The students were killed by suspected Islamist gunmen in their dormitory in Yobe state, north-eastern Nigeria.
Official Abdullahi Bego told the BBC the government and military would work to increase protection in schools.
North-eastern Nigeria is under a state of emergency amid an Islamist insurgency by the Boko Haram group.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow Nigeria's government to create an Islamic state, and has launched a number of attacks on schools.
BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman says there seems to be some complacency in the Nigerian military after their recent successes in driving militants out of many urban areas in the north-east.
However, the insurgents have previously seized army uniforms and vehicles, which they are able to use to infiltrate supposedly secure areas and carry out attacks, he says.
Abdullahi Bego, special advisor to the Yobe state government, told the BBC on Monday that no security forces had been operating in the area when the attack on the College of Agriculture took place.
He acknowledged that security forces are meant to undertake regular patrols of educational institutions.
He said schools in the area would not be closed because that is what the "terrorists" wanted.
"We are committed to providing education to our children in Yobe state and in north-eastern Nigeria," he said.
The state authorities would work with the military to reinforce protection at schools, he added.
Casualty figures from the attack vary, but a local politician told the BBC that around 50 students had been killed.
The Nigerian military said soldiers had collected 42 bodies and taken 18 wounded students to a hospital in Yobe's state capital, Damaturu.
Footage shot by the Associated Press shows the bodies of at least 23 young men lined up on the floor of what appears to be a makeshift mortuary in the town.
About 1,000 students had fled the campus in the wake of the attack, according to college provost Molima Idi Mato.
The gunmen also set fire to classrooms, a military spokesman in Yobe state, Lazarus Eli, told Agence France-Presse.
The college is in the rural Gujba district.
In May, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered an operation against Boko Haram, and a state of emergency was declared for the north-east on 14 May.
Many of the Islamist militants left their bases in the north-east and violence initially fell, but revenge attacks quickly followed.
In June, Boko Haram carried out two attacks on schools in the region.
At least nine children were killed in a school on the outskirts of Maiduguri, while 13 students and teachers were killed in a school in Damaturu.
In July in the village of Mamudo in Yobe state, Islamist militants attacked a school's dormitories with guns and explosives, killing at least 42 people, mostly students.
Boko Haram regards schools as a symbol of Western culture. The group's name translates as "Western education is forbidden".
Boko Haram is led by Abubakar Shekau. The Nigerian military said in August that it might have killed him in a shoot-out.
However, a video released last week purportedly showed him alive.
Other previous reports of his death later proved to be unfounded.
Source: BBC News
When the news broke and went viral, An Italian firm that remains unknown promised to step in and take up the matter. Government was also quick to step in(or so we thought) as it was announced on various mediums that she will be flown abroad where the arm will be properly treated, and hopefully salvaged.Considering that the incident happened as she served her country, it was an a very welcome development when government and and the Italian Firm promised to foot her medical bill.
But lo and behold! I got the email below from her friends saying that NOTHING has been done by government or any Italian firm till date. In fact, Folakemi's health continues to deteriorate as she groans in growing, excruciating pain daily. As this rate, the probability that her arm will be saved lies solely in God's hands. However, it is her life that should be feared for now, not even just arm.
At the moment, Her friends and hospital sources at Niger Delta teaching hospital where she is presently on admission say that she has been moved from intensive care to the GENERAL WARD. She no longer receives adequate treatment the arm deserves.
See the unedited email I got from her friends below:
It's about MISS AKINBODE FOLAKEMI (A NURSE) a present Serving Corps Member in Bayelsa State, observing her Primary Assignment in Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH)!
MISS AKINBODE, was attacked by some boys @ about 8.30pm on her way back from work (evening shift) on the 5th NIGHT of August this year 2013. They wanted to snatch her handbag, but before she realized what was happening, another boy brought out a matchet & was going to cut off her head. Luckily however, she made use of her hands to dodge her head.. As a result, they almost had her right hand cut off! They cut both the Bones, Nerves, Arteries, Veins etc.. Friend, as you read this right now, NOTHING is been done to ensure MISS AKINBODE receives "Adequate Medical Treatment!"
In fact, when the incident occurred,the DRS in her PPA (Place of Primary Assignment-NDUTH) confessed that the case isn't something that can be handled here in Nigeria due to lack of appropriate equipment.
