₦airaland Forum

Kingsley Omonobi, Ben Agande, Abdulsalam Muhammad, Luka Binniyat, Ndahi Marama & Mayen Etim
ABUJA—No fewer than 200 members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, were reportedly killed, yesterday, in a battle with soldiers of 7 Division, Nigerian Army when the sect members in their hundreds attempted to launch attack on Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
Also, more than six vehicles including an armoured tank with Arabic inscription; Rocket-Propelled Launchers, anti-aircraft guns, assorted number of AK-47 rifles with ammunition were recovered from the terrorists by the troops.

Konduga is South-east and about 42 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks in the past. Last Friday, more than 100 insurgents, who attempted to invade the town, were killed by the troops in a gun battle before seizing many of their vehicles, arms and ammunition.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye said: “In an attempt to regain the momentum they lost in Konduga last week, Boko Haram terrorists again attacked Konduga on Tuesday night. However, the terrorists were denied their objective by vigilant and gallant Nigerian Army troops. During the fight, several terrorists were killed and those fleeing Konduga with gunshot wounds were being pursued.
“Also, three Hilux vehicles with mounted machine and anti-aircraft guns, one Mowag Armoured Personnel Carrier and assorted arms and ammunition have been recovered.
“Troops’ morale and combat efficiency remain high. Further details about the engagement are being awaited. It must be noted that the renewed morale, fighting spirit and combat efficiency of troops have been boosted by new strategies devised by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the support of well meaning members of the public.
“Therefore, the Nigerian Army implores the public to continue to support the military and other security agencies engaged in the on-going operation to rid Nigeria of blood-letting insurgents and ruthless religious extremists.”
It was learnt that the incident started at about 6pm on Tuesday, just some few minutes after traders had closed from their businesses at the Konduga Main Market.
The Konduga attack
A resident of Konduga, who is also a member of civilian JTF, Mallam Ali Usman Bulama told Vanguard that hundreds of dead bodies of the attackers still littered the streets and bushes around Konduga as at yesterday, while many of them fled into Sambisa Forest with bullet wounds.
Another civilian JTF member in one of the sector commands in Maiduguri, Abubakar Babagana said: “When I was at my duty post/checkpoint, I saw our soldiers bringing in many vehicles and other items seized from the terrorists in Konduga attack today (yesterday)”.
Also, dozens of suspected insurgents that laid ambush for motorists and passengers along Maiduguri-Potiskum- Kano road, yesterday, met their waterloo when the detachment of troops along that route engaged them. Many were killed, while several others fled with bullet wounds.
Meanwhile, Defence spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade in a text message to Vanguard on the update on Konduga raid said: “Konduga is still under attack again now at 6:24pm. Currently, troops are engaging another large number of heavily armed terrorists trying to enter the town. The troops are determined to frustrate the desperate efforts of terrorists against Konduga.”

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/troops-kill-200-boko-haram-terrorists.html#more

The death toll arising from the collapsed 6-storey building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations has hit 70 as at 10:43a.m. on Wednesday, while more dead bodies are still under the debris.
Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed this on Wednesday morning, saying that the dead toll is now 70 as rescue operation is still on to remove more victims trapped in the rubble.
“We now have 70 dead and 131 rescued alive. More are likely to be recovered today. We need less distraction to enable us concentrate on the operation to possibly conclude today,” he said.
South Africa alone said it lost 67 citizens to the tragedy, according to its president, Jacob Zuma, even as reports say at least 300 South Africans were at the Synagogue last week when the guest house collapsed.
President Zuma had said on Tuesday that at least 67 South Africans had been killed when the building collapsed while extra floors were being added to the two existing floors.
A spokesman for South Africa’s foreign ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday that the figure of 67 needed to be treated with “caution”. Nigerian emergency services on Tuesday put the total death toll from the accident so far at 62. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.
Late on Tuesday Zuma told national broadcaster SABC that an unknown number of South Africans were “not yet accounted for” and that the nation needed to “grieve together.”
Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj told national broadcaster SABC on Wednesday that the government believed that around 300 South Africans from four to five tour groups from the country were visiting the church last Friday but it was not clear how many were on the spot when the tragedy struck.
“It’s a very popular church with South Africans,” he said.
The church, lead by the charismatic “Prophet” T.B. Joshua, attracts a global following of Christians who believe he is able to perform miracles including curing the ill and raising the dead from the grave.

On Tuesday, 14 dead bodies were removed from the rubble, while seven others were removed last night and this morning.
At 2 a.m. also on Tuesday, a 45-year-old woman reportedly walked out of the rubble alive after being trapped for about four days.
The Synagogue tragedy is the worst case of collapsed building in the history of Lagos State, and with the death toll still mounting, there may be little chance of rescuing survivors among those still trapped.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu when asked whether the government would confiscate the property of Synagogue due to the collapse, he was very evasive, saying that it was too early to comment on that as saving lives was more important to the government now.
Stakeholders in the built industry have been calling for thorough probe of the Synagogue tragedy, as it was believed that no approval was sought before more floors were added to the collapsed building.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/more-corpses-recovered-at-synagogue.html

Sixty-seven South Africans have been confirmed killed in a building collapse at a church in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday according to Xinhua.
The building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos collapsed on Friday, claiming dozens of lives.
“I am greatly saddened to announce that 67 South Africans died and scores of others sustained injuries,” Zuma said in a statement.
“This is a particularly difficult time for South Africa. Not in the recent history of our country have we had this large number of our people die in one incident outside the country,” said Zuma.
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues that have lost their loved ones in this heart-breaking tragedy. The whole nation shares the pain of the mothers, fathers, daughters and sons who have lost their loved ones. We are all in grief,” Zuma added.
He said he has directed relevant government departments and entities to act with the utmost urgency to ensure that the presidency facilitate the movement of relevant family members to Nigeria, to identify the bodies.
“Government will keep the public informed of developments around this tragedy,” Zuma said, pledging that the government would provide all the necessary support to affected families.
Zuma also sent condolences to the people of Nigeria and all other nations affected by this tragedy on behalf of the Government and the people of South Africa.
“I would like to assure all affected families that the Government will provide all the necessary support,” added Zuma.
However, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday put the death toll at 62 including Nigerians and foreigners.
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/synagogue-67-south-africans-die-in.html

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a military convoy at the weekend in Kogi state, injuring four soldiers, a senior military source said Tuesday.
The convoy of 850 soldiers came under fire late Sunday near the town of Okene as they drove towards the Kogi state capital Lokoja, the source said.
The troops were to undergo counter-terrorism training for deployment to the northeast to fight Boko Haram Islamists, he said.
They “came under fire… from gunmen we strongly suspect to be Boko Haram terrorists,” said the source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the incident.
“The soldiers returned fire and repelled the attack but four soldiers sustained gunshot wounds and are in hospital in Lokoja,” he said.
According to the source military insiders could have tipped off the attackers on the confidential troop movement.
Meanwhile Tuesday, Nigerian troops were battling Boko Haram insurgents who stormed Konduga town in northeastern Borno state, according to some military sources.
They said the militants were “on a revenge mission after the heavy casualties they recorded last Friday.”
On Friday, around 100 insurgents met stiff resistance from troops and members of a civilian vigilante group known as the Joint Task Force.
An army spokesman said the troops prevailed after about three hours of “fierce fighting”, adding that the insurgents suffered heavy casualties.
“From the information we have so far, the insurgents were armed to the teeth. They have mortars, anti-aircraft missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and assorted guns with a cover from armoured personnel carriers,” a military source told AFP of the fighting in Konduga.
“Our men are engaging the terrorists,” he said, adding that their “ultimate target” is the state capital Maiduguri some 35 kilometres (22 miles) away.
Boko Haram have made rapid territorial gains in Borno as well as nearby Yobe and Adamawa in recent weeks that Nigeria’s military has acknowledged posed a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
The jihadists say they want to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria and have killed thousands since launching their campaign in 2009.
source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/four-soldiers-hurt-in-boko-haram-ambush.html

