Headlines
Commanding Officer of 158 Battalion, Soldiers Killed in Boko Haram Attack
The Boko Haram insurgents have attacked a military location at Kareto village in the Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State, killing the Commanding Officer of 158 Battalion, and an undisclosed number of soldiers.
The acting Director, Public Relations, Nigerian Army, Col Sagir Musa, had yet to reply a text message sent to his phone on the incident as of press time on Friday.
There are fears that the terrorists are still within the local government area planning more attacks on troops and civilians.
The attack on the 158 Battalion and the killing of its commanding officer came about one month after the terrorists planted an Improvised Explosive Device which killed the Commanding Officer of 154 Task Force Battalion, Lt Col Yusuf Aminu.
The officer and two soldiers were on May 13 killed along the Borgozo-Mauli Road in Borno State, an incident which was confirmed by the army days later, after the Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, attended the burial of the soldiers at the Maimalari Military Cantonment Cemetery, Maiduguri.
Our correspondent learnt on Friday that in the latest spate of attacks, the terrorists attacked the 158 Battalion’s location on Democracy Day, carted away military weapons and later relocated to neighbouring Fuchimiram village.
The commanding officer, whose name had yet to be confirmed, and some soldiers, were reported to have been killed by the terrorists.
“The troops in the entire local government and beyond are still vulnerable. We need more reinforcements to be able to curtail the terrorists’ attacks. Some of the terrorists are presently in Fuchimiram village,” a military source said.
A day before the June 12 attack, the military authorities confirmed that terrorists had invaded Darak in northern Cameroon, killing 10 soldiers of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, while 64 of the insurgents were also neutralised during the fire fight.
The MNJTF Chief of Military Public Information, Col Timothy Antigha, in a release later said that about “300 heavily armed Boko Haram terrorists invaded Darak,” but claimed that they were repelled by troops.
The Punch
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
