How Local Vigilante Captured And Killed 70 Boko Haram Fighters In Adamawa

In a Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011 file photo, onlookers gather around a car destroyed in a blast next to St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria after an explosion ripped through a Catholic church during Christmas Mass near Nigeria's capital Sunday, killing scores of people, officials said. A radical Muslim sect, Boko Haram, claimed the attack and another bombing near a church in the restive city of Jos.

Members of a vigilance group in Madagali, a town in Adamawa State, have reportedly killed more than 70 Boko Haram members and handed over seven others to the police.
An online news medium, SharaReporters, reported on Friday that the vigilance group acted after they were tipped off by a local food vendor that the militants were coming to get food before heading out for a major operation to raid villages in the area, usually carried out at night.
The report, however, could not be confirmed from official sources as of press time on Friday.

Local Vigilante (Photo Credit: Nigerian Tribune)

The vigilance group reportedly mobilised and laid ambush for the militants, a source in the village disclosed.
According to the source, as soon as the insurgents, numbering more than 100, showed up in the village to pick up their favourite meals, the vigilance group attacked them, killing most of them in a hail of bullets.
Friday’s attack was the second time this week that local vigilantes had defeated the rampaging militants. The first time was three days ago when well-armed vigilantes in Kalabalge, Borno State, ambushed a squad of Boko Haram militants.
A security source told SaharaReporters that Nigerians resident in many remote areas of the the North-East seemed to have decided that the best way to repel incessant attacks by murderous gangs of Boko Haram insurgents was to take their destiny in their hands.
A member of the vigilanc group involved in Friday’s ambush told Saturday Tribune that Nigerian soldiers appeared unable or unwilling to wage an effective war against the insurgents.
“They (soldiers) seem to be helpless and to fear the Boko Haram warriors who terrorise us here. But we are not afraid. They are men like us, and we are tired of folding our arms and allowing them to kill us, our wives and our children,” he said.
Foreign military assistance good for Nigeria —Airforce chief
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, on Friday declared that the current involvement of foreign military forces in Nigeria’s war against terror would not undermine the nation’s sovereignty.
He said, “When they come in like that for assistance, there will be something like a memorandum of understanding; there will be guidelines and everybody will keep to its own agreement.”
But he declined to either affirm or deny the insinuation that the foreign forces refused to work with some Nigerian security personnel, saying “what you are asking for, I don’t think is what we should say in the open; it is confidential. But it is not what will compromise our sovereignty; we are still working as a nation, and we have made it very clear we will provide the information. If you want extra, you should ask for it, and I think they will be ready to give all.”

Amosu spoke to journalists on Friday at the Air Force Headquarters in Abuja after the decoration ceremony of 12 newly promoted Air Warrant Officers (AWO), who are the main custodian of discipline for other ranks.

How Borno Villagers Laid Ambush And Killed 200 Boko Haram Fighters

In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013. members of the "Civilian JTF " with cutlasses and clubs mount a check point on the street of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Almost 200 suspected members of the Boko Haram were killed on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 by residents of  Rann, the headquarters of Kala-Balge local government area in north eastern part of  Borno State, officials and locals from the area said.

Sources said the insurgents, numbering over 300 stormed Rann and adjoining villages around 4am today but met resistance from the people who had knowledge of the impending attack.

This is the second attempt by Boko Haram insurgents on Rann. A similar one was waged by the attackers some month ago but retreated when they reportedly found it difficult to penetrate the town.

It was however gathered that this time around, the insurgents had succeeded in entering Rann where they killed some people and burnt some houses but reportedly recorded the worst casualty.

“The people in Rann and environs used traditional fighting equipment and charms to repel the attacks…they really confronted the attackers who were equally ready for fight,” a source said.

A state legislator from Central Borno, who does not want his name mentioned, confirmed the attack, pointing out that the locals had successfully repelled.

