The Nigeria Army has released 1,250 Boko Haram suspects who had been cleared of having no links with insurgency and the group.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the army, Brig Gen Victor Ezugwu, made this known when the Head of Sub Delegation of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Beat Mosimann, visited him on Monday at the Maimalari cantonment in Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria.
According to Ezugwu, the cleared suspects were released on the order of the Chief or Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai in about seven batches, noting that, more detainees would be freed in January, Vanguard reports.
He said, “We are keeping this on the regular release because the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Burutai, wants us to ensure that it is only people who have contact and connection with Boko Haram that have insurgency issues to sort that should be detained so that those who do not have contact should be released.
“By the end of this January and February another batch of detainees would be cleared.
“The ICRC wants us to collaborate in the area of welfare for our detainees and we have assured them that we are going to continue doing our best in terms of welfare in accordance with international practice.
Earlier, Mosimann said that ICRC has mapped out several programmes in 2017 to assist IDPs that would be returning back to their respective communities.
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) has announced Christiana Alabi of Daliy Trust Newspapers as its 2016 Journalist of the Year.
Daily Trust is an Abuja based Newspapers, but Alabi reports from Kaduna, northern Nigeria.
A statement by Coordinator of AMDF, Sekyen Dadik says, Mrs. Alabi clinched the position having become the choice of news consumers in Kaduna, who voted her.
“Today we announce Christiana Alabi of Daily Trust Newspapers as the ‘AMDF 2016 Journalist of the Year’.
“Mrs. Alabi emerged winner having received the highest votes cast by selected news consumers in Kaduna, northern Nigeria,” says the statement.
AMDF ‘Journalist of the Year’ project was introduced by the organisation to among others “encourage journalists working in Nigeria and Africa to adhere strictly to ethics and professionalism in the pursuit of their work.” It says.
The 2016 edition is the first of the annual ‘Journalist of the Year’ series.
AMDF is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit media development organisation that supports Journalists, Media Organisations, CSOs and promote freedom of the press.
Find below the Press Release of the announcement.
Press Release
Christiana Alabi of Daily Trust Newspapers is ‘AMDF 2016 Journalist of the Year’.
Today we announce Christiana Alabi of Daily Trust Newspapers as the ‘AMDF 2016 Journalist of the Year’.
Mrs. Alabi emerged winner having received the highest votes cast by selected news consumers in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.
AMDF introduced the ‘Journalist of the Year’ project to encourage journalists working in Nigeria and Africa to adhere strictly to ethics and professionalism in the pursuit of their work.
By this selection, news consumers are saying, Alabi had in 2016 written stories that reflected the true value of journalism, adhering to ethics in the current post-truth journalism era, when many news stories are termed fake news.
Alabi began her journalism career as an artiste in 2003. She acted in FM theatre and Play House, both Radio Nigeria programmes. During this period, she also worked as a trainee presenter of an Agricultural programme with a privately owned media outfit in Kaduna called Manix Media.
In 2009, she joined Media Trust Limited, publishers of the famous DailyTrust titles, under the best student automatic employment policy of the company.
She has attended a number of trainings organised by both local and foreign organisations, including training on basic value chain, basic journalism and ethics role of the media in conflict management and resolution, business and entrepreneurial journalism and training on zoonotic diseases among other.
Alabi is an investigative reporter to the core. Her stories especially on education and maternal health had severally prompted positive actions from Nigerian government.
A joint investigative story she did with her colleagues on Jankasa and Kakura communities of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state had attracted interventions to the communities. Two water boreholes were sunk in Kakura. The two communities also received a foreign health intervention.
In recognition of her exceptional works, she was awarded the ‘Courage In Journalism Award’ in 2016.
Alabi holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from Kaduna Polytechnic, Nigeria and a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in education from National Teachers Institute (NTI) Kaduna. Signed Sekyen Dadik AMDF Coordinator
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Kano State in northwest Nigeria has recorded increase in rice produced by farmers in the state from 692,481 tonnes in 2015 to 1,551,720 tonnes in 2016. It has also recorded increase in wheat production from 9,495,024 tonnes in 2015 to 17, 717, 000 tonnes in 2016.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje who announced this in Kano at an Interactive Session with farmers on loan from Central Bank of Nigeria, also stated his intention to work with them to produce about half of the country’s rice demand for 2017.
The Governor lamented key challenges of the loan programme, which he said include delay in rendering the supposed assistance to the farmers and reluctance of some farmers in playing their part in the agreement.
Delegate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, AbdulKadir Ahmad, had earlier stated that the success of the programme was as a result of the agreement with the Kano state government and revealed that N960 million was allocated to Kano farmers and each got N367, 000 worth of loan, in seedlings, pesticides, allied agricultural inputs and cash.
In a remark, Chairman, Kano Anchor Borrower Recovery Team, Prof. Mahmud Ibrahim Daneji confirmed that about 5,540 farmers benefited from the programme and that some have started paying back with farm produce.
