Cameroon deports 2,000 Nigerians

Cameroon has deported more than 2,000 Nigerians who were living in the country illegally as part of new security measures intended to prevent suicide attacks by Boko Haram jihadists, sources said Friday.

Regional newspaper L’Oeil du Sahel reported that about 2,500 Nigerians had been “rounded up” in Kousseri, in the far north of Cameroon, and sent back to their country on Thursday.



The weekly posted a photo on its Facebook page showing several departing trucks crammed with hundreds of passengers.

A source close to regional authorities confirmed that “more than 2,000 ‘irregular’ Nigerians have been expelled from Kousseri”.

Mey Aly, an official from a local NGO, said that most of the Nigerians “had fled the atrocities of Boko Haram” to take refuge in Cameroon.

Thursday’s deportations came just a day after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited Cameroon for talks on how to combat the escalating regional threat from Boko Haram.
Buhari and Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya pledged to strengthen cooperation between their two countries in the fight against the insurgents.

Between July 12 and July 25, Cameroon’s far north, on the border with Boko Haram’s Nigerian strongholds, suffered three suicide attacks — two in the regional capital, Maroua — leaving at least 44 people dead.

The Cameroonian border post at Kousseri — which has been hit by two suicide attacks since June — occupies a strategic position, with just a bridge separating it from Chad’s capital N’Djamena.
Authorities in Cameroon’s far north have taken significant steps to boost security, including banning women from wearing the full face-veil amid fears that suicide bombers could use the garment to conceal explosives.

“With these attacks, the tone of the authorities has changed,” said a security source in Maroua. “They have asked that foreigners (notably Nigerians) and displaced people in the border areas go home.”
Some 300 Cameroonian children were removed from their Koranic schools in Maroua and taken back to their villages on Friday, according to a source close to local authorities, as the schools’ managers feared that insurgents could try to use them for suicide attacks.

Boko Haram’s bloody insurgency in Nigeria has left more than 15,000 people dead since 2009 and has increasingly spread across the country’s borders, with Chad and Cameroon suffering deadly suicide bombings in recent months.

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Buhari appoints Mohammed Kari Commissioner for Insurance

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday appointed Alhaji Mohammed Kari as the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive of the National Insurance Commission.

Kari replaces Mr. Fola Daniel.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the appointment, which is for a term of four years in the first instance, takes effect from Friday, July 31 2015.

The new Commissioner for Insurance started his career with Royal Exchange Assurance in  1979. 

He later worked with Yankari Insurance Company until 1989, when he was appointed Executive Director in Niger Insurance Plc. 

In January 1992, he was appointed Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, a position he held until March 1993 when he was appointed Managing Director of NICON Insurance Corporation. He served in that capacity until January 2000 when he resigned.

He returned to insurance management in 2007 as the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Unity Kapital Assurance Plc, where he served for four years.

A Chartered Insurer and Professional IT Consultant, Alhaji Mohammed Kari was, until his new appointment, was the Deputy Commissioner (Technical) in the National Insurance Commission.

Buhari has also renewed the appointment of Mr. Joshua Okpo as the Rector of the Maritime Academy, Oron for a second and final term of four years.

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How we are helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram - US

United States has said it is supporting the Federal Government in terms of intelligence sharing in the fight against Boko Haram.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, stated this on Friday in a Facebook question and answer session.

Entwistle pointed out that the US government under President Barack Obama was doing its best to make Nigeria wins the war against terrorism.

The envoy added, "No partner is doing more to help you against Boko Haram than the United States. We hope to train more of your troops; we are glad to discuss weapons transfers and we engage in significant information sharing, which I cannot discuss in detail in this setting.

"We also are doing everything we can to support the population of internally displaced Nigerians from the north-east and to help Nigeria create conditions that will prevent something like the scourge of Boko Haram from ever happening again in Nigeria.

"The US has for years had a beneficial working relationship with the Nigerian military, especially in the counter-terrorism struggle against Boko Haram. Now more than ever, we are committed to assisting our Nigerian partners as appropriate. That involves training, sharing of information and, in some cases, helping the Nigerian military with its equipment needs.

