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Troops of the Nigerian army backed by air support killed more than 25 Boko Haram terrorists and captured equipment when the terrorists attempted to attack Askira Uba in Borno State. The insurgents, who attacked with 11 gun trucks and were suspected to have come from Sambisa Forest, on Wednesday launched an attack on the community, leading to a fierce clash between them and the troops. SaharaReporters gathered that the soldiers recovered several weapons and Hilux vehicles used by the insurgents and killed over 25 of the fighters during the attack. Askira Uba is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital, and shares boundaries with Biu, Chibok, Gwoza, and Hawul local government areas. The town is also close to Sambisa Forest. Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, have killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria. The terror group wants an Islamic caliphate in the region. Insurgency Military Terrorism News AddThis :...

Some front-liners of last year’s #EndSARS protests have taken to their social media handles to celebrate the unfreezing of their bank accounts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Last October, the Nigerian government began a clampdown on promoters of #EndSARS protests by freezing their bank accounts. Some #EndSARS promoters said their banks informed them that the CBN had directed that their accounts should be frozen. The CBN reportedly instructed banks to place a ‘Post No Debit’ restriction on the accounts. The banks, it was learnt, were able to implement the directive by tracking the ‘narration’ of transactions. Bank transactions that included the narration #EndSARS or End SARS were immediately flagged while such accounts receiving funds were frozen. But a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the CBN to unfreeze the accounts of 20 people who were involved in the #EndSARS protests. Their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), said he had informed the court that ...

Ogbonnaya Onu The Ministry of Science and Technology has suspended the Director-General of the Project Development Institute, one of its agencies located in Enugu State, and the Chairman of the Governing Board over corrupt activities that border on financial recklessness. SaharaReporters learnt that the suspension of the DG, Engineer C.N. Agulanna, and the Chairman, Daniel Onjeh, was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter from the ministry dated November 17, 2020. Ogbonnaya Onu SaharaReporters obtained the suspension memo, which stated that the suspension of the DG and the stepping aside of the board chairman takes immediate effect and would be enforced pending the outcome of the investigation. The letter signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Edet Akpan, did not state categorically the specific financial infractions committed by the two. The memo with reference number, FMST/PARA/110/S.1/111/T, addressed to the Board Chairman of the PDI, partly reads, “I ...

The Nigerian government has fixed March 1, 2021, for the continued kangaroo trial of the Publisher of Cross River Watch, Agba Jalingo, who was Illegally detained for months over some reports he wrote. SaharaReporters learnt that the suit, numbered FHC/CA/59c/2019, which is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Agba Jalingo, is to be heard at the Federal High Court 1, along Murtala Mohammed Highway in Calabar, Cross River State. Jalingo is facing four counts of treasonable felony, terrorism, cultism, and an attempt to overthrow the Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River and President Muhammadu Buhari. Jalingo had been arrested on the orders of the governor on August 22, 2019, after he raised questions on the whereabouts of N500 million meant for the establishment of Cross River Microfinance Bank.  He was detained arbitrarily for over four months with his fundamental human rights grossly violated during the period. SaharaReporters learnt that the treasonable felony trial...

The World Bank has queried the Oyo State government on the proposed award of contract for the construction of the ‘Second Pool of Long Term Investment for Flood Control’ project to companies allegedly linked to the state governor, Seyi Makinde, and other top government officials, SaharaReporters has gathered. The state government, through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) headed by one Dayo Ayorinde, had lobbied the bank to undermine its procurement strategy and award the project to companies linked to Makinde and his cronies over N12 billion above the lowest bidders in the four lots.  SaharaReporters gathered that government officials’ role in the corrupt contract award poses significant hidden risks for the release of $200 million (N76 billion) financing agreement by the World Bank. Inside sources said the contract process, which was meant to have been concluded by the end of 2020, is being stalled because of the greed of some top government officials in...