Kaduna (Nigeria) — The Council of Imams and Ulama, Kaduna state, has called on the Nigerian government to arrest and prosecute the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Samson Olasopu Ayokunle; the Senator representing southern Kaduna senatorial district, Danjuma Laah; and Dr. John Danfulani, an activist in the state for making inflammatory statements that instigated the crisis in southern parts of Kaduna state, North-west Nigeria.
Others include President of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), Barrister Solomon Musa; CAN General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake; Member representing Zongon Kataf/Jaba Federal constituency, Sunday Marshall Katung; and Chairman of the 19 Fellowship – District Church Council (DCC), Rev. Zachariah Gado.
Chairman of the Council, Shiek Usman Abubakkar Babateni while briefing newsmen in Kaduna accused them of making reckless utterances, which has deprived the state of peace for over a year, leading to the killings and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.
According to him, “The state has not been in peace in the last one year from activities of mischief makers and reckless utterances of southern Kaduna political and religious leaders.”
He added that, their insinuative statements – urging their people to take arms to defend themselves has made the situation in the area to degenerate into the senseless and merciless massacre of hundredth of Hausa/Fulani Muslims.
The statements the council quoted included that of the CAN president who spoke in Abuja on November 24th, 2016 – “102 Christians were killed, 50,000 houses burnt while another 215 injured since May 2015 by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kaduna state.
“On December 4th, 2016, Mr. Danjuma La’ah, the Senator representing Southern Kaduna senatorial zone appealed to his people and said; – ‘ Henceforth defend themselves, their lives and property against such attacks’ but contradicted himself by adding that, ‘they should not take laws into their hands”.
“On Tuesday, October 18th, 2016, Barrister Sunday Mashall Katung, a member representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal constituency said in a statement – ‘the people of southern Kaduna might be left with no option than to resort to self help should the federal government failed to act fast.”
“On Thursday November 17th, 2016, the Chairman of the 19 Fellowship District Church Council (DCC), Rev. Zachariah Gado in a press statement on the creation of grazing reserves called on the state governments to restore all occupied areas to their rightful owners saying, ‘failure to do so would not only encourage further lawlessness but could compel the owners of the villages to resort to forceful means to recover their ancestral lands.
“On Monday, December 26th, 2016, the southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) an indivisible part of the Christian Association of Nigeria issued a very inflammatory press statement making a wild allegation against the Muslim as well as accusing the Kaduna state governor of complicity in the crises.”
According to the Chairman, the forgoing statements worsen the security situation in the area, noting that in spite of the efforts of relevant stakeholders to restore peace in the troubled areas, Dr. John Danfulani in an interview with the Authentic news magazine said, “the only solution to southern Kaduna crisis is bearing of arms by everybody.”
The body also faulted previous governments for not punishing the perpetrators of past crisis, saying, that failure has led to all subsequent crisis in the state; citing example amongst others of the Justice Okadigbo’s tribunal of 1992 on Zangon Kataf crisis that found General Zamani Lekwot (rtd) and five others guilty and sentenced them to death but was not executed.
While praying for the peace and economic prosperity of the state and country at large, the body however commended the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai and members of the security agencies for not responding to the provocation and molestation of some people in the area.
Chad has announced the closure of its border with Libya due to the threat of a “potential terrorist infiltration” and is boosting its military presence in the region.
Chad’s Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacket, in a message broadcasted on radio and television on Thursday said, “Faced with the perils that threaten all of the nation’s territory, the government decided for one thing to close our land border with Libya, and for another to declare the regions bordering Libya military operation zones”.
The Tibesti desert border regions are sparsely populated but are used for dealing in contraband by those living on both sides of the border, mainly the ethnic Tubu people.
Enca reported that, the premier explained that the measures were taken because “following their defeat, some isolated terrorist groups have gathered in the south of Libya, putting the northern frontier of our country potentially exposed to a serious threat of a terrorist infiltration.”
He did not however provide information on the identity of these “terrorist groups” or what “defeat” they suffered in Libya.
The north African country has been mired in chaos since the 2011 downfall of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
Chad is seen as a key ally of the West in its fight against jihadists in Africa. President Idriss Deby Itno is supported by France and the United States, who need the cooperation of the Chadian military in the region.
The country is part of the regional alliance fighting Boko Haram Islamists who have spread their insurgency from northern Nigeria to the border regions of neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
A senior banker alongside a security personnel with Access bank Nigeria, have been arrested for involving in a foiled armed robbery attack on Access Bank Branch in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, (south-south Nigeria).
The suspects includes; Samuel Ndudiri (staff of the Bank), a principal suspect and the master mind of the foiled armed robbery attack; Ex SGT Promise Ukwuoma, (a dismissed Policeman); Samuel Nwala; Lucky Ukwuoma; Kaale Taagabah.
According to spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, Don Awunah, “On the 22nd December, 2016, the five (5) suspects mentioned above and other still at large stormed a Branch of Access Bank PLC in Port Harcourt, relying on information and active involvement of one of the staff of the Bank, the armed robbers successfully broke down the well fortified security doors and barriers and took over the banking hall.
“They were almost pulling down the vault of the Bank and other strong rooms in the bank with use of gas cylinder welding machine and iron cutters before the joint Police Teams of IGP’S Intelligence Response Team and Policemen from Rivers state Police Command swiftly moved in and dislodged them, thereby foiled the armed robbery attack on the Bank and made a prompt arrest of three (3) of the suspects at the scene; namely Samuel Nwala ‘M’ 28 years, Lucky Ukwuoma ‘M’ 26 years, Kaale Taagabah ‘M’ 27 years.
“In the course of thorough investigation into the foiled armed robbery attack on the Bank, the principal suspect who is a staff of the Bank and the master mind of the armed robber attack was subsequently arrested based on the confessional statements volunteered by the last three suspects arrested at the scene.
“The arrest of the principal suspect led to the arrest of Ex SGT Promise Ukwuoma who participated actively in the armed robbery attack on the Bank, the two (2) AK 47 riffles and the ammunition were recovered from him.
“All the suspects have volunteered confessional and useful statements to the Police about the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime,” the statement noted.
Items recovered are: Two (2) AK 47 Rifles and magazines fully loaded with Ammunition, a welding machine, Two (2) Gas cylinders and iron cutters, a big Chisel, Cutting saw, Hammer, and an acetylene gas power.
However, Awunah further pointed out that, concerted efforts are being intensified to arrest other suspects and bring them to justice, adding that, the case will be charged to court on completion of investigation.
At least 15 people who specialized in hunting grasshoppers popularly called ‘Fara’ in Hausa have been slaughtered in the bushes between Gubio and Mobbar Local Government Areas of Borno state by suspected members of dreaded Boko Haram sect. Sources have said.
The incident which happened a week ago have caused scarcity and raised the price of the commodity in Maiduguri, the state capital, as a small measure of fried Fara which stood at N500 in the past now sales between N1200 and above.
According to a security source who were mobilized to the scene told our Correspondent that the insurgents clashed with the victims in the bushes near Kareto community, north of the state. This incident is coming barely two weeks when the military of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ reopened the Maiduguri- Gubio- Damasak road for motorists.
The source revealed that “15 people were killed by terrorists while combing bushes around Kareto area to hunt grasshoppers. “When the grasshopper hunters were in the bush, some group of terrorists suddenly appeared and started shooting sporadically, after which they killed one of the hunters before slaughtering 14 and fled without no arrest”.
The source said. Also speaking on the killings, Mrs. Hanatu Jauro who fries Fara in Maiduguri, told our Correspondent in an interview that since the incident occured, she have been finding it very difficult to get the commodity for sale, as one of her customer was among those killed in the ambush.
All effort to get confirmation from the Police Public Relations Officer, Victor Isuku proves abortive as his cell phone lines were not reacheable at press time.
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) has named Bashir Bello as its January 2017 ‘Journalist of the Month’.
A statement on the Organisation’s website http://amdf-centre.org/bashir-bello-is-amdf-journalist-of-the-month-2/ has described Bello as an award winning journalist based in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, who has won several awards including, ‘Courage In Journalism Award’ and ‘Community Service Award’.
It states that Bello began his journalism career in 2009 with the New Nigerian Newspapers, a famous northern Nigeria news organisation.
“I came into the Journalism profession in 2007 as an intern – I was to do the one year mandatory internship required of polytechnic students in Nigerian system.
“After the internship in the Editorial Department, I decided to stay back for another one year voluntary service, this later made the organisation to employ me,” Bello told AMDF.
Salary issues and series of strike actions that lasted over a year made Bello to move on. “I moved to freelance for the Guardian Newspapers, City Source News, A-Z Newspapers and now Nigerian Pilot newspaper as Kaduna State Corresponden,” AMDF quoted Bello.
In 2016, he founded NEWS EQUAL (newsequal.com.ng), an online news platform which focuses on development, investigations, and advocacy journalism.
According to AMDF, “Bello is a team member of five Development and Investigative Reporters in Nigeria. Some of their stories have brought change and interventions to the people and society.
“The team did a story on a community called, Anguwan Kanti, where it showcased challenges faced by the community. The story led to the construction of the first Sand Dam in West Africa in Anguwan Kanti community to address water challenges.”
Bello has attended several journalism trainings organised and sponsored by both local and International organisations.
“My story won’t be complete without sharing my experience about people I met in the profession and people I look up to as Mentors. Among them Ismail Omipidan, Tony Akowe, and Iliya Kure.” Bello said.
Bello holds HND in Mass Communication from Kaduna Polytechnic Nigeria.
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) has announced Christiana Alabi of Daliy Trust Newspapers as its 2016 Journalist of the Year.
