BOKO HARAM COMMANDER ARRESTED!!

The Nigerian Army said it has arrested a man it described as an ‘Emir of Boko Haram terrorists’, alongside 42 other suspects.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, also disclosed on Wednesday afternoon that 241 women and children were rescued during the operation in the Banki axis of Borno State.

The Army Spokesman said that the command considers this a major breakthrough with the arrest of Bulama Modu, who he said is the Emir of Bulakuri.

He said the troops are in very high spirit, and with the mop up exercise by the Nigerian Army, series of arms and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered.

Also a bomb making factory was discovered in Dara Jamel in Borno State.

In a similar development, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram are numbered.

Speaking through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Twitter, he said: “Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the country will finally be over very soon as the ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is achieved”.

OLU FALAE RELEASED!!

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, has been freed by his abductors.

His younger brother, Sunday Falae, told Channels Television that the former presidential candidate was released by captors on Thursday afternoon.

Also confirming his release, the Commissioner for Information of Ondo State, Kayode Akinmade, said that Chief Falae was on his way to the Government House and from there to his home.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, led five units of mobile and over 400 policemen from Ondo State Command and the special intelligence response team to Owo area of Ondo State, where Chief Olu Falae was rescued at 2:30pm.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to take all necessary action to ensure the safe and speedy rescue of the former presidential candidate.

Chief Olu Falae was kidnapped from his farm in Ondo State on Monday, September 21 with his abductors, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, demanding for a cash sum of 100 Million Naira as ransom for the septuagenarian to be released.

STAMPEDE IN HAJJ LEFT AT LEAST 717 DEAD!!

