The Nigerian Army said in Maiduguri on Sunday that the early morning explosions heard in the outskirts of the city was from a routine test firing of its equipment.
Col Tukur Gusau, spokesman for the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri told newsmen that the explosions came from
" a routine test firing of our weapons to ensure that they are in a state of readiness."
The Muslim 500, a yearly publication of the world's 500 most influential Muslims has listed three Nigerians in its 7th and current edition.
They are President Muhammadu Buhari who weighs in at number 20, Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar III of Sokoto at number 24 and Maiduguri-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh at number 38.
According to LEADERSHIP newspaper, "The publication measured influence some Muslims have on other Muslims to include: any person who has the power (be it cultural, ideological, financial, political or otherwise) to make a change that will have a significant impact on the Muslim world, adding that the impact could be either positive or negative, depending on one’s point of view. It added that the influence could be of a religious scholar directly addressing Muslims and influencing their beliefs, ideas and behaviour, or that it could be a ruler shaping the socio-economic factors within which people live their lives or of artists shaping popular culture."
In its citation on Buhari, the Muslim 500 noted his military career, anti-corruption crusade, fight against terrorism, contributions to economy and infrastructural development. It says :
“President Buhari was the first chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was the mastermind behind the construction of 20 oil depots throughout Nigeria, a project involving over 3200 kilometres of pipelines."
“Both the Warri and Kaduna refineries were built under his leadership. He also established the blueprints for the country’s petro-chemical and liquefied natural gas programmes”
"Buhari is an active environmentalist who has drafted several plans to preserve wildlife in Nigeria. He has also exerted great efforts on the conservation of nature in Nigeria; such as controlling the logging industry whereby he has ensured that double the number of trees felled are replaced by loggers. He has also worked on restricting the Ecological Fund Office so it can deliver on environmental challenges.”
Muslim 500 describes Sultan Abubakar as an important administrative influence in Nigeria’s religious life. It says ;
“Abubakar is the titular ruler of Sokoto in Northern Nigeria and is also the head of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Leadership of this council means that the Sultan of Sokoto remains the only figure that can legitimately claim to speak on behalf of all Nigerian Muslims.
“This role has become increasingly influential over the years with a rise in interreligious tensions between Nigeria’s Muslim majority north and Christian-majority South.”
The Muslim 500 also credits the Sultan with many initiatives to counter and reduce the influence of Boko Haram, including inviting an international joint Muslim/Christian Delegation to visit Nigeria.
The publication recognizes Sheikh Saleh as a lecturer of renown in the fields of Tafsir Al Qur’an (exegesis) and the Hadith as well as Islamic sciences, jurisprudence and ethics.
“He has over 100 written works. He has held and still heads several significant positions, some of which are, founder and mentor of the Islamic Renaissance Organisation, adviser to the Federal Government on its Islamic Affairs since 1992, Assistant Secretary-general for African Affairs in the World Islamic People’s Leadership 1989 and many more."
Source: LEADERSHIP
The body of the female suicide bomber responsible for the blasts in Kuje suburb of the Federal Capital Territory has been taken to the National Hospital Abuja for forensic analysis
According to a security source,
“The said female bomber was wired by the insurgents. We were able to retrieve her corpse for forensic examination.
“The outcome of the forensic analysis may provide some intelligence for the military and security agencies.
“The corpse of the female bomber is already in the morgue at the National Hospital in Abuja.
“We have placed all the six districts in the FCT under 24-hour surveillance to ward off future attacks by the insurgents.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has declared that it would bear the cost of treatment and rehabilitation of the victims of the bomb blast.
Nigeria's Amirul Hajj and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II is not happy that many Nigerians died stoning the devil at the just concluded Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Alhaji Sanusi feels that Nigerians should avoid the part of Hajj that involves stoning the devil unless the Saudi authorities accomodate them in Jamrat where the event takes place.
At least 75 Nigerians are confirmed to have lost their lives lives 241 have been declared missing in the stampede that occurred as pilgrims struggled to stone the devil.
Emir Sanusi who quoted copiously from the Holy Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) to demonstrate that refusal to even perform the stoning of devil ritual does not in any way invalidate one’s Hajj declared that the stoning of the devil is not worth the blood of any Muslim.
He said : “During the era of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he permitted pilgrims who came on camels to stay in Makkah after Arafat, instead of staying in Mina and sleeping at Muzdalifa.
“So, if the Prophet could give such grace to some people, just to protect their animals, why didn’t our scholars educate our people properly to avoid this untoward hardship and death?
“Therefore, it will be part of my recommendations to the federal government that, if we cannot get accommodation close to Jamrat where the Arabs reside in Mina, then this year may be the last time we will sleep in Mina and Muzdalifa because we want to stone the devil.
“Besides that, if one deliberately refuses to even perform the stoning of the devil rituals, all he needs to do is to slaughter a ram. So, if this is the situation, why do we go and suffer and die instead of sacrificing a ram?
“As it is presently, sleeping in Mina and Muzdalifa is not backed by any Hadith or verse of the Qur’an. So, why do we continue to do it?"
Sanusi also defended blacks against the insinuations by Saudi Arabian authorities that African pilgrims triggered the stampede by not following laid down procedures.
Following the identification of 11 more bodies of Nigerians who died in the recent stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, the total number of dead Nigerians has risen to 75.
Vanguard reports that the spokesman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Alhaji Uba Mana, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Saturday. He put the total number of missing pilgrims at 241.
Mana had earlier put Nigeria's casualty figures at 64 dead and 71 injured.
The Federal Government has confirmed that a total of 20 persons died in Friday night's bombings in Nyanya and Kuje suburbs of Abuja while 41 people sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Wapada Balami gave the figures at a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday. He said ;
“In the Kuje bomb blast, a total number of 15 persons have been recorded dead and at the Nyanya bomb blast, a total number of five persons have been recorded.
“The total number of injured persons hospitalised by the first responders are as follows: in Kuje, a total of twenty persons and in Nyanya, a total of 21 persons.”
He also said that government has already reached out to the families of the bomb blast victims.
Two bomb blasts which rocked a roadside market in Nyanya, an Abuja suburb are feared to have left many people dead. The blasts are reported to have happened at about 9.45 pm.
In Kuje, a satellite town in Abuja, twin blasts also occurred, leaving casualties. A female suicide bomber was said to be approaching the Kuje Police Station when her bomb went off, killing her instantly and injuring others.
Also in Kuje, the popular Kuje market was the scene of another blast which occurred a few minutes before 10 pm.
Two men on a motorcycle were reported to have approached a girl selling recharge cards with a thousand naira note. She was still trying to bring out the recharge card when they dropped their explosives laden bag and fled. Soon after, the bomb exploded, leaving several casualties. Exact casualty figures are not known at the moment.
The Army has since cordoned off the blast scenes while emergency services have evacuated the dead and injured to hospitals.
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