Nigeria Embassy Writes India Authorities Over Two ISIS suspects

The Nigerian embassy in Delhi, India, has written to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to see the two Nigerians that were arrested in Punjab recently while on their way to Pakistan, allegedly to join the Islamic State terrorist group.

ATTARI: Nigerian nationals Sani Jamiliu (right) and Imran Kabeer (left) who were apprehended by BSF after they were spotted close to Indo-Pak border fence in Attari…yesterday.

The two youths from Kano, identified as Imran Kabeer and Sani Jamiliu, are currently being detained by the Punjab Police in India.

The India police had arrested the two youths on suspicions that they were on their way to join ISIS and that they attempted to enter Pakistan without valid travel documents.

The suspects, who live in New Delhi, came to India on student visas about a year ago. While Imran is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Karnataka State Open University, Sani is a Bachelor of Science student of the Kerala-based Mahatma Gandhi University.

The spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, confirmed that the Nigerian embassy officials had applied to see the suspects to “ascertain their claim of Nigerian nationality.”

“Our embassy in India has applied for consular access to see the boys so that we can ascertain their claim of Nigerian nationality,” he said.

In a related development, there are suspicions that the Lebanese ISIS terrorist, Ahmed Al Assir, could have forged the Nigerian visa in order to visit the country.

A diplomatic report shown to our correspondent on Wednesday, indicated that Assir did not apply to the Nigerian embassy in Lebanon for visa and that he must have forged the document.

It said there was no record anywhere that indicated that the terrorist applied for the Nigerian visa.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday reportedly ordered an investigation into how the Lebanese got the Nigerian visa found in his passport.

The terrorist, who had been on the wanted list of Lebanese security forces, was arrested at the airport last Saturday while attempting to visit Cairo, Egypt, en route to Nigeria on a forged Palestinian passport.

The diplomatic report explained that Assir, who was of Palestinian extraction, had undergone surgery to alter his appearance so as to evade detection by security operatives.

He was accused of involvement in the death of 17 Lebanese soldiers and had been sentenced to death by the court in 2013.

The document further stated that the wanted terrorist had been using different aliases to evade arrest and that his current pseudonym was not on the watch list of the Lebanese security forces.

“Assir has been using the fake name, Rami Abdul Rahman Taleb, to evade detection by security agencies in Lebanon. He did not apply to the Nigerian embassy for visa, meaning that he must have forged the visa he had on his fake passport when he was arrested with his companion, Khaled Sidani, at the airport,” it stated.

Ahmedu-Ode said, “investigation is ongoing” to determine how the terrorist came about the Nigerian visa.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters on Wednesday denied media reports that over 150 people from Kukuwa-Gari village were shot dead by Boko Haram gunmen in Yobe State.

The DHQ said troops indeed killed four Boko Haram members in a gunfight after the insurgents ran into a military ambush.

A statement by the acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, in Abuja pleaded with the media to always seek clarifications on their information before publishing.

Abubakar’s statement read, “The truth of the matter is that the military got an intelligence report concerning a planned attack by Boko Haram on Kukuwa-Gari Village in Yobe State. Following the tip-off, troops and civilian JTF laid ambush between Kukuwatashi and Kukuwa-Gari villages.

“The insurgents ran into them and a gun battle ensued in which four Boko Haram members and one civilian JTF lost their lives. At the end of the encounter, two AK 47 rifles and two motorcycles used by the Boko Haram terrorists were recovered from them.

“The military is doing all within its power to protect lives and property of Nigerians in any part of the country and thus, solicits cooperation and understanding of the media to be partners in progress in this noble task.”

Nigeria Embassy Writes India Authorities Over Two ISIS suspects

Two Nigerians arrested in India on their way to joining ISIS

PUNJAB, India  Two young Nigerians suspected to be on their way to joining the Islamic State (ISIS)  terror gang were yesterday  arrested at the volatile  India-Pakistan border  after  scaling a barbed wire fence near the  border .

ATTARI: Nigerian nationals Sani Jamiliu (right) and Imran Kabeer (left) who were apprehended by BSF after they were spotted close to Indo-Pak border fence in Attari…yesterday.

Alert Border Security Force (BSF) troopers apprehended  Imran Kabeer and Sani Jamiliu both from Kano  and later handed them over to Punjab Police.

