Boko Haram: 16 soldiers killed, many others missing in deadly ambush in Borno

Army authorities disclosed, yesterday, that 15 soldiers and a lieutenant have been killed by Boko Haram terrorists along the Baga-Maiduguri Road in Borno State, while 150 sect members were killed by troops of the 7th Division during a fierce battle with the insurgents last weekend. Defence sources, however, contradicted the casualty figure, saying at least... Read More

adamawa, ambush, Baga, boko haram, Borno, maiduguri, Nigerian Army, soldiers, terrorism, violence, yobe

September 16, 2013

Youth protest in Borno as policeman fatally shoots ‘civilian JTF’ member, governor’s convoy stopped

There was pandemonium in Maiduguri yesterday as youths took to the streets to protest the alleged killing of a member of the Civilian JTF by a trigger happy policeman. The member of Civilian JTF, according to thousands of irate youth who took to the streets chanting, “police is Boko Haram”, was shot dead by a... Read More

boko haram, civilian jtf, killing, maiduguri, Policeman, riot

September 3, 2013

Emotions swell as 12 widows of slain soldiers get N1million compensation each

by ‘Jola Sotubo It was an emotional time yesterday for the widows and children of some soldiers killed in Maiduguri, Borno State, last month. The families of the deceased received some succor as they were presented with a cheque of N1 million each at the 81 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos.... Read More

12 million naira, boko haram, Borno State, compensation, maiduguri, slain soldiers, widows

August 24, 2013

DESPERADOS: Stranded Boko Haram members turn human eaters in Borno

by ‘Jola Sotubo Stranded members of the militant group, Boko Haram have resorted to cannibalism after being stranded with no food and water in the Magumeri forest which is 150 kilometeres from the Maiduguri, the state capital. Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp... Read More

boko haram, cannibalism, maiduguri

August 24, 2013

Terrorism: Soldiers kill 2 Boko Haram suspects dressed as women

by ‘Jola Sotubo In a true case of bullies acting like cowards, two men suspected to be members of Boko Haram have been apprehended while disguised as women. The suspected terrorists dressed in female Muslim attire to avoid being arrested but their ploy failed. They were spotted by a local vigilante group, called Civilian JTF,... Read More

boko haram, Borno State, disguised as women, maiduguri, terrorists

August 22, 2013

#InCaseYouMissedIt: 4 people killed, 8 injured in Boko Haram attack

by ‘Jola Sotubo Any relief Nigerians might have felt upon hearing of the alleged death of Boko Haram leader Shekau has proven to be shortlived. The terrorist sect has continued to claim innocent lives as at least four civilians were killed while eight others seriously injured when members of the group invaded Gamboru Ngala Local... Read More

Abubakar Shekau, boko haram, fresh attack, maiduguri, terrorists

August 18, 2013

End game? Jonathan sends 8,000 troops after Boko Haram

by Isi Esene The state of emergency declared by the federal government against the dreaded Islamic militant sect, Boko Haram has reached another level as President Goodluck Jonathan takes actions to further boost the military presence in the North-east of the country where the insurgents operate. Reports say the president is set to establish a... Read More

.US, adamawa, boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, maiduguri, Mike Okiro, Mongonu, Sri LAnka, terrorism, Wendy Sherman

August 9, 2013

Terrorism: Radical lawyer, doctor arrested by the JTF

by Isi Esene Operatives of the Joint Task Force have arrested a medical doctor and a lawyer for their alleged roles in the violence in the Borno and Yobe. It is not clear the nature of their involvement in the prevailing violence in the north but the lawyer is known to be a prominent defender of... Read More

boko haram, Borno, JTF, maiduguri, nigeria, Potiskun, terrorism, yobe

August 3, 2013

#TheYNaijaInterview: “I always thought I would be a pastor’s wife” – Tara Fela-Durotoye

by Wilfred Okiche “I am sorry I have been interviewed so many times’’ Tara Fela-Durotoye says to me almost apologetically as we sit down to talk in the impressive building that houses House of Tara international, her locally grown beauty and make-up empire. The mostly female staff I meet on ground greet visitors with a... Read More

#TheYNaijaInterview, children, House of Tara, husband, Interview, maiduguri, make up, ministry, nigeria, pastor, style, Success, tara fela durotoye

August 2, 2013

Boko Haram plans massive attacks for Muslim festival – JTF

by Isi Esene The Joint Military Task Force, ‘Operation Restore Order’ in Borno yesterday alerted residents of the state that members of the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram are perfecting plans to launch a massive attack during the Eid-el-fitr festivities. According to the JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, people living in the Maiduguri metropolis and Jere Local Government... Read More

boko haram, bombing, Borno, Insecurity, JTF, kano, maiduguri, nigeria, Operation Restore Order, Sagir Musa, terrorism

