Nigeria Frees More Children and Women From Boko Haram

<div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBdKPHYiv8KDkkeQLCcJNkPG9MbXae74hvNgYn94agJYj2NldtYIGnNINC1biLnLw9z-jkcAI1avlWBOiiOKV6KNS6STMslWpUZRKB_MXPBafLvPzusFQ7vaLqk78TC07gpuqc6lX57TW/s1600/Nigerian+Army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBdKPHYiv8KDkkeQLCcJNkPG9MbXae74hvNgYn94agJYj2NldtYIGnNINC1biLnLw9z-jkcAI1avlWBOiiOKV6KNS6STMslWpUZRKB_MXPBafLvPzusFQ7vaLqk78TC07gpuqc6lX57TW/s1600/Nigerian+Army.jpg" /></a></div> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Nigeria has freed another 234 women and children from Boko Haram's Sambisa forest, the military said</b>.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The defence headquarters said in a statement on Friday that the hostages were rescued on Thursday through the Kawuri and Konduga end of Sambisa forest.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The army released the first photos of what it said were some of the hundreds of women and children that troops freed earlier this week in the Sambisa Forest amid heavy combat with Boko Haram.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> President Goodluck Jonathan, whose term ends this month, said Thursday that the Sambisa Forest is the last refuge for the Islamic group and he pledged to "hand over a Nigeria completely free of terrorist strongholds."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The military said it is screening the girls and women to find out what villages they came from.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Some women the soldiers tried to rescue even shot at their rescuers, a military spokesman has said, indicating that some might now identify with Boko Haram after months of captivity and forced marriages.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It also remains unclear if some of the women had willingly joined Boko Haram, or are family members of fighters.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The photos, which the military said were taken on Wednesday and Thursday, show 20 or so women, children and babies looking generally healthy physically, though one child is thin.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There has been no announcement yet on whether any of those rescued are the students who were kidnapped from the Chibok school a year ago, a mass kidnapping that outraged much of the world.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Nigerian military first reported rescuing almost 300 women and children in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday after deploying ground troops into the forest more than a week ago.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, told The Associated Press news agency on Thursday that more than 100 additional girls and over 50 more women have also been rescued.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said in a statement that several lives were lost, including that of a soldier and a woman, during shootouts in nine separate camps in the forest.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The military initially appeared incapable of curbing Boko Haram as the fighters took control of a large swath of northeast Nigeria last year and declared it an Islamic caliphate.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> That changed when the military received helicopter and heavy arms and some neighbouring nations launched an offensive against Boko Haram at the end of January.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_333484288"></span>Al Jazeera<span id="goog_333484289"></span></a></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b>=============================================================</b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: large;">PLACE YOUR TEXT ADVERTS HERE </span>=============================================================</b><br /> <b>Need Dubai visas (2 weeks or 3 months)? 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Nigeria Frees More Children and Women From Boko Haram

Nigeria has freed another 234 women and children from Boko Haram's Sambisa forest, the military said. The defence headquarters said in a statement on Friday that the hostages were rescued on Thursday…

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Nigeria Government Reshuffle Sparks Charges of Patronage Politics | VOA Africa

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO4P8-HMsdFi2N9VWGhXMdbdSie2fRG09A2uyVTJaIvF0P9qK828FFgWIjbqTcP3zW5DGSMUGx4dG61GU8mfPTxkCTXjGNS1RTBhIp6LpPvfGKA6oWgcx961Os89tterJGFA322wxUisx/s1600/GEJ+VOA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO4P8-HMsdFi2N9VWGhXMdbdSie2fRG09A2uyVTJaIvF0P9qK828FFgWIjbqTcP3zW5DGSMUGx4dG61GU8mfPTxkCTXjGNS1RTBhIp6LpPvfGKA6oWgcx961Os89tterJGFA322wxUisx/s1600/GEJ+VOA.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has fired the head of the police and other powerful government agencies weeks before he is to hand over his office to incoming president Muhammadu Buhari. Some analysts say the moves are evidence of last-minute score settling and patronage appointments by the outgoing administration.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In the past few weeks, Jonathan has fired the heads of the police, the National Health Insurance Scheme, and the Ports Authority. He also made two appointments at the Securities and Exchange Commission.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But Jonathan is a lame duck president. Former military ruler Buhari bested him in March’s presidential election. Jonathan is slated to step down at the end of May, making him the first president to hand power to an opposition candidate since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. Analysts say the appointments are essentially futile - there’s not much governing the Jonathan administration can do with just weeks to go.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Rather, firing the heads of powerful government organs like the police and ports authority, and appointing new people to take their place, smacks of patronage politics, they say.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Clement Nwankwo, executive director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center in the capital Abuja, says there can be several reasons behind Jonathan’s moves.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “It’s really directed at the specific individuals, either against or who may have angered him. Or he’s trying to reward people who have been, who have offered some support,” says Nwankwo.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-government-reshuffle-patronage-politics/2744960.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">VOA Africa</a></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b>=============================================================</b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: large;">PLACE YOUR TEXT ADVERTS HERE </span>=============================================================</b><br /> <b>Need Dubai visas (2 weeks or 3 months)? Contact <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Rukky Travels and Tours</span> on <span style="color: red;">rukkytravels@gmail.com</span></b><br /> <b>******************************************************************</b><br /> <b><span style="color: red;"><i>Shopify</i> makes it easy to open an online store by providing all the tools and help you need.</span> <a href="http://www.shopify.com/?ref=tnnng" style="color: #20124d;">Click here to try it for free!</a></b><br /> <b>******************************************************************</b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><a href="http://goo.gl/JoPv8J">Want An Exotic Car Ride? These Luxury Cars Are Superb. CLICK HERE To Rent One.</a></span></b><br /> <b>******************************************************************</b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><a href="http://goo.gl/eJpZiz"><span style="color: red;">Learn How To Make Extra ₦250,000 Monthly‎ From 6 Secret Profitable Businesses. CLICK HERE To Discover The Secret!</span></a></b><br /> <b>*******************************************************************</b></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>YOU TOO CAN HAVE YOUR TEXT ADVERTS PLACED HERE. CONTACT US AT <span style="color: red;">tnn.ng1@gmail.com</span> FOR AD PLACEMENT DETAILS</b></div>

Nigeria Government Reshuffle Sparks Charges of Patronage Politics | VOA Africa

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has fired the head of the police and other powerful government agencies weeks before he is to hand over his office to incoming president Muhammadu Buhari. Some an…

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