we did not lose 105 Soldiers -Nigerian Army

Nigerian Army denies losing 105 officers to Boko Haram

There were reports earlier today that Nigerian army lost 105 of their men during fight with Boko Haram but Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai has denied the reports. In a telephone conversation with Vanguard said, the army chief said

“It is not true that our soldiers are missing. The soldiers went on a mission for the Nigerian nation and they have since returned and joined their Battalions”.

General Buratai said that the insinuation is a figment of imagination of the authors of the story.

Back to school #Koredo Bello *pics*

Becoming #SomeBodyGreat: Korede Bello going back for his HND

To become #SomeBodyGreat, education can be a great asset. It is great to see the Mavin Superstar giving education priority, particularly with the challenge of juggling studies when you have one of the biggest songs in the country in #Godwin.  Today was his matriculation at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism,  where he will be getting his Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication. More photos after the cut...

  

With his new single,  #SomeBodyGreat featuring the legendary Asa, Korede Bello is on his way to becoming an “Eyan Pataki”  with the help of a great education.

Somebody Great featuring Asa

105 soldiers reported missing after fight with Boko haram.#prayfornigeria

105 soldiers reported missing after fight with Boko haram

No fewer than 105 soldiers are said to have gone missing after a gun battle with Boko haram sect members at Gudunbali, Borno State, on Wednesday November 18th. According to a report by Premium Times, the soldiers went missing after a fight with the insurgents who tried to capture the community early yesterday morning.


A T-72 tank as well as several artillery weapons from the unit were reportedly carted away by the sect members.

“Gudunbali was attacked this morning and some weapons were captured from the battalion. Two officers and 105 soldiers are still missing. They captured a T-72 tank from the unit and some artillery weapons were also captured. The commanding Officer (CO) of the battalion is yet to be seen but no one has been confirmed dead yet,” a source told PT.

The source also added that the sect members carted away a truck loaded with 60,000 rounds of AA ammunition and three artillery pieces. Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman as well as the spokesperson of the Army’s 7 Division, Tukur Gusau, both declined to comment on the matter, saying that the commander of the division would hold a press conference on the matter today November 19th.

BANK robbery in Agbara *photos*

Photos from the bank robbery at Agbara this morning

This morning armed robbers stormed a bank in Agbara and engaged the police in a gun battle. One person was killed, not sure if its an armed robber or a security guard. See more exclusive photos after the cut...

How we bombed Russian plane –ISIS

 1

BY OUR REPORTER ON NOVEMBER 19, 2015TRENDING

…Claims Norwegian, Chinese captives executed

THE Islamic State (ISIS) have revealed how it crashed the Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula last month, killing all 224 people on board.

The group’s official maga­zine carried a photo yesterday of what it said was the im­provised bomb that brought down the Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula last month, killing all 224 people on board.

ISIS said it had exploited a security loophole at Sharm al- Sheikh airport, where the Air­bus 321 originated, in order to smuggle a bomb on board.

According to the group, its initial plan was to bring down a plane belonging to a country participating in the U.S.-led coalition bombing it in Syria and Iraq but changed course after Moscow started its own airstrikes campaign in Syria.

“A bomb was smuggled onto the airplane, leading to the deaths of 219 Russians and 5 other crusaders only a month after Russia’s thought­less decision.”

Islamic State also said it had originally planned to bring down a Western plane over Egypt’s Sinai but changed its target to a Russian one after Moscow launched airstrikes in Syria.

It said it had smuggled the bomb onto the Russian plane after finding a security loop­hole at Sharm al-Sheikh air­port.

The photo showed a can of Schweppes Gold soft drink and what appeared to be a detonator and switch on a blue background.

“The divided Crusaders of the East and West thought themselves safe in their jets as they cowardly bombarded the Muslims of the Caliph­ate,” Dabiq magazine said. “And so revenge was exacted upon those who felt safe in the cockpits.”

The group also published a photo of what it said were passports belonging to dead Russians “obtained by the mujahideen”. It was not im­mediately possibly to verify the authenticity of the photos published in the magazine.

Islamic State said in its magazine on Wednesday that it had killed a Chinese and a Norwegian captive, showing what appeared to be pictures of the dead men with a banner reading “executed.”

In its previous issue of Dabiq, it had said the two captives were “for sale.”