"The Leahy amendment requires that for all countries, we can not train known human rights abusers or that our equipment not be used in depredations against civilian populations."

Entwistle noted that paying attention to human rights would not distract from fighting terrorists.

He explained that on the contrary, it would make for a stronger counter-terrorism effort since it allowed the military to keep civilian populations on their side in the midst of the incredibly difficult task of fighting terrorists, who did not care about human rights or protecting civilians.

On stolen Nigeria's money allegedly in US banks, the ambassador stated that the US government was ready to continue its efforts to "find funds that were 'looted out of the country' and may now be in the US bank accounts."

He, however, urged Nigerians to exercise patience, saying the process of finding the looted funds was an "extremely complicated process which takes detailed investigation."

According to Entwistle, the cases can sometimes take time in the US courts.

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Four die in UK jet crash

A pilot and three passengers have died after a small private jet crashed into a car auction as it was trying to land.

A blaze broke out at the auction site based at Blackbushe Airport, United Kingdom, at 3.09pm when the Phenom 300 plane ploughed into a full car park. 

All four people on board the plane were killed, said Inspector Olga Venner from Hampshire Police. She added that the airfield has been closed.

Sky News footage showed the aftermath of the crash near the end of the runway and debris from the jet could be seen strewn among the dozens of severely damaged cars.

(Sky News)

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VIDEO: The Truth about Tonto Dikeh

Find out The Truth About Tonto on this episode of the Truth with Olisa. Tonto talks about her drift with her designer, her relationship with D'Banj and her status. She also gave us an insight of her movie career and music. Enjoy this episode.

When asked if she’s in a relationship, Tonto said “Yes I am..I don’t do all that. (flaunt her love life) My instagram is about me, my life, my kids(her dogs).”

Tontolet who bought a bag and refused to pay for the item told Olisa that “It happened a few months ago I just kept having somebody bugging me to patronize her .Personally I do not shop for myself.I have people who do all that.So I kept telling her I do not shop for myself,i don’t even do that in Nigeria.

It was my little friend’s birthday coming up and I had a similar bag,so I said ok, could you give me a bag and box that matches with that ?

I had not been in the country for almost two months, when it arrived .By the time I came to Nigeria,I looked at it.I mean,even if I had never used a designer before,I would know that was fake.

The bag was like $3000 because that was what she sent with the picture. I think they tend to send you the original copy of what ever it is. So that is what I got and I said I didn’t like it because it was fake and I couldn’t give that out as a gift.”

On how she resolved it, the actress said “I actually burnt the box ..Yes I burnt the box ..I couldn’t keep the box because I didn’t want it to be said that I kept it and was going to use it at some point.”
On why she didn’t return it, Tontolet said “I was going to give her but it was with my housekeeper for two months,waiting got her to take it.And when the instagram thing came out the next thing she sent me was a very insulting text message.”

Watch the video below for more: –

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Members of the PDP national working committee too corrupt - workers

The feud between the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and the staff of the national headquarters of the party in Abuja deepened on Friday as the aggrieved employees accused the members of the NWC of being too corrupt.

The angry workers also accused the members of the NWC of demanding N1bn bribe from the Governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, before he could secure the party’s governorship ticket.

The governorship election in the state comes up later in the year.



They alleged further that the NWC members demanded and received N750m bribe from Mr. Ndudi Elumelu with a promise to give him the PDP governorship ticket in Delta State for the 2015 general elections.

These allegations were made at a press briefing organised by the workers at Wadata Plaza, headquarters of the party in Abuja.

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Buhari to UN - 'We can now deal effectively with Boko Haram'

President Muhammadu Buhari said Friday in Abuja that with the formation of a stronger regional coalition, Nigeria and neighbouring countries now have an increased capacity to deal effectively with Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.

Speaking at an audience with Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa, President Buhari reaffirmed his belief that the full activation and deployment of the Multi National Joint Task Force which has been established under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission will lead to the speedy defeat and elimination of Boko Haram.



The President added that with the Command and Control Centre of the Nigerian military now in Maiduguri, Borno State, the morale of troops in the front-line states had improved significantly.
“You can tell the Secretary-General that we are doing our best and our best will be good enough for the nation and the sub-region,” President Buhari told Dr. Ibn Chambas.

Against the background of upcoming elections in Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso, the President also called on the United Nations to assist African countries in the acquisition and use of innovative technologies to ensure more credible elections.

“When citizens recognize that their votes count, it will boost their confidence in democracy and their countries’ electoral systems,” he said.

Recalling that in the last general elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission used smart card readers to authenticate prospective voters, President Buhari observed that while Nigeria could afford the use of such technology in its elections, other African countries may require support and assistance from the international community.

Dr. Ibn Chambas commended President Buhari for his strong and positive actions against terrorism.
The United Nations envoy also welcomed President Buhari’s successful visit to Cameroon this week and his reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of all border issues with Cameroon.

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Popular Yoruba actor Ajigijaga is dead

Popular Yoruba actor, Mufutau Sanni Abdulahi, popularly known as Ajigijaga is dead, Best of Nollywood reports.

According to the Executive Producer of BON Awards, Seun Oloketuyi, the actor's death was confirmed by president of The Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria, Comrade Saidi Balogun.



Ajigijaga who was popular in the early 90’s for his roles as a gang leader, was aged 60.

The late Ogun State born actor was also a member of Guild of Actors, Directors, and Producers in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the actor died at his residence at Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos today July 31st following injuries he sustained from a motorcycle (okada) accident two weeks ago.

The actor made waves in the early 90s in most Yoruba movies like, ‘IJEWURU’ and many others.

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Gunmen killed 16 as force chief promises to crush Boko Haram “very soon”

A female suicide bomber and Boko Haram gunmen killed 16 people in Nigeria as the commander of a new multinational force tasked with fighting the Islamists pledged on Friday to crush the insurgency “very soon”.

Major General Iliya Abbah’s appointment in an Abuja ceremony as chief of the 8,700-strong force came as a woman bomber on a tricycle killed six people in a busy market in Maiduguri, the largest city in Nigeria’s restive northeastern Borno state.


The jihadists also struck neighbouring Yobe state, killing at least 10 people including two women on Wednesday evening in a revenge attack against local vigilantes, a local official told AFP on Friday.

The suicide attack was the latest in a wave of Boko Haram bombings — often by female bombers — targeting markets in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon that have killed and wounded scores in the past month.

Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of civilians, including women and children, with many either forced or indoctrinating into joining the extremists, official say.

“The attack (on the Gamboru) market happened around 6:30 am (0530 GMT) as the grocers were arriving,” Babakura Kolo, a vigilante in Maiduguri, told AFP.

“From accounts we gathered from people around, the woman arrived on a taxi tricycle, as every woman grocer does. She blew herself up as soon as the tricycle stopped in the midst of other tricycles dropping traders off,” Kolo said.

Another local resident was at home when he heard the blast, and he rushed to the scene immediately afterwards.

“The place was littered with victims and burning rickshaws,” he told AFP.

Gamboru market is the second largest in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and birthplace of Boko Haram, which has killed at least 15,000 people since its bloody insurgency began in 2009.

The extremist group, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is forbidden”, has carried on its campaign of attacks on security forces, suicide bombings and bloody raids on villages across Nigeria’s north and eastern borders despite a major regional military campaign against them.

– Lake Chad offensive –
The new multinational force, whose troops Abbah said would be deployed “any time from today”, is expected to be more efficient than the regional offensive launched in February.

The force will contain troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, with Benin also committed to help.

“I assure (you), by the will of God, that I will live (up) to expectations and we will see the end of this menace very soon,” Abbah said in Abuja.

However Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has recently complained of a lack of resources, raising concerns over the force’s chances of defeating Boko Haram once and for all.

The Chadian army has gone ahead and waged a vast offensive of its own in the past fortnight, targeting Islamists holed up around Lake Chad and claiming to have killed “117 terrorists”.

