Conflicting claims trail purported killing of Boko Haram leader, Shekau

If the ongoing report from the troubled Northeast Nigeria is anything to go by, then a prominent Boko Haram Commander suspected to be the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau might have been killed.
However, one report that appears conflicting is whether the alleged victory was actually won by the Nigerian Army or the Cameroonian soldiers.

The conflicting reports stemmed from the claim by troops of both countries of being responssible for the death of the most wanted terrorist in the North.

While troops from Cameroon on Sunday night claimed responsibility for killing Shekau with photos of the Boko Haram leader’s corpse as one of the proofs, the Nigerian Army has equally claimed that its troops killed the sect leader. The report from the side of the Nigerian troops was however not supported by images.

The conflict in the claim equally became visible when troops from Cameroon said it killed Shekau at the Gamboru Ngala border town, contrary to claims by the Nigerian Army that said Shekau was killed in Konduga town, few kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
Both troops also have different versions to how the terrorist was allegedly killed. While Cameroon military disclosed that Shekau was killed in an aerial bombardment in his hideout inside Nigeria, the Nigerian military claimed that its troops might have killed Shekau on September 17 when the sect members tried to capture Konduga, and consequently invade Maiduguri.
The Nigerian Military has further claimed that “It is getting more certain that the terrorists’ commander who has been mimicking Shekau in those videos is the one killed in Konduga on September 17, 2014″.

The military however cautioned that, “The process of confirming that the dead body we have is the same as that character who has been posing as Shekau is ongoing. He is definitely a prominent terrorist Commander. I don’t want to say anything about this yet please.”

A military source had further revealed that the semblance between Shekau and the corpse in their custody was too striking and cannot be a coincidence, citing his facial marks, beards and teeth in addition to the recovery by the Nigerian troops of some of the Armoured Vehicles and Hilux jeeps that had featured in previous videos of the prime suspect as possible evidences.
The Army further assured that the Defence Headquarters will soon address the nation after full investigation is carried out to verify the real identity of the dead leader.

Cannibalism!!! Granny, 2 others nabbed for using boy for pepper-soup

Three people including the paternal grandmother have been arrested by the Niger State police command for slaughtering a 9-year-old boy and using the body to prepare peper soup delicacy.

The incidence happened in Koso village in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State.

Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, Mr. Olusola Amore, told newsmen that the family of the late boy had reported Liman Doo Mohammed’s mysterious disappearance to the police on the 9th of last month.

However, another report hinted the police that they should beam their search light on the paternal grandmother of the deceased, because he was last seen in her company.

He said based on this vital information, detectives were put on red alert to closely monitor the grandmother called Fatima Sarki’s movement.

Also arrested with her were other relations suspected to be her collaborators.

Amore said on interrogation, the grandmother confessed to have been involved in the dastardly act and mentioned one Zhitsu Aliyu whom she said actually slaughtered the boy.

Another accomplice mentioned was one Amina Musa, who was accused of helping to cook the boy’s remains.

All the suspects have been charged to court on a three count charge of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and cannibalism.

According to the Commissioner, ”The pots and plates the suspects used in cooking and serving themselves with the said cooked human flesh were recovered and are now exhibits.”

The Commissioner revealed that between the months of August and September this year, a total of 65 raids were carried out within the state and a total of 182 suspects were arrested.

According to him, 39 of them were released after interrogation while 143 have already been charged to court for various offences.

He called on people of the state to join hands with him in waging total war against crime and criminals in the state.

Can You Imagine-Some Boko Haram terrorists surrender, plead for mercy

The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that some Boko Haram terrorists have begun to surrender with their weapons voluntarily following relentless onslaught by troops.

This is contained in a statement posted on the DHQ website on Sunday.

“Some of them submitted themselves and their weapons to the leadership of the troops in Konduga during a further campaign at the weekend.

“As the heat on the terrorists continues, five terrorists surrendered on Saturday (Sept. 20) with all their weapons to troops at Konduga pleading for mercy.’’

According to the statement, other captured terrorists who refused to surrender have also been giving useful information on the subsequent plans of the group in an apparent effort to cooperate.

The DHQ recalled that in the last few days there had been several attempts by desperate terrorists to gain entry into Konduga which were foiled by the troops.

The terrorists’ move, according to the statement, is aimed at recovering the bodies of their prominent fighters who died in previous encounters in the area.

The DHQ also said that its troops had recovered more weapons during mop-up operations while some of their terrorists’ vehicles had been destroyed.

