Nigeria: Bloodbath As Tiv, Fulani Clash in Benue

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Benue — No fewer than 30 persons were feared dead in a fresh clash between Fulani herdsmen and native Tiv farmers in Yogbo, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. This came as the Joint Task Force, JTF, confirmed, yesterday, that 24 sect members were killed in Monday's spate of explosions and shootings in Maiduguri.

Majority of those killed in the bloodbath that erupted Sunday morning in Yogbo were women and children who could not escape before the herdsmen invaded the embattled community.

The renewed crisis also left several farmlands and yields in ruins while houses and huts worth several millions of Naira were also destroyed by the rampaging Fulani herdsmen.

Vanguard gathered from fleeing residents of the community who had taken refuge in Makurdi town that the arms wielding herdsmen attacked Yogbo, a community that is less than 15 minutes drive from Makurdi town, at about 7am on Sunday when most residents had gone to church.

According to one John Usher who said he escaped with his wife and three children from the sudden attack, "we never envisaged any attack on that day, because we have been living in peace with one another for sometime now.

"We were surprised when the Fulanis suddenly attacked us, slaughtering over 30 women and children who were at home when many families had gone to church; we heard screams of women and children being murdered by the Fulanis who quickly disappeared after carrying out the dastardly attack".

He added: "Given the timing of this latest attack on Tiv farmers, it has become worrisome that anytime a year is coming to an end, these ugly incidents always occur, leading to the spilling of blood and the wanton destruction of property and farm yields of Tiv farmers by the invading Fulani herdsmen. It is just unfortunate".

Meanwhile, at press time, hundreds of indigenous Tiv farmers were seen fleeing to Makurdi town, while some were heading to Gbajimba from the troubled community while security operatives were also seen patrolling parts of the town.

When contacted, the Benue state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Daniel Ezeala confirmed that men of the command have been deployed to the troubled spot to forestall further bloodbath in the area.

Vanguard recalls that attacks on Tiv communities by the herdsmen had, in the last few years, led to deaths of hundreds of persons especially in the border communities between Benue and Nasarawa states.

Efforts by both Benue and Nasarawa state governments and the Sultan of Sokoto to find lasting solution to the crisis have yielded little or no results in the last few months.

Recently, the governors of Benue and Nasarawa states also signed a peace accord at Yelwata, a border town between the two states to end the incessant bloodbath.

24 suspected terrorists, 2 others killed in Maiduguri multiple blasts

Meanwhile, 24 suspected terrorists have been confirmed killed in last Monday's clash with members of the JTF in Gwange, Zannari and Gomari Costain areas of Maiduguri, while two others believed to be members of the JTF were killed by the terrorists.

But the Task Force in Borno State said, yesterday, that no member of JTF or civilian was killed during the encounter, insisting that about 24 suspected Boko Haram fighters were killed in different parts of Maiduguri metropolis.

A statement signed by the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, yesterday, said the Boko Haram sect members attacked JTF locations in Zannari ward and Lagos Street along Gwange general area on Monday night where rocket propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices were used by the insurgents.

According to the statement: "The terrorists used civilian homes as launching areas for the attacks at different times of the night of Monday, October 15, 2012. All the attacks were repelled; 24 Boko Haram terrorists were killed".

The JTF spokesman claimed that no civilian casualty was recorded but added that a soldier was wounded during the attack.

He said: "One RPG purpose machine gun, 7 AK 47 riffles, 1 FNC riffle, 24 assorted empty magazines, 950 assorted ammunition, two pistols, large quantity of assorted Improvised Explosives Device (IED) materials and several bows, arrows and cutlasses were recovered from the attackers.

The atmosphere in Maiduguri has been normalized since the early hours of Tuesday(yesterday) as people are going about their normal businesses." Musa warned residents to desist from allowing their homes to be used as launching pads for attacks on troops and civilians, saying such action would be dealt with appropriately.

