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Suspect who receives N5,000 to facilitate suicide bomb attacks
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on two occasions i was paid n200 000 for the successful execution of bomb attacks1 by rabiu sani1 kori 25 is among the 22 people arrested by the police in borno and yobe for their alleged involvement in suicide bombing activities carried out by the insurgents1 he told the news agency of nigeria nan that he received n5 000 as payment for facilitating the execution of each suicide bomb attack in maiduguri and its environs1 kori who was a security guard at a fuel dispensing station in dalori area of maiduguri said that he participated in several suicide bomb attacks in recent months in the metropolis1 my role is to keep the improvised explosive device ieds for onward delivery to another person who will carry out the attack1 on different occasions two of my acquaintances gave a parcel to keep for somebody who will come and take it1 i normally kept the parcel in my duty post the appointed person would come and picked it after successful delivery they paid me n5 0001 we reside in the same neighborhood in maiduguri they always told me that the parcel was given to them by one baadam and asked me to keep it1 they introduced me to baadam who is the mastermind of the attacks he revealed1 on his part adam mustapha a.k.a baadam admitted that he coordinated various suicide bomb attacks which resulted in the death of hundreds of people in maiduguri1 baadam 20 narrated that he had coordinated several bomb attacks at bulukuntu baga road 333 artillery gate customs post office and muna garage areas of maiduguri1 abubakar kori a dwarf who facilitated the suicide bombing activities of boko-haram insurgents said he was paid not less than n5 000 for each suicide bomb attack carried out by the insurgents in maiduguri1 most of the time i had to pester them before payment could be made to me he said1 when asked whether he had cause at any time to regret his actions baadam said that he was never remorseful at any given time1 another suspect ibrahim mala 48 also admitted to aiding suicide bomb attacks in maiduguri sales of rustled animals and supply of logistics to the insurgents in the bush1 mala a butcher and resident of dalori-kakere village in the outskirts of maiduguri revealed that the insurgents were supplying sheep and provided him with n180 000 loans to enable him to run his business1 they paid me n5 000 for safe keeping of ieds and they also sent me on errands to buy consumable items for them1 i bought the items at the market and kept it at my home some persons would come at night pick and deliver same to members of the group hiding in the forest1 some of the items included torch lights matches sandals kola nuts cubes and clothing materials1 i saved money in dealing with the group and bought a plot of land worth over n420 0001 i know that they are boko-haram insurgents and my wife was not happy with my dealings with them she asked me to stop but it is too late he narrated1 commenting on the arrest mr abba kyari the dcp intelligence response team irt said that the suspects were apprehended by the police in various communities in borno and yobe1 kyari called on members of the public to report suspicious persons and movement to the security agencies1 he also called on the people to cooperate with the police and other security agencies to end insurgency and restore peace to the north-east sub-region1 -
Old Russian warship with almost £100 Billion worth of Gold found off south korean island
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old russian warship with almost £100 billion worth of gold found off south korean island1 a south korean salvage team has discovered the wreck of a russian warship that was sunk in a naval battle 113 years ago and is believed to still contain a trove of gold bullion and coins worth 150 trillion won1 or £100 billion1 -
FAAC, wage trouble governors
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the deadlock in the meeting of federation account allocation committee faac and the issue of national minimum wage were some of the troubling issues that occupied nigerian governors on wednesday1 the nigeria governors forum ngf met on wednesday night in abuja to discuss matters1 the news agency of nigeria nan recalls that the june monthly meeting of faac in abuja ended in a deadlock1 the faac monthly meeting is the forum where money is shared among the federal states and local governments1 also on the meeting agenda was presentation by the chief executive officer of edumarshals on replicating edumarshals education project at the state level1 the postmaster general was also expected to make presentation at the meeting on the nigerian postal service in maximising revenue potential through electronic stamp solution digital addressing system and addressing verification system1 the governors were also expected to be briefed by world bank country director dr rachid benmessaoud on the states fiscal transparency and accountability sustainability fstas nan1 -
Osun APC governorship primary now holds Friday
