News & Announcements

In what is a success story in the ongoing fight against insurgency an Banditry in Nigeria, the Nigerian troop, on Thursday, arrested 22 bandits as well as their informants, and recovered more than 30 cows.
The troop, code-named ‘Operation Sahel Sanity, nabbed the 22 bandits and their collaborators, as well as rescued the rustled cattle in their mop up activities between August 5 and August 11, 2020.

This was disclosed on Thursday by Brigadier Generak Benard Onyeuko, the acting Director Defense Media Operations, in a press statement released to the media.
He said on August 5, 2020, troops deployed to Batsari LGA of Katsina State foiled a coordinated bandits attack on residents of Zamfarawa Kagara Village in the state. 
“The bandits invaded the village and stole several cows but while attempting to escape with them, troops arrived the vicinity and engaged the bandits, neutralized one, while others escaped with gunshot wounds. 
“All the rustled cows were successfully recovered and handed to their rightful owners,” he state.  

Similarly, the operation’s spokesperson said on August 6, 2020, troops deployed at Forward Operation Base Dangulbi arrested a suspected bandit informant, one Rabiu Salisu; the suspect, he said, was arrested following credible information on his nefarious activities with bandits operating in the area. 

“Also, troops deployed at the Forward Operations Base Bagega arrested two bandits’ collaborators named Sani Sani and Sani Abubakar who were reported to be specialists in selling of bandits’ stolen cows and other items. 
“They were arrested while butchering a cow for sale and have since confessed to collecting it from the bandits during interrogation.”  
Furthermore, he added that the troops recovered 17 cows from suspected cattle rustlers at Dogon Ruwa Village, adding that, the cows were recovered from suspected bandits who abandon them and fled as troops storm the village following information of their activities from reliable sources.
In another development, Onyeuko said troops on fighting patrol arrested a suspected bandit’s informant and logistics supplier named Saifullahi Adamu at Garin Dodo village in Katsina State following credible information about his elicit engagements with suspected bandits. 

According to him, his wife, Hauwa Abubakar alleged that the suspect forcefully married her, while her husband’s associates accused her of reporting their activities to security agencies thereby subjecting her to several abuses. Hauwa was rescued and has been handed over to the Katsina State Government while the suspect is in custody for further interogation.
“On the August 7, 2020, troops deployed at Forward Operation Base Anka, while on patrol, arrested 2 suspected bandits’ couriers named Abdulrazi and Ismaila at Malamawa village in Anka LGA of Zamfara State in connection with butchering and selling of stolen cows.’

Furthermore, troops arrested another 3 suspected bandits’ couriers members named Hassan Mallam, Kabiru Ahmadu and Surajo Muhammadu of Sabon Birni and Munhaye villages at Pasawa-Magami Road of Zamfara State. All the suspects are presently undergoing investigation, he maintained.
Onyeuko also said that on August 7, 2020 troops deployed at Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State responded to information on the activities of cattle rustlers and quickly mobilized to the area. 
“The criminals abandoned their loot on sensing approaching troops who recovered 8 cattles in the process which were immediately handed over to their rightful owners.’
Similarly, he said on the same day, troops arrested a suspected bandit named Sabiu Sani. Investigations revealed that, the suspect was previously arrested by vigilante group but escaped from custody. 
In another operation following a tip-off troops deployed to Faskari equally arrested 5 suspected bandits in a blue Hyundai car with registration number Katsina 107 BAK. The suspects are presently undergoing interrogation. 

“Furthermore, on August 8, 2020, troops arrested one suspected cattle rustler named Sallahu Rabiu at Natsinta Village with 3 rustled cows. 
“The suspect confessed to have been operating with a gang of cattle rustlers and efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of his gang”. 

In the same vein, he revealed that, troops deployed at Wagini arrested a suspected bandit name Usman Suleiman, while trying to sneak into the village from the forest in search of food. He admitted to be part of a bandit group terrorizing Batsari general area.
According to him, several other arrests were made at Mara, Bingi, Tunga Rakumi, Lebi Fulani, Yarsanta, Yar Gamji and Dumburum forest areas in Katsina and Zamfara states during which about eight suspected Bandits were arrested and unspecified numbers of cattles recovered by the troops.

While assuring the people of the North west of the Army’s commitment to their safety, he said the Chief of Army Staff has commended the troops for their gallantry, successes and resilience, urging them not to rest on their oars.

The Malawian priest of the Catholic faith has impregnated 30 Reverend Sisters.
Pope Francis confirmed the news. This is the first time such report is coming from Malawi Diocese.

The clergyman whom can be said to be a bishop, instead of leaving priesthood, deemed it best to stay and now, he will have to face the humiliation of placing nuns under his care, into a family way.

Reports from many senior members of women’s religious orders and from a priest, states that cases of nuns being abused have been recorded from about 23 countries of the world.

Women who took the oath of Celibacy base on religious orders and beliefs have encountered abuse by those in charge, especially the Priest.

This cases of abuse sometimes end in pregnancy or abortion. The unfortunate thing is that the leaders of the church have failed in their responsibility which is to discipline such actions.

