Tag Archives: Soldier

Soldier dismissed for stabbing lover to death

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A Nigerian soldier, Sunday Umaru, has been dragged before a Barkin-Ladi High Court in Plateau, for allegedly killing his lover, Charity Thomas, over a phone call.

Mr. Umaru, a married man, was a private in the Nigerian Army and on posting at the Special Task Force (STF), sector 7, Barkin-Ladi, at the time of the incident, on January 23, 2016.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hearing, scheduled for March 30, could not hold due to the absence of Justice Samson Gang.

Mr. Umaru was first arraigned on July 14, 2016 on a one-count charge of culpable homicide.

He was accused of killing his lover Ms. Thomas by stabbing her with a knife in the stomach and slaughtering her thereafter. Mr. Umaru attacked the woman who had arrived from Kaduna to visit him.

According to the prosecutor, W.T Awe, of the Plateau State Ministry of Justice, the accused person committed the crime on January 23, 2016 in Barkin-Ladi.

Mr. Awe, during the arraignment, told the court that the Nigeria Army had court-martialed the accused, dismissed him after they found him guilty, and handed him over to the police for prosecution.

He said the accused person had told the police, in a confessional statement, that the deceased visited him sometime in January 2016, after which they had a misunderstanding which led to her death.

“In the statement, the accused alleged that the deceased used a kitchen knife to stab herself after which he (accused), removed the knife and `helped’ her to complete the act by slaughtering her,” Mr. Awe stated.

Mr. Awe further quoted the accused as saying that he was in the sitting room while Ms. Thomas was in the kitchen at about 7 p.m. when the woman’s phone rang and he picked the call.

The accused, in the statement, said that a man’s voice insisted on speaking with Ms. Thomas, but that he (accused) demanded to know who he (caller) was.

He claimed that instead of answering his inquiries, the voice rained insults on him.

Mr. Umaru, according to the statement, dropped the call, went to the kitchen and asked Ms. Thomas who the caller was, but the woman refused to provide answers to his questions, instead reminding Mr. Umaru that he was a married man.

The accused further claimed that Ms. Thomas, in a fit of anger, called off the relationship and declared that she was no more interested, especially since her parents had consistently warned her against the affair.

“Umaru said that he got angry and slapped her, which angered Charity, who quickly picked a knife and stabbed herself in the stomach,” Mr. Awe told the court.

The statement further indicated that Charity failed down thereafter, with the accused removing the knife from her stomach and slaughtering her “to complete the job she started”.

Mr. Umaru thereafter took her body outside, left it there and reported for duty at 8 p.m.

The prosecutor said the accused, from his duty point, went to see his family at the Maxwell Kobe Cantonment, Rukuba Barracks, after telling his boss that his wife wanted to see him over “a very pressing issue”.

“Charity’s lifeless body was found the next day by neighbours, while military men, who came to evacuate the body, trailed the blood marks to the accused person’s house.

“Friends of the accused also recognised the girl as Umaru’s lover, who was seen with him the previous day,” Mr. Awe told the court.

He said a team of military men, mobilised to go after the accused, arrested him at his home in the barracks, while in the company of his family.

According to Mr. Awe, the accused was court-martialed by the military and dismissed, after which he was handed over to the police for prosecution.

He said during investigation, police discovered several gory pictures and videos of the deceased that the accused took in his phone, immediately after the murder.

The accused has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

NAN reports that at his first appearance in July 2016, Mr. Umaru’s counsel, David Adudu, prayed the court to grant his client bail, citing section 36(5) of the 1999 constitution which says that an accused is presumed innocent until otherwise proven.

Mr. Adudu had added that if the bail was granted, his client would neither jump bail nor interfere with police investigation.

Justice Samson Gang admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

Mr. Gang, who ordered that the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, said they must submit two copies of their recent passport photographs, copies of their national ID cards, GCE certificates and copies of their Rights of Occupancy.

He thereafter adjourned the matter to March 30, for hearing.

NAN reports that with the judge not available to hear the case, the matter was adjourned to May 25.

 

Source: NAN

One Soldier Killed In Agatu Youths Clash.

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A military personnel drafted to Agatu by the Benue State Joint Security Council, has been killed in a clash with youths in the community, in an attempt to disarm the youths who were at a burial to mourn one of their own.

Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed this at the 3rd Benue stakeholders forum convened to discuss issues of insecurity, high civil service wage bill and job creation through agriculture.

The death of the soldier, is the height of the two weeks agitation in the Adoka/Agatu axis, where a police station was attacked last week and a service riffle snatched by youths suspected to be from Agatu local council.