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what that means is that every card carrying member of our party will participate in the process of nominating the flag bearer of the party2 this for us is the most democratic way to conduct election and is in line with what our critical stakeholders from that part of the country want and we are quite happy to oblige he said1 the statement added that a meeting between the primary election committee chaired by gov. abdulaziz yari of zamfara and osun apc stakeholders would hold in osogbo the state capital on thursday1 the news agency of nigeria nan recalls that mr adams oshiomhole the apc national chairman on monday july 16 said the party would adopt the direct primary to pick its candidate for the osun governorship election1 we have decided that in order to ensure popular participation and to deepen democracy in osun state in-line with the provision of our partys constitution which allows for either direct or indirect primary we have resolved that the governorship election primary will be conducted on the basis of direct primary1 the all progressives congress apc primary to elect its candidate for the forthcoming osun governorship election has been postponed from thursday july 19 till friday july 201 the party announced the postponement in a statement issued by malam bolaji abdullahi its national publicity secretary on wednesday in abuja1 oshiomhole had explained that the essence was to allow more party members to participate in the process of nominating its candidates and to remove issues of corruption or monetising the processes1 he added that the direct primary would give party members a sense of ownership of the outcome of the exercise1 nan reports that all 17 aspirants who obtained the partys expression of interest and nomination forms to contest its ticket forthe governorship election slated for sept. 22 had all been cleared1 all political parties fielding candidates for the osun governorship election has up to monday july 23 to submit the name of their candidates for the election to the independent national electoral commissioninec1 a political party could however substitute its candidate afterwards if the need arises1 -
Uganda remains in ICC after quit threats
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source63 uganda has finally decided to remain in the international criminal court after years of threats to withdraw from the hague-based court1 president yoweri museveni had publicly taken exception to the courts indictment of a sitting african head of state1 a uganda parliament statement said kadaga reassured the president of the icc that uganda will not withdraw from the rome statute but will continue working with the icc1 kadaga made the remarks in the netherlands at the commemoration of the 20 years of the rome statute and cleared any doubts as to the ugandan governments commitment to the court1 i also want to reassure you that because of that collaboration we are the first country to issue a reference for arbitration to the icc and we have continued to cooperate to date1 of course we are part of the african union and there have sometimes been difficult situations between the icc and the african union. there are areas of reservations a reference to a february 2017 african union decision to withdraw from the icc1 uganda voted in favour of the withdrawal after a divisive motion sponsored by kenya was debated by the heads of state summit held in addis ababa ethiopia1 ugandas speaker of parliament mrs. rebecca kadaga reaffirmed the governments commitment to the rome statute that established the icc1 kadaga described bashir as an important actor in the region stressing his centrality in prospects for peace in the war-torn and volatile south sudan1 uganda stands for a position where justice is not sacrificed at the altar of peace and peace is not sacrificed at the altar of justice according to kadaga1 during the first inauguration of kenyas president uhuru kenyatta museveni said africa supported the court in the spirit of abhorring impunity but that the court has since lost track and is being used as a tool of foreign domination1 kenyatta and his deputy william ruto became the first-ever sitting heads of government to appear before the court although charges against the duo were later dropped for lack of evidence1 meanwhile burundi and south africa had formally written to the icc seeking withdrawal but are yet to withdraw from the court1 the court has suffered heavy criticism for allegedly only targeting african leaders a claim the icc persistently denies1 the icc has always criticised uganda for warming up to sudanese president omar bashir who is wanted by the court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in darfur1 -
Nigerians want arrest of killers in S/Africa
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the killing of nigerians in south africa had been on the increase in recent times2 dabiri-erewa stated that no fewer than 117 nigerians were extra-judicially killed in south africa between 2013 and 2018 for one flimsy reason or the other2 the senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora mrs abike dabiri-erewa had expressed worry over the killings of nigerians in south africa2 lack of prosecution of these criminal activities has actually embolden a lot of people to feel that they can kill nigerians without any consequence he said2 he expressed concern that governments apathy to arrest and prosecute the killers has made the situation more complex2 at least 14 of the protesters were taken into custody and allegedly branded drug peddlers2 when there are no arrests no prosecutions criminals will have effrontery to go into crime without fear of retribution2 what we are demanding is that whosoever commits any crime should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others he said2 olubajo also urged both nigerian and south african authorities to work together to address the situation and reduce criminal activities against nigerians in south africa2 the wanton killings of nigerians in south africa had sparked a number of protests there2 there was also the killing of mr clement nwaogu a father of two who was burnt to death by his assailants in april2 the latest was the assassination of mr martin ebuzoeme by unknown assailant in yeoville johannesburg on july 12 2 another nigerian thankgod okoro was also reportedly shot dead in hamburg florida west rand johannesburg on april 9 by the south african police flying squad2 before then was also the killing of mr ozumba tochukwu-lawrence by an unknown gunman at 10 koppe middleburg mpumalanga on july 62 ramaphosa had during his visit on july 11 said that the killing of nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country was an act of criminality but not specifically targeted at nigerians1 the killing came barely 24 hours after the visit of south africas president cyril ramaphosa to nigeria1 the president of the union mr adetola olubajo blamed the incessant killings of nigerians in south africa on lack of prosecution of offenders by the authorities1 he however called nigerians in south africa to be law abiding and shun criminal activity1 people are emboldened to perpetrate the crime with impunity and without consequences because of lack of prosecution1 olubajo said that the inability of the south african government to bring to book those perpetrating the heinous crimes against nigerians has given the criminals free hands1 troubled by frequent killings of nigerians the nigerian union in south africa has called for the arrests and prosecution of killers1 -
Group praises Buhari over Nigeria Air
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it added that with the unveiling of the logo what many people had dismissed as a political gimmick has begun to manifest1 the buhari media organisation bmo has praised president muhammadu buhari for the unveiling of the logo and the planned take-off of nigeria air in december1 in statement bmo said it was gratifying that the nigeria airways killed by pdp government in 2003 was being brought back to life by buhari 15 years after1 the statement signed by the chairman of bmo mr. niyi akinsiju applauded the move and noted especially the acquisition of new boeing aircrafts1 this is a most welcome development which will benefit the country in more ways than one another promise kept and a further proof of president muhammadu buharis commitment to correcting the wrongs of the past1 the group recalled that when the president vowed to revive the nigerian airways that was liquidated by former president olusegun obasanjo in 2003 many nigerians were understandably cynical because of the failed promises of previous governments1 when the then candidate buhari gave his words on the national carrier many people who had been told that a government owned airline was not viable felt he was playing to the gallery but it is now clear that the president is a man of his words the group said1 bmo said on abuja that efforts of president buhari have gone beyond completing abandoned projects to resurrecting dead projects1 the group pointed out that many older nigerians would recall that as at 1984 when buhari was then a military ruler nigerian airways had 34 aircraft so he was understandably shocked that smaller countries were running well-managed airlines with private sector support and laid the groundwork for what we are seeing now1 the group reminded nigerians that the new national carrier is just one aspect of an aviation master-plan which included a maintenance repair and overhaul centre an aviation leasing company and airport concessioning -all designed to make the country the aviation hub for west and central africa1 bmo also commended the minister of state for aviation hadi sirika for running with the presidents dream from planning to execution while urging him to ensure that the december take-off date is sacrosanct1 it however urged him to learn from the missteps of previous administrations by ensuring that the publicprivate partnership arrangement is water-tight in order to realise the governments aspiration of profit within three years of operation1 on the possible benefits of nigerias investment in a new national carrier bmo noted that the vacuum created by the absence of a national carrier is costing nigeria 6.4 billion annually as a result of its inability to reap the benefits from 78 bilateral air services agreements basa from non-payment of royalty by foreign carriers1 this it says is an estimate provided by aviation experts of what international operators should have been paying but for the inability of nigerian airlines to reciprocate the number of flights operated by these foreign carriers due to lack of capacity and the fact that the country does not have strong airlines that operate many international destinations1 bmo says it was convinced that the buhari administration would put in place the necessary processes to ensure that never again will nigeria be deprived of a national flag carrier at a time smaller african countries are running viable profitable airlines1 -
Tinubu backs direct primary in Osun APC
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may this decision not be peculiar to osun but stand as the new way of our party. the nation and the apc will both be better for it he said1 all progressives congress national leader asiwaju bola ahmed tinubu said the decision of the partys national working committee nwc approving direct primary for electing the governorship candidate in osun will deepen internal democracy in the party1 a copy of the statement was made available to the news agency of nigeria nan by tinubus media officer mr tunde rahman1 according to the apc chieftain the partys constitution provides for both direct and indirect primaries but the direct option is more democratic and more participatory1 tinubu said that the decision was a ground-breaking step as it affirmed the partys democratic inclinations1 he said that the involvement of all apc members in candidate nomination would ensure that the party chooses the candidate of the people1 it will also serve to galvanise the party membership for the general election that lies ahead1 moreover direct primaries will serve as a future deterrent to those who might have tried to corrupt the delegate system of obtaining nominations1 with that system the temptation to buy delegates was an ever-present weakness. now such a venal undertaking will prove much too costly and uncertain to be entertained as feasible strategy1 i am sure party members in osun welcome this decision for it shines the rays of democracy more fully upon them1 tinubu expressed the view in a statement in lagos on tuesday entitled internal democracy improving the nomination process1 tinubu said that the decision took courage and conviction as it bucked the old ways to bring about something better and new1 when the history of this moment is written those looking back on this decision will say that it