The number of Nigerians who died in the recent Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia has risen to 64 with 71 persons injured and 244 others still unaccounted for.
Mallam Uba Mana, Head of Public Relations of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON disclosed this to newsmen in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He said that NAHCON was doing everything possible to establish the fate of those still missing. He said ;
“This briefing is just to give you an update of the situation of things as regards those that died, injured and those still missing after the stampede . We have 64 Nigerians dead from the stampede, 71 injured and 244 still missing.
“Out of those that died, 48 are from States Pilgrims Welfare Board, 12 from tour operators. Those that are missing are from states pilgrims board and 18 from tour operators. We have set up various committees to track those missing and we are not limiting the search to Makkah,Mina or Medina but the whole of Saudi Arabia as helicopters were used to airlift victims to the nearest hospitals with several hospitals used.”
The NAHCON spokesman disclosed that the missing pilgrims are from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states.
He added that while dead pilgrims are to be buried in Mecca at the expense of the Saudi government, families who want the remains of their loved ones flown to Nigeria can do so at their own expense.
His words;
“The commission will do all that is humanly possible to assist families of the dead get a befitting burial for their loved ones but if they intend to have the body sent home,I don’t think the Saudi authority will pick the bills.”
As part of the activities marking Nigeria's 55th independence anniversary, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday October 1st, address the nation in a national broadcast.
According to a statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina, the broadcast is scheduled for 7 am.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has reassured that Nigerian troops would meet the set target of defeating Boko Haram insurgents by December.
A statement released by Army spokesman Col Sani Usman in Abuja on Wednesday disclosed that Buratai gave the assurance during a routine visit to the front line troops in the Northeast.
The statement quoted the Army Chief as saying ;
"I want to reassure Nigerians that Nigerian Army is ever determined to succeed in meeting up with the set deadline of defeating Boko Haram terrorists by the end of this year."
It also said Gen Buratai defied the Sallah holidays to visit and boost the morale of the troops at the front lines of the counter insurgency operations.
Places visited by Buratai include the Headquarters, 33 Artillery Brigade, Shadawanka Barracks, Bauchi, where he addressed troops on the on-going operations.
He also visited the 301 Artillery Regiment, Gombe and Biu where he inspected two units;231 Tank Battalion and 331 Artillery Regiment in Aboge Largema Military Cantonment.
He used the opportunity to decorate newly promoted officers with their new ranks.
The People's Democratic Party, PDP has said that it will choose its presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections from the North.
The Acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday while receiving the report of the Ike Ekweremadu Post Election Review Committee.
He vowed that PDP would not repeat the mistakes of the 2015 general elections.
His words :
“We the members of the party and the National Working Committee have revolved that our presidential candidate for 2019 general elections will come from the North.
“We won’t make the mistakes we made in the past. We are going to move the party forward and all our members should know that we have resolved to respect the constitution of the party.
“We will also abide by zoning and all organs of the party are to be carried along in deciding or debating the reports of this committee.”
In his remarks, Senator Ekweremadu cautioned against dumping the report on the shelf as had been the practice in the past, if the party must redeem itself from its present predicament.
In the past few months, hundreds of women of different ages have been rescued by government forces from Boko Haram captivity.
As camp after camp of the insurgents is sacked, more and more of the women are released. As they breathe the air of freedom, one common thread can be seen running through them.. They all have harrowing tales of woe to tell.
Some of these women share their stories in this encounter with LEADERSHIP's Kareem Haruna.
Some five months ago, troops of the Nigeria Army had made several rescue operations during raids of camps around Sambisa forest , and of the over 400 of the women that were helped to regain freedom, 214 of them, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) data, were found to have been in various stages of pregnancy for unknown Boko Haram ‘husband's."
Just recently, soldiers of the 7 Division of the Nigeria Army had made yet another rescue of women trapped in villages that fell under the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists. Some of the women, according to some soldiers that took part in the ‘Lafiya Dole’ counter-insurgency operation, were prevented from joining their fleeing neighbours by the attacking Boko Haram terrorists because they also used them as cannon fodder in times of attacks.
Some of the women who were rescued from Bama axis of Borno state, where Boko Haram insurgents were still holding sway before soldiers moved in to tackle them, said they practically lost all their rights and dignity as women during their captivity in the Boko Haram camps.
A mother of four, Fanna Ali, who is in her mid 20s was very economical with the details of her horrific stay under the guard of Boko Haram.
“I have no words to explain what my children and I went through when Boko Haram took over our village and held us there for over four months. Everyday I cried for myself and my children; but the Boko Haram people….they had no mercy at all…..”, said Fanna trailing off in tears.
“We came from Usmanti village”, she said. “Boko Haram had prevented us from leaving when we heard that other residents of various communities around us had left. We were cut off from everything including medical care and good food. We only depended on what was permitted or given to us by Boko Haram terrorists. It was just some weeks ago that the Boko Haram had to flee as the soldiers came. That was how we were lucky to escape too. I have four children for my husband…but I can’t remember their actual birthdays, because I have recently been finding it difficult remembering things like dates. Some of my children were always having running stomachs; some always cried of body pains. I still have back pains and I am here waiting to be given some medications. "
Zara Modu, a woman in her early 30s said she came from Kijelli, a remote village in Konduga local government area. She also has three children. She said,
“Boko Haram have been troubling us in Kijelli so we had to find a way to escape to Konduga through the help of the soldiers.”
She said one of her children has been ill so bad that he urinates blood.
Modu Musa, a 45-year- old villager said she also made it to Konduga from Fadan village alongside other members of her community.
“We have suffered so much in the hands of Boko Haram who had forcefully kept us in Fadan village. Many attempts by most of our community people to escape to Maiduguri was met with terminal punishments like shooting to death or outright slitting of throats like that of animal. They seized our herds of cattle and goats. They dispossessed us of our food and other valuables. We lived in fear until the soldiers finally came. The Boko Haram terrorists had forced many of our people, especially the youth, to join them in whatever they were doing”.
A pregnant woman in her early 30s, who declined mentioning her name, said even if she was to deliver her baby, she would be in fresh dilemma of trying to identify who the real father was.
“Maybe God has destined that I will end up being pregnant for people I don’t know”, said the woman in tears. “I lost my husband to Boko Haram and now I am pregnant for people I never knew…they used women as if we were animals and they gave us crumbs or scraps when they cared to feed us from what they ate…”
Yagana Yurahim, said she became a captive of the Boko Haram for three months after the insurgents had invaded their hamlet near Yale village in Konduga Local Government area, killing some men that refused to follow them to fight soldiers.
“After killing our men and forcing some of our young boys to go, some of them were asked to remain behind and watch over the women and children”, said Yagana, who is in her early 40s.
“Some of the women that attempted running were killed, while others were lucky to escape unhurt. We were all scared of running because the terrorists had warned that they would kill us if we attempt running. They would gather us in a house and one of them would be forcing us to learn how read Quran.”
“Our luck came when the soldiers came attacking. They all abandoned us and fled; that was how the soldiers came in and took us to Maiduguri."
Source: LEADERSHIP
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