June 25, 2013

Vigilante youths turn in suspected Boko Haram members dressed as women in Maiduguri

by Chi Ibe Four suspected Boko Haram members were said to have been arrested on Saturday in Gwange ward, Maiduguri, the Borno State while they tried to get away wearing women’s clothing. According to reports, women in the area have now been restricted from going out in the evening following reports that the sect now... Read More

boko haram, impostor, maiduguri, wearing women’s clothing

June 20, 2013

Terrorism: Boko Haram declares war on Borno and Yobe youth, kill 22 in renewed attacks

by Rachel Ogbu Members of the Boko Haram were reported to have come out of hiding last week to attack more people, most recently at Alau Dam, on the outskirts of Maiduguri where 13 were murdered bring the death toll in three days to 22. An eyewitness reportedly said the gunmen ambushed the people around... Read More

boko haram, Boko Haram declared war on youths, JTF, maiduguri

June 15, 2013

Father no-nonsense: Man invites JTF to kill his ‘Boko Haram’ son… and they did

by Rachel Ogbu An unidentified businessman in Maiduguri who was tired of living with a difficult secret had summoned the courage to report his son to the Joint Task Force (JTF) recently identifying him as a member of Boko Haram. The father also ordered that he should be shot dead, witnesses said and he was... Read More

‘Boko Haram’ son, Ansaru, boko haram, father turns in ‘Boko Haram’ son, Joint Task Force, maiduguri

May 28, 2013

#SOE: Boko Haram leader orders sect members to “fight to the end”

The troops deployed to flush out terrorists from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states following declaration of state of emergency said they have intercepted messages by the leadership of Boko Haram urging sect members to regroup and refuse to give up. A source learnt that the interception made by the military communication interceptors came about as... Read More

adamawa, army, boko haram, Borno, Chris Olukolade, JTF, maiduguri, Sambisa camp, yobe

May 27, 2013

Opinion: After the State of Emergency, what next?

by Kalu A. Aja It’s also important the Nigerian state brings in Islamic preachers, respected Islamic preachers to speak against the violence carried out in the name of Islam. My first job took me to Maiduguri as Regional Manager covering Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. I stayed in the official residence of the then District Officer who... Read More

#SOE, adamawa, Borno, Lke Chad, maiduguri, State of emergency, yobe

May 4, 2013

Kidnap of 87-year-old: Abductors of former minister, Ali Monguno demand ransom

by Isi Esene The gunmen who kidnapped 87-year-old Ali Shettima Monguno in Maiduguri, Borno state, on Friday have reportedly asked for ransom for his release. The former minister was abducted while leaving the mosque in the Mafoni Quarters, Maiduguri where he had gone to observe the Jum’at prayers. [READ: Former minister, Shettima Ali Monguno kidnapped in... Read More

abduction, boko haram, Borno, Goodluck Jonathan, maiduguri, nigeria, Shettima Ali Monguno

May 3, 2013

Former minister, Shettima Ali Monguno kidnapped in Maiduguri

by Isi Esene Former Petroleum Minister, Shettima Ali Monguno has been abducted in the Northern city of Maiduguri. Monguno, 87, a politician of note and an educationist was kidnapped today at Mafoni Ward where he went for the Juma’at prayer. The abducted elder statesman was one of the Borno elders who met with President Goodluck Jonathan... Read More

boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, kidnap, maiduguri, Minister, Shettima Ali Monguno

April 28, 2013

JTF says: Wanted Boko Haram commander, Mohammed Chad killed in Maiduguri

The Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order on Saturday confirmed the killing of a Boko Haram commander, Mohammed Chad, during a special operation in Maiduguri. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, JTF’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, made this known via a statement in Maiduguri on Saturday. Musa said, “A special operation was conducted... Read More

boko haram, Borno, maiduguri, Mohammed Chad, Sagir Musa, terrorism

April 22, 2013

Just awful: 6,000 “innocent children” are in Nigerian prisons [DETAILS]

Nigeria’s notorious jails and detention centres hold an estimated 6,000 children and minors, many of whom were born there and now serve terms with their parents despite a government’s order to effect their release, the United States country human rights report on Nigeria says. Although Nigerian law forbids the imprisonment of children, by the end... Read More

boko haram, Borno State, children prison, maiduguri, SARS

April 10, 2013

Okey Ndibe: Dancing with ghosts, ignoring the dead

by Okey Ndibe In an ideal situation, the government would insist on prosecuting those who make it their business to terrorize, maim and murder. But a compelling counter argument can be deployed: the Nigerian state is, in fact, the most ferocious terrorist operating within the Nigerian space. Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan took a step... Read More

Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, Amnesty, boko haram, Borno, damaturu, Goodluck Jonathan, JTF, maiduguri, Odi, Sultan of Sokoto, yobe, Zaki Biam