The FG is actually supposed to send her abroad where she can receive a better & a proper medical care, so she doesn't get to loose her hand eventually, & its function; since it can't be treated here in Nigeria.. But until now, NOTHING is been done about it; It is already getting to "TWO MONTHS" now, yet NOTHING is still being done to ensure her hand DOESN'T deteriorates further! The bones has not been touched, the nerves & veins hasn't been touched either.. The wound is so much at risk of SEVERE INFECTION! The publication on the Vanguard News Paper, which states that, "she has been flown abroad" are all LIES! I sincerely tell you that MISS AKINBODE has NOT passed the NDUTH gate, since that unfortunate incident. How terrible!!!
Please dear friend, help BROADCAST this message, until it is likely to get to anyone who could help INTERVENE!
Please!
Please!!
Please!!! Help SAVE MISS AKINBODE FOLAKE!
THANKS &GOD BLESS
From all indication, we can no longer rely on a lying Government to save Folakemi's life.
This is why I call on all well meaning, kind hearted Nigerians, to come to Folakemi's aid. Folakemi could be our friend, sister or neighbor. This could happen to anyone.
Daily, many Nigerian youths risk their lives(as most have no choice) despite the chaotic security state of the nation, through the National youth service, and many have lost their lives in the process. Sadly most times as in this case, the government turns a blind eye.
I implore you all to please come to Folakemi's aid once again. Please publicize her story so that Government,people in high places as well as private individuals who can help may rise to the occasion as soon as possible.
TIME IS OF ESSENCE, PLEASE!
To help please call these numbers:
08038357412
08130164298
08083923001
Thank you!!!
Ironically, she was the victim of the cat that was initially found in her home and it took the intervention of journalists and policemen to save her from a mob action.
Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Okoye said for long, she had observed that money she kept in a firmly locked cardboard in her room at No.1 Obu Street/Obohia Road in Aba was always missing mysteriously.
The woman, who sells fruits near the Aba Shopping Centre, said at a point, she suspected her children and kept a watch on them.
But when she realized that her children were innocent, she reasoned that what was happening to her had spiritual undertone and reported the matter to a man of God.
Mrs. Okoye said after observing some prayer points as directed by the pastor and the problem persisted, she contacted another man of God in her desperate bid to get the problem solved.
This time around, she was told to fast and pray for a given number of days along with the clergy man who would also pray for her over the issue.
The woman said after the fasting session, the problem stopped and on that day of the incident, she was taken aback when she wanted to collect some cash from inside the cardboard and touched a strange object.
When she opened the cardboard properly and pointed a torchlight towards the direction she kept the money, she saw a half dead pussy cat with some naira notes stuffed in its mouth.
Shocked at the strange creature, she raised the alarm and alerted the man of God whom she had met initially over the issue, just as people in the neighbourhood trooped to her house to catch a glimpse of the 'witch' pussy cat.
She said the man of God advised her to bring the now dead cat to him before it could be buried.
Confusion crept in as the now restive crowd wanted the cat to be burnt, but the woman insisted that she must take it to the man of God and put the cat in a bag and headed for the man of God's house while the crowd, which caused traffic gridlock on the ever busy Asa/Ehi Road followed her, insisting that she must give them the cat to be burnt.
In the melee that followed, the cat was said to have disappeared and the crowd turned against the woman, accusing her of being the witch cat and was about lynching her when she ran into a shop close to a commercial bank at the shopping centre.
Despite the pleadings of policemen providing security at the bank, the crowd surged forward and the situation was saved when a group of journalists who came to the scene alerted the police.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ndiegoro Division, Mr. Crescent Mama, sent his men to the scene, but the crowd which had blocked the entire road, could not let go. It took police re-enforcement for the woman who had been smuggled into the bank premises to be taken away after the crowd had been reasonably dispersed.
Bemoaning her fate, the woman vehemently denied the allegation and rained curses on whoever that turned into the cat that had been stealing her money mysteriously.
The police at Ndiegoro later released her after being kept in protective custody as investigations were ongoing into the matter.
Source: Sun Newspapers
The name COZA became a 'street anthem' a few months back following a shocking confession by one Ese Walter, an ex-member of the church of her week-long sexual escapade with the senior pastor of the church, Abiodun Fatoyinbo.
Ese's claims had opened a floodgate of other cases. Another church member who simply identified herself as Franca also alleged that the Apostle, most commonly described as a man with 'uncommon prophetic insight' al lured her to Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, for a 'romantic prayer'.
However, since then, the pastor has neither come out to refute or accept the allegation, but claimed that he was still waiting for God's order.