In a shocking confession that is reverberating across the world, a mother and her daughter have both announced that they are a lesbian couple.
Mary Josephine Carter, an African-American, and her daughter Vertasha, who both profess to be Christians, went further on social media with proofs of the incestuous affair.
They took to their joint Twitter handle, @VertashaAndMary, to confess to an amorous relationship between both of them, castigating all those who tried to rebuke them.
“I am Mary Josephine Carter and I refuse to let some little kids tell me about my damn self. I was in church yesterday, were you?” she asked her critics, while explaining that their kind of affair is not lesbianism, but a love affair between a mother and her daughter, and strengthened with sex.
“Vertasha and I knew we were attracted to each other when she was 16. But we decided to wait to have sex until she was 18, legally of age. We are now going public with our relationship to help others who might be in gay mother/daughter relationship feel confident and okay about coming out. We want the world to know we love each other as mother and daughter and romantically,” she said.
On their Twitter handle, which currently has 334 followers, they pride themselves as the first openly African-American mother and daughter lesbian couple.
Giving further details of the relationship, Mary Carter, who has two other children, one, a boy of 14 and the other eight, said she began the incestuous affair with his daughter when she divorced her husband.
According to her, Vertasha was always there during that trying period.
“Vertasha was there for me during my divorce…Yes I am in a sexual relationship with my adult daughter. No, we are not demons. We are humanic (sic) with feelings.
“I am very well educated. High school diploma and my associates number 1. Then I received a bachelor’s degree. God may put one same sex love in your life. It does not make you a homo. I never looked at woman like I did Vertasha. I am not a lesbian. Vertasha and I fell in love unexpectedly.
“This is not a lesbian crusade. My relationship is a minority. They tell us we cannot be together because I birthed her. Unfair. Every morning, I drink a cup of coffee with a honey bun, and it tastes like Vertasha my honeybun,” she said, explaining further that the relationship was working because she knows how best to deal with her partner and daughter, whom she called “my little wife.”
“Vertasha and I know each other very well and we avoid conflict. I believe I have the guide to a firm and strong relationship. I know what works and does not work,” she said.
For those she called confused heathens for criticising her, Mary said against their opinion, her relationship was just as normal as any other relationship.
“Do not tell me I am a bad parent. My daughter Vertasha is over 18 years old and her choosing me as her sexual partner is her choice. I have a perfect relationship because she never disobeys and is obedient. I listen to her and every night we talk our issues,” she argued.
However, Mary Carter, who had earlier granted an interview on the love affair with her daughter, is currently facing the consequence of revealing the affair.
She has been fired in her place of work and is being despised by friends and family members. She and her family are also facing death threats from people.
She is currently out of her house with her children.
According to her, the family have moved into a motel while she met with her lawyer for several hours on Monday.
“We shouldn’t have come out to the world. We did the interview and it was just posted. I had to send my lawyer to pick up the little ones. We are going to a hotel because people are targeting us.
“Indeed the support from African-American women is horrible. Unsurprised at this. They hate themselves; fake hair and contacts. If Vertasha and I was a white mother-daughter same-sex couple, it would be encouraged. Once again, white privilege. We are being discriminated against like criminals,” she lamented.
Mary Carter added: “Our story is new to everyone, our family, friends and the community. I have been told to not show up to work today().”
For those persecuting her because of her sexual orientation, she said: “I serve a mighty, mighty God who gives me the strength to complete my goals and guide me to holiness. No weapon formed against us, shall prosper,” Mary said
She quoted ‘Romans 12:10 which says: “be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves,’ to justify her love affair with her daughter.
On her part, Vertasha, whose name was coined from Tasha, her real name and Vergel, her surname, confirmed that she and her mother started having sex when she turned 18 after they started dating when she was 16.
Vertasha, who seems to be happy with the affair, said: “My mom is still my mom. She does normal mom stuff: buys me clothes, pays for food, and tells me to make our bed. We just happen to enjoy sex with each other too.
“The love is the root of our relationship. My mother and I love like everybody else and the sex is just the perks of being so close. A mother knows how to please her child the best and, yes, I’ve had a man before but after age 16, I knew home is where the heart is.”
Since Mary has been sacked, the duo is now trying to set up an account for assistance from fans as well as establish the Mothers and Daughters For Love, MADAL, to propagate their beliefs.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/mother-daughter-are-lesbian-couple.html#more

The death sentence passed on 12 soldiers by a military tribunal over their alleged in mutiny is generating mixed reactions amongst Nigerians.
The military court presided over by Maj. Gen. C.C. Okonkwo found 13 out of the 18 soldiers standing trial for mutiny and other offences guilty.
Twelve of the convicted soldiers were sentenced to death, five were discharged and acquitted while one was jailed for 28 days with hard labour.
The soldiers had on May 14, 2014 allegedly fired shots at the General Officer Commanding the newly created 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mohammmed, in Maiduguri. The act is viewed in the military as mutiny.
The soldiers were found guilty of criminal conspiracy, mutiny, attempt to commit murder (shooting of the vehicle of the GOC); insubordination to a particular order; insubordination and false accusation.

While some see the judgment as a welcome development and capable of instilling the needed discipline among soldiers especially those fighting the Islamic sect, Boko Haram others feel the death sentence would further dampen the morale of other soldiers who are fighting the insurgents
Some lawyers who spoke to our correspondent in Lagos queried the secrecy under which the military tribunal was conducted but noted that the Court of Appeal would certainly reconsider the judgment.
Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Barr. Monday Ubani said the trial of alleged law breakers under military tribunal remains a questionable procedure as often times the rule of evidence are not complied to.
Barr Ubani urged the convicted soldiers to take their case to the Court of Appeal where they would most likely get fair judgment.
He however said that in the event that the Court of Appeal upholds the military tribunal verdict, the approval authority for the execution of the soldiers should consider the circumstance that led to the alleged mutiny committed by the soldiers.
“If in the event that the Court of Appeal upholds this judgment, government must consider the circumstances that led to the alleged mutiny that these soldiers committed. As we all understand, these soldiers were merely protesting over lack of proper equipment to fight the Boko Haram sect.
“Any authority approving the death of these soldiers must consider this. Moreover, the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan is asking for over N1billion from the National Assembly to equip the military shows that the soldiers were not well equipped and were making genuine complaints,” he said.
Ubani also noted that if the soldier are executed as ordered by the tribunal, the morale of junior military officers who are fighting the insurgents would be wounded.
Another lawyer, Yemi Omodele suggested that a mild punishment should have been given to the soldiers especially as they were fighting a genuine course for which government is now responding to.
“While I am not supporting lawless among soldiers, I believe those soldiers were pursuing a right cause. Moreover, if they were found guilty of the mutiny allegations against them, I believe a lesser punishment such as demotion, salary deduction or at most months in prison would have been more appropriate. This is a critical time in our nations and people who are genuinely minded to fight terror should not punished in such manner,” he said.
In his reaction a Lagos human right lawyer Barrister Supo Osewa said if due process was followed in arriving at their verdict in view of the great offence alleged to have been committed, there is nothing they can do though the have the right of appeal as they can file appeal at the court of appeal
“I thing they can be given another chance or the death sentence can be commuted to terms of imprisonment.generally looking at the situation in the country today,” he said.
Another Lagos human Right Activists Ebunolu Adegboruwa said “my concern is the way the trial was conducted and the process followed. Was it in accordance with the law and statute? Because Germany, Britain, France have corroborated the complains of the military that they don’t have what it takes to fight the insurgence. Their wives have also joined their husbands to appeal to the goverment not to send their husbands to their untimely death. The trial is scandalous the President should disband the panel and grant them pardon.
The Editor of Ganifawehinmi Law publication Mr Oluwole Kehinde in his reaction said that the convicted soldiers have right of appeal. He said they can approach the court of appeal.
“So far due process was followed in reaching the decision and there should not be sentiment about it. Any military personnel who is not satisfied or comfortable with the treatment in the military can disengage, mutiny and lawlessness should not be encouraged because a situation where lawful orders are refused portends danger signal,” he said.
Mr Paul Ogundele also agreed that the convicted soilders have the right of appeal subject to the constitution and article 7(I) of African Charter. If there were loopholes in the proceedings it should be revisited. This cannot be like the military regime with draconian law where people were executed when their appeal was still pending.
Chief Benson Ndakara in his reaction said the soldiers can appeal. “We are in civilian regime, though it had been alleged many times that there are moles in the military if due process is followed the law should take its course.”
Former secretary General of Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association Mr Ike Ukor says mutiny is a serious offence that carries capital punishment. “Was the tribunal properly constituted? Was due process followed? all these ingredient will form basis of appeal if due process is followed the will take its course.”

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/lawyers-agree-disagree-to-death.html

An unidentified transformer vandal was electrocuted early Monday morning while stealing some feeder pillar units from an electric transformer at Lonlo Bus Stop, along Iju Road, Fagba, Lagos State, southwest, Nigeria.
The victim, who was in a pair of jeans and black T–Shirt, had succeeded in removing one feeder unit, but luck ran out on him while he was trying to remove another one from the Mitchell 500KVA when electricity supply was suddenly restored.
The corpse of the deceased, who was believed to be from the northern part of Nigeria, was discovered by a 13-year old boy, Segun Adedokun, who was going to fetch water in the area.
According to reports, on sighting the dead body, Adedokun raised alarm that attracted residents of the area to the scene of the incident.
When O.D visited the area Monday morning, some residents who had gathered at the scene, were seen using their cell phones to take photograph of the electrocuted young man, while cursing him for attempting to steal the feeder units.

A witness, Mr. Egunjobi Samuel, said that vandals had been tampering with their transformer for a long time, adding that luck ran out on the victim because God wanted to expose one of them today.
“We have been experiencing this thing for a long time. Some people will just come and remove some parts from this transformer. God decided to expose one of them today. It serves him right,’’ Samuel said.
Another resident, Mr Olaolu Mike, accused cart pushers from Abattoir in Agege Lagos of being behind the vandalization of the transformer, adding that the electrocuted man was one of them as he came with his cart which was parked beside him.

O.D learnt that the police at Red House Division in Iju, Lagos have been informed about the incident.
As at the time our correspondent visited the area, officials of Lagos State Government and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Iju Ishaga Station, were already at the scene of the incident.
The IKEDC officials were still trying to disconnect the high tension cables as at the time of filing this report.
One of the IKEDC officials, Engineer Coker, said: “There was no supply of electricity throughout the night, until this early morning. So it is believed that he was electrocuted this early morning.”
He disclosed that similar feeders were re-installed at Tokotaya, Agbado Crossing, Iju, Lagos last week after the transformer at the area was vandalized.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/transformer-thief-electrocuted-in-lagos.html

An unidentified transformer vandal was electrocuted early Monday morning while stealing some feeder pillar units from an electric transformer at Lonlo Bus Stop, along Iju Road, Fagba, Lagos State, southwest, Nigeria.
The victim, who was in a pair of jeans and black T–Shirt, had succeeded in removing one feeder unit, but luck ran out on him while he was trying to remove another one from the Mitchell 500KVA when electricity supply was suddenly restored.
The corpse of the deceased, who was believed to be from the northern part of Nigeria, was discovered by a 13-year old boy, Segun Adedokun, who was going to fetch water in the area.
According to reports, on sighting the dead body, Adedokun raised alarm that attracted residents of the area to the scene of the incident.
When P.M.NEWS visited the area Monday morning, some residents who had gathered at the scene, were seen using their cell phones to take photograph of the electrocuted young man, while cursing him for attempting to steal the feeder units.