March 26, 2013

Elnathan John: Mass distraction

by Elnathan John It would be unfair to taint the image of a global literary hero with petty talk of a country that does not have in any of its 774 local governments, one hospital that can properly treat an accident victim without fear of complications. God forbid. Let me start by being honest about... Read More

chinua achebe, farouk lawan, Kano bomb blast, maiduguri, Nasir el-Rufai, things fall apart

March 23, 2013

How Boko Haram gunned down our teacher right before us – Female secondary school students recount ordeal

The four female students injured in the Maiduguri schools massacre have been recounting their ordeal, explaining how their teacher was murdered in their presence by gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect. It was a Monday morning, the beginning of a new week. The day had started well like other previous... Read More

boko haram, maiduguri, Shehu Sanda Kyarimi, teacher, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hosiytal

March 20, 2013

Explosion kills 6 JTF personnel, 4 injured

Barely 24 hours after the brutal murder of four teachers in their various schools in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, a bomb blast Monday hit the patrol vehicle of men of Joint Task Force (JTF) at the Roundabout of Kashim Ibrahim Way at noon, killing six JTF personnel, while four others sustained injuries. The blast,... Read More

bomb blast, first bank, Kashim Ibrahim, maiduguri, Sagir Musa, UBA

March 14, 2013

Opinion: President Jonathan’s visit to Borno and Yobe – The real issue

by Kayode Komolafe The issue is not who goes to Maiduguri first; the important thing is that timely steps should be taken in showing leadership in a crisis situation. That is the point Okupe is missing. And sadly so. As President Goodluck Jonathan himself said, it was reassuring that he visited the trouble spots of... Read More

Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, boko haram, Borno, damaturu, Goodluck Jonathan, JTF, maiduguri, Sultan of Sokoto, yobe

March 11, 2013

Opinion: Why I think President Jonathan’s visit to Borno and Yobe was useless

For about four years now, the JTF have occupied the streets of Maiduguri without yielding desired results. Let’s look at other options as only a fool will repeat same tactic and expect to get a different result. For the first time since he was elected President in 2011, President Jonathan visited Maiduguri and Yobe states, the epicenter of Boko... Read More

APC, boko haram, jonathan, maiduguri, Namadi Sambo, PDP

March 7, 2013

Olusegun Adeniyi: The politics of a certificate

by Olusegun Adeniyi The challenge now is that while Eze may indeed have gone to school, the new powers-that-be in Abia State have decreed that the certificate he obtained would not be worth the paper on which it was written! Sometime in 2002, I was in my office as editor of the Sunday edition of... Read More

Abia, absu, APC, certificate, Fizzy Mayur, maiduguri, Orji Uzor Kalu

March 7, 2013

Osato Edokpayi: This APC union shall surely stand (Y! Politico)

by Osato Edokpayi As the ACN has demonstrated in the South-West and in Edo state; the PDP is not invincible. This union shall indeed stand tall to defeat the PDP and satisfy the yearnings of millions of Nigerians… I welcomed the news of the formation of Nigeria’s new formidable opposition party, the All Progressives Congress... Read More

acn, APC, CPC, Edo state, Goodluck Jonathan, maiduguri, Osato Edokpayi, PDP, Politics, Y! Politico

March 3, 2013

APC governors donate mattress, pillows to Aso Rock… in last week’s news with a pinch of salt

by Stanley Azuakola He said “for instance, Sarah Jubril, the Mama One Vote herself, is the president’s special adviser on ethics. I laugh in dollars. Please what is the actual role of an adviser like that in this government?” APC governors donate to Aso Rock Opposition governors from the All Progressive Congress visited Maiduguri last... Read More

APC governors, Bamanga Tukur, Borno, Cote d’Ivoire, Dame Jonathan, Good Governance Tour, maiduguri, Mrs. Outtara, Namadi Sambo, Patience Jonathan, RAUF AREGBESOLA, Sarah Jubril, Wole Soyinka, yobe

January 30, 2013

Opinion: When will the president visit Maiduguri?

by Kayode Komolafe Anyone who is literate in Nigeria’s post-colonial history would remember that it would be politically unwise to suggest that a crisis in one part of the country is the headache of the people in that section alone The news of the ceasefire declared by the “larger faction” of Boko Haram was accompanied... Read More

boko haram, Goodluck Jonathan, JTF, maiduguri

January 23, 2013

Maiduguri: JTF kills 2 suspects, 3 others arrested

Suspected militant Islamists have beheaded five people in Nigeria’s north-eastern city of Maiduguri, a resident has told the BBC. The men were attacked during raids on three homes overnight, he said in an account confirmed by a local reporter. However, the military told the BBC only three people had been killed. At least 23 others... Read More

boko haram, Borno, JTF, maiduguri