However, the Christian Association of Nigeria, believes the presence of herdsmen in the state, poses a threat to the church and its communities, another participant at the meeting, proposed for the  conversion of Sambisa forest to grazing reserve, to reduce the violence in the state.

The governor has however experienced concern over the spate of violence in Agatu area, and has asked security agencies to fish out those involved in the death of the soldier.

Court Jails Ex-Soldier And 7 Others 104 Years For Kidnapping Delta Speaker

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The Delta State High Court, sitting in Kwale, Ndokwa West local government area, on Tuesday sentenced an ex-soldier and seven others to 104 years imprisonment for kidnapping the current House of Assembly speaker, Mr. Monday Igbuya.

Mr. Igbuya was allegedly kidnapped in May 2009 in Sapele, the headquarters of Sapele Local Government area by Godspower Omoniyi, an ex-soldier; Godspower Ikoro; Ernest Atteh; John Adapamu; Ife Freedom; Sunday Uba Tiemo; Kemi Koinyan; and Isaiah Mumbor.  He released after six days.

SaharaReporters learned that the eight suspects, who were earlier charged to the Sapele High Court in 2011 after their arrest by security agents, were later transferred to Kwale for trial on a six-count charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, armed robbery and the substantive case of kidnapping and demanding with menace the sum of N100m as ransom.

In his judgement, the presiding judge, Justice O. Jaloggo-Williams, found the eight accused persons guilty on the two-count charge of kidnapping and demanding property with menace.  He sentenced them to 10 years each with hard labor for kidnapping; and three years each for demanding N100m with menace.

Justice Jaloggo-Williams ruled that the accused were responsible for the kidnapping of the Speaker, but discharged them on the count of armed robbery for lack of sufficient evidence by the prosecution.  The sentences will run concurrently.

The convicts were charged under the Criminal Code Law Section 364 (I) and (II), which prescribed a 10-year jail term for offenders, before the Delta House of Assembly enacted a new anti-kidnapping Law in 2016 which now prescribes life imprisonment for offenders.

Nigeria Air Force personnel ?kill man ‘over prostitute’

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A 60-year-old man was on Tuesday killed at a brothel in Maiduguri, Borno State, after a quarrel with some personnel of the Nigeria Air Force.

The fight occurred at a popular brothel located in Simari area of Maiduguri.

Witnesses said the victim, Ibrahim Bulama, was shot dead by soldiers after they clashed over a woman at the brothel.

Air Force authorities confirmed the killing, but did not clearly admit its personnel were involved in a struggle for a prostitute.

The Commander of the 105 Composite Group, Charles Ohwo, an Air Commodore, told journalists at a press briefing on Thursday that the deceased was not shot.

He said the man died when soldiers were trying to retrieve a rifle allegedly snatched from their colleague.

According to the Nigeria Air Force account, the soldier, Kamal Usman, a Lance Corporal, was on his way home from his duty post when he ran into people having an argument.

He said the armed personnel was trying to find out what happened, when his rifle was snatched.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that, on Wednesday 7th December 2016, an airman, Lance Corporal Kamal Usman, left his duty post at about 10pm, and on his way home, when he came across some gathering near a hotel in Simari area; and in an attempt to find out what was wrong, the crowd got scared and took to their heels,” Mr. Ohwo said.

“When the airman decided to check the surroundings to find out what scared the crowd, he entered one room in the hotel and found a woman laying on a bed.

“Unfortunately, the deceased old man, Bulama mobilized some people and came back to the hotel and attacked him from the back with matchets, inflicting serious injuries on his head and snatched his rifle.

“On sensing danger, the lance corporal left and mobilized his fellow colleagues for assistance. Upon arrival at the scene, they descended on the old man, and beat him to death in the process of recovering their rifle.

“The airman is now recuperating at the air force medical facility in Maiduguri, while his colleagues who were involved in the incident have been detained pending further investigation,” Mr. Ohwo said.

Witnesses questioned the Air Force’s narratives, saying it did not explain what exactly took the armed airman to a brothel, or how exactly he got to see the woman on the bed, or what he was doing with her at the time the mob mobilised to attack him.

“The soldiers have to do their investigation very well, because all we heard was that a soldier was attacked by angry mob after the old man was killed,” said a source who asked not to be named for safety reasons.

Journalists were ushered into the military clinic at the Air Force base where the accused airman, who had deep cuts on his head, was admitted. He was cuffed by the legs.

Mr. Ohwo called for calm, promising thorough investigation into the matter.

Police arrest ex-soldier for alleged involvement in car snatching.

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Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested one ex-soldier, Sani Abubakar, of Tudun wada quarters Zaria, Kaduna State for allegedly belonging to a car snatching syndicate.

