In a rather strange turn of events, a woman has vowed against men and married her pet dog. 47 year old Amanda Rodgers from Brixton in south London was married to a man 20 years ago, but the relationship unfortunately lasted no more than a few short months, so dismayed she decided to swear against men and turn to dogs.
Amanda states that the reason she decided to wed her pet dog was because she had all the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner: “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low.”
Proceedings started out in a traditional way, when Amanda got down on one knee and proposed to her pet dog, Sheba. Though the dog could not respond, Rodgers says that she “could tell by her tail wagging that she said yes.”
More than 200 people attended the wedding which took place in Split, Croatia. Rodgers embraced the day fully making sure that everything was to her liking, adding that: “I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment.”
Despite it being a rather strange situation, Amanda doesn’t care what other people might think: “I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.”
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/british-woman-marries-dog-in-romantic-expensive-wedding-ceremony-after-marriage-to-man-failed.html
Thursday, 5 March 2015
British Woman Weds Dog In Expensive ‘Romantic’ Wedding Ceremony – After Marriage To Man Failed
Posted by: Deolu March 5, 2015
In a rather strange turn of events, a woman has vowed against men and married her pet dog. 47 year old Amanda Rodgers from Brixton in south London was married to a man 20 years ago, but the relationship unfortunately lasted no more than a few short months, so dismayed she decided to swear against men and turn to dogs.
Amanda states that the reason she decided to wed her pet dog was because she had all the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner: “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low.”
Proceedings started out in a traditional way, when Amanda got down on one knee and proposed to her pet dog, Sheba. Though the dog could not respond, Rodgers says that she “could tell by her tail wagging that she said yes.”
More than 200 people attended the wedding which took place in Split, Croatia. Rodgers embraced the day fully making sure that everything was to her liking, adding that: “I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment.”
Despite it being a rather strange situation, Amanda doesn’t care what other people might think: “I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.”
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/british-woman-marries-dog-in-romantic-expensive-wedding-ceremony-after-marriage-to-man-failed.html
In a rather strange turn of events, a woman has vowed against men and married her pet dog. 47 year old Amanda Rodgers from Brixton in south London was married to a man 20 years ago, but the relationship unfortunately lasted no more than a few short months, so dismayed she decided to swear against men and turn to dogs.
Amanda states that the reason she decided to wed her pet dog was because she had all the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner: “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low.”
Proceedings started out in a traditional way, when Amanda got down on one knee and proposed to her pet dog, Sheba. Though the dog could not respond, Rodgers says that she “could tell by her tail wagging that she said yes.”
More than 200 people attended the wedding which took place in Split, Croatia. Rodgers embraced the day fully making sure that everything was to her liking, adding that: “I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment.”
Despite it being a rather strange situation, Amanda doesn’t care what other people might think: “I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.”
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/british-woman-marries-dog-in-romantic-expensive-wedding-ceremony-after-marriage-to-man-failed.html
'First human' discovered in Ethiopia
Pallab Ghosh By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
Fossil jawbone The fossil's teeth are smaller than those of other human relatives
Scientists have unearthed the jawbone of what they claim is one of the very first humans.
The 2.8 million-year-old specimen is 400,000 years older than researchers thought that our kind first emerged.
The discovery in Ethiopia suggests climate change spurred the transition from tree dweller to upright walker.
The head of the research team told BBC News that the find gives the first insight into "the most important transitions in human evolution".
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
This is the most important transition in human evolution”
Prof Brian Villmoare University of Nevada
Prof Brian Villmoare of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas said the discovery makes a clear link between an iconic 3.2 million-year-old hominin (human-like primate) discovered in the same area in 1974, called "Lucy".
Could Lucy's kind - which belonged to the species Australopithecus afarensis - have evolved into the very first primitive humans?
"That's what we are arguing," said Prof Villmoare.
But the fossil record between the time period when Lucy and her kin were alive and the emergence of Homo erectus (with its relatively large brain and humanlike body proportions) two million years ago is sparse.
