Landlady’s children cut tenant’s private parts

A 35-year-old man, Yinka Offehin, is battling for his life at a private hospital in Lagos State after his scrotum was cut by the children of his landlady.

The Edo State indigene, who resides on Popoola Street, off Abaranje Road in the Ikotun area of Lagos, was said to have been attacked while sleeping in his room with his family members.
His wife, Bisi, who was with him when the incident happened, identified the assailants as Solomon and Damilola, the children of the landlady.

She said, “On Thursday morning, around 3am, while we were sleeping, we heard loud bangs on our door. We initially thought they were armed robbers because the house beside ours had recently been robbed.
“When they entered, we saw they were children of our landlady. They began destroying our electronics and other property.

“There were two of them. One held a knife in his hand. They took N800, 000. They descended on my husband and he also fought back. In that confusion, my husband shouted and we saw that one of the attackers had cut Yinka’s scrotum. I can’t say what they used to cut off my husband’s scrotum.”
She added that her husband, though in pain, was able to hold on to one of his attackers till dawn, while the other fled the scene.

Bisi said her husband could not be admitted at a general hospital because of the ongoing doctors’ strike, but was eventually taken to a private hospital in the area.
When our correspondent visited the victim at the hospital, he told PUNCH Metro the genesis of his problem was when he had a misunderstanding with his landlady and was asked to vacate his apartment.

“I was asked to leave the house immediately, but after the intervention of the traditional ruler of the community, I was asked to leave by the end of August.
“But that decision did not go down well with the children of my landlady and they continued to make trouble with me.

“I was already planning to leave their house and had even contacted an agent when they attacked me without any provocation. I want the government to fight for me,” he said.
A doctor in the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that his patient would need up to three months to recover.

He said, “We have stitched the area where the scrotum was torn. It may take up to three months before it will heal. He needs time to fully recover from the injury.”
A relative said the doctor told the family if the condition did not improve, a surgery may not be ruled out.

It was learnt that about N60, 000 had already been spent by the family.
The father of the suspects, a pastor, when contacted, declined comment.

He said, “I am sorry; I can’t speak with you on this matter. You know the matter is already with the police and those they accused of committing the offence are in the police cell. So, what do you want me to say? I was told they are taking the matter to court. Let’s leave everything to God.”
Our correspondent learnt that the case was reported at the Ikotun Police Division.

A source told our correspondent that a member of the suspects’ family had on the morning of the incident reported a case of armed attack on them by a tenant.
The wife of the victim, who met the relative at the station, reportedly expressed surprise, telling the officers the reverse was the case.

It was learnt that the relative was put behind the counter after the police saw the victim’s injuries.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident.

She said, “It was around 3am, while the victim was sleeping in his room, that one Solomon Olowogbemi and Damilola Olayeye, the children of his landlady, came in and started fighting with him.

“In the process, they inflicted injury on him with an unknown object. The skin of his scrotum was partly cut off, thereby exposing one of his testicles. The two suspects have been arrested and detained and the victim taken to a hospital.”
Source: Punch

Bloody sallah as robbers invade Bariga, Lagos

While the Eid-el-Fitri celebration was still thick in the air on Monday night, armed robbers struck on Popoola and Oreofero streets, Bariga, Lagos, and unleashed terror on some residents.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the robbers stormed the streets at about 2am, and left after about three hours of robbery and battering.

Despite the light rain in the area that time, residents said the robbers went up and down the street, smashing glasses of vehicles, and other property.

Our correspondent gathered that at least three residents were stabbed by the armed robbers, who were said to be large in number.

When our correspondent visited the area on Tuesday morning, a resident, who was also a victim, said his 25-year-old neighbor was stabbed in the head and back, but had been rushed to a private hospital in the area for treatment.

He said, “It was very serious. The robbers seemed to think that because of the Ramadan celebrations, security would be relaxed. They got to our house around 4am. Four of them entered the building, but we could hear the voices of several others outside. They threatened to kill whoever did not ‘cooperate’ with them. They stole money, phones, laptops and other valuables.

“They inflicted matchet cuts on residents. My neighbour, a 25-year-old man was injured on the head, and on the back. He was bleeding profusely when they left. We had to rush him to a private hospital to save his life.”

