01/02/18

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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Abubakar Shekau

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video message on Tuesday claiming a series of attacks in northeast Nigeria during the festive season.

The shadowy leader released his first video message in months amid a surge in violence casting doubt on the claims by the Federal Government that the terrorist group is defeated.

“We are in good health and nothing has happened to us,” said Shekau in the 31-minute video message where he spoke in the Hausa language.


“Nigerian troops, police and those creating mischief against us can’t do anything against us, and you will gain nothing.

“We carried out the attacks in Maiduguri, in Gamboru, in Damboa. We carried out all these attacks,” he said.

The video then shows footage from a Christmas Day attack on a military checkpoint in Molai village on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, which the military said was thwarted by troops after one hour of battle.

Boko Haram fighters in torn clothes were shown shooting from the back of battered pickup trucks.

Shekau’s message comes during an acceleration of Boko Haram attacks and just days after the terrorists killed 25 people outside Maiduguri.

In December, Boko Haram attacked convoys of Nigerian soldiers and dispatched suicide bombers into crowded markets in towns across northeast Nigeria.

At least 50 people were killed in November when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Adamawa state.

But President Muhammadu Buhari said in his New Year address that Boko Haram has been “beaten”.

“Isolated attacks still occur, but even the best-policed countries cannot prevent determined criminals from committing terrible acts of terror,” said Buhari.

Shekau, a leader known for his lengthy, wild-eyed video messages, took over Boko Haram in 2009 after the death of its founder Muhammad Yusuf.

In 2016 Boko Haram suffered a major split, when the so-called Islamic State group recognised Yusuf’s son, Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, as leader.

AFP/LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
President Nana Akufo Addo

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo is taken after President Muhammadu Buhari in a giant step toward the fight against corruption as he assented to a bill for the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The bill was aimed at establishing the OSP as a specialised agency to investigate specific cases of corruption involving public officers and politically exposed persons.
It would also allow the OSP to probe persons in the private sector involved in the commission of corruption and to prosecute offences on the authority of the Attorney-General.
Signing the bill at the Flagstaff House in Accra, Akufo-Addo said his hope and expectation was that the establishment of the office would be an important step in the collective determination to root out corruption in Ghana.
He said corruption was a major bane in the development of Ghana, “and hopefully, this office would make sure that public officials, past and present, were held to account for their actions.”
He added that corrupt acts would no longer go without investigations.
The establishment of the OSP is one of the key campaign promises of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). (Xinhua/LR News)
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Governor Samuel Ortom

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue said herdsmen had killed over 20 persons between Monday and Tuesday in Guma and logo local government areas of the state.
Ortom disclosed this while briefing journalists on Tuesday in Makurdi after the State Security Meeting.
He said that out of the number, nine were Livestock Guards who were to ensure the full implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing Law.
He said that the law was not targeted at any ethnic group and wondered why the herdsmen had taken it so personal to the point of unleashing terror on the people.
The governor also lamented the unwarranted wanton destruction of lives and property by the herdsmen.
He said that no matter the intimidation and killings by the herdsmen, the law would not be reversed or repealed.
He assured that the law must be implemented to the latter and anybody or group of persons that flouted it would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Ortom called on the Federal Government to wade into the matter so as to avert further destruction of lives and property.
Dr Gajir Tsoho of the Surgical Department, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, said over 30 injured victims of the herdsmen attack were brought to the hospital and were receiving treatment. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

