Nedu Echianu's Blog

Reports just coming in says a bomb has gone off at the central mosque in Kano, though the casualty figure has not been confirmed some online sources say many have been killed. Details later....

  Report just coming in says two female bombers detonated bombs at the Monday Market in Maiduguri, Borno state, North East Nigeria, killing many and injuring others.   It is believed that a third suicide bomber was apprehended before she could detonate her bomb.  Monday Market, where the blast occurred, is reported to be the largest market in Maiduguri metropolis.  Reports say the bombs was detonated near a roundabout close to branch by a woman wearing a religious veil.  Two female bombers have detonated bombs at the Monday Market in Maiduguri, Borno state, killing many people. According to a security source who confirmed the blast to TheCable, a third suicide bomber was apprehended before she could detonate her bomb. Monday Market, where the blast occurred, is the largest market in Maiduguri metropolis. A member of staff of a bank located inside the market told TheCable on phone that one of the bombs was detonated near a roundabout close to branch by a woman wearin

Some MPs jumping over the gates of Nigeria's Parliament Building Nigeria's Parliament was earlier today a beehive of chaotic activities as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal was prevented by armed police and masked operatives of the Department of State Services popularly known as SSS from entering to the green champers of the House to preside over plenary.

Former England goalkeeper David James' football memorabilia has been auctioned off after the star went bankrupt. According to the BBC, James, 44, who played for Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth, was declared bankrupt in May despite earning around £20m.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal who recently defected from the ruling People's Democratic Party PDP to the opposition All Progressive Congress APC has declared his intention to contest for the office of President in next year's Presidential election. Reports say Tambuwal has already picked up his declaration of intent form from the APC secretariat thereby joining others such as former Head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari rtd, Kano state Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Publisher of Leadership newspaper, Sam Nda Isaiah and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who have all declared intention to pick the party ticket for the election.

A lone female suicide bomber has detonated a bomb at the Federal College of Education Kontagora in Niger State. Apart from the suicide bomber, no one died in the attack. Security sources told online newspaper, Saharareporters that several students sustained injuries from the attack.

47 students of Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum, Yobe state, North East Nigeria have been confirmed dead while 79  others are said to have been injured after this morning's bomb blast at the school. The information was released by the Nigeria Police on their twitter handle. ..Police Bomb experts working on scene of Potiskun #Yobe sch suicide bomb blast, victims rushed to hospital. Investigation in progress. 2/2 — Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) November 10, 2014 10NOV 7:45AM Suicide bomber disguised as student blew self at Assembly ground Govt Science Sec Sch Potiskum #Yobe , 47 dead, 79 injured ..1/2 — Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) November 10, 2014

Very shocking news coming out of the Bahamas indicates that internationally renowned preacher and founding Pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, Dr. Myles Munroe, has been confirmed dead along with his wife, Ruth, after a ghastly plane crash in Grand Bahama on Sunday according to the Bahamas Tribune.

Report just coming in says a bomb explosion has occurred at Government Science  Secondary School, Potiskum, Yobe State this morning during the school's Assembly, killing many students and injuring several others. Details of the attack is not yet clear, but it could be linked to the Boko Haram sect known to have attacked schools in the North East of Nigeria

Report just coming in says gunmen have abducted Sani Ribadu, the younger brother of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu. A brother to Mr. Ribadu, Arabi Ribadu, s reported to have informed online newspaper,   PREMIUM TIMES that Sani was abducted in his farm in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, on Sunday. “He was abducted by gun wielding men in his farm along Fufore road at about 5 p.m. this evening,” he said. He also said the abductors took away their victim and abandoned his car. “Up till this moment, there is no communication from them,” he said. Efforts to speak with the police spokesperson in Adamawa State has been unsuccessful as his phone was switched off. Adamawa is one of the states worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, with Mubi, the second largest town in the state, now under the control of the insurgents.

Pictures they say speaks louder than words, so just sit back and enjoy pictures of the city of Lagos (South-West Nigeria) you might not have seen anywhere else...the Pictures are after the cut.

Report just coming says unidentified gunmen earlier today (Saturday, 8th Nov) assassinated  Abdullahi Mairuwa, the head driver to Nasarawa State Governor,  Umaru Al-Makura. The late Mr. Mairuwa, who according to Premium Times was in charge of all drivers attached to Government House, Lafia, was traveling to his home town in Keana local government area of the state in the company of his wife, Salamatu, when he was  assassinated close to Tudun Adabu along the Obi-Keana-Awe  road   around 8.30 a.m. Saturday.

Governor of Nigeria's troubled North Eastern state of Borno, Kashim Shettima has been pictured handing out cash gift to children, the pictures which are almost going viral on the internet has raised a lot of questions.  One of such questions is; in a state ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, massive poverty and infrastructural dilapidation, is cash handouts the best alternative to alleviate the suffering of the people?

  Former All Black John Kirwan has suggested that the current New Zealand rugby union team are the best in his country's history. So BBC Sport decided to throw the question over to its audience: Who are your best team ever? Responses ranged from Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls to Australia's all-conquering 1990s cricket team. However, the top five was dominated by one sport. It was history's great football teams that overwhelmingly stuck in their memory. 

Former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim steps out with his Beasts...ermm sorry Dogs...

Is that the real Slim Shady? Eminem appeared at the Wall Street Journal's Innovator Of the Year Awards in New York City on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and looked noticeably aged and gaunt. Wearing a black beanie, Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, looked worn beyond his 42 years of age.

Robin Williams was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his suicide, authorities in California have revealed. The actor, 63, was found dead in his California home on 11 August in what authorities soon ruled a suicide.

Reports say thirteen people have been confirmed dead in Friday’s deadly bomb attack on Azare town in Bauchi state.  According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, 10 other people suffered various degrees of injuries in the explosion.  Ojukwu, a commissioner of police, also said detectives have begun investigation into the incident, with five suspects already arrested. The identities of the suspects were however not disclosed. A twin explosion had occurred at the premises of the Azare branch of First Bank earlier today. A witness said the bomb blast occurred at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of the bank as customers were queuing to make withdrawals at around 9a.m. He said eight people were killed instantly while others died as they were being taken to hospital. Other witnesses said mostly affected were Bauchi State civil servants who were waiting to collect their salaries. Premium Times

Two persons were feared dead and 20 others injured in a stampede at the entrance of Akwa Ibom International Stadium on Friday during its inauguration. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crowd control was a difficult task in spite of the road blocks mounted some kilometres away from the stadium.

Floyd Mayweather This is a list of the highest-paid athletes in the world for 2014 as ranked by Forbes magazine on their earnings...take a look at the table after the cut.

While happiness may not be possible all the time, in many cases our happiness depends on choosing to be happy. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, we complicate our lives to the point that we're unable to recognize happiness when it appears right in front of us. So how to clear the slate? Here are 10 things you'll need to give up in exchange for your happiness.

The Gombe State Government, Wednesday, ordered the closure of all public and private schools in the state, a day after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked two towns in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that parents who took their children to school on Wednesday were told to take them back as the schools had been closed on the orders of the government.

President Goodluck Jonathan with interim Head of State of Burkina Faso, Lt. Col Isaac Zida at the Ouagadougou Airport on Wednesday.... President Jonathan is one of Heads of state from West Africa attempting to find a solution to the political crisis in Burkina Faso following the resignation of long time President, Blaise Campaore after a mass protest. Picture courtesy of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati.

Contrary to the claim by the Nigerian military that it is on top of the security challenge in the commercial town of Mubi in Adamawa state, the dreaded Boko Haram sect is consolidating its position in the the captured town and has indeed renamed it “Madinatul Islam” meaning the city of Islam.

Below is the full transcript of the video clip released by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. He spoke in Hausa but his speech was translated to English by  Ola Audu of Premium Times...

Reports just coming in say a bomb attack has been confirmed in Potiskum, Yobe state, North -East Nigera. Eye witnesses say a suicide bomber targeting members of the Shiite group, Islamic Brotherhood of Nigeria, detonated his explosive vest, killing many instantly.

In a move that will raise the stakes in the rapidly evolving Nigerian cement market, leading cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc has announced huge cuts in the price of the essential product.    A step that will make cement cheaper than it has ever been since 2005, the new price regime announced by the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, said the Company has pegged the Dangote 32.5 cement grade at N1,000 per 50 kg bag, while the higher 42.5 grade is to sell for N1,150 per bag.

Five military commanders have been handcuffed and detained at the military police guard room at the 23 Brigade headquarters in Yola Adamawa state for abandoning Mubi in Adamawa state to Boko Haram militants last Wednesday. The commanders whose names and ranks were given as Colonel Ibrahim, Lt. Colonel Magaji and three others abandoned the 213 Brigade headquarters a few minutes after Boko Haram militants reached Mararaba and Hildi on the outskirts of Mubi.

The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC has called for the immediate restoration of the security details attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, withdrawn last week by the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba following the defection of the Speaker from the ruling PDP to the opposition APC.

No   fewer   than   41 suspected members of Boko Haram sect were killed and beheaded by men of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a.k.a Civilian JTF, at Biu, Borno State following a failed attempt by the insurgents to overrun the Sabon Gari village, in Damboa Local Government Area of the state, Thursday.

As we gradually get to the end of 2014, I want to use this opportunity to wish all readers of this blog a wonderful and happy new month of November, may God keep us all to see the end of this year, the beginning of the next and beyond.

A deadly explosion that ripped through a bus station in central Gombe Friday , killed at least 23 people and injured many more, the News Agency of Nigeria, has reported. NAN quoted a hospital source as stating that at least 23 bodies were deposited at Gombe Specialist Hospital, while the injured were taken to other hospitals for treatment.

Boko Haram denied that they had agreed to a ceasefire in a new video obtained on Friday by AFP, describing the Nigerian government claims as a lie and apparently ruling out future talks. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, also claimed the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped from the remote northeast town of Chibok, in Borno state, in April had converted to Islam and been married off.Chibok-details