Another resident, who identified himself simply as Sulaiman, said the robbers also entered several shops, and burgled them, adding that they caught people unawares because of the Ramadan celebration.

He said, “I run a barbing salon and also deal in sound systems. I left my shop around 10pm, and went home. All through the night, we could not sleep as the robbers went from house to house. They did not touch some houses where they knew security was tight. They came to my house, but they did not get to my apartment.

“I thought I had escaped. But when I got to the salon in the morning, my two laptops, my phones and money were all gone. They forced their way in, and carted everything away.”

One of the residents claimed that the Pedro Police Division was informed while the robbery went on, but the police did not show up early to save the situation.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said some hoodlums had come to the area to steal a commercial bus, but they were eventually arrested by the police.

She said, “There was no robbery for hours in the area. What happened was that the Pedro Police Division received a distress call that some hoodlums in the area wanted to steal a commercial bus. The Anti-Robbery Squad of the division responded to the situation and arrested the hoodlums. They are presently in police custody.”

Source:Punch

We have insiders in commercial banks ─ Suspected fraudsters

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested three suspected fraudsters who allegedly specialised in withdrawing money from people’s bank accounts.

Our correspondent learnt that the suspects ─ Kola Osho, Oyedepo Adesola and Kola Ademola ─ were apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the Pipeline area, Abule-Egba, Lagos.

It was gathered that the suspects were apprehended after a tip-off had reached the police that some fraudsters were lurking at the location.
Our correspondent further learnt that while Adesola and Ademola were arrested on Wednesday, July 23, Osho was arrested the following day.

The items recovered from the suspected fraudsters included two dud cheques belonging to a commercial bank, and some forged letter-head documents bearing ‘Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.’

According to the police, the suspects usually obtained the cheques through their errand boys, who were experts in stealing cheque books from unsuspecting people.

The police further revealed that to perpetrate their dubious acts, the suspects had insiders in commercial banks. They would allegedly present the cheque to their insider, whose job was to verify the account holder and the signature before the money could be paid out.

Ademola, 33, who hails from Ikire, Osun State, said he had taken cheques to Osho for processing on three occasions. Ademola, who claimed to be a graduate of Business Administration, however added that they had yet to make any money from the deals.

He said, “I am an Educational Consultant. That is what I do for a living. I also enroll pupils for final-year examination. Last year, I met one boy called Samson who stayed in Obalende, and he was the one who got the cheques and brought them to me.

“I don’t know how he got them, but they were original cheques. We delivered these to the banks insiders who worked on them, and brought out the cash. But because of the present cashless policy, we can only withdraw less than N100,000 which would not require the confirmation from the signatories.

“This is the third cheque I would be bringing to Mr. Osho, but he said he does not have any insider in that particular bank. On the first cheque, he said the account did not contain much money. The second cheque too was not successful. So, we have not made any money from these deals. It is just unfortunate.”

Fifty seven-year-old Osho who hails from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said the desire to leave the country for greener pasture had pushed him into bank fraud.
He said, “I was formerly doing supplying and clearing business. I wanted to use the documents the police found on me to process a visa to the United Kingdom. I got the forged documents from the Internet.

“Ademola gave the cheques to me and I returned them because I could not cash them. He is like a son to me as I am his father’s friend. So, I sent back all the businesses he brought, because I did not want any trouble. I used to have insiders in the banks, but I have cut off from them all. I knew I cheated when I got the forged documents to process my visa, but I did not have any option. It also did not work out.”

The third suspect, Adesola, aged 36, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, claimed he had simply come to visit Osho in the office when the police arrested him, adding that he was not a member of the gang.
He said, “I hold a Higher National Diploma from a polytechnic in Oyo State. I studied Accounting and finished in 2007. I do not know what the police are talking about. I simply came to Osho to transact a business, and they got me arrested. I am innocent.”
Source:Punch

Boko Haram seizes Cameroon’s vice prime minister’s wife

The wife of Cameroon’s Vice-PrimeMinister Amadou Ali   was kidnapped and at least three people killed in   attacks by Boko Haram militants on the northern town of Kolofata on Sunday, Cameroon officials said.