“The villagers succeeded in protecting their dwellings from the attackers. They killed about 200 members of the sect and many others escaped with serious wounds.

“Our people also recovered over 70 motorcycles that the attackers came with. They also collected 2 Hilux vehicles and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) while some of the attackers were captured alive,” he said.

At the Gamboru Motor Park along the Customs area in Maiduguri, some people that came from the area said the insurgents were defeated in Rann during confrontations that lasted many hours.

Borno State police commissioner, Lawan Tanko said he was not aware of the attack.

“The only information I heard today is that the insurgents have been sighted around Hamchika-Kala Balge road. We have informed sister agencies of the development,” he said.

It is not yet clear whether the insurgents are heading towards Kala-Balge for a renewed attack. GSM services in the area have been vandalized by insurgents over two years ago and locals in the area rely on Cameroonian telephone facilities to reach out.

Kala-Balge lies along the Shores of the Lake Chad and is few kilometers away from Gamboru town where suspected insurgents killed nearly 400 people last week and destroyed over 300 vehicles, 650 motorcycles, dozens of residential houses, public buildings and the biggest market in the town that shares border with Cameroon.

It was learnt that people of Kala-Balge have used various methods, including prayers in protecting their town.

Was Davido lying about his recent encounter with the NIS?

The Nigerian Immigration Service has denied Davido’s recent claims that officials allegedly extorted him and caused him to miss a flight to London last week.

 Reacting to the pop singer’s claims, the NIS Public Relations Officer Emeka Obua said Davido couldn’t travel out because he did not provide his Nigerian passport to Immigration officers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. 

According to Obua, Davido only presented his US passport and was asked to present his Nigerian passport to convince them he legally travelled into Nigeria. But Davido said he forgot it at home. He left and returned the next day, presented his Nigerian passport and proceeded with his trip. 

‘The officer informed him that he should go and bring the Nigerian passport to convince him that he did not enter Nigeria illegally with a foreign passport without visa. Adeleke started arguing with the officer, who had to refer the case to his superiors and the verdict was that he could not make the trip unless he produced the said Nigerian passport,’ Obua said in a statement released to Punch Newspaper.

 ‘Livid with anger, Adeleke, in company of his bodyguards, started protesting in a disorderly manner, prompting the Comptroller of Immigration in-charge at MMIA to intervene. He advised Adeleke to call his bodyguards to order (caution) and comply with the lawful instruction which would not only erase any doubt as to his immigration status but also establish his claim to dual citizenship.

’ Davido is a dual Citizen of the US and Nigeria. According to the NIS, his passport details are: 

Davido’s Nigerian Passport Details: Passport Number – A02227477. Issued at Abuja, Nigeria. Valid from August 13, 2010 till August 12, 2015. Davido’s US Passport Details: Passport Number – 460918874. Issued at Georgia, US. Valid from December 14, 2009 till December 14, 2019. 

The NIS further described Davido’s behaviour as unfortunate as they would have expected him to give the officers props for saving him from embarrassment at the airport.

 ‘The intention of this statement is not to join issues with Mr Adeleke but to set the facts of the incident, as it happened at MMIA on the said day straight,

Listening to Femi Kuti’s ’97′ in 2014 [Another Perspective by oluwole-leigh

‘97’, a song by Femi Anikulapo-Kuti and the Positive Force band, was released in his 2005 album ‘Live at the shrine’. The song describes three experiences of ‘Sorrow, Tears and Blood’ that the Anikulapo-Kuti family had in 1997.



