₦airaland Forum

16 persons, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect and Islamic State, West Africa Province have surrendered themselves, along with eight of their wives, to army troops at Fotokol in Borno State.

This followed consistent raids, clearance patrols, sting operations, cordon and search operations as well as mortar and artillery bombardment of identified insurgents and bandits’ hideouts in the northern parts of the country within the past one week.

The coordinator of the Nigerian Army Operations (Media), Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, made the disclosure in a statement made available to Saturday, on Friday.


Stating several other suspected terrorists were neutralised in the operations, the army media coordinator further said several Boko Haram logistics suppliers and informants were also intercepted and arrested by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

“On 1 November 2019 for instance, 16 insurgents along, with eight of their spouses who could no longer bear the heat from the onslaught against them surrendered to the relentless troops of Sector 1, Multinational Joint Task Force at Fotokol.

“Subsequently, the surrendered insurgents were later handed over to troops of 3 Battalion (Main) at Gamboru Ngala, a border town north-east of Borno State.

“During preliminary interrogation and profiling, they confessed to have actively participated in attacks conducted against both military and civilian targets at various times,” the statement read.

Colonel Aminu listed the names of 14 of the suspects as Ibrahim Bunu, Abba Sale, Baba Lamba Alhaji, Bukar Isa, Bukar Ali, Rawa Abba Gana, Mustapha Abatcha, Umar Abubakar, Hassan Bukar, Malam Abatcha Ali, Abba Umar Abatcha, Hussaini Babagana, Idris Mohammed and Umar Abba Bayoma.

He said the 14 suspects were members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), led by Al-Barnawi, while the remaining two, Hassan Kawu and Babagana Bukar Adijabe, belonged to Boko Haram (the Abubakar Shekau faction).

“The repentant insurgents, however, regretted their participation in the heinous crimes they committed against humanity and are now calling on their former colleagues to retrace their steps and also surrender to troops before it is too late,” he said.

The EFCC, Lagos Zonal Office, Wednesday October 16, 2019, arraigned Twenty Six suspected Pirates alongside a company, Sam Pam Nigeria Limited and a Vessel, MV Neso II, before Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The suspects include Frances Onyeama, Adebayo M. Charles, Melvin A. Jack, Omogoye Wasiu Bolaji, Umoren Harrison Daniel, Oloyede Y. Ademola, Arichibong Aniete James, Richard Essien David, Oke Asaki, Mike Simon.

Others are: Godswill Emmanuel Umoh, Edu Fidelis, Miebaka Iyaka, Kinsley Terry, Austine Abararowei, Udom Victor Jerome, Victor Uchendu, Firstman Job, Nelson Sokarabo Solomon, Emomotimi F. Watchman, Iwuoha Okechukwu Victor, Ogerugba Patrick (Aka. Odafe) Emmanuel Eze, Inyang Ruyie Grace and Paul Obi.

A video of a Nigerian man shouting at a US Airline hostess and reminding her that they are not mates has surfaced online.

According to Instagram user shared the video, the incident happened recently.

In the said video, the elderly man can be heard shouting at the Caucasian air hostess and asking her if she thinks they are mate.

The cause of the faceoff between the man and the air hostess is unknown as at time of filing this report.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has attacked economists who criticise the Federal Government for its rate of borrowing.

Fashola, in his keynote address at the Lagos Business School on how government policy affects business and society in national development, described the critics as “backyard economists”.

In the address made available to journalists on Tuesday, the minister said those criticisng the government’s rate of borrowing were largely unsuccessful individuals.

“Today, the government is constructing roads in every state of Nigeria and while revenues are a challenge to prompt completion. Some ‘experts’ who have not successfully shown they can run a small business moan the loudest about Nigeria’s borrowing to fund infrastructure investment,” he said.

“A Nigerian has borrowed billions of dollars to build a refinery, petrochemical plant, fertiliser plant and gas processing plant, yet some backyard economists complain that a country whose population is in the hundreds of millions is borrowing too much to fix rail, roads, ports (air and sea) and power.”

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday opened the Africa Centre in New York, United States.

The opening of the centre comes on the sidelines of the commencement of the United Nations General Assembly in the US.

Some of those who attended the opening ceremony are president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, and billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.

Others are the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi I; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria in the 2019 election, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and leaders of the Nigerian community in Cape Town have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to apologise to countries whose citizens were attacked during the xenophobic killings in South Africa.

The meeting held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, comprised Nigerian entrepreneurs, professionals and the Nigerian community led by the acting President of the Nigerian Community Western Cape, Cosmos Echie.

Other members of the delegation that met with Ezekwesili were the representative of Yoruba community in Cape Town, Chief T.A Odutayo; chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo (Western Cape), Chief Vincent Nzekwe and Secretary, Simon Odumegwu.

Others included the leader of the Ogoni community, Pastor Barry Wuganaale; current Financial Secretary of NCWC, Fuster Ludjoe; Treasurer of NCWC, Felicia Feni, Ebiere Joseph-Akwunwa, Chukwudi Nwokeabia, Samson Famuyiwa and Sunday Ekene.

Ezekwesili and the Nigerian community in South Africa, according to a communique issued after the meeting and obtained in Abuja on Monday, described the attacks as Afrophobia.

“It was unanimously agreed that the crisis is detrimental to the spirit of African renaissance, affirmation of black heritage, progress and development. Afrophobia compromises everything that the recently brokered Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement represents and aspires to deliver,” the communique stated.

They urged governments of Nigeria and South Africa to guard against provocative comments.

While demanding an apology from President Ramaphosa, they called on South African government to trigger a series of actions necessary to de-escalate the brewing conflict to ensure that bilateral trade agreements between the countries would not be affected.

The communique reads, “Officials of the government of South Africa must immediately desist from making any further pejorative and incendiary comments targeting Nigerians and their country and instead publicly commit to taking preventive and surveillance measures that will foreclose a repeat of Afrophobic attacks of Nigerians and other African nationals.


“The President of South Africa, Cyril Remaphosa, should rise to the demands of leadership and reach out to the President of Nigeria to trigger the series of dialogue and actions necessary for swift de-escalation of the brewing conflict between their two countries.

“The President of South Africa should offer a sincere public apology to Nigeria, other countries affected by the attacks and the entire continent for the tragic hostility and harm perpetrated against their citizens.

“The President of South Africa should send a sharp signal to South Africans and the continent by visiting the victims of the Afrophobia attacks to empathise with and reassure them of their safety in South Africa and the government should consider paying compensations for losses sustained in the attacks.

nerciifmt:
Fake news.