The Nation Newspaper

Tag: borno

  • NEMA unites 5,000 families in Adamawa, Borno

    NEMA unites 5,000 families in Adamawa, Borno

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday said it had united 5,000 families in Adamawa and Borno following the liberation of some communities from Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

    Alhaji Sani Sidi, the Director-General, NEMA, disclosed this while presenting relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returnees in Uba, Adamawa..

    Sidi said the integration programme was initiated by the agency to support displaced persons, who returned to their various villages.

    Sidi, represented by Alhaji Sa’ad Bello, NEMA camp coordinator in Adamawa, said the agency would provide necessary assistance to the returnees in parts of the affected states.

    He said some of the displaced persons who fled their villages in Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Local Government Areas of Adamawa had returned to their respective villages.

    Others who returned, according to him, are from Lassa, Mussa, Dille, Uba,Muthavu and Husare Tampul villages in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno.

    The Director-General said the agency would continue to render assistance to the returnees with building materials and other facilities to enable then settle down.

    The Secretary, Askira-Uba Local Government Area, Alhaji Sanusi Bello, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture and assured that the materials would reach the affected returnees.

    He called on philanthropists and non-governmental organizations to emulate NEMA.

  • Osinbajo’s message to Maiduguri IDPs

    Osinbajo’s message to Maiduguri IDPs

     

  • Five killed in Borno hospital suicide blast

    Five killed in Borno hospital suicide blast

    No fewer than five people were killed at the weekend after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a leprosy hospital on the outskirts of Maiduguri, according to emergency services.

    Ten others were injured in the attack.

    The bomber, who tried to gain access to the hospital, detonated his explosives outside the building around 5:30 pm on Saturday.

    “Five people were killed and 10 others injured near the Molai leprosy hospital when a male bomber blew himself up,” said Mohammed Kanar, regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency.

    “The bomber had wanted to get entry into the hospital but was contemplating how to pass through security checks at the gate when the bomb went off.”

    He added: “We took the bodies and the injured to the specialist hospital (in Maiduguri).”

    Local resident Ibrahim Bulama said the bomber was one of three men who were dropped off near the hospital by a SUV vehicle.

    “They looked around for a while, obviously trying to sneak into the hospital,” Bulama said, adding that the facility was being guarded by civilian vigilantes who are assisting the military in the fight against Boko Haram Islamist insurgents.

    “Suddenly, the explosives on one of them went off. The other two fled in the confusion. Five people were killed and 10 others injured.”

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Nigeria’s Borno state, where the attack took place, has been the hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency which has left at least 15 000 people dead.

    Boko Haram, which has been fighting to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria since 2009, has intensified its campaign of violence in the last month.

    Danlami Ajaokuta, a civilian vigilante fighting Boko Haram, confirmed the hospital explosion and added that there had been a failed suicide attack by two women in Jakarna village, about 40 kilometres from Maiduguri on Saturday afternoon.

    “Two female suicide bombers died when the explosives on one of them went off prematurely while they were waiting for a bus along the highway in Jakarna,” Ajaokuta said.

    “Residents from the village heard a huge explosion and when they arrived at the scene they found one of the bombers in parts while the other lay dead face down.

    “Her explosives were still intact.”

  • Boko Haram kill 40 in two Borno villages

    Boko Haram kill 40 in two Borno villages

    No fewer than 40 villagers were murdered on Monday when Boko Haram terrorists attacked two villages in Borno state, witnesses and security sources have confirmed.

    The two villages Debiro both share a geographical division between Hauwul Local Government and Biu Local government areas both in Borno state came under spate attacks on Monday and Tuesday.

    The son of the District Head Mallam Yakubu Dabiro narrated that the suspected terrorists burnt down houses and vehicles and shot people at sight before leaving without confrontation.

    Our Correspondent gathered that, when the militants arrived the village in the night, they initially shot and killed 17 people before injuring many others. They reportedly returned again when surviving residents were burying their dead ones to kill many more.

    Usman Malgana who spoke with our Correspondent from the General Hospital in Biu, confirmed that they lost 26 people, while 20 are currently receiving treatment at the hospital with doctors battling to save their lives.

    Some of the lucky residents that escaped the attack in the first village said that the attackers came to the town and unleashed terror freely on the innocent villagers using their guns and knives, shooting and sliting the throats of the unlucky ones that couldn’t escape.

    The Boko Haram terrorists had also burnt down homes after loading their vehicles with food items from fleeing shop owners leaving un-challenged.

  • Borno reviews curfew

    Borno state government yesterday reviewed the curfew imposed on Maiduguri.

    The curfew was reviewed following the meeting with the service chiefs and Governor Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri.

    The curfew which was initially from 6am to 7pm is now reviewed to 6am to 9.30pm.

    Governor Kashim Shettima who personally addressed newsmen in a live broadcast said, “The curfew is only applicable to the residents of Maiduguri metropolis and Jere Local Government area, while those wishing to enter the town outside the metropolis will be restricted on or before 7pm.

    He noted that the 6am- 7pm curfew still stand especially for motorists and passengers that will be coming outside Maiduguri metropolis, while residents of the city are allowed to go about their normal businesses within the extended curfew period during the Ramadan season.

    The governor called on the public to be vigilante and be law abiding.

  • Borno will bounce back, Shettima assures

    Borno will bounce back, Shettima assures

    Measures taken by the Buhari-led administration will make the north east region experience peace again, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has assured.

    According to him: “We are going to bounce back despite of all the difficulties. We are going to use our meagre resources to start the reconstruction exercise.”

    The governor spoke with newsmen at the Maiduguri International Airport on arrival yesterday from an official working visit with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Shettima, who was on the presidential entourage to Niger, Chad and the G7 summit in Germany, said counter terrorism efforts have been stepped in the region with the commitment of neighbouring Niger and Chad.

    He noted that Borno will be the greatest beneficiary of the war as most of its communities have been destroyed with countless displaced.

    According to him: “I believe with the cooperation that the federal government was able to extract from our neighboring countries, we are on course to a sustained peace in this part of the world.”

    He also expressed delight with the reopening of the Maiduguri International Airport by the federal government to commercial flights, stressing the move will enable the people transact businesses all over the world.

    The governor also called on the federal government to assist in the reconstruction of the destroyed communities by Boko Haram.

    “People have started going back to Damasak and Gwoza but we need the support of the federal government to reconstruct some of these communities that even if the people wish to go back, there little they can do.

    “From behind the hills in Gwoza, their communities have been completely wiped out. So, if they will have to go back, where are they going to stay?

    “In the same vein, Bama and Baga have been burnt completely and so many communities.

    “We believe that in the next few weeks and months, the federal government will come to our aid to solve this problem. We are absolutely sure about this,” Shettima said.

  • Borno suicide bomber kills 16

    Borno suicide bomber kills 16

    •Police: Four people died

    A female suicide bomber detonated an explosive on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital at the weekend, killing 16 people.

    “At about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, they brought casualties from the blast scene …16 bodies were deposited with 24 injured,” Lawal Kawu, a paramedic at the teaching hospital in Maiduguri, told Reuters.

    He said some of the injured were also in critical condition.

    Zakariya Shettima, who lives nearby and arrived on the scene after the blast in the small community of Musari, said he saw blood and body parts and that it had left a crater and destroyed several shops in the market.

    But the police said only four people died. Borno Police Commissioner Aderemi Opadokun said the explosive happened along Baga/Monguno road.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri, that four persons were also injured.

    “A female suicide bomber detonated an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) strapped on her body along Baga/Monguno highway, killing herself and two others on Saturday.

    “Four persons sustained injuries during the attack,” he said.

    He also confirmed an IED explosion near a military check point in Konduga Local Government Area, in which two persons were injured.

    “It is true that we had a suspected IED explosion at Tungushe village in Konduga LGA on Saturday near a military check point.

    “Two persons were injured and they are now being treated at the hospital,” he said.

    Opadokun advised residents to be vigilant and report strange objects to the nearest security check point for action. (NAN

    Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and displaced some 1.5 million in an insurgency to establish an Islamic caliphate in the northeast of Nigeria but appears to have lost most of the territory it seized to government counter-offensives this year.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which followed two weekend bombings that killed at least 30 people and also appeared to be the work of Boko Haram.

     

  • Four injured in Borno Boko Haram suicide attack

    •Sect members loot food stuff in Yobe villages

    A suicide bomber yesterday hit the Kasuwan-Gamboru market near the Nigeria Customs House in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, injuring four people. Only on Saturday, a suicide bomber killed 16 in a mosque in the same city.

    An official of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) Abbas Gava said the explosives may have been concealed in some sacks of charcoal. He said one of the injured lost a hand. The Gamboru market has suffered several of such attacks in the last three years

    A witness said the bomb exploded at about 1.pm when most of the traders were gearing up for the days sales.

    According Hasimu Bello, the bomb must have been buried on the spot the previous day.

    “It was suspected to have been buried near the spot where charcoal traders sell. We believe that they buried the explosives maybe yesterday,” :Hashimu said.

    .”Four persons sustained injury; but one has more serious injury because one of his arm was cut off by the bomb.”

    The insurgents appear to have re launched their dastardy campaign although President Muhammadu Buhari has warned he won’t tolerate their activities. He has even moved the central command of the military to Maiduguri until Boko Haram is conquered.

    Also at the weekend, members of the sect attacked two Yobe towns – Fika and Ngalda – carting away foodstuff.

    The extremists shot sporadically upon their arrival to scare away people so as to have ample opportunity to loot.

    Chairman of Fika Local Government Area Alhaji Baba Abare, told reporters yesterday that the major targets of the militants were shops in which they looted food items and beverages.

    He said nobody was killed.

    A resident of the area,one Ibrahim Mohammed, told reporters that the terrorists first launched an attack on Ngalda, which is the Yobe/Gombe border town.

    He said they proceeded from Ngalda to Fika town, the headquarters of Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.

    The resident said the gunmen also attacked the local government secretariat, the magistrate court and the Divisional Police station.

    Yobe State Police Commissioner Markus Danladi, declined to comment on the attack, saying the Military Joint Task Force was the only body that was in a better position to comment on the development.

    Senator Ali Ndume, Borno South yesterday praised President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the military high command to relocate to Maiduguri and concentrate on the fight against insurgents.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the move was a ‘right step in the right direction’.

    “For people like us that had been in the fore-front, looking for solutions to the problem of insurgency, it is a heart-warming development.

    “We have been anticipating that immediately he(Buhari) takes over, he will do something drastic and effective, in making sure that the issue of insurgency comes to an end,” Ndume said.

    “With the new directives, we are hoping that insurgency in Borno and other states will come to an end sooner or later.

    “With the good intention of the president, we are very optimistic that this madness will come to an end soonest,” he said.

    Alhaji Jubrin Gunda, a legal practitioner and a former chairman of the Biu branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) spoke in the same manner.

    “The action is highly commendable. If the military high command moves to Borno, there will be no room for excuses or failure, like we witnessed in the past,” he said.

    Gunda, who is also the Legal Adviser of the Civilian JTF, said that it was certain that the military would wipe out the insurgents in a short time.

    “The military will wipe out the insurgents in a couple of days or weeks. It is indeed a right step in the right direction,” Gunda said.

    He said that stakeholders in the state had been waiting anxiously for the inauguration of Buhari as the president.

    “Everybody must commend the president for taking such a laudable step towards tackling the insurgency.

    “If you go round the state, you will see people in high spirit; we are all hoping that the insurgency will be crushed soon,” he added.

    Mallam Iliya Ibrahim a businessman, appealed to the president to strictly monitor the operation of the military against the insurgents, to avert failure, similar to what was experienced in the past.

     

  • Buhari hailed for relocating military to Borno

    The lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Mohammed Ndume, yesterday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the military high command to relocate to Maiduguri to stop the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the move was a right step in the right direction.

    Ndume said: “For people like us that had been in the forefront, looking for solution to the problem of insurgency, it is a heart-warming development.

    “We have been anticipating that immediately he (Buhari) takes over, he will do something drastic and effective in making sure that insurgency comes to an end.”

    He added: “With the new directive, we are hoping that insurgency in Borno and other states will end soon.

    “With the good intention of the president, we are very optimistic that this madness will come to an end soon.”

    A lawyer, Alhaji Jubrin Gunda, a former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Biu chapter, spoke in the same vein.

    Said he: “The action is commendable. If the military high command moves to Borno, there will be no room for excuses or failure as we witnessed in the past.”

    Gunda, who is also the legal adviser of a local vigilance group called the Civilian JTF, said it was certain that the military would wipe out the insurgents in a short time.

    His words: “The military will wipe out the insurgents in a couple of days or weeks. It is indeed a right step in the right direction.”

    He said stakeholders in Borno had been waiting for the inauguration of Buhari as the president.

    “Everybody must hail the president for taking such a laudable step towards tackling insurgency.

    “If you go round the state, you will see people in high spirit. We are hoping that the insurgency will be crushed soon.”

    A businessman, Mallam Iliya Ibrahim, appealed to President Buhari to monitor the operation of the military against the insurgents, to avert failure.

  • Borno govt to NEMA: Take over IDPs’ feeding

    Borno govt to NEMA: Take over IDPs’ feeding

    The Borno government on Tuesday appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to take over the daily feeding of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

    Alhaji Mustapha Zanna, the Deputy Governor of the state, made the appeal while receiving a donation of relief materials worth about N7 million for the IDPs by the Nigeria Flour Mills in Maiduguri.

    He said that the takeover would enable the state government to focus on other development areas in the state.

    Zanna said the burden of feeding over 500,000 IDPs by the government was getting unbearable.

    “Presently, all the residents of the 22 out of the 27 local government areas of the state are living in Maiduguri as refugees.

    “Some of them are staying in about 21 IDPs camps, while the rest are squatting with relatives in town,” he said.

    Zanna said both the IDPs staying at the camps and those living with relatives relied on government feeding to survive.

    “Government provides three square meals to the IDPs at the camps.

    “The current hardship in the country has also forced those residing outside into feeding at the camps,” he said.

    Zanna said that the exercise was eating deep into government purse, especially with the dwindling resources.

    He said taking over the feeding by NEMA would enable the government concentrate on other areas such as provision of welfare, medical care and other essential services to the people.

    Earlier, Alhaji Ma’aji Shettima, the General Manager of the Maiduguri Flour Mill, said that the gesture was aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of the victims of insurgency in the state.