2019: Politicians Trade Words as Boko Haram Allegedly Kill 44 Soldiers

Published

7 years ago

November 23, 2018

Eric

Nigeria’s main opposition party has called the government to account for its record on tackling Boko Haram, after at least 44 soldiers were killed at the weekend.

Dozens more were suspected to have lost their lives in the attack on the base in Metele village, in Borno state near the border with Niger, although numbers have not been confirmed.

President Muhammadu Buhari made defeating the Islamist insurgents a key plank of his 2015 election campaign and has said the jihadists were “technically defeated”.

But that claim has been called into question by repeated attacks, including suicide bombings and raids targeting civilians and the military.

Neither the government nor the military has commented on the latest deaths, which were claimed by the IS-backed Boko Haram faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.

But Buhari’s main challenger at next February’s election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, sent a condolence message to the families of those who were killed.

He was also reported as saying on Friday that the losses were “a clear sign that our troops need to be better funded and better equipped”.

On Thursday night, Senate leader Bukola Saraki, a Buhari critic who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the PDP earlier this year, also spoke out about the deaths.

He also announced that a delegation of senators would travel to the northeast to visit frontline troops, as others in the party questioned the effectiveness of the counter-insurgency.

“It is time that we face the reality that Boko Haram is not technically defeated,” said Peter Ayodele Fayose, a former state governor and leading PDP figure.

More than 27,000 people have been killed in nine years of fighting and 1.8 million others are still homeless, as aid agencies tackle the humanitarian fall-out from the conflict.

Amaechi Nwokolo, a security analyst at the Roman Institute of Security Studies in Abuja, told AFP: “The whole thing (the insurgency) has been politicised.

“Now, as election season and Christmas approach, we are likely to see an upsurge in attacks. These terrorists are not dumb. They will certainly want to create chaos around the election.”

Political analyst Chris Ngwodo said the PDP would likely want to make capital out of the current situation but added it had not translated into a loss of support for Buhari or the APC.

“I can’t see that these attacks have shifted public opinion here,” he said from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri. “Borno still feels like Buhari territory.

“The opposition will look for chinks in the armour of the ruling party but I don’t know if they can generate the kind of traction from these kinds of incidents.”

(AFP)

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

3 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

5 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.

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Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Eric

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.