Two soldiers have died and two were injured, a military spokesman said.

Alayi Wari, who fled his home in Fitinewa on Lake Chad for Nigeria, told AFP Boko Haram had stormed 10 villages in the past month, and that the army has since recaptured seven.

But Bullu Dagi, who has fled his home in Midi, said the villages were still “virtually deserted”.

“Although most of the these villages have been reclaimed, residents are still afraid to return,” Dagi said.

– Hideout

Boko Haram has used the Lake Chad region as a hideout to fall back from offensives by Nigerian and Chadian troops inside Nigeria. The lake lies where the borders of Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria converge.

The region has seen a surge in violence since Buhari took office in May vowing to crush Boko Haram’s campaign for an Islamic caliphate.

The latest attacks follow a visit this week by Buhari to Cameroon to discuss a stronger regional alliance in the wake of an unprecedented wave of five suicide bombings there.

Two of those attacks killed at least 33 people in the northern market town of Maroua, where a police officer on Friday confirmed a report that they had arrested three youths on Thursday, one allegedly carrying a plastic bag full of explosives.

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REVEALED: Nigeria To Become World’s Third Largest Country By 2030

The world’s population is projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and exceed 11 billion in 2100, with India expected to surpass China as the most populous around seven years from now and Nigeria overtaking the United States to become the world’s third largest country around 35 years from now.

This was contained in the report that was recently released by the United Nations in New York.

Moreover, the report reveals that during the 2015-2050 period, half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States, Indonesia and Uganda.


Wu Hongbo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, whose department produced the 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects, the 24th round of official UN population estimates and projections, noted that understanding the demographic changes that are likely to unfold over the coming years “is key to the design and implementation of the new development agenda.”

United Nations Member States are currently in the process of crafting a successor agenda to the landmark Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which wrap up at the end of this year. A new framework, focused on poverty eradication, social inclusion and preserving the health of the planet, is set to be adopted at a special UN summit, in New York this September.

According to the report’s projections, the current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.

“Most of the projected increase in the world’s population can be attributed to a short list of high-fertility countries, mainly in Africa, or countries with already large populations,” according to the report.

At present, China and India remain the two largest countries in the world, each with more than 1 billion people, representing 19 and 18 per cent of the world’s population, respectively, but by 2022, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China, according to the report’s projection.

Among the 10 largest countries in the world currently, one is in Africa (Nigeria), five are in Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan), two are in Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), one is in Northern America (US), and one is in Europe (Russian Federation).

“Of these, Nigeria’s population, currently the seventh largest in the world, is growing the most rapidly,” said the report. Consequently, the population of Nigeria is projected to surpass that of the United States by about 2050, at which point it would become the third largest country in the world.

The report also projected that by 2050 the populations of six countries are expected to exceed 300 million: China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States.

And with the highest rate of population growth, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth over the next 35 years.

During this period, the report said, the populations of 28 African countries are projected to more than double, and by 2100, 10 African countries are projected to have increased by at least a factor of five: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

“The concentration of population growth in the poorest countries presents its own set of challenges, making it more difficult to eradicate poverty and inequality, to combat hunger and malnutrition, and to expand educational enrolment and health systems, all of which are crucial to the success of the new sustainable development agenda,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the UN’s Population Division.

In contrast to the growth projections, a significant ageing of the population in the next several decades is projected for most regions, starting with Europe where 34 per cent of the population is projected to be over 60 years old by 2050. In Latin America and the Caribbean and in Asia, the population will be transformed from having 11 per cent to 12 per cent of people over 60 years old today to more than 25 per cent by 2050.

Further to the report, life expectancy at birth has increased significantly in the least developed countries in recent years. The six-year average gain in life expectancy among the poorest countries, from 56 years in 2000-2005 to 62 years in 2010-2015, is roughly double the increase recorded for the rest of the world. While significant differences in life expectancy across major areas and income groups are projected to continue, they are expected to diminish significantly by 2045-2050.

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