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Zaria becomes a haven for terrorists

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Militants from Boko Haram are under suspicion for the killing of a motorcycle police officer in Zaria, Kaduna State, yesterday.

 A source told Sahara Reporters that the incident happened around the Kwangila area, a congested area outside Zaria city.

 He said there have been constant killings in Zaria believed to be carried out by members of Boko Haram, and as well intimidation of community leaders.

 A man buying and selling foreign currency was also shot to death on Wednesday night, the source said.

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VIDEO: Nigerian Terror Suspect Okah Tried In South Africa-Al Jazeera

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Here's a video of Henry Okah a Nigerian citizen who is suspected of masterminding two car bombs in Nigeria's capital that killed more than 10 people in 2010.

The trial of Henry Okah, the Nigerian terror suspect accused of masterminding two car bombings in Nigeria's capital Abuja two years ago, has begun at a Johannesburg court in South Africa.

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Gunmen Kill Soldier, Four Others in Maiduguri

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A member of the Joint Task Force (JTF) was Monday killed in an explosion in Maiduguri that left four others seriously injured.

It was learnt that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which was targeted at the task force patrol vehicle by suspected members of the Boko Haram exploded along the popular Lagos Street in the city, causing panic among residents of the town.

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Over 40 Boko Haram suspects, surrender to JTF

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Last night, over 40 suspected terrorists allegedly of the Boko Haram stock have surrendered themselves to Joint Task Force (JTF) in Mubi, Adamawa State.

The town has been under a curfew, and a military house-to-house search since last week.

The source further informed us that about 100 different types of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), sophisticated weapons and other pieces of evidence have been discovered in the ongoing military exercise.

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PUNCH: We’re Winning War against Boko Haram -Jonathan

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 President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed optimism that the acts of terrorism being perpetrated by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has killed over 1,400 people in the North since 2010, will soon be over.

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Nigeria: Suicide Bomber Attacks Bauchi Church - Kills Two Injures 46

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Bauchi — A suicide bomber today attacked Saint John's Catholic Church Bauchi opposite Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium killing two people and injuring 46.

The attack was the third attack in two weeks.

Nine people were killed by unknown gunmen in Zango village last Sunday, and last Monday ex-Comptroller General of Prisons Ibrahim Jarma was shot dead together along with his orderly after he came out from the mosque near his house in Azare.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Hassan Mohammed Auyo confirmed the death of two persons and the 46 injured.

"...when a suicide bomber targeted the church, he was prevented and instead he detonated his explosives in the parking lot killing one person and among the injured victims taken to the hospital a boy between the ages of six to eight died while receiving treatment."

ASP Hassan said the bomber came in an Opel Vectra. Among the injured persons were two policemen deployed to protect the church.

An eye witness told Daily Trust that the bomber tried to gain entrance to the church but when he failed he detonated his explosives in a car park killing himself and one woman.

According to him, "we came out from training inside the stadium. We had just passed the church when we heard a loud sound followed by fire and smoke. We had to run for our lives."

Witnesses said Police and Army personnel cordoned off the area while rescue agents evacuated the victims to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi.

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Nigeria: Insecurity - 2 Battalions Moved to Damaturu, Potiskum

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In its continued effort at ridding the country of terrorists' activities, the Nigerian Army has moved two of its battalions to the troubled towns of Damaturu and Potiskum of Yobe state.

This is coming on the heels of a report that a 24-hour dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on the two towns to enable the military conduct a house-to-house search with the aim of seizing arms that were alleged to have been stockpiled in the two towns.

Leadership Sunday gathered that a new 233 Battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel D. C. Bako has been established to carry out the clean-up exercise in the troubled north-east state of Yobe.

Though leadership Sunday could not ascertain the number of the military personnel that were moved to the troubled areas, a military battalion consists of between 300 and 1, 200 soldiers, according to military sources.

