Another suicide attack was on Saturday foiled by men of the civilian JTF and Troops on 7 Division Nigeria Army at Ummarati Village near on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Soldiers dragging the suspect away
Ummarari community has been recently hit by suicide attack with the last one on a mosque more claiming more than ten worshipers were killed.
In a statement signed by the army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the suicide bomber blew himself off while he was being prevented by some vigilant troops from wrecking havoc on the community.
The statement read; “Troops of 7 Division Garrison Forward Operation Base (FOB), today averted yet another suicide bombing catastrophe on Ummarari community by suspected Boko Haram terrorist at about 7.00am this morning.
“The suicide bomber was intercepted by the vigilant troops and the Civilian JTF while making attempt to enter the village to detonate his dangerous cargo on innocent persons in the Ummarari.
“The suicide bomber detonated the strapped Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest on his body, thus killing himself instantly when he was forced to halt based on suspicion that he was carrying suicide bombing material.
“Thankfully, there was no any other casualty other than the suspected suicide bomber. Troops along with the Civilian JTF at the village are now combing the surrounding area to forestall further attacks and clear the environment of likely remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating.”
The troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested four top Boko Haram commanders of the Ameer Class.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, who described the arrest of the top kingpins of the Boko Haram as “unprecedented” in a statement on Friday said that they were undergoing interrogation.
He said that the troops of the 22 Task Force Brigade arrested the insurgent leaders at Rann, the headquarters of the Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State on Friday.
The Acting Army Spokesman said that the four Boko Haram commanders were arrested following a tip-off by members of the public.
He said that the arrested kingpins specialised in sustaining the activities of the Boko Haram through all manner of criminal acts.
He gave the identities of the arrested kingpins as Umara Mai Gyaran Rediyo (Radio Technician), Umaru Mai Nama, (who specialises in cattle rustling and sales), Alifa Makinta (a specialist on stealing foodstuffs) and Balu Jugudum (in charge of stolen jewellery).
He said, “Troops of 3 Battalion, of 22 Task Force Brigade have made an unprecedented catch with the arrest of four Boko Haram terrorists Ameers (kingpins) at Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area today, Friday, 22nd April 2016. The arrested kingpins specialised on various aspects of criminality to sustain the Boko Haram terrorist group in their areas.
“The four terrorists were arrested following a tip off by well meaning members of the public.”
“Subsequently, the troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the general area that led to the apprehension of the terrorist leaders, who contribute to the sustenance of the insurgency through their illegal trade specialisation.”
The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu and his convoy were about 8.30am, Tuesday, ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists during the general’s visit troops in Bama local government area of Borno state.
Boko Haram Kingpin
Bama is south east and about 75 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman in a statement issued on the platform of Operation Lafiya Dole said, 1 soldier loss his live and 2 others were injured during the ambush.
“Although 1 soldier loss his live and 2 others were injured, they were able to clear the ambush, killing some of the terrorists and recovered vehicle and weapons from them. The recovered items include a Toyota Hilux vehicle, 2 AK-47 rifles and several ammunitions.
“The Acting GOC has continued his operational visit to Bama, while the body of the late soldier and the wounded have been evacuated to Maiduguri. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has also spoken with the GOC.
“The Nigerian Army wish to reiterate its unalloyed commitment and determination to continue to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding”. Kukasheka stated.
The troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered large cache of arms and ammunition from the Boko Haram insurgents in Gursum, Borno State.
Boko Haram bomb factory
The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, said this in the text of a press briefing on the recovered arms and ammunition, forwarded to our correspondent that the troops recovered the items following a tip off.
He said that the troops and some members of the civilian JTF were mobilised for a clearance operation at Borgozo-Alargana following the intelligence, where the items were recovered.
According to him, the items recovered included 36 boxes of .51mm calibre, 5 x 20 Lyra beefcake mixture of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, large quantity of 7.62mm (Special), ammunition and one 81mm mortar tube.
He added that the troops also recovered one Toyota Hilux, a generator and several motorcycles.
Irabor said that the patrol team also cleared some remnants of the Boko Haram who were dislodged from Alagarno and were in three camps at Kadari, Abu Fayima and Gursum.
He appealed to Nigerians especially in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to continue to provide useful information to the security agencies to enable them to complete the clearance of the insurgents from all their hideouts in the area.
“Following a tip off troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and some Civilian JTF today (Sunday) went on a clearance patrol to Borgozo-Alargano general area in which they discovered large cache of arms and ammunition concealed by Boko Haram terrorists.
“The patrol team also cleared remnants of Boko Haram terrorists that were dislodged from Alagarno forest hibernating at Kadari, Camp Abu Fatima and Gursum.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to appeal to all Nigerians and in particular, the good people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to continue to provide useful information to troops in order to facilitate complete routing of the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents hiding in their localities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the BringBackOurGirls advocacy group, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, says the initial inaction of the government to confront and take genuine actions against the Boko Haram militant group escalated the attacks so far perpetrated by the sect.
She said if the government had swung into action when 29 school boys of the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, were slaughtered and burnt by the militants, the activities of the sect might have been curtailed. She noted that only a nation that sees no value in its citizens could afford to ignore them.
Addressing worshippers at the Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, on Sunday on the commemoration of the second year anniversary since over 297 school girls were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, Ezekwesili regretted that it was about the same time the “abominable act” in Yobe was perpetrated by the sect that the Federal Government still went ahead with the centenary celebration.
“Even some of my colleagues in the global community that came for the centenary celebration apologised, saying they couldn’t understand why the centenary celebration went on despite the attack, but that by virtue of their offices, they had to attend the event,” she added.
She said such an act by the government could have given the militants the leeway to carry out more attacks.
She added, “Since they (Boko Haram) got away with their action the first time and nothing was done about it, they increased the number of their targets the second time. No wonder, less than two months after, on April 14, 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped in Chibok, out of which 57 managed to escape and 219 are still being held captive.
“When people behave badly and there is no consequence, you have given them a licence for worst behaviour. If the Chibok girls were the children of the elites, a distress call about their abduction would have received a speedy response.”
Ezekwesili, who is a former Minister of Education and Vice President of the World Bank, vowed that nothing would make her to stop talking about the girls until justice was done to them, adding that it was unfortunate that the importance placed on crude oil and pipelines by the system had taken the place of the citizens of the country.
“The Chibok girls are the symbol to bring all of us back to what really matters in life, which is the human life, and not any material acquisition or any other thing,” she added.
The Senior Pastor, DCC, Sam Adeyemi, prayed for the release of the girls, assuring that the church would not stop praying for their release.
The DSS on Saturday explained how it arrested Mohammed Usman believed to be second in ranking to Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Abubakar Shekau
Usman, who was arrested on the suspicion of taking part in several terrorism crimes in the country, is also known as Khalid al-Barnawi, Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda and Alhaji Tanimu.
He was said to have been arrested by the DSS on April 1 in Lokoja, Kogi State, while allegedly hiding under a false cover.
Al-Barnawi was said to be a founding member of the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad (Boko Haram) and later the Amir of the break-away faction, Jama’at Ansarul Muslimim Fi Biladi Sudan (JAMBS).
Opuiyo described the suspect as a trained terrorist, who, he said, had coordinated many terrorist activities in the country.
He said, “Khalid Al-Barnawi is a trained terrorist commander, who has been coordinating terrorist activities in Nigeria, while talent-spotting and recruiting vulnerable young and able Nigerians for terrorist training by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in North African States and the Middle-East.
“The suspect was involved in many terrorist attacks in states of the federation, including Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Sokoto and Abuja. This resulted in the killing and maiming of innocent citizens of this country.
‘Albarnawi is also responsible for the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja on 26th August, 2011; the kidnapping of two European civil engineers in Kebbi State in May, 2011, and their subsequent murder in Sokoto State; the kidnap of a German engineer, Edgar Raupach, in January 2012; the kidnap and murder of seven expatriate staff of Setraco Construction Company at Jama’are in Bauchi State in February 2013; and the attack on Nigerian troops at Okene in Kogi State while on transit to Abuja for an official assignment.”
