Insurgency: Army Chief, Borno elders meet behind closed doors

Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai met with Borno elders behind closed doors on Wednesday.

The meeting which lasted over three hours took place at the Maiduguri headquarters of the theater command.

Although the subject matter of the meeting was not disclosed,
the Chairman of the Borno Elders Forum, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari told newsmen that the issues discussed were related to security.

“We are here with my members to deliberate on issues which I cannot disclose to the public for now, all aimed at how best to restore peace to our dear land, and we are hopeful that at the end out it all, we will succeed,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Ambassador Galtimari, the secretary of the forum, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, former governor of Borno state, Alhaji Ashiekh Jarma, Alhaji Lawan Badawi, Alhaji Gambo Gubio and Alhaji Garba Satomi and several others.

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They plucked his eyes for rituals

Photos: 4-year-old Sadiq Usman whose eyes were gouged out by ritualists in Zaria receives a visitor.. http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/02/photos-4-year-old-sadiq-usman-whose.html

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Yam theft lands three laborers two months in Kuje Prison

Three laborers were on Wednesday sentenced to two months in jail each by a Lugbe grade 1 Area Court judge for stealing 67 yam tubers.

The convicts, Isiaka Hassan, 21; Aminu Amodu, 25; and Sani Isah, 25, all of Kapwa Village, off Airport Road, Abuja, were sentenced for conspiracy and stealing.

However, the presiding judge, Mr Garba Ogbede gave the convicts an option of N6000 fine with a warning to desist from criminal activities.

The judge also ordered that the yam tubers be returned to the owner.

The convicts who could not afford the fine were taken to Kuje Prison to serve their sentence.

The prosecutor, Ndidi Ukaoha, told the court that the three convicts went to into one Sakoma Yeyeyi’s farm, near River Park Estate, Abuja, and harvested 67 tubers of yam without his consent, thereby  contravening Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor said that the suspects were apprehended on February 17 and immediately taken to the police station where they confessed to the crime upon interrogation.

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Nigeria won't join coalition of Islamic States, Buhari tells Saudi king

President Muhammadu Buhari has in faraway Saudi Arabia, turned down an invitation for Nigeria to join the Coalition of Islamic States Against Terrorism.

The invitation was at the instance of the King of Saudi Arabia.

Buhari told King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz that Nigeria would rather support the group than join it.

“Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism.

“Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. This is in consonance with our own commitment and on-going efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC),” he said.

Credits: The Herald

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Military deploys minesweeper vehicles in Northeast

The Nigerian Army has announced that its newly acquired hi-tech mine clearing vehicles are now being used in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast.

Army spokesman Col Sani Usman said in a statement he issued on Wednesday that other supporting weapons and ammunitions have also been deployed alongside the equipment.

He said that the deployment of the mine clearing vehicles (first of its kind in the inventory of the Nigerian Army) has started yielding the desired results.

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Oliseh's unpaid salaries: Buhari comes to the rescue

Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh and coaches and players of other sports federations who are owed a backlog of salaries can now smile as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the funds to pay them.

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung told newsmen in Abuja on Monday that the delay in paying the salaries was caused by the transition to a new government in the country.

His words:
“The financial crisis that has affected the football federation has to do with the transition in government the country went through.

“You will agree with me that we could not even proceed with the organisation of the National Sports Festival, the National Youth Games which could not hold last year because of the transition. The transition also affected the funding of other federations which went a long way in affecting preparations for tournaments and qualifiers.

“The good news is that we have been able to secure the approval of Mr President for the release of funds to be able to pay some of those bonuses, salaries and other arrears owed the players and officials by the NFF and other sports federations.

“I can assure you that in no little time, we shall be able to overcome such kind of problems in almost all the federations. We have athletes currently camping in Port Harcourt facing the same challenge but as I said, it will soon be an issue of history. I appeal to them that it was not deliberate.”

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This woman saw hell for sneaking arms to Boko Haram

For smuggling arms hidden in sacks of garri to Boko Haram terrorists, Nigerian troops literally showed this woman pepper.

The soldiers reportedly lacerated her arms with the same knife with which they tore the sacks of garri to expose the concealed arms.

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