Iyanya offers Nicki Minaj $300,000 for ‘collabo’

Nigerian pop sensation, Iyanya Mbuk is trying to secure a duet with sexy American rapper, Nicki Minaj, Nigerian Entertainment Today.

A top industry source confirmed the Project Fame winner is willing to pay Nicki as much as $300,000 – approximately N50m – to jump on a track with him.

With talks already having reached an advanced stage between both camps, Iyanya, who just returned to the country from London where he performed at a classy society wedding, is set to jet back to the United States to seal the deal.

‘It’s an ongoing project,’ a source tells NET. ‘He has to now go back to Los Angeles again to try and get her on the track’. Minaj, who has won four American Music Awards, eight BET Awards, two MTV Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards among others, is signed to Young Money Entertainment.

She has never collaborated with a Nigerian act. There were, however, recent reports of a pending collaboration with KCEE who, like Iyanya, is an MTN Ambassador.

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Synagogue Building Collapse: Death toll rises to 44, with 139 rescued

The death toll from last Friday’s collapsed five-storey building owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, in Ikotun area of Lagos State, rose to 44, yesterday. 25 bodies were recovered by rescue workers from the rubble.

On the other hand, six persons, all women, were reportedly rescued alive, thereby raising the number of survivors to 139.

Meantime, the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, while condoling with General Overseer of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua and members of the church, advised that staff and members of the church, should allow emergency workers could do their work. Fashola gave the advice when he visited the scene, yesterday.

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Liberian woman hangs herself in Lagos

Confusion broke out at Bankole Street, Isheri-Oke, Lagos on Friday morning when residents woke up to discover that a woman was hanging on a tree.

The woman, popularly called Kate, was found dead in a black sweater and orange skirt under a pear tree.

It was gathered from one of the residents that the woman did not live on the street.

A resident who didn’t disclose her identity said the woman was a Liberian who was working in a sachet water factory.

Report says that for some time now, the woman had been looking sick and pale and that she did not appear to be having any problem with anyone in the community.

However, after the outbreak of the Ebola disease that was imported to Nigeria by a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, some of the people in the area opted to start avoiding her because she is Liberian.

“We see her in this neighbourhood every day. She always looked sick, so people stopped selling to her after the Ebola outbreak. It could be because she was Liberian and looked sickly. This might have frustrated her,” said one of the residents who wished to remain anonymous.

Another neighbour who also pleaded anonymity said, “She attended a church in the area and her church members still saw her yesterday. I used to see her every day in the dress she died in. She was sick and people in this area had avoided her, especially after the Ebola outbreak.”

Information gathered from some landlords, who are members of the Isheri Oke Community Development Association confirmed that the incident has been reported to the Isheri Police Division.

4 passengers die after ferry capsizes in Lagos

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 destinations.

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20 feared killed as Fulani herdsmen invade Taraba village

No fewer than twenty persons have been feared dead and scores of others injured when Fulani herdsmen allegedly invaded Tunari village in Wukari Local Government of Taraba State yesterday. The attackers were said to have stormed the village at 10 am and set houses ablaze while most residents were in church.

Speaking to Vanguard on the crisis, the President of the Youth of Vision, Wukari, Mr Tsa-asen L. Agbu said the invaders, who were over three hundred, attacked mainly the Jukun Christians, a situation which he said has compelled a lot of persons to relocate from the area.

According to him “they are burning down houses and killing our Jukun Christian brothers. They slaughtered children and women like rams. As I am talking to you right now, over twenty people have been killed, with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries while several houses have been burnt.”

Another eyewitness told Vanguard that “the attackers operated for several hours killing and burning down houses without any trace of security men to come to our rescue.”
According to the eyewitness, “these people took us unawares, and I believe they came from the nearby Plateau State. I think the level of damage would have been worse but for the fact that many of our people have gone to church.”

A pastor of one of the churches, said the death toll was “more than twenty” and that most of the victims were women and children who according to him “were attacked on their way to their various churches.

The Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Joseph Kwaji, who confirmed the incident was however unable to provide the casualty figure saying authentic figures were yet to be made available to the command.

According to him “Tunari village in Wukari Local Government was attacked this morning by the Fulani people, but our men have been drafted there to restore peace”

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Evangelist shoots father to death

A 30-year-old man who claimed to be an evangelist, Chukwukezi Afonogu, is now cooling his heels in the custody of the Enugu State Police Command for killing his 65-year-old father, Judge Afonogu (not a member of the judiciary) with a gun.
Afonogu allegedly committed the heinous act because the father purport­edly called him a ‘mad boy’ during an altercation, an insult that enraged him so much and prompted the fatal shooting of the old man.
The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, who made this known to Sunday Sun, said the incident happened at 3pm on Au­gust 25, 2014 in Enugu-Inyi, Oji River Local Government Area, Enugu State.
The suspect was said to have been having frequent quarrels with his father. On the fateful day, in the midst of an­other altercation, Afonogu allegedly re­trieved his gun from his room, came out into the family compound and shot his father where he was seated and resting under a tree in the afternoon.
Recounting to Sunday Sun how the incident happened, Afonogu said: “I am an evangelist and member of the Evergreen Believers Bible Ministry. Be­fore this thing happened, I was having several quarrels with my late father. My father called me on that fateful day and asked me about an electri­cian that was supposed to work in our house and he gave me N500. My late father was a difficult person. The incident happened around 3.00pm. My father called me a ‘mad boy’ and a quarrel ensued. I went inside the room and took my hunter’s gun and shot him. I quickly carried him to a nearby bush and buried his corpse because nobody was at home. Imme­diately I buried him, I ran away. My late father had eight children. The first born died and we have six girls and I am the only son.”
The police boss further disclosed that the mother of the suspect, Anthonia Afonogu ran away from home upon hearing that her son had killed his father.
But nemesis caught up with the suspect when youths in the commu­nity heard that he killed his father. They launched a manhunt for him, and were able to smoke him out four days later. Once caught, the youth beat him to an inch of his life before handing him over to the police at the Oji River Police Station. Meanwhile, Adamu has given assurance that the suspect would be charged to court soon.

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Nigerian jet missing in battle with extremists

The Nigerian Ministry of Defense says an Air Force Alpha jet on a mission against Islamic extremist insurgents in the country's northeast has gone missing with its two crew members.

A statement Sunday from spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade says the German-manufactured jet has been missing since Friday morning when it left its base at Yola, capital of Adamawa state, on a routine mission that was supposed to last 75 minutes.

He said rescue operations are continuing with attempts to contact the two pilots.

The jets have been used in daily bombing raids to dislodge Boko Haram insurgents who have seized a string of towns along Nigeria's border with Cameroon.

Boko Haram has stolen anti-aircraft weapons as well as armored personnel carriers and other weapons in attacks on Nigerian barracks.

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Davido Nominated For MTV European Music Awards (EMA

Multiple awards winning artiste, Davido, (real name – David Adeleke) has been nominated by the MTV European Music Awards (EMA), for the Best African Act 2014 Awards.

The award presentation is scheduled to hold in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

A statement from Mr Bruse Gillmer, Viacom International Media Network (Europe), organisers of the event, said Davido was the only nominee from Nigeria.

“Other African nominees to battle it out with Davido for supremacy in this hotly contested category include Goldfish (South Africa), Diamond (Tanzania) and Toofan (Togo)’’, it said.

According to the statement, this is the fifth year that MTV has included Best African Act category in the EMA.

Apart from Davido, previous winners were 2Face (2005), Freshly Ground (2006), D’Banj (2007 & 2012] and LCNVL (2013).

Also, for the first time, MTV is throwing open an EMA nomination to music fans via social media to nominate the fifth nominee in which Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) is included among those to be decided by fans.

This wild card Twitter vote is open until Sept.14, by which MTV EMA nominees will be announced and voting will open on Sept.16.

Davido, a performer, music producer/recording artiste, recently won other intercontinental awards including BET award for Best International Act and AFRIMMA awards for Artiste of the Year.

He also won Best African Act award at the MTV Africa Music Awards.

MTV EMA aims at building global celebration of the hottest stars in music – recognises artists from around the world and across genres,

It also brings together music fans everywhere for a one-of-a-kind experience in the weeks leading up to and at the show.

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TB Joshua blames ‘mystery plane’ for building collapse

Nigerian preacher and televangelist TB Joshua on Sunday linked a deadly building collapse at his Lagos megachurch to a suspicious aircraft but rescue workers ruled out the theory of foul play.

Joshua, dubbed “The Prophet” by fanatical followers because of his purported predictions and healing powers, showed footage of the moments leading up to the collapse on his emmanuel.tv network.

Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 42 people were killed in Friday’s incident, while 130 escaped or were pulled out alive from the rubble.

In the security camera footage, apparently from opposite the vast church compound, what is described as an aircraft is seen over the building four times at 11:30 am (1030 GMT), 11:43 am, 11:45 and 11:54 am.

The uncompleted building, five floors of which are visible above a high wall, is then seen to collapse at 12:44 pm, throwing up huge clouds of dust into the air.

 “After the incident, the strange aircraft does not return,” a commentary accompanying the images adds.

There was no independent verification of the authenticity of the footage but Joshua has said he would make it available to Nigeria’s security agencies.

His Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) is located in Ikotun, near Lagos international airport.

– Rescue work delayed –

Joshua’s theory about the low-flying plane featured in a number of Nigerian newspapers on Sunday.

But NEMA’s southwest coordinator Ibrahim Farinloye rejected claims of sabotage and said extra floors were being added to the building without changing the foundations.

“If it were an act of terrorism or sabotage, it would have gone into rubble,” he told AFP at the scene.

Building collapses are common in Nigeria because of the use of sub-standard material and flouting of construction regulations.

NEMA rescue workers were only able to access the site properly at 9:00 am on Sunday and the emergency services and media had previously complained of being attacked by church security.

The Lagos state building control agency also complained that its officials were obstructed and Farinloye indicated more lives could have been saved had rescuers been able to get to the building sooner.

Rescuers wearing protective facemasks and boots used excavators to remove slabs of flattened concrete and were hunting for anyone still trapped under the wreckage of twisted metal and masonry.

The building was believed to be a guesthouse for foreign members of SCOAN and green mattresses were clearly visible among the debris.

It was not known how many people were inside the building when it collapsed.

But Joshua preaches to massive crowds at the megachurch every week and, according to his website, SCOAN “hosts thousands of national and international visitors” each year.

“People travel from around the world to witness and receive from the mighty work that God is doing in the life of Prophet TB Joshua,” it states.

Joshua said on his Facebook page TB Joshua Ministries that reports that the church auditorium had collapsed and that there had been heavy casualties were not correct.

“The few people that were there are being rescued,” he said on Friday.

Boko Haram Kidnap Another 50 Women In Adamawa

According to Daily Trust, Residents who got free and ran away said that the group kidnapped at least about 50 young women in Gulak town on saturday as the victims were assembled at a preaching ground.

Boko haram has been controling the areas of Madagali, Gulak and Michika, damaging lives and properties in the area.

One man known as Tija told reporters that he was trapped in a village near Gulak before his subsequent escape on Sunday.

He said that the women were loaded on to several vans and then taken away.

He said: “Some women brought the news that Boko Haram forcefully took some of them away including a sister in law to a friend of mine.

The situation is getting worse by the day, our hope is that this problem will end one day”.

A resident of Husra village in Michika Local Government Area, Musa Uba said : “They conducted preaching sessions to attract converts to their sect but people only listened out of fear.

They next day they asked if anybody wanted to join them but there was no response, so they selected many healthy looking young men and asked them to go with them.

One of the victims is my relative who did body building exercise regularly.

A politician in the area named Maina Ularamu said: “the information I have is that they selected some women and locked them in the local government Secretariat”.

Jim Iyke shares new picture with Nadia Buhari

There have been several speculations that Nollywood Actor, Jim Iyke whom people refer to as Nollywood bad boy had parted ways with his girl friend popular Ghanian star actress, Nadia Buhari.

This speculation may be wrong after all, as he just posted a picture telling a different story on Instagram, some hours ago . Even though, it may not be enough proof to conclude that the two are still together, it may have communicated that it’s not all over for Nadia and Iyke just yet

Gunmen kidnap 3 doctors, 2 health workers in Rivers

The fight against dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other health related issues in Rivers state has been frustrated as three doctors, a nurse and one other health worker have been reportedly kidnapped in the State.

Report says the health workers were kidnapped at Okolomabo community in Abua/Odua Local Government Area.

The Coordinator, Niger Delta Youths for Positive Attitude Change and Progress, Mr Emmanuel Enisuo, in a short statement made available to newsmen called for the unconditional release of the victims.

A Community source had divulged that the kidnapped health workers were in the community to carry out a free health care programme organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC before the incident.

Vanguard in its own version has however reported that resident doctors at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital have equally called for unconditional release of another doctor of the hospital who was kidnapped in Tai Local Government Area of the state.

Report says the Doctor was also kidnapped by heavily armed men.