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Members of the Boko Haram sect on Saturday attacked a village in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, killing 6 persons and abducting 13 others.

He did not envisage what befell him penultimate Saturday, after coming back to his house in Sango-Ota area of Ogun State. Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, 40, a trader, said he was relaxing with his family when one of his neighbours from Niger Republic accosted him and demanded why he named his pet dog ‘Buhari’. Before he knew what was happening, friends of the foreigner also burst into his house and were threatening to deal with him if he failed to give a reasonable explanation.

11 South African military officials were killed on Friday when the bus transporting them fell down an embankment.

An 80-year-old woman, Kuburat Ayinde, has been arrested by the police after she was caught with a dead baby boy in the Oshodi under bridge area of Lagos State. The woman had allegedly abducted the baby alive from Abeokuta, Ogun State, and strapped him to her back. The infant, however, died before she arrived in Lagos. The octogenarian was arrested on Sunday. Newsmen gathered that Ayinde wanted to board a bus to Ikorodu from Oshodi at about 2pm on Sunday when a commuter noticed that she was fidgeting. The man and other passers-by were said to have asked her about the whereabouts of the baby’s mother, but she could not give a convincing reply.

Following the recent flood alert issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET, the Bayelsa State Government has stepped up the clearing of major drainages and canals in Yenagoa and its environs as well as dismantling of illegal structures along the canal right of way. •Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa Bayelsa, which is predominantly riverine was the worst hit state along the lower River Niger during the 2012 flood.

6 students of the Presidential Amnesty Programme have graduated from the Benson Idahosa University, Benin, Edo State with First Class honours. The Media and Communications Consultant of the Amnesty Office, Mr. Owei Lakemfa, said in a statement on Tuesday that that the result issued by the institution on Monday revealed that one of the six delegates made a first class degree in Mathematics, two in Business Administration and three in Political Science and Public Administration.

A 30yr old trader has been arrested by the police in Ogun state for naming his pet dog ‘Buhari.’ The trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, of No 10, Omikunle Street, Sango-Ota, Ogun State, was reportedly arrested last weekend, after one of his neighbours of Northern extraction complained bitterly that he named his dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.

For the second time in three weeks, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has received an express order from President Muhammadu Buhari to explore for oil in the North. This time, the President directed the national oil firm to commence exploration activities in the Benue Trough. The Benue Trough is a major geological formation underlying a large part of Nigeria, extending about 1,000km North-East from the Bight of Benin to Lake Chad.

Soldiers have launched a manhunt for publishers of pro Biafra newspapers in Aba, Abia state. A vendor who spoke on the condition of anonymity told reporters that a group of soldiers accosted him and some of his colleagues demanding them to disclose the identity of the publishers of the Biafra newspapers circulating in the city. One of the vendors identified as Emeka is suspected to have been arrested by soldiers.

6 suspected burglars have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in the Ikoyi area of the state. The suspects were sharing their loot when they were arrested by police operatives. The men, identified as Friday Eze, Stanley Ejiofor, Femi Miracle, Raphael Ijoha, Emmanuel Omojuwa and Daniel Thomas, were arrested by men of the Ikoyi Police Division on Tuesday, August 9.

No fewer than five people, including two children, have been confirmed dead and 13 others injured after three vehicles crashed on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.

The Nigerian Military on Tuesday in Abuja said that no fewer than 8000 Boko Haram members had voluntarily surrendered to its “Operation Safe Corridor’’ in the North-East. The Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, disclosed this at a lecture organised by the FCT Correspondents’ Chapel of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

A 50-year-old Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, and daughter, Salamat, 18, were on Tuesday arraigned at a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly distributing poisoned “akara’’, a local snack, to beggars.

Two mobile policemen were killed in the early hours of Tuesday at Hawan Kibo along Jos – Abuja road as armed robbers attacked a convoy of bullion vans belonging to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Information was gathered that

As Nigerian troops intensifies fighting to rid the north east of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, three members of the group were on Monday killed by soldiers in separate operations while a total of 88 captives held hostage by the group were discovered and rescued in the operations. While one of the terrorist was killed in the Mopol and Boccos area, two of the terrorists were killed in the Mongonu area of Borno state. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has moved into Bama to begin the registration of Internally Displaced Persons from the ages of 17, with a view to providing food and relief materials for the IDPs. Making this disclosures in a statement last night signed by Col Sani Usman, the Army said, “As part of ongoing clearance operations of the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the north-eastern of the country, troops have been conducting clearance operations and patrols in various areas of operation.

Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr  David Umahi, has said that he personally encouraged the police to arrest all those who allegedly stripped and brutalised a 15-year-old girl, Uzoamaka Chukwu, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state. Umahi, while swearing in four development centre coordinators, described the act as inhuman. He said: “I watched the video online

The authorities of Egor Local Government Area of Edo State have begun the payment of 7 out of the 17 months salary arrears owed workers in the council. Egor had the highest backlog of unpaid salary arrears among other affected councils, after it was omitted from the bailout the state received from the Federal Government. The development had led to several protests, including the mass protest staged under the National Union of Local Government Employees in July.

The Defence authorities have described the claim by the Boko Haram that some of the Chibok girls were killed in airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force as propaganda. The acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday that the equipment used by the military in the bombing of the Sambisa forest had a high level of precision in hitting targets. He said the insurgents

A South African court Monday handed down a 10-year prison term to a woman who kidnapped a newborn baby and raised her for 17 years before

The people of Mgbaleze Isu, Onicha local government area of Ebonyi state have been thrown into mourning as one Mr. Ani, 36, was found dangling on a tree in his farm while his wife was found dead also in the farm. An eyewitness, Chief Sylvanus Ani revealed that the couple was seen last on their way to the farm. “Both of them went to the farm and did not return home, disturbed by this we informed other villagers and we went in search of them and finally found the wife, Ngozi Chijioke lying dead in pool of her own blood with marks of violence all over her body while Chijioke Ani was found hanging on a tree’’, he said. Also, Hycinth Ogbonnaya and Okechukwu Jude said they and entire villagers are still shocked on how a husband and wife should die mysteriously in the farm. Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP George Okafor who confirmed the incident said the man may have killed the wife and hanged himself. “Yes, it is true that the couple died at the farm b

GOVERNOR Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has ordered immediate release of all persons arrested by the military over the incident in Bosso Local Government Area of the state that claimed the lives of 12 military personnel and some civilians and handover to the police for thorough investigation.     Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State This came as the governor said the government was setting up a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the circumstances that lead to the incident. It will be recalled that 10 soldiers and two air force personnel were killed in a shootout with gun runners and armed bandits in three villages in Bosso Local Government area last week. Governor Bello in a state broadcast in Minna, yesterday, said: “I have directed that all persons arrested by the military be released to the Police for thorough investigation. I have also visited the affected communities to commiserate with the people and have on-the-spot assessment of the situation. I have d

About 4,000 protesting Ugborodo community indigenes on Sunday held a non-denominational church service at the front of Chevron Tank Farm in Escravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, where they have been protesting for days. The protesters, who have been laying a siege to Chevron Tank Farm since Tuesday last week over the non-recognition of Ugborodo Interim Management Committee by oil firms operating in the area, sang and preached during the service. It was gathered that one of the protesters took the role of a pastor while some others performed as choir as they were robed in various churches’ uniforms. Meanwhile, some leaders of the community are also expected to hold a peace meeting with the state government, the Department of State Services and the Police towards resolving the issues that led to the protest. Scores of protesters, who were contacted, said prayers were offered for the development of the community, resolution of the prevailing situatio

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, yesterday said his administration would continue to partner with the police and other security agencies to combat crimes in the state. Governor Bello gave the assurance when the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 8, (comprising of Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states) Tijani Baba, paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Lokoja. According to the governor, “The state government will not relent in its commitment to tackle the problem of insecurity in the state. We will derive maximum benefits from hosting the AIG among the rest states under the zone. My government will assist the zone to deliver in its services.” Bello who expressed delight that the crime rate in the state had dropped drastically, said: “I’m happy to inform you that my administration has purchased over two hundred Police Patrol Vehicles to assist in combating crimes which by the grace of God will be lunched on the 27th of this month as part of the activities to

