Suspected Islamists attack northern Nigeria police station

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KANO, Nigeria — Suspected Islamist sect members on Sunday attacked a police station in northern Nigeria, leading to a gun battle with officers, authorities said, in the latest such incident in recent months.

An unknown number of suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, which launched an uprising last year, attacked the police station in the town of Bara in Yobe state early Sunday, said police commissioner Mamman Sule.

The gun battle lasted for about an hour, he said, adding he had no report of any casualties. A police officer speaking on condition of anonymity said one of the attackers was killed in the shootout.

“The attackers — suspected to be members of the outlawed Boko Haram — engaged the police in a shootout, and when they were overpowered, they fled,” said Sule.

“We have deployed mobile police units through the town and surrounding villages as well as surrounding (forest) searching for the attackers.”

The police officer who did not want to be named said the suspected sect members also threw a homemade gas cylinder bomb into the police station, but it did not explode. Sule did not confirm the explosive was used.

Attackers believed to be Boko Haram members used similar explosives in an attack on a prison in September and to torch a police station in another area of the north earlier this month.

Last year’s uprising was put down by a brutal military and police assault that left hundreds dead.

A series of recent attacks in the northern city of Maiduguri, the centre of last year’s uprising, have led to military deployments there. Attacks have included shootings of police officers and others by gunmen on motorcycles.

Nigeria’s 150 million population is roughly divided in half between Christians and Muslims. The country’s south is predominately Christian, while the north is mainly Muslim.

Boko Haram means “Western education is sin” in the local Hausa language, though the sect has been known by various names. It has advocated the creation of an Islamic state in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Nigeria: Bombing arrests lead to more questions

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LAGOS, Nigeria (Codewit) — When authorities arrested suspected arms dealer Henry Okah in 2006, militants in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta launched attacks that drastically cut crude production and sent world markets wobbling.

Now, with Okah facing terrorism charges in South Africa, a similar danger again lurks in the Niger Delta’s winding creeks, which remain as twisted as the labyrinth of loyalties running between militants and politicians in a region the size of South Carolina. A government amnesty deal brought many fighters out of the shadows, though many remain without jobs despite pledges of retraining.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the dominant militant group in the region, has promised more attacks through e-mailed communiques with foreign journalists. Whether the group long associated with Okah can bring the same coordinated destruction remains in question.

“The easiest way of conceptualizing (the group) is like it’s a big banner with ‘MEND’ written on it, but a number of different groups can operate under it at different times for different reasons,” said Peter Sharwood-Smith, Nigeria country manager for security firm Drum Cussac.

For now, who carries the banner appears to be in question after the group claimed responsibility for a dual car bombings that killed at least 12 people during Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations in Abuja on Oct. 1. One bomb detonated, with another exploding about five minutes later, targeting police, firefighters and curious onlookers gathered there.

A court document filed in South Africa shows Nigerian officials recovered two mobile phones at the blast site, apparently used as triggers in the dynamite-laden bombs. The discovery suggests the bombers had control of the explosives and wanted to inflict maximum causalities.

President Goodluck Jonathan, himself from the delta, first tried to blame the attack on “terrorists.” He later brought former commanders bought off by the amnesty to presidential villa as authorities in South Africa arrested Okah and accused him of masterminding the attack.

But it was a message from MEND’s e-mail account, signed by a spokesman with the nom de guerre of Jomo Gbomo, that first warned of the Abuja bombings and promised more violence in the aftermath. Similar messages have heralded attacks since 2006, when a wave of violence cut crude oil production by about quarter in the OPEC-member nation.

Security analysts believe messages from Gbomo, a caricature militant fond of quoting Ecclesiastes, likely came from several different people over the last four years. However, many believe Gbomo’s words came from those under the control of Okah, a Nigerian who wrote his philosophical thoughts in moleskin-like journals now being used against him in South Africa.

“We need heavier equipment and money. … Have to leave my family soon for God knows how long … my heart is here with them but my spirit is far away in the creeks of the Delta,” Okah wrote in one entry quoted by prosecutors. “I arranged 100 outfits, belts and coats to be delivered. We’ll go with these and God is on our side.”

At his long-running bail hearing in Johannesburg, Okah has denied conjuring Gbomo and writing under the pseudonym and even denied being a member of MEND. He remains cool under cross examination. At one point, Okah laughed out loud when a prosecutor read a claim by Nigerian authorities accusing him of having links to the Islamic militant group Hezbollah.

But while family members believe Okah works primarily in maritime shipping, authorities have accused him of running a massive arms network throughout Africa. He faced charges of gun running and treason in Nigeria after allegedly organizing a ring funneling millions of dollars worth of military weapons from the nation’s armed forces to fighters in the delta.

Authorities dropped the charges against him in July 2009, releasing him after three years of incarceration in Angola and Nigeria. The case disappeared as the Nigerian government grew increasingly desperate to halt attacks in the delta.

“There is absolutely nothing I can say now, I have to see people, speak with people, go into the real world before I can talk,” Okah told journalists after his release. “I am just one man; there are millions in the Niger Delta.”

Okah, who apparently suffers from a kidney ailment, resettled in Johannesburg. There, police say they discovered a document that compiled of all the Jomo Gbomo e-mails during an Oct. 2 raid on Okah’s home, as well as a letter entitled “A close look at Jomo Gbomo (JG)” and “A study of Jomo’s personality.”

Meanwhile, authorities in Nigeria arrested Okah’s brother Charles and others during a raid on his Lagos home on Oct. 17. Authorities held a court hearing Thursday for seven men including Charles Okah arrested over the bombings, but security forces forcefully blocked the men’s lawyers and reporters from entering.

“Ideally, I ought to have had the right to have access to him by now,” Angela Okah, Charles Okah’s wife, told The Associated Press on Friday. “This is the sixth day (since the arrest), but they haven’t granted access to him. This I think is totally wrong.”

And in the time since the arrests, the voice of Jomo Gbomo apparently has gone quiet.

“Out of security concerns, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, until further notice will no longer entertain any enquires (sic),” a statement released to journalists Tuesday read. “Henceforth, we will release to the media only warnings and statements of claim.”

The message ended with the following: “The arrest and detention of our respected brothers of the land and the assassination (sic) of their character has become a great concern that cannot be ignored. Jomo Gbomo.”

Jenny Gross reported from Johannesburg. Associated Press writer Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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United States: John Campell attempting to sow doubt in the minds of Gullible Nigeria citizens -Abuja Bomb

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Read Time:9 Minute, 9 Second

It is becoming clearer that United states through former US Ambassador, john Campbell has been trying to sow doubts and hence fuel the already heighten tension in Nigeria political arena. In this article, you will observe their ploy. All reasonable Nigerians should trivalise this move by the united states and focus on how to better our country at this critical point.

The United States of America has faulted the handling of the October 1, 2010 bomb blasts in Abuja by the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonatghan.

While also expressing worry over the 2011 elections, the United States of America said the President mishandled the detonation of the bombs on the day Nigeria celebrated its 50th independence anniversary.

The position of the United States of America was contained in a document released by its foreign policy think tank, the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) on October 18, 2010.

The CFR blamed Jonathan “of mishandling the aftermath of the October 1 bomb blast in Abuja.”

The CFR, like its previous position document published on August 16, 2010, also expressed concern that the 2011 elections could lead to tension across the country.

The October 18, 2010 newsletter, authored by John Campbell, a former US Ambassador to Nigeria, said, “The mishandling of the aftermath of the bombings threatens to exacerbate regional tensions.”

The document reads in full, “The car bombs detonated near Abuja’s Eagle Square on October 1 ruined a high-profile military ceremony celebrating Nigeria’s fifty years of independence and put President Goodluck Jonathan and other senior political figures at risk.

“Though the politicians were unhurt, there were sixteen deaths – including security operatives – and sixty-seven injured. President Jonathan’s mishandling of the aftermath of the bombings threatens to exacerbate regional tensions.

“It has also likely reduced Jonathan’s stature as a presidential candidate with the political elites in the run-up to the 2011 national elections either in January or April. Nevertheless, he continues to influence the security services and the electoral process, and it is premature to count him out.

“Jomo Gbomo, the Internet spokesperson for the inchoate Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was part of its campaign for the Delta to benefit more from the petroleum it produces. While violence associated with MEND has been ubiquitous in the Delta, the recent attack was the first such terrorist act in Abuja, located hundreds of miles away.

“Despite MEND’s claim, Jonathan put the terrorist attack in the context of presidential rivalries, especially with Ibrahim Babangida – a Northern Muslim, former military head of state and Jonathan’s primary presidential challenger. Jonathan denied that the bombing was linked to the Delta or MEND. Ex-Delta militants now on the government payroll joined the chorus that MEND could not have been responsible.

“Instead, the security services brought in Raymond Dokpesi, Babangida’s Chief of Staff, for questioning. At the request of the Nigerians, South African authorities also arrested former gunrunner and MEND affiliate Henry Okah, who now lives there.

“Police in Nigeria attempted to link Okah to Dokpesi based on a cryptic text message about payments being made. But attempts to connect Babangida to the bombing through Dokpesi and Okah lacked credibility, not least because Babangida would have had little to gain by involvement with terrorism. Dokpesi has since been released.

“Okah alleged in an al-Jazeera interview that Jonathan’s office urged him to implicate Northern political leaders in the bombings. While Jonathan’s supporters accuse Okah of lying, in the North his al-Jazeera interview tends to be taken at face value and feeds a deepening suspicion that Jonathan is shifting the blame away from constituents in the Niger Delta for short-term political gain within the Peoples Democratic Party, whose presidential nomination he seeks.

“With no indictments to date, Jonathan’s political rivals have also sought to exploit the bombings by questioning his ability to provide even minimal security.

“Babangida and certain Northern politicians are calling for the National Assembly to impeach Jonathan based on Okah’s interview in al-Jazeera, and Dokpesi has filed a lawsuit against the State Security Services.