No fewer than 26 suspected criminals have been arrested in five days by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nasarawa State.
The suspects were arrested between December 28, 2017 and January 1, 2017.
The Commandant of the Corps, Mr. Muhammad Mahmoud-Fari, presented the suspects to newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia.
He said that they were apprehended for allegedly engaging in cultism, theft, defilement, breach of trust and assault.
Mahmoud-Fari said that seven were arrested for theft, four for assault, 13 arrested for cultism, one arrested for defilement and another suspect was arrested for breach of trust.
11 suspected cultists belonging to a group known as Assist Group were arrested, two suspected cultists belonging to another group known as Touch and See were also arrested.
The suspected cultists were arrested at the Polytechnic in Lafia and seven other suspects were arrested for alleged theft.
“Then we have one suspected case of defilement, one case of breach of trust, four suspects arrested for assault.
“So we have arrested a total 26 suspected criminals. After all investigations, the suspects would be charged to court and prosecuted accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others,” He said.
Mahmoud-Fari said the arrest of the suspects was in collaboration with officers of Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme (NAYES) and some members of the public who shared information with the corps.
“That is why I always appeal to the public to assist us. We need their understanding and cooperation because when you fight collectively, you succeed.
“We are not calling on civilians to go and fight, but to be our informants.” LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Rotimi Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says Federal Government may increase the transport fares of the rail services on the Abuja-Kaduna route following the inauguration of 10 new luxurious coaches.
Ameachi announced this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
According to him, already, commuters have agreed that the cost of transportation to Kaduna via the rail service is a bit too cheap.
The Minister, who said he discussed the inauguration of the 10 new coaches and two locomotives with the President, revealed that the new coaches would be inaugurated on Thursday.
“The president is pleased with the arrangement because basically we will then be able to discharge the passengers pressure that we have had; that is why you have ticket racketeering.
“When demand outstrips supply then you see all sorts of attempts to cheat the passengers.
“There are two things I know the president likes. I have mentioned one, the second one, is after commissioning even the passengers agree that the cost of transportation to Kaduna via the railway is a bit too cheap.
“So there will be a need to increase the price and then there will be more comfort.
“More comfort in the sense that when you have excess seats multiplied by the number of passengers that will come, then anybody that wants to racketeer will have to eat the tickets himself,’’ he added.
He stated that the new coaches, when inaugurated, would bring the total number of coaches to 14 on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
According to the minister, one of the locomotives will be dedicated to direct trip from Kaduna to Abuja non-stop (that should be doing 1hr:15 or 1hr:20 minutes non-stop).
He said this would enable those “living in Kaduna and working in Abuja to actually come to work on time. If you leave at 6.00a.m by 7:15a.m, 7:20a.m you should be in Abuja.’’
On the reported killing of 21 residents of Rivers on the eve of New Year, Amaechi stressed the need for the state government to take security of life and property of its citizens more seriously.
He said: “I think the governor needs to get a bit more serious, he should stop encouraging the militant groups in the name of politics and election.
“You heard about 21 only in Omoku, what about in Akutoru where two persons were killed, what about other local government areas.
“I think there should be much more than age to qualify to be a governor because it takes much more than age.
“I was governor of Rivers State, I did not play PDP/APC politics; life is life, it has no symbol. Nobody has APC life or PDP life.
“The first responsibility of a governor, which is what the oath of office requires, is that you swear to protect lives and property.
“When you don’t protect life and property, what do you do? – is impeachment. Unfortunately there is no House of Assembly in Rivers State.’’
The minister, who stated that he had earlier sworn not to be talking about Rivers anymore, said “but you don’t keep quiet in the face of 21 lives, you can’t just keep quiet.
“I have said it that nobody should criticise my successor, let him do his beat. But a successor that watches the lives of people go like that and does not care? God will bless him.’’LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Rivers State government has placed a reward of N200 million to track killers of 16 persons, including women and children, who were returning from New Year cross-over in Omoku.
Troubled Omoku, Headquarters of Ogba-Egbema/Ndoni council area, recently started enjoying peace after several months of cult-related violence.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has placed a bounty to trace the gunmen, who carried out the attack.
The Governor, in reaction to the attack, promised to reward anyone who can identify the perpetrators with the sum of N200 million.
Wike said this on Tuesday during a visit to the community, alongside heads of security agencies in the state. He assured the victims of government’s support and also vowed to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
One of the victims of the attack, who lost her husband and child in the attack told the Governor that the hoodlums stormed her home on the day of the attack and suddenly started shooting anyone in sight.
A combined team of the army, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) have since swung into action to ensure arrest the suspects behind the attack.
The senator representing Rivers South-East, Sen. Magnus Abe, has described the killing in the early hours of the New Year day as barbaric and senseless.
A statement by his media aide, Mr Parry Benson, on Tuesday said Abe expressed worries over the re-emergence of violence and crime in the area.
He said it was needless for humans to take the lives others.
“The incident should be condemned by every right thinking Rivers man and woman.
“Rivers communities should not be allowed to become haven for blood thirsty hoodlums,’’ he said.
The senator urged the Nyesom-Wike-led government to assist security agencies with the needed tools to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the state.
“The killing in Omoku is an indication that all is not well, the state government should assist security agencies with the needed tools to tackle these rising state of insecurity.
“The state government must drastically re-engineer the security architecture of the state, and provide funding to fight crime to sop this endless waste of human lives,’’ he said. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

At least 16 suspected “vicious’’ kidnappers, including their gang leader, who kill and drink blood of victims, have been arrested in Niger state.
They are accused to terrorising people in the Abuja-Kaduna road in Sabon Wuse in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger.
The suspects are Ibrahim Umar, who is the gang leader and others are Isiaka Mohammed, Hassan Usman, Mubarak Adamu, Yisuf Sani, Musa Usman, Yakabu Wakili, Abdullahi Abdulkarim, and others.
The Force spokesman, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, told newsmen in Sabon Wise on Tuesday that items recovered from the suspects are five AK 47 rifles, nine AK 47 magazines, two cutlasses, one cell phone and 1,598 rounds of ammunition.
He said that the arrest followed a coordinated operations by the Special Tactical Squad operating in the area.
The spokesman said that the gang leader, Umar, confessed to have killed 10 persons during their operations.
He said further that Umar also confessed that they kill and drink blood of kidnap victims who could not pay ransom.
Moshood, who said that the suspects were arrested during the yuletide, said it was a huge success for the Nigeria police and Nigerians in general.
He said that the suspects have all confessed to the various roles they played in the commission of the crime.
“The suspects will be arraigned in court after the completion of investigation,” he said.
He said that the force has evolved a new security arrangement to fight and prevent crimes in the country in the new.
The Taraba Police Command on Sunday confirmed the abduction of a state legislator, Mr. Hosea Ibi, by three unidentified gunmen.
Ibi represents Takum 1 in the State House of Assembly.
The command’s spokesman, Mr. David Misal said in Jalingo, the capital, that Ibi was kidnapped in Takum, his hometown Saturday night.
“ I can confirm to you that the lawmaker was kidnapped last night in Takum.That is all I can tell you for now,” Misal said.
The spokesman said the command has mobilised its men to Takum to rescue the lawmaker.
Mr. Rimansikpe Tsokwa, a witness of the abduction, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Ibi was abducted around 10 p.m on Saturday.
“ Three gunmen alighted from two motorcycles at about 10 p.m and stormed Hosea’s mother’s residence.
“ Immediately they entered, they seized all handsets belonging to the people in the compound.
“They then dragged the member to their motorcycles and whisked him away without saying anything.” he said.
NAN reports that Takum is also the hometown of the state governor, Darius Ishaku, who is celebrating the New Year in the town.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Five persons, including a pregnant woman, were on Tuesday killed in Guma and Logo Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected herdsmen.

Governor Samuel Ortom has confirmed the attack noting an increase in the number of casualties recorded.

Ortom confirmed the attack after the Benue State Security Council meeting held on Tuesday.

READ MORE: 20 Killed 30 Injured In Benue By Heardsmen

After five persons, including a pregnant woman, was killed in Guma and Logo Local Government Area six livestock guards were also killed in Sanghev ward.

Governor Ortom also visited victims of the attack while receiving treatment from gunshot injuries at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.

The Chief Medical Director confirmed to the governor that they received 11 bodies and nine injured victims out of which three died while being treated.

The killings prompted the emergency state security council meeting which was chaired by Governor Samuel Ortom but the resolve of the meeting is yet unknown.

Despite the law banning open grazing in Benue state, the herdsmen attacks against communities in the state have not ceased.

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