 

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, made the disclosure while addressing journalist at the headquarters of the command in Asaba on Wednesday.

 

The text of his press statement was sent to journalists.

 

The police chief said Mr. Abubakar, who allegedly deserted the Army in 2013, was apprehended after a painstaking investigation by detectives following the arrest of his gang.

 

“At about 1700hrs, while on stop and search at PTI road Effurun operatives of 51 Police Mobile Force, Oghara accosted one Toyota Corolla car with Reg. No. EKY 128 DM with four occupants. Two of the occupants took to their heels as soon as the vehicle was stopped for a search, one Happy Sunday ‘m’, 24yrs and Stanley Vincent‘m’, 29yrs were arrested and the vehicle recovered along with two locally made pistols, six AR live cartridges, handsets and charms from them. So far, investigators have identified and contacted the rightful owner of the said Toyota Corolla car, one Nwamaka Nwizu ‘f’ of Aka Avenue, Effurun, and she has narrated how the car was snatched from her alongside other valuables.

 

”On 11/11/2016, following the confession and disclosure by the principal suspect, Stanley Vincent, that a soldier who is their accomplice usually escorts vehicles stolen by his gang to a receiver at Kaduna, a call was made to the said soldier through the suspect and arrangement made for him to escort a Toyota Avalon.

 

“He requested that the vehicle be taken to their meeting point at Benin where detectives arrested the said suspect identified as one Sani Abubakar ‘m’ of No. 33 Tudun Wada, Zaria, Kaduna state when he showed up at the said meeting point. He introduced himself as a soldier and presented a Nigeria Army I.D card bearing Rank: Corporal, Name: Sani Abubakar and P/No. 2005/NA/57/3561.

 

”However, the suspect has confessed to the crime and revealed that he enlisted into the Nigeria Army in 2005, trained at Zaria Depot and posted to Supply & Transport, 3 Division, N/A Jos, Plateau state, but deserted the army in 2013.

 

”Items recovered from him included one Nigeria Army I.D card bearing his name and photograph,” Mr. Ibrahim stated according to his press statement, a copy of which was sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

 

The police chief added that a four man kidnap syndicate was equally smashed while several armed robbery suspects were arrested and are soon to be charge to court.

Military court jails soldier for stealing bullets, demotes three others.

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A military general court martial in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Tuesday sentenced a soldier to 18 months in prison for unauthorized possession of live ammunition outside his assigned duty post.

The court also ruled that three officers would not be promoted for periods ranging from 18 months to two years for unprofessional conduct in the fron-tline.

The court martial, headed by Olusegun Adeniyi, a Brigadier General, tried Private Mcdonald Chukwu on a two-count charge after he was caught at a bus station with 89 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition inside his traveling bag.

He was arrested by a female police sergeant, Sarah Peters, who frisked his bag as he was about to board a commercial bus in Maiduguri.

Mr. Chukwu, in an earlier statement, admitted being in possession of the ammunition, but said he forgot them in his bag when he returned from his duty post, as he hurried to get money from an ATM machine to travel.

He later disowned the statement, saying the ammunition were not found in his bag.

An Army Major, Usman Inyam, was made to forfeit 18 months of his seniority status, for professional misconduct that involved his abandoning duty post in such a manner that may have endangered the lives of troops in the front-line.

His lone charge indicated that as a commanding officer in charge of infantry troops in Takumbare area of Gwoza local government, Mr. Inyam abandoned a post frequently used by Boko Haram insurgents when under attack by soldiers.

He will forfeit his seniority by 20 months, while a captain, Christopher Leche, was stripped for two years.

The court martial would continue its sitting on Wednesday when it is expected to deliver judgment on more cases before it.

Few weeks ago, a Special Court Martial demoted Maj.-Gen. Patrick Falola, to Brigadier-General for admitting students for clinical training without permission from higher authorities.

Civilian impersonates soldier, dupes police officer in Benue.

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A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court on Thursday sentenced 31-year-old applicant, Gideon Chubu, to 12 months imprisonment for impersonating a soldier and duping a mobile police officer of N40,000.

 

Chubu was arraigned on a two-count, bordering on cheating and impersonation, punishable under Section 326 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.

 

The Magistrate, Mrs. Lillian Tsumba, sentenced Chubu to 12 months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the crime and begged the court for leniency.

 

Tsumba who noted that the convict had no record of previous convictions, said the sentence was to serve as deterrent to others.

 

The magistrate also ordered Chubu to pay back the sum of N40,000 he fraudulently collected from the mobile policeman.

 

The prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Agbadu, had told the court that one Cpl. Elija Ikwe, attached to 13 Police Mobile Force, Makurdi, reported the matter at ‘C’ Division Police Station, Makurdi on Nov. 6.

