Terrorism: US ignores Nigeria to work with Chad, Cameroon

Major rift between the Nigerian and American military authorities have been hampering the fight against Boko Haram militants, which have been carrying out murderous attacks on villages and towns in the North-East, the New York Times reports.

Relations between American military trainers and specialists advising the Nigerian military in the fight against Boko Haram are so strained that the Pentagon often bypasses Nigeria altogether, choosing to work instead with security officials in the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger, NY Times quoted defence officials and diplomats as saying.

EXPOSED: Yuguda’s revelations on Bauchi attack shock Presidency, PDP

REVELATIONS by Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda on the stoning of President Goodluck Jonathan in the state during a campaign rally was said to have shocked the Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Yuguda, in an interview with the BBC Hausa service, said that the stoning and the attack on the President were carried out by members of the ruling PDP.
Before now, the Presidency and the ruling party had accused the opposition All Progressives Congress of being the mastermind of the attack.

Fashola asks APC members to eschew violence

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has urged residents of the state, as well as supporters of the All Progressives Congress to remain calm and avoid violence despite provocations.

Fashola, according to a statement by the Special Assistant, Media, to the Governor, Hakeem Bello, spoke in Badagry, adding that the opponents were looking for an opportunity to foment violence and get an excuse to postpone the elections.

He said, “Irrespective of all the seeming problems that you are beginning to see, remain calm and be focused. It is provocation. They are looking for opportunity to foment trouble and an excuse to postpone the elections.

“They are already saying that if there is violence in the North East, the people will not vote. We are going to vote here irrespective of what they do and whatever the provocation. Our answer is not violence; our answer will be by massively voting for the APC.”

The governor said the state government had done a lot with the proceeds from the State Security Fund to set up the Rapid Response Squad to ensure security in the state, adding that the RRS was being dismantled by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said, “The Commander of the RRS, ACP Hakeem Odumosu, has been transferred out of Lagos because of the coming elections just as the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Mr. Umaru Manko, who was also a former Commissioner of Police in the state, has also been removed.”
The governor urged all eligible voters in the state who had yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards to get them.

INTERVIEW : 2015: Nigeria needs change —Latinwo

Group Captain Salaudeen Adebola Latinwo (retd), 72, former military governor of Kwara State (1984-85) is a meticulous and detailed person. The retired Air Force officer, who was part of the first set of people to be recruited into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in 1963 is thoroughly organised and acts with precision as we found out during a one hour no holds barred interview, last week when he spoke among others on the state of the nation, the kind of leader Nigeria needs now and why Nigerians must get it right at the polls

Boko Haram Invades Monguno Barracks, Traps 1400 Soldiers

Top security officials just confirmed to SaharaReporters that Islamist fighters today overwhelmed the 243 battalion of the Nigerian Army stationed at Monguno Barracks. The insurgents killed an undetermined number of soldiers and wounded the brigade commander of the barracks.
Our sources said soldiers who put up resistance to the invading insurgents were killed, adding that many soldiers then ran in different directions. They disclosed that 1,400 soldiers were stationed at the barracks at the time of the attack, adding that military authorities were not aware of their exact whereabouts or how many of them had been killed. “We still don’t know what has happened to them [soldiers], but we know that Boko Haram now controls the barracks and Monguno town,” one officer based in Abuja confirmed.

I’m not a foreigner – Buhari’s wife

Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of Maj.-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said that she is not a foreigner as being speculated in some quarters.
She spoke through Mrs. Deborah Iliya, a chieftain of APC in Kaduna State who represented her at the public presentation of a book, “Wind of change: 72 leadership qualities of Buhari,” written by a civil rights activist and Executive Director of Gatekeepers Foundation, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere, on Friday.

Promoters of election violence ineligible for American visas —John Kerry

Any Nigerian who promotes any form of election violence during or after election remains iineligible for US visas.
 President Jonathan with US Secretary of State, John Kerry at the State House, Marina, Lagos
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who sounded the warning during a visit to Nigeria said his country is investing enormously to ensure credible elections in Nigeria.
Kerry made this statement at a news conference in Lagos, shortly after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and Major General Mohammed Buhari.
He urged all Nigerians to help make the elections free, fair and credible.

May 29 handover date sacrosanct, Jonathan tells US

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday assured all stakeholders including the United States of America that the May 29 handover date was sacrosanct.
He gave the assurance amidst calls by some individuals including the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), for the postponement of the February general elections.
According to a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President gave the assurance during a closed-door meeting he had with the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, at the State House, Marina.

Maiduguri attack: President’s team trapped

Journalists, medical team, securitymen among team

53 terrorists, village head, 41 others killed

Brigade Commander injured in Monguno attack
By Kingsley Omonobi, Ben Agande & Ndahi Marama

Abuja—Some security personnel, journalists and the medical team, who accompanied President Goodluck Jonathan on his campaign tour of Maiduguri, Borno State, were still trapped in Maiduguri, yesterday, following attack on the city by the Boko Haram sect.

The team which was billed to have left for the venue of the President’s campaign, was still in the state due to the 24 hour-curfew imposed by the Nigerian Army on Maiduguri, the state capital.

One of those trapped told Vanguard on telephone: “We are hiding and there is serious fighting going on between the insurgents and security personnel. Security men are battling to repel the insurgents.

“The military said that troops have repelled the attack but they will have to comb the bushes to get rid of the insurgents and they said they might not finish today. Meaning that we can not leave today (yesterday).”

How to stop political violence, by Femi Falana

IN the 1990s, the results of credible elections were annulled in Nigeria, Algeria and some other African countries by dictatorial regimes. The political violence generated by such criminal annulment led to the disruption of the democratic process in the continent. In 2008, the refusal of the electoral body in Kenya to announce the results of the presidential election led to the brutal killing of over a thousand people .