The incident occurred just as gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents attacked a Catholic Church in Kano, killing a soldier, a toddler and three other worshippers.
Improvised Explosive Devices concealed in a refgrigator by a cart pusher had gone off in a motor park in the city on Thursday, killing five people and injuring many.

The Lamido (religious leader) of the area, Seini Boukar Lamine, according to a news agency, Reuters, was   kidnapped   in a second     attack   in Kolofata.
“I can confirm that the home of Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali in Kolofata came under a savage attack from Boko Haram militants,” Issa Tchiroma told Reuters by telephone.

“They unfortunately took away his wife. They also attacked the Lamido’s residence and he was also kidnapped,” he said, confirming that at least three people were killed in the attack.

A Cameroon military commander in the region said the Vice PM, who was at home to celebrate the Muslim feast of Ramadan with his family, was taken to a neighbouring town by security officials.
“The situation is very critical here now, and as I am talking to you the Boko Haram elements are still in Kolofata town in a clash with our soldiers,” said Col. Felix Nji Formekong, the second commander of Cameroon’s third inter-army military region, based in the regional headquarters, Maroua.
The Sunday attacks are the third by Boko Haram   in Cameroon since Friday. At least four soldiers were killed in the previous attacks.

Reuters added that 22 suspected Boko Haram militants, who had been held in Maroua since March, were on Friday sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years.
In Kano, a soldier and four worshipers died when gunmen threw IEDs at the Saint Charles Catholic Church along the Zungeru Road, Kano.
The incident which occurred when worshipers were trooping out of the church after a mass, caused pandemonium in the neighbourhood.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba and the Kano State Commissioner of police, Mr. Adelenre Shinaba, confirmed the death of five people in the Kano blast.
Before the church incident in which eight others were   injured, an attempt to attack the Isyaku Rabiu Mosque in Kano was averted by the Police.

Mba said, “As part of the ongoing investigations into the various terror-related incidents that occurred in Kano, Police operatives have arrested five male suspects for their complicity in the attack and botched attack.

“Two were arrested in connection with the foiled attack on Isyaku Rabiu Mosque while three were arrested in connection with the attack on St. Charles Church.
“All the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation at different police facilities.”
Shinaba   said the impact of the IEDs thrown at the church from the opposite direction killed one of the soldiers on duty and the four worshippers, comprising a toddler, two women and a man.
He disclosed that three suspects were arrested at the scene of the church blast.

The police commissioner also revealed that a 15- year- old female suicide bomber blew up herself up at a police checkpoint and injured   five of her team members.
He expressed gratitude that an injured policemen had been treated and discharged from a hospital in the city.

Earlier, Shinaba   told journalists that a bomb-laden vehicle strategically parked at the praying ground was found at the Isyaku Rabiu Mosque praying ground.
The Isyaku Rabiu mosque which serves as an Eid-praying ground is the second largest of such grounds in the city.

The police commissioner said, “The proactive steps initiated by the police in ensuring a hitch-free Sallah celebration paid off when a good Samaritan alerted us of the development.
“We moved into the mosque premises around 1am, dominated the environment and ferried the automobile away for controlled detonation.
“The high calibre IEDs were primed in apparent sinister plot that targeted hundreds of Muslim worshippers at the praying ground”.

He added that the controlled detonation left collateral damage on a Peugeot 406, pointing out that “the essence was to blow up as many worshippers within a range.
“We are grateful that our proactive strategy had saved life, and this would have caused collateral damage to innocent worshippers,” the Police boss added.

Shinaba urged members of the public to be extra vigilant, pointing out that the war on terror required their cooperation .

In a related development, the Kano Emirate Council   has announced the suspension of traditional festivities associated with Eid celebration due to security concerns.
Briefing journalists on the development, the District Head of Dale, Alhaji Aminu   Bayero,   called on residents to intensify prayers for divine intervention.

In his traditional Sallah message, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, called on Muslims to seek true knowledge to assist them in practising their religion as enshrined in the Sharia.
Source: Punch

BODY OF EBOLA VICTIM CREMATED IN LAGOS

The body of the first victim of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, who died in Lagos on Friday, has been cremated.
Details of the cremation were not available at press time but Sunday Vanguard gathered that the eveny was witnessed by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, led by its Project Director, Professor Abdulsalam Nasidi, among others.
The decision to cremate the body of the victim, it was further gathered, may not be unconnected with the deadly nature of the Ebola Virus which is known to be easily transmissible from human to human during handling of corpses of victims.