The  suspects  aged around 24-25  told BSF officials they wanted to go to Pakistan and later to Iraq.

They carried no valid travel documents to enter Pakistan.

Both youths arrived in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, 30 km from Punjab , on Thursday from Delhi in a hired taxi. They argued with the taxi driver on Thursday night, hoodwinked him and drove away his Swift Dzire car. They arrived at the integrated checkpoint at Attari  yesterday  morning.

“On finding the border gates closed, the youths moved towards a barbed wire fence along the Attari-Wagah rail track (on which the Samjhauta Express peace train between both countries plies) and jumped over the high barbed wire fence, thinking they had entered Pakistan. BSF personnel immediately nabbed them,” a BSF official said.

BSF Amritsar sector deputy inspector general M.F. Farooqui confirmed the arrest.

The entire 553-km international border between India and Pakistan in Punjab is on high alert following the July 27 terror attack on Dinanagar town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district by Pakistani terrorists. Security is also tight in view of the coming Independence Day on August 15.

Since the youths claimed their final destination was Iraq, security officials  said they could be headed to join the Islamic State terror outfit.

Both youths came to India on student visas about a year ago. While Imran is doing BBA from the Mysuru-based Karnataka State Open University, Sani is a BSc third semester student of the Kerala-based Mahatama Gandhi University. Both were residing in Delhi.

Nigerian-born Umar Farouk Abdulmutalab was arrested on Christmas Day,2009 aboard North West  Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam  to Detroit,Michigan following his attempt to blow up the plane.

He was found to be carrying plastic explosives in his underwear.

He was subsequently tried  and convicted by a US Federal Court on an eight count charge including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

Farouk was sentenced on February 16,2012 to four life terms plus 50 years without parole.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula claimed,as the  trial got underway, that it trained the convict and supplied him with the explosives.

Two Nigerians arrested in India on their way to joining ISIS

Two brothers arrested over rape of student in India

Indian police have arrested two brothers accused of repeatedly raping a 22-year-old Japanese tourist over three weeks near Bodh Gaya, Buddhism’s holiest site, an official said Saturday.

The tourist had been held hostage at gunpoint in a secluded underground room close to a pilgrimage site, according to a preliminary investigation.

“When her health condition deteriorated due to repeated rape and poor living conditions, she was brought to Gaya (district headquarters) for medical treatment on December 20,” a police officer who is part of the investigation told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But she managed to escape and reached Varanasi where she met some Japanese tourists who helped her contact the Japanese consulate in the nearby city of Kolkata, the officer added.

Sajid Khan, 32, and his 25-year-old brother Jawed Khan, both tourist guides, were arrested in the case on Friday, police deputy superintendent Alok Kumar Singh said.

“We have arrested the duo for confining and raping the Japanese student,” Singh told AFP by telephone from Bodh Gaya.

The Bodh Gaya complex, 110 kilometres (68 miles) south of Bihar state capital Patna, is home to one of the earliest Buddhist temples still standing in India and attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Japanese woman, a university student, had come to Gaya from Kolkata where she had checked into a hotel in November.

India has faced intense scrutiny over its efforts to curb violence against women following the fatal gang rape of a medical student in New Delhi in 2012 which sparked global outcry.

Since then, several attacks on foreign women have also been reported, leading to a dip in tourist numbers to the country.

Last January, a 51-year-old Danish tourist was robbed and gang raped at knife-point in Delhi.

In 2013, a Swiss cyclist holidaying in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was robbed and gang raped by five men, all of whom were later sentenced to life terms.

 

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Two brothers arrested over rape of student in India

Hindu Radicals attack church service in India, 2 seriously injured

Eight Christians were wounded in attack by 25 Hindu radicals in Karnataka

Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned of a violent attack on a church service in Bangarapet, Karnataka in Southern India. The attack came during the worship service on Sunday morning, November 23. The church was vandalized, and eight of the worshippers were injured in the attack; at least two were held in the hospital for serious injuries.

Aftermath of the attack on the Calvary Apostolic Church (photo credit: persecution.in)

The incident occurred when a mob of 25 Hindu radicals broke into the Calvary Apostolic Church while the church service was going on. The mob was led by Mr. Rajendran, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Mr. Karuanakaran, along with some women activists. First they destroyed the furniture in the Church and then started beating up believers who were gathered in the church for worship, Pastor Robert Solomon D’Souza told ICC.

