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ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
 Posted: 17-06-2012 13:53 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Three blasts hit churches in Nigeria Kaduna province
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18475853
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Three blasts have hit churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna.
Local emergency services reportedly rushed to the scene but did not release any reports of casualties.
All of the blasts happened close to the city of Zaria. Kaduna state has previously seen attacks by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
Last week the group attacked two church services, sparking violence which killed seven people. Hundreds have died in its previous attacks on churches.
Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said the blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabon-Gari districts of Zaria.
Wusasa is the site of the first church to be built in northern Nigeria.
Boko Haram has previously justified attacks on churches by saying they were carried out in revenge for killings of Muslims in central Nigeria during earlier bouts of violence.
Recently, hardly a Sunday goes by without reports of churches being attacked in Nigeria, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Lagos.
Boko Haram says it wants Islamic sharia law in place across Nigeria and analysts suggest it is trying to trigger clashes between Christians and Muslims, our correspondent says.
Last weekend an archbishop in central Nigeria appealed to Christians not to retaliate when churches are attacked, he adds. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 18-06-2012 11:40 Post subject: |
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36 killed in the explosions, then 20 more die in revenge attacks. Boko Haram got the sectarian disorder it desired.
| Quote: | Nigeria: Dozens dead in church bombings and rioting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18475853
Nigeria under attack
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?
At least 36 people have been killed in multiple blasts at at least three churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, and in subsequent reprisals.
Officials said at least 16 people died and dozens were injured in the blasts.
Some 20 more people were killed in later rioting apparently targeting Muslims, aid workers and witnesses said.
Kaduna state authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew as soldiers and police try to restore order.
No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts, but Kaduna state has previously seen attacks by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
Last week the group attacked two church services, sparking violence which killed seven people. Hundreds have died in its previous attacks on churches.
Revenge attacks
Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said two of the blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabon-Gari districts of Zaria.
Wusasa is the site of the first church to be built in northern Nigeria.
A third blast reportedly hit the nearby city of Kaduna, the state capital.
Unconfirmed reports from AFP news agency say explosions have hit two further churches in the state, south of Kaduna city, bringing the total number of attacks to five.
Red Cross officials told the agency that more than 20 bodies had been recovered after rioting, most "burned beyond recognition", and witnesses reported that Christian youths at a roadblock south of Kaduna were pulling Muslims out of cars and killing them.
Boko Haram has previously justified attacks on churches by saying they were carried out in revenge for killings of Muslims in central Nigeria during earlier bouts of violence.
Recently, hardly a Sunday has gone by without reports of churches being attacked in Nigeria, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Lagos.
Boko Haram says it wants Islamic sharia law in place across Nigeria and analysts suggest it is trying to trigger clashes between Christians and Muslims, our correspondent says.
Last weekend an archbishop in central Nigeria appealed to Christians not to retaliate when churches were attacked, he adds. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 19-06-2012 21:42 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria's Boko Haram: Damaturu and Kaduna under curfew
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18508092
The bombings have led to revenge attacks between Christians and Muslims
Nigeria under attack
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?
Nigerian authorities have imposed a curfew in the north-eastern city of Damaturu after clashes between Islamist militants and the army - and reinstated a Kaduna state-wide ban on movements.
The violence broke out on Monday, escalating overnight, with unconfirmed reports suggesting at least 25 deaths.
It follows Sunday's suicide bomb attacks, claimed by Boko Haram, on churches in Kaduna state.
Nigeria's main Christian body called the attacks "religious cleansing".
Sunday's suicide bomb attacks killed 16 people and sparked deadly revenge attacks in Kaduna, killing scores.
In a statement released to the AFP news agency, the Christian Association of Nigeria said the bombings were a clear indication that Boko Haram "has declared war on Christians and Christianity in Nigeria".
"The pattern of bombings and gun attacks suggests to us a systematic religious cleansing which reminds Christians of the genesis of a Jihad," it said.
The Christian group also criticised President Goodluck Jonathan's response, saying this had "cast a hallmark of weakness" on his presidency.
Scared
The Nigerian Red Cross told the Associated Press news agency that at least 25 people had died in the clashes at Damaturu - 20 civilians and five members of the security forces.
Other observers suggest the death toll may be higher.
A senior hospital official told AFP: "So far we have 34 dead bodies in the morgue. The figure is likely to rise."
Residents were too scared to leave their homes.
Gunfire was now restricted to a few areas of the city, Yobe State police chief Patrick Egbuniwe is reported as saying.
Damaturu, the capital of rural Yobe state, is 130km (80 miles) west of Maiduguri, the stronghold of the radical Islamist group.