Opuiyo said the suspect would soon be charged to court to face his charges after investigations were completed.
ABUJA — The Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, said yesterday that convicted members of the Boko Haram sect in the country could not be executed because the laws under which they were tried did not prescribe death sentence.
Alleged fake Boko Haram members
He disclosed this at the launch of amnesty’s report on Global Death Sentences and Executions 2015, in Abuja, yesterday. The attorney-general, who was represented by Sylvester
The attorney-general, who was represented by Sylvester Imahanobe, also promised to work with Amnesty International to stop execution of convicted criminals in the country, if the international human rights body proposed a bill to that effect.
He said: “Terrorists in Nigeria are tried under the Terrorism Prevention Act which does not carry death penalty. That is why even those Boko Haram members, who have been convicted cannot be executed because the maximum sentence prescribed by the law is life sentence.” The AGF said he would be pleased to support any bill that came from Amnesty International on the abolition of death sentence in the country, pointing out that “studies have shown that death penalty has not stopped people from committing crimes.”
The AGF said he would be pleased to support any bill that came from Amnesty International on the abolition of death sentence in the country, pointing out that “studies have shown that death penalty has not stopped people from committing crimes.”
Malami revealed that the country was working towards ensuring that the prison system was corrective and not punitive, as it is currently. Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Mohammed Ibrahim, said there was a “dramatic global rise in the number of executions recorded in 2015 which saw more people put to death than at any point in the last quarter-century.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Mohammed Ibrahim, said there was a “dramatic global rise in the number of executions recorded in 2015 which saw more people put to death than at any point in the last quarter-century.”
He said the surge was largely fuelled by Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which brought the number of people executed worldwide to 1,634 people, a rise of more than 50 per cent on the year before and the highest number Amnesty International had recorded since 1989.
The Defence authorities have said that not less than 800 members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect had surrendered to the military in the last three weeks.
80 Boko Haram members surrendered to Nigerian army in Borno
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed to our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday that 800 of the insurgents surrendered to the troops of the Nigerian Army in the last three weeks.
He said, “I can confirm that about 800 of the Boko Haram members have surrendered to the military.”
Abubakar spoke barely 24 hours after the Defence Headquarters announced the establishment of a rehabilitation camp for repentant Boko Haram members.
Abubakar had said in a statement on Tuesday that the rehabilitation camp was being established under Operation Safe Corridor which was created as a platform to rehabilitate and integrate repentant members of the sect to the society.
He had said that the insurgents would be made to go through vocational training under the programme and empowered for reintegration into the society.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said on Wednesday that it had rescued 11,595 captives of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East in the last one month.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Wednesday that some of the hostages were rescued from the communities erstwhile under Boko Haram control in the North-East while others were received from Cameroon.
He stated that out of the figure, the troops of the 155 Task Force Battalion received 10,000 refugees from the Cameroonian authorities at Banki and the Bama area on March 1,2916.
Usman said that the Army Headquarters Special Forces Battalion rescued 779 captives at Fotokol general area between Nigeria and Cameroon in addition to 63 others freed from Boko Haram at Maleri, Borno State.
He added that the troops of the 254 Task Force Battalion also rescued 45 persons at Kuaguru, while 143 Battalion similarly rescued 27 persons at Gadayamo,15 at Galadadani Dam in Madagali and 10 persons from Disa village in the first week March, 2016.
The Acting Army spokesman added that troops of the 22 Brigade and their counterparts from the Army Headquarters Strike Group freed 309 hostages from the Boko Haram at the Kala Balge general area on March 23, 2016.
According to him, similar efforts yielded results with the rescue of 48 men, 85 women, 137 children at Zahdra and Weige villages by troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade on March 30,2016.
The security operatives on Friday made a major breakthrough in the intensified campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency by arresting the leader of the Ansaru Islamic Sect, Khalid Albarnawi.
Abubakar Shekau
The Acting Director Defence information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the arrest of the top wanted terror suspect to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday.
Abubakar said that Albanarwi was second in command to Abubakar Shekau in the hierarchy of the dreaded Boko Haram Sect.