“The whole scene of a mob assaulting my believers was shocking and very frightening,” Pastor Robert, who has served as a pastor at Calvary Apostolic Church for the last 12 years, told ICC. “The children and women were crying aloud as they were beaten up by the mob,” he recalled.

The women activists of the Hindu radical group attacked not only the women and children in the church, but they also attacked the pastor, hitting him with their fists and hands.

Pastor Robert said he was threatened by Mr. Rajendran and told to vacate the church. He told me, “We do not want a church in this place. You better leave this place or face the consequences.”

The attackers also used wooden sticks and iron rods, severely injuring several of the worshipers.

Mr. Kribakaran, a 35-year-old man, was one of those wounded in the attack. He was hit in the head with an iron rod. Kribakaran had a deep cut on his head and collapsed from the wounds. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and spent two days in the hospital, as the injury was very severe. Two others were reported to have been admitted to the hospital with broken limbs.

There is a local police station nearby but they failed to intervene and stop the attack, according to Asia News. Pastor Robert was taken to the station for questioning following the incident. The police, however, did not file a First Information Report (FIR) documenting the incident, which would then lead to further investigation.

ICC has been closely following the spike in attacks by Hindu radicals since the election of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2014. ICC has produced a Two-Part Special Report on the violence, specifically focusing on Uttar Pradesh state where 600 incidents of communal violence were reported in just the first 100 days of BJP rule.

ICC Regional Manager Todd Daniels said, “This represents another instance of a growing hostility along religious lines across India. It is extremely troubling to see a vicious attack on a place of worship and worshipers. Equally as troubling is the lack of response both by local and national officials to these kinds of attacks. Rather than taking steps to prevent these attacks, their inactivity perpetuates a culture of impunity that will lead to even more violence. We urge the Indian government, along with political and religious leaders, to address these issues of religious based violence so that all Indians – regardless of their faith – are free to worship without out fear of violence.”

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Hindu Radicals attack church service in India, 2 seriously injured

Top India politician Jayalalitha jailed for corruption

One of India’s most colourful and controversial politicians, Jayaram Jayalalitha, has been jailed on corruption charges in a high-profile case which has lasted for 18 years.

The chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu was found guilty of amassing wealth of more than $10m (£6.1m) which was unaccounted for.

She has to pay a multi-million dollar fine and resign as chief minister.

A former actress, her life has been marked by a series of high and lows.

The verdict was delivered by a special court in Bangalore amid tight security.

The prosecution argued that Jayalalitha and three others committed an offence against society, the Indian Express reported.

It said that supporters of AIADMK party were forcibly dispersed by police as they tried to make their way to the court.

The BBC’s Jill McGivering says that Jayalalitha is a legendary figure – a flamboyant former film star who has been central to south Indian politics for three decades.

The corruption case focused on her personal wealth and was brought by a rival political party,

Jayalalitha has always argued that it was politically motivated.

Known by her followers as Amma or Mother, she inspires intense loyalty, even adoration.

But she has been associated with a lavish lifestyle.

Her foster son’s wedding almost 20 years ago broke world records for its sheer scale – including 150,000 guests.

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Top India politician Jayalalitha jailed for corruption

Three rapists sentenced to death

New Delhi – Three men convicted of two gang rapes in Mumbai were sentenced to death on Friday, the first under a new law that allows capital punishment for repeat offenders.

The Mumbai court had found Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari guilty under section 376 E of the penal code, which was introduced after the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi in December 2012.

The three Mumbai men were all previously given life in prison for two separate gang rapes, of a photojournalist and a telephone operator, in a deserted mill in 2013.

“For the first time in India, a court has given a stringent punishment for repeat rapists. It announced that the three will hang till death,” Special Public Prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam told reporters outside court.

The lawyers for the defendants were likely to appeal, a source said.

The Mumbai attacks sparked renewed public anger over women’s safety in India, after the 2012 New Delhi attack led to weeks of protests.

The government promised swifter prosecutions after the New Delhi gang rape, and laws against sexual violence were made stricter.

 

Three rapists sentenced to death