

“One more person died from his wounds and two more bodies were later brought to the morgue from near the scene of the blast. Now there are 50 dead and 51 injured,” a nurse at Biu General Hospital, around 50 kilometres away, told AFP.

Credit: AFP