OOU Lecturer Murdered by Unknown Gunmen

Dr. Olusegun Onabanjo, a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, was shot dead by unknown gunmen who stormed his private residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to reports, the killers suspected to be robbers, stormed the private residence of the late lecturer located in Odomo lasa area of Ilese-Ijebu within the hours of 12am to 2am.

Dr. Onabanjo was said to have been shot and left for dead while trying to challenge the robbers.

Residents of the area told reporters that they heard Mr. Onabanjo shouting "e bami gbe ibon mi (kindly bring me my gun)" to his family members hoping to scare away the gunmen at the time they were making efforts to force their way into the house.

Luck ran out on the lecturer, as the gunmen broke in, shot him dead for challenging them and made away with some of his property.

The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the killing of the lecturer to newsmen, adding that the policemen rushed to the scene and engaged the assailants in a gun duel as soon as they received a tip-off of their activities in the area.

However, he sympathised with the family of the deceased lecturer, adding the command would do everything possible to bring them to justice, as they were currently on the trail of the suspected killers who have escaped with bullet wounds through a nearby bush.

The PPRO also urged the residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity in the area that could help bring the criminals to justice. He called on doctors in the state to alert the command should anyone with gun wounds approach their hospitals.

Dr. Onabanjo, a well-celebrated scholar of his university, was a graduate of Sociology from the University of Uyo.

Until his untimely death, he had obtained two masters degrees from the University of Lagos and University of Ibadan and was recently awarded a Ph.D by the University of Ibadan.

Gunmen Kill 7 Students, 2 Teachers in Damaturu

Gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram members, Sunday night, killed seven students and two teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Damaturu. The school authorities confirmed the attack and deaths of the nine persons.

The sect members were also reported to have attacked a military check point around the pilgrims area.

Joint Task Force spokesman, Lazarus Eli, who confirmed the attack, said two of the insurgents were killed while three military personnel were critically wounded.

He explained that three of the attackers were captured with various items, including one AK-47 rifle, one RPG, 48 rounds of 7.62 (special) ammunition, among others.

The insurgents, according to an eyewitness, attacked the school at 9.30pm in their hostel.

Survivor’s story

Mohammed Idi, who survived with gunshot injuries and is receiving treatment at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Gen. Sani Abacha.

The issue of the bonuses has been settled. Nothing is holding us back anymore and all we need to do nhearing gunshots.

He said: “We were sleeping in the hostel and suddenly heard gunshots outside, very close to the hostel. We got confused and many of us ran for our dear lives.

“Immediately, I came out, I saw one of the gunmen close to the hostel and he started shooting at us."

“I was shot in the leg and the bullet went through my bone. I tried to run but fell down because my leg was very stiff and I was in pains."

"Somebody came, grabbed my hand and started dragging me and we ran away together."

“Initially, I thought I was in the enemy’s hands until I realised that it was one of our students who was helping me to escape.”

All the students, except final year students of the institution who were writing NECO exams, have fled the school while one of the supervisors informed that three of the students killed were final year students.

One of the doctors at the General Abacha Specialist Hospital, one Dr. Salim Umar, disclosed that the hospital had received 11 dead bodies and seven others with various gunshot injuries.

One of the injured students said that the insurgents tied the hands of one of the students, who took him to the house of one of the teachers, where they killed four people, including the teacher.

Umar confirmed that one of the dead students had some injuries on his hands.

He explained that all the students killed were either shot on the head or in the neck.

Yesterday’s attack brought an end to almost 10 months of relative peace in the state capital, Damaturu, and other parts of the state.

Curfew reviewed

The situation has compelled the state government to revert to the earlier curfew of 6pm to 6am instead of the 9pm to 7am that was reviewed last week.

Meanwhile, some parts of the state capital like Potiskum, Ali Malami Estate, and pilgrims area were locked down by men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in search of the attackers even as increased search of goods, vehicles and humans have been intensified at the check points in the metropolis.

Drama in Maiduguri

Maiduguri residents witnessed a mild drama when an 11-year-old girl grabbed the collar of a local perfume (Turare) vendor, accusing him of being among those who slaughtered her father and mother in the dead of the night about nine months ago.