A witness, Mr. Egunjobi Samuel, said that vandals had been tampering with their transformer for a long time, adding that luck ran out on the victim because God wanted to expose one of them today.
“We have been experiencing this thing for a long time. Some people will just come and remove some parts from this transformer. God decided to expose one of them today. It serves him right,’’ Samuel said.
Another resident, Mr Olaolu Mike, accused cart pushers from Abattoir in Agege Lagos of being behind the vandalization of the transformer, adding that the electrocuted man was one of them as he came with his cart which was parked beside him.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the police at Red House Division in Iju, Lagos have been informed about the incident.
As at the time our correspondent visited the area, officials of Lagos State Government and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Iju Ishaga Station, were already at the scene of the incident.
The IKEDC officials were still trying to disconnect the high tension cables as at the time of filing this report.
One of the IKEDC officials, Engineer Coker, said: “There was no supply of electricity throughout the night, until this early morning. So it is believed that he was electrocuted this early morning.”
He disclosed that similar feeders were re-installed at Tokotaya, Agbado Crossing, Iju, Lagos last week after the transformer at the area was vandalized.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/transformer-thief-electrocuted-in-lagos.html

A passenger boat has capsized at Bayeku area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria with four persons reportedly drowned and one other still missing, emergency response agency has said.
The passenger boat was reported to have capsized around 7:30pm on Saturday while conveying passengers from Okera Nla.
It was not clear what led to the capsizing of the boat, but it was travelling at night. The Lagos State Waterways has banned any boat from travelling at night but such ban is not being enforced as several boats still convey passengers at night to their destination.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the boat mishap, saying that 22 passengers were on board when the tragedy occurred.
He disclosed that four passengers were dead, one still missing, while 17 others had been rescued alive.
According to him, “A boat enroute to Bayeku from Okera Nla with 22 passengers capsized at 7:30pm on Saturday. Four bodies were recovered, 17 passengers rescued alive. However, one passenger is still missing, rescue operation is still ongoing,” he said.
Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said the passenger boat was owned by Okera Nla Boat Association, saying that some were rescued alive and some still missing.
There had been series of boat mishap in Lagos this year alone, with one of the worst being the accident which killed about 13 passengers in Ikorodu area of Lagos as they were coming from Lagos Island.
The Lagos State Government had set up a tribunal of enquiry into boat mishap in Lagos, with the tribunal submitting its report over three months ago, but the government had refused to make the findings of the tribunal public.
Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, who received the report declined to make it public, saying that Governor Babatunde Fashola had to receive the report first, go through it after which a white paper would be issued before it would be made public.
As at today, the white paper had never been issued nor the report made public by the government.
With the rate of boat accidents, the Lagos Waterways remain a dead trap as safety could not be guaranteed on water as operators breach the guidelines for waterways operation.
Recently, the Lagos State Government flagged off the distribution of 10,000 life jackets to operators in the water transportation system in a bid to promote the use of life jackets by passengers while on water.

source: http://odunlade..com/2014/09/4-drown-one-missing-in-latest-ferry.html

Nollywood actor, director and producer, Desmond Elliot, who has joined the league of celebrities- cum politicians, is currently under fire.
When photos of Desmond ‘Oluwashola” Eliot’s campaign posters and details of his platform, under APC, the leading political party in Lagos State, found their way to the internet last night, some of his fans began mocking him for the sudden adoption of the name “Oluwashola”.
“Very sad. Like Jonna, who added Ebele to his name in other to full the Igbos, this one has also added Yoruba name to his name, just to get the votes of the ignorant people that will be carried away by his fame and vote”, one Blessing Efam wrote on twitter.Another MzEloh on the actor’s Instagram page wrote “and ‘olusola’ comes out. I thought he was from Delta state? Desmond choose one, actor, filmmaker or politician”.

While a certain Azeez Oluwaseun wrote on facebook “Olusola… Laughable! Well, let the best man win. If he has anything tangible to contribute, then he should be given a chance.The new name he added though, is laughable. Is that supposed to garner more votes for him or what? LOL! Are we Yorubas mediocres or are we short of intelligent Yorubas who can vote for office? Why the new name?”
Tobena on twitter also says “This is really funny, though, did he suddenly remember his ancestors are Yoruba, abi where did Olusola surface from, nawa oh…Olushola ko! Olushola ni! So all of a sudden he remembers he has a Yoruba name eh! Guy, contest if you want but don’t come up with any name thinking it’s gonna change anything! I’m sure GEJ is your role model cos you’ve started towing his path of adding Ebele to his name to gain favour with the Igbos. Small time you go come dey tell us how you no get shoe and you dey trek the streets of Lagos! Who even knew this dude was Yoruba! He never identified as one and now all in the name of politricks, his name is Olushola…..Oga park well biko!”
Declaring support for the actor however, a twitter user, Mimi said “I don’t have a problem with him going into politics, but the fact that he never proudly identified as a Yoruba man (used english names, never spoke yoruba or did anything to signify he was yoruba), but all of a sudden, because he’s running for office in yoruba land, whips out his yoruba name, tells a lot about his dodgy intentions. It’s such a cunning and manipulative behavior”. Another Facebook user, Daniel Emmanuel chose to sit on the fence saying “Nothing do you Desmond, carry on. I so much appreciate & love this current trend sweeping across the nation. Our youths are waking up from slumber to take over what belongs to them. Our political milieu at this point should be saturated with vibrant & God fearing youth who are willing & able to bring the needed development that has eluded us for years. Our political elites have failed us. According to Pericle, in his address to the people of Athens said we alone regard a man who do not take interest in public affairs not as harmless but a useless character. At this juncture, I want to call on our youths to leave & quit watching Arsenal & Manchester FC & channel their energy to a more profitable venture which is joining politics & wrestle power with the current corrupt politicians who are only interested in feeding their stomach while our nation bleeds from all angle.”
Although Desmond Elliot is yet to react to the criticisms, his colleagues in the industry have publicly declared their supports for him by posting photos of the campaign posters on their social media pages.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/where-did-olusola-come-from-lagosians.html#more

There is a new twist to the Synagogue Church of All Nations after a building collapse saga. Our correspondent who is at the scene says a trailer load of dead people have been unearthed from debris at the church.
Our correspondent says many victims — most of whom are labourers, artisans and church members — who were trapped are now believed to be dead. It would be recalled that a five-storey building collapsed at the headquarters of Synagogue Church in Ikotun, Lagos state.

The actual figure of dead people from the collapse cannot be ascertained because the church authority prevented journalists and some emergency agencies from having access to the site.
Eye witness accounts claim that nearly 100 people have died as at today. On Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said only three people were confirmed dead but a statement from the church’s media department said no death has been recorded.r.c this morning gathered that the Lagos State government agencies have been busy breaking the sink building and evacuating the victims that were trapped overnight. While some have been evacuated alive and rushed to General Hospitals.
Our correspondent gathered that more deaths have also been recorded during the evacuation and their corpse deposited at the mortuary.
“This is a very sensitive matter, we can not disclose such information to avoid panic.” a government agent said.
Meanwhile members of the church have intensified their intimidation and harassment against people especially the journalists, some of whom have been forced off the church premises.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/trailer-load-of-corpses-carried-from.html

The US has declared that it is at war with the Islamic State group, a day after Barack Obama said strikes against the fighters would extend into Syria.
The comments by Pentagon and White House officials on Friday came as the US president was pressed to clear up doubts about how he saw the conflict with the armed group, also known as ISIL.
"The United States is at war with ISIL in the same way that we are at war with al-Qaeda," said Josh Earnest, a spokesman for the White House.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the defence department, echoed Earnest's remarks: "We know we are at war with ISIL," he said.
The comments came a day after US secretary of state, John Kerry, appeared to be reluctant to use the term.

"I think 'war' is the wrong terminology and analogy but the fact is that we are engaged in a very significant global effort to curb terrorist activity," he said.
Kerry on Friday travelled to Turkey to discuss a broad coalition to counter the Islamic State group in Syria. However, when asked, he ruled out Iranian involvement as inappropriate due to its support for the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
He said there were "any number of reasons" why Iran should not join a Paris conference on Monday to discuss coalition strategy.
"Under the circumstances, at this moment in time, it would not be right for any number of reasons. It would not be appropriate given the many other issues that are on the table in Syria and elsewhere," he said in Ankara.
Kerry said he had not formally been asked to discuss "the presence of Iran" in Paris.
Iran has never offered to join the coalition against ISIL in Syria, describing it as "shrouded in serious ambiguities". It has sent soldiers to Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government to combat ISIL there.
The US says it is not cooperating militarily with Iran in operations in Iraq.
Iran is believed to have sent troops to support the Syrian regime led by Alawites, a Shia sect.
The US backs the Iraqi government but is opposed to the Syrian regime, and Iran's role in the civil war.
Kerry won backing on Thursday for a "coordinated military campaign" against Islamic State from 10 Arab countries - Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and six Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Ankara has refused to allow the US to use its main airbase in Turkey to launch attacks on Syrian soil.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/us-we-are-at-war-with-islamic-state.html

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram fighters have surrounded the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri and are preparing an imminent takeover, an influential regional group claimed on Thursday, calling for military reinforcements.
The warning from the Borno Elders Forum, made up of retired senior civilian and military officials, comes after the United States warned of an attack on the city and analysts claimed the government risked losing control of the region.
Maiduguri has special significance for Boko Haram. It was where the heavily armed Islamist group was founded as an anti-corruption movement in 2002 and is regarded as its spiritual home.

The forum voiced its fears after Boko Haram seized a number of towns and villages across Borno and in neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states in recent weeks and declared one part of an Islamic caliphate.
In Borno, the militants are now said to control an area from the north around Lake Chad, down its eastern border with Cameroon and round to Bama, 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri to the south.
Nigeria's military has claimed to have retaken Bama but the elders said the government needed to act, asserting that the militants were in reach of the city.
"They have declared their caliphate ie independent Islamic State with their headquarters at the all-important and military strategic city of Gwoza," the elders said in an emailed statement.
"They declared the Gwoza Emir's palace as their seat of government, hoisting their flag there. They have annexed and are sitting in court in several other key towns and regions...
"They have completely surrounded the city of Maiduguri. It is apparent that their imminent target is to take the city of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital."
They added: "We wish to call on the federal government to urgently fortify in and around the city of Maiduguri."
- 'Horror, death, destruction and misery' -
Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states have been under emergency military rule since May last year but despite Boko Haram being driven out of Maiduguri by the military and civilian vigilantes, thousands of people have since died in the countryside.
Many more have been forced to flee their homes. A recent United Nations estimate said that as many as 650,000 people had been displaced both within Nigeria and into neighbouring countries.
The elders said that half of Borno state's 4.1 million population was now living in temporary accommodation in Maiduguri and there were genuine fears that an attack could exacerbate the crisis.
Roads and bridges have been destroyed, schools shut and the economy blighted, with Maiduguri without mains electricity for the last three months.
The elders even warned of "starvation" given that subsistence farmers in the state had not been able to plant crops this year because of the chaos.
Borno had been devastated by "five years of horror, death, destruction and misery", they added, and criticised the government for its "dismal but also frustrating" response to the insurgency.
The militants had been treated with "kid gloves", they said, while a supposed troop surge had not been effective.
Nigeria's military has seen dissent within the ranks, with soldiers complaining of a lack of adequate weaponry to fight the better-armed militants. Some soldiers have refused to deploy or fled attacks.
"The giant of Africa which has been contributing to the rescue and peacekeeping of many other countries has effectively allowed its own citizens to reach this level of disillusionment and despair," the elders said.
They added that there had not been enough political will to fight Boko Haram and warned that the situation risked "the total annihilation of the inhabitants of Borno".
Borno's governor Kashim Shettima last week vowed that Boko Haram would not succeed and sought to assure residents that the government had taken steps to protect them.
"With these steps and our combined efforts as state government and resilient people, we shall overcome this tribulation," he added.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/boko-haram-have-surrounded-nigerias.html

Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is also the seat of the Liberian presidency, has been hit by the deadly Ebola virus. FrontPageAfrica has learned.
On Monday, the Administrative Assistant to Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan reportedly died from what sources say is a suspected case of the deadly virus. Her husband, a staffer in the office of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is currently under quarantine, according to online news portal, FrontPageAfrica.
The names of the officials were withheld because the government has not officially notified the public about the cases, so close to the Liberian presidency. Minister Ngafuan’s office is two floors below the floor now being used as the President’s office, the online news portal stated.
The wife of the President’s office staffer reportedly died on Monday and may have contracted the virus from a sister, who had previously died. A praying woman who reportedly had sessions and laid hands on the sister of the deceased Administrative Assistant, has also died.
Sources within the Executive Mansion informed FrontPageAfrica Wednesday that both the deceased Administrative Assistant in Minister Ngafuan’s office and her husband had been told not to return to the office until after 21 days.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/ebola-hits-liberian-presidency-kills.html

“They had not been coming to work for more than 21 days now,” the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter.Minister Ngafuan is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia attending an Emergency Meeting of the African Union’s Executive Council on the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak. Attempts to reach the minister and his press aide have been unsuccessful.
The AU members are recommending the urgent lifting of all travel bans imposed on countries affected by the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
The Ministry has been the seat of the presidency since 2006 when fire gutted the fourth floor during celebrations marking the 159th Independence Day celebrations in the presence of three West African leaders, who had come to witness the then newly-elected President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf switch on electricity to reach limited parts of the capital city.
South African forensic scientists brought in to probe the cause of the fire said it was an electrical fault. Following the fire outbreak at the Executive Mansion, the Government of Liberia announced a closure of the Mansion, and President Johnson-Sirleaf relocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the president has for the past eight years been performing official state functions.
The mansion was constructed in 1964 under the regime of the late Liberian President William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman by 2,000 workers, including about a fifth of Monrovia’s labour force, and 150 foreign technicians. The eight-storey Executive Mansion building, which costs US$20 million, has an atomic-bomb shelter, an underground swimming pool, a private chapel, a trophy room, a cinema, an emergency power plant, water supply and sewage system, among others.
The report comes just 24 hours after Defence Minister Brownie Samukai told the U.N. Security Council that the outbreak poses a “serious threat” to the war-torn nation’s very existence. Samukai’s words were echoed by the U.N. Secretary-General’s special representative Karin Landgren, who said Liberia is facing its gravest threat since its decade-long civil war ended in 2003. She deemed the outbreak a “latter-day plague” and its spread “merciless.”
Liberia is worst hit among the nations affected by the current Ebola epidemic with at least 1,200 recorded deaths. Over the past three weeks, the country has experienced a 68% bump in infections and the World Health Organization estimates the surge will continue to accelerate in coming weeks.
Humanitarian groups in the country have been complaining that there simply aren’t enough beds and suspected victims of Ebola are reportedly turned back to their communities or left waiting outside medical facilities, aggravating the risk of further contagion.
At least 160 health workers have been infected with the virus and 79 have died, in a nation that counted a paltry single doctor per 100,000 inhabitants at its onset. Landgren pointed out that the challenge also goes beyond the medical response.
“The enormous task of addressing Ebola has revealed persistent and profound institutional weaknesses, including in the security sector,” she said.
“As the demands pile on, the police face monumental challenges in planning and implementing large scale operations.”
Meanwhile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $50 million on Wednesday to support emergency efforts to contain West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, which has already killed almost 2,300 people in the worst outbreak of the virus in history.
The U.S.-based philanthropic foundation said it would release funds immediately to U.N. agencies and international organisations to help them buy supplies and scale up the emergency response in affected countries.
It will also work with public and private sector partners to speed up to development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics that could be effective in treating Ebola patients and preventing further spread of the haemorrhagic fever-causing virus.
“We are working urgently with our partners to identify the most effective ways to help them save lives now and stop transmission of this deadly disease,” Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the Foundation’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Latest data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show the Ebola outbreak, which began in March, has infected almost 4,300 people so far, killing more than half of them.
The deadly viral infection is raging in three countries – Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone – and has also spread into neighbouring Nigeria and Senegal.
The WHO said on Tuesday the Ebola death toll jumped by almost 200 in a single day to at least 2,296 and is already likely to be higher than that. It has previously warned that the epidemic is growing “exponentially” and there could be up to 20,000 cases in West Africa before it is brought to a halt.
Chris Elias, the Gates Foundation’s head of global development, said in a telephone interview the group would be assessing over coming days where funds could be best spent.
Some would go to the most acute and immediate needs, he said, and some would be put towards more longer-term research into treatments and ways of preventing future outbreaks.
“The spread of this disease has really happened because of the very weak health systems in these very poor countries,” he said. “We need to be thinking how we can build up those health services, how we train healthcare workers, and how we make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.”
The Gates money comes after the British government and the Wellcome Trust medical charity last month pledged 6.5 million pounds ($10.8 mln) to speed up research on Ebola, a disease for which there is currently no licensed treatment or vaccine.
The WHO has backed the use of untested drugs, as long as conditions on consent are met, and is hoping for improved supplies of experimental medicines by the end of the year.
Britain’s minister for international development, Justine Greening, welcomed the Gates support, saying the “serious health, social and economic risks posed by one of the worst outbreaks of the disease require the entire international community to do more to assist”.
The Gates Foundation – set up by the billionaire founder of Microsoft Bill Gates to fight disease and poverty in poor countries – has already committed more than $10 million to fight the Ebola outbreak, including $5 million to the WHO for emergency operations and research and development assessments and $5 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In its statement, the foundation said it would also give an extra $2 million immediately to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support incident management, treatment, and health care system strengthening.

Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is also the seat of the Liberian presidency, has been hit by the deadly Ebola virus. FrontPageAfrica has learned.
On Monday, the Administrative Assistant to Foreign Minister Augustine Ngafuan reportedly died from what sources say is a suspected case of the deadly virus. Her husband, a staffer in the office of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is currently under quarantine, according to online news portal, FrontPageAfrica.
The names of the officials were withheld because the government has not officially notified the public about the cases, so close to the Liberian presidency. Minister Ngafuan’s office is two floors below the floor now being used as the President’s office, the online news portal stated.
The wife of the President’s office staffer reportedly died on Monday and may have contracted the virus from a sister, who had previously died. A praying woman who reportedly had sessions and laid hands on the sister of the deceased Administrative Assistant, has also died.
Sources within the Executive Mansion informed FrontPageAfrica Wednesday that both the deceased Administrative Assistant in Minister Ngafuan’s office and her husband had been told not to return to the office until after 21 days.

“They had not been coming to work for more than 21 days now,” the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter.Minister Ngafuan is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia attending an Emergency Meeting of the African Union’s Executive Council on the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak. Attempts to reach the minister and his press aide have been unsuccessful.
The AU members are recommending the urgent lifting of all travel bans imposed on countries affected by the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
The Ministry has been the seat of the presidency since 2006 when fire gutted the fourth floor during celebrations marking the 159th Independence Day celebrations in the presence of three West African leaders, who had come to witness the then newly-elected President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf switch on electricity to reach limited parts of the capital city.
South African forensic scientists brought in to probe the cause of the fire said it was an electrical fault. Following the fire outbreak at the Executive Mansion, the Government of Liberia announced a closure of the Mansion, and President Johnson-Sirleaf relocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the president has for the past eight years been performing official state functions.
The mansion was constructed in 1964 under the regime of the late Liberian President William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman by 2,000 workers, including about a fifth of Monrovia’s labour force, and 150 foreign technicians. The eight-storey Executive Mansion building, which costs US$20 million, has an atomic-bomb shelter, an underground swimming pool, a private chapel, a trophy room, a cinema, an emergency power plant, water supply and sewage system, among others.
The report comes just 24 hours after Defence Minister Brownie Samukai told the U.N. Security Council that the outbreak poses a “serious threat” to the war-torn nation’s very existence. Samukai’s words were echoed by the U.N. Secretary-General’s special representative Karin Landgren, who said Liberia is facing its gravest threat since its decade-long civil war ended in 2003. She deemed the outbreak a “latter-day plague” and its spread “merciless.”
Liberia is worst hit among the nations affected by the current Ebola epidemic with at least 1,200 recorded deaths. Over the past three weeks, the country has experienced a 68% bump in infections and the World Health Organization estimates the surge will continue to accelerate in coming weeks.
Humanitarian groups in the country have been complaining that there simply aren’t enough beds and suspected victims of Ebola are reportedly turned back to their communities or left waiting outside medical facilities, aggravating the risk of further contagion.
At least 160 health workers have been infected with the virus and 79 have died, in a nation that counted a paltry single doctor per 100,000 inhabitants at its onset. Landgren pointed out that the challenge also goes beyond the medical response.
“The enormous task of addressing Ebola has revealed persistent and profound institutional weaknesses, including in the security sector,” she said.
“As the demands pile on, the police face monumental challenges in planning and implementing large scale operations.”
Meanwhile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $50 million on Wednesday to support emergency efforts to contain West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, which has already killed almost 2,300 people in the worst outbreak of the virus in history.
The U.S.-based philanthropic foundation said it would release funds immediately to U.N. agencies and international organisations to help them buy supplies and scale up the emergency response in affected countries.
It will also work with public and private sector partners to speed up to development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics that could be effective in treating Ebola patients and preventing further spread of the haemorrhagic fever-causing virus.
“We are working urgently with our partners to identify the most effective ways to help them save lives now and stop transmission of this deadly disease,” Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the Foundation’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Latest data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show the Ebola outbreak, which began in March, has infected almost 4,300 people so far, killing more than half of them.
The deadly viral infection is raging in three countries – Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone – and has also spread into neighbouring Nigeria and Senegal.
The WHO said on Tuesday the Ebola death toll jumped by almost 200 in a single day to at least 2,296 and is already likely to be higher than that. It has previously warned that the epidemic is growing “exponentially” and there could be up to 20,000 cases in West Africa before it is brought to a halt.
Chris Elias, the Gates Foundation’s head of global development, said in a telephone interview the group would be assessing over coming days where funds could be best spent.
Some would go to the most acute and immediate needs, he said, and some would be put towards more longer-term research into treatments and ways of preventing future outbreaks.
“The spread of this disease has really happened because of the very weak health systems in these very poor countries,” he said. “We need to be thinking how we can build up those health services, how we train healthcare workers, and how we make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.”
The Gates money comes after the British government and the Wellcome Trust medical charity last month pledged 6.5 million pounds ($10.8 mln) to speed up research on Ebola, a disease for which there is currently no licensed treatment or vaccine.
The WHO has backed the use of untested drugs, as long as conditions on consent are met, and is hoping for improved supplies of experimental medicines by the end of the year.
Britain’s minister for international development, Justine Greening, welcomed the Gates support, saying the “serious health, social and economic risks posed by one of the worst outbreaks of the disease require the entire international community to do more to assist”.
The Gates Foundation – set up by the billionaire founder of Microsoft Bill Gates to fight disease and poverty in poor countries – has already committed more than $10 million to fight the Ebola outbreak, including $5 million to the WHO for emergency operations and research and development assessments and $5 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In its statement, the foundation said it would also give an extra $2 million immediately to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support incident management, treatment, and health care system strengthening.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/ebola-hits-liberian-presidency-kills.html#more

Sixty-five days after they were declared missing, Islamic Cleric, Uztadh Abdul Ganniyu Jumah and his wife, Muinat, were found in the cell of the State Security Service, SSS, Abeokuta.
It would be recalled that .rw. reported that an Islamic Cleric and his wife were abducted by unknown gunmen at their residence located at 27, Fagbemi street, Ijoko, in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the State.
They were reported to have been whisked away from their home during the month of Ramadan at about 3:00 a.m.
There was confusion over the whereabouts of the Islamic Cleric and his pregnant wife since they were taken away. A family source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity Wednesday afternoon said they were surprise that the couple were found in a cell.

“A call was received by the principal witness, Lukman Oketokun on Tuesday to come to Abeokuta headquarters of the State Security Service. They asked him to see the Deputy Director, Operation at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The witness met with Deputy Director of SSS and the wife of the Cleric man, Muinat, who was heavily pregnant was released to him.
The woman who spoke with our correspondent shortly after her release, lamented that the SSS did not tell them their offense even after she was released.


“They only released me because of my condition. My husband is under detention without any reason or offence. They only gave me a letter from a gynaecologist, who advised me to proceed to the hospital for delivery,” she revealed.
When asked of her experience while in SSS cell, the troubled woman declared that she was subjected to a lot of rigorous processes, despite her condition.
Reacting to the development, Head of Legal team for the couple, Barr. Musodiq Sanni threatened that legal action would be taken against the Director of Security Service over the alleged violation of human rights of their clients.
“We have to thank the Police at Zone 2 for their investigation. Now that we have established who abducted our clients, we are going to take action against the SSS for violation of human rights.
“What the law says is that once someone is arrested, he must be charged to court within 24 hours. But, they did not let them know their offence(s) but instead detained them for 60 days and that is against the law,” Sanni said.
However, our correspondent reliably gathered from a family source that the medics, who attended to the woman in an undisclosed hospital revealed that some tests have to be done because the woman had undergone stressful condition.
According to the family source, “the hospital said it would need to induce the baby, so as to avoid death of the woman”.
Efforts to reach the Director of the security agent was unsuccessful as at the time of filling this report.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/missing-couple-found-in-sss-cell-in-ogun.html

The Lagos State Government says it will prosecute employers of labour for sacking two patients who survived the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris disclosed this on Tuesday at a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Lagos, saying that it is sad that some employers and landlords would want to stigmatise people who were identified with Ebola and survived the disease.
He also said the First Medical Consultant Centre had been certified Ebola-free and that the hospital had been given the clearance to re-open for business, urging Lagosians to patronise the facility as it is safe.


According to Idris, two cases of stigmatisation by employers had been referred to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution, saying that the case would only be dropped if the employers withdraw their stigma cases against the two Ebola survivors.
The commissioner noted that being Ebola-free did not mean that the people should lose their jobs, while appealing to the public not to stigmatise people with Ebola-related cases. “The social problem being faced by discharged cases has being reported severally. This ranges from stigmatization, eviction from their accommodation, being asked to stay away from work and termination of employment.
“We’ve had cases of employers just terminating the employment of their staff who were just mere contacts, not even suspected cases. We believe this is unfair and we feel this impedes on their fundamental human rights. I wish to implore all Lagosians once more not to stigmatise all cases and contacts that have been given a clean bill of health and passionately urge all of us and all employers inclusive to facilitate their reintegration to the society,” he said.
Idris stated that stigmatisation would further make contacts and suspects to go underground and continue to reverse the gains so far made in the containment and management of this outbreak.
He added that people felt they would be stigmatized once they submitted themselves for scrutiny might not want to come out because of this.
“Even when they come up with symptoms, they may not come out and jeopardize not only their lives, but their family members and other people they come in contact with. That’s why it is essential that people should stop that,” he said.
He emphasised that the Ministry of Justice would take the case of those victimised by their employers, saying that anybody, whether a discharged patient, or a contact followed up who felt stigmatized could petition the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General of Lagos State as their matters would be taken up on their behalf “because it is not fair and it is not right.”
Idris also urged those on contact list or under surveillance not to travel out of state and should alert the rapid response team on manifestation of symptoms or signs.
“Lagosians are also enjoined to report any case or cases that may want to embark on this kind of dastardly misadventure. We’ve also had very serious meeting with mortuary operators because this is another area that might facilitate the spread of the disease.
“We have given them protocols they need to follow when they are dealing with suspected cases, like what they should do and what kind of precautions they should take so that we can reduce the spread. We also want to urge operators to adhere to their professional best practices when handling such corpses,” he said.
However, the commissioner urged those who use the First Medical Consultants Hospital to support them as the centre remained a flagship medical centre, especially with government given the hospital a clean bill of health.

SOURCE:l http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/lagos-to-prosecute-employers-landlords.html

The Nigerian Medical Association on Monday faulted the Federal Government’s directive to schools to resume on September 22 as against October 12.
It said through its National Secretary-General, Dr. Olawunmi Alayaki, that all schools ought to remain shut till all those under surveillance for the Ebola Virus Disease in the country had been certified free.
“We are not happy with this decision on the resumption of schools. Schools should be shut till the last suspected case or patient is certified free of the virus,” the NMA said.
Before the association made this known the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, had disclosed that an 18 month-old baby had been quarantined in the state for showing symptoms of the deadly virus.