was an inevitable natural consequence of party evolution he said1 tinubu commended the partys national chairman comrade adams oshiomhole for leading the party toward greater democracy1 according to him increased participation of all party members in key decisions that affect them is commendable1 from inception our party has held to principles of internal democracy and by the open and fair conduct of our conventions we have distinguished ourselves from all other political parties1 while we have achieved more than others with regard to internal democracy there is still more to be done in order to perfect our internal procedures and mechanisms1 this consideration was a key factor in the election of oshiomhole as party chairman1 core to that mandate is the improvement of democracy within the party so that we may become even better representatives of the people tinubu said1 nan reports that the apc said it would adopt direct primary method in osun state in choosing a candidate ahead of the states governorship election1 the national chairman of the ruling party oshiomhole said this on monday in abuja after the screening of aspirants interested in flying the partys flag in the sept. 22 election1 -
UN celebrates Mandela
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rarely has one person in history done so much to stir peoples dreams and move them to action the un chief said adding that struggle for equality dignity and justice continues1 the un is to mark the 100th anniversary of former south african president nelson mandela in recognition for his global contribution to the culture of peace and freedom1 nelson mandela was a towering global advocate for justice and equality un secretary-general antnio guterres said in his video message for nelson mandela international day1 the day is annually observed on july 18 which was inaugurated by un general assembly in november 2009 in recognition of mandelas global contribution to the culture of peace and freedom1 mandela who died in 2013 was the first democratically-elected president of south africa and the countrys first black head of state after he had been in prison for 27 years on charges of sabotage before being released and eventually elected president1 he continues to inspire the world through his example of courage and compassion. nelson mandela was held captive for many years. but he never became a prisoner of his past guterres said1 the un chief noted that mandela poured his energy into reconciliation and his vision of a peaceful multi-ethnic democratic south africa1 the un would use the occasion on wednesday to take stock of what it termed mandelas vast legacy for mankind1 in december 2015 the general assembly decided to extend the scope of nelson mandela international day to also promote humane conditions of imprisonment and to encourage societies everywhere to treat prisoners as a continuous part of society by adopting the revised un standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners known as the nelson mandela rules1 the rules added important safeguards including an absolute prohibition on torture and ill-treatment and clear restrictions on the use of solitary confinement instruments of restraint and intrusive searches as well as detailed guidance on prisoners rights to equivalent health-care services1 yury fedotov executive director of the un office on drugs and crime unodc said a nation should be judged by how it treats its lowest citizens not the highest ones1 nelson mandela spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle for justice. he knew better than anyone that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails1 a nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones the unodc chief said1 fedetov said his office would assist all countries in translating these rules into action to promote humane conditions of imprisonment and ensure no part of society is forgotten1 nelson mandela international day 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of a true hero who left the world a better and more just place than he found it fedotov said. nan1 -
South East caucus working for Buhari
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he explained that that the caucus activities would be sponsored by well meaning individuals who believed in mr presidents determination to ensure a corruption free secured and economically vibrant nation1 south east group has begun aggressive campaign and mobilisation for president muhmmadu buharis re-election1 uzodinma told newsmen after the caucus meeting in abuja that the association membership was voluntary and committed1 the lawmaker also said sub committees had been set up while state coordinators had been appointed1 according to him members of the group are using their money to work toward the presidents re-election bid in 20191 the central working committee met and created sub committees and appointed state coordinators who will in turn create local government coordinators1 south-east is very serious about this. we want to make sure we win convincingly and the president will be able to appreciate the work we have done1 the coordinator south-east caucus national committee of buharis support group sen. hope uzodinma said high powered meetings were being held to mobilise massive support for buhari in 20191 the government is not involved in the association we have people who have volunteered to assist us to support with both funding and human resources1 this is to ensure that come 2019 president buhari will win convincingly in the south-east1 i can assure you that with the level and calibre of people involved commitment is sure and drive is going to be wonderful he said1 a member of the caucus mr emeka wogu also said that the caucus was working hard to ensure that the all progressives congress apc garnered up to 80 per cent of the votes in the south east1 wogu also a former minister of labour and productivity expressed optimism that more south-eastern people would vote for buhari in 20191 he said that apc is strong in terms of spread in the south-east1 according to him the group is working hard to make sure that come 2019 president buhari and apc win all the elections in the south-east convincingly. nan1 -