Extra-judicial killings: IGP to rebrand SARS, police over misuse of firearms .....yes let somthing be done especially SARS

of INSPECTOR  general of police  (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, has vowed to rebrand the force’s Special Anti-Rob­bery Squad (SARS) to stem the high rate of extra-judicial killings and misuse of fire­arms by his men across the country.

Addressing the rank and file of the Oyo State Police Command at Eleyele, Ibadan, yesterday, during his one-day working visit to the state, he disclosed that the rebranding would be a holistic one, but would begin with SARS.

Arase was received by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who said the command has adopted community policing as a veritable tool for main­taining law and order in the state in line with the vision of the IGP.

The rebranding, Arase stated, would include train­ing, change of uniform and perception, change of in­vestigative skills and make members of the squad situate their activities within the dic­tate of the rule of law.

Arase, who earlier met with the critical stakeholders in the state such as traditional rulers, chiefs, religious lead­ers, farmers, Fulani herds­men, Bankers’ Forum, trans­porters and so on, warned that he would not hesitate to prosecute any policeman who misuses his firearm, adding that they must re­spect the rights of Nigeri­ans. The firearms, he said, were bought with taxpayers’ money, and so, the firearms should not be used against the taxpayers, adding: “We have been inundated with complaints about misuse of firearms.”

He said he had told all the Commissioners of Police that no officer was immune to the Criminal Law, and any po­liceman that shoots any Ni­gerian, would be prosecuted, adding: “I don’t want to hear that it was an accidental dis­charge or it was an error.”

Arase also read the riot act to the DPOs and Area Commanders against forc­ing subordinate officers to extort money from members of the public, warning that the junior officers are not to engage in any practice out­side the purview of police mandate.

Killing your own children ?not one,two,three but four *smch*

A 53-year-old man yesterday went berserk, slaughtering four of his children. The slain children were between the ages of eight and two; three males and one female.

The horrific incident which occurred in Kawo new extension area of Kaduna metropolis happened at about 4.pm.

The killer father identified as Mallam Saleh Magaji, also attempted to kill himself by trying to slit own throat.

When our correspondent visited the emergency ward of Saint Gerald Catholic hospital, Kaduna, Magaji was in his pool of blood with a deep cut in his throat.

At the time of filing this report, the bodies of the four children have been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

This was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the hospital, Mr. Sunday Ali.

The blood thirsty father was trying to speak to nurses and doctors on duty about the whereabouts of his children.

However, his wife was said to have escaped from being slaughtered, and reported the incident to the police.

When contacted, the Kaduna State police spokesman, DSP Abubakar Zubairu confirmed the incident.

DSP Zubairu said: “The wife came to report to us, and when police got to the house, they met the house locked. But the police called on the Mai Ungwan (village head) of the area to witness as the police forced the door open.

“When they opened the door, they saw the bodies of the slain four children. And police also discovered that the man scrolled something against the wall within the room, alleging that his wife had tried to poison him, and since she could not succeed, he decided to kill all members of the family, including himself, so that all of them can go to heaven”.

The police spokesman said that the police Command has launched investigation into the matter.

Pique and Shakira,we are not being blackmailed

Shakira and Gerard Pique deny claims they are being blackmailed over sex tape

Pop star Shakira and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, have denied claims that they paid huge sums of money to an ex-employee to prevent a sex tape involving the two of them from coming out to the public. The famous couple have been together for five years and have two sons, so they will no doubt be troubled by the recent speculation surrounding them.

According to the Spanish website Diario vasco, Pique and his pop star partner have been threatened by a former employee with the publishing of a video containing 'erotic content' if they do not part with a 'big sum of money'. But Pique's spokesperson has denied such reports.

Pique reportedly earns around £130,000 a week playing for Barcelona while his wife Shakira is a world renowned pop star with so many hit singles and regularly performs tours round the globe.

Honduras detains five Syrians headed to U.S. with stolen Greek passports

Honduran authorities have detained five Syrian nationals who were trying to reach the United States using stolen Greek passports, but there are no signs of any links to last week's attacks in Paris, police said.

The Syrian men were held late on Tuesday in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, on arrival from Costa Rica, and had been planning to head to the border with neighboring Guatemala. The passports had been doctored to replace the photographs with those of the Syrians, police said.

"We received information from (fellow) police services that these five Syrians left Greece and passed through Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and San Jose in Costa Rica before finally reaching Tegucigalpa," said Anibal Baca, spokesman for Honduras' police. "They are normal Syrians."