Kaduna state authorities have reimposed a 24-hour curfew after an outbreak of violence in parts of Kaduna city on Tuesday.
Reuters reports that Muslim youths have taken to the city's streets and fired guns, burnt tyres and destroyed a church.
Revenge attacks between Christians and Muslims have been occurring since Sunday's bombings.
Boko Haram - which means "Western education is forbidden" - has said it carried out the attacks.
The group wants Islamic law, or Sharia, to be imposed across Nigeria - and has carried out a series of deadly attacks in the past two years. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 22-06-2012 20:33 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria Christmas Day bombings suspect arrested
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18551029
The Christmas Day attack was one of several directed at Nigeria's Christians
Nigeria under attack
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?
One of the men accused of responsibility for Nigeria's Christmas Day bombings, which killed dozens, has been arrested, security sources say.
Habibu Bama, a former soldier, was shot during his arrest in the north-eastern city of Damaturu, the sources say.
He is accused of being a member of the Boko Haram Islamist group, which has killed hundreds of people.
On Thursday, the US state department designated three Boko Haram leaders as terrorists.
Mr Bama, is believed to have masterminded the December 2011 attacks on a church near the capital, Abuja, as well as previous attacks on the UN headquarters and a military base, security sources have told the BBC.
In January, Kabiru Sokoto, another suspect in the Christmas Day bombings escaped from custody before being recaptured the following month.
His escape last month was a huge embarrassment for the police, whose leading officer was sacked shortly afterwards.
The security sources say Mr Bama was declared a wanted man shortly after Mr Sokoto was arrested.
'Religious cleansing'
The three Boko Haram leaders designated as terrorists are: Abubakar Shekau; Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid el Barnawi.
The move means any assets belonging to the men in the US will be frozen, and contact with US citizens banned.
More than 100 people have been killed this week in bombings, revenge attacks and gun battles in Damaturu and Kaduna.
Attacks on churches in Kaduna on Sunday, sparked reprisals against members of the Muslim community.
The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria suggested that the attacks on Christians resembled "religious cleansing".
Boko Haram has said it has carried out a number of attacks against government establishments, churches and other target since 2009.
The group, whose name means "Western education is a sacrilege" in the Hausa language, is based in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.
The south of the oil rich country is mostly Christian. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 14-07-2012 12:13 Post subject: |
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Looks as if this is the work of Boko Haram rather than a revenge attack.
| Quote: | Nigeria suicide bomber targets Maiduguri mosque
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18834387
The palace of the Shehu of Borno is in the centre of Maiduguri
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on the fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
A suicide bomber has killed five people at a mosque in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, security officials say.
The attack, reportedly by a teenage boy, narrowly missed one of Nigeria's most revered Muslim traditional leaders, the Shehu of Borno.
The blast happened at a mosque near his palace in the centre of the city as Friday prayers finished.
Maiduguri is the stronghold of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh says the group has not targeted a mosque before, but it is known to have assassinated Muslim leaders.
"A lone suicide bomber blew himself up while targeting some dignitaries coming back from the Friday prayer," Bala Hassan, Borno state's police commissioner, told the AFP news agency.
Deputy state governor Zanna Umar Mustapha said he was standing next to Shehu Umar Garbai el-Kanemi when the bomb went off.
"It was God that saved me and the Shehu, otherwise we would have been dead by now," he told AFP, adding that the religious leader's clothes were splattered with blood.
Just over a year ago, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for assassinating the Shehu's younger brother in Maiduguri.
At the time a sect spokesman said traditional institutions would come in for attack for colluding with the authorities.
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language, seeks to overthrow Nigeria's government and establish an Islamic state.
The group adheres to a strain of Islam that outlaws any kind of activity linked to Western culture.
Its militants have stepped up attacks in the last year, targeting the UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja, churches and security buildings.
The subsequent military crackdown in northern Nigeria has failed to improve the security situation and some argue it has also prompted the Islamist militants to increase the number of attacks.
Earlier this week, the group said it killed two politicians in Jos who were attending a funeral for people killed in communal violence in Plateau state, which lies on the fault line between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and Christian and animist south.
Boko Haram first came to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of its followers were killed when they attacked police stations in Maiduguri.
The next year the group started to stage drive-by shootings on government targets in revenge for the death of their founder in police custody. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 17-07-2012 13:40 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria Muslim school in Jos targeted by rocket
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18871816
Nigeria - Troubled Giant
Fuel scam: Decision time
Guide to Nigeria's trouble spots
Who are Boko Haram?
On the brink?
