Operation Crackdown: troops kill terrorists in ambush (Photos)

Nigerian troops on Operation Crackdown on Friday ambushed some Boko Haram insurgents as they tried to cross into Alagarno area from Sambisa forest.

A statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman said that the troops killed two of the terrorists and recovered many items including arms, vehicles and sex enhancing drugs.

"Following information of suspected Boko Haram elements crossing point across Maiduguri-Bulabulin-Damboa road, troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion, both of 25 Task Force Brigade, staged a deliberate ambush against the terrorists logistics elements on motorcycles and bicycles crossing from Sambisa forest to Alagarno general area around Nyaleri yesterday night.
During the operation, the troops killed 2 Boko Haram terrorists, wounded several others and recovered some arms, ammunitions and other items.

"Specifically, they recovered 1 AK-47 Assault rifle, with registration number 27875, 1 hand grenade, 4 AK-47 magazines loaded with ammunition, assorted food items, sex enhancing drugs, such Viagra, foot wears and bathroom slippers. Others include 3 motorcycles, 10 bicycles, tool kits and assorted clothing, 5 rechargeable lamps and 5 litres of Kerosene. As well as military uniforms, amongst other things.

"From all indications, the terrorists attempted to resupply and sell the items to other terrorists hibernating elsewhere after being displaced from parts of Sambisa forest.

"The troops have continued with the clearance and rescue operations while others are maintaining blocking positions."

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May 27: Saraki celebrates children, urges implementation of Child Rights Act

To mark this year's Children's Day celebration, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki held an interactive session with children from secondary schools in Abuja in Senate chambers.

At the end of the session, he gifted each child a copy of the 1999 constitution.

Saraki also used the occasion to call for the implementation of the Child  Rights  Act

Read part of his message to the children below.

"I want to first of all reassure you that we believe the future belongs to the children and there is no society that can flourish if the future is not better than the present and for the future of Nigeria to be better than the present, we want all our children to have a greater future and that is our own responsibility.

"On the implementation of the Child's Rights Act, we are going to engage with legislators from the different states to see how those who have passed the Child's Rights Act can begin to implement them and to make those in the remaining 12 states who have not passed it to understand the need for them to pass it.

"We are going to do a lot of advocacy and consultations and we are hoping to have a kind of conference with all the states, so that the entire 36 states would have the law. Clearly, it is a task before us to ensure that the laws we passed that have to do with the safety of our children are adhered to. We must today as part of the ceremony for this year's Children's Day, make a commitment to see that through oversight we ensure the implementation of laws meant to protect our children from abuse and violence.

"I think it is also the responsibility of the supervising ministries to engage us and bring some of these cases of abuse to the attention of the relevant committees so that we can through our oversight function address them.

"No matter what we do in any other aspect of this society, if we cannot achieve the basic things of providing safety for our children then we cannot say that we are one of the top 20 economies in the world. A country does not just achieve that status by GDP measured on the scale decided by economic forces. The quality of the future life for our children is very important," he said.

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See Aisha Buhari’s Children's Day message (Photo)

Mrs Aisha Buhari, wife of the President gave this beautiful postcard to Nigerian children on Children's Day, May 27

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Double salary lands civil servant in jail for 6 years

A civil servant, Mr Lawal Idris Abdullahi has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for fraudulently receiving monthly emoluments from two Federal Government agencies.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC dragged Abdullahi before a Minna High Court following a petition from the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC where he was employed and at the same time drawing monthly payments from the Federal Inspectorate Service, Minna.

Abdullahi was arraigned before Justice Maria Zukogi on a six count charge bordering on making false statements to public officers in contravention of Section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Section 122 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same laws.

Soon after trial commenced, Abdullahi's lawyers notified the court of his intention to explore the plea bargain option and was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of ICPC, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa;
“Justice Zukogi, upon conclusion of the plea bargain and sentencing agreement, convicted and found Abdullahi guilty of all the charges brought against him after he had pleaded guilty.

“She therefore sentenced him to one year imprisonment on each of the counts which cumulated to six years that will run consecutively with the option of the payment of a fine of N40, 000 only on each of the counts amounting to N240, 000.

"Abdullahi was, in addition, bound and ordered to execute a bond in the sum of N100, 000 to be of good behaviour for one year.”

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Read President Buhari’s Children's Day message to Nigeria

27 May 2016 | PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S CHILDREN'S DAY MESSAGE TO THE NATION

I heartily greet and felicitate with all Nigerian children on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day celebration.
I seize the opportunity of this year's celebration which comes just two days before the first anniversary of the present Administration, to reassure our children and youth that we remain fully committed to fulfilling our promise of a better Nigeria for all of our people.
On this happy occasion for our children, I reaffirm my belief that it is the right of every Nigerian child to have access to quality and affordable education, as well as healthcare and other basic necessities for a good life, in a peaceful and secure environment.
The good health and well-being of Nigerian children remain a top priority on our agenda for national development and we have demonstrated our strong commitment in this regard with the allocation of N12.6 billion in the 2016 budget for vaccines and programmes to prevent childhood killer diseases such as polio, measles and yellow fever.
Other measures in the 2016 budget, such as the school feeding programme for children at a cost of N93.1 billion, will ensure that more children go to school and enjoy the fun of learning and growing together with their peers.
Despite the current economic and funding challenges facing our dear nation, my administration will continue to do all within its powers to achieve better living conditions and greater access to quality healthcare and education for all our youth.
It is a thing of joy that on this year's Children's Day, we can also celebrate the safe return of one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki and many other abducted women and children who have been freed from the clutches of Boko Haram by our gallant troops.
I assure all Nigerians and friends of the country, once again, that my administration will not rest on its oars until the ungodly terrorist sect is totally eliminated from our country.
As peace gradually returns to the insurgency-ravaged North-Eastern States, the Federal Government will continue to work diligently to ensure the rapid and full reintegration and rehabilitation of all internally displaced persons, including orphaned children in the region.
We will also sustain and strengthen ongoing actions to protect children more effectively from violence, child-labour, child-trafficking, forced marriages and other related offences.
In return, I urge you all to imbibe and exhibit in greater measure, the virtues of hard work, diligence, discipline, honesty, prudence, selflessness and patriotism which are essential for the actualisation of our vision of a truly great nation.
The world now looks up to our dear nation, Nigeria as an exemplary model of democratic ideals after the smooth transition that brought our Administration to power.
You, our children and youth have a very significant role to play in ensuring that our democratic institutions of governance are continuously nurtured, improved and strengthened to underpin national development and prosperity.
Remain assured that under my leadership, the Federal Government will continue to do its best to prepare and equip you to show the world that with its brilliant, resourceful and resilient people, Nigeria is a country of incredible potential and opportunity.
I wish you all a Happy Children’s Day celebration.

Muhammadu Buhari
President
Federal Republic of Nigeria
May 27, 2016

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President Buhari marking Children's Day with a Nigerian child (Photo)

He said the wellbeing of the Nigerian child is his priority.

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Children's Day: Buhari promises better Nigeria (Photo)

President Muhammadu Buhari used the occasion of this year's Children's Day celebration to reaffirm his promise for a better Nigeria.

"We remain fully committed to fulfilling our promise of a better Nigeria for all of our people," he said.

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