 

Ikwe reported that he met Chubu at Wurukum roundabout, Makurdi, on Oct 26, and he introduced himself as a soldier serving with the Chief of Defence Staff in Abuja.

 

Ikwe further stated that the convict deceptively collected N40,000 from him with a promise to help enlist his younger brother into the Nigerian Army.

 

The victim stated that the convict was later discovered not to be a soldier and had converted the money to his personal use.

 

The prosecutor said that the convict was arrested during police investigation and he confessed to have committed the crime.

#NigeriansHonorOurHeroes : The meaning of Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu Ali.

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In the end it’s not the years in your life that count the life in your years — Abraham Lincoln

 

How do you begin a tribute to one who in a few years of his life achieved what few could have ever achieved in a lifetime.I never spoke or met with Lt Col Mohammed Abu Ali yet I grieved him as though he was a part of me and someone I had always known, indeed his death took a part of me. I have never grieved this much for someone I never knew. It is said that the best ones are always the ones who go early and yet what he had achieved in his life is what retired Generals could boost of.

 

Every once in a while God sends down special people to this world to make their mark and leave in a short space of time. Martin Luther died age 39 , General, Murtala Mohammed died age 38, Alexander the Great died aged 32, Malcolm X died aged 39, many others while all their sacrifices are solid, what makes Lt Col Abu’s (died age 38) sacrifice unique is that he fought against all odds. At a time when resources are scarce, equipment is manageable and with an enemy that has defied the country for years. In the end he was literally singlehandedly on the war front shouldering the defeat of the Boko Haram insurgency because by virtue of having captured all the previously occupied towns, he was the only hope of the military.

 

Lt Col Abu’s sacrifice is yet again exceptional because it was premised on a rare kind of unconditional and blind faith in the country which few of us can admit to have and a passionate loyalty to the army, which few soldiers can sustain. Against the odds he was facing, with the realities and imminent present and clear dangers he surrendered himself emotionally to his fate, long before he was killed, which explains why his last words were a confirmed farewell “let me go and deal with the boys take care of my children.” He knew somehow it was coming and he was expecting it, a privilege only granted to a few by the Creator.

 

To this end, in his last pictures in the months before he was killed his eyes exhibited a distance, such as one who is gazing far ahead into the horizon for something beyond what is the reality. His eyes revealed everything, the stress, the tension, they portrayed all that he had been through and the great burden of responsibility he was bearing. Certainly those pictures are what broke me and will haunt me forever.

 

Unlike the Biafran war or the Second World War where the troops were highly equipped, had an emotional cushion of knowing that the entire country was at war and all its resources were being offered to them, the war Lt Col Abu and his troops fought was largely based on hope, prayer and luck, with most of the country going about their business while they fought for us on the battle front.

Those in the inner circles of the Army nonetheless knew of his sacrifice but for the rest of us it’s a realisation that” these are who heroes are,” and it’s until they are gone, do we realise their quiet heroic struggles, their ruthless resolve, their strength, their might, their worth and what they went through to save us.

 

The widespread sadness all over the social media and otherwise is as a result of nothing but the realisation that, there are people who actually believe deeply in Nigeria, and who have held the country’s pledge true to their conviction.

 

How many of us truly pledge to Nigeria to be faithful, loyal and honest to serve Nigeria with all our strength to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory, Ali lived that pledge and did just that, and this is something very few of us in present day Nigeria will agree to do. Indeed there have been others who have done it but the difficult circumstances in which Ali fought and the calibre of enemies he faced makes his feat incomparable to any other solider in our history. It is said heroes are born not made and he went well beyond the call of duty and stuck it out to his last.

 

Lt Col Mohammed Abu Ali was a war hero, a hero the likes of top world heroes such as Dirk. J Vlug, Charles Carpenter and Aubrey Cosens. In my mind, Ali is another Warren G. H Crecy, a gallant tank commander in the United States army nicknamed “the baddest man in the 761 regiment,” like Lt Col Ali, his most heroic act happened in November when he single handedly fought off the Germans from enemy lines.

 

After his tank got hit, he came out and used a car loaded with machine guns and not only wasted the soldiers who blow his tank but killed over 100 Germans thus allowing the United States army to continue its advance. And like Lt Col Ali, Sergeant Crecy was described as mild manned, a really well liked guy, very unassuming and polite but when he got out on the battle field he became an unstoppable killing machine. Crecy like Ali kept being sent back to fight at the enemy lines again and again once his gallantry was discovered.

