Troops wipe out fleeing Boko Haram insurgents in ambush

Troops of the 21 Brigade Bama, under the 7 Division area of operational responsibility, in a blocking position, wiped out escaping Boko Haram fighters in the early hours of Friday.

The terrorists were fleeing through Sabsawa axis of the Sambisa forest.

Items recovered from the fallen terrorists included a Toyota Hilux truck, 2 AK-47 rifles with registration numbers 58006915 and KO 35839, and 37 rounds of 12.7mm metal linked ammunition.

One soldier was wounded in the encounter but is reported to be in stable condition.

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Kano youths promised cars, houses for converting Christian girls to Islam - Mrs Oruru

Mrs Rose Oruru, mother of the abducted and now impregnated Bayelsa girl, Ese has alleged that Kano youths are enticed with promises of cash, vehicles and houses  take Christian girls to Islam.

Mrs Oruru made the disclosure in a press interview on her daughter's abduction and rescue.

Read this excerpt from the interview.

”When we arrived Kano, I had to spend the night in the house of the boy that took me there, because we arrived very late in the night at past midnight. The next day, we proceeded on the search for Ese.

”Before we arrived Kano, I had received a call from my daughter, asking me where we were and I told her we were close to Abuja. She advised me to stop at Abuja and spend the night with my sister, as according to her, they would kill me if I came to Kano that night.

“She said they had taken her photograph and converted her to Islam and wore her the hijab because the Emir Sanusi promised them that anybody that brought a Christian girl from another state and converted her to Islam would be rewarded with money, given a house, jeep and earn a salary, among other goodies. She said all the people were celebrating with Yinusa. Still on our way, the man who was taking me to Kano got a call and told me it was Yinusa, but that I should not mind him.

”In Kano, in the morning, I asked him to take me to the parent of Yellow, but he said we would first go to the house of the chief and that when we get there the chief would hand over my daughter and we would leave Kano the next day. When we got to the chief’s house, the boy narrated why he came with me and the chief was so angry and started abusing him. I knew he was abusing him because he spoke little English and Hausa. At that point, I got on my knees and pleaded with him to help me because my husband had driven me out of the house, asking me never to come back until I produced his daughter. He called me useless woman and asked which child did I keep here, that my child has been converted to Islam and I will never see her again."

14 year-old Ese Oruru's ordeal began in August 2015 when she was abducted in Yenagoa by Yunusa Dahiru who took her to Kano, converted her to Islam, made her his wife without her parents' consent, renamed her Aisha and put her in the family way.

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APGA supporters celebrate Victor Umeh's release (Photos)

The Department of State Services, DSS has released the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh who was recently whisked away to Abuja on suspicion of sponsoring the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

See photos of jubilant APGA supporters celebrating the release.

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Army rescues 63 captives, destroys Boko Haram spiritual temple

Troops of the 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion of 25 Task Force Brigade, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army have destroyed the spiritual power base of the terrorist group Boko Haram located inside Alagarno forest in Borno State.

The Army while making the disclosure also announced the rescue of 63 persons who were held hostage by the sect during separate operations at Lawin Meleri, Matiri Bulaka and Aljeri villages. Five insurgents were reported to have been killed in those operations

The Army also said the destruction of the sect’s spiritual power base was carried out in an operation around Alagarno forest.

The Army said that the operation destroyed "terrorists camps at Mosa, Ariwuzumari and Kagalmari, as well as Missene, Joba, Yajiwa and Sansan.”

“During the operations, the troops were able to clear all the camps, killing quite a number of terrorists and recovered Boko Haram terrorists flags hoisted on some premises, destroyed their logistics base and recovered 31 motorcycles, assorted foodstuff, a donkey and a pick up van, AK-45 rifle with registration number 17714 and a Dane gun.

“Other items recovered include 2 boxes of 7.62mm ammunition, 4 loaded magazines of AK-47 rifles and 2 magazines pack."

Credits: DHQ

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My daughter is pregnant for her abductor after being raped - Charles Oruru

Ese's father, Mr Charles Oruru has confirmed the rumour making the rounds that his 14 year-old daughter is pregnant for her abductor, Yunusa Dahiru, alias Yellow.

“My daughter is pregnant. Everything you read about her is true. She was raped. This is a case of rape because she is a minor. We are going to pursue this matter and the law will take its full course.

“God knows why he allowed it to happen. But we believe that it will be better at last. I don’t want to talk further now. I will talk in due cause,” he said.

He said he visited his daughter at the Police Officers' Mess in the company of two of his five children, 16-year-old Onome and 11-year-old Lucky.

Mr Oruru who vowed his family's determination to see the law take its full course denied ever hiring Yunusa as a domestic servant.

Meanwhile, Yunusa Dahiru is now in the custody of the Bayelsa State Police Command.
He is expected to be prosecuted in Bayelsa State where he committed the alleged offense.

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Fuel scarcity to end soon - PPMC

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC has said that measures are being taken to end fuel scarcity across the country.

The Managing Director of PPMC, Mrs Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday while addressing journalists.

"Right now, we have about eight vessels coming in, each of which ranges between 30,000 to 40,000 metric tonnes capacity, and these should be more than enough to ensure sufficiency.

"On Wednesday alone, over 1,000 trucks were loaded out by the major marketers and PPMC," she said.

She said that about 400 intervention trucks are being used to service marketers mostly in Abuja and Lagos which account for about 60 per cent of daily national consumption fuel.

She disclosed that trucks were being loaded from Port Harcourt, Warri, Ogarra and Calabar as alternative sources for Lagos.

She assured that with all the efforts being made, all the problems of scarcity of fuel would be a thing of the past by weekend.

"We share in the pains of all motorists and all Nigerians," she assured.

Nnamdi-Ogbue said that government is intensifying efforts to break the stranglehold of corruption sharp practices in the distribution of petroleum products.

"Right now, more than 300 trucks should be arriving Abuja and we are tracking them to ensure that they duly arrive here.

“We have our staff all over, monitoring to make sure that the volumes brought in are actually discharged," she said.

She noted that products are being sold 24 hours round the clock to help bring about normalcy in the system.

NAN

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US Govt, Nigeria, General Electric in $20m women's health initiative.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, the Government of the United States of America and General Electric, GE have launched a new mother-and-child health initiative to expand access to pre-natal screening to over two million expectant mothers in Nigeria by 2020.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle as saying that the "Healthy Imagination Mother and Child Initiative'' would help to reduce preventable mother and infant deaths.

According to Entwistle, 40,000 maternal deaths per year occur in Nigeria. He noted that many pregnant women delayed seeking care until potential life-threatening condition arose, adding that no mother should die from preventable causes.

He explained that the tripartite partnership between Nigeria, U.S. and GE would identify at-risk pregnancies early and refer women to higher level of care.

He said that the $20 million project will also address maternal and child health challenges among health workers in Nigeria.

He also said that the initiative would enhance training of midwives, nurses and other health professionals in the use of portable ultrasound (Vscan Access) screening tool to determine at-risk pregnancies.

"The US Government is committed to engaging in effective and innovative alliance with the private sector to support Nigeria’s criteria development needs.

"We are proud to collaborate with GE to bring quality health services to millions of women and children in Nigeria,” he said.

Entwistle also said that the initiative would target 1,300 midwives and prenatal primary healthcare givers in six states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with over 100,000 hours of training over the next three years in maternal and child health care.

He said that General Electric's portable ultrasound Vscan Access launched at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2015, is designed for front-line workers in low-resource settings to help improve maternal health.

The event was attended by Dr. Ado Mohammed, Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the GE Chairman, Jeffrey Immelt among others.

NAN

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