He attributed the arrest of Albarnawi to effective collaborative efforts among the various security agencies in the country.
The Acting Defence Spokesman said that with the arrest of the top leader of Ansaru, regarded as Shekau’s second in command, the days of the Boko Haram Sect were numbered.
According to him, the arrested terror suspect was cooperating with security operatives in the area of volunteering information.
However, Abubakar was not specific about which of the security agencies were in custody of the top terror suspect.
He called on Nigerians to cooperate with the security agencies in the ongoing onslaught on the Boko Haram by volunteering necessary information and intelligence to them.
He said, “I can confirm that he (Albarnawi) is in custody. It is a product of the existing synergy among the security agencies which led to this breakthrough in the war on terror.
“Nigerians should assist the security agencies with relevant information and intelligence, I can say that the days of Boko Haram are numbered.
“We have just confirmed that he has been nabbed and he is with the relevant agencies and as time goes, people would know how this kind of person was nabbed and it is due to the synergy existing among the security agencies.
“He has been arrested and he is with the relevant agencies and he is cooperating with giving information.
“He is the second-in-command as far as the Boko Haram hierarchy is concerned. So their days are numbered by the grace of God.”
An online portal, the Cable, had quoted Ahmad Salkida, a journalist, known for his access to some of the leaders of the Boko Haram has having said that Albarnawi was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services in Lokoja and moved to Abuja on Friday.
The Ansaru leader, Albarnawi, who reportedly trained in the North African country of Algeria is believed to be highly influential in the nation’s terror network.
Ansaru which was formed as a splinter group of the Boko Haram in January 26, 2012 and it claimed responsibility for the November 2012 attack on the Special Anti Robbery Squad Headquarters, Abuja.
Several top commanders of the Boko Haram were released in the attack which was praised in a YouTube video by Shakau’s in a message to the ‘Soldiers of God in the Islamic State of Mali.’
Also, in the early hours of January 19, 2013, Ansaru attacked a convoy of Mali-bound Nigerian soldiers numbering 180 from the Second Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Oyo state, killing three soldiers among others.
On June 21, 2013, the United States Department of State had declared the leader of the Boko Haram Sect, Abubakar Shekau, and two of his lieutenants Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi as ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorists’ under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224.
The State Department had said then that ‘Shekau is the most visible leader of Boko Haram based in northern Nigeria, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar, have ties to Boko Haram abs have close links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.’
The troops of the Nigerian Army have killed nine members of the Boko Haram sect during a clearance operation at Wulwuta near Jere in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Boko Haram Kingpin
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion who carried out the operation also destroyed an Improvised Explosive Devices factory in the area.
Usman said that the troops recovered ‘one laptop, a solar panel, a pair of Nigerian military desert and woodland camouflage uniform each, as well as bandolier vest and six ready IEDs pressure plates.’
Also said to have been recovered from the insurgents were a loaded pistol with registration number D557954, three rounds of 7.65mm, 13 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunitions and combat boots, among others.’
According to Usman, the troops also freed 21 captives of the deadly sect now said to be undergoing screening at the headquarter of the 155 Brigade for medical attention and possible hand over to the relevant agencies.
Usman stated that the rescued comprised eight men, four women, and nine children.
He added the troops also defused two artillery shells that were loaded with IEDs by the insurgents.
He stated however that a soldier was injured in action during the operation.
A new video was released on Friday by the Boko Haram jihadist group, denying any suggestion that it might negotiate with the Federal Government.
Abubakar Shekau
This is coming just about a week after its leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in March that his time as the head of the group might be coming to an end.
The previous video showed Shekau, who appeared thin and spiritless, delivering his message without his usual fiery manner.
This had prompted speculation from the Army that the Islamist group was on the verge of collapse in the face of a sustained military counter-insurgency.
However, in a Friday video posted on YouTube, which showed men holding AK-47s and posing in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military cannon, Boko Haram maintained that it was still a potent fighting force and would not surrender.
According to an AFP report, a masked man in camouflage said in a prepared script in Hausa that, “You should know that there is no truce, there are no negotiations, there is no surrender. This war between us will not stop.”
The video, of markedly better quality than Shekau’s and including Arabic subtitles, featured nine masked Boko Haram fighters standing on sandy ground in an undisclosed desert location.
It is, however, unclear whether Shekau was among the masked people in the video.
“Shekau is still the head of the ‘West African wing’,” said the masked man, who likened the sect to the Islamist insurgents in Iraq, Libya and Syria.
Boko Haram, which has killed over 20,000 people and displaced more than two million people from their homes, had pledged allegiance to ISIS in March 2015.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has won back a number of territories from the militants, rescuing thousands of people who had been living under the sect’s control.
Commenting on the new video, an Africa security specialist, Ryan Cummings, said, “The (new) video appears to confirm collaboration between Boko Haram and the Islamic State group. The production quality bears the hallmarks of the Islamic State’s media wing.”
A suspected female suicide bomber who was intercepted in northern Cameroon on Friday before she could blow herself up claimed to be one of the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, North-East Nigeria in April 2014, military and local government sources said.
Chibok girls
According to a Reuters report on Friday, two girls carrying explosives were stopped by local self-defence forces in the village of Limani in northern Cameroon.
They were then handed over to Cameroonian soldiers belonging to a multi-national force set up to take on Boko Haram.
Boko Haram militants raided Chibok, Borno State in April 2014, abducting about 300 schoolgirls, who have since been in their captivity.
Despite several promises by former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari, the girls have yet to be found.
“One of them indeed declared that she is one of the Chibok hostages. She is around 15. We are now verifying, because on the Nigerian side they have the names and photos of these girls,” a local government administrator, Raymond Roksdo, told Reuters.
Two military sources, who asked not to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the press, also confirmed that the girl had claimed to have been one of the Chibok abductees.
“We need a few days to be able to confirm this information. We have to debrief all the men who were present and interrogate the two girls before we can say anything,” one of the military sources said.
Meanwhile, the troops of the Nigerian Army have killed two female suicide bombers who were allegedly planning attacks in Borno State.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said that soldiers of the 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri, on Friday intercepted the two female suicide bombers around 1.20 am south of Umurari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Usman said that while one of the female suicide bombers detonated the explosives strapped to her body and killed herself on sighting the soldiers, the other was taken out by one of the snipers of the garrison.
He said that the combined team of the army and the Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal detonated the explosive device that was strapped to the body of the late female suicide bomber.
He said the troops and the members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were combing the area to prevent a further breach of peace there.
He said, “The ever alert and vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison based in Maiduguri, in conjunction with Civilian JTF, averted yet another suicide attack on the innocent citizens of Borno State today.
“The troops intercepted two female suicide bombers at about 1.20am this morning, almost 100 metres south of Umurari village, outskirts of Maiduguri.
“However, one of the suicide bombers, on sighting our troops, detonated her explosive device, killing herself instantly, while the second bomber, in an attempt to escape, was gunned down by one of the garrison snipers.
“The combined team of the Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team safely detonated the unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices strapped on the gunned down suicide bomber.
“It is important to state that there was no casualty beyond the two suicide bombers. Presently, the troops and the Civilian JTF deployed in the village are now combing the general area to forestall further breach of security.”
The Public Relations Officer, 28 Task Force Brigade, Mubi, Adamawa State, Capt A.O. Fadare, says some of the women abducted by insurgents in Madagali have been rescued.
Fadare told the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview that soldiers rescued the women while pursuing the insurgents.
Fadare, who did not give the number of the rescued women, however, said he was still trying to verify.
“I am still trying to verify from Madagali as you know, the operation is still on,” Fadare said.
About 16 women who had gone to fetch firewood in the forest around Sabongari village of Madagali on Wednesday, were kidnapped by insurgents.
Elements of 22 Brigade Garrison carried out clearing operation at Dalore camp on Sunday in which they killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists among whom was Ameer of Dalore.
Boko Haram Kingpin
The troops also captured 2 AK-47 Rifles, 1 Small Machine Gun and 1 Hand Grenade and recovered 4 pickup vehicles.
