Saturday, March 26, 2016

New Year in Nigeria

That's why I'm cutting these short:

Police, protesters clash in Nigeria
US calls for investigation of Shiite deaths in Nigeria
Nigeria soldiers killed hundreds of Shi’ites in raid
Gas tanker in Nigeria explodes, killing dozens
Militant attacks kill about 80 in Nigeria

That's a rap for 2015. 

Now it is on to the new year:

"Nigeria suicide bombers kill 9 in hometown of kidnapped girls" Associated Press  January 27, 2016

LAGOS, Nigeria — Five women exploded their suicide bombs in the Chibok hometown of Nigeria’s kidnapped schoolgirls on Wednesday, killing nine people and wounding 32, witnesses said.

The marriage and honeymoon with the agenda-pushing pre$$ propaganda ended a while ago, for the videos were staged fakes.

Soldiers were searching the northeastern town late Wednesday for two other women seen with the bombers, according to teacher Emmanuel Cosmos.

A man at the scene said the blasts began when soldiers stopped a young women covered in a hijab for a routine search at the entrance to the open-air, roadside vegetable market in the northeast Nigerian town. She blew herself up. Then three women inside the market exploded their vests in quick succession. The spectator insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Residents blamed Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group that kidnapped nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014. Dozens escaped, but 219 remain missing.

--more--"

It may be a new year, and yet it is the same old sh**:

"86 dead in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria" by Ismail Alfa Associated Press  January 31, 2016

DALORI, Nigeria — A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, among 86 people who officials say died in an attack by Nigeria’s homegrown Islamic extremists.

I thought the Nigerian military, under the strong hand of the newly elected and U.S-supported leader was winning the war.

Scores of burned corpses and bodies with bullet wounds lined the streets after Saturday night’s attack on Dalori village and two nearby camps housing 25,000 refugees, according to survivors and soldiers. The shooting and burning continued for nearly four hours in the unprotected area, survivor Alamin Bakura said, weeping in a telephone interview.

If they were Syrian and pouring into Europe they would be getting much more attention.

Later, three female suicide bombers detonated their explosives among people who managed to flee to neighboring Gamori village, killing many people.

Boko Haram has been attacking soft targets, increasingly with suicide bombers, since the military last year drove them out of towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria.

The six-year Islamic uprising has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.

Yes, there are more refugees on the planet now than during World War II. 

What does that tell you?

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"2 suicide bombers kill 56 in Nigerian refugee camp" Associated Press  February 11, 2016

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in a northeast Nigerian refugee camp, killing at least 56 people, health and rescue officials said Wednesday.

A third female bomber was arrested and has given officials information about other planned bombings that helped them increase security at the camp, said an official of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency.

Some 78 people are being treated for wounds from the twin explosions that occurred Tuesday morning in a camp of some 50,000 people driven from their homes by the Boko Haram uprising, according to health workers in Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria.

Bombing refugee camps? 

Smells like qa-qa.

The emergency management official said 51 bodies were buried Wednesday in Dikwa, the scene of the carnage 53 miles northeast of Maiduguri. Health workers said five bodies were brought to the main hospital in Maiduguri. The officials said poor cellphone service delayed news of the attack.

Boko Haram’s six-year-old Islamic insurgency has killed 20,000 people, made 2.5 million homeless, and spread across Nigeria’s borders.

Governor Midjiyawa Bakari of neighboring Cameroon’s Far North province said two suicide bombers believed to have come from Nigeria on Wednesday killed 10 people and injured 40 attending a wake in a border village.

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"Strapped to a bomb and sent to die, Nigerian girl flees before attack" by Haruna Umar Associated Press  February 11, 2016

ABUJA, Nigeria — Strapped with a booby-trapped vest and sent by the extremist group Boko Haram to kill as many people as possible, the young teenage girl tore off the explosives and fled as soon as she was out of sight of her handlers.

Her two companions, however, completed their grisly mission, by walking into a crowd of hundreds at Dikwa refugee camp in northeast Nigeria, blowing themselves up and killing 58 people.

The girl was found later by local self-defense forces. Her tearful account is one of the first indications that at least some of the child bombers used by Boko Haram are aware that they are about to die and kill others. 

I'm starting to get the feeling that we are being played for fools.

Her story was corroborated when she led soldiers to the unexploded vest, Modu Awami, a self-defense fighter who helped question the girl, said Thursday, speaking by phone from the refugee camp, which holds 50,000 people who have fled Boko Haram’s Islamic uprising.

The girl is in custody and has given officials information about other planned bombings that has helped them increase security at the camp, said Satomi Ahmed, chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency.

The United States on Thursday strongly condemned the bombings. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States remains committed to assisting those afflicted by the conflict and supports efforts to provide greater protection for civilians and the regional fight against terrorism.

In other words, this is another staged and scripted hoax or actual false flag to advance the agenda and gain greater involvement in Nigeria. It's all part of the playbook.


Boko Haram’s six-year-old Islamic insurgency has killed 20,000 people, made 2.5 million homeless, and spread across Nigeria’s borders.

Awami said he had no information about how the girl came to be with Boko Haram. The extremists have kidnapped thousands of people and there are fears they are turning some captives into weapons. An army bomb disposal expert has said some suicide bombs are detonated remotely, so the carriers may not have control over when the bomb goes off.

Even two days later, it’s difficult to say exactly how many people died at Dikwa because there were corpses and body parts everywhere, including in the cooking pots, Awami said.

About as difficult to believe this.

‘‘Women, children, men, and aged persons all died,’’ he said. ‘‘I cannot say the exact number as some cannot be counted because the bodies were all mangled.’’

The latest atrocity blamed on Boko Haram extremists was committed against people who had been driven from their homes by the insurgents and had spent a year across the border in Cameroon. They had only returned to Nigeria in January when soldiers declared the area safe. The scene of the killings is 30 miles from the border with Cameroon.

I'm headed that way.

Such attacks make it difficult for the government to persuade people to return home. The extremists have also razed homes and businesses, destroyed wells and boreholes and stolen livestock and seed grains that farmers need to start their life again.

In other words, they are behaving like Israelis.

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And if you don't want to go home, they will make you go home:

"Nigeria forcibly resettles refugees to allow schools to open" Associated Press  February 24, 2016

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Nigeria’s government is forcibly resettling hundreds of people who lost their homes to Boko Haram’s carnage, some to a refugee camp where the extremists recently killed dozens, even though U.N. officers urged officials to consider the security fears of already traumatized people.

Some people wailed that they were being sent to their deaths. Camp managers ordered people onto trucks as armed soldiers stood by Monday in northeastern Maiduguri, birthplace of Boko Haram and a city of 1 million overrun by more than 1 million refugees.

Security forces deployed after attempts to move the refugees last week failed. Some refugees were manhandled and camp managers locked gates to prevent the departure of refugees who wanted to find other accommodation in the city.

On Wednesday, the military said it repulsed an attack on Dikwa refugee camp, where suicide bombers killed 58 people two weeks ago. The troops killed 26 insurgents but lost one soldier and a civilian fighter. They recovered many weapons including four anti-aircraft guns, a statement said.

President Muhammadu Buhari insisted Monday that his administration is giving ‘‘the highest priority’’ to resettling some of the 2.5 million refugees from the 6-year-old uprising that has killed about 20,000.

Officials announced months ago that refugees must move from schools occupied for nearly two years, so classes can resume.

‘‘I think it is very, very important, obviously key, to get children back to school,’’ Volker Turk, the top protection official at the U.N. Refugee Agency, said in a phone interview Wednesday after visiting camps in Maiduguri. ‘‘But in this whole attempt to get people into their home area or out of shelters, for us it is key that people are not pushed back to areas where they feel insecure.’’

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"Suicide bombers kill 24 at Nigerian mosque" Associated Press  March 16, 2016

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Two female suicide bombers killed at least 24 worshippers and wounded 18 in an attack during dawn prayers Wednesday on a mosque on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, officials said from the birthplace of Boko Haram.

No Muslim, no matter how extreme or pious, would do that.

One bomber blew herself up inside the mosque and the second waited outside to detonate as survivors tried to escape, said coordinator Abba Aji of the civilian self-defense Vigilante Group.

President Muhammadu Buhari sent condolences to families of victims, said the attack exposed the perpetrators as ‘‘mere criminals who have no place among civilized people,’’ and promised that ‘‘the final end of Boko Haram is in sight.’’

It was the second attack in five months on the Molai-Umarari mosque. Twin suicide bombers in October killed six people.

‘‘Do you know that among those in the mosque, only the chief imam survived’’ on Wednesday, said resident Adam Modu.

The mosque was closed after the October attack and had only reopened three days ago, residents said.

The mosque is on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the city that is the military command center of the war against Boko Haram.

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Time to head for the border:

"Cameroonian and Nigerian forces have freed several hundred hostages in a border town held by Boko Haram including young girls who were being trained as suicide bombers, the commander of Cameroonian forces said Saturday. Soldiers from the two countries also killed about 100 militants while liberating the Nigerian town of Kumshe, General Jacob Kodji said. Boko Haram began its insurgency six years ago in Nigeria, and has since expanded to the countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad as those neighbors have aided the military effort to quash the extremists." 

The displaced has risen to 2.8 million.

Finally, safety in neighboring Niger:

"Niger’s security-minded president vies for 2nd term in vote" Associated Press  February 21, 2016

NIAMEY, Niger — President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger stood for reelection in the West African nation on Sunday, touting his record of defending the country from Islamic extremists as he vied against 14 other candidates for a second five-year term. 

Looks like the Republican primaries!

Materials arrived late to some polling stations in the capital Niamey, delaying the 8 a.m. start time. Polling stations were to stay open until 7 p.m., though they were due to close one hour earlier in the southeast region of Diffa, a frequent target of attacks by the Nigeria-based militant group Boko Haram.

Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, hosts French forces and American drones to combat the regional extremist threat.

I can see why my print copy didn't carry that.

Issoufou’s supporters say he deserves a second term because of his success in preventing militants from setting up a base in the country, as they have in neighboring Mali.

But Boko Haram has hit Niger’s southeast region for more than a year, and recent high-profile attacks by Al Qaeda’s North Africa branch in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso have raised fears that Niamey may soon be targeted.

Nothing more than crisis drills.

After voting in Niamey, Issoufou said Niger “needs peace to build on its development.”

Issoufou’s strongest opponents include former prime ministers Seyni Oumarou and Hama Amadou. If no candidate earns more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will have a runoff.

That should be interesting.

Amadou has been detained since November for his alleged involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme, a charge he has dismissed as politically motivated. Amadou’s detention, along with the recent detentions of politicians, journalists, and even a singer who released a song critical of Issoufou, are cited by critics as evidence of Issoufou’s desire to silence opponents."


They are silencing themselves:

"Niger opposition says it will not recognize runoff results" AP  March 17, 2016

NIAMEY, Niger — Niger’s opposition says it won’t recognize results for the presidential runoff vote on March 20.

They are behaving like the GOP establishment.

Opposition coalition spokesman Amadou Djibo said Thursday the coalition will also not recognize institutions stemming from the vote, and is asking supporters to boycott polls.

The call comes the day after the party’s candidate, Hama Amadou, is reported to have been evacuated to Paris for medical treatment. Amadou, a former prime minister, faces President Mahamadou Issoufou in the runoff. Amadou’s spokesman last week said health problems saw him transferred to a Niamey hospital.

Amadou has been detained since November for alleged involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme, a charge he has dismissed as politically-motivated.

The opposition coalition also called for a political transition to organize new elections, saying the Feb. 21 vote saw rigging.

Show me an election where there isn't. 

--more--"

Let's start counting:

"President Mahamadou Issoufou faces an opposition figure, Hama Amadou, who was jailed from November to March on charges critics say were politically motivated. Issoufou campaigned on his credentials in the fight against Islamic militancy. Amadou earned nearly 18 percent of the vote in the initial round despite having been detained for alleged involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme."

"Niger’s president was running Sunday for a second term against an opponent who had to campaign from behind bars before being flown last week to Paris for medical treatment. Results were still be compiled Monday. President Mahamadou Issoufou finished first in the first round of balloting last month but without the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff. In second place, Hama Amadou, earned nearly 18 percent of the vote despite having been detained for alleged involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme, a charge he dismissed as politically motivated."

"Niger president wins 92 percent of vote amid low turnout" AP  March 23, 2016

NIAMEY, Niger — Niger’s president has cruised to an easy reelection, officials say, while his main opponent remains in France seeking medical treatment after being jailed for several months.

The electoral commission released results Tuesday showing that President Mahamadou Issoufou received more than 92 percent of the runoff vote. He had campaigned on his record of fighting Islamic extremists.

Participation was less than 60 percent of registered voters. The opposition had said it wouldn’t recognize the Sunday poll results because of irregularities in the first round.

Opposition candidate Hama Amadou was detained from November until March for alleged involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme, a charge he has dismissed as politically motivated. He was flown to Paris last week.

--more--"

As long as allies aren't complaining:

"Shell and Nigerian partner are sued in Britain over spills" by Stanley Reed New York Times   March 02, 2016

LONDON — Nigerian communities from the oil-rich Niger Delta initiated court action on Wednesday in London against the energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, in a case that may have far-reaching implications for whether companies can be sued in Britain for pollution and damages caused by their activities in other countries.

They have an Exxon Valdez every year. Makes the SEC hot.

The case is based on accusations by farming and fishing communities that say they have suffered years of damage because of repeated large spills from oil pipelines in their home areas.

Yeah, and they first came to my attention six years ago, and yet all we get is global warming gas from leaders and pre$$.

The law firm Leigh Day is bringing the claims against Shell and its Nigerian joint venture, the Shell Petroleum Development Co. of Nigeria, in London on behalf of two communities in the swampy, oil-rich Niger Delta: the Ogale and the Bille.

On Wednesday, the claimants won a small victory when a judge ruled that the Nigerian venture could be included in the case, along with its parent company.

That is where my printed paper stopped taking notes

Daniel Leader, a partner at Leigh Day, said in an interview that the outcome of what are likely to be lengthy proceedings “will set an important precedent as to whether the courts here are going to be willing to hear cases relating to multinational enterprises and their subsidiaries in the developing world.”

If the case is ultimately successful, he added, “cleanup costs could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Jonathan French, a Shell spokesman in London, said in an e-mail that the company was “at an early stage of assessing the Bille and Ogale claims.”

Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary said in a statement that “both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage, and illegal refining, which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta.”

The Nigerian joint venture is 55 percent owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Co., with Shell holding a 30 percent stake. The French energy company Total holds 10 percent, and Eni of Italy owns the remaining 5 percent. Shell has said that cleanup costs from spills are shared on the basis of holdings.

The company says it is committed to cleaning up oil spills, which it is obliged to do under Nigerian law no matter what the cause, but the company said it was not liable to pay compensation for damage caused by oil thieves and saboteurs.

In January of last year, the energy company settled a claim brought by Leigh Day on behalf of another Nigerian community, the Bodo, for 55 million pounds, or $77 million at current exchange rates, in a development that analysts say has encouraged new lawsuits

You don't bargain with terrorists.

French said the Bodo case differed from the ones now being brought because the company acknowledged that the spills in the settled case had been “caused by operational failure.” All of the money paid in that case was listed as compensation.

Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary said that it would fight having the case tried in Britain.

“We believe that allegations concerning Nigerian plaintiffs in dispute with a Nigerian company, over issues which took place within Nigeria, should be heard in Nigeria,” the company said.

Leader, however, said that bringing cases against oil companies in Nigeria was futile. “The Nigerian legal system cannot deal with these cases and there is complete regulatory failure,” he said.

Nigeria remains one of the most important countries for Shell production, but because of the theft of oil from its pipelines and other difficulties, the company is gradually withdrawing from onshore areas and is focusing on offshore facilities, where it is easier to maintain security.

A Nigerian gusher in waiting.

--more--"

New year but same old sh**.

UPDATE: 

How Boko Haram has turned more than 100 women into killers" by Dionne Searcey New York Times  April 07, 2016

The steaming stench of that swirler was overwhelming.

Boko Haram using more children as suicide bombers, UNICEF says

Same old stench from the same old source.