CORRUPTION IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE & MILITARY IS THE HURDLE AGAINST THE WAR ON TERROR IN NIGERIA.

The United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, has said that corruption is hindering Nigeria’s efforts at ending   insurgency in the North-East.

Sewall, who appeared before a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, alongside a Pentagon top Africa official, Amanda Dory, added that the military must overcome entrenched corruption and incompetence for it to   rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

She said that despite Nigeria’s $5.8bn security budget for 2014, “corruption prevents supplies as basic as bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the front lines of the struggle against Boko Haram.”

DIRECT YOUR PROTEST TO THE KIDNAPPERS OF THE GIRLS AND NOT THE PRESIDENCY - PRESIDENT JONATHAN SPEAKS.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, to henceforth direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not the government.

The President also urged the protesters to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist act.

He has however admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.

US DEPLOYS AIR FORCE PERSONNEL TO LOCATE MISSING CHIBOK SCHOOL GIRLS.

Eighty U.S. Air Force personnel have begun their mission in Chad to help locate nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in neighboring Nigeria, a U.S. military spokesman said Thursday.

The girls and young women were kidnapped on April 15 from a school in the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok by an Islamic extremist group known as Boko Haram. The group's leader has threatened to sell most of the estimated 276 schoolgirls still being held into slavery unless the Nigerian government releases detained militants. Reports say some girls were taken across borders into Chad and Cameroon.

Chuck Prichard, a spokesman at the U.S. military's Africa Command in Germany, said Thursday that the 80 Air Force personnel were moved to Chad from a location inside the United States. Prichard did not say precisely where the 80 were previously stationed.

BLOODLESS COUP IN THAILAND AS ARMY CHIEF ANNOUNCES TAKEOVER.

Thailand's army chief seized power Thursday in a bloodless coup, mounting the country's 12th military takeover since 1932 in what he called a necessary move to restore stability after nearly seven months of political deadlock and deadly violence.

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said a military commission that imposed martial law two days earlier would now take control of the country's administration. All national broadcasting was suspended and replaced with the commission's announcements and broadcasts of patriotic music.

PICTURES OF SOME UNIJOS STUDENTS WHO PERISHED IN THE BOMB BLAST THAT CLAIMED 118 SOULS.

Faces of some UNIJOS students as a result of the Bomb blast that rocked the city of Jos few days ago.

Most of  them were final year medical students........

It is just so sad.

POPULAR MUSLIM CLERIC SHARES GORY PHOTOS OF THE MURDER OF UNARMED MEN IN BORNO.

A respected Muslim cleric, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmu Gumi, shared some photos on his Facebook page claiming that the men lined up are young Almajiris who were executed without trial as Boko Haram members in Borno state. 

In his statement, he mentioned that vigilante groups would move into the villages, pick up young men, take them to the field and kill them. He said this is how some innocent people are killed in the name of fighting Boko Haram.

See the pictures after the cut....

VIEWERS DISCRETION IS HIGHLY ADVISED....

HOW A DRIVER'S MISTAKE CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 32 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA

A national day of mourning has been declared in Colombia to honour 32 children who were burned alive when the bus they were travelling in caught fire.

President Juan Manuel Santos interrupted campaigning ahead of May 25 elections and travelled to Fundacion, where the blaze happened, to pay his respects to the victims.

Speaking to the children's families, he said: 'We are with you, the whole country is with you.'

The children, who were being ferried home from Sunday school, died after the bus driver allegedly tried to refuel the vehicle from a jerrycan and the petrol caught fire.

HORROR IN MAKURDI AS 9-FULANI HERDSMEN GANG-RAPED 15-YR OLD GIRL & 2 HOUSEWIVES.

No fewer than nine suspected Fulani herdsmen, yesterday, allegedly gang-raped a 15-year-old girl and two housewives (names withheld) at gunpoint, in Tse Ikyuer, Yandev, Mbagwen in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

Two of the victims, who narrated their ordeal to journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, said after beating and raping them, the herdsmen also made away with their N60,000 and two phones.

According to the women, who could barely walk, “one of us (the teenage girl) was raped repeatedly, after being thoroughly beaten by the herdsmen. At the moment, she is neither able to walk nor talk.”

HOW BOKO HARAM AMBUSHED AND MURDERED NIGERIA'S FINEST SOLDIERS.

On May 12 2014, a group of soldiers selected from the Special Operations Battalion of the Nigerian Army headquarters were asked to proceed on an operation in Bita, Borno State. The mission, according to military sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, was informed by actionable intelligence showing that Boko Haram militants had been sighted in the area.

The village of Bita had witnessed numerous attacks by Boko Haram insurgents to the point that the residents had fled since February of this year to other locations, abandoning their community to the militants.

The selected soldiers had been taken from their operational base in Mubi, Adamawa State, and made to join some soldiers from the “213” battalion from the newly created “7 Division” of the Nigerian army stationed inside Maimalari Barracks.

IG PROMISES TO ARREST JOS BOMBERS.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has promised that the Nigerian Police will arrest culprits of Tuesday’s twin bomb explosions in Jos.

The Police chief gave the assurance at the premises of the Jos University Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, when he visited victims at the hospitals.

Jos was thrown into pandemonium on Tuesday when two bombs went off in quick succession killing about 200 persons according to body counts by emergency and health officials. Mr. Abubakar said the police have commenced investigations into the incident, with the intention of arresting the culprits.

REIGN OF TERROR - A CHALLENGE TO STATE GOVERNMENTS.

In a show of criminal defiance, about 60 armed robbers recently raided eight streets in one night in Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital. By the time the felons exited, they had vandalised most of the houses, raped several women and destroyed 30 cars parked overnight on streets such as Ereko, Coker Lane, New Balogun and Ayonuga.

In the new uptick of violent crime in the state, the hoodlums operated for about six hours, till dawn, robbing in the community unchallenged by security men. In a state that has become renowned for its relative safety amidst the huge security challenges facing the Nigerian state, this is a misnomer. A witness said, “Around 1am, they started going from house to house, robbing the occupants. They stole phones, money and everything they saw. People were crying throughout the night. It was terrible.” Where were the police and the task force operatives when the hoodlums were on the loose? It is inconceivable that some of the residents of the area did not alert the police through telephone calls and text messages.

BOKO HARAM SET TO HIT LAGOS - PROPHET SOUL E

Musician turned Prophet "Soul E" has warned of an impending terror attack on Lagos by the dreaded Boko haram sect..

Recall that the American Consulate also warned on a planned attack on some hotels in Lagos. The security agencies must be on toes to ensure this is averted if the words of the prophet are true..

Read his statement below.

LAGOS POLICE SAVE 80-YR BIRD WOMAN FROM DEADLY MOB.

An elderly woman escaped lynching on Wednesday after being accused of being a bird and witch in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State.

According to residents of Ojo Road, where the purported transformation took place, the woman was a black bird before suddenly turning into a human being.

Hundreds of residents were said to have gathered around the woman to lynch her.

An eyewitness, Chike, said he was sitting in front of a compound with his girlfriend when they saw three black birds flying.

Yaaya Toure is very bitter over birthday snub.

Midfielder Yaya Toure is upset with Manchester City after an apparent birthday snub and could leave the club, his agent said on Tuesday.

According to Dimitri Seluk, who represents the Ivory Coast international, Toure was dismayed that, despite the club giving him a 31st birthday cake, the owners did not personally congratulate him at a post-season party in Abu Dhabi.

Former Barcelona powerhouse Toure, whose goals were instrumental in City’s second title in three seasons, could even leave the club, Seluk said.

BOKO HARAM MAY RELEASE MORE THAN 100 GIRLS NEXT WEEK.

Reports indicates that Boko Haram, the terrorist group that abducted over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, may have abandoned its prisoner swap for Chibok girls position, as it plans to begin the release of the girls from next week.

According to Telegraph, a United Kingdom (UK) newspaper, it was claimed that the sect was willing to conduct a “gradual” release of its hostages, in return for the release of Boko Haram prisoners in Nigerian jails.

In a significant concession, the group, it was learnt, had abandoned demands for its top commanders to be released, seemingly aware that this would be politically impossible for the Nigerian government.

The reported details of Boko Haram’s offer of an imminent prisoner exchange was published last week, when

HOW MASTERMIND OF NYANYA BOMBING WAS ARRESTED.

The arrest of Sadiq Aminu Ogwuche, mastermind of Nyanya bomb blast, was made possible through on-going collaboration of Nigeria and Sudan’s intelligence community, Sudanese High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Tagelsir Mahgoub Ali, revealed to Vanguard, weekend. 

Ambassador Ali, who spoke about the role of his country’s security agencies in the arrest of Ogwuche in Sudan, in an exclusive interview in Abuja, also revealed that Nigerian visa applicants were now required to come with verifiable references as proof of not having any connection with extremists or terrorists organisations.

Ogwuche, fingered as the mastermind of Nyanya blasts that claimed over 70 lives, was declared wanted alongside one other, with a bounty of N25million placed on his head by Nigerian security forces.

ABOUT SEVEN FEARED DEAD INTO PORT-HARCOURT REFINERY EXPLOSION.

At least, seven persons were feared dead on Sunday when an explosion rocked the Port Harcourt Refinery Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was gathered that several persons were seriously injured as a result of the explosion, which was allegedly triggered by the activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves.

It was learnt that suspected oil thieves had tampered with one of the pipelines close to the refinery with the intention of stealing petroleum products.

A source explained that the action of the oil thieves had ignited a deafening noise and a huge fire around the jetty, leaving not less than seven persons dead.

BOMB BLAST HITS SABON-GARI IN KANO, DOZENS FEARED DEAD

A blast hit Kano on Sunday, in a street with many bars and night spots.

Scores were feared dead in the explosion which witnesses quoted by the AFP news agency said was caused by a suspected car bomb.

The blast took place in an area mostly inhabited by Christians from southern Nigeria, the Reuters news agency reports. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out attacks in Kano State.

Witnesses quoted by AFP said that the blast could be heard from several miles away and happened on a busy road lined with bars in the predominantly Christian area of Sabon Gari.

GOODBYE NIGERIA, WELCOME ODUDUWA REPUBLIC - FANI KAYODE

“If they ever tell my story let them say I walked with giants, men rise and fall like the Winter wheat but these names will never die… Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses…let them say I lived in the time of Achilles”- the Iliyad, Homer.

The words of Odysseus in Homer’s epic and ancient poem titled ”The Iliyad” (which in my view is the greatest poem that was ever written and which was quoted in the opening and last scene of the famous Hollywood blockbuster film titled ”Troy”) have always moved me. Those words are deep and profound: they stir my soul and rekindle my spirit.

They speak of and reflect the essence of Ancient Greece with its rich and exciting history, its extraordinary heroes and heroines and its all-powerful and all-knowing gods, titans and immortals. How I wish that I could conjure up such great and powerful words about the history of my nation Nigeria and her heroes past.

BOKO HARAM STRIKES IN ANOTHER BORNO VILLAGE, LEAVES 40 DEAD.

At least 40 villagers were killed and several others injured on Saturday as gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members attacked Dalwa-Masuba Village in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, security sources and a witness said.

The gunmen who stormed the village in large numbers also burnt down virtually all buildings in the village as well as three pickup vans carrying woods to Damboa.

A member of the vigilante in Dalwa-Masuba, who spoke to journalists in Maiduguri on phone, said no security personnel had reached the attacked town at the time he was speaking.

Premium times reports.....