The World Health Organisation recommends that in communities where there is an outbreak of Ebola, appropriate containment measures including burial of the dead should be properly handled.
While stating that people who die from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried, WHO? notes that cremation, which is the application of high temperature to reduce bodies to basic chemical components (ashes),? is ideal for safe disposal of bodies of persons who die during outbreaks of highly infectious diseases such as Ebola Virus in order to minimise further transmission.

In 2013 the Lagos State Government introduced its Voluntary Cremation Law under which a person may signify interest to be cremated at death or a deceased’s family members who must attain the age of 18 years, can decide to have the corpse cremated.

Under the law the state government can also cremate unclaimed corpses in its mortuaries after a period of time and the ashes disposed after a 14-day notice with approval of the Commissioner for Health.
Source: Vanguard

Soldiers arrest bomber disguised as woman in Kaduna

The Nigerian Army has apprehended a suspected insurgent in relation with the twin bomb blast that rocked Kaduna on Wednesday.

The twin-bomb attacks which resulted in the deaths of over 100 innocent citizens, targeted a former military Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari and a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi.

A statement released on the official website of the Nigerian military, defenceinfo.mil.ng, stated that a military patrol team arrested the man who was disguised as a woman immediately after the blast took place in the area. It was further revealed that the young man was arrested while trying to fizzle into a crowd of onlookers.

The statement added that the suspected bomber was prevented from being lynched by an angry mob by the troops who took him away in an armoured personnel carrier.
“Troops are holding a man suspected to be connected with the explosion targeted at General Buhari on Wednesday.

“The young man, who was apprehended by a military patrol team that swooped on the area immediately after the explosion, had disguised as a woman clad in female garb to exude feminity with a brazier affixed to his chest.
“The suspect was arrested while trying to fizzle into a crowd of onlookers when the patrol team arrived the scene.

Youths in the area attempted to mob him while he was being arrested but were restrained by troops who quickly whisked him away in an armoured personnel carrier.
“He is currently being interrogated by security agencies in a bid to ascertain his links,” the statement read

Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria has condemned the attacks, saying it was planned to cause unrest in the country.

The group described the blasts as “assassination attempts” on Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and Buhari.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Shehu Sani, the group said that the incidents had “once again demonstrated the annihilating danger faced by the Nigerian state.”
According to the statement, the attacks, if successful, could have led to a civil unrest, which is what the attackers wanted.

The statement said, “The ongoing insurgency and the overall security situation in the country should be a matter of concern to all. With the attack on these two prominent Nigerians, it is clear now that we are in a situation where everyone is vulnerable.”
Source:Punch

Explosion rocks Kano, US, Canada flay Kaduna attacks

As critiscisms continued to greet Wednesday’s twin bombings in Kaduna metropolis, an Improvised Explosive Device went off at the New Road Motor Park in Kano on Thursday.

But unlike the Kaduna blasts, which death toll has risen from 70 to 75, five persons died and eight were injured in the latest Kano incident. Some vehicles in the park were also damaged.
The Kano explosion led to a stampede as people struggled to leave the scene where 70 lives were lost in a similar blast last year.
The PUNCH gathered   the IED was conveyed in a refrigerator which was smuggled into the park by a cart pusher.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the cart pusher was able to beat security at the motor gate because he packaged the refrigerator like a passenger luggage.
Kano State Commissioner of Police, Adelenre Shinaba, confirmed to   journalists at the scene that   five persons, including a woman, lost their lives to the blast.

Adding that   ‘‘eight others who were injured were taken to hospital for treatment,” he explained that the expolosive “went off at the point of loading the refrigerator to in a stationary vehicle.”
In Kaduna,   the state Commissioner for Information and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ben Bako, told journalists that five injured victims of the Kaduna explosions died on Wednesday night in hospitals where they were admitted.