While many still doubt the authenticity of the allegations, some light-hearted members of the church are gradually leaving the church. This, DailyPost learnt during a recent visit to the Lagos branch of the church, situated in Maryland, Ikeja.
Our findings revealed that many aggrieved members and deacons have left the church since the authority of the church decided to sweep the matter under the carpet.
When our correspondent inquired from a member why the church looked so empty on a Sunday, he was told the population of the church was reducing drastically on weekly bases.
"I think this started not quiet long. Last week was even the worst; you could see empty seats everywhere," the fair complexioned female member said.
Asked if the man of God had come out to deny or admit the allegation, the member said they've warned them never to talk about it anywhere, until he (Pastor Abiodun) hears from God.
"I think this is one of the reasons many members are leaving. The church authority had warned us never to talk about the issue until the man of God speaks, and I think many are beginning to find it hard to believe."
His members had since called on the pastor to come clean on the adultery allegations, but he prefers to remain silent until God says otherwise.
Our sources revealed that the church stands divided because of the incident. While many insisted that the pastor should speak out, others are of the opinion that since God asked him to keep quite, he should wait until he says otherwise.
A member was quoted as saying, "God can't ask you to keep quiet in this matter because his name is at stake too. The church of God is being accused here and the same God is telling him to keep quiet? That is immaterial, I can't accept that."
Findings further revealed that the preacher is currently working behind the scene to 'bury' the allegation.
The preacher has vowed to put an end to the ugly development that has soiled his hard-earned name and reputation.
We were also told that the man of God is making effort to reach out to the media to clear the mess and get the whole issue out of the public domain.
It was gathered that members of the church are also calling on Pastor Biodun to tender unreserved apology if he actually committed the sin or come out boldly to clear the air, rather than 'waiting for God to tell him when to speak.
Culled from Daily Post
It seems the issues confronting bloggers are getting multifaceted and will as a matter of time, become complicated.
I wonder what the essence of the Freedom Of Information Bill that was passed in 2011 is, when the media is not utilising it effectively.
We need to start asking questions in this our beloved country called Nigeria.
The Military regime of yesteryears have gone by, and we are now in a democratic dispensation. We need to speak up against what is wrong, and also for what is right.
It beats my imagination when I hear the Nigerian government, through the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) are drawing up plans to 'regulate' the use of social media.
If you can recall vividly, some months back, a secret plan was discovered that the Nigerian government was on the cusp of signing a $40 million deal with an Israeli firm to monitor emails of Nigerians.
The government had to backtrack on that plan due to widespread criticisms, including from opposition parties.
The use of social media in Nigeria cannot be over emphasised, but it seems I have to emphasise this and drive home my points.
First of all, can we imagine a world without social media?
Prior to the new millennium, most Nigerians knew next to nothing about the Internet, not to talk of social media.
I can safely say that social media is one of the best things to happen to Nigeria and Nigerians after the advent of the GSM.
Take the 'Social' out of the Social media, what do we get? Media. Media is a platform to source for and derive information from.
To be social means to be interactive with other people, it could be with people they may know or people they do not know. After all, man, by nature, is created to be a social being.
If the government wants to take the social media away from us by virtue of 'regulation', then I suggest they not only take the 'Social', but also take the 'media' along.
I do not understand the rationale behind the so-called 'regulation' of social media. It is like trying to take away the private lives of Nigerians.
Social media has actually been a blessing to Nigerians.
In a country where unemployment is prevailant, and no means of allowance after graduation (apart from NYSC allowance), Nigerians have explored the endless possibilities of social media by engaging in one form of business or the other just to make ends meet.
Are they going to take away our means of livelihood as well all in the name of 'regulating' the use of social media?
A good question begging for an answer.
Do you know how many fellow bloggers will suffer if this 'regulation' were to come to fruition?
Do you know how many businesses will fold up if this 'regulation' were to be implemented?
I can only imagine.
The 'hate' for bloggers can only get worse if nothing is done about this.
I know some countries ban the use of social media, but we are Nigeria, we cannot be like other countries.
Besides I want to ask? How many atrocities have people committed on social media to warrant this 'regulation'?
I remember the Senate President, David Mark, sometime last year who had initially criticised the use of social media, backtrack to say "Thank God for social media".
His statements came shortly after the killers of the four students of the University of Port Harcourt were identified in a video which went viral on every social media in Nigeria.
I can't also forget to emphasise how the social media helped to settle the case between erstwhile lawmaker, Hon. Farouk Lawan and businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola. At least in our minds, we know the truth.
I also remember the role social media played in the 'Oga At The Top' mantra, which helped to drive home a point.
