The military has confirmed that troops killed five Boko Haram insurgents in a gun battle at Barkin-Dutse area of Adamawa.

Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, said on Saturday that troops engaged and killed the insurgents following a distressed call by hunters on Friday.

Troops of operation LAFIYA DOLE on April 6 neutralized suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Barkin Dutse area of Adamawa State following a distress call from hunters.

The terrorists on sighting the troops opened fire which resulted in exchange of fire.

Five Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized while some of them escaped into nearby caves during the encounter. Also, one hunter lost his life during the operation.

Chukwu disclosed that the troops recovered five AK 47 rifles, five magazines and 22 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition.

He added that the troops were in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists, and called on the people to report any suspicious movements in their area to security agencies.

Meanwhile, two suspected insurgents have been arrested in Bauchi and Borno States.

Chukwu said that troops of 33 Artillery Brigade on April 5 arrested one, Saidu Hamidu Jenga, 33, along Maiduguri Bye Pass Road, Bauchi, in connection with Boko Haram activities.

He revealed that the suspect was allegedly overheard discussing movement of arms and ammunition on phone.

Items recovered include one techno phone with two SIM cards as well as N6, 870 cash, he said.

Chukwu added that troops of operation LAFIYA DOLE also arrested one, Umar Ali, 59; a suspected Boko Haram insurgents at Galdimare ward in Biu Local Government Area of Borno.

He explained that the suspect, who hailed from Miringa village of Biu, was accused of participating in Boko Haram activities in the area. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Rangers International Football Club of Enugu pummelled Desert Stars of Yobe 3-0 in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match day 15 played in Enugu.

The victory was a huge birthday present to the teams General Manager, Davison Owumi, who turns 58 today.

Ajani Ibrahim brace in 23rd and 43rd minute and Bright Silas 85th minute goals ensured the flying antelopes put smiles on the faces of the General Manager and supporters.

Speaking after the match, Rangers coach Ogunbote said that he was happy with the three points, saying it would add value to their standing in the league.

The players did well because they applied what we taught them in training; five goals in two matches is a good sign that the players are getting there.

Each game comes with its tactics and plan and it worked out for us today and we are going to keep doing our best to ensure we always get it right all the time, he said.

Yobe Stars Technical Adviser, Baba Ganaru said that the game lived up to its billing.

We learn new lessons in football and learning is till death so we accept defeat and we are going home to prepare for our next match.

The players did well but we lost to some tactical reasons and maybe the long distance we applied affected us as well.

I do not like to speak on officiating but the second goal is offside but so be it, because that is part of the game, he said.

The visiting team goalkeeper, Itodo Akor who was former Rangers goalkeeper said that he was disappointed for losing the match.

I always like to be on the winning side be it against Rangers or another club, so in this case losing to my former club is not the bone of contention, we planned at worst to get a draw because our first target is to shock the flying antelopes before their fans, Akor said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akor left Rangers last year after serving them for years and was part of the club winning team in the 2015/2016 season.

NAN also reports that Akor was second goalkeepers to Nana Bonsu who manned the post for the home team. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Arsenal took a giant step towards reaching the Europa League semi-finals after a 4-1 rout of CSKA Moscow and Atletico Madrid did the same with a 2-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

Lazio also stayed on course to progress after an action-packed 4-2 home win over Salzburg in their quarter-final first leg and upstarts RB Leipzig will head to Olympique de Marseille with a 1-0 advantage.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and France striker Alexandre Lacazette scored two goals each in a blistering first half for Arsenal, cancelling out a superb free kick by CSKAs Aleksandr Golovin at the Emirates stadium.

Germany forward Mesut Ozil also shone as he dished out assists effortlessly, with Arsenals crisp one-touch passing repeatedly carving open a cumbersome Russian defence.

Ramsey, who had a goal disallowed early on, hit the woodwork in the second half and CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev made several saves to spare the visitors from a heavier defeat.

Atletico, Europa League winners in 2012, extended their winning home streak in all competitions to nine games after Koke scored inside the opening 30 seconds and Antoine Griezmann added the second shortly before half-time.

Lazio ended Salzburgs 35-game unbeaten run stretching back to August after the visiting Austrian side twice drew level but were undone by quickfire late goals from Felipe Anderson and Ciro Immobile.

Germanys Leipzig, playing in European competition for the first time, put themselves in a good position to progress after a Timo Werner goal on the stroke of halftime sank Marseille.

Source: NAN

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of All Progressives Congress (APC) would take final decision Monday on tenure elongation for national and state executives of the party.

The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said on Wednesday in Abuja at the end of a three-hour meeting between the governors and the National Working Committee (NWC).

The party had on Tuesday, constituted a 10-member technical committee headed by Gov. Simon Dalung of Plateau to work out the way forward on the tenure issue.

This followed President Muhammadu Buharis recent opposition to NECs approval of tenure extension for the NWC and all executive committees of the party at all levels across the country, made at its meeting on Feb. 27.

Buhari had said at another meeting of NEC in Abuja on March 26 that the NWCs tenure extension decision was illegal and unconstitutional.

The NEC had extended the tenure of the Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC and other executive committees by one year, starting from June.

The president had explained that the decision was causing acrimony within the party, with some members not comfortable with the matter, dragging the party to court.

The Governors and the NWC of our party decided to sit and look at the issues that were seemingly dividing us.

I want to say to you with absolute satisfaction and pride that all the issues that you have been commenting on has been completely and totally resolved, Odigie-Oyegun said.

He said that the technical committee constituted to look into the issue would submit its report latest on Thursday to enable the NEC to look at it.

The Chairman of the technical committee has reported that his report will be ready latest this evening or by the very most, early tomorrow morning.
This report will be placed before NEC on Monday and appropriate decision will be taken and thereafter, we shall announce to you the further steps we are going to be take, he said.

The chairman, however, added that the partys next steps would depend on its NEC considering on the committees recommendation.

He assured that the APC was back as one united and focused party, strongly behind Buhari and its executives across in the states.

Commenting on the issue, the partys National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, told newsmen that final decision on the tenure extension issue was with the partys NEC.

It is left for the NEC to decide, and if the committee recommends that the position of NEC should be maintained, then there will be no need for an elective convention.

Then, the president and those who are concerned that the decision we have taken is correct or not, will have more confidence in the position of the party.

The APC spokesman, however, said that if the technical committee recommended that congresses should be held, the partys NEC would consider that.

Governors elected on APC platform, had at a meeting with Buhari on Tuesday unanimously agreed that the party should hold a congress to settle the extension issue and others. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, said it would resist any attempt to discredit Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.

President-General of the group, Chief Nnia Nwodo, in a statement on Thursday, in Enugu, said it was preposterous for the Federal Government to be carrying out unwarranted inquisition into Ekweremadus life.

He said that the allegation that Ekweremadu, the highest ranking Igbo politician in the country, embezzled public funds without any prima facie case was inappropriate.

Nwodo stated that the idea of asking the Senator to defend himself instead of his accusers showing how he fraudulently enriched himself, amounted to turning the law upside down.

He observed that Ekweremadu was a revered Igbo son and had attracted a lot of development to his area without any previous accusation of embezzlement.

Sen. Ekweremadu is a revered Igbo son whose public image is very high and who has attracted a lot of development to his area; he has never occupied any public office where he was accused of embezzlement.

The president-general queried the system of investigation where one was tried for simply belonging to a political party and is exonerated of an offence he committed for belonging to a political party or being in government.

He cited examples of former and serving military officers who had been let off the hook either through plea bargain or for just changing from one political party to another.

He also said that a former governor of Enugu State whose property was under investigation was now dining with the Head of State after dumping his former party for the ruling party.

Nwodo warned that the apex Igbo group would no longer fold it arms while Igbo sons were being systematically singled out for persecution in a country they had contributed so much to build.

He observed that the cautionary statement by Ekweremadu had been and was still being echoed by many prominent Nigerians and wondered why his case would be different.