 

Our consolation lies in the fact that all soldiers know death can happen anytime, and it’s something they have in their hearts. No one stays for a second later than the time ordained for him by the Almighty Creator whom we will all return to. Ali may Allah furnish your grave with the scent coolness beauty and joy of Paradise Jannah and may he for all the lives you saved reward you with the ultimate Jannah Tul Firdaus. Rest in peace. You are safe now from this wicked world.

Unknown gunmen kidnap soldier in Cross River.

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Unknown gunmen on Thursday kidnapped a soldier, Musa Lawal, attached to the 13th Brigade of the Nigerian Army while stepping out of a bank along Calabar Road, Cross River State.

 

It was gathered that Lawal was bundled into a vehicle and whisked away.

 

An eyewitness, Emma Abang, said the incident happened at about 10a.m in the presence of security officials in the bank

 

He said, “The army officer was kidnapped in front of one of the popular banks along Calabar Road after he had finished his transactions.

 

“It was not clear whether they kidnapped him because of the transaction he went to carry out; but they just whisked him into their vehicle and zoomed off. They took him to an unknown destination.”

 

However, the Army Public Relations Officer in charge of 13 Brigade, Calabar, Capt. Kayode Owolabi, said he was not aware of the incident.

Boko Haram: Defence Minister mourns gallant army commander

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The Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, has described the death of Lt-Col. Muhammad Abu-Ali as tragic and unfortunate development in the theatre of operations in the North East.

Abu-Ali was killed by the Boko Haram terrorists in their failed attack to capture Malam Fatori in northern Borno on Friday.

The minister in a statement issued by his Public Relations Officer, Col. Tukur Gusau, on Sunday also described the late Abu-Ali as a major pillar in the war against terrorism and insurgency in the region.

Dan-Ali, who said he received the death of officer with sadness, prayed to Almighty Allah to grant the “war hero an eternal rest”.

The minister also commiserated with the father of the deceased officer, Etsu of Bassa-Nge Kingdom in Kogi, retired Brig-Gen Abu-Ali, his family and the Nigerian Army.

Until his death Abu-Ali was the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Battalion at Malam Fatori.

He was nicknamed “Sarkin Yaki” in Hausa language (literally war chief) and led the army unit that recaptured Gamboru-Ngala, Baga and several communities from the terrorists in 2014.

Col. Abu-Ali, other fallen officers’ sacrifice won’t be in vain – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday night eulogized Colonel Abu Ali and other fallen military officers and men who met their deaths while fighting against terrorists and insurgency in Nigeria, saying their sacrifices would never go in vain.

The president also stated that their memories would be eternally etched in the hearts and minds of Nigerians for whose sake they laid down their lives.

Buhari remarks came on the heels of Col Ali’s death who he described as “one of Nigeria’s finest and bravest soldiers in recent history.”

In a condolence statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, President Buhari said that “he was rudely shocked by the news of the officer’s death along with other gallant soldiers during an encounter with the Boko Haram bandits in Borno State.”

According to the President, “a courageous commander does not only give orders, but also joins his men to fight the battle, no matter the risks or the obvious danger.”

The president stated that Ali “was an extraordinary officer who inspired respect and adoration among those he commanded”, adding that “one of the greatest attributes of a war hero is the ability to help your troops overcome fear in the face of danger.”

He also stated that Ali and his other fallen colleagues had brought glory to the army and the country for laying down their lives for the sake of others.

Making a passionate condolence to the families of the victims and the Nigerian Army, the President also noted that their heroic sacrifices were “so immeasurable that no words can do justice to their patriotism and remarkable courage.”

President Buhari, who personally called late Colonel Ali’s father, Brigadier-Gen. Abu Ali (Rtd) to console the family, reassured them that the death of their son and others in battle would never go in vain.

“He was a gallant soldier, never to be forgotten. He has brought a good name to the family,” he said.

The president also called on members of the armed forces not to let the tragic incident to dampen their morale and spirit, adding that “under no circumstances should the Boko Haram terrorists be allowed to destroy the will of our troops.”

According to him, “evil should not be given any chance to defeat good and humanity”, and that “members of our armed forces should remain formidably united in the war against terrorism.”

Meanwhile, the President has appointed a high powered delegation to be led by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari to represent him at the funeral of Colonel Abu Ali and others today(Monday).

The members of the committee also included the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello and the Minister of State Solid Minerals Development, Baba Buhari.

14-Year Old Girl Connives With Soldier Boyfriend, 20, To Kill Mom Because She Was Against Their Relationship

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Young Jamie Silvonek might have only been 14, but her intelligence and grown-up mannerisms defied her age. Adults spoke to her like an equal and her teachers accelerated her learning.

