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Former commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, has expressed his desire to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the Niger Delta crisis.

Tompolo, in an open letter to the president, declared himself Chief Priest of Egbesu shrine, which is the traditional worship centre of the Gbaramatu people and said the military was yet to return his symbol of authority allegedly removed from the traditional temple about a month ago.

The former militant leader urged the president to dialogue with militants and added that the 2009 invasion of Gbaramatu kingdom and the resultant offer of amnesty by the late president Umaru Yar’Adua when military option failed should be the president’s guide.

Tompolo’s open letter reads in part: “Mr. President sir, “Traditional worship centres were desecrated, property were looted and above all, the multi-billion naira ultra-modern magnificent palace of the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom was burned down, and his golden crown was stolen by the military.”
http://gistplus.com.ng/tompolo-appeals-to-president-buhari-to-return-egbesu-idol/

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, yesterday led security agents to some cultists’ hideouts.
He also directed the immediate demolition of a house in Rumuolumini community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, belonging to one Ihunwo.

He said the building was acquired through crime, adding that his administration has zero tolerance for kidnapping and cultism.

According to the governor, the demolition of the building was in line with the Anti-kidnapping and Cultism Law, pointing out that it was also part of his efforts to rid the state of cultists and kidnappers.
He reiterated his offer of amnesty to cultists and kidnappers who want to surrender their arms to the security agencies.

He said anybody arrested in connection with kidnapping and cultism would face the full weight of the law.
The governor narrated how the suspected cultist (Munachim) and his gang had been terrorising residents of the local government.

He said: “The Rivers State government has taken over the hideout of these arrested cultists. After the ongoing demolition of their hideout, we will build a police station and mini- barracks in this location.”

“We have also taken over the building of the kingpin, that we have also demolished. This is to let members of the public know that this administration is serious. Let them submit their arms and we will give them amnesty. “

According to him, the state government would continue to demolish buildings and hideouts of confirmed cultists and kidnappers to serve as a deterrent.
http://mediacity.com.ng/rivers-state-cult-war-governor-wike-demolishes-suspected-cultist-house/

GUNMEN, on Monday, attacked Gurguzu village of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, leaving four dead and several others injured after the attack.
The hoodlums, according to findings, had stormed the community around 5.50 p.m. and started attacking the residents of the area.

A source revealed that in the process, they killed a farmer and three other persons, while several others sustained varying degree of injuries.
As of the time of filing this report, no fewer than 500 residents of the area had taken refuge in a primary school at Rigasa.

Speaking on the attack, an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations at the state police command, Ahmed Abdullahi, said normalcy had returned to the area.
“Immediately we received a report on the attack, we deployed our men in the area. As I am talking to you now, our men are on patrol,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state government has advised residents to remain calm, saying the government is doing its best to control the situation.
A statement from the governor’s media aide, Samuel Aruwa, counselled the people of the area to go about their normal businesses, adding that the police had launched manhunt for perpetrators of the crime.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/unidentified-gunmen-killed-4-persons-in-kaduna-state/

THE Nigerian Army, yesterday, said its soldiers and mem­bers of the vigilante, Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) have killed six members of Boko Haram and rescued about 5,000 people from the terrorists.

Army spokesperson, Col. Sani Usman, who disclosed this, also said a member of the Civilian JTF was killed on Saturday during the battles with the insurgents.

Usman, in his statement, also said weapons, ammunition and transport equipment, like motorcycles, were recovered from the raided camps around Mafa, a local government headquarter, about 40km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

He said a policeman, a soldier and member of the Civil­ian JTF, who sustained injuries during the battle, have been moved to the Maiduguri hospital. The body of the dead vigilante has also been moved to the Maiduguri hospital, he said.

The army has, in the past year, reclaimed most of the ter­ritories initially occupied by the insurgents whose activities have caused the death of over 20,000 people since 2009.
http://mediacity.com.ng/six-boko-haram-members-killed-5000-hostages-rescued-by-nigeria-army/

POLICE in Niger State are in­vestigating the circumstances that led to 22-year-old house­wife, Bara’atu Rabiu of Diakpe Village in Shiroro Local Gov­ernment Area for allegedly cut­ting off the private part of her one-month-old stepson.