“We have 37 victims currently receiving treatment in both the 44 Army Reference Hospital and the Yusuf Dantsoho General Hospital, Tudun-wada, also in Kaduna. Thirty five victims are at the 44 Army Reference Hospital while two   are at the Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital,” Bako said.
A former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, were the targets of the attacks carried out by lone bombers.
The incidents forced Governor   Mukhtar Yero   to impose a 24-hour curfew which was lifted on Thursday.

US, Canada condemn Kaduna bombings
US and Canada, in two separate statements on Thursday, called on the Federal Government to investigate the explosions.
They   also extended their sympathies to the injured and the families of the dead.
The US statement was signed by the Deputy Spokesperson,   Department of State, Marie Harf, while that of Canada was by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and   International Human Rights, Deepak Obhrai.

The US statement read, “We are also concerned by reports that these blasts may have also targeted a former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
“We extend our sympathies to the loved ones of the dead victims . We call on Nigerian authorities to fully investigate these attacks, and we urge all Nigerians to avoid reprisals and continue to practise the interfaith cooperation that violent extremists seek to undermine.”
The Canadian government described the blasts as cowardly and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

It said, “Canada condemns in the strongest terms the two terrorist attacks in Nigeria’s Kaduna region, which killed   innocent victims.
“These cowardly acts took place on one of the most important nights of Ramadan, and reports are that one of the bombs targeted a former Nigerian leader, Maj.Gen. Buhari.

“They also follow on the heels of Boko Haram’s brutal destruction of Damboa and recent attacks on Chibok, the hometown of the kidnapped schoolgirls.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I call for a swift justice for the perpetrators of this violence and offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.”
Nigeria sliding into darkness –Northern govs

In Minna, Niger State, the Northern States Governors’ Forum lamented that Nigeria was gradually sliding into a dark period of uncertainty, fear and   mistrust.
The forum, in a statement by its Chairman, Babangida Aliyu, said that those who sponsored the series of blasts in the country should be dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others.

He described the attacks as unfortunate, ungodly and a dastardly show of shame and advised that “the issue of security must therefore not be politicised.”
The group said, “It is indeed very unfortunate the twin blasts targeted at Gen. Buhari and Shiek Bauchi in Kaduna which led to the death of many innocent Nigerians. We must therefore realise that activities of terrorists have no limit and focus.

“Nigerians must therefore understand that there is no single person spared by the deadly terror organisation causing serious security challenge in the country.”
“We must therefore, as a people, come together and fight terrorism. We must not see it as the problem of a section of the country alone. The issue of security must   be given the attention it deserves as no one is spared in the onslaught by insurgents.”
While condoling with the families of the deceased, the NSGF prayed that Allah grants them Aljantu Firdaus.
It also thanked Allah for sparing the life of   Buhari and Bauchi, adding that they should see their escape as an opportunity to serve God and humanity better.
The   forum   also security operatives to investigate the incident and expose those behind the cowardly act.

We’ll hold FG responsible if anything happens to Buhari –APC govs
Fifteen opposition party governors under the aegis of the Progressives Governors’ Forum have said they would hold     the Federal Government   responsible should anything happen to   Buhari.
The governors condemned Wednesday’s twin explosions in Kaduna, the loss of innocent lives, and what they described as a clear assassination attempt on   Buhari.
The forum said this in a statement   issued by its Chairman, Rochas Okorocha, and all its members in Abuja.

According to the PGF, the   attack on the former head of state was coming just two days after he urged President Goodluck Jonathan to stop waging war on Nigerians and to devote more time and energy to the war against terrorism.
The attack on Buhari, according to them,   confirms their belief   that the APC   leaders are   no longer safe.

The statement partly read, “For the avoidance of doubt, we shall hold the Federal Government responsible for any further attempts on the life of Gen. Buhari and other APC leaders.
“The PGF also lends its voice to   Buhari’s statement to President Jonathan that it is unwise and against the spirit of social democracy that so many innocent lives should be lost simply in the quest to demobilise the APC and retain power at all cost.”
They   called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to investigate the Kaduna attacks and make the   findings public.
The governors also urged the President to manage his obsession with power well by working for the good of all   Nigerians.

