Nima Elbagir Enters Sambisa Forest With The Aid Of Security Personnel. Photos

CNN's correspondent Nima Elbagir embarked on a fact finding mission as she reported on the Nigerian military's campaign to eradicate Boko Haram and also locate the abducted Chibok girls. The journalist entered the dreaded Sambisa forest with the aid of battle-ready military personnel (both army and airforce)

THE ROAD TO KIGALI

The number of Igbos slaughtered by Fulani militants in Enugu this afternoon has gone up to 100.
Many churches and homes have been burnt to the ground. When will President Muhammadu Buhari appreciate the fact that NON-FULANI LIVES MATTER?
In reaction to this horrific situation,
Mr. Babatunde O. Gbadamosi, a highly respected Lagos-based businessman, wrote the following:
"Scores slaughtered by ‪#‎FulaniTerrorists‬ in Enugu, but the Fulani President, Muhammadu Buhari, his Fulani senior security commanders and government functionaries are more interested in pipeline vandals that are killing no one!
Nigerians, if you don't arm yourselves and fight back, na una sabi.
Those of you Yoruba APC zombies that think you are special, when they finish with the MiddleBelt, the South-South and the South East, you will be next, and there will be no one left to defend you.
I am referring to you, my Muslim uncles and aunties, who think the Fulanis will see you as kindred spirits and spare you. They will not.
Just as they are fake Muslims in the eyes of the Arabs, you are also fake Muslims in their eyes, only useful to help subjugate your people under their rule, then you will see pepper.
Kill Afonjaism now, and stand for something, or your children will one day curse the day you were born".
Mr. Lere Olayinka added the following:
"In this April alone, Buhari's Fulani herdsmen killed almost 200 Nigerians, but Buhari's headache is Niger Delta".
In his own contribution Mr. Charles Ogbu wrote the following:
"The Fulani vampires are at it again. Today, Enugu, my state is their target. Dozens of people have been reportedly killed and hundreds displaced with buildings including a catholic church burnt.
This murderous group killed hundreds in ‪#‎Agatu‬ and occupied their land. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing.
They went to Anioma in Delta state, abducted and killed their king. The fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing.
They went to Awgu community in Enugu state, killed dozens and abducted dozens. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing. Only the police and the army did something this time: they arrested 78 indigenes of Awgu who are the victims and dumped them in prison and denied them bail on the allegation that they planned on attacking the fulanis. Meanwhile, the perpetrators were allowed to roam free
It took a ‪#‎hashtag‬ campaign on social media for the ‪#‎Awgu78‬ to be released.
Today, these vultures are back again, visiting death and destruction on defenseless Uzo-uwani people of Enugu state for no just cause.
The president will not say anything about this. The DSS will not say anything. The police will describe it as a mere misunderstanding between farmers and herdsmen. They will hardly confirm that anyone was killed neither will they arrest or prosecute any of those invading fulani vultures.
The jadi-jadi governor of Enugu state called Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will neither say nor do anything about this.
The religious criminal called Father Mbaka ...the one who swore that Buhari is the Lord's anointed... will not talk. 
Basically, the citizens are left with no choice than to defend themselves by any means necessary. You either die fighting to defend your honour, your family, your land and your dignity as a human person or you die cowering in fear like some coward. Either way, you stand little chance.
Permit me to point out one fact here:
The Fulanis are not invincible (undefeatable) because they posses some kind of special fighting prowess. No! Not at all. These fulanis are invincible because they are enjoying govt support/cover/protection in their murderous activities. The impunity with which these guys operate is state-sponsored.
This is a fact, not just my opinion. Deep down, you know it. I know it.


President Buhari has a constitutional duty to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians. He swore to do this. He is being paid to do this. He has deliberately chosen not to do this. He has chosen to place the interest of his Fulani brethren above the lives of innocent Nigerians. Buhari believes that his Fulani people are superior to other Nigerians. This is no different from the mindset displayed by Hitler which led to the world war. We know how it ended.
The silence of President Buhari over the murderous activities of his fulani brethren is a moral tragedy! This is the height of man's inhumanity to man!
Believe it or not, it will come to a time that Nigerians will rise up in their numbers and confront the Fulani beasts together with their sponsors.
There is a limit to what a man can take.
Let it be on record that Buhari is the one setting this country on the road once travelled by Rwandans in 1994".
‪#‎GrazingBillMustDie‬
‪#‎SayNoToFulaniOccupation‬
My take? This is Yugoslavia downloading. This is the road to Kigali. This is Rwanda unfolding before our very eyes.
A few months ago I wrote an essay about the atrocities of the Fulani militants titled 'The Herdsmen From Hell' and I referred to them as "vampires, cockroaches and tsetse flies".
In return for this I received the usual insults from shortsighted Nigerians who have always believed that the best way to contain evil is to tolerate it, bow before it, accept it and welcome it with open arms.
It appears that I have now been vindicated and my concerns have proved to be legitimate.
The very same people that condemned me and called me "'a Fulani-hating racist", "a purveyor of hate speech", "a hater of muslims" and "a loud-mouthed and paranoid alarmist" just a few months ago are now saying that I was right.
Yet sadly it is too late. The vampires are now in control and they have tasted blood. The Nigerian supporter of APC are on a roll and they are determined to conquer new lands for the Caliphate.
Worse still they have the covert backing and unofficial endorsement of the state. They will not stop now and neither will they retreat.
Yet they are in for a shocker. Unless there is divine intervention, what lies ahead for this country is conflict, terror, bloodshed, war and ultimately a very messy and violent division.
It saddens me to say so but that is the bitter truth. That is what "chanji" has brought upon us.

Power Generation Drops To 3,494MW

The Guardian: 

The 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) have continued to ration power supply to consumers across the geo-political zones of the country as the national grid generation drops to 3,494Mega Watts (MW).

The Guardian investigations yesterday revealed that the nation’s power sector appears to be lacking proper harmonisation of data as various government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) failed to update the power generation level while some are parading conflicting figures on their websites.

Before the dissolution of the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTPF), the agency had been the only platform that parades accurate information on the national generation levels. The Electricity System Operator ,an arm of TCN has also barred the public from the more reliable website that updates power generation (www.nsong.org).

Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Power showed that the national grid could only boast of about 3,144MW as at April 22, while the TCN announced 3,500MW same day.

As at April 23, the TCN data showed that generation has dropped further to 3,494MW from the highest peak generation of 5074MW recorded on February, 2, 2016.The generation statistics showed that the output has started dropping from 3.928MW on April 21, to 3639MW and 3494MW accordingly.

The situation, according to The Guardian source, may not be unconnected with shortage in gas supply, poor water management and transmission challenges.

The prolonged load-shedding embarked upon by the DISCOs has negatively impacted on business and domestic activities, as consumers lament paying high bills for poor service delivery.

Besides, some consumers told The Guardian that securing prepaid meters have become a herculean task for them, while the DISCOs continue to roll out estimated billings that are not commensurate with power supply.

NERC had berated the DISCOs over poor implementation of their metering plans under the Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme.

The acting Chairman of the Commission, Anthony Akah, described as unacceptable the low number of metered customers by the eleven distribution companies since privatisation of the power sector.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the development, Akah said that the commission was in the process of winding down CAPMI since most of the Discos are not implementing it even as they are performing badly in their metering scheme.

“People are complaining of being unfairly billed, they are not questioning the tariff as much as the fact that there is no noticeable improvement in supply. We believe we have done what is closest to reflective tariff. We are being challenged, now there is no going back on our protection of the consumers, we are stepping up our enforcement’’, he said.

55 People Stole N1.34tr – Lai Mohammed

The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed revealed that 55 people stole N1.34tr between 2006 and 2013.

The minister made this revelation at the first town hall meeting held in Lagos state on Monday, April 25, 2016.

He said “We launched the campaign in January and we released what some people call a bombshell, that between 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of N1.34trn, an amount that is more than one quarter of the 2015 national budget.”

Mohammed also said the government did not abandon the country’s economy to fight corruption.

He said “On the issue of corruption, I’ve heard many commentators say that this administration is fighting corruption without paying attention to the economy. Of course, this is not true.

“But even if it was, it is patently justified. Why? Unless we fight corruption to a standstill, nothing else we do will yield positive results.”

Adding that “It was corruption that prolonged the war against Boko Haram and sent many soldiers and civilians to their early graves. It was corruption that ensured that while oil was selling for over $100 per barrel, we had nothing to show for the windfall.

“It was corruption that gave us darkness instead of light when we supposedly pumped millions of dollars into the power sector. I can tell you today that we are squarely fighting corruption and we are winning. The situation is serious and no government can fight the battle alone. That explains why we have launched a nationwide sensitization campaign to make Nigerians to join the anti-graft war.”

Mohammed said “Even if just one-third of the stolen fund is recovered, it will provide us with 6 Lagos Ibadan express ways and in addition, it will build 183 schools to educate 3,974 children from primary to tertiary education, also 36 modern hospitals. The money that was originally stolen represents the total earning s of four African nations.

“The funds meant to buy arms and ammunition for our soldiers to fight Boko Haram was shared out by few people for political purposes. What is remarkable in all of this is that no one who has been named to have shared in the money has denied it. All they have done is give very ridiculous excuses for what they did. All of must be part of the war; its not Buhari’s war, its not APC’s war, its Nigeria’s survival war.”

Collapse 36 States To 6 Zones, Ekweremadu Tells FG

-Ekweremadu has proposed that the 36 states be collapsed into 6 zone.

-Ekweremadu’s positions were offered in his new book, Who will love my country: Ideas of building the Nigeria of our dreams

Nigeria’s deputy senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called for the collapse of the 36 states of the federation into six geopolitical zones.
According to the legislator, the move is a drastic restructuring of the country to avoid continually hindering of development.

The abolition of the 36 states, he said, would release the latent potentials for growth by the regions, which he said, were, over the years, foiled by the reckless derailment of the country’s federalism by successive military governments.

Ekweremadu’s positions were offered in his new book, Who will love my country: Ideas of building the Nigeria of our dreams , which is due for public presentation tomorrow, April 27 in Abuja.

The Deputy President of the Senate praised the nation’s founding fathers, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamadi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello, for espousing federalism as the basis of the country’s federation at independence.

He said that suggestions that fiscal federalism would bring about distortive growth were untenable, affirming that even in a forest, not all trees are equal.

I Did Not Plan To Kill Oshiomhole - Odubu

The Deputy Governor of Edo, Dr Pius Odubu, has denied an allegation that he sponsored native doctors to kill his boss, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kelly Odaro, Odubu said the allegation was being peddled by mischief makers and blackmailers bent on destroying his cordial relationship with his boss.

Odubu has also raised an alarm over an alleged plot by some persons to circulate fliers round Benin City with a view to further destroy his image and ignite crisis between him and the governor.
‎‎
"As a practising Catholic I will not do anything that is unbecoming of a true Christian in the name of politics.

"God knows that I have never had any pact with any witch/native doctor to kill anyone or avenge for me and I will never condescend to that extent as long as God lives. It is against my faith.

"The Bible teaches that even when the innocent suffers and mischief makers and traducers appear to triumph by their chief blackmail, it is for God alone to avenge.

"I will, by special Grace of God, continue to disappoint the dubious expectations of those who are bent on driving a wedge between me and Oshiomhole.

"It is my nature and character to be loyal to those who God has set over me because they are my instruments.

"At times like this, blackmailers are at their best but I have decided to take solace in God who knows the hearts of men, trusting and believing as always that God will vindicate the just.

"I wish to reiterate that I have no rift with my boss who I revere and deeply appreciates,” Odubu stated.

Fulani Herdsmen Kill 40 In Enugu

Catholic church,11 houses burnt

It’s a national issue, not ethnic —OKOROCHA

Cattle owners, not herdsmen, should be questioned—OHANAEZE

By Emeka Mamah, Clifford Ndujihe, Chidi Nkwopara & Chinenyeh Ozor

NSUKKA—About 40 persons have so far been reportedly killed by some Fulani herdsmen at Nimbo in Uzo- Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, sources told Vanguard at Nsukka Police Area Command, near the area yesterday.

The incident took place barely 24 hours after stories filtered out that no fewer than 500 heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen sneaked into the community preparatory to launch an attack.

About seven villages in Nimbo (Nimbo Ngwoko, Ugwuijoro, Ekwuru, Ebor, Enugu Nimbo, Umuome and Ugwuachara) were among the areas attacked.

Ten residential houses and a church, Christ Holy Church International, aka Odozi Obodo, were also said to have been burnt by the herdsmen just as vehicles and motorcycles were destroed and domestic animals killed.

A young man, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was burnt inside a commuter bus belonging to one Ejima, son of a prominent man popularly called ‘Are you there’ near the Christ Holy Church, Nimbo.

A victim’s story

Kingsley Ezugwu, former Councillor, Nimbo Ward 2, was one of the victims of the attack.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Nsukka, Ezugwu said: “I was coming out from the house when I heard the community bell ringing. I was going with a friend to know what the bell was all about, only to see about 40 Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated guns and machetes.

“They pursued us, killed my friend and shot at me several times but missed. They caught up with me and used machetes on me until I lost consciousness.”

He said one of them later discovered that he was alive and called on the others to finish him off. They ignored him.

He said he crawled until a good samaritan helped him to the hospital.

Dead bodies litter hospitals
Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community.Refugees: Some residents fleeing the community.

So far, six dead bodies have been recovered and deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, while others, who sustained injuries were rushed to Royal Cross Hospital and Enugu State District Hospital, Nsukka.

Meanwhile, villagers and other residents of the area were fleeing the town.

It’s a national issue—OKOROCHA

In its reaction to the development, the South-East Governors Forum, said what happened at Ukpabi-Nimbo is like any other national issue that deserves the understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians of goodwill to tackle.

Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman of the Forum, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “It is a national issue that also requires national approach to resolve.

“Our problem in this country is that whatever happens is given an ethnic colouration and that makes the solution to such problem somewhat difficult.”

It’s failure of governance—Ohanaeze

To the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, the continuous killing of people across the country by herdsmen without any response from the Federal Government is a failure of governance.

He said: “We are very sad and very disappointed that all over the country, not just the South-East, these killings by Fulani herdsmen have continued unabated and nothing concrete is being done by the Federal Government.

“The first act of governance is protection of lives and property. It is complete failure of governance. There has been no response from the Federal Government and this is allowing the Fulani herdsmen to continue the killing spree.

“Everybody is worried about the poor attitude of the Federal Government to this massacre across the country. Boko Haram is operating in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen are killing people all over the country. It is not the herdsmen that should be held responsible, but owners of the cattle.

“The herdsmen are under the instruction of highly-placed Fulani people who own the cattle. They are heavily armed. How many cows can the herdsmen buy? Federal Government should stop this nonsense before it causes a catastrophe.”

Meanwhile, police sources said it would be difficult to say the actual number of those killed, even as the killing is spreading to other parts of the local government.

Similarly, member representing Uzo-Uwani constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, John Ukuta, said: “I am shocked that this has happened to my people. It is disturbing to learn that security men that were earlier assigned to ward off the rampaging herdsmen disappeared few minutes before they struck only to re-appear after they completed their horrifying assignment.

“This situation has become a national epidemic. People are leaving their communities in droves. Security agencies should move in now.”

Victims

The bodies of those recovered included that of an old man of about 85, and another young man whose throat was slit.

One of the victims, who was simply identified as Mr. Ajogwu, father of the former Councillor for Nimbo Ward 1, Sunday Ajogwu, had his left hand severed.

Another one had his stomach ripped open, spilling his intestines.

Traditional rulers lament

The traditional ruler of Nimbo, Igwe John Akor, told Vanguard on telephone that the attackers struck at about 7a.m. when they had left for their farms.

He said: “Most of those who were killed died in the early hours of the morning. We are still counting our losses. We have not started going into the farms and bushes to look for our dead brothers and sisters.

“When the situation becomes very calm, we will start looking for the rest of the victims. For now, our prayer is that the Federal Government sends security men to restore peace.”

Also reacting, the traditional ruler of Abbi community, Eze Fidelis Igwe, complained that his community had over the years suffered untold hardship in the hands of Fulani herdsmen, who he accused of maiming and gang-raping “our women at farmlands” in addition to robbing and kidnapping his people or stealing and destroying cash crops in the community.

He said: “This is the fourth time Fulani herdsmen have invaded our community in three years. The losses are too much for us to bear.

“The remaining people of the community have now taken refuge in neighbouring communities due to fear of another invasion by the herdsmen who do not give signs before striking.

“We have made several appeal to the Police, Uzo-Uwani Local Government and Enugu State government demanding for the Fulani herdsmen to leave our community, but nothing has happened.”

In his reaction, Igwe Herbert Ukuta of Igga in Uzo Uwani said: “I am appealing to the state government and the Commissioner of Police to send some detachment of police and military personnel to secure the lives of Igga community where I come from.

“The Fulani herdsmen had earlier threatened that Igga community is among the areas they will attack.

“They have now attacked Nimbo, which is among the areas they vowed to attack. Others are Echenwo and Abbi. Already, the people of other communities are fleeing their homes over fear of the herdsmen attack.”

Already, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, had visited the troubled community with the Area Commander for Nsukka, Monday Kuryasi, among other top police officers.

‘They evacuated their cattle’

The Fulani herdsmen had vacated the area with their cattle in the early hours of Saturday, before the attackers, who reportedly came from Nasarawa State, struck.

There had been anxiety in Nimbo following reports that about 500 Fulani herdsmen were assembling to attack the area.

It was gathered that fellow Fulani herdsmen at Adani had, at the weekend, imported about 500 others from Nasarawa State to help them invade Nimbo community on the grounds that some of their cattle were missing in the area.

Stakeholders’ wasted efforts

However, as a result of the development, stakeholders from the local government met, weekend, in Enugu to find solution to the incessant attacks, kidnap and rape by herdsmen on communities in the local government.

According to sources, Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Cornell Onwubuya, had alerted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the state Commissioner of Police, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, of the threat.

Onwubuya was said to have further alerted other stakeholders who met leaders of the Fulani community in Enugu State on the impending attack.

Speaking at the emergency meeting held on Saturday, Onwubuya said the local leaders of the Fulani community also confirmed that there were attempts to bring in mercenaries to attack some communities in Uzo-Uwani, adding that the Fulani leaders in Enugu had complained that some of their people were killed within the axis of Nimbo and Abbi communities in the recent past.

Fulani leader’s failed assurance

At the meeting, Enugu State leader of the Fulani community, Alhaji Haldo Saidu Baso, said he had lived in Enugu State for over 33 years and would not be alive to witness the type of crisis they were talking about.

The Fulani leader said he would talk to his people not to take laws into their hands but to report disturbing issues to the traditional rulers of the communities.

Vanguard learned from a native, who witnessed the gory scene that the herdsmen were armed with AK-47 rifles, and came with two buses fully loaded with arms and ammunition at about 7.13a.m.

Police, Army move in

Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said: “The Commissioner, Ekechukwu Nwodibo, is in the area with a combined team of Army and Police. I can confirm there were casualties but the exact number is still what I do not know.”

At press time, efforts to speak with the Local Government Chairman failed as he claimed to be at the scene of the crisis with Nwodibo and other police officers.