WFP spends US$126m in North
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wfp is able to carry out the exercise by mopping up assistance from the government of countries that are friendly to nigeria2 we also provide nutritional support to pregnant women to prevent unnecessary mother and child death she added1 she added that the programme planned to meet its target of providing food assistance to 1.5 million of the most food insecure and vulnerable people in northeast nigeria1 as at this moment wfp is providing food and cash assistance to more than 1.2 million she said1 according to vennize the number of people affected by insurgency has increased as more than 20000 have returned to the area from neighbouring countries1 she said that the programmes activities in the affected states had increased especially from june to september when stored food would have dwindled1 she said that owing to the development wfp required 49 million dollars to sustain its life-saving support until the end of 20181 the world food programme wfp has spent 126 million to provide food aid in various forms to 1.2 million people in 16 northern nigerian states since 20171 ms. ingermarie vennize the world food programmes head of communication in nigeria identified the sates as katsina kadunataraba zamfara sokoto kano yobe borno adamawa bauchi benue gombe jigawa kebbi plateau and niger1 the official said further that wfp also provided support to mostly the vulnerable in the society and in the areas ravaged by the boko haram insurgency for the people to engage in agricultural activities wherever they could or engage in income-generating activities wherever possible1 the head of communication further said that the programme was providing preventative nutrition assistance to children of six to 23 months old and to children with moderate or acute malnutrition that were of between 24 and 59 months old1 she said that pregnant and lactating women also received preventative nutrition assistance integrated with cash or in-kind food support1 vennize however said that in areas where people returned en masse livelihood support interventions were made to contribute to early recovery and help reduce reliance on food assistance1 she pledged that the programme would not relent in its efforts at providing food assistance to people affected by terrorism1 wfp started its presence in nigeria in 2016 upon the request of the federal government to assist in the crisis in borno yobe and adamawa states as a result of insurgency she said1 vennize however said she was pleased with the federal governments efforts at ensuring that some affected families returned to their homes1 she expressed confidence that once internally displaced persons were returned to their homes agricultural activities would be revived and food production enhanced1 -
WFP officer visits NAN
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wfp is able to carry out the exercise by mopping up assistance from the government of countries that are friendly to nigeria2 she said that the development had increased the activities of wfp in the affected areas particularly during the lean season between june and september when the food stock would have been depleted1 vennize in abuja identified the states as taraba borno and adamawa1 vennize however said that the programme was working toward meeting its target of providing aid for the most food-insecure and vulnerable persons in the northeast geopolitical zone of nigeria1 at the moment wfp is providing food and cash assistance to more than 1.2 million persons in the region she said1 she noted that the number of affected people in the northeast had increased as more than 20000 people were now returning from the neighbouring country of cameroon1 the amount she said was in form of food assistance and other forms to 1.2 million persons in 3 north eastern nigerian states since 20171 vennize said that as a result of that wfp urgently required at least 49 million u.s. dollars to enable it to sustain the life-saving support until the end of 20181 ms. ingermarie vennize head of communications of world food programme wfp nigeria formally visited nan where she said 126 million had been spent to provide food in embattled north east1 we also provide nutritional supplies to pregnant women to prevent unnecessary maternal and child deaths she said1 she said that wfp was also providing food assistance to children with ages between six and 23 months as well as malnourished children within the two to five years age bracket1 the wfp official said that pregnant and lactating women also received nutrition assistance as well as cash and food support1 vennize however said that in areas where there were returning internally displaced persons livelihood support interventions were implemented to facilitate the returnees early recovery and reduce their reliance on food assistance1 -
Multi-storey building in India collapses, several killed
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a six-storey building collapsed into an adjacent construction site in greater noida near new delhi india killing at least two persons police said on wednesday as rescuers searched for more people feared trapped in the rubble1 building collapses in india are more common during the current monsoon season aggravated by the use of poor building materials police and residents say1 greater noida is one of a cluster of areas that have sprung up around the indian capital over the last decade home to scores of residential and commercial blocks many of them unfinished structures for lack of funds or approvals from the state local authorities1 about 100 people were involved in the night long rescue effort using cranes to clear the rubble officials said. a dog squad sent in to look for survivors did not find any p.k. srivastava commandant of the national disaster response force said1