Troops raid Boko Haram fuel dump

Troops have discovered and raided another Boko Haram fuel dump at Abbaganaram area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Army Spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said yesterday that the fuel dump was raided on Wednesday, following a tip-off by well- meaning citizens.

Col. Usman said one person was arrested while several items were confiscated during the operation in the city.

“During the operation, one person, Musa Abba, was arrested and the following items were discovered and confiscated; 11 drums of AGO and one empty drum.

“Other items include 192 of 25 litres jerrycans, out of which 70 were loaded with AGO, PMS and DPK, a Toyota bus, one Peugeot car, a motorcycle and an air conditioner.’’, he said.

The spokesman said the fuel depot was used to stockpile Petroleum, oil and Lubricants for Boko Haram terrorists for onward movement to the terrorists’ camps in Sambisa forest.



He expressed satisfaction with the level of public support which he said was partly responsible for the level of successes recorded in the renewed operations.

“Over time we have been exhorting the public especially the residents of parts of the North Easte affected by the insurgency to cooperate fully with the military and the security agencies.

“It is gratifying to note that such call is being heeded to by overwhelming majority of people as exemplified by the courageous and patriotic efforts of the good citizens that exposed this fuel dump in their midst.

“It is important that people should see the fight against the security menace of Boko Haram terrorism as collective responsibility.

“Therefore the public are kindly requested to be more vigilant and assist with useful information that would assist in preventing Boko Haram terrorists from carrying out their nefarious activities against the society,” he advised.

Also yesterday, the sect used the opportunity of the independence anniversary to attack a village in  Adamawa State.

Adamu Kamale, spokesman of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, said to carry out that cruel action against the small village of Kirchinga, the extremists took advantage of the reduction of the security levels in that area, amid the commemorative celebrations.

Ondo to pay salaries on October 7

ONDO State workers yesterday suspended their two-day warning strike.

 This followed an agreement with the government that all outstanding salary arrears would be paid by Wednesday.

The workers started their two-day warning strike on Wednesday before it was called off yesterday evening.

Speaking with reporters after a four-hour meeting, the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) Chairman, Sunday Adeleye, said three days ago, labour leaders met with government representatives to discuss after which they gave an ultimatum to the government to pay salaries.

He noted that there were  intervention from various quarters, especially from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), JNC and Trade Union Congress(TUC) headquarters, Abuja, begging the union to dialogue with the government.

Adeleye said a meeting was held with the Head of Service (HoS) and government officials, where the workers agreed to end the strike.



He said: “Our agreements are as follow- the names of workers recruited by the government in the local government service commission which were removed should be immediately restored.

“All salaries arrears should be paid in full to all workers latest by Wednesday, October 7.

“The government should resolve the issue of loan being charged by banks on workers salaries.

“Our members must not be intimidated and based on the intervention from the state and at the national level,  organised labour is hereby suspending the strike. All workers should resume work today.”

All Nigerian pilgrims will be accounted for, says Tambuwal

Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal yesterday said all Nigerians who went to Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage would be accounted for.

He gave the assurance following the twin tragedies of the crane crash and the stampede that befell this year’s Hajj.

The state will today hold a prayer session for the repose of the souls of its dead in Saudi.

Tambuwal gave the assurance when he visited families of those affected by the tragedy in Sokoto.

A statement issued by Imam Imam,the governor’s Spokesman in Sokoto, noted that “Hajj officials are working round the clock to ensure that all victims are properly identified and documented.

“The areas most affected in Sokoto State are Illela, Binji and Wamakko local government areas.



Addressing the families during a stop in Jamali village of Binji Local Government Area, Tambuwal said government was still collating the number of pilgrims who died, suffered injuries or missing.

He announced that as soon as the collation was done, government would assist the families in the best way possible.

The governor appealed to the people to exercise more patience, adding that many of those earlier thought to have died had been seen receiving treatment in hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

He said: “as Muslims, we are encouraged to have faith in God at all times, especially in our difficult times.

“We will organise prayers for our country men and women for God to heal the injured, bless the dead and bring the missing ones back to us in good health.” Other communities visited include Gidan Hamma, Binji and Wamakko.