The NMA suggested that the resumption of schools could be shifted till December or early part of next year because if Ebola should spread to any school, it would “assume another dimension.”
It said, “ We can shift the resumption date till next year or in the next three months if that is the time it will take. Government should have enough time to follow the standard procedure for containing the virus.
“Parents have no reason to be in a hurry because if Ebola should enter any school, it will assume another dimension. Children cannot survive isolation like adults.
“Nigeria is peculiar because of her large population and we should be pragmatic and proactive. It will not augur well for the country if we have another outbreak due to carelessness.”
Also, the Lagos State chapter of NMA said that the Federal Government should have postponed the resumption date till the completion of surveillance and monitoring of contacts in the affected states.
It said through its chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo, that many of the public and private schools in the country lacked basic hygiene and sanitary facilities that could help prevent the spread of the EVD by pupils.
It stated, “It would not have cost the Federal Government anything to have waited till those under surveillance have completed the 21 days in all the states where they are being monitored.
“The government knows that it takes a longer time for children to get used to the idea of hygiene and sanitation. They are even more vulnerable because they would play with each other whether they are sick or not.
“How many children know that they should use hand sanitisers or avoid contact with anybody that has a fever?
“Waiting till October when at least the situations in Rivers and Lagos states would have been conclusively managed is another safety measure the government should have taken . These kids are not studying to get a degree, so we are sure it would not have affected schools’ curricula.”
Also the immediate past president of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, expressed concern about the September 22 resumption date and wondered about the safety parameters government used in fixing the date.
Enabulele said that the grouse of many parents with the resumption date stemmed from the fact that they were not convinced that schools had met the safety standards for the prevention of Ebola.
He added that if the government was bent on schools adhering to the date, it should begin now to check the sanitary facilities put in place by their proprietors to ensure the safety of pupils.
Enabulele said, “We must know the parameters that the Federal Government used to arrive at the resumption date in the first place. Has the Federal Government carried out a safety assessment in registered schools in the country? There should be a checklist and only those who meet it should be certified fit to reopen.
“The minimum standard is that all schools should have a dispensary, a sick bay where sick children, especially those with fever, are properly managed and tested.”
Saying that he knew that such facilities were not available in many schools, he asked: So, why the rush for their resumption?”
Also, a consultant paediatrician with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi- Araba, Prof. Edamisan Temiye, called on the three tiers of government to ensure that schools had access to water on their premises.
The former Lagos NMA chairman, also warned parents not to force sick children to go to school as this could expose them to infections.
Temiye said, “Governments must ensure that clean water flows on schools’ premises so that children can wash their hands regularly. Water is important for sanitation and it is the duty of government to ensure that citizens have access to it.
“Also, parents should take sick children to hospital. Don’t give them drugs and force them to go to school. Ebola can only be caught from a sick person. School authorities should watch out for and isolate sick children from others.
“Again school owners should give hand sanitisers to their pupils before allowing them into their premises. They should also have thermal thermometers to check the temperatures of their pupils before allowing them into their school premises.”
The Minister of Health had before the doctors spoke with one of our correspondents in Lagos, said that there was nothing to fear over the directive to schools to resume on September 22.
Chukwu, who gave an update of EVD in Nigeria, said, “We have contained the situation. Ebola is no longer in the streets anywhere in Nigeria.
“We are working with the Federal Ministry of Education and we made it clear that in institutions having students returning from outside Nigeria, they should let us know.
“We will work with them and we have questionnaires which we are already using on airlines and ships coming into Nigeria as well as other means of transport. They will fill questionnaires. We will ask questions and conduct tests to see that they don’t have fever.”
The minister also revealed that a fiancé of one of Patrick Sawyer’s contacts who was confirmed positive for EVD had since recovered.
He added, “So far, all the cases that have been confirmed in Nigeria are traceable to the index case (Sawyer). As of this (Monday) morning, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria is 19. Fifteen were in Lagos and four in Port Harcourt.
“The 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Mr. Sawyer who died of the disease. The test results were equivocal but further tests established the disease. He had only mild symptoms and he has since recovered from the illness. He was quarantined but because of the equivocal test result he was not placed on active treatment.
“The total number of deaths from EVD in Nigeria stands at seven . Five of them died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case, and the other four in the isolation ward in Lagos State.
“Two of the seven died in Port Harcourt, the medical doctor who died in a private hospital and the contact, a patient in the hospital at the time the doctor was also on admission, who died in the isolation ward in Rivers State.”
According to him, the total number of patients who have been successfully managed and discharged stands at nine.
He added that the latest was the sister (Chinyere) of the late Port Harcourt doctor who was discharged from the isolation ward in Rivers State on Sunday.
“It should be noted that the nine patients successfully managed and discharged are among the total number of 11 survivors of EVD in Nigeria. At the moment, only one person, the wife of the late Port Harcourt doctor, is on treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.
“She no longer has any symptoms and is undergoing a series of tests preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.
“Regarding contacts currently under surveillance, Lagos has 27 contacts surveillance as of now. A total of 339 contacts who were previously on surveillance have been discharged having completed the 21 days of observation. Port Harcourt has 477 contacts under surveillance. It is a mixed group consisting of tertiary and quaternary contacts of Sawyer. Five contacts have already been discharged from surveillance in Port Harcourt having completed the 21 days of observation.”
In Port Harcourt, the Health commissioner, Parker, also confirmed that Chinyere had been discharged. But as journalists expressed joy over Chinyere’s recovery, he announced that an 18 month-old baby, who showed symptoms of Ebola had been quarantined for observation.
The commissioner however did not provide further information as he returned to Chinyere’s recovery and discharge.
“I am cheerful today because we have successfully treated an Ebola patient. She (Chinyere) has been effectively treated, cleared and discharged from our isolation treatment centre. She deserves to be celebrated as a success story,” he said.
Parker, who explained that the state government had reached about 479 contacts, said, “I can assure you that the disease has been covered. People should not cause panic. The number of deaths from Ebola is lower than deaths from road accidents.”

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/ebola-doctors-reject-sept-22-schools_9.html

A senior military official says Nigerian troops have recaptured Bama in Borno state from the Boko Haram insurgents and blocked the Islamist militants’ from advancing towards the state capital, Maiduguri.
The officer who spoke to Reuters said that Nigerian troops are also fighting the insurgents as they try to claim key towns in Adamawa state.
“Bama has been recaptured by the soldiers and I can confirm to you Maiduguri is safe,” the officer said.


The soldiers also killed 50 Boko Haram fighters during a raid on their hideout in the small north-eastern town of Kawuri as they bid to fend off the militant sect that has threatened to create an Islamic state.
“Over 50 terrorists died yesterday (Sunday) afternoon as troops raided their hideout in Kawuri before setting out on a planned attack on Konduga,” it said in a statement released on its official website.
“One fabricated artillery gun, two anti-aircraft gun, an armoured vehicle and assorted types of ammunition were captured in the process. Some hardware, weapons, food items and personal belongings were also destroyed in the raid.
“One officer and two soldiers were seriously wounded.”
The government source said insurgents had been driven from Bama, which is southeast of Maiduguri. Government warplanes have bombed and strafed the militants after they stormed Bama last week.
On Monday 8 September, BBC reported that Boko Haram had seized Michika, a trading centre in Adamawa state.

SOURCE: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/nigerian-troops-recapture-bama-kills-50.html

Adeoye Obasanjo, son of former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been shot in Mubi by members of Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
Obasanjo, an army engineer and a Lieutenant Colonel at the 3rd Division in Jos, Plateau state was attacked by Boko Haram militants today.
According to SaharaReporters, Boko Haram attacked a platoon led by Obasanjo and he was shot in the process. 24 soldiers in the platoon were reportedly killed by the militants. Obasanjo, however, sustained serious injuries to his legs and is being transported to the hospital at the time of this report.
He and his platoon were engaged with Boko Haram militants at Baza, which is the village of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3rd division when the incident took place.


The Lieutenant Agwu of the 234 battalion, GOC of the 3rd Division, Major Gen JS Zaruwa and Colonel Victor Ebhaleme who serves as the Brigade Commander of the 23rd Army brigade in Yola were all together advancing towards Michika when Boko Haram fighters unleashed the deadly attack on the troops.
Apart from the dead soldiers, the army also lost an armored tank to the militants. As a result of the attack, the army has moved sensitive weapons from Mubi to the Brigade headquarters in Yola leaving Mubi vulnerable to attack.
The town of Mubi has practically been deserted following the closure of schools and massive retreat of soldiers from the city.
Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo is presently in Singapore according to family.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/obasanjos-son-shot-in-mubi-by-boko-haram.html

The Maiduguri chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday urged the Federal Government to adopt some of its strategies against the Ebola Virus Disease in fighting Boko Haram.
The Chairman of the association, Malam Abdulwasiu Alfa, told NAN in Maiduguri that the tactics would go a long way in ending insurgency in the country.
“We commend the Federal Government for gallantly curbing the spread of the Ebola virus. We urge the government to do so toward ending the Boko Haram reign of terror in the country,” Alfa said.


Alfa said that if government had adopted the same strategy in fighting the insurgency the problem would have been solved long ago.“If the government will fight the insurgency the way it fought the dreaded Ebola virus, the Boko Haram sect will have been crushed long ago,” he said.
Alfa also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees (NCR) to be more proactive toward assisting thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno.
“Government agencies charged with providing succor to the IDPs like NEMA and NCR should be more visible in areas which has the highest number of IDPs,” Alfa said.
He also called on the Federal Government to issue a white paper on the Gaji Galtimari Committee of Inquiry into the Boko Haram crisis in the state.
source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/adopt-ebola-strategy-on-boko-haram-nba.html

Fire has razed Awori plank market in Abule-Egba, a suburb of Lagos state, southwest Nigeria.
It took over four hours for men of the Lagos state fire service to put out the fire which destroyed goods worth millions of naira, including three vehicles parked at a nearby mechanic workshop.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the fire started from a waste plastic recycling shop before spreading to the plank market.
Comrade Bayo Babalola, one of the auditors of United Waste Recycling, Lagos state, discarded the claim.
He insisted that nobody knew exactly where the fire started but commended the courage of the traders who have started reconstruction of the market after the fire incident.

The Divisional Police officer in charge of Oko-Oba Police Station, Akintade William, who was the incident duty officer in Area ‘G’ Command, led a team of policemen to the market to prevent hoodlums from looting unaffected shops at the market after the incident.
A trader who sells drinks and recharge cards at the market said she lost over N200,000 to the fire.
The trader, Mrs. Bola Shotobu, lamented that her losses include two deep freezers, an electricity generating set, recharge cards and an unspecified amount of money.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident Monday morning, the traders were seen trying to erect new structures while some were still searching for their valuables.
Mr.Abiodun Sule , a resident of Awori community who spoke with our reporter, called on the relevant authorities to take adequate steps to avert future occurrence.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/fire-razes-lagos-plank-market.html

LAGOS — In what is fast becoming the norm, gunmen, Friday, stormed the Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria, FRCN, Training School, Lagos State, raping and robbing many of the female trainee journalists.
An eye witness in the school said that was the third time the armed men would be attacking the school.
An insider said: “The armed robbers were many. They attacked the school last week, last two weeks and now this week. They always rape the girls and dispossess others, including male students and workers on night duties of their valuables.”