The victim simply called Bu­hari, was attacked over jealousy and rivalry the suspect her and his mother.

A source said the victim’s mother got married to the boy’s father over seven years with­out bearing any child which made the family decided to get another wife for her hus­band leading to the marriage of Bara’atu , who eventually ex­tended the rivalry and hatred to the innocent child.

At about 10pm last Thurs­day, Bara’atu allegedly sneaked into Bara’atu’s room and picked the one month old child to al­legedly commit the crime. The matter was reported to the po­lice while the boy was rushed a nearby clinic before been referred to general hospital Minna.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations officer PPRO Bala Elkana, said the child was receiving treatment at a hospital in Minna, while also confirming the arrest of Bara’atu for alleged attempted culpable homicide
http://gistportal.com.ng/stepmother-cuts-off-stepsons-private-part-niger-state/

The Nigerian Army has said that it would investigate the allegation that there was a plot by the service to overthrow the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Thursday that the Army would investigate the claim in order to unravel the motive behind the claim.

Usman said that the ‘baseless and most unfortunate allegation’ only existed in the minds of those who originated it.

Usman who distanced the Army from the claim described the claim as a distraction to the efforts of the service to fight insurgency and other criminal elements in the society.

He said that the Nigerian Army was a professional organization which was a product of democratic governance and would not be associated with the grave issue of truncating democratic governance.

He described the allegation as a declaration of war against the current administration by the peddlers of the claim.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/nigerian-army-investigates-alleged-plot-to-overthrow-president-buhari/

he new Militant group known as the ‘ Red Scorpion’ early hours of yesterday blew up another gas pipe line owned by the Shell Oil company in the oil rich Community of Awara in Ohaji/ Egbema council area of Imo state.

Daily Sun reliably gathered that the attack on the Shell gas pipeline was allegedly carried out by the new militant group called the Red scorpion.

It would recalled that the group had earlier on Tuesday served a quit order to all oil companies operating in Ohaji/ Egbema and Oguta councils to evacuate the workers and leave the oil communities immediately.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the company, Mr. Precious Okolobo was contacted said that the trans Niger Pipeline which runs through Awara as the Assa Rumuekpe line has been shut for repairs since June 8, 2016, following a leak at Okolo lunch near Bonny in Rivers state.
http://gistplus.com.ng/niger-delta-militant-blew-up-shell-pipeline-in-imo-state/

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The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has carried out its first major air campaign under the recently launched ‘Operation Gama-Aiki’ mission, during which 15 Boko Haram insurgents were killed.

The terrorists were killed as an Alpha Jet bombed their convoy in the northern part of Borno state, officials said.

The aerial bombardment came about 72 hours after the air force commissioned despatched six war planes to tackle the deadly Boko Haram sect in the country’s volatile northeast.

NAF’s Operation Gama Aiki, a Hausa-coined nom de guerre which means ‘Finish the Job’, was launched on Friday June 19 with a mission to dislodge remnants of Boko Haram insurgents fleeing Sambisa forest.

The spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Ayodele Famuyiwa, a group captain, said the insurgents were spotted under trees by one of its intelligence planes, King Air A350i, while on surveillance of the insurgency-ravaged mission.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/nigeria-air-force-first-strike-against-boko-haram-15-killed/

The Niger Delta Patriotic Front (NDPF) has blamed former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Mr Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) for the renewed militancy in the region.

The group also categorically stated that Tompolo was the one backing the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which had been destroying oil installations in the region.

NDPF in a statement by its Director of Information, Mr Joel Tamarakepreye, noted that “The NDA, due to their low level of enlightenment and poor world view has finally unveiled its sponsors and sympathisers.

“Their greatest sponsor is Tompolo. The Niger Delta Patriotic Front posits that there is clear distinction between personal, corporate and regional interests, and advises Tompolo and his sympathisers not to mix up interests and issues for their greed and quest for personal salvation.”
http://mediamatters.com.ng/tompolo-revealed-as-the-sponsor-of-the-niger-delta-avengers/

An Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 33-year-old dry cleaner, Imole Emmanuel, in prison custody for pouring hot soup on a police corporal, Kayode Akingbade.

Emmanuel was slammed with three counts of assault and conducting himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of public peace.

It was learnt that he also attempted to snatch the corporal’s service rifle.
Policemen were said to be on surveillance around Baptist College area on Ilawe Road and the suspect was ordered to leave their area to allow the cops carry out their operation.

Akingbade was said to have dashed to the canteen to eat about 30 minutes later only for the suspect to trace him there and carry out the attack.

At the sitting held Monday, police prosecutor, Bankole Olasunkanmi, prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable him study the case file and assemble his witnesses.
http://mediacity.com.ng/court-detains-man-for-pouring-hot-stew-on-police-officer/

ONYEKACHI Anele, 36, is prob­ably gnashing his teeth in regret, in the custody of the police at the headquarters of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, of the Imo Police Command, Owerri.

As he ponders over what the future holds for his four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son and the stepson who is at the centre of the fate that has befallen the family, he is equally learning, in a hard and unfortunate way, the meaning of what the bible says: “The devil goes about like a roaring lion seek­ing who it may devour.”

Anele who lived with his family in Obibiezena in Owerri North Lo­cal Government Area, is also wish­ing that he had restrained himself when the devil pushed his wife to stir up anger in him, not long after he returned home from vigil held at Jesus Disciples Fellowship.

Sunday Sun learnt from the Imo Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu that trouble began on June 1, 2016, when Anele’s wife, 32-year-old Chikodi, asked him to give her son from an earlier marriage, N100 to take to school.

Taking up the tale, Anele said: “I got married to my late wife Chikodi Anele over four years ago. She had a son for another man before we got married. We have been living together in peace. We have two children. Our first child, a girl, is four years old while the second child is a boy, who is just one year old.
http://gistportal.com.ng/36-year-old-man-slaps-wife-to-death/

AT least, six persons including a community leader have been allegedly killed with several others injured after suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded Gabo village in Nengev and Turan Councils wards of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday.

Sunday Sun gathered that a rumour made the rounds in the communities in Logo about the invasion by the Fulani herders, a development which made hundreds of the people around the area to move to safer havens while some who doubted the invasion stayed back.

Unfortunately for those who refused to leave, the invading Fulani herdsmen stormed the affected communities shooting sporadically into the air and killing everyone in sight.

Although, some of the fleeing villagers told Sunday Sun

reporter that several persons were killed, the member representing Logo State Constituency, Hon. Terna-­Kester Kyenge said he received six corpses of those who were killed.

“I received six mutilated corpses and addressed hundreds of displaced persons including women and children. I condemn the attack as gruesome and barbaric.
http://mediacity.com.ng/fulani-herdsmen-attack-benue-again-killing-6-persons/

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DELTA state police command in Asaba has paraded one Ofili Eze for allegedly impersonating as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and forgery.

Commissioner of police, Mr. Ibrahim Zanna who also paraded nine others for various offenses, said the alleged impersonator forged hospital medical report for his victim with the intent of securing police employment for him.

Zanna said impersonators were on rampage with a view to defrauding unsuspecting applicants for the on-going recruitment exercise.

Also paraded were Solomon Ogibor and Ola Babatunde for Armed robbery and murder; Jerry Osakwe for attempted armed robbery and illegal possession of firearm, Ewoma Zino and Paul Ikhanede for illegal possession of firearm; Benie Ebikpolada for car snatching; Isiaka Kareem for incest and two others.

Saying that the command was adopting new strategies with a view to improving on the policing methods of the state command to fit into contemporary crime fighting, Zanna reiterated that “road blocks are things of the past in the force.”
http://mediamatters.com.ng/police-arrest-fake-asp-in-delta-state/

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BOKO Haram insurgents struck on Thursday night in Kuda-Kaya village in Madagali local Government Area of Ad­amawa State, killing 24 persons.

According to an eye witness, Abdul Ibrahim, the insurgents, numbering over 100, stormed the village at 10 pm, and in the ensuing shooting spree killed 24.

He added that 10 persons also sus­tained various degrees of injuries.

While revealing that 18 corpses were discovered on Thursday night after the insurgents had left the village, Ibrahim stated that the remaining six corpses were recovered from the surrounding bush early in the morning.

Bemoaning the bloody attack, Ibra­him lamented that the majority of per­sons killed were women and children. He added that those injured in the attack were rushed to Gulak Cottage Hospital, three kilometres from the village, for treatment.

Another resident, Jacob Gulak, who also spoke said he counted 18 corpses, adding that 10 other persons were injured.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/boko-haram-kills-24-persons-in-adamawa/

THE chairman of Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah, escaped death by a whisker when one of her security aides opened fire on her.

The incident occurred barely one week after she was recalled from a three-month suspension by the state House of Assembly on allegation of financial misappropriation levelled against her by some of the councillors.

The council boss who attended a thanksgiving service on the fateful day in Asaba had hardly entered her car when the policeman in the front seat turned back and shot at her.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the incident on Friday said, “it was an accidental discharge,” adding that the suspect, identified as David has been arrested.

Speaking to Saturday Tribune from her hospital bed in Asaba, the council boss said the bullet hit her in the stomach, hand and thighs, adding that 22 pellets were recovered from the vehicle.

“My orderly just opened the door for me to enter the vehicle while the policeman sitting in the front seat turned and faced me with his gun.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/delta-state-lg-chairman-shot-by-police-guard/

Two would-be suicide bombers were intercepted and killed in Maiduguri state, northeast Nigeria, by a local vigilante group before the suspects could detonate their bombs.

Residents of Kushari, a rustic settlement west of the state, said they saw two strangers loitering around a street in the area in the early hours of Friday and quickly alerted youth vigilantes, Civilian JTF, local resident Saleh Mohammed told Daily Sun.

“The two men dressed in an unusual way. They were in jeans and shirts with another top. They appeared restless and people immediately noticed they were not from the area and that [stirred] the curiosity of the residents. We alerted the Civilian JTF, but the two men started running as soon as they saw the CJTF, ” our source disclosed.

He said the CJTF quickly pursued the bombers. Improvised explosive devices strapped on their bodies were exposed as the bombers fell to the ground.

“The CJTF just opened fire on them killing the two,” Mohammed added.

A top leader of the CJTF who preferred anonymity confirmed the incident, saying that the bombers suspected to be Boko Haram members were targeting crowded areas within the community.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/civilian-jtf-killed-suicide-bombers-in-maiduguri/

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), Thursday morning, claimed to have blown up another pipeline managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

However, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Murtala Mani, on Thursday, refuted the alleged explosion of pipelines at Ikot Osutek, in Oruk-Anam Local Government Area of the state by the NDA.

According to the Avengers, who tweeted at about 7.00 a.m. on Thursday, the pipeline was blown up at 4.00 a.m.

“At 4:00am @Niger Delta Avengers blow up NNPC Pipeline in Oruk Anam Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom.”

The destruction is coming, despite the ceasefire offered by the government to ensure dialogue with the militants.

Mani, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, said the alleged vandalism was an accident caused by a leakage in the gas pipelines.

He said it was a technical problem and some engineers from Port Harcourt were working to rectify the leakage.

Mani said the state was safe from the activities of the militant group.

NAN reports that the gas pipelines are owned by Seven Energy Company, the operator of Ibom Gas Power Plant, Uquo, in Esit-Eket Local Government Area of the state.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/niger-delta-avengers-claimed-to-bombed-nnpc-pipeline/

According to a report monitored on the Hausa service of the Voice of America, the Islamist sect, Boko Haram has established an FM radio station.

Residents in Tolkomari, which is in the far northern part of Cameroon, have confirmed receiving broadcast messages from the sect via the radio station on 96.8 frequency modulation. The Voice of America report said the station broadcast mainly propaganda materials to counter media reports of victories by troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic against the Boko Haram militants.

The report said the Cameroonian government is worried by the new development and has commenced investigations towards locating the radio station, which is said to be on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

http://gistportal.com.ng/boko-haram-establishes-radio-station/

About 162 Nigerians who entered Libya illegally were yesterday brought back to the country.

The returnees comprised 132 males, 27 females, two female children and one male child and they came aboard a Chadames Air aircraft marked 5A WAT and they arrived at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport around 2.50pm.

Daily Sun learnt that they had voluntarily opted to return back to Nigeria having been stranded for possibly months in Libya without any form of accommodation and access to any job.

“They were stranded in the North African country and voluntarily sought to return to Nigeria and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Libya did everything possible to assist bring them back,” said a source at the Lagos airport.

“In fact three of the returnees were very sick when they came back. one of them had burns all over his body and was writhing in pains. Two of them were brought back in a stretcher and they had to be wheeled into an ambulance for urgent medical attention,” the source added.

On hand to receive them were officials from the Port Health Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).
http://mediamatters.com.ng/162-nigerians-deported-from-libya/

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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Sunday said it had arrested a 56-year-old Boko Haram kingpin in Aski Uba Local Government Area of Borno.

The Commandant of the NSCDC in Borno, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, said that the suspect was apprehended at Mussa village on June 7. “Our men have made remarkable progress by arresting a Boko Haram kingpin.

“The notorious kingpin was said to be a recruiter as well as supplier of arms and IEDs to Boko Haram terrorists. “He confessed that his three children were also arrow heads of the Boko Haram sect,’’ he said.
http://mediamatters.com.ng/nscdc-arrested-boko-haram-kingpin-borno/

A survey by the United Nation Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has indicated that no fewer than 32, 000 children were at risk of losing their lives as a result of inadequate nutrition in Jigawa State.

This was disclosed by a UNICEF nutrition specialist, Philomena Irene, in a paper presented at a workshop held at Manpower Development Institute in Dutse.

According to the research, 600,000 children of the 1,100,000 under five-year-old in Jigawa were stunted which was more than the national average.

She further revealed that at least 165,000 children of six to 59 months old were malnourished and were nine times likely to die without treatment.

Irene explained that as part of the WINNN project sustainability strategy, ORIE was engaged by DFID to conduct operational research that they would contribute to greater and wider awareness for nutrition.

As well as to find out the action to be taken and what intervention that would be most effective.

She maintained that, the research findings will also provide a platform at state and local government levels to engage with and discuss based on the research findings and design what measures. Should be taken to improve nutrition in the state.
http://medianaija.com.ng/unicef-reveals-32000-children-malnourished-stand-risk-of-death-in-jagawa/

The military said many Boko Haram terrorists are now trapped in Sambisa forest, the insurgents’ major stronghold in Borno State, following sustained offensive in the area by the troops.

Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen Lucky Irabor, said at a press briefing in Maiduguri yesterday that the operation of the military troops reduced the capacity of the insurgents to fight, adding that they have been trapped in their hideouts.
“What we have done is to reduce the capacity they have in Sambisa and same way they have made it difficult for us to reach them, we have also made life unbearable for them,”

Gen Irabor said. He warned that the remaining insurgents in the camp would not be spared by the military except those who surrender among them.
While reviewing the military operation in the affected North-east Irabor disclosed that a “notorious Boko Haram kingpin” (Amir) who he identified as

Abubakar Gana with 18 other insurgents were killed by troops in an operation at Chukungudu, South-east part of Borno while an Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) factory was also destroyed.
He said some arms including two heavy AA guns, one AK47 rifle with magazine, one pistol, one RPG bomb, 267 rounds of 7. 62 mm NATO metal links, 23 rounds of 12.7 mm belt, and two. http://medianaija.com.ng/troops-says-boko-haram-now-trapped-sambisa-forest/