Most recently, some police officers who were accused of receiving bribes from members of the public were unsuspectingly exposed and disciplined accordingly, all thanks to social media.
I wonder how else I need to emphasise the use of the social media.
I know the defence of the government is that people use the social media to cast aspersions on the personalities of others, but I feel that is not enough reason to 'regulate' the use of social media.
It's like using a sledge hammer to kill an ant.
A proverbial saying goes thus: 'You can't chop off the head just because you have a nasty headache'.
I wish to use this opportunity to once again advocate for the establishment of a Bloggers' Association.
The need for this cannot be over-emphasised.
I fear for the future of blogging in this country if we cannot come together to form an association which will CREATE AN IDENTITY for bloggers in Nigeria.
An association which will PROTECT OUR INTERESTS. As I am aware, there are so many fantastic blogs out there.
So many of our friends in the media field have associations such as the Nigerian Union of Journalism (NUJ), the Sports Writers' Association of Nigeria (SWAN), and several others.
Just last week, I was so pained when I heard a certain celebrity throw insults at a particular blogger for readers' comments she deemed as insulting ( I wonder why any celebrity will read comments by readers and then turn back to blame the blogger for them).
I feel the blogging profession in Nigeria is going to be dragged into the mud further, as some celebrities have now termed bloggers as 'LOW-LIFES'.
Hence there is an urgent need to form an Association to INSTILL RESPECT in that profession called Blogging.
Finally, I want to urge the Federal Government to please consider so many factors because 'regulating' the use of social media will have adverse effects on Nigerians.
Cheers to the weekend!!
@JimCaddy
The Samsung Note 3, the third version of the
device is a cross between a phone and a tablet – a so-called "Phablet", and comes with a 5.7-inch screen, a 13-Megapixel camera and will run on 4G.
One of the main innovations is the Air Command function which gives users easy access to the Note 3's main features when using the S Pen.
Also as Nigeria turns 53, http://www.jumia.com.ng brings awesome, exciting deals and giveaways, as well as new product releases that will certainly spice up your Independence Day celebrations.
So get together your family and friends, it's time again to shop Jumia.
The online retailer has launched the 'Independence Day Store' that will see customers get incredible discounts on products from all its categories.
Putting a smile on the face of one lucky customer, a home starter kit with a TV, DVD player, and lots more is up for grabs on purchase of any single electronic appliance. Also, the gamers aren't left out too as you can get the chance to be the first to own fresh new releases, Grand Theft Auto 5 and the much awaited FIFA '14; how cool can 'cool' be.
Everyone needs shoes right? And for this Jumia is giving away all shoes in its store at a 20% discount.
For the big surprise, Jumia will be doing free deliveries to its customers in Lagos up to October 1st, talk about shopping at its best.
Make this holiday one to remember for you and your loved ones.
To be the first to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, click on this link- http://www.jumia.com.ng/mobile-phones/samsung/?wt_af=ng.affiliate.cj.sale.mobile.banner&utm_source=cj&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=mobile&utm_term=banner
To celebrate Nigeria at 53 and get 53% discount on all purchases, kindly follow this link- http://www.jumia.com.ng/independence-day/
Permit me to begin this contribution by reproducing a portion of an essay that I wrote on 26 September 2011 which was titled ''On Goodluck Jonathan, David and Goliath''. The essay reads as follows.
''A few days ago from the sacred pulpit of the hallowed chambers of the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja and in the presence of the entire leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), President Goodluck Ebele Jobathan proclaimed as follows- ''I am not David....I am not a general.....I am not a lion.....I will defeat the Goliaths in our land''. These are deep and instructive words yet I do wonder whether Mr. President understands the spiritual and practical implications of what he is saying.
If he says that he ''is not a David'' how can he then possibly slay the ''Goliaths in the land?'' If he says that he ''is not a general'' how can he be an effective Commander-in-Chief who commands the respect and confidence of his army and his officers? If he says that he ''is not a lion'' how can he overwhelm the animals in our jungle that seek to destroy and ravage our land? The lion is a noble and courageous animal that defends it's pride and family and protects it's own. That is why it is known as the ''king of the jungle'' and that is why our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself is known as the ''Lion of the Tribe of Judah''.
Every king worth his salt must have the spirit of the lion and the warrior in him to a certain extent. It is a fundamental pre-qualification for good quality and inspirational leadership and that is what distinguishes the pretender and the usurper from a real king. May the spirit and weakness of Ahab not be our President's portion even though his words seem to have ensnared him. History proves that weak kings and weak leaders always pull down and destroy great empires and strong kingdoms.
If you have any doubt about that consider what happened to the Roman Empire under Nero, Claudius or Caligula. If you still have any doubts after that then read up on Russian history or watch an excellent old film called ''Nicholas and Alexander'' about Tsar Nicholas the 1st, the last Tsar of Russia and how his strong-willed wife and his consistent display of weakness shamed and brought down imperial Russia, destroyed the 300 year old royal dynasty of the Romanovs, led directly to the First World War (which in turn led to the Second World War and then later the Cold War), caused the communist revolution, led to the Russian civil war, resulted in the murder of his whole family and ended in the establishment and creation of the most evil and godless empire that has ever ruled half of the world- the cold and all-powerful Soviet empire.
That is what weakness, prevarication, inconsistency, cowardice, emotional slavery, inexplicable fear and the celebration of indecision can do. Worst still you don't boast about such qualities because there is nothing to be proud of in them. Always remember, whether you are a king or a subject, that courage is the greatest of all the virtues. This is wisdom. Would someone please tell our President''.
Once again please take note that the contribution that I have reproduced above was first written by me and published on 26th September 2011, almost two years ago to the day.
With the killing of 62 children by Boko Haram in Damatru yesterday morning, the slaughter of 140 Nigerian troops by Boko Haram in Borno state last friday, the massacre of 41 school children in Borno state by Boko Haram two months ago, the mass murder of no less than 7000 thousand Nigerians by Boko Haram in the last 3 years and the raging war that is going on in the northern eastern part of our country between Boko Haram and our military today those words and that counsel that was offered two years ago seem even more relevant today than it was even at that time.
The carnage that we are witnessing in our country today has come as a direct result of the manifestation of weakness at the top. When a President tells the world that Boko Haram are his ''siblings'' whom he ''cannot move against'', as he did earlier this year, he is asking for trouble. When a President keeps offering Boko Haram amnesty even when they kept rejecting it and whilst they were murdering his people, as he has been doing for the last three years, he is asking for trouble. When a President installs and supports a party National Chairman who describes Boko Haram as ''freedom fighters'', as he did earlier this year, he is asking for trouble.
When a President announces to the world that he is ''not a lion or a David'', as he did exactly two years ago, no-one should be surprised when his people are killed like flies before his very eyes. May God bring us a real leader that can save our nation and may He take away this one who feels no pain and has no empathy when Nigerian blood, nay even the blood of innocent children, is shed with impugnity. Under the tenure of our ''lamb'' President more innocent Nigerians have been slaughtered by terrorists than at any other time in the history of our country except during the civil war.
What a mess, what a record. I have said it before and I shall say it again, Nigeria has become an abbatoir of human flesh and blood under the tenure of Jonathan and all those who support him should bury their heads in shame. The blood of all those innocent people is on his hands because he swore to an oath before God and the Nigerian people to protect them from such evil. Instead of getting on with his job and doing so he is boasting to the world about ringing the bell in the New York Stock Exchange and receiving illusionary and absurd commendations from President Barack Obama.
The suspects, who were recently arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, traded blames over who caused their arrest.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects, Fatai Balogun, Wale Oluwatosin and Gbenga Olusanya, were arrested shortly after robbing a family in the Iju, Ishaga area of the state.
Police authorities said after the robbery, the suspects shared the loot and went their separate ways.
Oluwatosin was, however, spotted while hiding his gun at the backyard of his house.
An eyewitness was said to have reported to the police and Oluwatosin was arrested. It was learnt that through his confessional statement, the police apprehended his colleagues.
One of the suspects, Balogun, who claimed to be a barber, said he regretted following Oluwatosin for the robbery.
He said, "He (Oluwatosin) is a very stupid boy. He is just 20-years-old and I see him like a younger brother because we grew up in the same area. Some days ago, he told me that there was a man in the area drove a nice car and he had studied the man's movements.
"We got guns and when it was midnight, we stormed the house. We stole about N500,000 and I felt this was enough, but Oluwatosin was not satisfied. He stole CDs, laptops, seven mobile phones, video games and other items that we did not need.
"Carrying such things around at night could draw suspicion to us and I told him this but he was too stubborn. As I predicted, he was the one that caused our arrest. He is stupid."
Another suspect, Olusanya, said he was not an armed robber but a smuggler. He said he knew the gang but had only followed them for one operation.
He said, "I followed them for a robbery some months ago but we did not succeed. On that particular operation, we met policemen on the road and decided to turn back. However, the driver was drunk and we had an accident.
"We had to snatch another car which we used to escape. After the unsuccessful robbery, I went back to my smuggling business because I felt those guys were not serious armed robbers. They were too clumsy."
Oluwatosin, who is the youngest among the suspects, said he went into robbery so he could impress the suspects.
He said the suspects usually gave him N7, 000 as an informant but he wanted to make more money which made him to lead the operation.
He said, "I knew Balogun was an armed robber and I looked up to him. He used to give me N7,000 as an informant, but I felt I could do more. I did not know I would get caught after my first robbery."
Deputy Police Public Rleations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
While 50 of them were students of the School of Agriculture, Guijba in Yobe State, four were travellers who were accosted on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road on Saturday evening by the insurgents.
Investigations revealed that the Boko Haram members attacked the College of Agriculture situated along the Guijba-Damaturu Road at 12 midnight when most of the students were already asleep.
A security source confided in one of our correspondents that 50 students were killed by the insurgents who wielded guns, swords and knives. But the state government put the casualty at 40.
It was further stated that several other students, who were lucky to have escaped the killings with different degrees of injuries, were taken to the emergency ward of the general hospital.
Gruesome death
The security source claimed that the gunmen used swords and knives to kill 36 of the students to avoid attracting the attention of security operatives. He however added that 14 others, who broke the wooden windows of their hostels to escape into the nearby bushes, were shot dead by the insurgents.
He added that some of the corpses were without heads while others had heads hanging to the bodies in spite of the attempts to sever them.
The source stated further that all the victims of the attack were male students aged between 18 and 22.
At the time of filing this story, wailing parents and relatives gathered outside the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital mortuary in Damaturu , where rescue workers laid out bloody bodies in an orderly row on the lawn for them to identify their loved ones.
One body had its fists clenched to the chest in a protective gesture while another had hands clasped under the chin, as if in prayer.Yet, another had arms raised in surrender.
The Medical Director of the specialist hospital, Damaturu, Dr Garba Fika, who said that 40 corpses were received by the hospital, added that five students, were receiving treatment.
But the Provost of the College, Molima Idi Mato, was quoted by the Associated Press as having said that "the number of dead could be as high as 50."
"They attacked our students while they were sleeping in their hostels. They opened fire at them," he added.
Mato was also quoted to have said that security forces were still recovering the bodies and that about 1,000 students had fled the campus.
He added there were no security forces stationed at the college despite government assurances two weeks ago that they would be deployed.
The AP quoted a surviving student, Ibrahim Mohammed, as having said that the extremists rode into the college in two double-cabin pickup all-terrain vehicles and on motorcycles, some dressed in Nigerian military camouflage.
Mohammed, according to the AP, added that the insurgents appeared to know the layout of the college well as they attacked the four male hostels but carefully avoided the only hostel reserved for girls.
When contacted, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said that he would call back to give the Army's reaction to the killing.
Another call to his mobile telephone line after the discussion indicated that it was switched off.
Schools in the state re-opened 13 days ago after 10 weeks of forced closure following attacks targeted on schools.
In June, seven students and two teachers were killed at the Government Secondary School, Damaturu and in July, 22 students and two teachers were killed at Government Secondary School, Mamudo.
Gov Geidam, deputy visit victims, weep
Yobe State Governor. Ibrahim Gaidam,who visited the specialist hospital to inspect the wounded and the corpses of students, was in tears as he urged security operatives to intensify aerial surveillance of the area.
The Deputy Governor, Abubakar Aliyu and other dignitaries, who accompanied him, also shed tears when they saw the corpses of the students.
Gaidam, through his Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information, Mr. Abdullahi Bego, later issued an electronic statement in which he condemned the murder of the students as 'devastating, heinous and barbaric.'
The statement put the total number of dead at 40 and the injured at four. It added that the governor promised to foot the medical bills of the injured.
The statement reads, "Governor Gaidam strongly condemns attack on students of the State College of Agriculture, Gujba. The governor describes the attack as devastating, heinous and barbaric.
"Forty students were killed by criminals and terrorists while four others were injured during the attack.
"On a visit Sunday to the injured at the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, Damaturu, Governor Gaidam commiserated with families of the victims and prayed the Almighty Allah to make the injured recover quickly.
"The governor also says the Yobe State Government will foot the bill for medical treatment for the injured.
"Governor Gaidam calls on the military and other law enforcement operatives in the state to intensify surveillance and patrols to deal more effectively with the prevailing security challenges.