He said that it was such selective justice and marginalization of Ndigbo that fuelled agitations by their young ones for self-determination, adding that restructuring was a first step toward assuaging the situation.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Mr. Julius Maada Bio, on his victory as the new President of Sierra Leone.

Bio was sworn-in early on Thursday after he was announced on Wednesday as the winner of the presidential election run-off which held on March 31.

According to Mr. Femi Adesina, the Senior Special Assistant to President on Media and Publicity, President commends the people of Sierra Leone on the successful conduct of the presidential election run-off as well as the parliamentary and local council elections held on March 7, 2018.

With the elections concluded and following the trend of recently held peaceful elections in West Africa, President Buhari urged all stakeholders in Sierra Leone to work together for the peace, security and development of the country.

He enjoined all those with grievances on the outcome of the elections to seek constitutional means of resolving them.

He stressed that nothing should be done to endanger the peace and stability of the country in particular and the sub-region in general.

The Nigerian leader salutes the resilient spirit of Sierra Leoneans, who have clearly demonstrated their ability to manage their own affairs and consolidate on the countrys progress after a post-conflict era.

The President also commends the immediate past president, Ernest Bai Koroma, for his commitment to a credible electoral process and spirited efforts at bringing stability and positive changes to the nation during his presidency.

President Buhari looks forward to working with President Bio for the growth, prosperity and stability of their nations, and West Africa.

Source: NAN

The Guardian of London has published the video used by Cambridge Analytica to influence, unsuccessfully, the Nigerian presidential election in 2015.

The video, which was obtained from the whistleblower, Christopher Wylie, used graphically violent imagery to portray candidate Muhammadu Buhari as a supporter of sharia law who would brutally suppress dissenters and negotiate with militant Islamists.

Wylie passed the video passed to British MPs and The Guardian has now published it on You Tube

In testimony to the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) select committee last week, the whistleblower said: [The video was distributed] in Nigeria with the sole intent of intimidating voters. It included content where people were being dismembered, where people were having their throats cut and bled to death in a ditch. They were being burned alive. There was incredibly anti-Islamic, threatening messages portraying Muslims as violent.

Wylie also said Cambridge Analytica directed AggregateIQ (AIQ), the Canadian digital services firm that worked for Vote Leave during Britains EU referendum, to target voters with the video during the Nigerian presidential campaign.

Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, has now handed the material to MPs. Giving testimony last week, he said: Cambridge Analytica sent AggregateIQ the video after they [CA] got banned from several online ad networks because the graphic nature of the content violated the terms of service. AIQ was quite freaked out about it. Its a very disturbing video. They told Cambridge Analytica that. They called it the murder video.

In his testimony Wylie said: AIQ is the firm thats right at the heart of the official Vote Leave campaign one-third of all leave spending went through it and this shows them working closely with Cambridge Analytica to distribute violent, divisive Islamophobic material that should be nowhere near an election campaign. There is no suggestion that AIQ was involved in the production of the video.

Cambridge Analytica was hired by a Nigerian billionaire to run a campaign in support of Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, and the video was targeted at his Muslim opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, who went on to win the election. There is no suggestion that Jonathan was aware of the campaign.

The anti-Buhari video imagines a future in which he is president and sharia law has been imposed. Coming to Nigeria on February 15th 2015, the voiceover says in the manner of a trailer for a Hollywood movie. Dark. Scary. And very uncertain. Sharia for all.

It poses the question: What would Nigeria look like if sharia were imposed by Buhari? It suggests he would strike a deal with the Islamist militant group Boko Haram that would be a pact with the devil.

The video also suggests Buhari will punish all who speak against the regime and that women will be veiled. It ends by saying: You can stop this movie becoming real.

Source: NAN

Less than 24 hours after opposition Julius Maada Bio was sworn-in as President of Sierra Leone, some of his supporters have engaged in violent activities.

The violence erupted in the eastern Sierra Leonean district of Kenema, after the installation of Bio as the countrys fifth president.

Reports out of the town on Thursday suggest running battles between irate youths and the police.

A police station is reported to have come under attack.

