TheNewsGuru

Tag: Terrorists

  • Kenyan police arrest six terror attack suspects sponsored by Somali militants

    Kenyan police says it has arrested six men it suspects of planning an attack sponsored by the al Shabaab militant group from neighboring Somalia.

    In recent weeks, the East African nation has lost 20 officers in various attacks, mostly on deserted roads in the vast northern region bordering Somalia, in which the militants used Improvised Explosive Devices .

    Joseph Boinnet, the Inspector-General Police, said in a statement that two of the suspects were Kenyans and the others were Somali nationals.

    Police also seized assembled explosives, four suicide vests and bomb-making materials such as TNT.

    “The six had been dispatched from Burhanche in Somalia by their commanders to launch attacks in Kenya,” Boinnet said.

    Kenyan security forces worked with their counterparts in Somalia to foil the attack and to capture the suspects.

    The captured men were being interrogated to establish the extent of the entire network, Boinnet said.

    Kenya has faced a constant security challenge from across the border ever since it sent its troops into Somalia in late 2011, to help defeat the al Shabaab militants and restore order.

  • London terror attack: Facebook wants ‘hostility’ against terrorists

    London terror attack: Facebook wants ‘hostility’ against terrorists

    Facebook says it wants to make its platform “hostile” to terrorists after an attack in London left at least seven people dead this weekend.

    Simon Milner, the company’s director of policy, issued a widely reported statement Sunday that said the social media platform works “aggressively” to remove terrorist content.

    “We want Facebook to be a hostile environment for terrorists,” he said.

    U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May had earlier called for closer regulation of the internet, saying Sunday that terrorists need to be denied the digital tools they use to communicate and plan attacks.

    “We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed,” May said. “Yet that is precisely what the internet and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide.”

    May also said that democratic governments must regulate cyberspace, adding that “we need to do everything we can at home to reduce the risks of extremism online.”

    Tech companies have increasingly come under pressure in Europe because of the way they handle threats and hate speech.

    And Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and many other services have created encrypted channels that may shield communications from law enforcement.

    Milner said Sunday that Facebook alerts authorities if it means preventing a terrorist attack from happening.

    “If we become aware of an emergency involving imminent harm to someone’s safety, we notify law enforcement,” he said in the statement.

    Nick Pickles, Twitter’s head of public policy in the U.K., also defended his company Sunday, telling CNNMoney in a statement that “terrorist content has no place on Twitter.”

    He added that the company will “never stop working” to prevent events like the London terror attack from happening again.

    At least seven people were killed and 48 were wounded Saturday night in London when three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge. They then went on a stabbing spree at nearby bars and restaurants.

    The attack happened less than two weeks after 22 people were killed in another attack linked to terrorism at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

     

     

    CNN

     

  • Pakistan executes 4 hardcore terrorists

    Pakistani army on Wednesday executed another four hardcore terrorists .

    An army statement said that the terrorists were tried by the military courts where they confessed their crimes.

    The statement said the terrorists were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, attacking a mosque, destruction of communication infrastructure, attacking law enforcement agencies and armed forces.

    The convicts were members of terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

    NAN reports that on May 5, Pakistan executed three more Taliban terrorists convicted of “heinous” terror related offences by military courts, taking the number to over 150 since the Peshawar attack in 2014.

    The terrorists, who were involved in killing of innocent civilians and attacking armed forces, were executed yesterday, the army said in a statement.

    All the three convicts were active member of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and were awarded the death sentence by military courts, Pakistan army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

    The four Taliban terrorists who were convicted of “heinous” terrorism-related offences earlier, by controversial military courts, were hanged.

    Military courts were restored in March for another two years after their initial two-year term expired in January.

    The courts were set up after a constitutional amendment following a terror attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014 which killed more than 150 people, most of them students.

    Human rights group Justice Project Pakistan says 441 people have been executed since the Peshawar attack.

    While Pakistani authorities maintain the military courts are an “effective deterrent” against terrorism, rights groups question transparency of the trials because of the secrecy surrounding the special tribunals.

    The Amnesty International in a worldwide report has said that Pakistan has reduced the number of executions by 73 per cent in 2016 compared to the year before.

    Pakistan has been fighting various extremist groups for over a decade. Terrorist attacks have killed tens of thousands of people.

    The military courts have handed down the death penalty to more than 160 terrorists.

  • Exchanging Chibok girls for terrorists not the right approach – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee (PDP-NCC) has described the release of the 82 Chibok girls held captive by Boko Haram in the past three years as a welcome development.

    In a press release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said the ‘detention’ of the girls had brought untold pain not only to the families of the girls but the entire Nigerian citizenry.

    It however condemned the manner in which freedom for the girls was procured by government. “The release of 82 chibok girls is a welcome development.

    The capture and detention of these girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in the last three years had brought extreme pain and suffering not only to their families but to the people of this country and men and women of goodwill all over the world.

    What is however of great concern is the price paid to secure the release of the girls. According to reports , the girls were released in exchange for the release of suspected Boko Haram terrorists. If that is the case we say it’s a heavy price to pay and an unusual one at that,” the statement reads.

    The party further gave reasons why exchanging innocent girls for a bunch of criminals was a grave error on the part of government.

    “While we welcome the release of the girls, we do not think that exchanging innocent girls for hardened criminals like the terrorists is the right approach for the following reasons:

    “The suspected terrorists by the release have escaped justice. And all the effort made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing. The release of the terrorists is a setback for the war on insurgency.

    Their release is tantamount to releasing them to resume their war against society. Many of them could find their ways back to the terrorists camps from where they could unleash terror against the country.

    Others who are allowed to roam freely in society could become veritable recruiting agents and purveyors of suicide bombing and urban terrorism.

    The Boko Haram terrorists are emboldened to continue with their tactics of kidnapping innocent people with the belief that they can always use it to blackmail the government to release their members and to extract other concessions.

    The piece meal release of the girls means the terrorists want to extract more concessions from the government which in the end can only prolong the insurgency.

    The release of the girls will increase the agony and high expectancy of the remaining girls still in custody of the terrorists and their families who will be wondering why they have not been so lucky. It therefore would have been better to ensure the release of all the girls at once.

    The negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists. This international principle is sound and logical because negotiation with the terrorists only fuels their urge to continue with their heinous crimes,” the party noted.

     

  • Nigeria becoming unsafe daily, CAN tells Buhari

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has said the country is now gradually turning to an open space for perpetrators of evil to carry out their dastardly acts without questioning by relevant security agencies.

    It further noted that Nigerians are going through severe pains as a result of hunger, poverty and insecurity of lives and property in the country.

    The religious body said this in a goodwill message delivered by the CAN National Secretary, Rev. Dr Musa Asake, at the ongoing 104th annual session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention holding in Abuja.

    CAN acknowledged that it believed that this year’s theme for the Baptist Convention, “Moving Forward: Overcoming the Challenges of Life through Jesus Christ”, was “the best suited for this troubled times.”

    In his words: “You will all agree with me that our country Nigeria is today experiencing excruciating pains as we witness religious and ethnic cleansing through the criminal activities of the murderous Fulani herdsmen who are killing story on daily basis.

    “Nigeria has become unsafe because our security agencies are not living up to the billings. In Nigeria today, nowhere is safe, both the rich and the poor are crying because of the evil in the land occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbery, ritual killings, unemployment and corruption in high places.”

    CAN applauded the leadership qualities of its President, Samson Ayokunle, who is also the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC).

    “We in CAN are very grateful to the Nigerian Baptist Convention for giving u your very best who now serves as the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Am talking of no other person than Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle.

    “In times like this, we need a vocal and courageous leader to speak and stand in the gap for the Nigerian church. Let me boldly tell you that the man you give us as the number one Christian is this country is a leader who speaks his mind on all issues irrespective of whose ox is gored,” Asake said.

  • Nigerian terrorists collaborating with ISIS to wreck havoc – Osinbajo

    Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that terrorists operating within the country are now working in collaboration with the deadly militant Islamic group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS.

    The Vice President therefore called on other countries affected by activities of the terrorists to put hands on deck in tackling the evil collaborations.

    Osinbajo spoke while receiving the Bangladeshi Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    He said networking among terrorists groups had increased the need for countries to close ranks to counter the threats posed by their activities.

    He said, “We are concerned about terrorism not just within our borders, we have also seen the influence of terrorists across borders and how terrorist organisations have cooperated with each other.

    “We are aware for instance that some within our own borders are cooperating with ISIL and we think that this sort of evil collaborations must have a response from countries that share similar experiences and can present a credible force against terrorists.

    “Terrorism is a major problem and perhaps the most significant problem that the free world will face in the coming years.”

    On the Nigeria-Bangladesh relations, the Vice-President said improved cooperation between the Bangladeshi and Nigerian military would go a long way in curbing threats posed by terrorist groups within and around borders of the two countries.

    “We have benefitted a lot from some of your experiences in fighting insurgency in Bangladesh and we hope that we benefit even more from those experiences.

    “We have had similar problems with Boko Haram and I know that you have also had problems of some sort with terrorist groups within the borders of Bangladesh,” he added.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Bangladesh Army has pledged to support the Nigerian Armed Forces in the areas of training and capacity building to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

    Gen. Abubilal Shafiulhuq, Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army, made the promise after being conducted round the Nigerian Army museum in Abuja on Monday.

     

  • Pakistan hangs 4 hardcore terrorists

    Pakistani army said four hardcore terrorists involved in “committing heinous offenses relating to terrorism,” were hanged on Tuesday.

    An army statement said the terrorists were convicted on the charges of killing innocent civilians, attacking armed forces of Pakistan and law enforcement agencies.

    The terrorists were tried by military courts and were executed at a prison in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

    All the convicts were active members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a statement from the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said.

    The convicts admitted their offences before the magistrates and the trial court.

    The military courts were established for the speedy trial of the terrorists after the deadliest attack on an army public school in Peshawar in December, 2014.

    Nearly 150 people, mostly students, were killed in the Taliban claimed attack.

    Last month, the parliament approved a constitutional amendment to revive military courts for two more years.

    The two-year term of the military courts expired in January and the treasury and opposition benches joined hands to pass a constitutional amendment for a two-year extension.

     

     

    NAN

  • Amnesty International taking sides with terrorists in Nigeria – Army

    The Nigerian Army has said Amnesty International (AI) is taking sides with terrorists and other belligerent groups to cause internal disorder in the country.

    The army therefore warned the AI from meddling into security issues henceforth in the country.

    The military body gave the warning in a press statement signed by the acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Amnesty International had few days ago accused the Nigerian Military of killing 150 pro Biafra agitators in the South-East.

    AI claimed the Military and other security agencies embarked on arbitrary arrest and extra-judicial execution of people in the South East.

    The statement reads in part: “Activities of the AI in our nation have shown that it never meant well for Nigeria and the situation is getting clearer to national and international communities what AI is up to. This could be corroborated by inherent lopsidedness in the AI’s portrayal of Nigeria, its involvement in local politics and taking sides with terrorists and other belligerent groups to cause internal disorder, which no country can tolerate,” the statement read.

    “The military has maintained open door policy and has been cooperating with all stakeholders in ensuring that Nigerian Armed Forces remains one of the best and a proud institution for all Nigerians.

    “For AI to be making spurious allegations, especially without substantiated and cogent reason, apart from those adduced by the organisation for the reason best known to it and its collaborators, is disturbing and unethical of an international organisation that is supposed to steer clear of local politics and to be seen as maintaining neutrality in its reportage of the countries where it operates,” it further read.

    Speaking further, Abubakar claimed that the AI had only succeeded in giving an insight “to the possibility of the organisation sponsoring various criminal gangs in our country with a view to achieving the sponsor’s intent.”

    It described AI as an agent of destabilisation, masquerading as a reputable international NGO and urged Nigerians “to rise up to this daunting challenge of not giving AI the chance to truncate our hard earned democracy and unity.”

  • DSS pledges sustained offensive against kidnappers, terrorists

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has pledged to sustain its offensive against kidnappers and terrorists in the country in a bid to ensure a safer Nigeria.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Tony Opuiyo of the DSS on Friday in Abuja.

    The Service said that as part of its ongoing tactical operations to degrade the capabilities of criminals, an offensive was launched against kidnappers, terrorists and other criminal elements.

    It said that the offensive had led to the arrest of the trio of one Abubakar Musa, Ismail Musa and Suleiman Mainasara on Nov. 29 at Aduwawa in Benin city, Edo.

    The statement said that prior to their arrest, they were members of a kidnap gang that terrorised commuters and residents of communities along the major highways between Edo and Kogi.

    It said that on Nov. 30, one Ibrahim Adamu and three of his associates namely; Umar Abubakar, Ibrahim Salisu and Abdullahi Abubakar that specialised in the kidnap of people along the Edo-kogi corridor were also arrested at Ibilio village in Edo.

    It further said that on Dec. 20 at Katsina-Ala town in Benue , another gang of suspected kidnappers comprising one Ernest Benze, Terkura Tyokishir alias Mpoto, and Anun Aondona identified as members of the Terwase Akwaza kidnap syndicate, were arrested for their complicity in kidnap incidents in the State.

    “ It would be recalled that the Terwase gang is known for its notoriety and credited with various dastardly and violent acts in the state,’’ it said.

    The statement further revealed that one Usman Musa aka Keke, a notorious kidnap kingpin was intercepted by the Service on Dec. 15 at Sabuwar-Kaura village in Doguwa Local Government Area, Kano State.

    “ Musa is a high-profile criminal who, in conjunction with other criminal associates of his gang, has been terrorising residents and communities in Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau States,’’ it said.

    It said that in continuation of its fight against terrorism, on Nov. 30, three suspected Boko Haram fighters namely Samaila Muhammad, Sanusi Musa and Hudu Muhammad were arrested at Durbunde village of Takai Local Government Area of Kano State.

    “ The trio had perfected plans to carry out series of coordinated attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in selected states of the North-West zone in the month of November, 2016 to disrupt festive activities during the end of year and the New Year of 2017,’’ it said.

    It said that the operatives of this Service also arrested one Sani Digaru along with one Mohammed Ali, on Dec. 25 along Gombe-Dukku road, Gombe.

    “ Digaru was fatally shot when he attempted to escape from arrest. The arrest was sequel to earlier intelligence that he was in possession of cash worth two million Naira (N2m) meant for the coordination of a terrorist operation in Yobe and Bauchi States,’’ he said.

    It noted that in the past few weeks, a new criminal gang which specialises in robbing visiting foreign residents/customers of luxury hotels had been uncovered in Abuja.

    “For instance, on Dec. 5, the gang robbed an expatriate in a high brow hotel in Abuja and carted away his money and other valuables.

    “ However, acting on actionable intelligence and with the support and cooperation of sister agencies and the hotel management, the Service arrested one Ikechukwu Obadlegwu and Ikechukwu Eke,’’ it said.

    It said that at Gwaron Dutse, Kano Municipal, Kano State, one Auwalu Yakasai, a notorious fraudster was apprehended for allegedly defrauding Jaiz and Unity Banks of N100 million and N50 million, respectively.

    The Service pledged its commitment to the safety of all citizens including members of the international community while calling on the on the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons, parcels, and vehicles to the nearest security formations.

    “The Service hereby reassures residents and indeed all Nigerians of a more peaceful new year as it (the Service) will leave no stone unturned in making sure that the year will be typified by stability which will, no doubt, define the country’s national security outlook in the coming year,’’ it said.

  • UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    The United Nations (UN) Security Council and many countries in the world have condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, which killed at least 39 people and injured 155 others.

    The UN Security Council on Sunday “condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks” in a press statement, reaffirming that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”.

    The twin bombings, by a car bomb and a suicide bomber, occurred outside a football stadium in central Istanbul on late Saturday. The car bomb was detonated after a football match ended about one and half an hour, killing 30 police officers.

    UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Saturday denounced in a statement the deadly terror attacks “reportedly targeting Turkish police personnel”.

    The European Union (EU) on Sunday reaffirmed in a statement “our strong condemnation of all acts of terror and confirm our continued commitment to work together closely with Turkey in combatting the threat of terrorism”.

    Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland, of the Council of Europe voiced in a denouncement statement on Sunday “deepest condolences to the people of Turkey and its government”.

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin, also condemned the attack and emphasized the need for the international community to jointly combat terrorism.

    In a message of condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin described the attack as cowardly and believed whoever committed the crime will be punished.

    United States (US) Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, has issued a statement saying “this attack only redoubles our resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish allies in condemning these attacks and relentlessly combatting terrorism”.

    He also said the US remains “committed to working closely with Turkey within NATO” and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

    While condemning the terror attacks in Istanbul, French President, Francois Hollande, expressed full support to Turkish authorities in fighting terrorism, the Elysee said in a statement on Sunday.

    Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its statement on Sunday, restated the UAE principled position against “all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” while expressing solidarity with the Turkish government against “terrorist crimes”.

    Denouncing the twin bombings in Istanbul, Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Momani, also voiced solidarity and support for Turkey, and called for increased efforts by the international community to uproot terrorism.

    “Pakistan condemns this heinous act of terrorism in the strongest possible terms,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement, while expressing “deep sorrow and grief” to the bloodshed.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbass, said Sunday in an official statement, “This awful crime is totally condemned and rejected which contradicts with our religious values as well as the traditions, the morals and the laws all over the world”.

    Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Sunday that while condemning “all terrorism in Turkey”, Israel “expects that Turkey will condemn all terrorist attacks in Israel”.

    “The fight against terrorism must be mutual. It must be mutual in condemnation and in countermeasures,” he added.

    Turkey and Israel sent ambassadors to each other this month to normalize ties six years after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish flotilla killing 10 Turkish activists.

    Hungarian foreign ministry on Sunday said in a statement Hungary stands side by side with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

    Iran expressed on Sunday “deep concerns” over repeated terror attacks hitting neighboring Turkey and urged countries to deliver a “decisive” response to the acts of violence perpetrated by extremist terrorists, deeming “global determination and consensus” as the only way to eliminate terrorism, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

    Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and capital Ankara have come under a spate of deadly attacks over the past year further worsening the security situation there.

    Istanbul was last hit in late June, when three suicide bombers assaulted the city’s major international airport and killed 45 people.

    Thousands of Turks took to the streets on Sunday to denounce the latest terror attacks, and Turkey declared a day of national mourning on Sunday for the victims. Turkish President Erdogan has vowed vengeance and pledged to fight against terrorism “to the end.”

    At parliament on Sunday, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party read a joint declaration condemning the terror attack, and expressed “full support” for the security forces in the fight against terrorism.

    Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party strongly condemned the attack in a written statement, saying it felt great sorrow and shared the pain.

    The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, has claimed responsibility for the Saturday attacks, Turkish media said.