A 10-year-old boy has died after a rocket was fired at a school in the Nigerian city of Jos but missed and hit a nearby building, officials say.
The school authorities say the boy was not a pupil at the large co-educational institution owned by the city's Muslim community.
The BBC's Ishaq Khalid in Jos says the students were sitting their exams at the time of the blast.
Jos has witnessed years of inter-ethnic and religious violence.
Our reporter says it is not the first time that the Nurul Islam junior and senior school has experienced trouble.
Several weeks ago some people were arrested and a bomb defused in the area surrounding the school, he says.
Jos is the capital of Plateau state, which lies on the fault line between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and Christian and animist south.
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state, has also been behind various attacks in the city, mainly on churches.
Last week it said it had killed two politicians who were attending a funeral for people who died during communal violence in Plateau state. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 07-08-2012 13:00 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria church attack in Kogi state 'kills 19'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19161082
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
At least 19 people have been killed in a gun attack on a church in central Nigeria, officials say.
Gunmen stormed the church near the city of Okene in Kogi state and fired on worshippers, they say.
The pastor was among those killed when the assailants fired Kalashnikov assault rifles, the officials add.
It is not clear who carried out the attack but militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria.
BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the shooting happened further south than most areas affected by Boko Haram violence.
The joint military force commander in Kogi state, Lt Col Gabriel Olorunyomi, said the gunmen opened fire on the Deeper Life Bible Church in the town of Otite, near Okene, the AP news agency reports.
Many others were wounded in the attack and rushed to different hospitals, Lt Col Gabriel Olorunyomi said.
The authorities are searching for more victims who may have run into the bush nearby, he added.
In April, Nigeria's security forces raided a suspected bomb-making factory in the Okene area, killing at least nine alleged Boko Haram militants.
In February, Boko Haram said it had attacked a jail in Kogi, using bombs and heavy gunfire to free 119 inmates.
But most Boko Haram attacks have been staged in the largely Muslim north of Nigeria.
The groups wants to establish Islamic law in the country, whose large Christian and animist population mainly lives in the south. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 13-08-2012 12:36 Post subject: |
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I hope it was armed Boko Harem members who were shot.
| Quote: | Nigeria army 'kills 20 Boko Haram Islamists'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19234669
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
Nigerian troops have killed 20 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of the country, the army says.
One government soldier also died in a shootout in the town of Maiduguri.
Boko Haram has recently carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria.
The group wants to establish Islamic law in the country, whose large Christian and animist population mainly lives in the south.
On Sunday, the army said it acted on intelligence that a number of Boko Haram members were holding a gathering at a location in Maiduguri.
"Our men mobilised, leading to a shootout. Twenty suspected terrorists were killed while a soldier died in the operation and two others sustained injuries," army commander told the AFP news agency.
Boko Haram has not publicly commented on the army's claim.
Most of Boko Haram attacks have been staged in the largely Muslim north, but the group has also targeted churches in central Nigeria. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 28-08-2012 12:11 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria confirms informal Boko Haram talks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19388695
Boko Haram has carried out a string of recent attacks across Nigeria
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
The Nigerian government says it has started informal talks with Boko Haram to try to end deadly attacks by the militant Islamist group.
A presidential spokesman said the dialogue was through "backroom channels", without elaborating further.
The group's main faction earlier this week ruled out peace talks.
Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state, is accused of killing hundreds of people and targeting churches and other targets.
"The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are, what exactly can be done to resolve the crises," presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said.
He said this was being done "in the overall best interest of ensuring peace and stability in Nigeria and the security of life and property".
The spokesman added that the talks were going on with at least some members. Boko Haram, whose name means Western education is forbidden, is known to have several factions.
This is the first official government confirmation of dialogue with the militant group, the BBC's Nigeria correspondent Tomi Oladipo reports.
An earlier attempt at peace talks collapsed very quickly.
The group has so far made no public comments over the latest revelation of the ongoing attempts towards negotiations, our correspondent says.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian and animist south.
Boko Haram has staged most of its attacks in northern areas, but has also carried out some in the capital, Abuja and the volatile central city of Jos, where tension is high between rival Muslim and Christian communities. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 18-09-2012 12:48 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Boko Haram: Nigerian military 'kills top militant'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19627658
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
The spokesman for Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been killed by Nigeria's military, reliable sources have told the BBC.
However, Boko Haram has not confirmed that Abu Qaqa has been killed.
A military spokesman told the BBC that two militant suspects had been arrested, one of whom later died but his identity remains unknown.
Boko Haram has staged numerous attacks across northern and central Nigeria, killing some 1,400 people.
