Egypt President cuts his Ethiopia visit short after deadly Sinai attacks

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has cut his visit short to the Ethiopian capital for an African Union summit, following a wave of deadly attacks on Thursday night in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula claimed by Islamic State's Egypt wing.
Sisi's office said in a statement emailed on Friday morning that Sisi was heading back to Cairo to follow the situation. At least 26 security personnel were killed late on Thursday in four separate attacks in North Sinai, in some of the worst anti-government violence in months.

Tompolo: Nigeria will break if Jonathan loses

Former Niger Delta militants seem unrepentant on their widely condemned stand that there will be trouble should President Goodluck Jonathan lose the February 14 election.

Among those who condemned the former militants’ stand is one time Defence Minister Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, who said war mongers should be arrested.

But yesterday, former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) leader Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) restated the threat he issued along with other ex-militant leaders in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

 The threat, said to have been issued in the presence of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Niger Delta, Mr Kingsley Kuku, has been widely condemned.

 Tompolo attacked Gen. Danjuma, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and all perceived enemies of President Jonathan, who he insisted must win to avert a crisis.

 He said: “Gen. Danjuma and his cohorts should know that I remain resolute on my position in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, that President Goodluck Jonathan must win this election for Nigeria to continue to stay together.”

 He said: “Gen. Danjuma should be reminded that the devilish treaty that brought the Southern and Northern Protectorates together in 1914 expired last year. Danjuma and his likes, such as Gen. Buhari, Gen. Obasanjo and Mr. Bola Tinubu, should be grateful to President Jonathan who has been keeping this country together.

 ”If not for President Jonathan, Nigeria would not have been any more.  Danjuma and his cohorts should be reminded of the saying that ‘those who live in glass house should not throw stones’.

African Union deploys 50-man team to monitor Nigeria election

The chairperson, African Union Commission (AUC), DR Dlamini Zuma  has appointed former Mozambique President, Joaquim Alberto-Chissano, to lead a 50-member election observers to Nigeria’s general election in February.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Zuma gave the approval on Thursday, in Addis Ababa, ahead of Nigeria’s general election expected to hold between February 14 and 28.
Chissano is to be assisted by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr Aisha Abdullahi.
NAN reported that the commission had earlier deployed a team of 15 long-term electoral experts to the country under the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM).
Zuma said the long-term experts would remain in the country until March 11 to observe all the critical stages of the electoral process.
Also international groups to deploy over 800 election observers to Nigeria
An international group, Africa Youth International Development Foundation (AFYIDEF), has unfolded plans to deploy over 800 observers to monitor the general election across the country.
This was as it called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its level of preparations in terms of logistics and security for accredited observers.

Chadian soldiers recapture Nigerian town from Boko Haram

Chadian soldiers have smoked out the Boko Haram insurgents out of Malumfatori town in north-eastern Nigeria, a top security source said.

The recapture of the town, which lies near the borders of Chad and Niger, followed two days of fighting between the insurgents and the soldiers.

It was learnt that the Chadian soldiers moved into the town which was earlier seized by the Boko Haram sect after crossing Lake Chad. It is not known if the operation was approved by Nigeria.

However, the Nigerian military confirmed that the town had been recaptured but said that the feat was performed by soldiers from the Multinational Task involved in the ongoing operation against the insurgents in the North-East.

The Multi-National Joint Task Force comprises military personnel from Nigeria, Chad and Niger. Although Cameroon was supposed to be one of the troops contributing nation to the force, its troops had yet to participate in the activities of the force.

It was added that the area had always been the focus of the activities of the Nigeria military especially the aerial surveillance and patrol activities of the Nigerian Force.

Ailing actor Prince James Uche faces eviction after Abandoned by family

A few days after popular actor, Muna Obiekwe, was reported dead from kidney failure, seasoned actor, James Uche, who has been battling with heart kidney disease since 2007

Unknown to many movie fans and fellow Nollywood practitioners, a former Vice President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria and seasoned actor, Prince James Uche, is still struggling to survive a strange illness that has kept him off the screen for eight years ago.

To make matters worse, Uche’s landlord has just served him a notice, ordering him to quit his residence at 45, Yetunde Brown Street, Gbagada, Lagos.

The ailing actor, who now spends most of his time in the premises of a Catholic church near his residence, in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, recounted how he found himself in his present condition in an interview with E-PUNCH.

He said, “All I can remember is that something struck me on the left side of my face about eight years ago, when I was heading for the burial ceremony of Pete Edochie’s mother at Nteje in Anambra State. I had no idea what hit me in the face, but it happened when I arrived at the junction leading to the town.

Boko Haram plans attacks with explosive -laden goats, camels etc, says Nigeria Government

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Thursday raised alarm that Boko Haram insurgents were planning to attack political rallies, worship centres and markets places with camels, goats and donkeys laden with explosives.

The government said intelligence reports indicated that the insurgents were also planning to use young men disguised as cobblers to attack Automated Teller Machines, restaurants and other places.

Coordinator of the National Information Centre on the war against terrorism, Mr. Mike Omeri, at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, said security agencies and related organisations had been alerted to take necessary steps to forestall such attacks.

He said, “Available intelligence reports indicate a plan by Boko Haram to use young male suicide bombers disguised as cobblers to hide explosives in their tool boxes and detonate them in soft target areas such as markets, restaurants, ATM locations, political rallies, worship centres, as well as other public places.

“Also, there is indication of a plan by this group to use livestock such as goats, cows, donkeys and camels laden with explosives to attack chosen targets. In view of these, the general public, including all persons within and around the aforementioned places, is advised to be vigilant and mindful of suspicious activities within their environment.”

APC Presidential Candidate will not participate in BON debate says party

APC says its presidential candidate Gen Buhari will not be participating in the presidential debate being organized by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria BON and the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG).

In a statement released today January 29^th 2015 by Garna Shehu, the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), they said Buhari will not be participating in the debate as the composition of those organizing the debate was mainly of agencies and allies of the incumbent People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) administration.

“A cursory inspection of the composition of NEGD brings into focus the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), National Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Africa Independent Television (AIT, owned by a PDP chieftain). And going by the avalanche of inflammatory statements, misinformation and blatant lies being propagated by some of these media against our Party and candidates contrary to the Kofi Annan brokered Abuja Peace Accord, and the failure of these aggressors to desist and apologise, have left the APC Campaign with no option than to steer clear of any premeditated smear campaign that could be inimical to our prospective electoral success,”.