The PGF   described as a great shame that Nigeria, under Jonathan, had become the most dangerous place in the world in terms of deadly terrorist attacks.
The governors   said they were also worried by the statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, that soldiers were deserting the Army for fear of Boko Haram.
They said, “Our question is what happened to the vast sums of money devoted to security and defence in the last four years of the Jonathan presidency and is the desertion of soldiers linked to the theft of monies meant for military equipment?”

FG’s theory on B’Haram up in flames, says APC
The APC on Thursday also   said   the attack on Buhari had changed the theory about Boko Haram   and knocked the bottom off the sinister, irresponsible and partisan colouration given to   insurgency by the Federal Government.

It said while no one had claimed responsibility for the Kaduna attacks, the mere fact that they occurred at all amounted to a lose-lose situation for the Jonathan administration.
The party’s reaction was contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
It said, “Whether it is Boko Haram or not, one thing remains: This government has failed woefully in its core constitutional duty of protecting the security and welfare of the citizenry. And we mean all the citizens, not just the leaders.
‘‘And contrary to the simplistic and clearly selfish portrayal of the Boko Haram insurgency as a sinister plot to bring down the government of Jonathan, it should now be clear to the government that has engaged in ceaseless finger-pointing instead of tackling the insurgency headlong that Boko Haram is an enemy of Nigeria and of all of humanity.

‘‘It is a real problem that is capable of consuming this country if immediate and urgent steps are not taken now by the government to move away from its politicisation of the crisis, its decision to use it as a trump card for President Jonathan’s re-election and exploit it as a ticket to international relevance for the President. If anything untoward had happened to Gen. Buhari on Wednesday, the consequences are only better imagined than witnessed.
‘‘If indeed the APC is behind Boko Haram and Gen. Buhari is a sympathiser of the evil group, as the Federal Government wants the world to believe, could it be that the insurgents do not know their leaders or sympathisers, assuming they are behind the attacks? If they are not responsible for the attacks, doesn’t that support the theory in some circles that Boko Haram has become a franchise, hence there is the Boko Haram of Abubakar Shekau and the political Boko Haram?

‘‘Whatever happens now, the satanic and repulsive theory of the PDP-led Federal Government that the opposition APC is using Boko Haram to truncate the administration of Jonathan is up in flames.”
It said that   Jonathan must immediately stop the wasteful contract he signed with the US-based firm Levick to help demonise it (APC) as the sponsor of Boko Haram, and to demonise any Nigerian who is perceived to be an enemy of the government.

The APC however   sent its condolences to the families of the victims of the blasts and prayed that God would give them the much-needed strength to bear the loss of their loved ones.
Also on Thursday, the Peoples Democratic Party described the blasts as dastardly and unfortunate.
It sympathised with Buhari, saying it was now apparent that terrorists were capable of attacking anybody in the country.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said the ruling party, while mourning the dead, “joins all well-meaning Nigerians in thanking God for saving the lives of Gen. Buhari (retd.) and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi whose convoys were affected in the incident.”
“We sincerely sympathise with Gen. Buhari. Our hearts go out to him and all those affected in these wicked attacks”, Metuh added.

Stating that the PDP was shocked by the development, Metuh   reiterated PDP’s call on all Nigerians to unite against acts of terrorism irrespective of ethnic, political and religious affiliations.
“It has become clear that anybody could be a target,” he said and advised opposition leaders to be careful with their utterances regarding the explosions.
The party also charged security agencies to ensure a thorough investigation of the attacks and to   intensify their efforts in the fight against insurgency in Nigeria.

Mark, Ekweremadu react
The Senate President, David Mark, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, lamented in Abuja that the unabating destruction of lives and property was compounding Nigeria’s woes.
They appealed to terrorists to hearken to the voices of reason and embrace dialogue which the present administration consistently offer.

Mark’s reaction was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, while that of Ekweremadu was in another   statement his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu.
Mark said, “This recourse to bestiality without human feeling any more is what cannot be contemplated or tolerated in a decent society.
“There are a lot of channels, including the law courts or the National Assembly, for any aggrieved person or group of persons to seek redress.”

Ekweremadu said, “This is another desperation to aggravate and exploit the nation’s fault lines. They have attacked churches to set Christians at war with their Muslim brethren, but without success.
“They unleashed terror on the mosques to set the country aflame, but that too did not work. Thus the unsuccessful attacks on major opposition and religious leaders were yet another heinous plot.”
Kaduna gov visits Buhari

Gov. Yero on Thursdday   visited Buhari, the injured victims and the scenes of the explosions.
Buhari told the governor that the Kawo attack was a targeted assassination at him.
He, however, commended the government, security operatives and rescue team for their prompt response.

The former head of state urged government to expedite action towards addressing the country’s security challenge.
Yero had earlier said the visit was on behalf of the state government and the entire people of the state.
Source: Punch

82 killed, scores injured as Buhari escapes death in Kaduna bomb blast

KADUNA – At least 82 persons were killed yesterday, and several others injured in two bomb blasts in Kaduna, targeted at former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. Both men, however, escaped unhurt.
In a statement he issued immediately after the incident, General Buhari declared that it was an assassination attempt and narrated how the suicide bomber tried to carry out the deadly assignment.
Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, in response imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna town after the blasts.

In his reaction, President Goodluck Jonathan thanked God for sparing the lives of General Buhari and Sheikh Bauchi, and extended condolences to families of the dead, while commiserating with the injured.

The first bomb attack took place on Isa Kaita Road, off Ali Akilu road around 12:30pm, yesterday, when the convoy of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi was returning home after he gave a Ramadan Tafsir sermon to thousands of Muslims of the Tijaniyya sect. The Police said 25 people were killed, but those who spoke to newsmen at the scene said about 40 died in the blasts.
Bauchi had escaped a bomb attack about three weeks ago near his home in Eskolia quarters of Kaduna.

The second blast  took place around 2:30pm, about two kilometres away from the scene of the first blast at the busy over-head bridge at Kawo part of Kaduna town as Buhari was making his way out of town, leaving not less than 50 people dead.
Speaking to newsmen at the scene of the first attack, Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Umar Shehu said: “All I can say is that the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and Road Safety Corps have told me that they recovered 25 corpses from this place. But you can see that we still have some human remains here. I cannot tell you the number of those injured at this point. That is all I can say”.

But that differed from what some eyewitnesses said. One Isa Saidu, 23, gave his account thus: “I was at the Murtala Mohammed Square where Sheikh Dahiru preached to us. I was also in the convoy conveying him back home. It was a long convoy. Suddenly, I saw a man on a motorcycle carrying a sack or bag. He was driving very recklessly and defied the instructions of our security guard, who attempted to make him slow down. He then tried to come close to the car conveying the Sheikh but the security did not allow him.

People look at the burnt out shell of a car following an explosion on July 23, 2014 in Kaduna, north of Nigeria. A second blast today in the city has killed at least 17 people, the national rescue agency said, after an earlier suicide attack in the city killed at least 25. An around-the-clock curfew was announced for the city after the bombings.

“As he persisted, they pushed him off the road and he fell into a ditch, while the bomb device he was carrying exploded. I don’t want to say what happened. Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s body was covered with blood, but it was the blood of those who were protecting him. I can swear by Allah that I personally counted 41 bodies. It is the most terrible thing of my life,” he said.
Others who spoke gave similar accounts. As news of the first attack spread through the state, another explosion took place two hours later.

According to eye witnesses, a man in a Sienna car had trailed the convoy of General Buhari from where it took off. An aide to Buhari, who asked not to be mentioned, told reporters that “the car overtook other cars and came very close to the SUV in which the general was. His security details tried to get in-between, then the Sienna car exploded.
“The security men’s car was destroyed, and the three men were severely injured. The general’s car was damaged badly, but because it was bullet-proof, he came out unhurt, and was transferred to another car and taken away,” he said.
The explosion led to the killing of not less than 50 persons, according to those who came to the scene shortly after it happened.

About 22 cars were burnt and several people injured, Vanguard was told.
“There was no way more than 50 people could not have been killed”, a reporter with a local radio station whose office was near the scene told some reporters.
“By the time we reached the place, there was so much blood and many corpses all over the place. I am too shaken to speak on this matter,” he said.
But CP Umar Shehu said after visiting the scene that, “I am told that 14 people were killed and four were injured. I am told that a VIP car was affected, but I am yet to confirm to you. I shall update you in time”.

I escaped  assassination — Buhari
General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in his account of what happened through a statement six hours after the attack said:
“I  was personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today (yesterday) at about 2:30pm on my way to Daura.

Military officers walk past the remains of a car after an explosion on July 23, 2014 in Kaduna, north of Nigeria. A second blast in the city has killed at least 17 people, the national rescue agency said, after an earlier suicide attack in the city killed at least 25. An around-the-clock curfew was announced for the city after the bombings

“The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt, came from a fast-moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car, but was blocked by escort vehicle. We reached the market area of Kawo where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram my car and instantly detonated the bomb which destroyed all the three cars in our convoy.
“Unfortunately, when I came out of my vehicle, I saw many dead bodies littered around. They were innocent people going about their daily business, who became victims of mass murder. Thank God for His mercy, I came out unhurt, but with three of my security staff sustaining minor injuries. They have since been treated in hospital and discharged”.

In its reaction, the Jamaa’tul Nasril Islam, JNI, said:
“We are dazed over the news of the twin blasts in Kaduna city, which claimed the lives of many innocent Muslims in a Tafsir closing session of Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, held at Murtala Muhammad Square, Kaduna and within a short while, another blast was said to have rocked Kawo in Kaduna.

“We therefore, condemn in the strongest terms these repeated acts of terror being unleashed on Muslims in this blessed month of Ramadan. JNI equally sympathizes with all the affected victims and also condoles with the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident. May Aljannatul Firdaus be the abode of all the deceased, Amin.
“As usual, JNI calls on all authorities concerned to be more committed to their responsibilities of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians as no development can be achieved in a situation of fear, insecurity and chaos. All hands must be on deck to stop these unending massacre of lives and destruction of properties, as Nigeria is becoming a theatre of blood for no just cause, which must be stopped.
“Muslims should utilise the remaining days of Ramadan to complain to Allah, The Most Merciful, through vigorous supplications for relief, succour and ease against the evil masterminds of the nagging insecurity bedeviling our country.
“May Allah, The All-Mighty, The Compeller, The Supreme, and The All-Knowing, bring an end to this nagging evil, disgrace the perpetrators and grant us lasting peace, security, prosperity and a promising future full of happiness and development, Amin.”

Curfew
Meanwhile Kaduna State Governor, Alh. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna State.
Yero  condemned the bomb blasts that occurred  in the metropolis, describing them as acts of cowardice’ by those bent on creating tension in the state.
In a statement signed by his Director-General, Media and Publicity, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor said the blasts were clear manifestations of the resolve by ‘agents of darkness’ to soak the land with the blood of innocent people for no just cause.
He said: “Enemies of peace have visited us with their ungodly venom of wanton destruction of human lives.
“This blast, coming in the Holy Month of Ramadan is a clear indication that those behind the act have no iota of fear of God, as they have none for the sanctity of human life.”

Jonathan condemns bombings
President Goodluck Jonathan in his reaction to the bomb blasts thanked God for sparing the lives of General Buhari and Sheikh Bauchi. A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said:
“President Goodluck Jonathan condemns the bombings in Kaduna today (yesterday) which appeared to have targeted former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.

“President Jonathan denounces the dastardly targeting of prominent political and religious leaders by terrorists and enemies of the nation in an odious attempt to inflame passions and exacerbate disquiet, fear, insecurity and sectional divisions in the country.
“While thanking God Almighty for sparing the lives of General Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the President extends sincere condolences to the families of those who were sadly killed by the bomb blasts.
“President Jonathan also commiserates with all those who were injured in the twin bombings in this Holy Month of Ramadan which defy the tenets of Islam, and provide further proof that the terrorists are nothing but blood-thirsty extremists bent on undermining the unity and progress of the nation.
“The President assures residents of Kaduna and all other Nigerians that the Federal Government will continue and further intensify its ongoing efforts to effectively curb the menace of terrorism in the country.

“He has specifically directed the Police and other national security agencies to take all necessary actions to apprehend the perpetrators of today’s attacks on Kaduna and urges all residents of the city to give them the fullest possible cooperation and support as they work to bring the terrorists to justice”.

Source: Vanguard