Thursday, 5 January 2012

Boko Haram gunmen attack police station, kill teenager, ward heads

Death toll of victims now  35 in Borno
GUNMEN suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group have killed a teenager in Jigawa State and two ward heads in Borno and Yobe states.
But the police have re-assured that they would not shirk their mandate to protect life and property and urged residents in all geographical zones of the country to remain peaceful and go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation.
The assurance is coming against the backdrop of the threat from the Boko Haram sect against Christians and Southerners resident in the Northern part of the country, as well as Muslims and other Northerners resident in the Southern part of the country.
A statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Oluyemi Ajayi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, yesterday in Abuja said: “The Force owe the citizens the responsibility to protect life and property; and this, it will dutifully accomplish within the dictates of the law.”
The suspected Boko Haram gunmen in their dozens killed the teenager when they attacked a police station in Birniwa Local Council in Jigawa State. The teenage girl, identified as Fidausu, was said to have died in the incident.
The gunmen numbering 25, injured a police officer during the invasion.
Witnesses said the hoodlums made straight for the police station when they arrived in the area shooting sporadically at the police officers on duty. They allegedly planted a bomb in the station.
The teenager, who was allegedly scampering for safety with residents of the area was hit by a bullet during the gun battle between the police and the hoodlums.
Malam Abdullahi, a resident of Birniwa, said “we were saying our Magrib prayers when we suddenly heard gunshots from the direction of the police station. At first we thought it was the police that were on routine training until we saw one of the officers running towards us shouting, ‘it is them, it is them (Boko Haram).’
“After our prayers, we rushed to the scene and met a young girl lying in the pool of her blood apparently shot from behind with her bowels burst as she attempted to take cover.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Hashimu Salihu Argungu, confirmed the incident to The Guardian. He said a teenager was killed  and a police officer was injured on his leg from gunshot.
The police commissioner also confirmed that the gunmen placed a bomb in the station, which was later detonated by the bomb squad.
Birniwa Local Council shares border with Yobe State.
The police authorities said yesterday that two heads in Shehuri and Pompomari wards of Borno and Yobe States in the Northeast sub-region country were shot dead at their residences by suspected Boko Haram gunmen at about 7.00 p.m.
No arrests have been made in the attacks, as the suspects fled with their guns towards Hadejah and Nguru, border communities with Niger Republic in the Northeast.
Confirming the killing of the two ward heads, the Borno and Yobe states Commissioners of Police, Simeon Midenda and Tanko Lawan, told The Guardian yesterday on  phone that they received the reports of killings yesterday morning, despite the imposition of  state of emergency in Maiduguri metropolitan and Damaturu council areas of Borno and Yobe states by President Goodluck Jonathan last Sunday.
Midenda said: “In the report on assassination of the Shehuri ward head, two suspected Boko Haram gunmen came in an unmarked vehicle with Kalashnikov rifles hid under their flowing gowns and shot at the ward head in the chest and head and died on the spot before his wife and children at 7.00 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday).”
Besides, a total of 35 people were killed while 47 houses destroyed during the July and August, 2011 Boko Haram attacks in Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State.  Also, 498 persons were affected, as they demanded compensations from the state government, Chairman of the Administrative Committee of Inquiry (ADCI),  Malam Fannami, has disclosed.
Fannami said this yesterday at the Government House, Maiduguri, while submitting the Boko Haram administrative committee report to Governor Kashim Shettima on the serial killings and bombings in July and August last year.
He said out of affected wards and communities, 498 victims were affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, as each of the interviewed victims demanded either financial or material compensations or both from the Borno State government.
The compensations, according to the chairman of the committee, would enable the affected victims settle down and overcome the trauma and humiliation sustained during the two-month insurgency in their respective wards and communities.
The report reads in part: “During the two-month unrest, two persons were missing, one detained, while 162 shops and business premises were
set ablaze from the various bombings in Budum, Abagaram, Zannari, Bulunkutu, Gomari, Zajiri and London Chiki wards of Maiduguri metropolis.”
The chairman further disclosed that the Boko Haram attacks had led to the destruction of 123 vehicles, 70 motorcycles and 24 bicycles.

Sunday, 3 April 2011

2011 Elections

Months passed as we waited eagerly for the general elections in Nigeria, the politicians concerned were all over the place, chanting their manifestos like incantations (because we have heard all of it before now). All over the media (TV, Radio, Print and even internet) were adverts, jingles and campaigns.

One very important thing to note was that most of the always wanted to outdo the other and/or out perform in the way they reached the people.

On the eve of the first elections, beign that of the Senate and House of Representatives, all hope was high and every body was all expectant, rushing here and there, people trying to go closer to where they would vote in their desired candidate.

Early morning of the elections, I could hear people trooping from all over, all heading to the Polling Station, wanting to be there as early as possible. Skeletal accreditations took off in most of the Polling booths, but alas! hours passed and the materials required were no where to be found.

Then, my very inquisitive mind took me on a search as to why these materials were not available at the desired locations. I took a trekking road trip, all heading towards the local office of INEC in my locality.

On reaching there, the media presence was seen all over, the security agents not missing in action. All rumours kept hitting my ears, but I persisted on getting the fact. Hearing from the horse's mouth would soothe my urge and yearn.

Then, calling for a press conference... he announced that our long-awaited election has been post-poned due to reasons which was beyond his control and that we should wait and hear from his boss Prof. Attahiru Jega for the full information and the new date slated for the long-awaited election.

Disappointment could be seen vividly on the faces of all the media representatives present. And they could not just take no for an answer, pouring one or more questions on the now confused man, who had nothing more to say but repeat his previous lines.

Now tuned in to my TV (how I got home, honestly you do not want to know), to get news of the elections, only to find Prof. Attahiru Jega, appologising to Nigerians and putting the blame on "unknown" agents (the unknown is in my own language, since it is Jega we all know).

The election that was supposed to be held has already been postponed due to logistics reasons. It was postponed to the 4th of April 2011. When we all should be at our work places. We all pray it pans out right on the said date.


My Polling Station

The Anti-Bomb Squad

Non-sensitive materials at INEC




Addressing the Press
          Watch out for part 2...