So when the young blonde caught the eye of an army cadet at a music gig in Pennsylvania in October 2014, Jamie had no problem persuading him she was about to turn 18.

Caleb Barnes was 20, and very taken with Jamie. She lived in Allentown and soldier Caleb has based two hours away in Fort Meade, Maryland, but they started a long-distance relationship.

However, Jamie soon had to admit that she was only 14. Caleb agreed to keep their relationship a
secret and they sneaked around, hiding the relationship from Jamie’s parents, Cheryl and David.

But after five months Cheryl, 54, caught the couple in bed together in the basement of her home. Cheryl was furious and threw Caleb out, threatening to report him to the police for sex with an underage girl.

“If she calls the cops, I’ll lose my job,” Caleb texted Jamie in a panic.

Jamie didn’t want to lose her boyfriend, so she tried to persuade her mum that Caleb was 16. Caleb even bought a fake birth certificate online.

“I feel like with my skills I can convince her to give you another shot,” Jamie texted Caleb. “I need to regain my mother’s trust by convincing her you are really 16.”

Jamie was clever, but Cheryl was no fool and told her daughter to stop seeing Caleb. Still, Jamie refused to give him up.

She had tickets to go and watch the rock band Breaking Benjamin with Caleb and she told her mum that she had to go.

“I feel so desolate, mother,” she texted her. “My excitement for this had been the only thing getting me through. I’m going to have a mental breakdown. I need this.”

Cheryl reluctantly agreed that she could go – but insisted that she drive them. Jamie knew she’d won this battle, but there would be more to come. In the week leading up to the concert, Caleb and Jamie exchanged more text messages.

“She needs to go, Caleb, right now,” she wrote. One from Caleb read: “I have knives picked out.”

“Just do it,” Jamie wrote.

On the night of 14 March 2015, Cheryl drove the pair to the concert and went back in the early hours of the next morning to pick them up. Then she disappeared.

A few hours later, her SUV was found submerged in a pond a few miles from her home. It was covered in her blood. Police found her body nearby in a snow-covered shallow grave.

When police arrived at Cheryl’s home, her husband David had been looking for her. Jamie and Caleb were found naked in bed together – David didn’t even know Caleb was there.

“He’s a friend that mum knows about,” Jamie told her dad.

Jamie and Caleb were arrested. An autopsy revealed that Cheryl had been beaten, strangled and stabbed five times. One stab wound pierced an artery, spraying blood throughout her car. She’d valiantly fought back but had been overpowered.

When questioned, Jamie’s story changed countless times. She said Caleb had raped her, then said she’d covered up the crime because he’d threatened her. But there were text messages between Jamie and Caleb in the car driving back from the concert talking about going through with their plan.

Caleb said he’d killed Jamie’s mum so they could be together and revealed that she’d begged for her life in her final moments.

“Just take my daughter,” she had cried. “If you want her, take her.”

 

They were both charged with first-degree murder. While in prison, Jamie told a friend in a phone call, “I’m losing more sleep over the way I was betrayed than the fact that I killed someone.”

But she quickly became remorseful and changed her story when it came to facing a trial. She confessed to her part in the plot and made a plea deal. She agreed to testify against Caleb in return for a 35-year-to-life sentence.

In February this year, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, evidence-tampering and abuse of a corpse. She was charged as an adult.

“I was a monster,” Jamie told the court. “There is no sugar-coating it, and there is absolutely no sympathy.”

Jamie said she and Caleb had talked about the killing for a week beforehand. She said she couldn’t carry on lying about the murder any more.

“My mother was the glue that held everything in my family together, including me,” she said. “And I can’t look at myself in the mirror knowing that.”

In August this year, Caleb faced his charges in court. He pointed the finger at his former girlfriend, while Jamie insisted he’d committed the act.

Jamie testified that they’d been in the SUV with her mum in the front seat and Caleb in the back. Parked in the driveway, Caleb had reached for Cheryl’s throat.

“He started to strangle her, and then eventually he stabbed her,” Jamie said.

The pair had gone to a local Walmart to buy bleach and cleaning equipment. When they returned, they pushed the car into the pond and buried Cheryl. Jamie denied playing any ‘physical’ part in the murder but admitted she’d urged Caleb to carry out the act so they could be together.

“I believe what I did was just as bad or worse than the physical act,” she wept, saying she was taking accountability for her actions. Caleb stared angrily at her from across the room.

The prosecution revealed to the jury the text messages the young couple had exchanged leading up to the killing. They were also told about the horrific details of the murder. Caleb had seemingly punched, choked and stabbed Cheryl as she’d tried to push the knife away.
They blamed each other

But Caleb denied that version and said he wasn’t even in the car at the time of the murder. He was planning to drive home and got into his car for
a nap.

“Jamie woke me up by banging on my window,” Caleb told the court. “She had blood on her hands and face.”

Caleb said she’d dragged him to the SUV where he saw Cheryl was dead. Then Jamie told him that she’d killed her mum with one of his knives.

Caleb claimed Jamie had argued with her mum because she’d told her mum she was pregnant with Caleb’s baby. He recalled Jamie saying,

“My mum went crazy. She flipped out and attacked me and I couldn’t get her off.”

Caleb said he helped cover it up because Jamie insisted she was pregnant.

“At this point, I’m thinking I have a family to protect,” he testified. “This girl just killed her mum, but she’s having my baby. I can’t let her go to prison.”

Caleb said the text messages between them were just part of an ongoing joke they had.

“I thought she was joking. I hoped she was joking,” he said. “You don’t want to believe that someone you love is capable of that.”

His lawyers said his DNA was not found on Cheryl’s hands and they called Jamie a ‘manipulator’. But Caleb could have been wearing gloves and Jamie had never mentioned a baby.

After four days, the jury found Caleb guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He scowled at the verdict. This September he was given his mandatory life sentence.

The young lovers killed to stay together – but their actions have separated them forever.

Soldier delivers woman of her baby after she fled her village over Boko Haram

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A gallant Nigerian, Celestine Nwabueke, has been praised after his heroic effort in helping a woman deliver a bouncing baby boy in a village in Borno state. According to multiple reports, the new mother -was aided the the gallant soldier with the help of other women who fled their community over fear of Boo Haram attacks..

According to reports, the woman wanted to name the child after the soldier to appreciate him but later changed her mind due to his religion and named him Abubakar.

Soldier, Policemen Fight In Banking Hall

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There was pandemonium yesterday inside the banking hall of a popular bank, located at Calabar Road, in the heart of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, following a fight that pitted a soldier against four riot policemen.

The incident occurred at about 11 am, causing confusion among the numerous customers who had gone to the bank to transact business.

The fight forced many customers to flee from the bank when, a policeman discharged a canister of tear-gas inside the banking hall filled with customers.

As some armed soldiers and armed policemen arrived, obviously on the invitation of their feuding colleagues, customers ran helter-skelter to avoid being caught in a possible crossfire.

The immediate cause of the fight between the lone soldier and the four policemen could not be ascertained, but a handful of men and staff of the bank intervened and stopped the fight.
When the fisticuffs ended, the soldier and some of the policemen had sustained injuries while the soldier’s uniform was torn.

The policemen, who were seething with anger, left the banking hall and waited outside while the soldier remained inside the hall.
Before long, some armed riot policemen and regular policemen drove-in in pickup trucks to the bank and demanded to see the soldier who was still holed up inside.

However, while the policemen were busy demanding to reach the soldier, a detachment of soldiers also arrived the bank in trucks; a development that led to sporadic shooting into the air, and scampering for safety by passers-by and onlookers.
But after wise counsel by the superior officers in both camps prevailed, some of the policemen and soldiers entered the banking hall to settle the rift.

Credit: Thisday

Boko-Haram’s IED Kills Soldier, 4 Others

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The Nigerian Army, yes­terday, said an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by members of the Boko-Haram terrorist group killed one soldier and four others at Biu, in Borno State.

The incident happened yesterday at about 8.15am, near a military check point, after a tricycle, popularly known as “Keke NAPEP” stepped on the IED, said to have been planted by the side of Biu/Damboa road.

Four persons, among them a woman and her baby and two other males were said to have died on the spot, while three others includ­ing the deceased soldier sus­tained serious injuries and were rushed to the Biu Gen­eral Hospital.

However, the soldier died on the road before they got to the hospital.

A statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, said the scene of the explosion has been cordoned off while personnel from the Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD), from Forward Operation Base (FOB) in Bura­tai, have since been mobilised to carry out further search of the area.

Usman, while commiserating with the families of the dead and those who sustained inju­ries, however, maintained that the explosion would not deter the military from carrying out its offensive to wipe out the Boko Haram terrorists wherev­er they might be hiding.

The army spokesman, who ap­pealed for more support and co­operation from members of the public to help the military suc­ceed in routing the remnants of the criminal elements ,

He Said: “Preliminary inves­tigations shows that the IED was buried long time ago unde­tected. It exploded when the tri­cycle erroneously stepped on it.

“This unfortunate develop­ment has brought to the fore, the need for more security con­sciousness and vigilance among all.”

Credit: Sun

Boko Haram Ambushes Army Commander, Kills One Soldier

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The convoy of the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu, was ambushed yesterday morning by suspected Boko Haram terrorists when he was en route to visit troops in Bama, Borno State.

A statement by the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Col. Sani Usman, said the ambush resulted in the death of one soldier and two others who sustained injuries from the attack.

However, the army convoy was according to the spokesman, able to clear the ambush, killing some of the terrorists and recovering a vehicle and weapons from them. The recovered items included a Toyota Hilux vehicle, two AK-47 rifles and several rounds of ammunition.

According to Usman, the acting GOC continued his operational visit to Bama, while the body of the late soldier and others wounded were evacuated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has also spoken with the GOC after the attack, the statement added.

The Nigerian Army reiterated its unalloyed commitment and determination to continue to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorist wherever they might still be hiding.

The attack on the GOC’s convoy occurred barely 24 hours after the terror group engaged the military in a fierce battle that lasted for several hours in their daring attempt to capture the 113 Battalion at Kareto close to the border with Niger Republic.

Usman also confirmed that two officers and 22 soldiers were wounded in the battle with Boko Haram terrorists in Kareto on Monday.

He said the wounded soldiers were being treated at the Military Hospital in Maiduguri.

The army spokesman said the attack was repelled due to the timely response of the troops and the involvement  of air cover as more reinforcement was deployed.

Credit: ThisDay

Soldier’s Vehicle Explodes In Lagos

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A Toyota car, belonging to a Nigerian Army personnel identified as Lasisi Adeleye, was said to have exploded on Tuesday when it collided with a truck.

The car had exploded after collision with a Mercedes Benz 1428 truck marked AKM162ZW, which had recklessly hit it from the rear.

Following the impact of the crash, the Camry veered off the road, somersaulted severally and knocked down a passerby who fell and sustained fractures on the leg.

However, the soldier was able to escape unhurt from the relics of the damaged car before it eventually exploded upon hitting the pedestrian kerb, purportedly because of petroleum products it was carrying.

While passersby were attempting to assist the injured victim, the truck driver, who was identified as Joseph Chima, was said to have attempted to flee, but was caught by the soldier, who took him to the nearest police station to make statement.

The arrival of the officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) saw the injured man being taken into their patrol van for onward journey to the hospital.

Confirming the incident, the Assistant Corps Commander, Emmanuel Edeh, said the victim was taken to New Age Hospital, Kirikiri Apapa where it was discovered he fractured an ankle.

Credit: Thisday

Boko Haram: Troops Kill 58 Terrorists, Lose A Soldier

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The Nigerian Army said, yesterday, that it lost one of its soldiers and killed no fewer than 58 terrorists, following a clearance operation to rid insurgents from their hideout at Musari.

The Army in statement signed by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said: “In continuation with the clearance of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 153 Task Force Brigade, 5 Brigade, Monday, had an encounter with terrorists at Musari village.

“During the clearance operations, a soldier paid the supreme price, while the troops killed 58 terrorists and recovered two hand grenades, 52 motorcycles, and several bags of foodstuffs such as beans, onions, sweet potatoes and guinea corn, as well as cartons of fish.”

Credit: Vanguard

See The Amazing Transgender Transformation Of An Ex-Soldier

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An ex-US marine has shared his//her incredible transformation from a bearded, hairy-chested bloke into a silky headed blonde beauty.
Sona Avedian, 33, was assigned male at birth and lived as a bushy bearded chap called Matthew until his/her transition three years ago.

He knew he wanted to be a girl since the age of four, but growing up in a conservative family, it was a secret he expected to take to his grave.

He enlisted in the US marine and served six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To fit in and appear ‘normal’, he married and had a daughter, but when he got tired of pretending, he had come out as a transgender in 2012 and began taking hormone therapy.

Later he underwent complex surgery and stopped eating junk food to lose the excess weight he had gained over the years as a soldier.

He divorced his wife in 2013, and although they still speak it was a difficult time for both.

He/She maintains a good relationship with his 5 year old daughter.

Two Suicide Bombers Strike Maiduguri Checkpoint, Kill Soldier

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Two male suicide bombers creeping around a military checkpoint at about mid night Tuesday in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, set off the bombs they wore killing a soldier and injuring a young woman, security sources said.

The attack came after nearly four weeks of respite for the troubled city.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a witness, who is also commander of the youth vigilante, Civilian-JTF, in Ngomari Area of the city, told journalists that the two suicide bombers were killed instantly, alongside one of the airforce personnel on duty at the checkpoint.

“I was there on duty with the soldiers when the incident happened at about 11 p.m. At that time the curfew hours was getting serious and movements of both vehicles and pedestrians have begun to reduce,” said the Civilian-JTF Commander.

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