Tag Archives: Nigeria

Mysterious Nigerian Disease Leaves 18 Dead

A mysterious disease in Ondo State, Nigeria has left at least 18 people dead since April 13th.

Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the state commissioner for health, told reporters that 18 people died and 5 others are being treated.  Preliminary tests indicate the disease is not contagious according to Dr. Adeyanju.

The symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, blindness and unconsciousness.  Victims die within 24 hours of showing symptoms.

Speculation centers on locally brewed alcohol or herbicide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released numbers that conflicted with Dr. Adeyanju, stating that 13 people were killed in 18 total cases.  The WHO said tests in Lagos ruled out viruses and bacteria.

WHO spokesman Dr. Tarik Jasarevic said that they would be conducting toxicological tests on one of the dead to try and determine the source.

Those infected have been quarantined at the General Hospital in Irele and the rest of the hospital has been cleared of patients.

Boko Haram Kills 11 In Attack

Residents of the Nigerian border town of Gamboru had just returned after the village was liberated by Cameroon military forces when Boko Haram staged a surprise attack.

The attack left 11 residents dead before the troops could re-cross the border and drive out the terrorists.

“We were terrified when we started hearing gunshots echoing … but everywhere became calm about an hour later. The soldiers informed us that it was the Boko Haram terrorists that came back”, resident Aji Kaumi told the Associated Press.

It was the first offensive attack by the terrorists since they have been driven out of 38 cities and two entire states by the multinational forces helping the Nigerian military.

France has also sent military advisors into the region and French aircraft based in Chad are making scouting missions to find terrorist encampments.

French officials told reporters the goal is to make Boko Haram what it was once was: a fringe extremist group without any control of land within Nigeria.

Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance to ISIS

Long rumored to be happening, the Nigerian Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has pledged their allegiance to ISIS and is calling on Muslims around the world to do the same.

“We announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims … and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity, in hardship and ease, and to endure being discriminated against, and not to dispute about rule with those in power, except in case of evident infidelity regarding that which there is a proof from Allah,” leader Abubakar Shekau said in an audio recording posted to Twitter on Saturday. “We call upon Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to the Caliph.”

Boko Haram, which has been attempting to form their own caliphate since 2009, has been releasing videos stating that Islam is commanded to take over the world and that they would not stop until every Christian in the world was killed.

“Boko Haram joining the ISIS fold makes sense to both groups,” Jacob Zenn with the Jamestown Foundation told CNN. “Boko Haram will get legitimacy, which will help its recruiting, funding and logistics as it expands into (French-speaking) West Africa. It will also get guidance from ISIS in media warfare and propaganda. Previously Boko Haram was a sort of outcast in the global Jihadi community. Now it is perhaps ISIS’s biggest affiliate.”

The announcement by Boko Haram marks the 31st terrorist group to pledge allegiance to ISIS.

Christian Missionary Kidnapped In Nigeria Freed

An American missionary kidnapped in Nigeria has been freed.

Rev. Phyllis Sortor, a member of the American Free Methodist Church, was freed by a gang of criminals on Friday according to a church statement.

“Early evening Nigeria time, Friday, March 6, Phyllis Sortor, Free Methodist missionary to Nigeria, was safely released into the care of authorities and Free Methodist church leaders,” noted David W. Kendall, for the Board of Bishops in a news release to The Christian Post Friday evening.

“It appears she was kidnapped by a criminal gang, and there is no evidence this event is associated with terrorism or religion. Free Methodist leaders express deep appreciation to all who prayed for Sortor’s safe return.”

The criminals had asked for $300,000 as a ransom but the church did not comment on whether any ransom had been paid for the missionary’s release.

Sortor had travelled the world as a minister for Christ with her husband until his death in 2008.  After his death, she remained in Nigeria to focus on child care ministries.

Boko Haram Beheads Two Spies; Calls Itself “Islamic State Africa”

Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has released their first public video showing the beheading of two men they claim are “spies.”  

“This latest release shows Boko Haram is not a mere copycat of ISIS; rather, it is incorporating itself into the Islamic State,” said Veryan Khan, editorial director of Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium.

“Islamic state supporters are already starting to call Boko Haram the ‘Islamic State Africa.'”

The video shows a farmer being beaten by Islamic state terrorists and forced to “confess” he was “spying” for local police.  The video then shows the farmer and another man beheaded with their hands folded on their chests.