The 2.8 million-year-old lower jawbone was found in the Ledi-Geraru research area, Afar Regional State, by Ethiopian student Chalachew Seyoum. He told BBC News that he was "stunned" when he saw the fossil.
"The moment I found it, I realised that it was important, as this is the time period represented by few (human) fossils in Eastern Africa."
The fossil is of the left side of the lower jaw, along with five teeth. The back molar teeth are smaller than those of other hominins living in the area and are one of the features that distinguish humans from more primitive ancestors, according to Professor William Kimbel, director of Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
These new studies challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human”
Prof Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London
"Previously, the oldest fossil attributed to the genus Homo was an upper jaw from Hadar, Ethiopia, dated to 2.35m years ago," he told BBC News.
"So this new discovery pushes the human line back by 400,000 years or so, very close to its likely (pre-human) ancestor. Its mix of primitive and advanced features makes the Ledi jaw a good transitional form between (Lucy) and later humans."
A computer reconstruction of a skull belonging to the species Homo habilis, which has been published in Nature journal, indicates that it may well have been the evolutionary descendant of the species announced today.
The researcher involved, Prof Fred Spoor of University College London told BBC News that, taken together, the new findings had lifted a veil on a key period in the evolution of our species.
"By discovering a new fossil and re-analysing an old one we have truly contributed to our knowledge of our own evolutionary period, stretching over a million years that had been shrouded in mystery," he said.
Climate change
The dating of the jawbone might help answer one of the key questions in human evolution. What caused some primitive ancestors to climb down from the trees and make their homes on the ground.
A separate study in Science hints that a change in climate might have been a factor. An analysis of the fossilised plant and animal life in the area suggests that what had once been lush forest had become dry grassland.
As the trees made way for vast plains, ancient human-like primates found a way of exploiting the new environmental niche, developing bigger brains and becoming less reliant on having big jaws and teeth by using tools.
Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London described the discovery as a "big story".
He says the new species clearly does show the earliest step toward human characteristics, but suggests that half a jawbone is not enough to tell just how human it was and does not provide enough evidence to suggest that it was this line that led to us.
Dig The jawbone was found close to the area where Lucy was discovered
He notes that the emergence of human-like characteristics was not unique to Ethiopia.
"The human-like features shown by Australopithecus sediba in South Africa at around 1.95 million years ago are likely to have developed independently of the processes which produced (humans) in East Africa, showing that parallel origins are a distinct possibility," Prof Stringer explained.
This would suggest several different species of humans co-existing in Africa around two million years ago with only one of them surviving and eventually evolving into our species, Homo sapiens. It is as if nature was experimenting with different versions of the same evolutionary configuration until one succeeded.
Prof Stringer added: "These new studies leave us with an even more complex picture of early humans than we thought, and they challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human. Are we defined by our small teeth and jaws, our large brain, our long legs, tool-making, or some combination of these traits?"
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31718336
Scientists have unearthed the jawbone of what they claim is one of the very first humans.
The 2.8 million-year-old specimen is 400,000 years older than researchers thought that our kind first emerged.
The discovery in Ethiopia suggests climate change spurred the transition from tree dweller to upright walker.
The head of the research team told BBC News that the find gives the first insight into "the most important transitions in human evolution".
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
This is the most important transition in human evolution”
Prof Brian Villmoare University of Nevada
Prof Brian Villmoare of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas said the discovery makes a clear link between an iconic 3.2 million-year-old hominin (human-like primate) discovered in the same area in 1974, called "Lucy".
Could Lucy's kind - which belonged to the species Australopithecus afarensis - have evolved into the very first primitive humans?
"That's what we are arguing," said Prof Villmoare.
But the fossil record between the time period when Lucy and her kin were alive and the emergence of Homo erectus (with its relatively large brain and humanlike body proportions) two million years ago is sparse.
The 2.8 million-year-old lower jawbone was found in the Ledi-Geraru research area, Afar Regional State, by Ethiopian student Chalachew Seyoum. He told BBC News that he was "stunned" when he saw the fossil.
"The moment I found it, I realised that it was important, as this is the time period represented by few (human) fossils in Eastern Africa."
The fossil is of the left side of the lower jaw, along with five teeth. The back molar teeth are smaller than those of other hominins living in the area and are one of the features that distinguish humans from more primitive ancestors, according to Professor William Kimbel, director of Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
These new studies challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human”
Prof Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London
"Previously, the oldest fossil attributed to the genus Homo was an upper jaw from Hadar, Ethiopia, dated to 2.35m years ago," he told BBC News.
"So this new discovery pushes the human line back by 400,000 years or so, very close to its likely (pre-human) ancestor. Its mix of primitive and advanced features makes the Ledi jaw a good transitional form between (Lucy) and later humans."
A computer reconstruction of a skull belonging to the species Homo habilis, which has been published in Nature journal, indicates that it may well have been the evolutionary descendant of the species announced today.
The researcher involved, Prof Fred Spoor of University College London told BBC News that, taken together, the new findings had lifted a veil on a key period in the evolution of our species.
"By discovering a new fossil and re-analysing an old one we have truly contributed to our knowledge of our own evolutionary period, stretching over a million years that had been shrouded in mystery," he said.
Climate change
The dating of the jawbone might help answer one of the key questions in human evolution. What caused some primitive ancestors to climb down from the trees and make their homes on the ground.
A separate study in Science hints that a change in climate might have been a factor. An analysis of the fossilised plant and animal life in the area suggests that what had once been lush forest had become dry grassland.
As the trees made way for vast plains, ancient human-like primates found a way of exploiting the new environmental niche, developing bigger brains and becoming less reliant on having big jaws and teeth by using tools.
Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London described the discovery as a "big story".
He says the new species clearly does show the earliest step toward human characteristics, but suggests that half a jawbone is not enough to tell just how human it was and does not provide enough evidence to suggest that it was this line that led to us.
Dig The jawbone was found close to the area where Lucy was discovered
He notes that the emergence of human-like characteristics was not unique to Ethiopia.
"The human-like features shown by Australopithecus sediba in South Africa at around 1.95 million years ago are likely to have developed independently of the processes which produced (humans) in East Africa, showing that parallel origins are a distinct possibility," Prof Stringer explained.
This would suggest several different species of humans co-existing in Africa around two million years ago with only one of them surviving and eventually evolving into our species, Homo sapiens. It is as if nature was experimenting with different versions of the same evolutionary configuration until one succeeded.
Prof Stringer added: "These new studies leave us with an even more complex picture of early humans than we thought, and they challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human. Are we defined by our small teeth and jaws, our large brain, our long legs, tool-making, or some combination of these traits?"
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31718336
Court restrains Ebonyi Assembly from impeaching Elechi
An Ebonyi State High Court presided over by Justice John Igboji, Wednesday, granted an interim injunction restraining the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku, Chief Whip of the Assembly, Mr. Kingsley Ikoro and the State House of Assembly from continuing with the impeachment proceeding against the State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi.
The respondents were ordered not to serve the notice of impeachment on the governor until the determination of the substantive application made by the embattled governor in suit number HAB/1mc/2015.
The court also restrained the State Chief Judge from constituting a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations of improprieties leveled against the governor pending the determination of the substantive application.
Justice Igboji, who made the order after hearing counsels to the governor, Chief Tagbo Ike and Miss Chioma Okoromba, further granted the applicant leave to serve the 1st to 3rd defendants application for enforcement of fundamental rights and other processes connected with the suit through the office of the Clerk of the State Assembly.
He also ordered that the Chief Judge, the State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General of Police listed as 5th and 6th defendants should be served through the O/C Legal, State CID, Abakaliki while the 7th defendant, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria should be served through DHL Courier Service or Red Star Courier Service.
Justice Igboji, however, adjourned hearing of the substantive matter to Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
In a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed to Ebele Ibegbuna in support of the motion ex-parte, she informed the court that the second respondent, Mr. Ikoro (Chief Whip) had on January 9, 2015 made a notice of impeachment containing allegations of diverse improprieties leveled against Governor Elechi as a prelude towards his removal from office as Governor of Ebonyi State.
According to her, the said notice of impeachment was forwarded to the 1st Respondent (Speaker) and circulated to both electronic and print media without availing any copy to the applicant (the governor), adding that the “copy of the said notice of impeachment obtained from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is herein attached and marked exhibit “A”.
“The 1st Respondent on receipt of exhibit “A” is enjoined by Section 188(2) (b) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to cause the said notice of impeachment to be served on the Applicant. 1st Respondent failed, neglected and/or refused to perform his constitutional duty of causing the notice of impeachment to be served on the Applicant, and rather shockingly preferred to embark on media propaganda blitz of disclosing plans to sack the Applicant from office,” she said.
The deponent stated that the governor needed to be served with the notice of impeachment in order to react to same and avail to the honourable members of the State Assembly the opportunity of appreciating that the governor did not do any wrong and change their stance against him.
She pointed out that “the denial of service of notice of impeachment on the Applicant has adversely impacted on his right to fair hearing and will lead to the determination of his civic right and obligation without being accorded the constitutional right of fair hearing.”
Noting that there had been increased presence and deployment of policemen at the precinct of the governor’s office and abode, Government House , Abakaliki since February 28, which is indicative of likely preparedness for removal of the governor from office, the deponent said she believes that with the support of the 5th to 7th respondents, the lawmakers were bent on continuing with the impeachment proceeding without serving the governor the notice of impeachment , which he is entitled to under the constitution.
“It is in the interest of justice to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from determining the civic right and obligation of the applicant without being heard; that unless 1st to 3rd respondents are restrained, they will go ahead with the impeachment proceedings against the applicant,” the deponent told the court.
http://theadvocatengr.com/new/court-restrains-ebonyi-assembly-from-impeaching-elechi/
Boko Haram: Military Vows to Liberate Remaining Territories Soon.
04 Mar 2015
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade
•Says no going back on ongoing offensive
•Warns against smear campaign to lower military morale
By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigerian military has vowed that despite the seeming lull in the offensive against the Boko Haram terrorists, they are determined to liberate the remaining territories in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, gave this assurance on Wednesday in a press conference to clarify issues on the ongoing military operations in North-East, especially concerning a recent report that Nigeria is halting the offensive.
Olukolade assured that they are following up with their strategic goal and plans of decimating the terrorists in collaboration with the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic.
He said: "Indeed, there is no going back or slowing down anywhere. The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area. The mandate of working towards ensuring the restoration of normalcy for socio-economic, political and other activities to resume as quickly as possible is being given all it takes toward having the mission accomplished.
"So far, so good; things are working out in line with the strategic plans. A very significant number of identified terrorists’ enclaves have already been pounded and destroyed in the course of continuing air strikes. Ground forces are also conducting assaults along with necessary mopping up, cordon and search operations in communities and locations previously occupied by terrorists".
Speaking further, Olukolade said that the stage is set to clear Boko Haram terrorists from the remaining towns and communities, including Bama, Gwoza and Sambisa.
"The stage is also set for the conduct of subsequent phases earmarked as part of the campaign. In the process, many communities have been sufficiently cleared to guarantee the return of citizens to their normal lives. The scope is being expanded to ensure that more communities are mopped up and cleansed of every vestige of terrorism. All the towns where the activities of the terrorists are still noticeable will be duly mopped up very soon", he asserted.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/boko-haram-military-vows-to-liberate-remaining-territories-soon-/203304/
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade
•Says no going back on ongoing offensive
•Warns against smear campaign to lower military morale
By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigerian military has vowed that despite the seeming lull in the offensive against the Boko Haram terrorists, they are determined to liberate the remaining territories in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, gave this assurance on Wednesday in a press conference to clarify issues on the ongoing military operations in North-East, especially concerning a recent report that Nigeria is halting the offensive.
Olukolade assured that they are following up with their strategic goal and plans of decimating the terrorists in collaboration with the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic.
He said: "Indeed, there is no going back or slowing down anywhere. The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area. The mandate of working towards ensuring the restoration of normalcy for socio-economic, political and other activities to resume as quickly as possible is being given all it takes toward having the mission accomplished.
"So far, so good; things are working out in line with the strategic plans. A very significant number of identified terrorists’ enclaves have already been pounded and destroyed in the course of continuing air strikes. Ground forces are also conducting assaults along with necessary mopping up, cordon and search operations in communities and locations previously occupied by terrorists".
Speaking further, Olukolade said that the stage is set to clear Boko Haram terrorists from the remaining towns and communities, including Bama, Gwoza and Sambisa.
"The stage is also set for the conduct of subsequent phases earmarked as part of the campaign. In the process, many communities have been sufficiently cleared to guarantee the return of citizens to their normal lives. The scope is being expanded to ensure that more communities are mopped up and cleansed of every vestige of terrorism. All the towns where the activities of the terrorists are still noticeable will be duly mopped up very soon", he asserted.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/boko-haram-military-vows-to-liberate-remaining-territories-soon-/203304/
Again, Two Nigerians, Eight Others Face Execution in Indonesia
05 Mar 2015
By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja with agency reports รข€¨
Two Nigerians, Mr. Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39) and Okwudili Oyatanze (40), are among the nine foreign nationals facing imminent execution for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities.
A Spanish-born Nigerian, Mr. Raheem Agbaje Salami (45), is also one of those whose fate has been sealed following the rejection of their clemency requests by Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, who insisted his country is suffering a drug emergency.
An Indonesian national is also slated for execution.
Brazil, Australia, Phillipines, France and Ghana also have their citizens listed for imminent execution, a development that has caused diplomatic tensions for Indonesia with several countries.
Although no date has been given for their execution, Australian Andrew Chan (31), his country man, Myuran Sukumaran (33), Agbaje Salami, and Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (30) from the Philippines were yesterday moved to Nusakambangan, a high security prison island where executions are conducted.
According to Indonesia’s Attorney General, Muhammad Prasetyo, preparations have been concluded at the execution site.
Nwolise and Oyatanze, who were nabbed running drugs, while in prison, and the citizens of Brazil, France, Ghana and Indonesia would be executed on the prison island of Java.
All executions will be carried out simultaneously by firing squad.
Amnesty International has continued to appeal for a moratorium on the death sentence in Indonesia where six, including two Nigerians were executed in January this year.
Brazil postponed accepting the credentials of Indonesia’s newly designated envoy in protest, while Australia called for a ‘reciprocation’ of the $1 billion 2004 tsunami aid package by sparing the lives of its citizens.
Attempts to reach Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, proved abortive as his mobile phone rang unanswered.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, has maintained that Nigeria would continue to seek clemency for all its nationals on death row in Indonesia and other countries.
He told THISDAY following the executions of Mr. Daniel Enemuo and Mr. Solomon Chibuike Okafor in January that Nigeria would continue to plead for clemency for its 12 nationals on death row in Indonesia.
“This is why in our interactions abroad, we have entered into different kinds of legal frameworks, legal mutual assistance, exchange of prisoners and so many of such co-operations to try and protect our citizens. It is in that context that whenever we have what just happened in Indonesia, the responsibility of government is to ensure that such executions do not take place,“ he added.
Sheni also appealed to Nigerians to obey the laws of foreign countries at all times
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/again-two-nigerians-eight-others-face-execution-in-indonesia/203362/
Chadian President: We Know Where Abubakar Shekau is
05 Mar 2015
Chadian President, Idriss Deby, yesterday vowed to “wipe out” Boko Haram and called on the group’s chief, Abubakar Shekau, to give himself up, warning that he knew where the militant leader was hiding.
“It is in Abubakar Shekau’s interest to surrender, we know where he is. If he refuses to give himself up, he will suffer the same fate as his comrades,” Deby said at a press conference with his visiting Niger counterpart.
According to AFP, Deby said Shekau had fled the strategic North-east Nigerian town of Dikwa after Boko Haram fighters were chased out of the town by Chadian troops in fierce clashes last month.
The Chadian army at the time said two of its soldiers and 117 Boko Haram Islamists were killed in the fighting around Dikwa in Nigeria’s Borno State on February 17.
“We are going to win the war and we are going to wipe out Boko Haram, contrary to what certain media think. The Chadian and Niger forces will continue their mission to finally put an end to this shadowy group,” Deby said.
Little is known of Shekau, who has been declared a global terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by the United Nations.
Nigerian security officials insist he is in fact a composite character whose role is taken by a rotating cast of different militant fighters.
According to security services, the original Abubakar Shekau was the son of poor farmers who was radicalised while attending theological schools and took over Boko Haram in 2010.
The Nigerian military said last September that a man posing as Shekau in videos posted online had in fact been killed after fighting with troops in the far northeast.
The US and other experts, however, have questioned the credibility of that claim while Shekau has outright rejected it in a video.
Nigeria and its neighbours Chad, Niger and Cameroun last month launched an unprecedented joint campaign against the Nigeria-based Boko Haram group, after the militants widened their offensive with attacks in the neighbouring countries.
Nigerian military spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade yesterday also pledged to snuff out Boko Haram, which claims to be fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
“Indeed there is no going back or slowing down anywhere,” he old a news conference in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
“The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area,” the spokesman said.
“The continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.”
The Boko Haram conflict has killed more than 13,000 people since 2009 and forced more than one million to flee their homes in the North-eastern part of Nigeria.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian military said it had killed more than 70 Boko Haram fighters and repulsed their bid to seize a key town in Nigeria’s restive North.
Around 150 Boko Haram fighters entered the fishing town of Konduga on Monday with a large herd of cattle pretending to be herders and opened fire on troops stationed in the town, leading to a six-hour gun battle.
Soldiers and vigilantes have repelled more than a dozen attacks by Boko Haram on Konduga, which is some 35 kilometres (21 miles) south-east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and the birthplace of the Boko Haram movement.
Konduga could serve as a launching pad for attacks on Maiduguri.
The Boko Haram unrest has seen nearly 250,000 people flee to neighbouring countries, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/chadian-president-we-know-where-abubakar-shekau-is/203366/
Mugabe: Nigerian Witchdoctors Planned to Kill Me
05 Mar 2015
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe has alleged that his former vice-president and other top officials in his ruling Zanu-PF sought the services of Nigerian witchdoctors in a bid to kill him.
The Africa Review reported that President Mugabe made the bizarre claims at the weekend as he celebrated his 91st birthday at a lavish party hosted by the party’s communist-styled 21st February movement.
The veteran ruler, in power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, claims he was ordained by God to rule forever according to the report.
He told party supporters at the celebrations held at a top HOTEL IN THE resort town of Victoria Falls that sacked Vice-President Joice Mujuru used two Nigerian witchdoctors in her alleged plot to have him killed.
Ms Mujuru was sacked together with more than 10 cabinet ministers for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Mugabe and being involved in corrupt activities.
President Mugabe said Ms Mujuru was now too desperate to push him out of power even after he won an election in 2013.
“We managed to know what (Ms) Mujuru was doing at her house, even consulting witchdoctors,” he claimed.
“Recently she invited two Nigerian witchdoctors. We heard that they were specialists in the field of witchcraft. They were specialists, yes, but specialists in robbing people, foolish people,” he said.
He said the Nigerians ordered Ms Mujuru to buy chickens that were named after herself, the president, his wife and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The president claimed the former vice-president who was his deputy for 10 years, performed the rituals naked.
“Where do these Nigerians get the powers to entrap the soul of a human being into a chicken or sheep and then kill him?
“God is for us all. I also go to church, I do not believe in superstition. We were taught God’s teachings,” Mugabe said.
Last year, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs ministry summoned Zimbabwean envoy in Abuja Stanley Kunjeku to protest after President Mugabe said Nigerians were corrupt.
The Nigerian government at the time said it had lodged ‘the strongest protest’ against the veteran ruler’s statements.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/mugabe-nigerian-witchdoctors-planned-to-kill-me/203378/
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