All efforts to get the high military command to confirm the movement and formation of a new battalion was unsuccessful. The army spokesman, Brigedier General Bolaji Koleosho, was said to have been out of the country, while Lt. Colonel A. A. Yusuf that could hold brief for him could not be reached on his mobile telephone numbers.

However, briefing reporters in Damaturu yesterday, spokesman of the Joint Task Force, JTF, Lt. Eli Lazarus, disclosed that 25 suspected members of Boko Haram were arrested by the JTF in an early morning raid in some of the suspected hideout flashpoints of the sect members.

According to Lt. Lazarus, during the operation codenamed 'operation restore sanity 2', which was carried out in Nasarawa, Tashar Tifa, and One Million Rd, the JTF after a fierce battle with the alleged Boko Haram members also recovered 3 grenade launchers.

Other items that were recovered during the raid on the suspected Boko Haram hideouts include 7 laptop computers, 12 assault rifles, Motorola wacky-talky, camera tripod, military and police uniforms, one tricycle popularly called Keke NAPEP, GSM handsets and many sim cards.

Also in the course of the operation, 7 women and 12 children that the sect was allegedly using as shield during its operations were rescued.

Police Arrest 9 suspects In Asaba

The Delta State police command yesterday raided several houses where stolen items are kept by robbers in Agbor axis of the state.

In the raid that followed the discovery by security operatives, nine suspected robbers were arrested.

Similarly, property worth millions of naira suspected to have been stolen from members of the public by the hoodlums were recovered from the hideouts.

When contacted, police public relations officer (PPRO) DSP Charles Muka confirmed the story, adding that nine suspects were arrested during the raid.

He said based on intelligence report that some hoodlums were in possession of stolen items in houses and hideouts in Agbor, detectives from Agbor Division stormed the depots and raided the suspects' hideouts, following which nine of the hoodlums namely Sunday Olije, Onyisi Okwudi, Dennis Osaji, Chukwueku Agbor, Patrick David, Elvis Obera, Kenneth Eboh, Chuks Nwabieze and Esther Sunday, a lady, were arrested.

Muka said that search warrants were properly executed in their houses following which these items were recovered: three Tiger 950 generators, 14 inch Sharp television, two LG DVD players, Samsung DVD player, eight assorted Nokia handsets, and two other types of handsets, two clippers, one stabilizer, two digital cameras, one Phillips pressing iron, assorted sound systems, two hammers, assorted provisions and cash of N7,000.

The PPRO said most of the owners of the stolen items had been identified and that they had claimed ownership of the items, while the suspects were helping the police in their investigations after which they would be charged to court.

Muka used the opportunity to call on members of the public to give the police useful information and be conscious of movements and activities in their domains, adding that the arrest of the suspects was made possible by kind and spirited Deltans who had the interest of peace and security at heart.

With the introduction of arms into the operations of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, the state commandant of the corps, Mr. Andekin Amos Musa, has declared total war against vandals and other criminal elements in the state.

The NSCDC boss made the declaration at the passing out parade of officers of the command trained in the use of arms in Asaba.

According to Musa, "I assure you that we will not rest on our oars in discharging our duty at ensuring better security to our nation. I use this opportunity to warn criminals particularly vandals to desist from their criminal acts as it will be a total war."

He said the newly trained officers had been placed on red alert at different locations across the state to arrest criminals, particularly illegal dealers of petroleum products and vandals, adding that the command would deal ruthlessly with criminals.

While charging the officers to be loyal, dedicated and exercise self-control, Musa warned them against the misuse of arms as any breach will attract sanctions.

He also disclosed that more officers will soon be trained in the use of arms to put the command in a better position to confront the vandals anytime, adding that they are now better equipped and ready to fight crime in the state and beyond.

Source: Leadership

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Nigeria: Why We Designated Three Members of Boko Haram As Terrorists - U.S.

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The U.S. said on Thursday that it decided to designate three leaders of Boko Haram as terrorists because their plans had gone beyond discrediting the Nigerian Government.

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