  

Pre.BUHARI retires federal high court judge over misconduct

Buhari retires Federal High Court judge over misconduct

PRESIDENT Muham­madu Buhari has approved the compulsory retirement of Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt Division for misconduct with immedi­ate effect.

The decision followed the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC) at its 74th meeting held between No­vember 4 and 5 to consider various allegations levelled against him by Shell Pe­troleum Company Nigeria Limited.

A statement by the acting Director Information of the council, Soji Oye said the allegations levelled against Justice Akanbi were con­tained in the petition, which the NJC considered.

The statement added that before his compulsory retirement, the NJC in the exercise of its constitu­tional powers, at the same meetings suspended him from office.

source:sun 

Blatter, Platini appeals against bans rejected

FIFA President Sepp Blatter and vice-presi­dent Michel Platini have had their appeals against 90-day bans rejected by world foot­ball governing body’s appeal committee.

They were suspended in October while FIFA’S eth­ics committee investigates corruption claims against them.

Blatter, 79, is accused of signing a contract “unfa­vourable” to FIFA and making a “disloyal payment” to Platini.

Both deny wrongdoing and could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was also suspended in October but there was no mention of him in Wednesday’s Fifa statement.

The adjudicatory panel of FIFA’S ethics committee is due to hold hearings into the misconduct charges before Christmas.

UEFA chief Platini – who wants to succeed Blatter as FIFA president – has said the 2m euros (£1.35m) payment was “valid compensation” from his time working under the Swiss more than nine years earlier.

They insist there was an oral agreement for the pay­ment in 1998, although it was not made until 2011.

Blatter and former France captain Platini were suspended after the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998.

The ethics committee also opened an inquiry into Platini over the payment.

Platini’s ban means his bid to succeed Blatter has had to be put on hold. He is one of seven candidates for the presidential election on 26 February but no integrity check will be carried out until his case is resolved.

Court orders DSS to produce Kanu, Radio Biafra director, November 23

AS demonstrations over the continued detention of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu rages in the South-East and some parts of South-South, an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court ,yesterday ordered the De­partment of State Services (DSS) to produce him un­failingly before the court on Monday, November 23.

Chief Magistrate Shauibu Usman gave the order after Kanu, who was expected to answer criminal charges brought against him by the Federal Government, was not in court yesterday.

The DSS failed to bring Kanu to court yesterday de­spite an order of the court made on October 23 to that effect.

When his case was called, Usman insisted that no trial can continue in a crimi­nal case in the absence of the accused, adding that the only condition that can make a court to excuse the absence of an accused had not arisen.

Prosecution counsel, Mr. Moses Idakwo told the court that Kanu was not brought to court because of an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to continue the trial, which was already slated for hear­ing. Idakwo told the court that as soon as the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court has been re­solved, the DSS would pro­duce him in the court.

However, Usman did not take to Idakwo’s submis­sion. He reminded him that on October 23, he made an order that the accused must at all time be brought to court throughout the trial.

Kanu is standing trial on criminal conspiracy, man­aging and belonging to an unlawful society and crimi­nal intimidation, contrary to Section 97, 97B and 397 of the Penal Code.

Also, a faction MAS­SOB has dared the Nigerian Army over its threat to use minimal force to contain on pro-Biafran agitators, say­ing the threat was “a sign of cowardice.”

This is even as an activ­ist, Mr. Chukwuemeka Mba said the army should be pre­pared to kill over five mil­lion Igbo youths should the authorities carry out their threat.

Mba said the Nigerian Army should know that Igbo youths were prepared to die in pursuit of their freedom, stressing that “over five million of them are prepared to die should army make due its threat.”

In a statement following the threat by the Nigeria Army, MASSOB Director of Information, Uchenna Madu said it was unfortu­nate that the Army has de­cided to descend “so low by threatening non-violent Biafra agitators.”

Madu described the Army threat as “a sign of Biafra’s awesome powers that have enveloped the Nigeria sys­tem.”

In solidarity with Kanu’s trial in Abuja yesterday, his groups shut down markets in Aba, Abia State. Closure of such markets as Ariaria, Ahia Ohuru (New market), Eziukwu among others, caused many traders and visitors who were unaware of the planned closure to be stranded.

It was gathered that some IPOB members, on Tuesday evening, went round various markets in Aba, announcing that there won’t be trading activities in the respective markets as they reasoned it would be unfair for them to open for business while their son, (Nnamdi Kanu) would be standing trial over his call for a sovereign state of Biafra.

