7, June 2016

Nigeria: Niger Delta Governors tell Buhari “drop corruption cases in the region” ⁰

Governors representing Niger Delta states have made a shock demand. The majority of the politicians are demanding that corruption cases in the region should be dropped. They believe President Buhari’s anti-corruption drive is fueling the Niger Delta Avengers insurgency campaign Governors of the South-South region who met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House today called for the majority of corruption cases in the region to be dropped by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sahara Reporters has reported.

The meeting was attended by the governors of Edo, Ondo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Abia states, as well as the deputy governor of Cross River state. Our source said only the Governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole and the deputy Governor of Cross River opposed the others the iniative, who singled out the federal government’s anti-corruption initiative as the reason why Niger Delta Avengers are blowing up pipelines in the region.

Naija.com

7, June 2016

War on terror: Boko Haram kills 8 Cameroonian fishermen, injures 3 soldiers ⁰

Ten bodies presented as fishermen; 8 Cameroonians and 2 Chadian were discovered at dawn today by residents of Darak in the Lake Chad area. They were reportedly killed during a raid attributed to Boko Haram which has recently pledged allegiance to the Organization of Islamic State in West Africa. In another development in the war on terror, a Boko Haram mine exploded under an army patrol vehicle on the Kolofata- Amchide-axis in the Far North region. Three Cameroonian soldiers were injured in the explosion.

CIR

7, June 2016

50,000 flee Boko Haram in Niger ⁰

Tens of thousands of people have fled a town in the troubled southeastern Niger following deadly attacks by Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group, the UN refugee agency says. Adrian Edwards, the spokesman for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that some 50,000 people fled the town of Bosso in the country’s troubled Diffa region near the Nigerian border.

The spokesman noted that most of those fleeing the violence walked toward the village of Toumour, which is located some 30 kilometers west of Bosso. “Many people are reportedly traumatized and worried about their safety,” he said. The UN sources say people are sleeping in the open and urgently need shelter and other assistance.

Boko Haram militants first took the town of Bosso on Friday in an attack in which 30 soldiers from Niger and two from Nigeria were killed. A total of 55 militants from the Nigeria-based militant group were also killed during the fierce fighting. The terrorists reportedly torched military barracks, police facilities and looted shops during the terror campaign in the town. The ambush and looting came as Niger’s army was preparing to attack Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, which straddles Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

UN figures show that the violence by Boko Haram militants have displaced more than 240,000 people across the Diffa region over past months. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently said that more than nine million people living in the Lake Chad region are in dire need of food aid, blaming Boko Haram for triggering the unrest in the area.

Presstv

7, June 2016

Cameroon: Ramadan begins in Yaounde ⁰

Muslims in Yaounde have joined their counterpart’s nation-wide to begin the month of Ramadan- a period of fasting, prayer, charity, giving and self-accountability. The month of Ramadan which is the ninth month according to the Islamic calendar and the holiest period was declared open by the Imam of the Yaounde Central mosque.

Close to a thousand Muslim Faithful were visibly present to begin the 30 days fasting program after a time of preparation such as the washing of legs, hands and face; with shoes all detached both young and old, rich and poor; some in and others outside the mosque praying.

Meanwhile some were rather hustling for the physical need. A great deal of pasteries made out of corn, rice, beans and wheat were prepared to serve as nourishment for those tarrying from dawn to sunset.

CRTV

7, June 2016

UN Economic Commission for Africa says “Cameroonian city dwellers live below UN poverty line” ⁰

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has reported that most Cameroonian city dwellers still live below UN poverty line. The declaration was made public during the fourth dialogue on development planning in Africa. The three day forum that focused on integrating urbanization in national development planning in Africa was also geared at sensitizing all 54 African countries on practical urbanization policies.

During the atelier, the UN body hinted that the percentage of Africans living in urban areas has increased to 40% with 55% GDP. The UN Economic Commission for Africa further observed that Cameroon’s rate of urbanization was 55% including 312 towns. The UN regretted that most city dwellers still live in abject poverty and are subject to economic, social, cultural and environmental difficulties which most at times leads to social instability.

The diversified seminar was attended by the Ministers of Urban Development and housing Jean Claude Mbwentchou and that of Economy Planning and Regional Development Louis Paul Motaze, under the chairmanship of the Resident Coordinator of the UN Moussa Abari.

CRTV

7, June 2016

About ⁰

Cameroon Intelligence Report is part of the Cameroon Concord News Group founded in Essen Germany in 2000 by exiled Cameroonian journalist Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai who ever since then has moonlighted as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief.

7, June 2016

Bird flu: Yaounde authorities ban the sale of roast chicken ⁰

Health authorities in Yaounde the nation’s capital have banned the sale of roast chicken following the outbreak of bird flu at the Mvog Betsi district. The decision prohibiting the sale was made public on May the 26^th 2016 by the Prefect of Mfoundi.

Unconfirmed reports say several grilled chicken traders had their goods seized by a special force under the direct supervision of the prefect of Mfoundi as part of the fight against the bird flu. We gathered that some petty traders witnessed the seizure of up to 300 chickens by the Sub-Prefect of the Yaounde II district.

Cameroon-info.net

7, June 2016

Nigeria receives another Alpha jet ⁰

The Nigerian Air Force has received another second hand Alpha Jet from the United States, joining several other aircraft received from Air USA Inc. The latest aircraft was seen transiting Iqaluit Airport in Canada on 2 June and then Reykjavik, Iceland, before arriving in the United Kingdom on June 3. It refuelled at Manchester Airport and then continued its journey to Nigeria. Two Alpha Jets were delivered from the United States in March and May 2015, with four aircraft apparently being acquired by Nigeria. It is not clear if the latest delivery is part of the original batch of four, or a fifth example. (Serials of the three known to be delivered are NAF475, NAF477 and NAF478 while the latest delivery is NAF478.)

Earlier this year the Nigerian Air Force revealed it had armed two of the Alpha Jets. Nigerian Air Force (NAF) spokesman Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa in January said the Alpha Jets bought from the United States could not be deployed on operations because they could not deliver weapons, thus relegating them to training. He said the NAF had earlier looked overseas for assistance to get the aircraft reconfigured for combat but foreign companies were asking for $20,000-30,000 to carry out initial assessments of the project, so the NAF decided to form its own team to carry out the work.

“The model worked on the ground, and has since been mounted on the Alpha Jets, and test flown successfully,” he said. “This feat is a major research and development breakthrough for the NAF and the nation as a huge foreign exchange saver, given the project only cost about N400,000 [$2,000].” Two Alpha Jets were subsequently armed, with photos showing what appeared to be a 68 mm SNEB rocket launcher pod and a 250 kg unguided bomb attached to the aircraft. The Alpha Jets acquired from the United States were flown by Air USA Inc, which specialises in military air combat readiness training and flies Hawks, Alpha Jets, MiG-29s and L-59 Super Albatroses. They were originally flown by the Luftwaffe before operating in the States.

Air USA Alpha Jets were converted for night vision goggle (NVG) operations, according to the company, and flight certified for operational use of TER, IMER and SUU-20 bomb racks. However, armament capability was removed prior to their sale. Nigerian Alpha Jets have been used in the ground attack role to strike Boko Haram targets and a couple have been lost on operations: one crashed in Niger, killing two pilots, in May 2013 while another went down in September 2014. The NAF has recently reactivated a number of its Alpha Jets. A total of 24 were acquired in the 1980s but several have been lost in crashes. Apparently 11 have been made flyable again.

Defenceweb

7, June 2016

Nigeria: Ordinary ear infection takes Buhari to a London hospital ⁰

President Buhari reportedly has “a terrible cough that has persisted longer than the ear infection” – He may likely extend his 10-day trip to London to treat an ear infection because he also needs attention for the cough – A source said the president is expected to remain in outpatient care in the days following his medical visit. The Buhari administration is using the judiciary to prevent former government officials from traveling abroad for medicare.

There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari may extend his 10-day vacation to London to treat an ear infection. Sahara Reporters reports that the president also has a terrible cough that has persisted longer than the ear infection and also needs to be examined for that.

Naija.com/CIR

7, June 2016

Malawi: Attacks on albinos unprecedented ⁰

Amnesty International has warned that the number of attacks on people with albinism has risen in Malawi, calling on authorities to bring those responsible for the crimes to justice. “The unprecedented wave of brutal attacks against people with albinism has created a climate of terror for this vulnerable group and their families,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s director for southern Africa, said on Tuesday.

The body parts of albinos, who lack pigments in their skin, hair and eyes, are sold for witchcraft in North Africa. Their body parts are believed to bring wealth and good luck and are prized in witchcraft for use in charms and magical potions. The report condemned the Malawian authorities for “leaving this population group at the mercy of criminal gangs who hunt them down for their body parts.”

Amnesty said campaigners, police authorities, families and community leaders have all said that the number of attacks have increased recently. According to the report, April was the bloodiest month for such attacks in Malawi, with at least four people murdered, including a child aged under two. The parents of the child have been arrested as suspects. Simeon Mawanza, the lead researcher of the Amnesty report, said children with albinism have been sold by their parents.

Presstv