Walter Carrington, former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, is dead.He died at age 91.
The sad news was disclosed to the media by his wife, Arese Carrington.
Mrs. Carrington said: “It is with a heavy and broken heart but with gratitude to God for his life of selfless humanity that I announce the passing of my beloved husband Walter Carrington, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and Senegal.
“He passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones at the age of 90 years old on Tuesday, August 11th, 2020.”

Walter Carrington is noted for a running battle with Nigeria’s late dictator, General Sani Abacha.
Late Carrington helped to champion the return of Democratic rule in Nigeria, a fight that pitted him against Nigerian authorities, particularly the late Abacha.
A street in the highbrow Victoria Island, ‘Walter Carrington Crescent’ was named after him by subsequent Nigerian Government in appreciation of his role in the country’s democratic struggle.

The Nigerian State of Ebonyi has come down hard on offenders of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), with a five years imprisonment or fine of N500,000, or both.
Thus anyone convicted of aiding the act would be commuted to three to five years in prison,  with an option of N300,000 to N500,000 or both. 

This was disclosed on Wednesday by Dr. Emmanuel Abah, Ebonyi State Director,  National Orientation Agency (NOA),  on the occasion of advocacy dialogue with traditional leaders on support for the elimination of FGM/,  end violence against women and children, birth registration,  as well as containment of COVID-19. 

The event was organized at Ishielu and Ivo local government areas of  Ebonyi State by NOA with support from UNICEF.
Abah explained that Ebonyi State Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) laws spell out, among others:
“If you perform or assist someone to perform FGM/C you can be sent to prison for 3- 5 years or pay a fine of  N300,000 to N500,000.
“If you incite, aid, abet, or counsel another person to perform FGM/C, you can be sent to prison for 1- 2 years of pay a fine of 200,000 to 300,000.”

Mr. Victor Atuchukwu, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, Enugu Field Office, represented by  Mr. Benjamin Mbakwem,  expressed delight for being part of the program,  explaining that the practice of FGM was an act of violence against children in the state.

He explained that the essence of the advocacy dialogue was to x-ray the health implications of some harmful practices against the girl-child and provide ways of securing their overall well-being. 
He stressed the need for all hands to be on deck towards the elimination of FGM/C in the State.
“Harmful cultural practices violate human rights and negatively affect the physical, mental, spiritual, and well being of the individual. 
“These practices include the inscription of tribal marks, widow inheritance, early marriage, preference for sons over daughters, forced marriage, nutritional taboos focusing on pregnant women, girl and infant, among others.

“Factors reinforcing culture and tradition are ignorance, lack of information, traditional myths, tradition of silence, religious misinterpretation, social pressure, gender inequality, fear of being cast out, community enforcement mechanism.
“FGM leads to VVF, the transmission of diseases, infection, low self-esteem, prolonged labour, infection, uncontrollably bleeding that may lead to death, among others.”

The Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has sacked the instruction’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
The Governing Council announced the sacking of the Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday in Abuja after their meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission (NUC) at the Nigerian capital.

At the meeting presided over by the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Dr. Wale Babalakin, the majority of the members voted for the VC’s removal, even as four voted for him to remain at his position while one called for his suspension.

The Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram, has struck again in many Borno Communities late Monday evening, killing so many natives and rustling their cattle. 
The communities attacked, according to an official of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State, North-East Nigeria, where the affected communities are located, Mallam Wali, have a lot of their residents still missing as of press time.
He said those killed in this latest attack include farmers and herders after rustling hundreds of their domestic animals.
Magumeri is North and about 40 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state capital, which has witnessed a series of Boko Haram attacks.
Some sources said the latest attack forced hundreds of displaced persons from the affected communities of Puciwa and Koleram to take refuge at Magumeri town, with no presence of police and other security agents.

Confirming the incident, the acting Secretary of the council, Mallam Wali, said the whole communities bordering Magumeri Local Government headquarters, Gubio Council, and Gajigana axis, near Nganzai council area, were currently under Boko Haram control.

He said: “We are much terrified with the latest and deadly attacks by insurgents.

“The whole communities bordering Magumeri Local Government, Gubio council and Gajigana axis, near Nganzai Council Area, have been terrorized.

“As I speak to you, communities of Puciwa and Koleram are under Boko Haram control.

“This fresh incident has left many of my people dead and injured, while an unspecified number of those who survived the onslaught has relocated to Magumeri for safety, as their means of livelihoods have been jeopardized.

“But we are doing our best to ensure that the displaced ones are properly taken care of, as we collaborate with security agencies to find lasting peace in the communities.”

James Harris, popularly known as Kamala the Ugandan Giant, who was a former professional wrestler, has died of Coronavirus complications, aged 70 years.
“Unfortunately, the rumors were correct,” Kenny Casanova, coauthor of Harris’ autobiography, ‘Kamala Speaks’, wrote on Facebook. “To make matters worse, it was Corona that took him; he was one of the good ones.”

Harris shot to fame in the 1980s heyday of pro wrestling, battling superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and The Undertaker for World Wrestling Entertainment, then known as the WWF, or World Wrestling Federation
Wrestling icon Bret “The Hitman” Hart said Harris played “a terrifying monster” in the ring, with his tribal mask, face paint and body paint on his 6’7”, 380-pound frame. But the reality couldn’t have been more different.

