NewStats: 3,264,851 , 8,184,894 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 03:10 PM 25i43

Two decades ago, Buhari, undoubtedly, lead the country well and, was the type the country needed with a zero tolerant of corruption personality, but the manner in which he came to power nullified that authority and undermined his supposedly credential and good work. Simply put,he lacks the moral justification to seek to benefit from a democratic system he overthrew.

That aside, if APC as a party is really serious to win the presidential election, then, individual, regional, tribal or religious interest should not be considered above the party's interest. I am a core northerner and if I have the opportunity of addressing APC, I will speak out my opinion which I believe is the opinion of many Nigerians, "don't field a northerner as your presidential flag bearer". My reasons are: all the northern known contenders are not competitive enough. Atiku cannot be a good candidate because most people see him as corrupt and look askance at him; Buhari is another bad choice because most people see him as pugnacious, fanatical, and sanctimonious religious bigot; Kwankwaso, although, the best of the three because of his brilliant performance in Kano, is relatively known outside of kano and the north. To me, the probable winning formula for APC is to field either Fashola, Oshomole, or Rochas as its presidential candidate. These three have good records, national presence, and are prominent. The massive ers of Buhari in the north are still intact; why not pick one of those to run with a northerner and get the votes from the south especially the southwest which undeniably will be the battle ground and the deciding factor in 2015 because voting patterns in the northwest, northeast, northcentral, southsouth, and southeast will not change much from that of the 2011 elections. My opinion, though.

Nigerian bishop details Boko Haram control -- and criticizes president



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The extremist Islamic group now holds 25 towns in the three northeast Nigerian states where they operate. Group has heavy weapons says Catholic prelate from Maiduguri, Boko Haram's 'hometown.'

By John Campbell, Guest blogger September 23, 2014




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A version of this post appeared in Africa in Transition. The views expressed are the author's own.

With only government-controlled communication from northeastern Nigeria, there is a dearth of information about what territory Boko Haram actually controls.

However, Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria often are better informed about reality on the ground than anybody else because their networks of local parishes staffed by priests cover most of the country.

Recommended: Think you know Africa? Take our geography quiz.

Hence the recent statement by the Roman Catholic archbishop of Maiduguri about Boko Haram deserves attention. The archbishop, Oliver Dashe Doeme, was born in 1960 and was made bishop of Maiduguri in 2009.







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Photos of the Day| Photos of the day 09/23

He lists 25 towns in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa as under Boko Haram control. With respect to Bama, possibly the second largest city in Borno, he acknowledges that the government and Boko Haram both claim control, but observes that the exodus of people from the city indicates that the Islamists have the upper hand.

The archbishop states that Boko Haram has armored tanks, armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank weapons, sub-machine guns, “new and latest guns AK47,” and “inexhaustible boxes of ammunitions and bullets.”

The archbishop denounces the behavior of the security forces: “In the face of these attacks, they flee and ask civilians to do the same.”

He is also highly critical of the Jonathan istration: “The near inaction of the government, the lukewarm attitude and the silence of the government is very disturbing. There is a total disconnection between what our so called leaders in Abuja report in the media and reality on the ground. We wish they have the courage to fly into these areas and see things for themselves.”

While the archbishop acknowledges that Boko Haram has killed many Muslims, he places Boko Haram firmly in the context of efforts to Islamicize northeast Nigeria, and that it has “an international face and connection.”

If the bishop's statement is accurate, where do the armored vehicles and other weapons come from?

Given their size, it is unlikely that Boko Haram procured them from Libya or some other place outside Nigeria.

More likely is that they come from Nigerian armories, presumably stolen or supplied by Boko Haram sympathizers.



The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of Africa bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To us about a blogger, click here.

Moneyb: My advice don;t go them. Go to google and check their reviews and you will c for yourself.
In forex trading your broker is your number 1 enemy even though you can't make money without yhem as they serve like a means of exchange. Do you due diligence so that you won't regret later.

Thanks for the advice

fxstory: my advice would be to make research on the broker and make use of their demo for some months before you go live with them

Thank you fxstory for creating the time to contribute to my post. Your advice is highly appreciated and will be implemented.

Please I will need your candid and expert advice on the genuineness of the forex trading platform, Bforex. I plan to invest my money trading, using their platform and, I will appreciate people's advice or comments on whether to or not to invest.

The truth is, every patriotic citizen has to be involved in project Nigeria. We cannot longer leave this country in the hands of a few elected politicians and officials who appear lacking ideas to put this country on the path to greatness and thereby making it a laughing stock. Whatever thing you can do, please do it, and if other patriotic citizens do same, the resultant effect will make us come out of the wood and wax stronger.

I can't understand how BH is growing bolder and stronger by the day. Few years back they operated in a guerrilla style; the hit and run strategy, remaining faceless and unknown. But these days they dare the Nigerian Army, confronting them in battle, overrunning and taking over government establishments, sacking and killing villages and villagers at will. Oh! How our military has been debased and humiliated by a sectional terrorist group. Before they take over Borno and Northern Nigeria and start marching southwards, but until then, I only pity the innocent people of southern Borno who the country has disappointed and failed. They, like us cannot defend themselves because they have a military that is supposed to defend and protect them, but alas, they now live on the mercy of boko haram while the country looks as if nothing is at stake.

Enough has been said of this inadequacy of military hardware, first by the governor of Borno state, and we all know how he was pilloried by the presidency and other citizens. Is it that difficult to purchase the best and modern weapons and equipment for our military? The military like any other federal institutions deserve the best. We should be serious as a nation, if not, even in the next 50 years we will still be talking about the numerous problems bedevilling this country.

hardbody: Just sad. Why murder these patriotic men? I am just tired of this rubbish, why don't they even resign en masse and let BH overrun the North once and for all times so that they can have the north of their dream.

And by the time they overrun the North, do you think they will be satisfied with their boundary?

kernel504: Please nobody should blame Jonathan over the menace in the North.
1, Most people sponsoring this group are from the North not south.
2. They had power for 38 years, yet couldn't enhance their children.They've enjoyed more from the entity called Nigeria.
3. Check the federal appointments, from Vice President,Senate President and even the lower house, yet Igbos are far better than them.
4. Allocation, they have the highest number of local governments Nigeria, and after Niger Delta they receive the highest federal allocation.

"What else can we do to help this FOOOL called north?"

With your above comment, I think you and your likes are the greater fools. Motherfucker!

Mixty:
Rubbish.
The former GMD (Andrew Yabuku) was also a
northerner. The most senior position in the oil and
gas industry (Minster of Petroleum) is held by a
Niger Deltan ( The incompetent Alison-Madueke).
NNPC GMD's are just figure heads.

I completely agree with you, NNPC management takes orders from the minister of petroleum. They are all powerless and never act without the authorization and approval of Madam Diezani Madueke.

Bayelsa, an oil rich state and home to the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria. The smallest state in the country, very riverine, mostly linear settlement with valleys and swamps on both sides.

ganye1: Senate should do the needful and approve that $1billion loan so that the bombs can stop.

$1 billion loan what? Was is not the same government and some unrepentant ignoramus that were crying blue murder and criticizing the governor of Borno state for saying Boko Haram is more equipped than the Nigerian Military.

The world can only have peace again if it is rid of Islam. Everything violence and terrorism is related to Islam. Iraq, Palestine-Israel, Afghanistan, Syria, Central Africa Republic, Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Nigeria - you name it. The day Islam dies is the day planet earth will have peace again. Buddhism, Hindus, Traditionalist, Paganism, etc. Is Islam the only religion?

Anasko: if i can recalled some days back the same sheikh dahiru bauchi was targeted with a bomb around kinkinau kaduna.

As a Christian, Dahiru Bauchi is the only Islamic cleric I knew that preached without religious bias. God, protect him.

tsolz84: It took the US only a few days to realize that something wasn't right.They left Nigeria as quickly as they came...they didnt stay up to 4days before they got the drift;LoL to those that still believe some girls were kidnapped..Even a blind man can see through the propaganda...they want the international communities to attack GEJ..thats all they are after;oh wait, you think those guys have time to babysit 200 and something girls?some dumb as5ses obviously dont understand the tricks involved in politics

With people like you and your types, this country can only be retrogressing. With your state of mind and myopic reasoning you don't deserve the life you live. Chibok and its environs, a predominant christian population is under attack with the aim of annihilating it totally or forcing it to embrace Islam, and yet, alien like you will vomit trash. Your heartless, soulless, and brainless personality need redemption.

Tupac was and still the best rapper of all time. Listen to Hit'em up and you'll understand what I mean.

Our missing $20 billion at work

EMERITUS85:

this shows how stupid and foolish you are



do you think every body is a kid or with low IQ to believe any trash story.

have you ever see 63 people in a group?


how can such small crowd travel all the way from sambisa without being noticed abi na only them waka come.

bro no kidnapper will leave such people without a single guard.




when they are all tired both the girls and the women they can go home

I think you are the one with the low IQ here. Do you read newspaper or listen to news at all, because if you do, you should have known that these 63 women are the Fulani women who were abducted about a month ago from their settlement in Yobe state and a demand of 8 cows per person made by their abductors before they can be freed. We should not be ignorant but understand that a Jihad campain is what is going on.

DONMAYOR19: What really surprise me most in this story is that 63 escape from boko haram out of 70 of them, I know one thing, that one, two, 5 or I can say 10 people can escape, but saying that 63 from 70 escape simply shows that those women just travel before not that they were kidnap....now I have come to conclusion that all these their kidnap about chibok are all LIES. Rubbish

These were the Fulani women that were abducted from their setttlement about a month ago in Yobe state and a ransom of eight cows or so per person demanded by their abductor before they can be freed. The case of the Chibok girls is different from this, because, this women are Fulanis and moslems and their abductors were less likely to treat them rough. Not so with those Chibok girls where more than 95% of the abducted girls are indigenous Borno Christian teenage girls - Chibok is also not far from the notorious Sambisa forest. Southern Borno where boko haram is current carrying out deadly attacks is a predominantly Christian population. Boko haram is fighting a Jihad to establish an Islamic state in Northern Nigeria first and then if not restrained after capturing Northern Nigeria will become unsatisfied with the territory it is having and then look southward to complete it mission. People think the boko haram crises is purely a northern agenda to frustrate Jonathan government - it is not. Sure, their see President Jonathan as a Pagan because he is not a moslem - the same way they see a non moslem. This crisis which is purely a Jihad campaign has been existing for a longtime but became fully matured with the late Mohammed Yusuf led leadership. This Jihad is the handiwork of elite muslims in Nigeria and OIC (organization of Islamic Countries). Their plan is to Islamize Nigeria by forcing Christians who they always refer to as infidels to submission through acts of terrorism. The Chibok school was attacked because the majority of the students are christians. These kidnapped girls are now being molested, dehumanized, and defiled because they are christians. We should know that boko haram is fighting those who are:
1. Non moslems including Christians
2. Those who are against their evil activities including moslems - reasons why Mosques and Islamic scholars are sometimes attacked and killed
3. Security agents - because they won't allow them kill innocent people like chickens without being challenged

Nothing borders us here in this country: corruption lingers, nobody cares; bad governance, nobody cares; perpetual and habitual power outages, nobody cares; frequent school shutdown, nobody cares; high rate of unemployment, nobody cares; poor infrastructures and social amenities, nobody cares; Police brutality, nobody cares; daily killing of citizens, nobody cares. Is clear and easy to see that we have lost focus in this country and only brave hearts can redeem and rescue us and not this set of current politicians that call themselves leaders. Is even worst that young minds that suppose to think deeply and find solution to our problems have lost their minds of reasons by aligning themselves blindly and shamefully along the political divide.

ritux: As for me, I don't believe those girls were kidnapped. Even the so called Americans came here and they could not find anything, whereas they were able to keep track and traces of Osama and Ghadaffi when they were running and hidding from one point to another.

Is so pathetic that you reason like this. Some of this abducted school girls parents have died out of shock and trauma, their mothers currently undergoing rehabilitation, video of the kidnapped girls forceful conversion to Islam reciting the Koran shown, and with an obvious fact that that school was attacked because it is located in a Christian community and most of the students Christians. With all this, it beat my imagination to think that some people out there still believe that the kidnapping never took place. Okay, it never took place, but we should all make efforts to rescue the girls, establish the validity of the kidnapping, and unraveling the mystery surrounding this episode, else, one day, your mother, father, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunties, etc. will be kidnapped and nobody will believe your tale. They will rather say, "you frame it all."

chi4ik: I'm an IGBO but Hausa Language is very simple to Learn followed by Yoruba.... Igbo is very hard to learn but when U finally learn it, it very sweet to speak $ it has so many proverbs...

I concur with you; Hausa Language is one of the simplest Nigerian languages. If you understand English, then you can easily learn Hausa because it has Noun, Pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition as well as other part of speech like the English Language. It also has singular and plural.

harttrick: This is the crux of the matter.Which is why part of the problem christianity faces today.It is the invention of many unscrulture things.To start with,is it a crime that an igbo man converts to islam?Rev father matthew kukah of sokoto diocese is a christian convert who hails from kano,am sure most of you don't know this.there are pure hausa christians from kano and hell has not let loose.For instance,part of janet jackson reason for dumping christianity for islam was that,she never know why the bible primarily is divided into two,that of 66 books and 73 books.Paul who never saw paul in his life has author most of the books in bible.The lists are endless.My friend just travel to U.S or U.k,you will die to see how christians are accepting islam despite the many challenges it faces of few disgruntle elements painting it black(which every religion have)In christianity for instances,nudity in church,prostitution,armed robbery etc are perpetrated mostly by xtians.please go to kainji,shiroro or any nearby PHCN transformer and HUG it,I believe harmattan dey worry you.

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah had never been a convert. He is a christian and a catholic right from his mother's womb.

harttrick: This is the crux of the matter.Which is why part of the problem christianity faces today.It is the invention of many unscrulture things.To start with,is it a crime that an igbo man converts to islam?Rev father matthew kukah of sokoto diocese is a christian convert who hails from kano,am sure most of you don't know this.there are pure hausa christians from kano and hell has not let loose.For instance,part of janet jackson reason for dumping christianity for islam was that,she never know why the bible primarily is divided into two,that of 66 books and 73 books.Paul who never saw paul in his life has author most of the books in bible.The lists are endless.My friend just travel to U.S or U.k,you will die to see how christians are accepting islam despite the many challenges it faces of few disgruntle elements painting it black(which every religion have)In christianity for instances,nudity in church,prostitution,armed robbery etc are perpetrated mostly by xtians.please go to kainji,shiroro or any nearby PHCN transformer and HUG it,I believe harmattan dey worry you.

Please, get this right: His Lordship Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, hails from Anchuna in Zango-kataf local government area of kaduna state. You are right in your statement that there are hausas in Kano that are christians. They are mainly the Maguzawas in parts of Ikara LGA, Makarfi LGA, and Soba LGA of Kaduna State, Zaria, kano, and Malumfashi area of Katsina State.

I recently bought a fairly used iPhone 4S, I can't browse with it and the apps are not working. I find it difficult to operate it to the extend that even the alarm that I set- I cannot deactivate. Please, help me.

Comments like this only make me feel aghast and astonished. Amaechi should go and beg that he won the NGF election and the loser his parading himself as the winner and NGF chairman with the seemingly of the presidency or that five out of thirty two state lawmakers in the most absurdity, outrageous, and comical fashion never known in history attempted to impeach a Speaker with the obvious intention to impeach the governor. Bootlickers and fawners like you is the reason why this country will long see effective leadership. The boss is always right I guess! Rubbish.

Buchiano(m):
Amaechi is still waiting for the whole world to beg him before he goes to meet the president $ apologise, I pity him shaa, the end is just nigh for him.


Meanwhyl wat is it with all this solidarity hypocrisy of a thing Governors shld face there states $ deliver dividends of democracy to the masses that voted them in rather than this solidarity rubbish of a thing.

Earnestly, my heart bleak anytime I read this kind of statement from a supposedly educated and matured minds. Soldiers are even attached to small firms and banks here in Nigeria lest a state governor and the first citizen of a state and you are here ignorantly nay, deliberately spewing gibberish. With this type of proclivity and sentimentality, are we serious as a country?

solomon111: Soldiers are not meant to be attached to any governor.
It's wrong.
Those soldiers and whoever attached them should be punished.

I disagree with you in totality because should anything happen to Mr. President (God forbid), then perceived or known foes of Amaechi will be politically redundant and pulverized.

Billionaires: Sorry about the hurt in your soul. Like I always say, Politics is not a game of emotion, you work with emotion and you are guaranteed to die young in this game. Politics is not perfect worldwide, but lets always analyze issues based on by-laws and constitution, because at the end of the day, thats what we swore to abide by. All animals are not equal. Amaechi has been running around acting like Olympus of Rivers State politics. Always , money alone can not buy you class, Amaechi will go down in history as a common miscreant, mark my words. Tell me how he can succeed with too many enemies, he is not in same wavelength with Rivers PDP, he is not in same wavelength with the Rulers, he believes that having a hold on majority in the House of Assembly is what can save him. That's arrant nonsense.

The only health challenge I have been facing since 1994 is MALARIA; I've suffered so much from it that I often feel depressed and hopeless. It has effected affected my productivity, efficiency, output etc negatively in all endeavors. I am diagnosed and treated of malaria almost every week and having the symptom even now, after treatment last week. Sometimes I thought that the symptoms are caused by other diseases and not necessary malaria parasite but the diagnoses always confirmed malaria parasite and the physicians always assured me that the symptoms are exclusively malaria. The day I am rid of malaria completely will be the happiest day of my life.

Make similar statement in a place like Kano using The Prophet Mohammed instead; in less than a minute, you will be transformed to spirit as your execution would be too swift and fast that you don't know when the heart stops breathing

aweleokolo: its funny how I'm seeing Christians saying " If it were Mohammed...blah blah blah, the Muslims would have taken to violence...". Are we now to behave as some Muslims do? As children we were taught to say "What would Jesus do?" but as grown adults we have lost that great wisdom. Its a shame. Lets all do as some Muslims do and then call ourselves devote Christians

We should be objective and honest in our thoughts and commnentaries.If it was a christain that made such careless so call joke using Prophet Mohammed,the aftermath would have been riot and crisis in some sections of the country.

Tonitelli: This is silly..really....I wonder who analyzed this tweet from rufai in CAN...no understanding whatsoever...he wasnt insulting Jesus in anyway..he was just trying to show how far maku and his attack dogs will go to discredit anyone who says a thing abt the govt.....now I can't help but wonder if CAN isnt a PDP branch as they say...