The military has previously claimed to have arrested Abu Qaqa but this was denied by Boko Haram, who said the wrong man had been detained.
The joint military task force said it stopped a car suspected to be carrying some senior Boko Haram commanders in Kano, northern Nigeria.
A source close to the military said one of the people in the car tried to escape and was shot. He later died in the hospital.
The source said some of the people in the car have informed the military that the person shot was Abu Qaqa, the man who signs emails sent to the media on behalf of the group.
Analysts note that Abu Qaqa is an alias, so establishing his identity will not be easy. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 23-09-2012 19:20 Post subject: |
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Hopefully the death toll will remain low.
| Quote: | Nigeria church bombed in Bauchi, Boko Haram flashpoint
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19691781
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
A suicide bomber has attacked a church in northern Nigeria , killing at least two people and injuring 48, according to the Red Cross.
Witnesses at the scene in the city of Bauchi said they heard a blast near St John's Church, possibly in a car park.
Bauchi has often been targeted by the Islamist Boko Haram group, which wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria.
Sunday attacks on churches took place regularly earlier this year but had eased in recent months.
Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.
On 16 September, Nigerian security forces said they killed Boko Haram's spokesman Abu Qaqa in a gun battle in the northern state of Kano.
However, the group has not confirmed his death.
Meanwhile, the military in Yobe state imposed a 24-hour curfew on two cities as soldiers went door-to-door, searching for Boko Haram members.
"Residents of the two cities are to remain indoors until further notice to enable security personnel to fish out Boko Haram terrorists," a military spokesman told the AFP news agency. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 26-09-2012 14:16 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigeria Boko Haram crackdown kills 35
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19703828
A church was the target of a suicide bomb blamed on the group on Sunday
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
At least 35 suspected Islamists have been killed in a sweep against the Boko Haram group in north-eastern Nigeria, the army has said.
The army said it detained more than 60 others during operations in Adamawa and Yobe states.
The Islamist group opposes Western influence in Nigeria and has carried out a string of attacks.
On Sunday, an attack on a Catholic church in the north blamed on Boko Haram left two people dead.
A military spokesman told AFP news agency that the operation took place overnight between Sunday and Monday and a curfew had been imposed in Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, ahead of the crackdown.
Soldiers went door-to-door in three of the town's neighbourhoods and exchanged fire with militants throughout the night. Two soldiers were injured in the fighting.
Dozens of guns and explosive devices, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition as well as 32 arrows and two swords were among items found in Boko Haram hideouts.
The town has been one of the worse affected by the activities of the group, which wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria.
In June, gun battles between suspected members and the security forces paralysed the city, leaving some unable to leave their homes or places of work.
Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram have killed some 1,400 people since 2010. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 29-09-2012 22:31 Post subject: |
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Heres hoping no church bombings take place tomorrow.
Nigerian officials arrested for Boko Haram attacks
| Quote: | Boko Haram attacks have left more than 1,000 dead since 2009
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19772831
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
Nigerian authorities have arrested a number of officials, accusing them of carrying out attacks for an Islamist militant group.
The military said they had captured an immigration officer who confessed to being an active member of Boko Haram.
His confession led to the arrest of a number of other officials.
Boko Haram has killed hundreds in northern and central Nigeria since 2009, when it launched a campaign to install an Islamic state.
The group's fighters have bombed government buildings and churches and assassinated Muslim clerics who disagreed with their views.
Their attacks have killed woman and children, Muslims and Christians.
Lt Colonel Sagir Musa said the immigration official was arrested last month while impersonating an army officer.
"He confessed to being an active member of the Boko Haram terrorist sect," said Col Musa.
"He also confessed to having been trained alongside 15 other members of the sect on weapon handling, assassination and special operations in Niger."
Col Musa said his testimony helped the military root out a number of others who had carried out attacks for Boko Haram.
Analysts have in the past said that the fight against Boko Haram was undermined because the Islamist group had managed to infiltrate the military.
Boko Haram shot to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of their members attempted to storm police stations and government buildings in Maiduguri.
The security forces quelled the rebellion and killed dozens of the sect's members, as well as its leader.
Since then, their attacks have been better organised and caused many more civilian deaths.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a largely Muslim north, and the south, where Christianity and traditional religions dominate. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 03-10-2012 12:30 Post subject: |
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Still unclear as to is responsible for this: Some suspect the Boko Haram militant group, while police sources are linking it to a student union election, which was contested on sectarian lines.
Now I can remember some bitterly contested SU elections but nothing that bad. The most bitter was between 2 varieties of Trotskyist, the winner is now a radio shock jock and the loser is a junior minister.
| Quote: | Nigeria attack: Mubi students' killings investigated
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19807964
Some Federal Polytechnic Mubi students have left the town since Monday's shootings
Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?