The number of Iranian pilgrims killed in the Hajj stampede had risen to 465, the Iranian authority announced yesterday..

According to state IRIB Television, a full list of the victims had been released.

Tehran said about 64,000 Iranians travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj rituals this year.

It urged immediate transfer of the bodies to Iran, blaming Saudi Arabia’s “inefficiency and mismanagement” in handling the largest gathering of Muslims.

The Saudi authorities had earlier put the total number of pilgrims killed in the accident at 769.

80 Boko Haram fighters surrender

The Army yesterday announced that another batch of 80 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered in Bama, Borno state.

Six days ago, the Army said 200 terrorists surrendered and turned in their weapons.

In a statement, Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, said among those who surrendered yesterday were commanders, suppliers and foot soldiers.

“In a landmark event today, 80 Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered en mass to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Bama, Borno State.

“The terrorists among whom were commanders, suppliers and foot soldiers confirmed to have partook in several terrorists attacks especially on Bama town, Borno State, surrendered as a result of the intense heat and continuous offensive action embarked by troops.

“It would be recalled that we have repeatedly stated that surrender is the only option available to insurgents as the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force in conjunction with other security agencies are totally committed to the achievement of the three months presidential deadline for the eradication of terrorism in Nigeria.



“Other terrorists are encouraged to also surrender or face total annihilation. As the new name of the operation states ‘achievement of total peace is a must’.

“Citizens are please requested to continue providing useful information to security agencies that will lead to apprehension of all known terrorists,” Col Usman said.

Burkina coup leader handed over to government

The leader of a short-lived coup in Burkina Faso, Gen. Gilbert Diendere, was handed over to authorities on Thursday after seeking refuge in the Vatican embassy, sources in the transitional government said on Thursday.

Diendere, a former spy chief, was at the head of a week-long power-grab by Burkina Faso’s powerful presidential guard last month, during which the interim president and prime minister were held hostage, Reuters reported.

He had sought sanctuary in the embassy in the recent days after the transitional government – tasked with guiding Burkina Faso to elections this month – was returned to power amid international pressure and popular protests.

“He has been handed over to Burkinabe authorities,”  a judicial source close to the transitional government told Reuters.

A military source said Jean Baptiste Ouedraogo, the former president of Burkina Faso, escorted the former putschist to the capital Ouagadougou’s main gendarmerie camp in a heavily armed convoy.

Earlier, Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida had said the government had provided guarantees to the Vatican embassy that Diendere’s life would be respected if he was handed over. Zida said he would be handed to judicial authorities.



Diendere said he led the coup because of proposals to dismantle the elite presidential guard, the RSP, and to exclude allies of deposed president Blaise Compaore from running in this month’s scheduled presidential election.

The putsch lasted a week and the government was restored last Wednesday. During its first post-coup cabinet meeting it formally disbanded the RSP and launched an inquiry into the military power-grab.

Disclosed: How Buhari selected his nominees

President Muhammadu Buhari’s 21 would-be ministers  whose names he gave the Senate on Wednesday were unaware of their nominations, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The President neither met nor hinted any of the nominees of their appointments, it was learnt.

After shortlisting those he needed, according to a source, Buhari directed security agencies to conduct discreet investigations into their records. Those closer to him were not exempted, the source said.

The Presidency yesterday directed all the nominees to submit their curriculum vitae.

In 14 states yesterday, there was anxiety because no  nominees were named.

Some of the states are  Ondo, Kogi, Abia, Enugu and Imo.



A source, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “Most of the nominees    announced on Wednesday were caught unawares because Buhari never sat any of them down or told them that they would be among his ministers.

“Even though some of them had been coming to the Presidential Villa, he did not confide in them.

“I can tell you that the President did not give assurance to ex-Governors Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi, and Babatunde Fashola. Even as close as Lt.-Gen. Dambazzau and Sen. Hadi Sirika are to the President, they did not know that they would be in the cabinet. The President adopted suspense all through. That is his style.

The source spoke of how some of the nominees nursed the ambition of being ministers but got frustrated after they could not read the President’s mind.

 “The President only directed security agencies to conduct discreet security checks on them for about one or two months.

“The security checks were jealously guarded to prevent leakage. This was the nature of the appointment.

“The President adopted intelligence approach in picking his team. A few others who were nominated by some highly-placed Nigerians, political leaders and governors could not scale through the discreet checks.”

It was gathered that most of the nominees were only contacted yesterday morning to submit their curricular vitae at the Presidential Villa.

Another source added: “You can see the transparency of the process adopted by the President. It was on Thursday morning that the Presidency started sending messages to most of the nominees to send their CVs.

“Some of them sent their CVs through e-mail and others sent emissaries to Abuja to submit their credentials ahead of compilation for the Senate’s consideration from next week.

“The President was sure of the pedigree of his cabinet members before asking them to bring their CVs.”

It was gathered that a former Head of State wanted a particular candidate but his request was politely turned down by the President on account of age.

Buhari asked the ex-leader to bring in a “younger person”.

Five factors determined the appointment of ministers by the President.

These are:  strict adherence to principle of non-interference in choosing his cabinet, integrity or pedigree; selfless service; old acquaintances and less exposure to political influence.

A highly-placed source in the Presidency said: “Buhari was his own man in choosing his cabinet, although he took certain factors into consideration. Those who came to advise him assisted in providing direction or guiding his mind. At a point, the APC leadership could not give exact situation of things.

“He has done away with appointments based on favouritism, godfathers and egoism.

“Apart from merit, Buhari gave ministerial slots to those who have the ability, those who can deliver and those he has trusted over the years, including those who worked with him in the former Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and those in the trenches with him in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He has rewarded selflessness, perseverance and loyalty.”

There was anxiety yesterday in 14 states whose ministerial nominees have not been announced.

‘’There had been enquiries from the states. Political leaders from the states are mounting pressure on top officials of the Presidency to know their stand,’’ a source said.

What Gordon Brown, Clinton and others told me about Buhari, by Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed the impression of some world leaders about President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ex -President, who spoke with reporters at his Abeokuta home yesterday,  added that despite Nigeria’s “mistakes and missteps,” it is not doing badly at 55 as a nation.

Obasanjo added that 55 years in the life of a nation was still relatively young and notwithstanding this, the country had managed to be dynamic and progressive.

He said: “I heard some of the comments of those he (Buhari) met; the comment that probably will not come back to him. He met Clinton for almost one hour and President Clinton, when I joined him for his global initiative talked to me about the impression of our President, it was favourable.

“Gordon Brown and I met him and we talked about issues. The few other leaders who met him gave me their impression and his debut so to say, it has been good. I think we are at the table, what they use to say that Nigeria is not at the table, now we are present at the table.”

He said Nigerians should be willing to learn from past mistakes while core national values should also not be eroded to enable the real growth and progress become manifest.
He noted that Nigeria was now well positioned with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for both recognition and active participation in global politics in a manner that would likely elicit positive attention from the international community.

According to Obasanjo, feelers from the world leaders and statement during the recent UN summit showed that President Muhammadu Buhari did not only have a good outing there, but also helped to place Nigeria at a strategic position for global politics.

He identified youth unemployment, education, security, justice, the economy among others as areas the country should not joke with particularly corruption, saying it has the capacity to destroy everything noble about Nigeria.

Obasanjo said: “Fifty five years in the life of a nation is comparatively young, growing and when you look at the life and history of those that you may call settled societies or reasonably matured countries, we are not doing too badly.

“They have had missteps just as we are having missteps, they have made mistakes and most of them have learnt from their mistakes, they have been dynamic in the way they have progressed and I believe that we are doing the same thing.

“What is important is that certain cardinal pinches, cardinal features of our national live, values, should not be eroded. And then we should also be willing to learn from out mistakes.

“The President in his statement said Nigeria has the marks in making the potentialities of a great nation is just question of actualising our potentialities and that will require all hands on deck; men, women, Muslims, Christians, young and old, irrespective of our location, our tribe, our social standing, Nigeria needs all hands on deck.

“And we must also realise important issues that we must not play with, we must not play with the issue of education, we must not play with the issue of health for our people.

“We must not play with the issue of employment for our teeming population particularly for our youths, we must not play with the issue of economy, we must not play with the issue of security, peace and justice. Justice and peace go hand in hand, we can’t have injustice and expect peace to reign supreme.”