Reports also indicate multiple injuries, some as a result of gunshots.

A source in Kenema told APA that jubilating supporters of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), whose candidate Bio was declared win of the presidential election, went on the rampage trying to attack the resident of a minister in the outgoing government.

The source said the SLPP supporters later resorted to attacking defenseless APC supporters and destroying their market stalls.

Pictures on social media show several people supposedly injured from the incident.

A video footage shared on the social media platform, Whatsapp, shows angry youths mobbing a police officer, while a second officer ran for his life.

The clashes were happening as the newly elected President Bio met with former President Ernest Bai Koroma at State Lodge, for the first time since he was sworn in to office.

The two, according to state officials, discussed details towards a smooth transition.

There have been calls for Bio to act on whats his first test of security challenge as a president.

Meanwhile, President Bio is scheduled to convene his first major engagement as president on Friday when he meets with all permanent secretaries and professional heads of institution at State House.

This is according to a leaked official communique issued by the Secretary at the Office of the President.

Source:

Source: NAN

The world is steadily moving to green power sources as it invested $2.9 trillion in green energy sources since 2004.

A new UN-backed report on Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 was released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and its partners.

The report indicates a steady move away from fossil fuel-based power production and that solar energy dominated global investment in new power generation like never before in 2017.

It added that 2017 was the eighth in a row in which global investment in renewables exceeded 200 billion dollars and

In 2017, the world installed a record 98 gigawatts of new solar capacity, far more than the net additions of the rest other renewable, fossil fuel and nuclear, according to the report.

The report added that solar power also attracted far more investment than any other technology, at 160.8 billion dollars, up 18 per cent.

A driving power behind last years surge in solar was China, where an unprecedented boom saw some 53 gigawatts added more than half the global total and 86.5 billion dollars invested, up 58 per cent.

The extraordinary surge in solar investment shows how the global energy map is changing and, more importantly, what the economic benefits are of such a shift.

Investments in renewables bring more people into the economy, they deliver more jobs, better quality jobs and better paid jobs.

Clean energy also means less pollution, which means healthier, happier development, UNEP chief Erik Solheim, said.

It said 2017 was the eighth in a row in which global investment in renewables exceeded 200 billion dollars and since 2004, the world had invested 2.9 trillion dollars in these green energy sources.

Overall, China was by far the worlds largest investing country in renewables, at a record 126.6 billion dollars, up 31 per cent on 2016.

There were also sharp increases in investment in Australia, up 147 per cent to 8.5 billion dollars; Mexico, up 810 per cent to six billion dollars; and Sweden, up 127 per cent to 3.7 billion dollars. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Transsion Holdings, giant mobile phone (Tecno Mobile), has described Nigeria as still the biggest market in Africa in spite of some challenges.

Mr Andy Yan, Vice President, Transsion Holdings, parent company of Tecno Mobile, made the assertion in Lagos at Tecnos Global Spring Launch.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tecno unveiled Camon X Pro smartphone at the event held at the Eko Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

Yan said that Nigeria had provided a huge market for the organisation in spite of challenges of fluctuating foreign exchange.

The official said that the company had contributed to the growth of Nigerias economy through job creation.

According to him, Tecno has also impacted on Nigeria through its corporate social responsibility.

Yan called for consistent policies to encourage investment in Nigeria, saying that unstable business environment discouraged investment.

Yan said: Investors, most importantly, must have a stable environment and policies to do businesses.

Where there is no continuity as regards policies and business relationship, businesses will be affected.

We are trying to keep very healthy relations, discussing the possibilities and opportunities to impact on the society, he said.

He said that fluctuating foreign exchange been a problem to businesses.

Yan said that the company regularly carried out a study of the Africa business environment before manufacturing more products.

This has kept the company going in spite of challenges.
According to him, the Tecno Camon X Pro smartphone has unique security features such as Face ID.

Yan said that the Face ID could be used to unlock the phone when lighting up the screen by grasping the face formation.

He said that the face formation had 50ms recognition rate and was more functional than the fingerprint identification feature.

At Transsions, we do not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach in developing our products, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN