Nigeria: Another explosion hitsMaiduguri

A loud explosion rocked the troubled North
Eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on
Sunday. Residents of the area in which it
occurred, Bulabulin Ngarnam, say it was an
attack on a military patrol vehicle.
It has not been ascertained if there were
deaths or injuries linked to the explosion
which some residents described as "the
loudest heard so far in the city".
"Nobody knows the extent of the damage
because the area has been cordoned off by
soldiers," said Hammadi Yakubu, a resident.
Another resident, Bunu Zarabe, said he saw
an ambulance speeding out of the area with
a military van behind it.
Residents in the neighbourhood have
begun fleeing the area, out of fears of a
military raid in response to the blasts.
Soldiers have, in the past, been accused of
rampaging though neighbourhoods after
such explosions, killing residents, burning
homes and claiming locals cooperated with
the Boko Haram sect.
Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has been
hit by series of attacks blamed on Boko
Haram, an Islamist sect which claimed
responsibility for the bombing of the United
Nations headquarters in Abuja that killed at
least 24 people.
Earlier this month, the military in Borno
State said criminals were hiding "under the
pretence of Boko Haram to commit crimes"
in the state, and set a deadline of October
31 for residents to turn in all illegal
weapons and explosives in their
possession.
"Those who refuse to surrender their arms
would face consequences after the
expiration of the deadline," the Military's
statement read.
Police and Military officials could not be
reached for comments on the new
explosion.

Bomb scare in Edo CBN

BENIN—Edo State Police Command
Anti-Bomb Disposal Unit, weekend,
condoned-off Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN’s premises following alleged presence
of a black polythene bag suspected to
contain a bomb. The action caused panic
at the busy Akpakpava Road as people ran
for their lives.
Motorists were diverted to other routes as
security agents searched frantically with
detectors.
It will be recalled that in August, Boko
Haram, the dreadful Islamic sect, had
threatened to bomb University of Benin
and other universities, which caused panic
in the affected institutions of learning.
When Vanguard visited the scene
Saturday eve-ning, security agents were
still around.
An eyewitness said the content of the
black bag was not revealed to onlookers by
the anti-bomb squad.
Edo State Police Acting Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Ejiriro, declined comment
on the incident.

Islamic cleric killed in Borno…As another blast targets JTF

An Islamic cleric was shot dead in Maiduguri
over the weekend by gunmen suspected to be
of Boko Haram sect, even as an early
morning bomb blast targeted against the Joint
Task Force (JTF) men rocked the city
yesterday.
Some gunmen were said to have stormed the
residence of the Islamic cleric, Ali Gana at
Kaleri ward on Saturday at about 7.15pm and
shot him severally, leaving him in his pool of
blood.
Daily Sun also learnt that the early morning
bomb blast occurred at a check point at
Bulabulin Ngarnam ward within the
metropolis at about 7.30 am yesterday, a
development which made many residents to
panic. However, no life was lost in the blast.
Confirming the blast and assassination of
the Maiduguri cleric, Operation Officer of
the Joint Task Force (JTF), Col. Victor
Ebhaleme told Daily Sun on phone that the
blast went off early in the morning. “The
improvised explosive went off early in the
morning and our men were the target at a
checkpoint but it only raised dust, nobody was
injured and no life was lost,” he disclosed.
He also said the JTF operatives were still in
search of the perpetrators of the killing of the
Islamic cleric even as he said there was no
arrest as at the time of filing this report.
“The man was killed on Saturday night but we
are combing the area in search of the
hoodlums. We haven’t made any arrest yet,
we’re still looking for the perpetrators,” he
declared.
Col Victor who expressed dismay over a report
published by an Abuja-based daily on its
Sunday title, claimed the report was
misleading and untrue. “How can a newpaper
that ought to help educate the people choose to
mislead?” he asked, adding that the report
which claimed that the streets of Maiduguri
were deserted and that 90 per cent of
businesses have relocated out of the state was
done in bad light.
“It is also reckless for Daily Trust to say that
JTF was arresting and beating vendors in
Maiduguri. The report which was purportedly
generated from a paper presented by the
newspaper north east regional manager was
untrue and highly sentimental. The public
should know that Daily Trust has been
consistently biased and this is not journalism.
We known journalism is a noble profession
and newspapers were not established to
promote religious or sectional interest,” he
added.
Commenting on the October 31 ultimatum for
those in possession of illegally acquired
weapons to surrender to some designated
centres, he maintained the JTF would not
extend the date. He urged those still having
arms to surrender within the remaining days,
warning that “anybody found with such
illegal arms would be treated as criminals.”

Why we killed NTA journalist –BokoHaram

The Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnati Lidda’awati
Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram
said that they were responsible for the killing
of Zakariyya Isa, a reporter with the Nigerian
Television Authority’s (NTA) Maiduguri
Network Centre.
The group has also claimed responsibility for
Saturday night’s multiple attacks on a police
station and banks in Saminaka, Kaduna
State as well as last week’s attack on a Mopol
barracks in Kwami, Gombe State.
The group said Zakariyya was killed because
he was “an informant of security agencies.”
Spokesman of the group, Abul-Qaqa in a
telephone conversation with huhuonline.com,
said, “Zakariyya was not killed in error. We
killed him because he was spying on us.”
There were earlier speculations that Zakariyya
was a victim of “mistaken identity” because
this is the first time that a journalist was
killed since the beginning of the violence in
Maiduguri, but Abul-Qaqa said the killing was
“carefully planned and executed.”
According to him, “We have ample evidence
beyond reasonable doubt that he was giving
vital information to security agencies on our
modus-operandi…We investigated thoroughly
before we killed him.”
Asked to give more details on what the late
journalist did, Qaqa said, “He gave
information to security agents that led to the
arrest of many of our members.” He added,
“We sent him a text and told him that we
would visit him. We killed him not because he
was a journalist, but because of his personal
misconduct. His actions were against the
ethics of his profession.
“And I want to tell you that we have no
grudge against journalists that are working in
line with the professional provisions of their
work. Whenever they misquote or
misrepresent our position, we normally call
them and tell them to correct the error,” Qaqa
said.
He said the group will not hesitate to kill
anybody that “steps on our toes.” According
to him, “Zakariyya was responsible for his
actions and the consequences that followed.
Nobody, no matter who can go free if he or
she spies on us.”
On the issue of dialogue, Qaqa said, “We
cannot talk on that because it makes no sense
to us. How can you talk of dialogue when
government and security agencies are busy
arresting and persecuting our members?” He
said the group will continue to attack
government and security formations in
Nigeria.
When contacted on phone, Borno State
Police Commissioner, Simeon Midenda said he
was in Abuja. Efforts to speak to officials of
the Joint Task Force (JTF) were not
successful. Also Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, the
Head of Field Operations of the JTF did not
answer a call to his line.
The killing of Zakariyya had sent jitters
into the nerves of journalists in Maiduguri,
with many thinking on how to strike a
balance in covering the crisis in the state.
Late Zakariyya, who worked as a cameraman
and Hausa translator at the NTA, was shot
at close range on Saturday night in front of
his house at Bulunkutu area of Maiduguri.
Witnesses said two gunmen trekked to the
house and shot him in the head and chest
before they fled.
A native of Potiskum Local Government area
of Yobe State, Zakariyya had worked at the
Maiduguri network centre of the NTA for
many years. He was married with children.