Reports from various markets indicated that IPOB members left in some commercial buses for Abuja ahead of the commence­ment of his trial which was scheduled to hold yesterday.

source:sun

Check out North West, the little fashionista..awww loving that g

Check out North West, the little fashionista

When you have parents that are fashionistas like Kim K and Kanye West, then there's no doubt that you will be a fashionista. Little North West, 2, was seen in a turtle neck, distressed jeans and a cute pink handbag as she walked with her 3 year old cousin Penelope Disick and their nannies in Calabasas, California. More photos after the cut...

Killer squad after Ekweremadu, Akpabio, Ogor, others, PDP alleges 2

BARELY 24 hours after al­leged assassination attempt was made on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwer­emadu, national leadership of opposition Peoples Dem­ocratic Party (PDP) alleged the Presidency and certain stalwarts of the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) were behind the attack.

Ekweremadu’s media advise on Tuesday said his convoy was attacked by un­known gunmen on his way to the National Assembly. The police denied knowl­edge of the attack.

But, addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, PDP National Public­ity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, alleged that the attempt on Ekweremadu’s life was part of a coordinated plot to elim­inate key figures of the party.

Flanked by the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Ola­dipo and National Organ­ising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha, he listed Acting national Chairman, Uche Secondus, members of the party’s National Working Committee, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, and the acting Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Haliru Bello Mohammed as targets of gunmen, based on intelligence information.

“We have informed Ni­gerians that key PDP lead­ers were being trailed and that the APC administration should be held responsible should any of them suddenly become victim of ‘terror attacks’, unexplained acci­dents, kidnapped or sudden­ly being killed by ‘armed robbers’.

“Nigerians are witnesses to the increasing muzzling of opposition using secu­rity forces, judicial perse­cution and other devious means aimed at decimating our party to pave way for the imposition of one-party state, all in the desperate bid by this particular regime to forcefully retain power in 2019…”

Boko Haram ranked ahead of ISIS for deadliest terror group lol

Boko Haram ranked ahead of ISIS for deadliest terror group

As much of the world remains focused on the Islamic State and its horrific attacks in Paris, another radical band of extremists has, by one account, captured the infamous title of the world’s deadliest terrorist group: Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, the militant group that has tortured Nigeria and its neighbors for years, was responsible for 6,664 deaths last year, more than any other terrorist group in the world, including the Islamic State, which killed 6,073 people in 2014, according to a report released Wednesday tracking terrorist attacks globally.

The death toll in Nigeria mounted on Wednesday, with a bombing in Kano State in northern Nigeria, not even a full day after Boko Haram was suspected in an explosion that killed and injured dozens in another nearby region.

In Kano, the authorities said that two female suicide bombers detonated vests at a cellphone market at about 4 p.m., killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens. Witnesses and Red Cross officials said that as many as 50 or 60 people died, though the number could not be independently confirmed. Officials accused Boko Haram in the attacks.

 

In a statement Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari called for Nigerians to stay vigilant, saying that even his recently intensified military operation against Boko Haram could not prevent every attack.

“President Buhari reassures Nigerians that his administration is very much determined to wipe out Boko Haram in Nigeria and bring all perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity to justice,” the release said.

Pres. Buhari, who took office in May, ran on a platform of eliminating Boko Haram, which he has pledged to do by the end of December, as well as cutting back on corruption that has dogged the nation.

 

This week, Pres. Buhari accused the previous administration’s national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, of pocketing more than $2 billion that had been allocated for warplanes, helicopters and other military gear to fight Boko Haram. Mr. Dasuki has denied the allegations.

 

Pres. Buhari has announced recent victories against Boko Haram, including seizing bomb-making materials and winning battles in the forest.

 

But still the bombings have come at a rapid clip in recent weeks, bringing death to a food market in Kano, areas of Niger and Cameroon and a village in Chad, prompting officials to call a state of emergency there.

 

Boko Haram has pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State, but it is unclear what support the group is giving Boko Haram beyond assisting with publicity.

 

The report released Wednesday, from the Institute of Economics & Peace, said the Islamic State and Boko Haram were responsible for half of all global deaths attributed to terrorism.

 

Last year, the deaths attributed to Boko Haram alone increased by more than 300 percent, the report said.

 

The report found a drastic increase in terrorist attacks last year, with the majority occurring in three countries: Iraq, Syria and Nigeria, where other militant groups besides Boko Haram operate.