The song starts with a mournful sequence of sounds by the Positive Force’s horns section. The first narration describes the death and burial of his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, otherwise known as Baba 70, Abami Eda and Black President. Fela passed away on August 2, 1997 and was buried on August 12, 1997. The song describes his burial procession from Tafawa Balewa Square to his final resting place in Ikeja with over a million mourners in attendance. On August 21, 1997, the family got news of the death of their cousin Fran Kuboye. Fran Kuboye was the daughter of Fela’s sister. The grim reaper came calling a few months after when Sola, Femi’s sister, passed on due to complications from cancer. Femi described the pain she felt as the medical system failed her in her last moments. As ‘97‘ played in the background, I wondered what type of song would encapsulate all that we have witnessed in Nigeria in 2014. We have spent a little above four months in 2014 but it feels like a decade. My mind tries to encapsulate Femi’s Three Sorrows of 97 in our sorrows of 2014.



Relatives of kidnapped schoolgirls in Chibok. Photo – Reuters The first of such sorrows would be the loss of value for human life and dignity. We wake up to daily news of tragedy. Human beings are being ripped apart by violence, poverty and disease. Families remain inconsolable at the loss of their loved ones. The only crime committed by these ones was the crime of being born in Nigeria. A woman wakes up and sets out of her house because she wants to go to work. She never makes it to work because she loses her legs in an explosion. A poor woman sends her kids to school but her kids are kidnapped and taken to the forest. A man takes a boat ride in order to get to work but he ends up in the middle of the ocean because his boat capsizes. These are few out of the many tragedies that we have witnessed in 2014. The effect of the endless tragedies on the human psyche is evident. Citizens are relieved when a terrible incident claims ‘a few’ lives. We seem to have instituted an Upper Control limit below which an incident is seen as normal. The concept of ‘a few lives’ is also witnessed in the coverage of news by our local media. Incidents involving ‘a few lives’ are relegated to the inside pages of the dailies while ‘major incidents’ are given the front pages. The common thread of humanity which we share demands that we value every life around us. Life is sacred regardless of the religion, ethnic group or economic class of the owner.



 President Goodluck Jonathan casting his vote at the 2011 presidential elections. The second of such sorrows is the loss of focus in governance ahead of the 2015 elections. It seems as if the uncertain future is of greater concern to our leaders than our present travails. There is no better illustration than the decision taken by the President to attend the birthday party of a traditional ruler shortly after citizens lost their lives to terror. The President had probably been informed that support from Traditional Institutions would be critical in delivering votes in that part of the country. It remains a mystery to me how a 100-year-old man can help improve anyone’s electoral fortune. The rational way to gain the support of people in that part of the country would be to deliver or help deliver sustainable development and economic growth. Unfortunately, the hopes and dreams of these citizens have been summed up in the Centennial Celebration of one of their many traditional rulers. The flip side to this predicament is the springing up of emergency projects all over the country. Roads that have otherwise been left in a dangerous state are suddenly getting attention. History has shown us that these interventions do not last beyond the next elections. Once the elections are done and dusted, these projects would grind to a halt. Thus, we are held in the vice-like grip of both inaction and emergency actions. Our desire is to have our leadership solve our current issues and allow the future to take care of itself. 



CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife Helen The third sorrow of our existence in 2014 is the unhealthy collaboration between the National CAN Leadership and the ruling government. The greatest evidence is the seeming irrelevance of Christian Association of Nigeria and its leadership. Historically, CAN has never had much of an impact on the lives of the members it claims to represent. It was at best an organisation that existed for the purpose of organising press conferences. It is notable that the current leadership is greatly concerned about mundane issues such as the number of Christians in committees in the ongoing National Conference. The criteria for classifying an individual as a Christian seem to be undefined. It seems as if CAN identifies you as a Christian if you have a name that sounds un-Islamic. CAN would have us believe that there are no Atheists or free thinkers in Nigeria. Another major concern of CAN is the non-sponsorship of Christian pilgrims by some Governors. In the midst of surrounding poverty and violence, the CAN Leadership wants to increase the wastage of our national resources in the pursuance of pilgrimages. CAN authorities are more interested in the distribution of travel allowances when their members junket around the world in the name of pilgrimage. I have to point out that the bible does not ask anyone in any place to go on yearly excursions to the Middle East. As CAN goes from blunder to blunder, it leaves those who are identified as Christians to carry the can for its blunders. Femi sang about three sorrows his family witnessed in 97, I wonder how the sorrows of 2014 will be remembered. The closing words of the song were ’97, I shall never forget ….’ Femi has kept true to his promise by playing this song in the honour of the departed at most of his major performances. The tragedy which Nigerians face is not that our sorrows will be known by all but that they will never be known. They may never be recounted as we stumble from one tragedy to another.... 