Boko Haram on Sunday released a video of the girls allegedly kidnapped from Chibok in April 2014, showing some who are still alive and claiming others died in air strikes. The video is the latest release from embattled Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who earlier this month denied claims that he had been replaced as the leader of the jihadist group. “They should know that their children are still in our hands,” said a man whose face was covered by a turban in the video posted on YouTube. “There is a number of the girls, about 40 of them, that have been married by the decision of Allah,” said the man in the 11-minute video, which shows girls with veils sitting on the ground and standing in the background. “Some of them have died as a result of aerial bombardment.” The mass kidnapping of 276 Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention on the Boko Haram conflict, in which at least 20,000 people have been killed since 2009

Veteran actress and former Special Adviser on Youth Affairs in Rivers State, Hilda Dokubo, speaks on her childhood, career and marriage What have you been up to recently? I just finished a movie by Kunle Afolayan, and I’m working on another. I’m also writing a children’s book, and running a school. I’m just staying happy and excited. Kunle Afolayan’s The CEO is a beautiful work making waves at the moment. I worked with an awesome team, and the storyline was so simple but beautiful. I played the role of a superintendent of police who investigated some crimes. It was fantastic working with Kunle Afolayan. Are you working on a film of your own? Yes, it is titled Asawana. It is a story of the strength of the young, and the experience of the old. It is a work that talks about collaboration and strength of women in communities. Why did you take a break from Nollywood? Acting is like my second life. If you say I left acting , it is like saying that I died. What happened was I

THE Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, this morning, confronted the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunye, asking them to come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, rather than stay in the cities and arrest “sleeper” agents, who they brand as NDA members to curry favour from their superiors. Spokesperson of NDA, self-styled Brig General Mudoch Agbinibo, threw the challenge in a statement rebutting the claim by NNS Delta commander on Saturday that two suspects, Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye, arrested by the navy, few days ago, were members of the militant group. NDA said that the two suspects were agents working in conjunction with security agencies and were paid N5 million by two leaders (names withheld) to give Nigeria military intelligence on the activities of the group. The statement read: “We made it clear that the Nigeria military is using sleepers’ agents to track or checkmate the activities

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church, popularly called MFM, has denied that eight Nigerians arrested by Cambodian authorities for alleged drug trafficking are its members. Eight Nigerians were on Tuesday arraigned in Cambodia for allegedly using the MFM premises to deal in illicit drugs. The accused were: Nnamezie Victor, 30; Francis Nnamdi, 30; Sunday Nwabuisi, 31; Tony Mmaduka Chukwuonye, 34; Okorom Kizito, 35; Favour Nnabuife Okorom, 36; Maduka Simon Ukandu, 37; and Izuchukwu Chukwuma, 40. Also charged along with them is a Cambodian, Mon Vinyong, 25. They may face life imprisonment if found guilty by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, in a case that began in January last year. A verdict is expected in September following a final trial last week. Reacting to the claim that the Cambodian branch of the church was used to trade in drugs, Chairman of MFM Media Committee Worldwide, Oladele Bank-Olemoh, told reporters that the accused were not members of the church.

A Chief Magistrates’ court in Minna, Niger State, on Friday ordered the remand in prison of 57 suspects arrested in Kpaidna and surrounding villages during an invasion of the community by the Nigerian Army to seize hidden illegal arms. The Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, Ahmed Bima, who gave the order when the suspects were arraigned, also adjourned to September 6 further mention in the case. The accused were arraigned on a four-count charge of culpable homicide, causing mischief, being in possession of dangerous weapons and obstructing officers from their lawful duties, contrary to various sections of the penal code. Bima also directed that those injured among the suspects should be given medical treatment. Last week’s attack on Kpaidna and four other villages had left over 19 people dead, including 12 soldiers. The attack by a combined team of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force was to take possession of illegal weapons, which intelligence claimed were hidden in th

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a housewife, Fatimoh Olanrewaju, for allegedly breaking arms and legs of her 5-year-old stepson, Iyanu. The toddler is currently on admission at Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta. Also the suspect is in custody of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the Command. Olanrewaju had allegedly committed the crime at Onihale village along the old Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway. According to reports, the biological mother of the victim divorced the father about two years ago and the victim had since been living with his stepmother and his father. The stepmother was said to be in the habit of maltreating Iyanu. The last straw was the recent attack on Iyanu, which resulted in fracture of the arm and leg, which made the neighbours to invite the police. The victim was said to have been on admission at the FMC, Abeokuta since Thursday, August 11. The acting state Police Public Relations, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident a