11 killed as military foil Boko Haram invasion into Maiduguri

A family of five and 6 other individuals were among those who were killed in a gun battle between Boko Haram members and Nigerian troops in Dala, Borno state yesterday May 29th.

According to reports, the terrorist, who came in their numbers, had tried to invade Maiduguri, the Borno state capital but met a strong resistance from the troops stationed in the area. Many residents were seriously injured as they tried running to safety. The troops repelled the attack.

Nigerian Army Dismisses 200 Soldiers for Failure to Capture Sambisa Forest

A total of 200 soldiers have been dismissed by the Nigeria Army at the Rukuba Barracks in Jos, Plateau State, for their failure to capture Sambisa Forest, a popular hideout for Boko Haram insurgents located in Borno State.

They were arraigned on a two-count charge of “failure to perform military duty and disobedience to standing order,” Vanguard reports.

One of the dismissed soldiers, Aguloye Sunday, confirmed the news but said the charges were “untrue, false, and malicious.”

He denied the army’s claim that the soldiers abandoned their duties and ran away. Sunday also stated that sufficient weapons were not provided for them to fight the terrorists and, therefore, they ran out of weapons. He also claimed that the weapons they had were obsolete.

“The bombs given to us were made in 1964; they were expired, so we could not use them. Each of us was given five bullets, not five rounds, to fire. While in the forest, our biggest weapon was to cover just a distance of 400 meters, but our enemy had aircraft weapons that could cover a distance of more than 1,000 metres, aside other dangerous weapons.We only retreated to our base and waited in vain for ammunition for three days,” he said.

Commenting in a statement, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, S. K. Usman, said in a statement:

On disciplinary action being taken against some soldiers for cowardice and desertion in the face of enemies, especially as regards the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, most of the stories and figures being peddled are far from accurate. Disciplinary processes or trials are never done with prior intention to dismiss anyone in the Nigerian Army. The only intention is to dispense justice and even at that, due process is normally followed.

Tight security around eagle square for inauguration

Abuja - Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has ordered there be tight security in and around eagle square to prepare for the Presidential Inauguration,
Security has also been increased in major hotels where important dignitaries will be lodged in.
Motorists have been warned that traffic will be diverted around eagle square to avoid congestion as well as roads leading into the FCT.

Police have apologised for any inconvenience caused by traffic and more police have been deployed in various parts of the FCT for a hitch free transition.
However, the FCT has been given a lift with miniature flags which are mounted on the streets.
Courtsy: Punch

British council's Cutting Back On CCTV

Councils are cutting back on the use of CCTV cameras to try and cut costs, a surveillance watchdog has warned.

Tony Porter, the surveillance camera commissioner, has said he is concerned about local authorities scaling back on cameras because it would make it harder for police to combat crime.

Mr Porter told The Independent town halls could face increased scrutiny of their use of CCTV, including potential inspections and enforcement.

He said: "There are an increasing number of examples where councils and employees are citing a lack of money as being the rationale to reduce the service or completely change its composition - and that does concern me.

"Because CCTV isn't a statutory function, it is something a lot of councils are looking at.

"Most people recognise the utility of CCTV for supporting law enforcement.

"To degrade the capacity may have an impact on police.

"It may well be that they will find it increasingly difficult to acquire the images that will help them investigate crimes.

"I do think public authorities should be held to greater account. If that is some form of inspection and enforcement notice.

"I think that can be achieved with a fairly light touch."

The British Security Industry Authority estimates there are up to six million CCTV cameras, with around one in 70 publicly owned.

Mr Porter has written to council chief executives to remind them of the law and code of practice.

He is due to reveal the findings of a review into standards to Home Secretary Theresa May in the autumn.

Mr Porter warned of the misuse of CCTV in some areas in a speech earlier this week.

He told the CCTV User Group conference: "I've seen councils in large towns like Blackpool and Derby stop monitoring their systems 24-7.

"My understanding is that this is not as the result of a review or public consultation but simply to save money.

"And as austerity measures continue to bite on public space CCTV will we see a deterioration of standards and training?"

Mr Porter went on to add: "I am sure that most town centre public space CCTV is in line with the code or fairly close.

"But I recently asked a large city centre council to do a survey of all public space surveillance cameras within it.

"What has come back is quite shocking but not unexpected."

Mr Porter said it was found that cameras were being used by other departments, including traffic, waste management and housing services.

Privacy assessments were also not being routinely carried out, the survey found.

A Government spokesman said: "Public safety is paramount and the majority of local authorities have continued to balance their budgets and increased or maintained public satisfaction with services.

"Crime has fallen by more than a quarter since 2010, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.

"This means citizens and communities are safer than at any point since the survey began in 1981.

"Decisions on CCTV provision should be a local decision by elected local councillors, reflecting local circumstances and the views of local residents - especially in relation to any concerns about crime."

New Militant Group Demands Niger Delta Peoples Republic

A group, Movement for the Survival of Niger Delta Indigenes (MOSUNDI) has commenced agitation for self-determination and independence from the present Nigeria. The demand is coming on the heels of a similar recent agitation by the Lower Niger Congress (NLC) for the restructuring of Nigeria to allow each region of the country to be equal and to also control its resources for the betterment of their people. NLC is made up of people of the South-South and South-East geographical region.
MOSUNDI which in itself represents the six states of the Niger Delta (South-South) and part of the present Ondo State say its agitation for self-determination and independence is anchored on wicked marginalisation, deprivation and slavery by the major ethnic groups in Niger inspite of fact that Niger Delta produces the economic wealth of the nation.
In a letter to the Secretary-General of United Nations, Dr. Ban Ki-Moon and signed by its President, Prince Samuel Amaiwo, Chimezie Ezebunwo Timothy, Hon. Okan Obukohwo Okan and spokesman Godgift Edigbe, MOSUNDI seeks for a United Nations’ Supervised referendum for self-determination of the Niger Delta Peoples of Nigeria based on the UN charter, Articles, resolution, International Court of Justice decision and the Scotland referendum.
The agitation for the Niger Delta Peoples Republic according to the letter is predicated by political, Social-economic and religious discrimination of the Nigeria, Hausa and Yoruba against Niger Delta people.
It said, “from independence in 1960, the Niger Delta has been a well spring of Nigeria resource of revenue due to the huge oil deposit but the people have continued to wallow in abject poverty, environmental degradation due to economic, political, social and religious violence visited on them by the majority Hausa-Fulani/Yoruba’s Islamic elites, our people as a result of economic, political, social and religious violence visited on us, live in abject poverty without the minimum basic necessities of life, that is, water, sanitation, healthcare, education.”
“Oil exploitation and exploration and production in the Niger Delta has degraded our environment, devastated our fish stocks and our farmland, the principal sources and strength of micro-economic activities of our people health reducing life expectancy and also damaging physical infrastructure that the cost of living has sky rocketed beyond the reach of the people, of note in the oil industry which has created a ‘NEW NOVEAU RICH’ amongst the Hausa-Fulani/Yoruba elites that has wickedly and deliberately denied our people management jobs within an industry that is located at the heart of the Niger Delta Communities, the letter said.
The group noted that the people of the Niger Delta disputed the result of the 2006 population which was carried out by the Federal Government, reason being that the ploy was a measure to depopulate and reduce the number of people of the region which is being used in allocating resources in Nigeria. It queried why Nigerian Federal authority did not use water resources or the inclusion of transportation of Petroleum through VAT in determining resource allocation.
It said the proposed Niger Delta Peoples Republic is economically viable and would not depend solely on international hand-out from other countries except with respect to contributory shared Debt of the Federation of Nigeria. According to MOSUNDI, the proposed new country has would be politically stable, culturally compatible, geographical contiguous as well as religiously congruous.
It further accused the Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba of allotting 90% of the oil blocks in Niger Delta to themselves due to their vintage position at the central government level. It further remarked that the agitation for a republic of the people of Niger Delta has become a long struggle starting from the era of Willincks Commission due to the lop-sidedness of Nigeria Federalism and massive greed of the majority ethnic Nationalities and insisted that peaceful separation is the key to lasting peace in what it termed the faulty federation called Nigeria.

Police Kill 26 Cultists In Rivers

About 26 persons suspected to be cultists have been killed allegedly by men of Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of Rivers State Police Command in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state. It was gathered that the incident occurred in a forest around Obesemini community in Egi in that LGA.
Though the name of the cult group could not be ascertained, it was learnt that men of the SARS stormed their camp in the wee hours of Thursday, and gunned them down. A security source who did not want to be mentioned said neighbouring communities around the forest were Akabuka and Oyioga.
A member of a vigilance group, who also confirmed the story said the suspected cultists could be responsible for the killings that had been recorded in recent times in ONELGA. He added that the corpses which were abandoned in the forest, were discovered by some hunters early in the morning.

Police IG, Makes New Orders, Bars His Men From Carrying Bags For Politicians, Wife, Others

There is a recent welcomed development in the Nigeria police sector, as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, on Thursday made some new orders which included warning his men from detaining suspects more than 24 hours.
The Police high-ranked inspector stressed that appropriate due diligence should be conducted before arrest warrant was issued.
He also banned policemen posted to provide security for top government officials from carrying their bags or converting themselves to domestic staff, just as he emphasised his disdain against all forms of corruption.
According to him, "management decided to invite you for interaction so we get first-hand information from you. We expect that you should no longer collect money from members of the public, you should be civil to the public and observe all forms of human right abuses.
"Some of you who are escorting think they are in their bedrooms. Misuse of firearms, Force Order 223 is there. Make sure you observe the provisions of this law. You must change your attitude to the public because we need them to support us.
"We shall train you on alternative disputes resolution. All those who dabble into land matters and commercial matters should hands off and advise them to go to the court.
"You should no longer detain anybody more than 24 hours. Before you invite anybody, ensure that you have investigated the issue and have with you concrete evidence before you invite or arrest anybody.
READ ALSO: Lamido jets out to S/Arabia, leaves N14bn debt
"Henceforth, only government officials are entitled to police protection. You should no longer carry people's bags, open their doors, man their gates or engage in any domestic chores for anybody. I have directed the commissioners in-charge of airports to arrest you if they see you dragging your pistol with boxes or bags of anybody.
"For your promotion, immediately after the inauguration, the DIG in-charge of training will invite those of you who are qualified to the various training colleges so that you can be trained for promotion.
"On no account should we see anybody on our highways wearing slippers or shabbily dressed. If we see you, we are going to arrest you. You have been given authority to arrest anybody who is blowing siren. It has been banned, but you must not carry horse whip, you must be civil," he ordered.

Pictures of Gov Fayose ensuring peaceful relocation of Hausas from Atikankan, Ado Ekiti to Sasa, Ikere road tod

 

Consequent upon the crisis between Hausas living in Atikankan, Ado Ekiti and some members of Drivers Union which has led to destruction of properties, especially the burning of the Oja Oba, Ado Ekiti, Gov Fayose directed that the Hausas be relocated TEMPORARILY to SASA, Ikere road.
The governor personally supervised the movement of the Hausas from Atikankan to Sasa this morning, making sure that none of them was attacked.
Vehicles were also provided by the government.

Police Parade 30 Crime Suspects In Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command has paraded 30 crime suspects, including two among the armed robbery suspects that escaped during the jailbreak in Ekiti prison in 2014.




The State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, who gave details about the crime suspects at a media briefing, disclosed that 12 were suspected armed robbers, five were cultists, three were kidnappers, two were burglars, and seven were caught for motorbike snatching, among others.
Stolen items recovered by the Police from the suspects include one laptop computer, mobile phones, and two motorcycles.
The Police Commissioner‎ commended the efforts of the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other sister security agencies in the state for the efforts made in combating criminality in the nation and the state respectively.
According to him, the two inmates that escaped during the Ekiti jailbreak, Tope Daramola and Banji Adedayo, equally confessed to committing other robbery crimes.
“On interrogation, they confessed to committing the crime and other robbery cases, including Ekiti bank robbery and that both were inmates that escaped during the Ekiti jailbreak,” he said.

10 Canadians arrested for trying to join jihadist groups

Canadian police have arrested 10 young people for allegedly attempting to join jihadist groups in the Middle East, reports said.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement, cited by The Canadian Press on Wednesday, that no charges had been laid yet and that the investigation was ongoing.

The RCMP statement did not specifically mention which group they were joining, but said the 10 youths were “suspected of wanting to leave the country to join jihadist groups”.

The youths, whose names and ages were not reported by the police, were arrested at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport last Friday, the report said.

“These are very difficult times for the relatives and loved ones of the persons arrested,” the RCMP said in the statement.

“As a result, family members often find themselves at a complete loss and unable to understand the decision made by the youth.”

The arrests come months after five boys and two girls from the Montreal area left the country and apparently joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.

Another Canadian teen was arrested in March for aiming to join the armed group that holds sway over vast area of Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

Police Nab Suspects In The Deadly Lekki Bank Robbery | Photo

*Of the N15m loot, I got N50,000— Boatman

LAGOS—Police in Lagos have arrested four suspected members of the 22-man robbery gang that invaded the Lekki branch of First City Monument Bank, FCMB, two months ago in Lagos, killing five persons.
Recovered from the suspects were a 2008 model Honda Accord car purchased by one of the suspects from his share of the loot; a white Blackberry Z10 phone, one Apple i-Phone 5, one military face cap, used during the operation, and 120 expended ammunition.
Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were oil bunkerers recruited from Delta, Ondo states and Arepo in Ogun State. They were identified as Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20, and Ekelemo Kuete, 30.
One of the suspects, Odogbo, who gave a graphic explanation of how the bank robbery took place, revealed that it took the gang 24 hours to plan the operation at Tarkwa Bay.
He further told a crowd at the Police Command headquarters, where they were paraded, that his share of the N15 million loot was N500,000.
‘I was invited from Warri’
According to him, “I was invited by a friend from Warri, Delta State, to come for bunkering job. But on reaching Lagos, I was told it was a bank robbery.
“I told them I was into bunkering and not robbery. But because they told me we were going to make much money from it, I decided to join them.
“On the day of the operation, we left Tarkwa Bay at about 4.30 p.m., in two boats; with 11 persons on each. But one of the boats developed fault on the way. We all entered the good one.
“We got to the bank few minutes after 5p.m. Immediately we left the canal, some of us went to the road and started firing, thereby making way for those of us that would go inside. I led the team that went in.

The suspects and the recovered car (inset).

“We were all putting on Army camouflage. I shattered the entrance glass with bullets and when we got inside, we demanded for the money realized for that day. The manager told us they did not make much.
“But we broke into one of their strong rooms where we got some money. We also broke into two ATM boxes, but there was no money in either of them. We told ourselves that the operation must not exceed 40 minutes.
“To my surprise, by the time we were leaving, I discovered that my colleagues were with seven extra rifles. When I asked, they said they saw some policemen in a van, concluded they were there for us and shot at them. I was not the one that shot the policemen. I did not kill anyone.
“It was when we got to the forest, located in an island in Ikorodu that we discovered that the amount stolen was N15 million and I got N500,000. I used my share to boost my bunkering business.”
I was in charge of the boat—Kuete
On his part, Kuete confessed that he drove one of the speed boats, adding that he was given N50,000 at the end of the operation.
Kuete, who resides at Arepo area of Ogun State, said: “I must confess, I knew that we were going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo and I make at least N80,000 from each operation.
“I was hired to take them to the bank. I remained in the boat with four others, while the rest left for the bank.



“When they came back, we headed straight for our hideout, where our leaders shared the money according to individual’s involvement. I got N50,000.”
The dead
Parading the suspects before journalists, the command boss gave the identities of those who lost their lives in the operation as Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sergeant Odehowho George, Corporal Imoise Ikechukwu, Mr. Sowemimo Kabiru and Miss Sarah Ibikunle, the 15-year-old girl, who sold fish close to the bank.

 Source: Vanguard

How CCTV is making a difference in Johannesburg

Now that the recent xenophobia violence has ended, Johannesburg's inner city is still working to shake off the image that it is ridden with crime.

CCTV cameras that were installed many years ago are beginning to show some positive results when it comes to tackling offences in the centre of town.
Milton Nkosi went to see how Big Brother is helping to bring down serious crimes.

Source: BBC

The military strategy that cleared Sambisa forest

By the time we capture Sambisa forest completely, we will be able to find out where the Chibok girls are, because as it is now, anybody you ask in the captured territories so far, they say they did not see them; that they are not there”.
With these words, Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, set the tone for the massive invasion of the vast Sambisa forest by the armed forces and the rescue of the hundreds of abducted young girls, women, children and some elderly citizens.
“When we capture Sambisa forest, we will be able to know where the Chibok girls are and government will take it up from there. And in the next six months, I’m sure that Nigerians would have forgotten that Boko Haram existed and terrorized a region, I believe so”, Minimah added.
At the last count on Friday, military authorities told Sunday Vanguard that about 687 young women and children had been rescued from the Boko Haram camps.
But the fighting to break into the mine-laden Sambisa forest was not an easy task as revealed by military sources. Some parts of the forest were swampy, others undulating. There was also some desert stretch.
Meanwhile, the over 30 camps of the Boko Haram fighters were built in a manner that if mine sweepers did not clear the swampy terrain, it may have been difficult locating the mines planted in the jungle.
But the military, having had the time to plan their strategy following several reconnaissance and intelligence flights carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, stormed the forest.
The fighters were taken unawares such that in the footage showed to the media about the military’s operation inside Sambisa forest, hundreds of the Boko Haram elements were seen fleeing as aircraft pounded their camps from the air while troops advanced launching artillery fired from the ground.
Meanwhile, all the exit and entry points into Sambisa forest had been blocked.
So, while several battalions were moving into the forest from Nigeria’s territory, parts of the forest that border Cameroon, and Chad were secured by troops from those countries.
The military onslaught paid off with the rescue of the 687 women and young girls in three batches of 293, 160 and 234, respectively.
Though the Borno State government came out to say the first batch of the hostages rescued were from Damboa area of the state, it did not detract from the importance of the rescue of such a large number of persons that were forced to move to the forest against their will.
There were indications at the weekend that many more hostages were rescued from Sambisa forest by the armed forces.
Confirming the rescue of the hostages, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said the Sambisa forest was being assaulted from different directions, noting that it will therefore be untenable for any criminal to escape the military bombardment.
On the more than 200 Chibok girls taken by Boko Haram in April 2014, Olukolade said that the issue will be made clear as soon as the profiling of the rescued victims was completed.
“The identities of some of the rescued women and girls are yet to be ascertained. At the moment, what is uppermost and of priority is their movement to a conducive place where they are now undergoing thorough profiling to verify where they come from, how they found themselves in the forest, etc. Additional number of persons is still being recovered from the forest. Until such comprehensive profiling is done, nobody can confirm whether they are among the Chibok girls or not”, the DHQ spokesperson stated.
“Whoever they may be, the important thing is that Nigerians held captive under very severe and inhuman condition have been freed by our gallant troops. The joy and sense of hope being expressed by many Nigerians on hearing about the rescue operation is therefore understandable.
“We would like to reassure them that the momentum of this operation will be sustained until that Sambisa forest is comprehensively cleaned out and all Nigerians held captive within the bowels of the forest are rescued. There is great hope for the recovery of more hostages of the terrorists.
“The mission is not over. Until we reach the end before we can say if the girls are there. As I am talking to you today, more women and girls are being rescued and others are coming out from the forest, that is why it is difficult to give an exact number; and some of these people have to be stabilized because of the trauma they have undergone for God knows how long. After calming them, we will then ask certain questions. This is not something you do in a hurry”.
Furthermore, he said, “As you already known, troops have commenced operations deep into the Sambisa forest after sustained aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force. The main objective as you know is to decimate and clear the terrorists from the forest which is their last bastion.
“The well coordinated operation is already yielding results as troops in the last few days rescued 200 girls and 93 women and an additional number of hostages. Over 13 terrorists camps including the notorious ‘Tokumbere’camp in Sambisa forest have been captured. Other camps overran and destroyed by troops include Wulari Bukar, Gangala, Anguwar Balowai, Jigide, Kotorima, Lagura Bello, Laguna Fulani among others.
“Several Field Commanders and foot soldiers of the terrorist group have lost their lives, some armoured personnel carriers, Bufallo vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft guns, a truck and several Hilux vehicles were destroyed by troops. Also recovered from the fleeing terrorists are a number of Anti-Aircraft guns, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) and several AK 47 rifles. Unfortunately though, we lost one soldier in the course of the operation while 10 others have so far been wounded.
“Already, the dislodged and disorganized terrorists are in flight on different directions and running helter-skelter in the expansive forest. There is no longer any respite or sanctuary for them; they will be pursued and tracked down not minding the daunting challenges in the mission including hundreds of land mines and difficult terrain of the Sambisa forest.
“It should be noted however that the essence of this operation is not to kill everybody in sight. We encourage any of the combatants who is desirous to surrender to come out, as the forest will no more be tenable as a haven for their activities. In the same vein, innocent civilians among those in flight are also encouraged to report themselves to the troops. We will continue to treat civilians in the most professional and humane way.
“We thank all Nigerians for their continued prayers and support and assure them that ‘Never Again’ shall forces of darkness reign supreme in our country”.
Minimah aptly captured the mood of the onslaught to rid Sambisa of the remaining Boko Haram fighters when the Army chief said, “I will tell you that right now, militarily, they (Boko Haram terrorists) are defeated. Those you are seeing are ‘armed groups, thieves, armed robbers, or people who go about to steal, burn markets and loot to go back to the forests’. That will continue for a while but it will fizzle out”.

Source: Vanguard.
 

Military helicopter shot down as drug violence surges in western Mexico

Men stand next to the wreckage of a tractor-trailer set ablaze by members of a drug carte. Armed men shot at a Mexican army helicopter in the western state of Jalisco on Friday, killing three military personnel and injuring 12 others. (Stringer/Mexico/Reuters)

 

MEXICO CITY — Gunmen shot down a Mexican military helicopter Friday in the western state of Jalisco, killing three soldiers, and set fire to buses, blocked roads, and attacked banks and gas stations in a sharp escalation of violence against the government.
In recent months, the New Generation drug cartel has been ratcheting up attacks against the government, including an ambush last month that killed 15 state police officers. State authorities have worried that the federal government has left them ill-equipped to deal with an ascendant cartel trafficking heroin and methamphetamines.

[Ambush that killed 15 police in western Mexico a rarity]

On Friday, the Mexican army announced Operation Jalisco to try to wrest control from the cartel. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing when it came under fire while patrolling a rural road near the Pacific coast, according to the Mexican army. At least 10 soldiers and two police officers were wounded in the incident.

“I lament the deaths of the members of the Mexican military in the fulfillment of their duty in Jalisco,” President Enrique Peña Nieto tweeted.

Firefighters work on a bus in Guadalajara, Mexico on Friday. More than a dozen vehicles were set on fire Friday across Guadalajara while a drug gang and authorities clashed in another part of the state. 

 

In the state capital of Guadalajara, gunmen set vehicles ablaze and blocked roads in at least 20 areas, state officials said. Authorities declared a state of emergency and called on residents not to leave their homes. There were also reportedly fires in the coastal resort town of Puerto Vallarta.
Jalisco’s governor, Aristóteles Sandoval, told a news conference that clashes in the state have killed seven people and wounded 15. Authorities have also made 15 arrests, he said.
Security in Jalisco has been deteriorating steadily as the New Generation expands its reach.

  

Luis Carlos Nájera Gutiérrez de Velasco, the state’s attorney general, described the group as the “least vulnerable, least attacked” of the major drug gangs and said the federal government has not been doing enough to help the state. In an interview this week, he said that the cartel has expanded to more than 10 states in Mexico and that much of the heroin being seized at the U.S. border is smuggled by its members. The cartel has also gotten rich from the methamphetamine trade and by stealing gasoline from a pipeline that runs from Guanajuato state. “This group has gotten very strong,” he said.
“For many years, we have been fighting these criminal groups alone,” Nájera said. “We stated long ago the risks we have with this criminal group, and it appears it has not been a priority. We will keep fighting, with or without help.” After the deadly ambush, he said, “we believed this would make the federal government pay more attention, but we don’t see any difference.”

Part of the reason the New Generation has grown stronger is that leaders of rival gangs, such as the Knights Templar in Michoacan state, have been killed or captured.

Policemen detain a man on suspicion of being a member of a drug cartel in Guadalajara. (Stringer/Mexico/Reuters)

Nájera said one of the cartel’s main weapons is the ability to corrupt or threaten police and local officials. He said he and top officials constantly receive threats from the cartel. Earlier this month, gunmen tried to kill the state’s security commissioner, Alejandro Solorio. In the past, he said, the cartel focused more on its business activities than on displays of violence. But he said he fears that the recent attacks on security forces are a warning to authorities to stay out of the cartel’s way. “They want to work freely,” Nájera said. “We have to keep fighting this or any other criminal group, because if we stop fighting, there will come a time when we are so invaded that we won’t be able to do anything.”

Navy escorts U.S. cargo ships near Iran

Washington (CNN)U.S. Navy warships accompanied four U.S.-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz Thursday, beginning a new military operation to offer armed protection from potential harassment by Iran's navy, a U.S. defense official told CNN.

The ships transiting the strait were both inbound to the Persian Gulf and also outbound into the North Arabian Sea, and they traveled without incident. All four unarmed vessels were military supply and survey ships either operated by the U.S. Military Sealift Command or under contract to the command.

The official said the Pentagon will not be providing daily details on transits or the warships in the area because the U.S. "does not want to establish a pattern of life" for observers in the area.

 

Col. Edward Thomas, special assistant for public affairs, said that "this is nothing more than benign but prudent accompanying of already scheduled ships."

He added that it was "not designed to send a signal" but is "merely a hedge against some unpredictable Iranian behavior the last few days."

The escorting, according to Thomas, is "not something we expect to continue for long."

CNN first reported Thursday that U.S. Navy warships would accompany U.S.-flagged commercial vessels that pass through the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns that ships from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy could try to seize a U.S. cargo ship.

EXPAND IMAGE

Pentagon officials provided clarification Thursday afternoon that not every ship will necessarily be accompanied by the Navy. But this is still a significant change in the U.S. military posture in the Strait.

The classified plan was approved by the Pentagon earlier Thursday, according to a senior defense official.

While the Navy maintains a routine ship presence in the Persian Gulf and the North Arabian Sea, this new effort specifically requires an armed warship to be in the narrow channel between Iran and Oman when a U.S. commercial vessel passes through.

The decision to go ahead with this plan comes as Iran Revolutionary Guard ships harassed a U.S.-flagged vessel, the Maersk Kensington, on Friday and then later seized another cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris, flagged in the Marshall Islands.

 

The worry is that with the uncertainty around Iran's intentions, any seizure of a U.S.-flagged vessel could provoke an international incident with Iran.

"This is a way to reduce the risk of confrontation," the official told CNN.

The official emphasized the Navy is not trying to "play up" the current situation, but said the orders were approved "based on tensions in the region."

A second U.S. official said if it becomes necessary, U.S. warships are prepared to escort U.S. commercial vessels throughout the entire Gulf.

There are a number of U.S. ships and aircraft in the immediate vicinity, including four ships and several aircraft monitoring the status of the Marshall Island vessel, which remains in Iranian custody allegedly over a 2005 financial dispute. U.S. Navy ships will be moved in and out of the area depending on the transit schedule of U.S. cargo vessels.

 

 

 

Iranian officials said the seizure of the Marshall Islands-flagged ship Maersk Tigris was due to a court decision.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that the ship had "some rather peculiar activity" in its past that resulted in court action, according to lawyers with whom his ministry has been in touch.

"Simply, our naval forces implemented the decision of the court," he added.

Rickmers Shipmanagement, the company managing the Maersk Tigris, a Maersk Line ship, said in a statement Thursday that the apparent issue dates back to 2005, when another Maersk Line vessel delivered a shipment to Dubai that was later disposed of when no one collected the containers.

A spokesperson for Rickmers Shipmanagement also said that 24 people -- none American -- are on board the Maersk Tigris and that they are all doing well. However, the company continues to "insist that the crew and vessel are released as soon as possible."

 

The two recent incidents come after the U.S. last week sent warships to the vicinity of Yemen after concerns were raised that an Iranian convey was attempting to supply arms to Houthi rebels who have deposed the Western-backed government in Sanaa.

Multiple U.S. officials said the American ships had been deployed to the region to dissuade the Iranian convoy, which included armed ships, from docking in Yemen. The Iranian ships turned away from Yemen on Thursday.

The U.S. hope is that by deploying the naval accompaniment for cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, it's much less likely that Iran would cause trouble for them. Rather, like in the case of Yemen, they would be more inclined to turn back.

Still, the move comes amidst U.S.-Iran tensions in the region over competing interests in Yemen and elsewhere. And it also coincides with delicate nuclear talks in the which the United States and five other world powers are trying to seal a final deal with Iran curbing the latter's nuclear program.

 

Source: CNN

Boko Haram: Nigerian army 'frees another 234 women and children'

The Nigerian army has released this photo of some of the former captives

Boko Haram

 

Another 234 women and children have been rescued from Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, the military has announced.

It said the operation took place on Thursday in the vast Sambisa forest - a militant hideout - in the north-east of the country.
It was not immediately clear if any of more than 200 girls abducted from a school in Chibok in April 2014 were among those freed.
Nearly 300 women and children were freed by the army earlier this week.
While the army says they had been captured by Boko Haram, a local senator says the women and children previously released may have been residents of the area.

'Destroyed camps'

In a tweet, the Nigerian military wrote: "FLASH: Another set of 234 women and children were rescued through the Kawuri and Konduga end of the #Sambisa Forest on Thursday."
It said the freed hostages were being screened to establish their identities.
The military earlier said it had destroyed 13 camps belonging to the Islamist insurgents in the Sambisa forest, which surrounds a reserve in Borno.

Thousands have been killed in northern Nigeria since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009 to create an Islamic state.
In February, Nigeria's military, backed by troops from neighbouring countries, launched a major offensive against the Islamist fighters.
It has recaptured much of the territory Boko Haram had taken in the previo

Christians Killed by ISIS while Western States that Defeated Gaddafi just Watch: Gulf States and Turkey

ISIS (Islamic State – IS) Takfiri Islamist barbarians have killed 30 Ethiopian Christians. This follows on from an earlier massacre of Coptic Christians from Egypt by ISIS Islamists that kill in the name of Allah – contrary to the political correct version by President Obama. America, France and the United Kingdom – and a host of other nations – involved in the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi are just standing by and enabling this to happen. After all, the Sunni Islamist Takfiri vacuum was opened by NATO powers and some Gulf feudal powers that participated in creating a failed state in Libya.
The Libya model of manipulating language was implemented but the reality was yet another Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Syria is bravely fighting the same Western and Gulf intrigues that sprout empty words like “justice,” “freedom” and “democracy.” Similarly, the Shia Houthis in Yemen now face a similar style of “humanitarian bombing campaign” based on a Sunni Muslim coalition being led by Saudi Arabia.
However, in Afghanistan it was America, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom – and other Gulf feudal monarchies – that ushered in the international jihadist brigade by training these brutal Sunni Islamist Takfiri barbarians. Covert agencies like the CIA, ISI and MI6 from America, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom respectively, helped to train and give military support to international jihadists in the 1980s and early 1990s. In Libya and Syria (notably applies to Turkey) the CIA, DGSE, MI6 and MIT have all been involved – and continue to be involved in Syria – in brutal intrigues that are helping to create vacuums for al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIS. It matters not if this is an intended or unintended reality because ultimately al-Qaeda and ISIS are filling the vacuums that are being created.
Therefore, the brutal slaughter of Ethiopian Christians by ISIS was paved by the nations that destroyed Libya. Of course, the mantra of “democracy,” “freedom” and “liberty” ushered by America, France and the United Kingdom was always propaganda. Sadly, this propaganda was fully backed by major Western and Gulf media outlets and the same forces especially played the same card against Syria during the first few years of destabilization. Recently, more media outlets are questioning Ankara, Doha London, Paris, Riyadh and Washington in their co-conspiracy against secular Syria. After all, it is clear that the government of Syria is protecting the religious mosaic comprised of Muslims, Christians and the Druze from the utter barbarity of the intrigues of Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia (assisted by America, France and the United Kingdom).
The Guardian reports on the latest massacre of Christians by ISIS Takfiri barbarians by stating: “Islamic State has released a video purporting to depict the massacre of 30 Ethiopians, the second incident of mass slaughter of Christians by the terror group in its redoubt in Libya.”
This media agency continues “The beheadings and shootings publicised by the group are the latest assault on minorities across the Middle East, thousands of whom have been forced to abandon ancestral homes to flee the group’s broadening reach in the region.”
It should be noted that Egyptian and Ethiopian Christianity are much older than Islam therefore the “crusader” claptrap is just pure religious hatred and clear racism. Indeed, the one thing that binds certain Western countries, Turkey and Arab states together is that in history Arabs, Europeans and the Turks enslaved the continent of Africa. Therefore, the indigenous Coptics of Egypt and the various communities that exist in Ethiopia are truly sons of Africa. Despite this, ISIS continues with its anti-Christian, anti-Shia and anti-humanity crusade, in order to destroy many civilizations that are a million times higher than the barbaric Islamist Takfiri barbarianism that they peddle.
ISIS states openly in their brutal video that: “To the nation of the cross, we’re back again… We swear to Allah…you will not have safety in your dreams until you embrace Islam.”
ISIS continues: “We tell Christians everywhere that the Islamic State will spread, God willing… It will reach you even if you are in fortresses. Those who embrace Islam or jizya will be safe. But those who refuse … will have nothing from us but the edge of the sword. The men will be killed, the women and children enslaved, and the money seized. That is Allah and the prophet’s judgment.”
The above comments and the obvious reality of ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Nusra, AQAP, the Taliban, al-Shabaab – and an array of other Sunni Islamist Takfiri groups – are all clearly Islamist. Their binding realities are Islamic Sharia law and their utter hatred towards the Shia and religious diversity. This reality, and the fact that Saudi Arabia will not tolerate one single Christian church and supports killing apostates, makes a mockery of President Obama and other international leaders who keep on claiming that the problem doesn’t have religious dimensions. On the contrary, systematic persecution of religious minorities takes place in nations like Pakistan while all non-Muslim faiths are banned in Saudi Arabia.
Indigenous Sunni Islam in nations like Bangladesh, Libya, Iraq, Somalia and Syria are also on the frontline. This is based on Salafi Islam and the “year zero end game of Takfiri mindsets” that emanate in Saudi Arabia based on the austere and brutal versions of Islam that they follow. Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are nations whereby Gulf petrodollars are spreading hatred far and wide irrespective if state sponsored, organizations, false charities or based on wealthy individuals. If this reality isn’t challenged – alongside the brutal intrigues of powerful Western nations and Gulf monarchies – then more parts of the world will face the Islamist Takfiri sword.
In the meantime the Shia face the Takfiri sword daily and likewise minorities including the Alawites (Syria), Christians (Iraq and Syria), Shabaks (Iraq) and Yazidis (Iraq) face annihilation. The main conduit for international jihadists is NATO Turkey but this reality still escapes this organization. At the same time, indigenous Sunni Muslim clerics are being killed in Iraq, Nigeria and Syria by Sunni Islamist Takfiris that sprout hatred towards all and sundry. Similarly, Sufi shrines, indigenous Sunni Muslim holy places deemed not pure enough and Shia holy places are being destroyed in several parts of the world. Likewise, the usual “mirror of hate” in Saudi Arabia continues to destroy holy Islamic places connected to the prophet of Islam.
Nations that destabilized Libya and countries that are currently destabilizing Syria are all to blame for creating potent vacuums. Each time in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and now in Syria, the al-Qaeda and Takfiri virus enters. ISIS is the latest in a long line of brutal Sunni Islamist Takfiri and sectarian forces that follow the intrigues of powerful Gulf and Western nations – and now with Turkey under Erdogan joining this brutal reality. Therefore, the barbaric murders of Christians in Libya must be challenged by the same nations that destroyed the government of Gaddafi.
It simply isn’t good enough for America, France and the United Kingdom to ignore the brutal reality of Libya because these nations and their allies destroyed this country. Now terrorist groups like ISIS are beheading Christians in Libya and various militias are focused on preserving their respective power bases. It is time to stop the destabilization of Syria, just like it is time for nations to acknowledge the barbarity that they have helped to unleash in nations like Libya and do something about it.

Source: The Guardian

ISIS Slaughter Yazidis in Iraq while Gulf and NATO Powers Weaken Syria and Shia Houthis in Yemen

It is abundantly clear that Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia care little about the ethnic and religious cleansing of various groups in Iraq and Syria. After all, the Saudi Arabia led coalition is killing Shia Houthis and fellow Yemenis without a care in the world, while these same allies are involved in sinister circles against Syria. At the same time, NATO Turkey watched while Kurds in Kobane, and in other areas, faced the Takfiri Islamist sword of ISIS (Islamic State – IS). Indeed, images clearly show NATO Turkey assisting ISIS and other terrorist forces against the government of Syria.
Similarly, NATO Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are funding an array of barbaric Sunni Islamist terrorist groups that persecute Alawites, Christians, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims loyal to the government of Syria. America and France are also involved in intrigues against the government of Syria while claiming to support the central forces of Iraq. It is one big nightmare where a NATO nation is now nothing more than a major conduit for various Takfiri and terrorist organizations that behead for fun.
Latest reports state that around 300 Yazidis in Iraq have been butchered by ISIS Islamists that follow the Takfiri mindset. Clearly, for nations like Saudi Arabia that don’t allow one single non-Muslim holy place and where Shia Muslims are second-class citizens, then this news will mean little. Indeed, militant Salafi Islamist clerics in various parts of the world are often praising the murder of non-Muslims and Shia Muslims with open glee. Therefore, while Yazidis and others face the sword of ISIS and al-Nusra (and an array of other Islamist Takfiri groups) in Iraq and Syria, the government of Saudi Arabia is bombing Shia Houthis and backing barbaric groups against the secular government of Syria.
The BBC reports “Several hundred Yazidi captives have been killed in Iraq by Islamic State (IS) militants west of Mosul, Yazidi and Iraqi officials say.”
This media group continues “A statement from the Yazidi Progress Party said 300 captives were killed on Friday in the Tal Afar district near the city.”
America’s response, under the estranged administration of President Obama, is to create a new terrorist and sectarian group with Turkey and continue to refuse to work openly with the only armed forces that are fighting various al-Qaeda groups and ISIS on the ground. This notably applies to the armed forces of Syria when it applies to al-Qaeda affiliate groups and ISIS in Syria. Similarly, the Shia Houthis in Yemen remain steadfast against al-Qaeda. Also, more recently it is clear that ISIS is gradually growing in power in Yemen and this applies to terrorist attacks against the Shia Houthis and beheading Yemeni soldiers. However, it is the armed forces of Syria that have been taking the fight to various terrorist and sectarian groups despite the odds being massively against this nation because of the intrigues of various Gulf and NATO powers.
In other words, comments of sympathy and utter shock in relation to the latest massacre of Yazidis in the corridors of powers in London, Paris and Washington mean nothing. After all, these nations have all been involved in terrorist and sectarian intrigues against secular Syria. At the same time, these leading Western powers fully understand that NATO Turkey is an open conduit for international sectarian terrorists. Also, the governments of America and France are openly siding with the Saudi Arabia led coalition against the Shia Houthis in Yemen. In other words, while Western powers rely openly on various Shia forces in Iraq and the support that Iran is providing this nation, the same nations are undermining all this because of their collective intrigues and support of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Vice-President Osama al-Nujaifi of Iraq was visibly shocked by the latest ISIS massacre against innocent Yazidis. He states the ISIS Islamist crime is “horrific and barbaric.”
However, the same government of Iraq must similarly be at a loss about anti-Syria nations that are destabilizing this country in the full knowledge that this will impact negatively against Iraq. Likewise, Iraq knows full well that while Gulf powers have openly played their role in supporting various Takfiri Islamist groups in Iraq, they are now involved in destabilizing Yemen and targeting Shia Houthis. Therefore, various al-Qaeda affiliates, other Takfiri Islamist sectarian terrorist groups and ISIS are a major threat to Iraq, Syria and Yemen respectively.
Yet while the sectarian intrigues of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are abundantly obvious, the same can’t be said about the estranged Obama administration that is implementing a schizophrenic approach to the region. Given this reality, the latest massacre of Yazidis in Iraq is also based on the intrigues of nations that support the destabilization of Syria.
Meanwhile, Shia Houthis in Yemen continue to be bombed by a coalition that is being led by Saudi Arabia. This reality is being supported by America therefore al-Qaeda and ISIS will gain from the intrigues against Syria and Yemen respectively. While in Iraq the utter confusion of friends of friends within NATO and the Gulf means that Christians, Shabaks and Yazidis face utter annihilation. Therefore, the latest massacre against Yazidi civilians is the culmination of outside Gulf and NATO nations that are spreading chaos throughout the region and then abandoning the most vulnerable in society.

Source: Modern Tokyo Times