Revealed: Here's What Really Happened The Day P-Square Fought

The news of Peter and Paul Okoye of P-Square having issues went viral on Friday after their elder brother and manager, Jude Okoye tweeted that after 10-years, he was done.

There were reports that the brothers even fought during rehearsals.

Inside sources have revealed that the fight between the brothers actually started by their PAs. Jude's PA, Wande, was said to have given money to Peter's PA, Shege to get his car registered but Shege allegedly spent it on something else. This angered Jude's PA who stormed Squareville to confront Shege.

They got into a heated argument which resulted in a serious and bloody fight. Peter then reportedly came in and joined in the combat. He was about to hit Jude's PA with a pen when Paul held him to prevent him and in anger, Peter allegedly swung his free hand, landing his twin brother a big blow that made him fall to the ground but he didn't fight back.

Their elder brother Tony allegedly joined in, pounced on Peter and started beating him.

Reports have it that Peter wants to be incharge of their funds or get more money allegedly due to pressure from his wife but Jude has always been in charge and Paul wants it to stay that way.

Every family has its own issues, pray they get through this.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/64936.html

Jude Okoye Tweets Alarming Message On Possible P-Square Breakup

Confusion and anxiety have been trailing rumours and insinuations that popular music duo, Peter and Paul of PSquare, may be splitting up after all these years.

These fears from fans have been heightened recently by an alarming tweet which the groups older brother, Jude Engees Okoye, made today. The message is quite vague, but seems to point a lot at the possibility of a break up between the twin brothers.

Despite the tweet, Jude’s Twitter bio remains- “President/C.E.O Square Records, Northside Music Inc and Northside Entertainment Ltd. PSquare’s Manager/Producer Director, also pointing to the fact that the group is still intact.

But then there are reports the tweet may not be unconnected to the alleged recent fights between Paul and Peter Okoye.

Peter, Jude Engees and Paul Okoye

Speculations are rife that the twins now fight over everything including songs, videos and ideas.Other reports claim that Jude is tired of wadding in, settling the constants spats or even sometimes being a party in the vicious arguments; hence his tweet.

But then, despite evidence of Jude’s tweet, the Public Relations Executive to Psquare, Bayo Adetu, has decribed the story of Jude dumping his brothers as untrue.

He said…“I am too busy to give some wanna be blogger traffic, I don’t know where that report is coming from. Maybe they just want to get traffic to their site. It’s baseless and untrue”.

"Nonetheless, we hear that family members, friends and industry professionals are racing to clarify issues with Jude with the aim of banishing such a thought, should it be true!

The twin brothers have been a team in the music industry for 10 years now, bagging various awards and growing even more popular with time. There is no doubt that a split would break the heart of millions of fans all over the world.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/64908.html

Paul Okoye Says A Prayer For Psquare

Paul Okoye of Psquare has finally spoken out on the reports that the duo are on a verge of breaking up.

Paul & Peter Okoye with their wives and kids

It was reported four days ago that top Nigerian singers, Psquare made up of twin brothers: Peter and Paul Okoye are parting ways after so many years of being together, singing together and literally doing everything together due to irreconcilable differences.

Although some felt it was some kind of publicity stunt, others doubted the authencity of the report, it however came as a shock to many after their elder brother/manager, Jude Okoye tweeted saying: “After 10 years it’s over. Am done.”

Paul Okoye took to his facebook page to say a prayer for his family at this trying time.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/65017.html