Military: no amount of distractions ‘ll deter us from ending terrorism by December

The military yesterday said no amount of distractions would deter it from ending terrorism by December.

The Theatre Commander, Operation “Lafiya Dole”, Maj.-Gen. Yushau Abubakar, gave this assurance while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Abubakar was reacting to the recent spate of suicide bombings by suspected insurgents in some parts of the country.

He pointed out that the bombings were aimed at diverting the attention of the military from achieving its target in the anti-terrorism war.

“I want to assure all that for every second that passes, we get more committed to fighting the insurgents; we cannot be deterred.

“We are doing as much as we could to ensure that we completely eradicate the insurgents as quickly as possible because we are aware of the timeline within which to complete the task,” he said.

He said the military had already gotten clues about those involved in the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri.

“We searched the houses and certain items that we recovered at the vicinity, gave us some clues,” Abubakar said.

He said although investigations had commenced on the clues, it would take time before reaching a conclusion.

“Investigation on those that we suspect are either participating or hiding, fuelling or conniving with those that carried out those acts, is ongoing.

“They will be exposed in due course,” Abubakar assured Nigerians.

He appealed to Nigerians to be security conscious to avoid future reccurrence.

“The citizens need to know that security is their personal responsibility as individuals.

“They must be able to secure themselves and doing so means they need to be security conscious.

“Any suspicious movement within the environment should be reported to security agents immediately,” he advised

Abubakar said the military was working on a strategy that would enable individuals pass vital information to security agents without being noticed.

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Army denies attack on Maiduguri, calls for calm

The military authorities in Maiduguri have denied that Maiduguri the Bornu State capital  was under attack on Sunday.

Residents of Maiduguri had reported heavy sound of explosions from some parts of the town on Sunday with the situation causing serious panic in the metropolis which has recently come under suicide attacks by some suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgents.

But the Spokesman of the 7 Division Nigerian Army Maiduguri Col. Tukur Gusau told our correspondent on phone in Maiduguri that the army was just test-running their equipment and called on the people not to panic.

“There is no attack in any part of Maiduguri as I speak with you today (Sunday). The sound the people are hearing is from our men. It is a routine check of our equipment and hardware.  We are testing our equipment as part of measures to ensure that they are in good shape so as to be alert and ready for any eventuality.

“We are however appealing to residents of Maiduguri not to panic but to remain calm. Maiduguri is not under attack. The military is fully in control.

“We are calling on the good people to always report any suspicious moment of persons around your neighborhood so as to separate the good people from these terrorists,” Col. Gusau said.

 

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Crocodile found in Niger presidential suite

A crocodile was found alive in the Niger State Presidential Suite in Minna where the Finance committee investigating the finances of the immediate past government in the state has been sitting.

The crocodile was discovered under a car of a guest lodging in the suite by some security men who came with another guest.

The discovery caused panic among workers at the secretariat of the finance committee, the housekeepers and cooks as they were unable to continue with their work.

The security men were able to catch the crocodile and took it away while the staff were calmed down and assured that it was not a usual incident .

The incident was confirmed by the Chief Press Secretary to Niger state Governor, Dr. Ibraheem Dooba who said that it was very unusual for a crocodile to be found in the Presidential suite as the area is not the kind of environment that a crocodile can be found.

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Security operatives keep watch at Abuja blasts scene

Two days after the multiple bomb blasts in Kuje, on the suburb of Abuja in which several people were killed and others injured, security operatives are still keeping vigil at the scene.

Business activities are still on hold as shops in the affected area are under lock and key.

Nobody is allowed to move close to the scene.

Residents and other passerby are still in shock over the incident.

The Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) on Sunday condemned the bomb blasts in a statement signed by the party’s National Chairman, Rev. Olusegun Peters.

“We vehemently denounce the killing of innocent Nigerians by misguided terrorists. It is outrageous, obnoxious, detestable and barbaric. Our hearts go out to the families that lost their loved ones.

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Flood sacks 33 villages in Niger

Thirty three riverine villages in Lapai Local Government area of Niger State have been sacked by flood from Rivers Niger and Kogi.

Fifteen of the affected villages are currently submerged by the flood, displacing residents of the villages while the access roads to 18 other villages have been washed off by the flood. Inhabitants of the worst hit villages are currently camping at Primary Schools in Arah and Dere villages under deplorable living conditions.

Domestic animals and multi-million Naira properties,which include residential buildings, schools, places of worship and vast farmland have been destroyed and washed away by the flood.

House of Representatives member representing Agaie/Lapai Federal constituency, Hon. Mohammed Abdulkadir Mahamud and his State House of Assembly counterpart for Lapai constituency, Hon. Adamu Hassan Abugi who paid a fact-finding visit to the affected areas on Sunday expressed concern for the victims.

The two legislators who are indigenes of the area assured the affected communities of state government determination to alleviate their sufferings by relocating them upland of banks of the two major rivers.

Addressing the displaced persons at Dere Primary School, Hon. Mahmud said the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello promised to come to the aid of the affected communities following a preliminary report sent to him.

“We have spoken to the governor of the degree of devastation caused by the flood and he (governor) has promised to come to our aid with a view to relocating our people upland. And I know that the governor will not disappoint us,” the lawmaker assured his people.

He also called for the take off of the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in order to address the annual flooding of the area.

“It is high time for states under HYPPADEC to come toigether and ensure the takeoff of the Commission, so that lasting solution could be found to this perennial flooding and protect our people from suffering annually as a result of flood,” Mahmud appealed.

Earlier the village head of Dere, Alhaji Idris Dere who recounted their losses said this year’s flooding was more devastating and called on the three tiers of government to come to their aid.

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Buhari visits survivors of Abuja bomb blasts

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Abuja took succour to survivors of Friday night’s bomb attacks on Nyanya and Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory.

On a visit to the survivors of the attack who are receiving treatment at the Trauma Centre of the National Hospital, President Buhari wished them full and speedy recovery.

The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also reassured the survivors that the Federal Government will take full responsibility for settling their medical bills.

He directed his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari to settle the N268,790.00 medical bill of a young girl in the Pediatric Ward of the hospital.

The girl’s mother, Deborah Stephen, had broken into tears on seeing President Buhari.

She told him that her daughter had been shot by armed robbers who raided their home and that the family could not afford the medical bills.

The President who was accompanied by his personal aides and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, visited the intensive care unit, the pediatric unit and general wards of the National Hospital.

Expressing his appreciation of the President’s visit, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Dr Jafaru Momoh said that it will help the patients’ recovery by giving them a greater psychological sense of being valued and loved by their country.

 

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13 killed in French floods

Violent storms and flooding have hit southeast France, killing at least 13 people with six more missing, officials said.

Three elderly people drowned when their retirement home near the city of Antibes was inundated with floodwater, the BBC reports.

Another three people died when the car they were in became trapped by rising water in a small tunnel.

French President Francois Hollande has thanked rescuers and expressed the “solidarity of the nation.”

He and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve are due to visit the affected regions.

Heavy rain hit the French Riviera, which lies on the Mediterranean coast and borders Italy, on Saturday evening.

The city of Nice is estimated to have received 10 per cent of its average yearly rainfall in two days alone.

The river Brague burst its banks, sending water coursing into nearby towns and cities. Social media pictures showed water gushing down the streets of Cannes.

“Some cars were carried off into the sea,” said mayor Davis Lisnard.

“We have rescued a lot of people, and we must now be vigilant against looting.”

Rescuers at Mandelieu-la-Napoule are trying to find six people missing in underground car parks, emergency officials said.

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