“In Nigeria, private citizens are overwhelmingly targeted, most often with firearms resulting in very high levels of deaths per attack,” according to the report.

Security experts, regional authorities and Western military officials have credited Pres. Buhari’s renewed push against Boko Haram for scattering the group, which gained notoriety in the United States when it kidnapped scores of schoolgirls and seized entire towns in northern Nigeria.

 

They say the string of recent attacks on various public places is evidence that the group is grasping to gain real ground and is no longer as capable of holding territory. Still, attacks in crowded spots like schools and markets, long a staple of Boko Haram’s mayhem, can be extremely deadly.

 

This is the third year the economics and peace institute has released its Global Terrorism Index, a study of terrorist activity around the world. The index is based on data collected as part of a program run by the University of Maryland dedicated to the study of terrorism around the world.

 

In Cameroon, the report said Boko Haram had expanded its reach into the country with bombings.

 

 

 

Source: NY Times

We shall end fuel SCARCITY -OIL MARKETERS

By Michael Eboh
OIL marketers, yesterday, promised to support measures put in place by the Federal Government to end the fuel crisis currently witnessed across the country in the next couple of days.

This was even as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, stated that 37.97 million litres of fuel, comprising about 557 truckloads of the products were distributed to petrol stations across the country, Tuesday, November 17, 2015.

A statement by the NNPC in Abuja, said the marketers, at the end of a strategy session convened by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to address the fuel situation, pledged in unison to end the fuel queues as soon as possible. The oil marketers in attendance at the meeting included members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA and the Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria, JEPTFON.

Kachikwu urged the marketers to pick up the gauntlet and activate all necessary machinery and mechanism to guarantee unimpeded distribution of petroleum products across the country. While pledging to eliminate all bottlenecks to fast track the process, Kachikwu urged the oil marketers to see the initiative as a national call to action. “We have gotten DPR, PEF and PPPRA to be a bit more flexible with the rules to allow for more movement of trucks and products massively,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of MOMAN, Femi Olawore, Secretary General of the Association was emphatic that the majors are willing and ready to work with the Petroleum Ministry and the NNPC to restore normalcy to the fuel situation. “For us there is only one thing that we know how to do and that is to sell petroleum products in accordance with the law. For us it is just a matter of few days before we get to normalcy,” Olawore intoned.

He noted that MOMAN will never do anything that is against prevailing regulations on the supply and distribution of petroleum products.

Commitment  of members

Dapo Abiodun, leader of the DAPPMA delegation pledged the commitment of his members to work towards the achievement of Federal Government’s objective in ensuring free flow of petroleum products across the country.

Chief Ifeanyi Uba, Chairman of JEPTFON while pledging the readiness of the petroleum tank farm owners to support the initiative, called for government assistance in clearing the perennial traffic carnage at the Apapa loading gantries.

In the area of fuel supply across Nigeria, the amount of fuel dispatched across the country represented a 0.8 per cent decline or 0.308 million litres less than the 38.278 million litres distributed to oil marketers across the country on Monday. Giving a breakdown of supply in its ‘Fuel Dispatch Report to Filling Stations,’ the NNPC stated that 5.74 million litres of fuel  was dispatched to petrol stations from the Suleja depot; 1.514 million was dispatched from the Kaduna depot, Kano depot gave out 3.87 million litres while Gusau depot sent out 1.589 million litres.

Mosimi, Satellite and Ilorin depots dispatched 4.33 million litres, 2.55 million litres and 0.585 million litres respectively, to oil marketers; Ore depot sent out 0.427 million litres; while Ibadan and Gombe depots dispatched 1.107 million litres and 2.395 million litres respectively. Others are: Enugu depot – 2.933 million; Makurdi depot – 1.58 million; Port Harcourt depot – 0.033 million litres among others.

In other words, the report stated that 154 trucks were dispersed to petrol stations in Abuja and environs from the Suleja depot; 38 trucks, 84 trucks and 39 trucks were dispatched from the Kaduna, Kano and Gusau depots respectively. Others are: Mosimi depot – 125 trucks; Ilorin depot – 74 trucks; Ore depot – 11 trucks and Ibadan depot – 32 trucks.

Meanwhile, the fuel crisis situation continued yesterday, with long queues still visible in most petrol stations in Abuja. However, almost all the petrol stations were dispensing the product, obviously, for fear of sanctions, following the warning of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu.

source: VANGUARD