The three attacks on the school have left many of the workers shocked, especially as policemen were supposed to be manning the school gate.
The last attack occurred at about 2am, with the gunmen targeting the financial records offices. Three of the gunmen wore masks and focused on the new BOND FM station, which has a lot of new expensive transmitting devices.
“Many of them broke into our offices, remove burglar-proofs, raped girls who were in training and living in our hostel. They collected money, phones and laptops. This is the third time this will be happening,” said a staff.
According to another insider, the school has male and female trainees drawn from across different radio stations in the country who are on special courses. There are also private students studying broadcast journalism.
The insider added: “The gunmen are usually many whenever they attack. The first time they came, they appeared to be searching for something as they ransacked all offices.
This time, they came with three or four men wearing masks. They were apparently the people who wanted something from the school or offices. When they came this time, they were the ones doing the frantic searching.
Whether they succeeded in getting what they wanted this time around is what we don’t know.”
Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, however said only a case of burglary was reported.
“I just got to hear today that the place has been burgled three times. But they had never reported. It’s only today that an official complaint was lodged. No case of rape was reported. Nobody has come forward to say that she was raped,” she said.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/gunmen-rob-rape-frcn-training-school.html

US President Barack Obama is to set out his "game plan" against Islamic State militants in a speech on Wednesday.
Mr Obama told NBC TV the US would degrade IS, shrink its territory and "defeat them".
He was criticised last month for saying "we don't have a strategy yet" when asked about IS during a briefing.
The US expanded its operations on Sunday, carrying out air strikes on IS for the first time in western Iraq, to defend Iraqi troops at Haditha dam.

'No ground troops'
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Obama said: "I'm preparing the country to make sure that we deal with a threat from Isil."
IS, also often referred to as Isil or Isis, has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months, declaring the land it holds a "caliphate".
Mr Obama went on: "On Wednesday, I'll make a speech and describe what our game plan's going to be going forward."

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/iraq-crisis-obama-to-set-out-us.html

Thousands have fled their homes as Boko Haram insurgents early Saturday seized Kirchinga, hometown of Adamawa State acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, hours before he took part in the PDP governorship primaries.
Residents of Madagali, Gulak and Michika towns and nearby villages fled their homes Friday through Saturday following a Boko Haram advance after repelling a military offensive to retake Madagali town, seized by the militants last month.
“All the residents of Madagali, Gulak and Michika have fled their homes to the mountains and Mubi town after soldiers retreated from Madagali where they made a failed attempt to push out the insurgents and the recapture the town,” said Bello Alaramma who also ran away from Gulak to Mubi, 76 kilometres (48 miles) away.


“Boko Haram are now in control of Gulak,” headquarters of Madagali local government (municipality) in Adamawa state, Alaramma said.
Defence headquarters spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, declined to comment on Boko Haram seizure of more towns in the region.
Residents of Gulak became apprehensive when troops drove into the town in vans, trucks and armoured cars firing shots in the air in retreat after they were overpowered by the militants in Madagali, 20 kilometres away, said Ayuba Daniel, a Gulak resident. “Around 5:00pm (1600GMT) yesterday (Friday) we started seeing hordes of soldiers in vans, trucks and armoured cars driving through Gulak firing shots in the air and soon afterwards people from Madagali started trooping in telling us Boko Haram were on their way,” Daniel said.
“This forced us to flee to Mubi and nearby mountains to escape Boko Haram attack,” he said.
Residents of Mubi, 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital, Yola, said the town was “flooded” with people from Michika, Gulak and Madagali.
“Mubi is now flooded with people from Michika, Madagali, Gulak, Uba and other villages who have been trooping in since last night,” said Muhammad Maishanu, a Mubi resident.
“The influx is causing apprehension among people in Mubi who fear the influx would attract Boko Haram who have attacked Mubi before,” he said.
Mubi, the commercial hub of the state, has seen several attacks blamed on Boko Haram.
At least 40 people were killed in June when an explosion ripped through a soccer pitch in Mubi after a match
In October 2012 at least 40 students of a polytechnic college in the town were shot dead in attacks on student hostels.
Both attacks were blamed on Boko Haram, the sect whose heightened deadly attacks in the past weeks have won for them seizure of some key towns in Borno, including Gwoza and Bama, as well as Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/thousands-flee-as-boko-haram-seizes.html

A professor of Ophthalmology at the Lagos State Teaching hospital, LUTH, Prof Adebukola Adefule Oshitelu, has laid claims that ‘Genus Corchorus’ popularly known as Ewedu in Nigeria is capable of curing the Ebola Virus Disease.
She said this at the 2014 African Traditional Medicine organised by NAFDAC yesterday at Ikeja, Lagos state. The programme which was arranged for Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Conventional Medicine Practitioners was in
response for an urgent need of cooperation between the two health bodies in order to enhance better and reliable healthcare delivery system.


According to Oshitelu, Ewedu cures Ebola by improving an infected person’s immune system, likewise providing prevention against the deadly virus for uninfected persons.
“The qualities inside Ewedu is so much that it will kill Ebola by preventing the virus from replicating and destroying more organs in the body. This would immediately stop the symptoms such as high fever, stooling and vomiting. Ultimately, leading to the cure,” Oshitelu said.She further advised people to consume Ewedu on a regular basis but with strict adherence to its preparation and usage.
“The way it will be prepared will be different from the normal way they cook it. It should be washed and rinsed with liquid vinegar, afterwards blend and cook with drinkable water. No salt, potash or seasoning should be added, take 25cl of the concoction a week and it would boost a person’s immunity so that they become impregnable to the virus.” Oshitelu said.
However, In a statement made by the Director General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii who was represented by the Director of Laboratory Service, Stella Denloye, NAFDAC said it has banned illegal advertisement of herbal products and bogus claims of cure for diseases.
“Unpatriotic Nigerians who continue to engage in illegal advert of their products and those making false claims not evaluated by NAFDAC should desist from acts misleading the unsuspecting public. I want to warn and inform them that NAFDAC would deal decisively with anyone found to contravene,” Orhii said.
He noted that there was the need to institutionalise traditional medicine in the health systems worldwide including Nigeria.
He said the stigmatising of the traditional health care by modern/conventional medicine needed to stop. So much that in some countries, it is even illegal to practice it.
“Regulation is the key to ensuring that only good quality, safe and effective traditional/herbal medicines are available to consumers especially if traditional medicine and complementary medicine is to be integrated into the nation’s healthcare system,” Orhii said.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/ewedu-cure-for-ebola-luth-consultant.html

Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, was killed in a U.S. military operation, the Pentagon said Friday.
A look inside Al-Shabaab
"The U.S. military undertook operations against Godane on Sept. 1, which led to his death. Removing Godane from the battlefield is a major symbolic and operational loss to Al-Shabaab," said Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.


On Monday, U.S. military conducted a strike in the African country targeting Godane, who pledged allegiance to al Qaeda. He has headed the Al-Shabaab as it has terrorized East Africa, killing Somali officials, aid workers and others in a spate of suicide bombings. Godane allegedly was behind 2013's deadly siege of a Nairobi, Kenya, shopping mall.

source:http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/top-somali-militant-killed-in-us.html

Boko Haram is planning to launch attacks on Maiduguri following the fall of Bama, Borno state second largest city, an American official said on Thursday.
“We are very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri, which would impose a tremendous toll on the civilian population,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Assistant Secretary for African Affairs.
She spoke at the opening session of US-Nigeria, Bi-National Commission Regional Security Working Group meeting, held in Abuja, Nigerian capital.


Thomas-Greenfield said Nigeria should swallow its pride and do away with denials and acknowledge the threats posed by the deadly sect.
“This is a sober reality check for us all. We are past time for denial and pride,” she said.

A screengrab taken on August 24, 2014 from a video released by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram and obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau (C), delivering a speech at an undisclosed location.
She said despite collective efforts by Nigeria and its allies, the situation on the ground is worsening, adding that, ‘hundreds of thousands, if not millions’ of people in the Lake Chad region have been affected.
She said the attacks have gone beyond Nigeria and Cameroun. “The Chibok girls and others remain hostages, enduring horrible and tragic suffering,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
She said the announcement by Abubakar Shekau, the sect ruthless leader, that he is now governing a caliphate in the northeast only adds to the perception that security is ‘steadily worsening’.
To reverse the trend, she said, the United States is close to announcing the launch of a major border security programme under its Global Security Contingency Fund, which will include Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger.
She said the American government will continue to provide technical training to soldiers and policemen engaged in the fight against Boko Haram.
“As an important part of this training, we are pleased to provide advanced training to the Nigerian infantry battalion.”
However well trained the security agents are, Thomas-Greenfield said, Nigerians should realise that no conversation on security can be complete without addressing issues of accountability.
“Whether we are talking about election security or counter-insurgency,” she explained.
Thomas-Greenfield said the United States would continue to support Nigeria and its security services as long as they fulfil their responsibilities with “restraint and impartiality”.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/boko-haram-planning-attacks-on.html

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the formation of an Indian branch of his global armed group that he said would spread Islamic rule and "raise the flag of jihad" across the subcontinent.
In a video spotted in online "jihadist" forums on Wednesday by the SITE terrorism monitoring group, Zawahiri said the new force would "crush the artificial borders" dividing Muslim populations in the region.
Al-Qaeda is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where its surviving leadership are thought to be hiding out, but Zawahiri said the group would take the fight to India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.



