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14 killed in Damaturu multiple blasts

Published

10 years ago

October 7, 2015

At least 14 people were killed in three separate suicide bomb attacks in Damaturu, northeast Nigeria, on Wednesday, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said. The blasts came after Boko Haram militants this week claimed to have carried out three suicide attacks on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, last Friday that left 18 dead and 41 injured.
Suspicion for the latest bombings will likely fall on the Islamist rebels, who have repeatedly attacked Damaturu during their bloody, six-year insurgency. Last month, a girl thought to be aged 12 killed six and injured 47 when the explosives she was carrying went off outside a bus station in the Yobe state capital.
NEMA coordinator for Yobe state Bashir Idris Garga said the first blast Wednesday happened at a small food store on a housing estate, killing four. Another near a mosque killed one, while nine, including a family, lost their lives when another bomber exploded at a Fulani settlement on the outskirts of the city.
“Total injured 10, seven partially injured and three critically injured,” Garga said in a text message. Yobe state police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told AFP “gun-wielding bombers” carried out the attacks between 5:30 and 6:00 am before the night-time curfew was lifted. “All the areas affected have been cordoned off and the police have held meetings with community leaders… for them to be more vigilant and suspicious of strange faces and movements,” he added.
‘Attack repelled’

Boko Haram has reverted to attacking “soft” civilian targets after last year’s land grab that saw it seize towns and villages across Yobe and neighbouring Borno and Adamawa states. Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of successes against the insurgents and on Wednesday claimed to have killed scores of rebel fighters during clashes with troops south of Damaturu.
Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said fighters attempted to attack a battalion of soldiers in Goniri, some 60 kilometres by road southeast of Damaturu, in the early hours of Wednesday. “During the encounter our gallant troops successfully repelled the attacked and inflicted heavy casualty on the invading terrorists as all of them were killed,” he said in a statement.
“On the last count over 100 terrorists bodies were seen,” he added. There was no independent verification and the army has previously claimed high losses on the part of the militants. Usman said seven soldiers were killed and nine others injured in the fighting, which also saw troops recover arms and ammunition, including primed improvised explosive devices.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has set his military commanders a three-month deadline to early November to end the violence, which has left at least 17,000 dead since 2009. But he has conceded that bomb and suicide attacks in urban areas could continue. More than 1,260 people have been killed since he took office on May 29, according to an AFP tally.
Boko Haram on Wednesday published a new propaganda video via social media, in which an unidentified fighter read a statement in Hausa and Arabic, flanked by more than a dozen armed fighters. The rebel said military claims that some 200 fighters had surrendered in the border town of Banki last month, and that hundreds of women and children were released, were a “complete lie”.
The 17-minute video was posted under the name “Islamic State in West Africa Province”, which Boko Haram has used since its pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in March. Boko Haram has continued to attack neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, underlining its threat to regional security.
On Tuesday, 11 soldiers were killed and 13 injured in a Boko Haram attack on Chadian positions across the border; 17 insurgents were also killed in the pre-dawn strike, Chad’s army said. Suicide attacks on Sunday in the city of Diffa, southeast Niger, killed a gendarme and five civilians. Suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday, hit the Buhari Housing Estate, in Damaturu, Yobe State.

Yobe State’s Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) has confirmed 16 people dead to the press.
Residents of Damaturu say that explosions were heard in the early hours of today.
Reports say the first attack was reportedly carried out by three teenage boys at a mosque inside Buhari Estate.
According to an eyewitness, the suicide bombers went near the mosque, one of them hugged the other, then they blew themselves up.
SEMA reports that injured persons have been taken to Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, along the Damaturu-Biu Road, for treatment.

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Sagamu Plantation Row: Igimisoje-Anoko Family Challenges LG Claim

Published

2 days ago

February 9, 2026

Sahara Weekly

The Odumena Igimisoje-Anoko family of Orile-Oﬁn in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State has strongly disputed claims by the Sagamu Local Government that a large expanse of land near the Sagamu–Ikenne Road belongs to the state government, insisting that the property remains ancestral land belonging to their forefathers.

The family’s reaction follows a public warning issued by the Chairman of Sagamu Local Government, Ogbeni Jubril Olasile Odulate, cautioning residents against purchasing or occupying portions of what he described as a “state-owned rubber plantation” located beside the Ogun State Low-Cost Housing Estate near the NYSC Orientation Camp.

In the statement, the council alleged that some individuals were illegally selling and developing the land and maintained that the property had been earmarked for the proposed New Sagamu Government Reserved Area (GRA).

However, the Akarigbo family has countered the claim, describing the land as private ancestral property and not government-owned.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Omoba Babatunde Adegboyega Igimisoje, Secretary of the Odumena Igimisoje-Anoko family, said the land forms part of Orile-Ofin, which he described as the ancestral headquarters of Remo before the creation of Sagamu town.

According to him, the area is an inheritance from their forefathers and historically belongs to the Akarigbo lineage.

“Orile-Ofin is our ancestral land and the headquarters of Remo in those days. It was during the reign of our forefathers that Sagamu was later formed and settled in 1872, while Orile-Ofin remained our village,” he said.

He explained that the specific portion currently in dispute historically belonged to Oba Odumena Igimisoje-Anoko, whom he described as the last Igimisoje-Anoko to reign as king on the land.

Reacting to the local government’s ownership claim, Adegboyega insisted that the rubber plantation was never government property.

He said the land was only temporarily acquired by the old Western Region government in 1959 for agricultural purposes.

“In 1959, the Western Region acquired the land for rubber plantation, but that did not transfer ownership to the government permanently,” he stated.

The family further claimed that the land was later returned to the original owners.

According to him, during the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel between 2008 and 2011, steps were taken to return the land to the family, while his successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, allegedly revoked lingering government control and formally handed it back to the Odumena Igimisoje-Anoko family.

“It was duly returned to the rightful owners. So it is surprising to now hear that the land is being described as local government property,” he said.

He cautioned the council chairman against interfering in what he called a family land matter.

“The rubber plantation land is not government land and does not belong to the local government. The chairman should not join an issue he does not fully understand,” he added.

In the same vein, Prince Abdul Fatai, an executive member of the Anoko family, also warned the local government to stay away from the land, describing it as their forefathers’ heritage.

He appealed to the Ogun State Government and the Akarigbo of Remoland to intervene in the matter to prevent tension and ensure peace in the community.

“We are calling on the state government and the Akarigbo to step in so that this issue can be resolved peacefully. This is our inheritance, and we want justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sagamu Local Government had maintained that the land belongs to the Ogun State Government and warned that anyone found buying, selling, fencing or developing plots in the area would face arrest and prosecution.

The dispute has now set the stage for a possible legal and administrative battle over ownership, with both sides standing firm on their claims.

Residents say they hope authorities and traditional institutions will urgently intervene to clarify ownership and prevent further conflict or losses for unsuspecting buyers.

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Sagamu Communities Exonerate Sir Kay Oluwo, Accuse Teriba of Land Invasions, Violence

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Residents of Ajeregun and eight other neighbouring communities in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State have distanced businessman Sir Kay Oluwo from allegations of land grabbing and unrest in the area, instead accusing one Kazeem Teriba and his associates of orchestrating violent land invasions and illegal sales of community lands.

The community’s attempts to link Sir Kay Oluwo to the disturbances were false and misleading, maintaining that he only acquired lands through legitimate family transactions backed by agreements and receipts.

Speaking on behalf of Ajeregun and Oyewole Bakare villages, Mr. Akani Awokoya said Teriba and his group had been crossing into neighbouring communities to sell lands without the consent of rightful owners.

“It is not Sir Kay Oluwo that is disturbing us,” Awokoya said. “Kazeem Teriba and his boys are the ones causing the problem. They come into our communities and start selling our lands without permission.”

He explained that Sir Kay Oluwo purchased land lawfully from his family.

“I personally sold my father’s land to Sir Kay. We have agreements and receipts. It was a proper transaction,” he added.

Awokoya alleged that Teriba’s group had been linked to repeated acts of intimidation and violence in the area, creating fear among residents.

“These people operate like bandits. They invade communities and disturb the peace. We have reported them to the police and also petitioned the Akarigbo-in-Council,” he said.

Corroborating the claims, the Public Relations Officer representing the nine communities in Aroko Latawa village, Prince Raheem Shitta Adeoye, also absolved Sir Kay Oluwo of any wrongdoing.

According to him, the unrest being experienced across the communities began last year and was allegedly tied to Teriba and his associates.

“Sir Kay Oluwo is not disturbing anyone here. Kazeem Teriba and his boys are the ones causing the unrest. That is why all the nine communities are crying out to the government for help,” Adeoye said.

He noted that Oluwo only purchased land legitimately, while some individuals were laying claim to ownership of multiple villages.

Meanwhile, families in the affected communities, through their solicitors, Tawose & Tawose Chambers, have submitted a petition to the Inspector-General of Police over the alleged activities of Teriba and several others.

The petition accused the suspects of offences including aiding and abetting violence, conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, assault, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.

The solicitors alleged that the named individuals invaded Ajeregun village in Sagamu armed with guns, shooting sporadically and causing panic among residents.

They further claimed that during one of the incidents, a villager, Nasiru Semiu, sustained gunshot wounds and later died, while others were injured.

In a response dated January 5, 2026, the Office of the Inspector-General of Police acknowledged receipt of the petition and directed the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Eleweran, Abeokuta, to investigate the matter.

The letter, signed by CP Lateef Adio Ahmed, Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police, confirmed that the case had been referred to the state command for appropriate action.

Community leaders said the development reinforces their call for a thorough investigation and urged the state government and security agencies to intervene to restore peace.

They maintained that Sir Kay Oluwo should not be blamed for the crisis and insisted that attention should instead focus on those allegedly responsible for the disturbances.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kazeem Teriba could not be reached for comment, as calls placed to his phone were not answered at the time of filing this report.

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Tinubu 2027: Bashir Backs Asiwaju, Hails Seyi Tinubu and Tayo Ayinde, Unveils Solar Jobs Scheme for Ikeja Youths

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Sahara Weekly

In a show of open political support and grassroots engagement, Oluwadamilare Sonayon Adebowale Bashir has declared that his multimillion-naira solar empowerment initiative is part of efforts to mobilise support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, describing the President’s leadership as one anchored on opportunity, enterprise and inclusive growth.

Bashir also commended Seyi Tinubu, son of the President, for what he described as his consistent humanitarian and grassroots interventions in Ikeja and across Lagos State. According to him, Seyi Tinubu’s outreach programmes have continued to bring relief and practical support to residents, especially young people and vulnerable groups.

In the same vein, Bashir praised Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, acknowledging his “fatherly role” and long-standing commitment to the stability, unity and development of Ikeja.

He noted that Ayinde’s behind-the-scenes leadership has remained vital to community cohesion and progress.

Against this backdrop of political alignment and civic responsibility, Bashir unveiled a solar empowerment training programme specifically designed to create job opportunities for Ikeja youths. He explained that the initiative is not a handout scheme but a skills-driven intervention focused on preparing young people for sustainable careers in the renewable energy sector.

The programme targets youths between the ages of 18 and 40, with a total of 100 beneficiaries to be trained in batches to ensure quality delivery. The first batch of 20 trainees is scheduled to begin in March, marking the pilot phase of the project.

According to Bashir, the solar training will equip participants with practical installation and maintenance skills, opening pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and long-term economic independence. He added that the initiative simultaneously addresses youth unemployment and energy challenges, positioning solar technology as a tool for both empowerment and development.

Bashir reaffirmed that the programme reflects his belief in combining political support with tangible impact, stressing that meaningful backing for leadership must translate into visible benefits for the people. He described the solar empowerment scheme as a strategic investment in Ikeja’s youth population and a contribution to building a skilled workforce aligned with Nigeria’s evolving energy future.