Boko Haram attacks; 5 soldiers killed

Kano - Not less than 5 soldiers were killed in a surprise weekend attack by Boko Haram Islamists on a military base in northeast Nigeria, senior officers told afp on today.

A group of Boko Haram fighters launched an attack on the military facility in the city of Buni Yadi at sundown on Saturday, resulting in an "intense battle", one officer said on condition of obscurity.

"We lost 5 soldiers in the attack, as well as a captain who was recently deployed to Buni Yadi," he said, asking not to be identified as he wasn't authorised to talk to the media.

"We are still making an attempt to have a sense of the casualties on the part of the terrorists as their bodies are scattered in the bush."

The Boko Haram gunmen are believed to have regrouped when Nigeria's military chased them out of the group's Sambisa Forest fortress in the neighbouring state of Borno last month.

Nigeria's military and government maintains the Islamic State cluster affiliate is a spent force because of sustained pressure that has driven them out of swathes of captured territory.

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God ‘ll give Buhari solution to Nigeria’s problem in 2017- Kumuyi

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Sunday said that in 2017, God would grant President Muhammad Buhari the solution to the numerous challenges facing the country.

Kumuyi gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen when he played host to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who led some members of the Assembly on courtesy visit to the church’s December Convention.

The cleric said, “We talk of the hours of recession, difficulty, distress and all that, but God is granting us His promises. We are not going to carry over our problems. “We pray and believe that the Lord will answer.

“As you will see, as we get to the New Year, there is no carryover of our problems. God will give solutions to the problems of our lives, families, communities, the state and our nation.”

The pastor said that with prayer and faith in God, the country would get out of all its challenges, including the economic recession.

The founder of the church said that God created ‘’us and wants everything to be sufficient for everybody.’’ Meanwhile, addressing the congregation of thousands of worshippers, Obasa, urged all Christians to show love to their neighbours, adding that the state was committed to fight unemployment among the youth.

 He said that the newly created Employment Trust Fund would help reduce joblessness by providing soft loan with little interest for enterprising people of Lagos state. “We must go beyond religious demarcation and show ourselves that we are brothers and sisters.

 Let us love one another. We should extend hands of fellowship to our neighbours,” the speaker said. Obasa, who urged churches to pray for the state and nation, said that the state was passionate to give good governance and improve the economy of the state for the benefit of all.

He expressed delight over the warmth reception accorded his team by the leadership of the church. NAN reports that the speaker the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Mr Muyiwa Jimoh and the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Mr Dayo Saka-Fafunmi were among the team. Mrs Funmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary,

Human Rights, Petitions and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission among others government functionaries also made the list. NAN reports that the four-day, nation-wide convention, which started on Dec. 23 and expected to end on Dec. 26, is tagged, “Power for the Present Hour”.

It is taking place at the Deeper Life Conference Centre (DLCC) KM 42, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway

Fire guts Nigerian Breweries Lagos office

An early morning fire on Sunday gutted Nigerian Breweries at Orile Iganmu area of Lagos State.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, has redeployed about 100 policemen to the premises of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, Iganmu, Lagos where an early morning fire razed a part of the company’s premises on Sunday.

Owoseni told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deployment was meant to give adequate security cover to the company.

The Police Commissioner explained that the policemen were deployed to hold back some miscreants who wanted to take advantage of the situation to enter into the company’s premises.

“There is a fire incidence at the Nigerian Breweries but the fire did not affect the operational areas of the company.

“It affected only the isolated areas where the company keeps empty bottles and cartons, as well as expired drinks,’’ Owoseni said.

A staff of the Breweries, who pleaded anonymity, said that he rushed to the company’s premises upon learning of the incident.

He said that no one could state the actual cause of the fire, adding that “presently, it is still burning and you can see that the fire service personnel are still battling to put off the inferno”.

He recalled that the fire was `very heavy’ in the morning hours, but that it had subsided significantly, following onslaughts by firefighters from the Lagos State Fire Service.

Mr Razak Fadipe, Director, Lagos State Fire Service, told NAN that the fire started at about 5.30 a.m.

He explained that the Lagos State Fire Service immediately mobilised five fire engines to the company premises, with support from Julius Berger, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the United Bank for Africa and Union Bank.

“As we speak, we are still battling the fire to contain its spread. We have been able to do that though. I can confirm that nobody is injured in the incident and that there is no loss of life.

Meanwhile, a section of the company’s fence bordering the Iganmu Interchange collapsed during the incident.

NAN reports that hundreds of miscreants invaded the area but police personnel from the Area ‘C’ Command, Surulere and nearby formations were able to contain the situation.(NAN)

The cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained as of press time but it was gathered that fire fighters have arrived the area to put out the fire.