Boko Haram: Terrorists attack Nigerian refugees in Timur, kill 51

 

Reports reaching DAILY POST from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital in the northeast region have it that insurgents have attacked Tumur Town, a community in Niger Republic, which houses more than 40,000 refugees from Nigeria.

The attack on Sunday according to some refugees, who called their relatives in Maiduguri, was very bloody, leaving over 51 people dead and causing many damages of property, including animals.

Most of the inhabitants of the town (Tumur) are people from Abadam Local Government Area of Borno state in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that a similar incident occurred in mid May this year, which prompted over 2000 households to relocate to Damasak in search of safety and protection.

Government officials and international organisations in Damasak told newsmen that the town of Damasak may experience continuation of movement of people from Niger (mass influx) in the coming days.

The officials called on the government and partners to begin to make preparation for essential items including food to respond to the immediate needs of the new arrivals.

- DAILY POST

Hillary Clinton wants U.S. electoral college scrapped

 

Former U.S. First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on Monday renewed her call for the abolition of the country’s Electoral College.

She made the call in a tweet shortly after voting as an elector alongside her husband and former President Bill Clinton in New York.

“I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office.

“But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” the tweet reads.

Hilary lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump in spite of winning the popular votes.

Trump was elected after securing 304 electoral vote to Clinton’s 234.

The Clintons were joined by Gov. Andrew Cuomo alongside 26 other electors on Monday who formerly sealed Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election in New York.

The U.S. Electoral College is a group of 538 presidential electors who converge in state capitals every December of an election year to ratify the election of the President and the Vice President.

This the college does on 14 December every four years.

The number of electors in each state is equivalent to the number of seats in state’s legislature.

A candidate requires an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes to win the election.

But if no candidate secures the 270 votes, Congress holds a contingent election to pick the president and Vice President.

Biden’s election is expected to be ratified in the Electoral College held in all state capitals on Monday following the Nov. 3 general polls.

The former Vice President is projected to receive 306 electoral votes to be secured against Trump’s 232 electoral votes.

Trump, however, has not conceded as he continues to contest the election results.

- PM NEWS

Landmine explosions: Nigeria among ‘top five countries with highest casualty rates’

 

In their struggle to earn a living, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in north-east Nigeria venture into unsafe territories and often find themselves at the mercy of landmine explosions.

Over 1,000 persons in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states have been reportedly killed or injured by explosives left behind during operations involving Boko Haram, other armed groups and security officers.

According to a report released on Monday by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) titled ‘Hidden Scars – The Landmine Crisis in North-east Nigeria’, the country has one of the highest casualty figures worldwide.

“Explosive ordnance pose a dangerous threat to the many internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and returnees transiting throughout the region. As IDPs and refugees migrate or return home – often through unfamiliar terrain – they are at significant risk of entering areas contaminated by landmines and other explosive ordnance,” the report reads.

“Likewise, returning to villages that are contaminated by explosive ordnance puts returnee communities at risk, as well as limiting the degree to which they can begin rebuilding homes and livelihoods.”

MAG, a global humanitarian and advocacy organisation that “finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict”, said Nigeria is among the top five countries in the world with the highest casualty rates from landmines.

The group also noted that Nigeria is the first country in Africa to have encountered new use of locally-manufactured landmines on this scale.

MAG explained that the situation is heightened by the insurgency in north-east Nigeria.

“Research by the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has uncovered 1,052 casualties from 697 accidents involving landmines and unexploded bombs between January 2016 and August 2020 – although this number is thought to be even higher due to underreporting,” the report reads.

“A staggering 1,052 people have been reported to be killed or injured by explosive ordnance since 2016 across the most afflicted north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

“The crisis hit a peak of one casualty every day for the first 15 weeks of 2020 (113 casualties were recorded) – Casualty figures averaged one person per day in the first fifteen weeks of 2020, with Nigeria among the top five countries in the world with the highest casualty rates from landmines.

“The devastating impact of the conflict on the physical and mental wellbeing, living standards, and capacity for resilience and recovery of populations in north-east Nigeria is compounded by the dangers posed by landmines and other explosive ordnance.

“Intense fighting between Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram has left widespread contamination of explosive ordnance throughout the region. Locally-manufactured anti-personnel landmines have been deployed on roads, infields and also in urban areas.”

According to the report, children often mistake the devices for toys or metal scrap that they could sell, consequently falling prey to the explosions.

“These devices present a particularly lethal threat to girls and boys, who often mistake them as household items or toys while playing outside,” MAG noted.

“In an IDP camp in Borno, just a few months ago, nine-year-old Mustapha lost his life to an explosive after fleeing Boko Haram with his family. His fourteen-year-old uncle, Bakura, was also injured in the accident and rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

“The two boys had found a metal object. Oblivious to its danger and thinking they could sell it for scrap, they brought it into the camp where they lived with Falmata, Bakura’s mother. The explosion killed Mustapha instantly, and seriously injured Bakura, Falmata and a neighbour.

“According to MAG’s analysis of the available data, of the 412 civilians who were killed or injured, 72 were under the age of 18. However, limited and incomplete reporting mechanisms mean that the age of at least 222 casualties is not known. It is almost certain that the real number of girls, boys and teenagers killed or injured by landmines and unexploded bombs is higher.”

The report noted that in 2019, the Nigerian government acknowledged the existence of new landmines on its territory and committed to becoming mine-free by 2025.

However, according to MAG, “mine clearance is not yet an option in north-east Nigeria due to the ongoing conflict and insecurity.”

- THECABLE

Tell Nigerians if Buhari is dead or alive – Pastor Giwa begs Pastor Adeboye

 

The Senior Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming Of Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, on Monday, begged the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye to tell Nigerians whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari is alive or dead.

The cleric also urged the service chiefs to cover their faces in shame over the abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in Kankara, Kastina State.

In a statement sent to DAILY POST on Monday, Giwa, in his reaction to the ugly development begged “Pastor Adeboye and those who supported the APC to win the 2015 election to tell Nigerians whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari is alive or dead.”

Recall that more than 300 schoolboys are still missing after gunmen attacked a secondary school in Kankara, a town in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state, authorities said.

Attackers on motorcycles stormed the all-boys Government Science School late on Friday and engaged security forces in a fierce gun battle, forcing hundreds of students to flee and hide in the surrounding forest.

However, Pastor Giwa wondered why “the nation would have a president who could not lay his life for his citizens by protecting them.”

The cleric added, “By now, nobody should have advised the service chiefs to resign before they do so.”

- DAILY POST

‘How I lost my pregnant wife to unlawful arrest, detention by police’

 A 33-year-old farmer, Osazee Agbontaen, has narrated to the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of SARS and related abuses, how he allegedly lost his pregnant wife due to his unlawful detention by police operatives.

Agbontaen, who resides at Ekowe Community in Ovia Northeast Local Government area of the state, told the panel that his wife who gave birth by cesarean section died while he was remanded in prison custody.

He added that he was arrested unlawfully based on a petition written against him and was detained for two weeks before being sent to prison.

“I was at home when some policemen invaded my house at about 2am and started banging on my door. Because I didn’t open for them on time, they pounced on me and beat me up, dragged me on the ground before throwing me into their van.

“They took me to their station, where I spent almost two weeks in their custody before they remanded me in prison,” he said.

The petitioner added that his wife who was carrying an eight-month old pregnancy would not have died if he were around to assist her.

“It was while I was in the prison that my family members came to tell me that my wife has put to bed through cesarean section.

“Ten days later, they also came to inform me in the prison that she couldn’t make it and has died.

“I was confused when I heard the news of the death of my wife,” Agbontaen said.

He noted that upon thorough investigations, the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) and his Investigating Police Officer (IPO), came up to say he has no case to answer.

As if the death of his wife was not enough blow, the widower also complained that he lost everything he had and that while in the prison, his farm was overgrown with weeds, and that the left over parts of his farm was later destroyed by fire.

- PM NEWS

Soldier, civilian killed in mission to rescue abducted Oyo-based Lebanese

 

A soldier, who was part of the rescue team trailing gunmen, who kidnapped a Lebanese and his aide in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, has been found dead.

The soldier was among the team drafted to secure the release of Hassan Mills, the victim.

Mills was abducted by gunmen on his way to Panorama Farms at Oke Alaro area of Ibadan.

According to Olugbenga Fadeyi, police public relations officer in Oyo, the corpses of the soldier and a civilian were found at the kidnappers hideout.

“On 12/12/2020 at about 17:23 hours, one Hassan Mills ‘m’ of Panorama Farm Mekun, Oke Alaro area of Ibadan was abducted at the entrance of his farm by gunmen, who shot severally before taking him away into the forest,” the statement read.

“In a swift response, the DPO Oke Alaro, combed the forest with a view to rescue the abductor from his captors and also arrest the culprits.

“Consequent upon this, a team of Operation Burst which was invited by the company arrived the area and proceeded to the forest. Not too long, one Army Lieutenant sustained gunshot injury on his right lap, and immediately taking to the hospital while the personal assistant to the abducted man, who was also abducted alongside his boss escaped during the exchange of gunfire.

“On 13/12/2020, two corpses of one soldier and a civilian were discovered in the forest while a civil defence personnel also sustained gun shot injury. It is worthy of note that movement of these foreign nationals most of the time are not known to the police authority in the state to enable professional advice to be given appropriately.”

-THECABLE

Insecurity: Service Chiefs no longer effective, should be sacked – Shettima tells Buhari

 

Kashim Shettima, Senator from Borno Central, has called for the removal of Nigeria’s Service Chiefs, amid the issues of insecurity plaguing the country.

Shettima, a former Governor of Borno State said the current Service Chiefs are dispensable, hence they should be removed.

Appearing on Arise Television, the lawmaker insisted that the Service Chiefs were no longer effective in the discharge of their duties.

Shettima said the current Service Christmas Chiefs should be replaced with people who have new ideas on how to tackle the plague of insecurity.

He said, “Why I was agitating for the removal of the security chiefs has to do with the fact that they have given their best but their best is no longer good enough. Shehu Shagari had three service chiefs in his four years of stewardship.

“Nobody is indispensable. And the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We believe that morale is high; there is the need for an injection of people with new ideas, with fresher perspectives to come and address the issues.

“By June next year, Course 35 is going without reaching the pinnacle of their careers. So justice, equity, fairness and even commonsense demands that these service chiefs should go.”

Lately, there has been intense call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack his Service Chiefs over the failing security architecture in the country.

While Nigerians were still mourning the massacre in Zabarmari, Borno State by Boko Haram sect, some unknown gunmen had abducted students of Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State.

- DAILY POST