The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists. The freed hostages are undergoing screening at Internally Displaced Persons in Dikwa.
During the operation the troops Mine Resistant Anti-Personnel (MRAP) vehicle ran into an Improvised Explosive Device and had a damaged tyre.
We are on your side to tackle Boko Haram – German Deputy Defence Minister
The German Deputy Defence Minister, Dr Ralf Brauksiepe has said that Germany is on the side of Nigeria to curtail Boko Haram insurgents. He pledged his country’s total commitment to the Nigerian Armed Forces in their quest to defeat the violent terrorist group in country. Dr Brauksiepe disclosed this when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja to further boost the German – Nigeria’s military bilateral relations.
While congratulating the CDS for the tremendous success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North East of Nigeria, Dr Brauksiepe also observed that the Nigerian Armed Forces has displayed exceptional competence and professionalism in the fight against insurgents and criminal elements in line with global best practices.
The Deputy Defence Minister further expressed his country’s determination to explore avenues of common economic and security interest that may benefit both countries especially in the area of curbing sea piracy within the gulf of Guinea.
In his welcome address, General Olonisakin noted that the Nigerian military has over the years benefited a lot from the German Government through various military aids and therefore solicited for more support from the German Government in the area of provision of logistic support, intelligence gathering and technical assistance for the Multi-national Joint Task Force established to checkmate terrorists network in the West African sub-region. He said Nigerian military would no doubt continue to partner with German military on defence related matters to enhance the bilateral cooperation which has been in existence for over 5 decades.
The German Deputy Defence Minister was accompanied by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, the Defence Attachee and some senior military officials from Berlin, while the CDS received the German delegation in company of his Principal Staff Officers
Two explosions have struck the departures area of Zaventem airport in Brussels
The Belgian government has confirmed there are casualties but has given no numbers yet.
The cause of the explosions is unknown. The airport is being evacuated and has been closed to flights.
The blasts come four days after the capture in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the jihadist attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015.
Emergency services are clearing the airport completely. Belgium’s Het Laatste Nieuws reports that more bombs have been found.
The Belga news agency reports that shots were fired and shouts in Arabic were heard before the two explosions.
Images on social media showed smoke rising from one of the buildings, amid reports of panic as people fled the airport.
Rail transport to the facility has been halted and people have been told not to come to the airport.
Other reports say at least one of the explosions was close to the American Airlines check-in area but this has not been confirmed.
The Belgian broadcaster RTBF quoted a witness as saying there were people injured or unconscious in the departure area, opposite the Sheraton hotel.
Niels Caignau, a Swissport employee, told Flemish broadcaster VRT: “I was on a break and heard and felt a big explosion – we have from here a view over the departure hall and saw a plume of smoke come out.
“The windows are completely shattered. People went outside in shock. It doesn’t look good.”
The Zaventem airport is 11km (7 miles) north-east of Brussels and dealt with more than 23 million passengers last year.
Seven Boko Haram terrorists have been killed in an ambush at Dawashi by troops of 7 Brigade in Maiduguri.
A statement yesterday by Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, said some items recovered from the terrorists include petrol, IEDs, 1 AK-47 and a Peugeot Station Wagon.
The statement said: “Troops of 7 Brigade have ambushed and killed seven Boko Haram terrorists at Dawashi early this morning. The gallant troops that laid in wait at the terrorists suspected crossing point engaged them on sight, killed the seven terrorists and recovered One Peugeot Station Wagon loaded with 2,010 litres of Premium Motor Spirit packed in 67 Jerri cans, uniforms, some materials and Improvised Explosive making Devices (IEDs).
Troops of 25 Task Force Brigade ambushed and killed a Boko Haram terrorist suicide bomber at Kumala and Musafanari villages general area last night effectively saving lives and properties of innocent citizens.
The troops who on receipt of information, laid an ambush for the terrorist at suspected Boko Haram terrorists crossing point, engaged the terrorist who was obviously on suicide mission, from Sambisa general area.
The bomber paid the price of his wicked activities as he was dealt with decisively.
The troops recovered a motorcycle, 12 primed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and a hand bag containing personal effects which included a hijab obviously meant for disguise and concealment of explosives for the intended nefarious act.
The morale of troops remains high as they continue to mop up all surviving terrorists.
On February 6, 2016, 24-year-old Hauwanat Yusuf and her close friend, 19-year-old Nasrat Oyeyemi, packed a small bag with few things and left their school hostel in the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, with the words that they were going away for the weekend.
Missing ABU students
Hauwanat, a 200 Level medical student, and Nasrat, a 200 Level nursing student, have since vanished without any clue yet as to where they may be.
But there are now fears that the students might have been lured and abducted by ISIL jihadists.
Part of the information gathered from the ladies’ classmates was that Nasrat usually chatted with a young man named Nasif, a former student of the school who they said suddenly abandoned his studies in his first year and went to Libya for unknown reasons.’
The missing students’ parents learnt that there was another student identified as Saka, who has a connection with Nasif and might be able to determine whether there was a connection to the disappearance of the girls.
Saturday PUNCH was told that security agents later arrested Saka while his phones and laptop were seized. It was later learnt that he had hurriedly deleted some information on the devices which further raised suspicion about his links to the students’ disappearance.
The families of the students fear that the girls might have been abducted for indoctrination by Islamists. Security agents have also raised the possibility of their abduction by Islamists with links to ISIL in Libya.
There has been no information to support this claim so far.
The students’ disappearance has since thrown their families in turmoil as the parents of both ladies wait patiently by their phones for any news from security agencies handling the case. But that has never come.
Every minute that passes by without words from the girls has kept the families apprehensive.
Our correspondent spoke with the fathers of both girls, who expressed frustration about the way the case is being handled by the authorities.
Hauwanat’s father, 64-year-old Ibrahim Yusuf, a native of Ede, Osun State, who live in Lagos, explained that his daughter searched for admission for seven years until she eventually got admission to ABU, Zaria to study medicine.
“She insisted she wanted to study medicine even though she could have studied another course. She was looking for admission for seven years and insisting that it had to be Medicine,” he said.
Hauwanat was said to have attended the Ahmadu Bello University School of Basic and Remedial Studies in Funtua, Katsina State, to improve her chances before she finally got admission to study Medicine.
“It was while she was in Funtua that she met Nasrat and they became friends. They also got admission at the same time but int1o different departments,” Ibrahim said.
Day of disappearance
Saturday PUNCH learnt that on Monday, February 8, when Hauwanat’s classmates did not see her in class, they quickly called one of her aunties based in Zaria, whom she usually visited to spend the weekend. They informed her that she had not been seen in school being the assistant class representative.
In panic, the woman called Hauwanat’s father to inform him about the situation and the following day, Ibrahim boarded the first vehicle to Zaria to find out what had happened to his daughter.
He said, “When we got there, we realised that Nasrat’s parents had already arrived ahead of us and had even reported the case at the Samaru Police Division in Zaria.
“We decided to approach other students for information about when the girls were last seen. Hauwanat’s class representative told us about how she and Nasrat were seen with small bags as if going away for the weekend and did not tell anybody where they were going. Her classmates said when they did not see her in class, they tried to call her but her numbers were switched off.
“My daughter’s roommate said sometimes, Nasrat would leave her hostel and come to Hauwanat’s hostel to play with her because they were very close.
“The last time I heard from my daughter was on February 5, when she called and I discussed the issue of her brother’s result with her. There was no indication she was going anywhere the following day.
“Hauwanat had asked one of his elder brothers to give him some money. He said that he did not have money yet. On Sunday evening, he said he spoke with her on the phone, and told her to be patient and that he would send the money the following Monday. But when he called on Monday to inform her that he had sent the money, he noticed that her number was switched off and had never been through since then.”
“Hauwanat has two phones, both of them have been switched off. Nasrat has three, none of them has been going through too.”
Saturday PUNCH learnt that an uncle of Nasrat, who is based in Zaria, in whose home the teenager sometimes spent the weekend, got a Whatsapp message from her on Tuesday, which said, “Tell my parents not to panic, I am safe. They should pray for me. I will soon be back.”
The number has not gone through since then.
When the family of the ladies reported the case to the police, they said the police advised them to report to the Department of State Services instead, advising that DSS investigation might be faster than theirs.
Hauwanat’s father said, “The issue of tracking the ladies’ phones with MTN came up. MTN had already asked for a letter from the divisional police officer of Samaru to effect the tracking but the police said it was better we leave the MTN issue because it might take long. They told us to go to the DSS office instead.
“Why I am afraid is that, nothing has been heard from my daughter for more than a month now. It is taking too long. The security agencies are not telling us anything.”
Nasrat’s father, Mr. Amisu Oyeyemi, voiced the same concern.
He said, “We have been contacting the university, they are not giving us any reply as to what is happening on our daughters’ issue.”
Asked about the young man in Libya, Mr. Oyeyemi said, “I really don’t know much about the young man living in Libya whom they said my daughter was always chatting with.”
He told Saturday PUNCH that both the DSS and the police have blanked them out in terms of information on the investigation into the disappearance of their daughters.
“We have asked the DSS too about how far they have gone. They said they operate in secrecy and said we should go and rest because there is no cause for alarm,” Mr. Oyeyemi said.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that pictures of the missing students have been pasted in different parts of ABU campus, while the institution’s administration said they are doing all they can to ensure the girls are found.
The Chief Security Officer of ABU, who identified himself simply as Mr. Barnabas, told our correspondent on the phone that the university authorities are doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the students.
“We are not resting and neither are the other external security agencies. What would I tell them at this point if they say we have not been telling them anything? All we can pray for is their safe return. We have no doubt that they would be found,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Mr. Umar Shehu, did not pick calls to his telephone line seeking information on whether the police is taking any step on the case at all.
Also, the DSS in the state was not reachable as of the time of filing this report.
Director of the Esther Child Rights Foundations, Mrs. Esther Ogwu, who has decided to approach the National Human Rights Commission in Lagos over the girls’ case, called on the DSS and the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, to prevail on security agencies to intensify efforts on the missing students.
“She said, “We believe that Nigeria’s security agencies can do a wonderful job with the necessary pressure. These girls have been missing for too long. Hauwanat’s father came to us in frustration. Government should bring these families peace.”
A suicide bomber attack killed 22 persons and injured 11 others at mosque in Borno State this morning.
A member of the youth vigilance group told our correspondent that the suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Molai-Umarari village, behind the Molai Hospital, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the incident occurred at about 5am during the Muslim early morning prayers.
He said members of the youth vigilance group subsequently trooped to the area to offer assistance to the injured and get the dead to the mortuary.
“Presently I am at the scene of the attack, we have our men here with soldiers and emergency workers who are working to bring back normalcy and get both the dead and injured to the hospital,” he said.
Molai is about 10 kilometres from Maiduguri on the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu Road.
Troops of 26 and 28 Task Force Brigades, on Tuesday, repelled a daring attack by fleeing Boko Haram terrorists on military locations at Pulka and Bitta in the fringes of Sambisa forest, according to a statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations.
He also added that troops of 114 Task Force Battalion came under three-pronged attack by Boko Haram terrorists fanning out of Sambisa forest from Damboa, Tokumbere and Pulka axis.
“At the end of the debacle, 2 Boko Haram insurgents paid for their atrocities with their lives while several others sustained gun shot injuries.
The fate that befell those that attacked Pulka was more dreadful. The ever ready and vigilant troops rose to the occasion by repelling the attacks and killing all the 16 attackers and captured one of them alive during the exploitation. The gallant troops also recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, 3 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), 1 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) and 2 Toyota Hilux vehicles. Others are a 60mm Mortar tube, 7 boxes of 12.7mm ammunition and 1 belt of 12.7mm ammunition”.
“It is gratifying to state that there were no casualty on our own troops except for 3 soldiers that sustained minor injuries”.
“The troops remained on maximum alert and are equally busy consolidating and continuing with their clearance operations with high morale,” the statement reads.
The cause of the explosions is unknown. The airport is being evacuated and has been closed to flights.