“Unlike his heel character, he was one of the friendliest, nicest, happy-go-lucky guys I ever knew in pro wrestling,” Hart wrote on Instagram. “Always a kind and happy gentle soul. I’ll miss him for always being so good to me.”
Also unlike his character, Harris was not from Uganda. He was from Mississippi. “I’ve never been to Uganda,” Harris told Bleacher Report in a 2014 profile: In 2012, Harris told Memphis CBS station WREG that he was working as a truck driver when wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler suggested the character to him.

“Lawler saw me and said I got a good idea for you,” Harris said. “He put the paint and stuff on me and they put the little skirt on me. I like doing that kind of stuff.” Harris said the sport was good, but the money wasn’t and after increasingly sporadic appearances for a different organization, he finally tapped out of wrestling for good in 2010.

“People think I earned millions of dollars because I wrestled guys like Hogan,” Harris told The Tampa Bay Times last year. “That’s not the truth.”
Harris eventually went back to driving trucks until he suffered a series of health setbacks, losing both of his legs to diabetes in 2011. He was reportedly on life support in 2017 after a medical emergency.
“Kamala was one of the most believable monsters in wrestling,” wrote Casanova. “He played the role perfectly, but was also one of the nicest guys you could meet.”

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, has threatened both present and former governors of Borno State, the epicenter of the nefarious activities of the dreaded terrorists.
In a new video released on Sunday, the Boko Haram leader threatened to deal with Professor Babangid Zulum of Borno State as well as former Governor Kashim Shettima of the same state.

Shekau also listed the Nigerian National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and extremist analyst Bulama Bukarti and former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung. 
In the 56-minute video, Shekau translated the Nigerian and NYSC national titles into Arabic, Hausa and Kanuri. He claimed that all Nigerian Muslims who read the caption, to the faith deserve to be killed.
He went on to say that any Muslim who reads the Nigerian national anthem at school or elsewhere, is a disbeliever even if he is praying and fasting. 

In the video, he threatened that anyone who recites the Nigerian anthem in school or elsewhere is a disbeliever even if they pray and fast. The new video comes a few days after the United States warned that Boko Haram had begun expanding its activities from the North East to the North West.

For singing a Christian song considered blasphemous to Prophet Mohammed, a 22 years old Kano State-born Christian, Yahaya Aminu Sharif, has been sentenced to death.
Reading the sentence at the Upper Shari’a Court in Kano on Monday, presiding Khadi (judge), Aliyu Muhammad Kani, said Sharif was sentenced to death by hanging for blaspheming the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

Kani, in what has been described by some core adherents of the Shari’a legal system as a landmark verdict, found Sharif guilty for masterminding a religious song that was deemed blasphemous to the revered religious figure. 
Sharif, a resident of Sharifai in Kano metropolis was accused of committing blasphemy against the prophet in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020.
Following the incident, protesters burnt down the singer’s family home and led a procession to the Kano Hisbah Command’s headquarters.

Sharu Aminu Shariff Shu’aibu, father of a Kano singer had last March disowned his son and described his actions of the renegade son as contrary to Islamic teachings.
Mr. Shu’aibu, who paid a visit to the headquarters of the Kano Hisbah board to douse tension last had on that August occasion revealed that his son Yahaya Shariff Aminu (Baban Gona), was not living at his house when he committed the crime.
He added that he did not share Mr. Baban Gona’s religious views. “I want to categorically inform the general public that blasphemy is not my ideology, and I promise to arrest him (my son) and hand him over to security agents whenever he is found. “If I had the authority to punish him by law, I will do that right away”.

Similarly, the court has also sentenced one Umar Farouq of the Sharada area of Kano metropolis to 10 years imprisonment for making derogatory statements concerning the Almighty Allah in a public argument.
Both convicts have been taken to Kano Central Prison.

Afraid that the civil servants and of course the general public are using social media to promote anti-government activities, the Nigerian Government has begun the regulation of social media usage among the civil servants.

Saying social media should be used to promote and support the activities of government, the government described the acts of using social media to disparage its activities as improper and against public service rules.

The statement from the Federal Government late Sunday read: “Government has noted with concern the improper participation of public servants in various media platforms, most especially Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter applications among others to the extent of disclosing sensitive official government information and correspondences.

“Consequent to the above, all public servants in the state are reminded that unauthorized disclosure of official information and false allegations against the government officials are acts of serious misconduct punishable under Public Service Rules (PSR) No. 030401. 

“In addition, the unethical participation of some serving public servants in the social media put to question their loyalty to the government, which is also serious misconduct and it violates Public Service Rules (PSR) No.030403, as such public servants are to remain strictly guided on the way and manner to use the social media platforms, respecting the civil service pristine dictum of being reticent characters,” the notice issued by Lawal Ado Dustin-ma, Permanent Secretary (Administration), for Head of Civil Service, reads.

The government directed all permanent secretaries and chief executive officers of government ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals are directed to “inform all staff under them to remain vigilant on the movement of sensitive government documents”.