I believe Boko Haram is more than just copying the Islamic State — their image is being ‘shaped’ at very least in the ISIS media wing,” he continued. “Immediately after Baghdadi declared the Islamic State Caliphate, Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau did the same. We then started seeing (in the videos) the Islamic State flags being painted onto Boko Haram’s most prized possessions, their AFVs and tanks, most recently on Feb. 20 during the ops within the Northeastern Nigeria border.”

Analysts say that Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, is insane and too extreme even for Boko Haram.  They say that Shekau mixes voodoo into his version of radical Islam.

American Missionary Kidnapped In Nigeria

An American missionary has been taken captive in Lagos, Nigeria.

Kogi state Police Commissioner Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said that five men stormed the workplace of Rev. Phyllis Sortor and forced the woman out of the building.  The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of 60 million Naira (about $300,000 U.S.).

The kidnapping took place Monday and while Lagos is away from the main areas of operation for Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, police officials could not say the kidnapping was not related to terrorism.  They said it’s possible the group is connected in some way or could sell the woman to the terrorist outfit.

Sortor runs an organization that provides schools for nomadic children in Nigeria.

Commissioner Ogunjamilusi said that the attackers scaled a wall of the school and then fled into the nearby mountains.

Boko Haram Forces 7 Year Old Girl To Carry Out Bomb Attack

In their latest assault on civilians, terrorist group Boko Haram has used a girl believed to be around 7 years old on a homicide bombing.

The attack happened in Potiskum in the northeastern part of Nigeria.  The attack killed five people along with the girl and sent 19 others to various hospitals.

The girl had been seen around a market by security guards who kept sending the girl away because “given her age, she did not have anything to do in the market.”  The security guards had been screening people for explosives before allowing them into the market when the girl detonated her device.

Security officials could not say if the girl was one of the 200 kidnapped from a boarding school in Borno state in April 2014.

Boko Haram Launches First Attack On Chad Village

Islamic extremist group Boko Haram has launched their first attack on the nation of Chad.

Militants attacked a village on the shore of Lake Chad early Friday morning.  The village of Ngouboua was raided leaving many residents dead although local officials could not say the total number of the dead.

“The assailants have scattered and the army is now pursuing them,” army Col. Azem Bermandoa told The Associated Press by telephone.

Chad has been the largest supporter of Nigerian troops in their battle against the Islamists.  Boko Haram leaders had been warning they were going to be launching attacks on those who had been supporting their opposition.

Chad is also working with Niger, Cameroon and Benin to start a multi-national force to fight the terrorists.  The official launch of the unit is expected in the next few weeks.

Boko Haram likely chose the city because it was a refuge for Nigerians who had fled the terrorists.  The U.N. says at least 3,300 refugees were in the village.

Boko Haram Proclaims 20,000 Square Mile Caliphate

The extremist group Boko Haram has announced they are mimicking ISIS in declaring their own Islamic caliphate.  The group aims to claim parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Dr. David Curry of Open Doors USA said during an event sponsored by the Family Research Council that people are underestimating the brutality of the terror group.

Curry said that in Nigeria alone, over 2,200 Christians were killed by the group in 2014 just for their faith in Christ.  He also said the estimate is low because there are many other deaths at the hands of Boko Haram they have not been able to verify as being motivated by the Christian faith of the victim.

He said that Boko Haram already controls a part of Nigeria the size of Belgium.

“Nigeria has been experiencing attacks much like the Iraqis were facing just a few years ago,” Curry explained. “You have Boko Haram, which has a very similar Al-Qaeda, Islamic State ideology, they have been making attacks, bombings, like you have seen on churches. Now all of a sudden they are beginning to take territory.

“There is a common-path pattern here,” Curry added. “First, individual attacks, then bombings, then the conquering of territory and attacking of civilian sites like army bases and these sorts of things.”

The governments of Chad and Cameroon said Wednesday they have been actively using their military powers against Boko Haram and have killed 250 terrorists this week.

Boko Haram Murders Dozens of Civilians in Cameroon

Islamic extremist group Boko Haram launched a major attack outside of Nigeria, shooting or burning to death dozens of civilians.

Cameroon Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakari told reporters that around 800 members of Boko Haram attacked the border town of Fotokol, “burning churches, mosques and villages.”  The dead were youth that refused to join Boko Haram.

The terrorists also took livestock, food and vehicles.

The cell of terrorists reportedly crossed into Cameroon after fleeing from the Nigerian town of Gamboru.  Chad and Nigerian Air Force planes drove them from the city after a series of air strikes.

The news of the attack comes on the heels of African Union officials saying they are going to fund a 7,500 strong force form Nigeria and surrounding countries to destroy Boko Haram.