"The governor notes that although there is increase in troop movement and the deployment of more military hardware in the northeast, people are yet to see the kind of action on the ground that effectively nips criminal and terrorist activities in the bud."
Travellers sprayed with bullets
Another group of Boko Haram insurgents barricaded the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway and killed four travellers in Mallumti, a few kilometres to Benesheikh, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was gathered that the insurgents were confronted by a vigilante group known as civilian JTF, who killed three of them.
The driver of one of the vehicles attacked by the gunmen, Mallam Usman Garba, said, ' I have to give thanks to Allah for sparing our lives. We could have run into the terrorists who killed four people in Mallumti village, but when I sighted them barricading the road, I quickly make a U-turn with my passengers. We had to go-back to Damaturu before coming to Maiduguri Motor Park this (Sunday) morning."
It was learnt that the insurgents also killed 34 people in three different attacks in Borno State on Wenesday and Thursday last week.
In the first two attacks, they invaded Fulatari and Kanumburi communities in Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area of the state near Nigeria's border with Cameroun.
At least 27 people were killed in the two attacks.
The dead included the village head of Gamboru, Lawan Ali Shettima.
The victims of a third attack were the driver and six other occupants of a truck belonging to business magnate, Aliko Dangote, at a border community between Yobe and Borno..
The insurgents were also said to have burnt down the truck said to be conveying bags of cement to Maiduguri.
The Caretaker Chairman of Gamboru/Ngala, Alhaji Modu Sherriff, was quoted as having condemned the heinous killing during a condolence visit to the affected community.
Culled from the Punch Newspapers
The footage, secretly filmed by a passenger at the back seat of a vehicle in Onitsha, Anambra State, has so far received thousands of hits on YouTube. The three-minute 18-second video which first appeared on the YouTube channel of one Tola Tim, has since become an Internet sensation.
In the video, a policeman apprehended the driver of a vehicle that was coming from Akure, Ondo State to Umuahia, Abia State. The policeman sat in the front seat with the driver, and after checking the vehicle particulars, declared that he had discovered some discrepancies between the documents and the chassis number.
In the video, the policeman explained that the number '0' was the last number on the chassis number inscribed on the vehicle, while number '3'was the last number on the documents presented to him for perusal.
The driver was seen arguing with the policeman that he had asked him to veer off the road in order to enable him (policeman) do proper checking of the vehicle. Once the alleged discrepancies were discovered, the policeman insisted that he would collect N10,000 before he would release him.
The driver's appeal that there was an unintended mix-up somewhere and that the vehicle was not a stolen one fell on deaf ears. A nursing mother who sat at the back also appealed to the policeman.
The man in uniform bellows, "Settle us. Just give us N10,000 make I waka comot. Or is it too much? If I knew you stole the vehicle, I won't collect money from you."
But the driver, on noticing the adamance of the policeman, said he won't give in to his demands.
"It is three much! I want you to take me to your station. I'm not afraid of anything. I can go back to Akure. At worst, I will miss my appointment in Umuahia. Why will I part with N10,000 on the vehicle I didn't steal? No sir! I can't do that.
"I will rather go back to Akure, get the registration officer and other supporting documents, come back with another vehicle and clear myself. And that is to tell you that I have not done something wrong," the driver said.
The unidentified driver also calmed the nerves of the apprehensive nursing mother who clutched a baby girl to herself. "My sister, don't worry! At worst, you will sleep in a hotel with your baby when I go back to Akure," the driver added.
The policeman replied, "Eh eh. It is three much. Wetin make am too much?" After ruminating over the issue for some seconds, the policeman, who was armed with a gun, ordered, "Driver, come down." And the video went dead.
Meanwhile, outrage has trailed the incident on various social media platforms. Those who have watched the video online describe the encounter as a pointer to the depth of rot and decay in the Nigeria Police Force.
They urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to conduct an orderly room trial to ascertain the policeman's culpability in the alleged crime and place appropriate sanctions on him if found guilty.
An anonymous reader on lindaikeji.blogspot.com says apart from condemning the act of corruption and sacking the culprit, more needs to be done to cater for the welfare of the rank and file of the police.
The reader said, "If you have a police officer as your relative, you will understand better. The income they get can't even feed them alone not to talk of their families. The country doesn't cater adequately for their needs. Many police barracks look like refuse dumps and they are expected to live there with their children."
But a YouTube user, Paul Saint, argued that there is no excuse for being corrupt, attributing the behaviour to greed.
Saint stated, "This has nothing to do with the service welfare of the police. Corruption in Nigeria has nothing to do with low or high salary pay. If you are corrupt, no matter what you earn, you will still find ways to illegally enrich yourself. Most cases of corruption recorded in this country are perpetrated by persons who are otherwise fairlycomfortable with bribes.
"Corruption is as a result of greed only. Not poverty or low pay. We must condemn corruption at all times and not make excuses for it. But even if they are not well paid, there is no excuse for corruption. The most corrupt persons in Nigeria started off with collecting less than N10,000 and because we excuse them or celebrate them, they step up their demands to millions and billions. Well paid or not, do not demand or collect bribe."
It will be recalled that three cops have so far been dismissed by the police authorities after being filmed demanding bribes from motorists.
A police sergeant, Chris Omeleze, who was caught on video camera extorting N25,000 from a motorist in Lagos in August was the first casuality of the social media whistle-blowing.
Two traffic policewomen, corporals Elizabeth Itolor and Jennifer Azingbe, who were also videotaped receiving N100 bribe from a commercial bus driver at the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway were dismissed earlier this month.
According to SunNews, Chika and Chinwe who had dated each other for almost five years, had a misunderstanding and stopped dating each other.
Chika later met Cynthia, a prostitute and they started dating. But after a month of being together, they too had issues and split.
Along the line, Chika got to meet his former girl Chinwe. They got to reconcile and started their love life all over again.
Unfortunately, Cynthia wasn't going to let them be together.
Cynthia Onah reportedly threatened that she would never leave Chika for any other lady. She threatened Chinese, warned her to stay away from Chika.
When Chika and Chinese continued their relationship, on that fateful day, Cynthia and another suspect, one Obiora Chukwuegbo stormed Chika's home at 11:30pm with a gallon of fuel, emptied its content on Chinwe who was already asleep and set her on fire.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, State CID Enugu, Mr. Philip Ogbadu told Sunday Sun that they have been able to arrest the three suspects, Chika Kelechi, Cynthia Onah and Obiora Chukwuegbo and that the case is still under investigation.
The boyfriend, Chika told Sunday Sun :
"I am a driver and I've been dating Chinwe for the past five years. We had little quarrel and we stopped dating.
I meet Cynthia who is a prostitute and dated her for just one month. We separated one month after because at times she would be chasing me with a knife. I couldn't bear it and so I went back to settle with my former girlfriend.
Cynthia didn't give up as she threatened that she was going to deal with us. She even threatened to pour acid on me.
Being a driver, I travelled the day Cynthia burnt my girlfriend. It was one of my neighbours that called me to say that my house was on fire and that somebody poured fuel under the door and it exploded and burnt my girlfriend who was sleeping in the room; that they have rescued her through the window.
When I got home, I saw that all my property had been burnt to ashes. My girlfriend was hospitalized because she sustained injuries from the fire. But I am determined and I have promised God that with the condition of my girlfriend that I am still going to marry her.
The suspect, Cynthia said
"I started dating Chika when he had misunderstanding with his former girlfriend, Chinwe.We dated for one month and then he told me that he was no longer interested in marrying me.
Chika is owing me N12,000.
When we had a quarrel, I did not threaten him with a knife. I only used the knife to deflate his tyres.
I have quarreled with Chinwe several times. I sent her a text message to leave my boyfriend. Because she threatened me, I also threatened her that she will never enjoy the relationship.
I don't know anything about who took fuel to the house of her boyfriend and burnt the house.
On that fateful day, Chika called my phone at night and said that I should meet him at Emene junction. I was out waiting for him when the policemen from the State CID arrested me.
I didn't know anything about the incident. I only know we have traded words.
"When Sunday Sun visited the victim at the Annunciation Specialist Hospital Emene Area, Enugu State, she said:
"I am still shocked at what happened. I regret dating Chika as I have been turned to something else now.
I saw Cynthia Onah and Chukwuegbo Obiora after they had poured fuel under the door and fire was everywhere. I was calling him for help. It was when I was calling for help through the other window that I saw Cynthia Onah and Obiora Chkwuegbo running away and I was shouting for help until the neighbours broke one of the windows and carried me out from the window.
"My relationship with Chika is over. I am in pains and agony. I didn't know what to do. I was sleeping and suddenly I saw smoke and it exploded and caught fire. I could have been burnt to ashes if not for the neighbours who broke through the window and rescued me,"
CP Adamu said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
Source: Sunday Sun