Nigeria's authorities are investigating the killings of at least 26 people in an attack on a college hostel in the north-eastern town of Mubi.
Most victims were students called out by name by the gunmen, police said. A resident said the attackers went from door-to-door, shooting or stabbing.
It is unclear who is responsible.
Some suspect the Boko Haram militant group, while police sources are linking it to a student union election, which was contested on sectarian lines.
BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman says the newly elected leader of the student union at the Federal Polytechnic Mubi was among those reported to have been killed.
Rivalry between different groups of students, sometimes influenced by national politics, religion and ethnicity, is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria's higher educational institutions; however, this would be the first time it has reached such a level of violence, he says.
Leadership positions on campuses can be a stepping stone for a future career in national politics, which many in Nigeria see as a licence to get rich quickly, he adds.
A curfew has been in force between 15:00 (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday and 06:00 (05:00 GMT).
The college has been closed and some students have fled the town.
Bodies in lines
Police in Adamawa state said the gunmen had inside knowledge, but stressed that the motive for the attack was not yet clear.
Accounts of the attack vary - one local resident said at least 40 people had been shot dead or stabbed.
A recent attack by Boko Haram militants on mobile phone masts in the area makes it hard to get information from the town.
Reports suggest men in military uniform entered a hall of residence outside the main campus shortly before midnight and gathered the students outside their rooms.
Some were shot dead and others stabbed with knives, and their bodies left in lines outside the buildings.
Some of the dead in Mubi were Muslim while others were Christian. Two security guards and an elderly resident were among the victims, the police said.
Residents are now only free to move around for a few hours each day because of a curfew imposed by the authorities.
Monday night's attack came days after dozens of people with suspected links to the Boko Haram militant group were arrested in the town.
Boko Haram has not yet commented on the attack. It is fighting to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has killed more than 1,000 people in numerous attacks across northern and central areas this year.
Adamawa state has a mixed Muslim and Christian population and borders Borno state, where Boko Haram came to prominence in 2009, staging an uprising in the capital Maiduguri. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17933 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 08-10-2012 19:52 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nigerian-forces-kill-30-islamists-arrest-10-141525839.html
Reuters – 4 hours ago
KADUNA, Nigeria, Oct 8 - Nigerian forces said on Monday they killed 30 members of Islamist sect Boko Haram, including a senior commander, and arrested 10 others in a weekend raid on the northeastern city of Damaturu.
Boko Haram is waging an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan's government with the avowed aim of reviving an ancient Islamic kingdom in majority Muslim northern Nigeria.
Styled on the Afghan Taliban, the sect's purported leader Abubakar Shekau has said he wants to impose Sharia law on the country of 160 million people, around half of whom are Christian and the other half Muslim. His movement has become the number one security threat to Africa's top energy producer.
Lieutenant Eli Lazarus, a spokesman for joint military and police forces in northeastern Yobe state, said in a statement that they had conducted cordon and search operations at a suspected Boko Haram hideout in Damaturu on Sunday and "engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists."
"About thirty suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours ... The notorious one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed," he said.
Ten others were arrested and "are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group," he added. Three homemade bombs, six assault rifles and 90 rounds of ammunition and several knives were seized, he said.
There was no immediate comment from Boko Haram.
The sect's fighters have killed more than 1,000 people in bomb or gun attacks since they intensified their struggle in 2010, rights groups say.
A military crackdown on the Islamists in the north appears to have weakened them, leaving them less capable of carrying out large-scale, sophisticated attacks like the one that killed 186 people in Kano in January. But they remain a deadly force.
Gunmen shot dead a Chinese national working for the China Geo-Engineering Corporation, the firm's Nigeria personnel manager Albert Audu told Reuters on Monday.
Cheng Jingli was shot dead on Sunday at a market in Gubio, northeastern Borno state, Audu said, but he added that police did not know if it was Boko Haram or robbers. On Monday, a bomb targeting security forces in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, at the heart of the insurgency, wounded two soldiers, Borno state security spokesman Sagir Musa said.
The crackdown has pushed the sect into new areas away from the northeast, widening its geographical spread. Two explosions in eastern Nigeria's normally quiet Taraba state on Thursday and Friday wounded around two dozen people and killed one.
Boko Haram usually targets the security forces or government offices, although churches and bars are also often hit. The United States has labelled Shekau and two other senior members 'terrorists' and put them on its sanctions list.
(Reporting by Isaac Abrak; Writing by Tim Cocks) |
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