At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia's civil defence directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday's stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. The injured have been evacuated to four different hospitals in the Mina region, according to a civil defence spokesman. Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, ordered a probe into how the tragedy had occured. Nayef, who chairs the Saudi hajj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place. The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, "who will take appropriate measures" in response, the Saudi Press agency said. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. Al Jazeera's Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. "The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the 'stoning of the devil' ritual, which was happening today. "During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual." Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj - lying alongside crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. The head of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on "some pilgrims from African nationalities," Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV channel reported. Iranian authorities have said that at least 43 Iranian nationals were killed in the stampede. Survivors assessed the scene by standing on the top of roadside stalls as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests combed the area. About 4,000 people from the rescue services were participating in the operation to help the injured and about 220 ambulances were directed to the scene, a civil defence spokesman said. #منى pic.twitter.com/Q2jW3mSFYw — hicham messaoudi (@prohicham) September 24, 2015 Photos released by the defence directorate on its official Twitter account showed rescue workers helping the wounded onto stretchers and loading them onto ambulances near some of the tents. Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh, reporting from Mecca, said the number of deaths could rise. "This is only the initial number ... The Hajj season was already overshadowed by the crane accident that killed 107 people and wounded more than 200," Alsaleh said, adding: "The area has turned to a big massive construction site to allow more pilgrims to visit Mecca during Hajj. "Mina has more than 160,000 tents divided over several camps, and with the 1.9 million people taking part in this year's Hajj, you will understand the logistical nightmare that the Saudi authorities are facing. "I've seen some footage and it's really sad. I've seen piles of bodies on top of each other." Deadly Hajj incidents Saudi authorities take extensive precautions to ensure the security of the Hajj and the safety of pilgrims. But tragedies are not uncommon. In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims were killed in a stampede, also in Mina. The day before the 2006 Hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people. Two years earlier, a crush at Mina killed 244 and injured hundreds on the final day of the pilgrimage. And, in 2001, a stampede at Mina killed 35 people. The worst hajj-related tragedy, which happened in 1990, killed 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia's civil defence directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday's stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. The injured have been evacuated to four different hospitals in the Mina region, according to a civil defence spokesman. Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, ordered a probe into how the tragedy had occured. Nayef, who chairs the Saudi hajj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place. The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, "who will take appropriate measures" in response, the Saudi Press agency said. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. Al Jazeera's Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. "The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the 'stoning of the devil' ritual, which was happening today. "During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual." Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj - lying alongside crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. The head of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on "some pilgrims from African nationalities," Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV channel reported. Iranian authorities have said that at least 43 Iranian nationals were killed in the stampede. Survivors assessed the scene by standing on the top of roadside stalls as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests combed the area. About 4,000 people from the rescue services were participating in the operation to help the injured and about 220 ambulances were directed to the scene, a civil defence spokesman said. #منى pic.twitter.com/Q2jW3mSFYw — hicham messaoudi (@prohicham) September 24, 2015 Photos released by the defence directorate on its official Twitter account showed rescue workers helping the wounded onto stretchers and loading them onto ambulances near some of the tents. Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh, reporting from Mecca, said the number of deaths could rise. "This is only the initial number ... The Hajj season was already overshadowed by the crane accident that killed 107 people and wounded more than 200," Alsaleh said, adding: "The area has turned to a big massive construction site to allow more pilgrims to visit Mecca during Hajj. "Mina has more than 160,000 tents divided over several camps, and with the 1.9 million people taking part in this year's Hajj, you will understand the logistical nightmare that the Saudi authorities are facing. "I've seen some footage and it's really sad. I've seen piles of bodies on top of each other." Deadly Hajj incidents Saudi authorities take extensive precautions to ensure the security of the Hajj and the safety of pilgrims. But tragedies are not uncommon. In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims were killed in a stampede, also in Mina. The day before the 2006 Hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people. Two years earlier, a crush at Mina killed 244 and injured hundreds on the final day of the pilgrimage. And, in 2001, a stampede at Mina killed 35 people. The worst hajj-related tragedy, which happened in 1990, killed 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia's civil defence directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday's stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. The injured have been evacuated to four different hospitals in the Mina region, according to a civil defence spokesman. Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, ordered a probe into how the tragedy had occured. Nayef, who chairs the Saudi hajj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place. The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, "who will take appropriate measures" in response, the Saudi Press agency said. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. Al Jazeera's Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. "The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the 'stoning of the devil' ritual, which was happening today. "During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual." Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj - lying alongside crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. The head of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on "some pilgrims from African nationalities," Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV channel reported. Iranian authorities have said that at least 43 Iranian nationals were killed in the stampede. Survivors assessed the scene by standing on the top of roadside stalls as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests combed the area. About 4,000 people from the rescue services were participating in the operation to help the injured and about 220 ambulances were directed to the scene, a civil defence spokesman said. #منى pic.twitter.com/Q2jW3mSFYw — hicham messaoudi (@prohicham) September 24, 2015 Photos released by the defence directorate on its official Twitter account showed rescue workers helping the wounded onto stretchers and loading them onto ambulances near some of the tents. Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh, reporting from Mecca, said the number of deaths could rise. "This is only the initial number ... The Hajj season was already overshadowed by the crane accident that killed 107 people and wounded more than 200," Alsaleh said, adding: "The area has turned to a big massive construction site to allow more pilgrims to visit Mecca during Hajj. "Mina has more than 160,000 tents divided over several camps, and with the 1.9 million people taking part in this year's Hajj, you will understand the logistical nightmare that the Saudi authorities are facing. "I've seen some footage and it's really sad. I've seen piles of bodies on top of each other." Deadly Hajj incidents Saudi authorities take extensive precautions to ensure the security of the Hajj and the safety of pilgrims. But tragedies are not uncommon. In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims were killed in a stampede, also in Mina. The day before the 2006 Hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people. Two years earlier, a crush at Mina killed 244 and injured hundreds on the final day of the pilgrimage. And, in 2001, a stampede at Mina killed 35 people. The worst hajj-related tragedy, which happened in 1990, killed 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.

ALLEGED FALSE DECLARATION OF ASSET!!

SarakiThe Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was docked on Tuesday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal after a short argument between the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) and the defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who was insisting that the day’s sitting was not for the taking pleas. After Dr. Saraki took the dock, the 13-count charge was read to him and he pleaded not guilty. The Senate President told the tribunal, in his opening remarks that he is a firm believer in the rule of law. Before today, Dr Saraki had given the assurance of his appearance after protracted arguments between his lawyers and the prosecution counsel over the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting over allegations of false asset declaration. His spokesman, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, had said in a statement attributed his absence from the tribunal to the legal advice he received from his counsel, that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage.

VP OSIBANJO REPS BUHARI IN BURKINA FASO!!

Yemi-Osinbajo to represent buhari in burkina faso: Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will be representing President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting of six Heads of States and Governments with the leaders of last Thursday’s military coup in Burkina Faso. President Buhari had on Tuesday hosted Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS at an extraordinary summit in Abuja, where it was resolved that six Heads of States and Governments hold a meeting with the leaders of the bloodless coup. In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Mr Garba Shehu said that the extraordinary summit addressed the current political crisis in the West African State. President Buhari also condemned the coup in Burkina Faso and called for the restoration of civil transitional authority. The President called for the return to democratic rule after elections due for October 11. Nigeria had donated 20 vans to the Burkina Faso electoral commission towards a successful conduct of the general elections. Burkina Faso’s presidential guard under General Gilbert Diendere, seized power from the interim President Michel Kafando in a bloodless coup. The Vice President is expected back in Abuja later on Wednesday.

