Troops kill 25 Boko Haram insurgents, rescue 18 captives

Nigerian troops engaged in counter-terrorism operations in the Northeast have killed 25 Boko Haram fighters, recovering some arms and ammunitions in the process.

The troops also rescued 18 persons who had been held hostage by the terrorists.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman.

"Troops of 151 Task Force Battalion, 21 Brigade have also cleared remnants of BokoHaram terrorists from three villages in Iza general area, killing 25 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered some weapons. The cleared villages were Mballeri, Shuari 1 and Shuari 2.

"In addition, the troops also rescued 18 persons held captive by the terrorists. They comprised of 2 men, 7 women and 9 children. The rescued persons have been moved to the Brigade’s headquarters for further screening and care.

"Unfortunately, one Civilian JTF accompanying the troops fell off a vehicle and sustained some injuries. He has however since been evacuated to the unit’s Regimental Aid Post for medical treatment and he is in stable condition."

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Kano market fire not our fault - Electricity firm

The Kano Electricity Distribution Company, KEDCO has rejected the suggestion by an official of the state fire service that the inferno which destroyed the famous Sabon Gari market during the weekend was caused by an electrical spark.

In a statement signed by its Chief Customer Relations Officer, Malam Abubakar Yusuf, KEDCO said that the feeder line supplying electricity to the market was not on at the time of the fire outbreak, and had indeed been switched off since Friday evening because of load shedding.

“We wish to put the records straight that the fire incidence at Sabon-Gari market never emanated from power spark.

“It is also on record that the two dedicated transformers supplying the market are still intact and had no sign of any power surge after the incidence.”

The statement lamented the attempt by the fire service to link the disaster to power surge.

“The fire service never called us to alert us of the incidence as they normally do when there is a fire outbreak, but unfortunately for us they just went ahead to blame us.”

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Why foreign airlines will sack 2000 Nigerian workers

The National Union of Air Transport Employees,NUATE, is lamenting the plan by foreign airlines plan to sack over two thousand Nigerian workers  because of a new Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN policy on forex and fund transfer which has restrained them from transferring their earnings to their home countries to meet operational costs in line with international regulations.

In a Save Our Souls, SOS letter  to the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Acting General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye said that the affected workers have been destabilized.

He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and prevent the impending huge job loss.

In the words of the NUATE scribe; “The reason being adduced for this danger is that their earnings in the past year is under lock with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , as they are unable to transfer these earnings to their respective home countries to meet operational costs in accordance with international rules.

“Following concerns raised recently by leaders of these workers and other stakeholders and in appreciation of the good intent of the government’s fiscal policy, we humbly make this clarion call for your (Minister)  intervention to grant foreign airlines concession to repatriate their proceeds to their home countries.

“We hasten to place on the front burner an emerging threat confronting over 2, 000 private sector aviation workers in Nigeria which requires your intervention to forestall imminent loss of jobs of these number of workers."

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Buhari to scrutinize 2016 budget before appending signature

Buhari will assent to the 2016 budget after scrutinizing the details - Garba Shehu http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/buhari-will-assent-to-2016-budget-after.html

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Super Eagles training hard for the Pharaohs (Photos)

Photos of Super Eagles players training ahead of match against Egypt on Tuesday http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/photos-of-super-eagles-players-training.html

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See female soldier allegedly beheaded by Boko Haram

Sad! See photos of a Nigerian Female soldier allegedly beheaded by Boko Haram http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/03/sad-see-photos-of-nigerian-female.html

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Presidency to start townhall meetings with Nigerians

The Presidency has disclosed that it plans to begin townhall meetings with Nigerians across the geopolitical zones in the nearest future.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that the meetings would avail government of the opportunity to interact with the grassroots.

“I know that there is a plan that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would start town hall meetings in zones.

“It would then be broken down to the states and so on.

“Government realises that there is a need to take information to the people and there are steps that are being taken in order to ensure that is done,” he said.

He hinted that the failure of the National Orientation Agency, NOA to embrace the change mantra of the present administration may have informed government's decision to hold townhall meetings.

“We have an agency like NOA with 773 offices nationwide.

“Each has not less than 5 to 7 staff and well-equipped, but you know also, sometimes democracy has its own dark side.

“The President came and he wanted to really be fair to every Chief Executive. If he wanted to fire people on assumption (of office), he would have done it and he would not have violated any rule.

“He decided to give everyone a chance to see whether they would imbibe the change mantra, to see whether they were prepared to go along (with him).

“I will say with all sincerity that NOA was a source of worry for us in government; the people and the leadership never believed in what we are doing.

“They never believed in change. They just folded their arms and watched us for the period of 8 to 9 months that they were there.

“I believe the new leadership would begin to formulate things for agencies like that,” he said.

NAN

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