"This entity was not established today but is the fruit of a blessed effort of more than two years to gather the mujahedeen in the Indian sub-continent into a single entity," he said.
Founded by Osama bin Laden, who was killed in Pakistan by US commandos in May 2011, al-Qaeda has long claimed leadership of the self-declared jihadists fighting to restore a single caliphate in Muslim lands.
But since the death of its figurehead, it has been somewhat eclipsed, first by its own offshoots in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and now by the so-called "Islamic State" fighting in Iraq and Syria.
While still regarded as a threat to the West, the group has never managed carry out another attack on the scale of the September 11, 2001 attacks by hijacked airliners on New York and Washington.
But, in launching "Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian sub-continent," Zawahiri may be attempting to recapture some of the limelight for his group and to exploit existing unrest in Kashmir and Myanmar.
"It is an entity that was formed to promulgate the call of the reviving imam, Sheikh Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy upon him," Zawahiri said.
'Waging jihad'
Zawahiri called on the "umma," or Muslim nation, to unite around "tawhid," or monotheism, "to wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty and to revive its caliphate."
He said the group would recognise the overarching leadership of the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar and be led day-to-day by senior Pakistani fighter Asim Umar.
The 55-minute video begins with stock footage of the late bin Laden giving a sermon, before cutting to a satellite map of southwest Asia, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent and the Horn of Africa.
Then it cuts to a white-bearded Zawahiri, in a white turban and glasses, against the backdrop of a brown floral curtain and desk with hardback books and a tin holding ballpoint pens and prayer beads.
Umar also speaks in the video - using the Urdu language of Pakistan rather than the Egyptian doctor Zawahiri's native Arabic - along with a new group spokesman identified as Usama Mahmoud.
The video is produced by Al-Qaeda's usual media arm, the As-Sahab Media Foundation - "The Cloud" - and SITE reported that it had been widely distributed on jihadist online forums.
'Policy statement'
Meanwhile the Pakistan Taliban has distanced itself from the recently formed splinter group Jamaat-ur-Ahrar and the Islamic State.
In a new "policy statement" released on Thursday, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Shahidullah Shahid termed both groups "suspicious" and "a conspiracy".
He said TTP has expelled its former Mohmand Agency commander Omar Khalid Khorasani or Abdul Wali, who founded the Jamaat-ur-Ahrar recently.
The Pakistan Taliban reiterated its allegiance to the Afghan Taliban and its leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar in a statement that comes on the same day as al-Qaeda announcing the formation of its new franchise in South Asia.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/al-qaeda-leader-announces-india-wing.html

Nigeria’s Islamist sect Boko Haram has captured the town of Banki, which borders Cameroun, after government troops fled, residents say.
Fears have been raised that their main target is Maiduguri, the capital of north-eastern Borno state.
Boko Haram’s “lightning territorial gains” could lead to Nigeria breaking up like Iraq, a think-thank has warned.
Residents from Banki say that government troops abandoned their posts as the militants advanced on the small border town on Tuesday.


Most of the people remaining in the town were women and children, as many of the men had fled, one man who was hiding in the bush nearby told the BBC Hausa service.
The militants have not harmed anyone in the town, residents said.
The capture of Banki gives Boko Haram leverage as it tries to secure territory beyond north-eastern Nigeria, says BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh.
Last month, Boko Haram leader’s declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under the group’s control, following a similar declaration by the Islamic State (IS) group, previously known by the acronym Isis, after it captured parts of Iraq and Syria.
“Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis’s lightning advances in Iraq,” the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) said in a special report released on Tuesday entitled North-East Nigeria On The Brink.
“If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict,” it said.
“A successful attack could be followed by a take over of the whole of Borno state and possibly parts of Adamawa, Yobe, and neighbouring Cameroon.”
The UN refugee agency has said the fighting has forced more than 10,000 people to flee to neighbouring Cameroon and Niger in the past week, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Meanwhile, regional foreign ministers have held talks in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to discuss the growing security threat.
Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad, Benin and Niger agreed to step up security co-operation, including intelligence-gathering, to defeat the militants, a statement issued after the meeting said.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/boko-haram-captures-banki-town-in-borno.html

The United States will pursue the killers of two American journalists "to the gates of hell," Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
"As a nation, we are united, and when people harm Americans, we don't retreat, we don't forget," he said at an appearance in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
"We take care of those who are grieving. And when that's finished, they should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice because hell is where they will reside. Hell is where they will reside."
Biden's words followed the U.S. authentication Wednesday of anISIS terror group video, released the day before, showing the beheading of journalist Steven Sotloff.
Troops deployed after ISIS video release
The killing is the second beheading of an American journalist in two weeks, and the militant group said it's a result of President Barack Obama's decision to conduct airstrikes in Iraq against ISIS, which also calls itself the "Islamic State."
Obama said the United States "will not be intimidated" by the killers.
"Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget ... that our reach is long and that justice will be served," the President said.
'A punch to the gut'
In a scene eerily similar to an earlier video of the death of U.S journalist James Foley, Sotloff kneels in the desert, dressed in an orange prison-style jumpsuit. A masked "executioner" lords over him, wielding a knife.
"I'm back, Obama, and I'm back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State," the executioner says. "Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the latest video shows ISIS' "unfathomable brutality."
"For so many who worked so long to bring Steven and the other Americans home safely, this was not how the story should've ended," he said in a statement Wednesday.
"It's a punch to the gut. The U.S. government has used every military, diplomatic and intelligence tool we have, and we always will. Our special operations forces bravely risked a military operation to save these lives, and we've reached out diplomatically to everyone and anyone who might be able to help. That effort continues, and our prayers remain -- as they always are -- with the families of all hostages who remain trapped in Syria today."
This summer, several dozen of the most elite U.S. commandos flew into Syria but couldn't find the hostages, including Sotloff and fellow journalist James Foley, a U.S. official told CNN last month.
British rescue attempt
The UK said it attempted to rescue one of its citizens held by ISIS "some time ago" but failed.
Ma: IS shows barbarism
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond provided scant details of the rescue attempt or any other plans in the works.
"You wouldn't expect me to discuss various options that we will be considering," he said. "But I can assure you that we will look at every possible option to protect this person."
Britain echoed the same sentiment as Obama.
"This country will never give into terrorism ... a country like ours will not be cowed by these barbaric killers," UK Prime Minister David Cameron said.
"Our thoughts are with the British hostage and his family," Cameron said Wednesday in the House of Commons.
'Degrade and destroy'
Speaking Wednesday, Obama addressed his much criticized statement last week that he has no strategy on ISIS. He said he was referring to a military strategy in Syria that "might" require congressional approval.
"Our objective is clear. That is to degrade and destroy (ISIS) so it's no longer a threat," he said. "We can accomplish that. It's going to take some time, it's going to take some effort."
Obama said the world needs a regional strategy to defeat the group.
"We've been putting together a strategy that was designed to do a number of things. ... What we have to make sure is we have a regional strategy in place," he said.
The video
The video of Sotloff's execution is similar to one released two weeks ago showing Foley's killing.
The executioner appears to be the same person, and the location of the two killings also appears to be similar, probably in or around the Syrian city of Raqqa, one of the safest areas for ISIS, said Peter Neumann, a professor at King's College London.
"It is almost the exact same choreography," Neumann said.
The journalist speaks; the executioner speaks. Then the victim is beheaded.
In the video released Tuesday, the British hostage is shown after the beheading of Sotloff, just as Sotloff was shown in Foley's video.
"This is a recruitment video," Chris Voss, a former FBI international hostage negotiator, said Wednesday about the latest release.
CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said it was an awful but calibrated response to U.S. airstrikes.
"This is ISIS doing the minimum possible to satisfy the blood lust of their supporters around the world," he said.
After Foley's death, the British ambassador to the United States said that experts in his country were close to identifying the killer. He has not yet been named.
A public memorial service has been scheduled for Sotloff on Friday in Miami.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/biden-us-to-pursue-isis-killers-to.html

The Islamic State has released a video of the purported murder of the US journalist Steven Sotloff, days after his mother pleaded with the group's leader to spare his life.
The armed group released the video of what it said was the 31-year-old's death on Tuesday. Internet monitors who have seen the video confirmed its content. Sotloff had been held hostage in Syria by the group since August 2013.

A US spokeswoman said Washington was trying to authenticate the "sickening" footage. British Prime Minister David Cameron said it depicted an "absolutely disgusting, despicable act."


The death comes two weeks after the group released a video showing the murder of James Foley, another US journalist, which a masked member of the Islamic State claims was revenge for US attacks on its fighters in Iraq.
In that video, Sotloff was pictured, with the fighter saying his life depended on US president Barack Obama's next move.
The killer in it appears to be the same man in both videos - a British-accented man dressed in black fatigues and balaclava.
Internet monitors who have viewed both videos said that Sotloff's hair was longer in the second.
Less than a week ago, Sotloff's mother, Shirley, directly addressed the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in an appeal for his release.
"You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you, please, release my child. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life,'' Mrs Sotloff said in the video.

Jan Psaki, of the US state department, said authorities were working to authenticate the video.
"If true, we are sickened by this brutal act. Our hearts go out to the Sotloff family," she said.
Several westerners are being held hostage by rebel groups in Syria.
On August 24, al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the Nusra Front freed the American writer, Peter Theo Curtis, who had been
missing since 2012, following what officials said were efforts by the Gulf state of Qatar.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has approved sending 350 more troops to help protect the US Embassy in Baghdad and its support facilities in the Iraqi capital, raising the number of US forces to more than 1,000, the White House said in a statement.
The additional troops will not serve in a combat role, the White House said.
Most are from the Army and some are Marines, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The additional troops will include a headquarters element, medical personnel, associated helicopters and an air liaison team, said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon's spokesman.

SOURCE: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/09/islamic-state-beheads-second-us.html