43 ARRESTED BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS!!

Boko Haram-army:The Nigerian Army said it has arrested a man it described as an ‘Emir of Boko Haram terrorists’, alongside 42 other suspects. The Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, also disclosed on Wednesday afternoon that 241 women and children were rescued during the operation in the Banki axis of Borno State. The Army Spokesman said that the command considers this a major breakthrough with the arrest of Bulama Modu, who he said is the Emir of Bulakuri. He said the troops are in very high spirit, and with the mop up exercise by the Nigerian Army, series of arms and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered. Also a bomb making factory was discovered in Dara Jamel in Borno State. In a similar development, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. Speaking through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Twitter, he said: “Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the country will finally be over very soon as the ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is achieved”.

THE DAYS OF BOKO HARAM ARE NUMBERED: PRESIDENT BUHARI!!

Muhammadu-Buhari--Nigeria-PresidentNigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday assured Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. “President Buhari assures all Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram are numbered”, a statement released via the Twitter handle of his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said. “Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the country will be finally over very soon as the ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is achieved”, he tweeted. The President also directed the Armed Forces and National Security Agencies to provide maximum security across the nation during Eid-el-Kabir prayers and celebrations, especially in areas most vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The tweets added that President Buhari felicitates with all Nigerians of the Islamic faith as they celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Kabir and congratulates all Nigerian Muslims who are currently in Saudi Arabia to participate in the rites of the Hajj. He urged Muslims and other Nigerians to rededicate themselves to “a greater acceptance and internalisation of its lessons of piety, faithfulness, dedication, fortitude, obedience, sacrifice and selfless service which are for the benefit of all mankind. “President Buhari called for more patience, fortitude, tolerance, endurance, patriotism & willingness to make personal sacrifices for the good of all. He also seized “this opportunity to extend heartfelt commiserations to families in Maiduguri, who have lost loved ones in recent terrorist attacks. The tweets also noted that “President Buhari’s thoughts and prayers for Divine solace are with all those who have been callously plunged into mourning by mindless terrorists, when others are celebrating this year’s Eid-El-Kabir.

BURKINA FASO COUP COLLAPSED WITH INTERIM GOV'T!!

Michel-Kafando The military coup in Burkina Faso has collapsed with the Interim President, Michel Kafando declaring that he is back in charge and that civilian rule in that country has been restored. Mr Kafando’s announcement is coming just as ECOWAS leaders arrived Ouagaduogu to reinstall the interim administration. “We are proud of the mobilisation and fearlessness of the people of Burkina Faso, in particular of its youth, whose determination has stopped the coup succeeding”, Mr Kafando said. “I salute the international community for having rejected unequivocally this action “Regarding the ECOWAS proposals for a solution to the crisis, it is obvious that we will only commit to them if they take into account the will of the Burkinabes.” Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is among the 6 heads of states who are already in Ouagaduogu to oversee the handover process. President Muhammadu Buhari who was to lead the delegation is not attending. The African Union and ECOWAS leaders had given a deadline, which expired on Tuesday night, to the military leadership in Burkina Faso to relinquish power or face stiff penalties.

BOKO HARAM NIGERIA!!

Boko Haram-arm:The Nigerian Army said it has arrested a man it described as an ‘Emir of Boko Haram terrorists’, alongside 42 other suspects. The Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, also disclosed on Wednesday afternoon that 241 women and children were rescued during the operation in the Banki axis of Borno State. The Army Spokesman said that the command considers this a major breakthrough with the arrest of Bulama Modu, who he said is the Emir of Bulakuri. He said the troops are in very high spirit, and with the mop up exercise by the Nigerian Army, series of arms and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered. Also a bomb making factory was discovered in Dara Jamel in Borno State. In a similar development, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. Speaking through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Twitter, he said: “Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the country will finally be over very soon as the ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is achieved”.

CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF PLEDGES!!

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has pledged to support the Nigeria Police towards curbing the activities of criminals operating on the nation’s coastal lines. Speaking in Abuja, while on a working visit to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police, Vice-Admiral Ibas stressed the need for the Police High Command to ensure the speedy prosecution of suspects in order to deter other criminals. The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who welcomed the collaboration between the two security outfits expressed concerns about the increasing crime rate along the nation’s water-ways. He however promised to step up prosecution of offenders in order to stem the tide. Channels Television’s Lucky Isawode reports that this partnership is seen as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s maritime security.