“Though these initiatives will certainly fail, Jonathan’s response to the bombings is nudging Nigerian politics further in a North versus South direction dangerous in a country where the line between Christians and Muslims runs east to west through the middle of the country, intermingled with hundreds of ethnic groups.

“The report of British intelligence was not the only indicator. There was an email from an account associated with Jomo Gbomo that was sent at least an hour prior to the bombings, warning of an impending attack. It was apparently ignored by the security services, though the American and British delegations to the celebrations prudently stayed away. So did Babangida, who subsequently explained his absence as a protest against the excessive costs of the celebration. While the president has said that there was an “intelligence failure,” it remains baffling that the Nigerian political establishment would fail to heed the warnings and put itself at risk.

“The likelihood that the Abuja bombings were the work of Delta militants has also damaged Jonathan’s political credentials. As a Christian Ijaw from the Bayelsa State in the Delta, Jonathan often claims political credit for reducing violence in the Delta and restoring oil production. And Jonathan’s attraction to the elite kingmakers that will determine the governing Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate for 2011 is based at least in part on his alleged control of the Delta, which has been brought into question by these bombings.

“Jonathan recently appears to be backing away from his early assertion that the bombings had nothing to do with the Delta. But the damage is done. Some in the North believe Jonathan is promoting his political interests at their expense. And there are raw nerves.

“Since 1999, Nigeria appears to have been well-served by an informal power sharing understanding among elites to reduce religious, ethnic, and regional conflict by rotating the presidency regionally – and, in effect, religiously – between North and South, and their Muslim and Christian majorities, every eight years.

“Elected vice president, Jonathan is president now only because of the death of Umaru Yar’Adua, a Muslim from the North who was elected President in 2007. As it is the North’s turn for the presidency until 2015, many Nigerians expected that Jonathan would not run in 2011 and bide his time. However, Jonathan announced in September that he would be a presidential candidate in 2011, thereby suspending power-sharing.

“Still, the Abuja bombings and the controversies surrounding them have not knocked Jonathan out of the presidential race.

“As the incumbent and through his influence over the security services and the electoral machinery, his chances of emerging as the PDP presidential candidate remain strong. Still, his willingness to cast aside a power-sharing mechanism and his apparent effort to play on regional differences do not bode well for the future.

“Beyond presidential politics, Nigeria’s friends hope the Abuja bombings do not signal a new round of violence as the election season approaches. While remaining scrupulously neutral among the candidates, Nigeria’s friends should also continue to encourage Nigerian civil organisations working for free, fair, and credible elections conducted according to the rule of law.”

Still on the independence day bomb blast, a former Minister of Information and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned that the utterances of a former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, on the October 1, 2010 bomb blast is provocative.

Clark also said that Ciroma has converted a major national calamity into a political comedy.

Clark said these in a letter addressed to Ciroma titled, “An open letter to Mallam Adamu Ciroma on his provocative utterances on recent national issues.”

Clark said in the letter that this was not the first time violent crisis has erupted in the country.

He wrote, “During President (Shehu) Shagari’s administration, there was the Maitasine riot in Kano in 1981 which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.”

He said Kaduna has been a hotbed for series of religious riots, which had claimed the lives of numerous innocent Nigerians and properties, including churches and mosques.

He added, “Most of the victims had to be protected in Army Barracks.

“The President Olusegun Obasanjo administration invaded Odi in Bayelsa State where the military wiped off the entire community, leveling every structure including sacred places like churches, graves and ancestral monuments. There was the Jukuns and Zaki Biam crisis in Benue State where innocent citizens and properties were destroyed. We all heard the futile cry of General (Victor) Malu who hails from that community, calling for justice.”

He said that Presidents Shagari, Obasanjo and (late Umaru) Yar’Adua whose administrations also presided over violent incidences all swore to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria and protect lives and properties of Nigerians, just like the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He added, “I have always regarded you as an intelligent, matured statesman but your statement on the bomb blast exposes you as an enemy, narrow minded and self centred bigot, with no restraint in viscous outbursts. Hence you could attempt to convert a major national calamity into political comedy.”

Clark said the minimum expectation from a statesman like Ciroma would have been for him to urge the law enforcement agencies to pursue the common criminal who perpetrated the latest dastardly and unpatriotic act in the country, on the country’s most significant day till date, adding, “But sadly because you were insensitively in the voyage of casting aspersions, even after the President had assured the victims on the payment of adequate compensation and care for the families left behind by the dead, you went on to admonish Mr. president to score cheap political points. The Methuselah of our time.”

Also, he said as Ciroma attempted to suggest, “if they are allowed to go unpunished, as they have been in the past, Nigeria and Nigerians may never see peace again as the spectre of kidnapping, which emanated from the activities of criminal gangs in the Niger Delta continue to illustrate. May I ask you and your ilk of anti-Niger Delta prejudice: is violence peculiar to only one region? Is it only the Niger Delta that crisis have brewed in the country? Is it only in the administration of President Jonathan Nigeria has witnessed major security lapses as you wont to ridicule him as incapable of protecting the territorial integrity of the country?”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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