Some witnesses said the 11-year-old girl, who was hawking sachet water at the Gamboru area of Maiduguri metropolis, saw the man believed to be in his early 30s, and immediately recognised his face as the man who, in company of four others, attacked her family.

Traders said the man could not run away because of the large crowd that had gathered.

He was, however, saved from being lynched as the police arrived and whisked him to a nearby police station.

Meanwhile, Defence Headquarters has assured that troops in the ongoing emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states have been adhering to the rules of engagement.

Defence Headquarters also expressed satisfaction with some individuals, particularly youths, who organised themselves into vigilante groups to join in efforts to fish out terrorists within their communities.

This is just as elders, leaders and stakeholders of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Adamawa State described the declaration of state of emergency in the state as having political undertone.

Libyan Minister of Defense Quits Position

The Libyan Minister of Defense, Mohammed Mahmoud al-Bargati, has resigned from his position on Tuesday, protesting the siege on the ministries of justice and foreign affairs by gunmen.

Despite the fact that the parliament passed down a law that purges Gaddafi-era officials from their posts (the militiamen had demanded the parliament introduce a law banning officials of the Gaddafi-era from holding office), the gunmen have continued to put ministries under siege on Tuesday.

In his own words to Reuters, the minister said, “I will never be able to accept that politics can be practiced by the power of weapons … This is an assault against the democracy I have sworn to protect.”

Before Bargati was appointed defence minister in November last year, he was retired on a government pension in 1994 after serving as a commander of the Benghazi air force.

After the parliament voted to ban anyone who held a senior position during Muammar Gaddafi’s four-decade-rule from government on Sunday, most of the gunmen have dispersed from the ministries.

But, some groups of heavily armed fighters stayed behind. According to some of them who spoke to the reporters, they were waiting to be replaced by official security forces.

The new law could see the ousting of the prime minister, 40 of over 200 deputies, and other top officials in the government, irrespective of their roles in the removal of the late dictator.

Bargati will be the first cabinet minister to resign since the new law was passed. There are indications that he resigned before his expected dismissal, as the law would apply to him as soon as it takes effect.

Special Prosecutor in Bhutto’s Murder Case Shot Dead

According to Pakistan police, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, the prosecutor in Bhutto’s case, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen in the Pakistani capital on Friday.

The main government prosecutor on Benazir Bhutto murder case, Chauldry Zulfiqar Ali was driving to the anti-terrorism court for the next hearing in the murder case of the ex-prime minister on Friday morning, when he was ambushed by gunmen on motorcycles.

They shot at his vehicle multiple times, killing his bodyguard, a female pedestrian on the street, and fatally wounding Ali in the process.

He was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to Police officer Mohammad Yousuf.

Zulfiqar was a top prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Authority in several cases. For a professional at his level, he was bound to amass enemies. He should have been given maximum security.

Only a few days ago, former President Pervez Musharraf was charged with conspiracy to murder the former prime minister, and placed under a house arrest which would see him remain indoors during the upcoming elections in May.

After her death, accusing fingers were pointed at the Taliban by the Pakistani authorities, but the former president and several others were blamed for failing to provide adequate security for Bhutto after her return from exile.

Gunmen Surround Libyan Foreign Ministry

 

Witnesses in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, reported that at least 20 trucks loaded with anti-aircraft guns blocked the roads on Sunday, with about 200 gunmen armed with AK-47s and sniper rifles surrounding Libyan foreign ministry in order to push demands that former workers of deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi be banned from senior positions in the new administration.

Since a campaign was launched to break the militias from their strongholds in the capital, there has been rising tension between the government and the groups in recent weeks.

The commander of the group told Reuters news agency, ‘the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will remain closed until the political isolation law (against ex-Gaddafi officials) is implemented.’

He also added that the foreign ministry had been targeted because some officials employed there had worked for Gaddafi.

Sunday’s protest was simply to demand a law be passed banning officials who had worked for Gaddafi from occupying senior positions in the government.

At the moment, the General National Congress, which is Libya’s highest political authority, is studying the proposals; this implies that the legislation is under discussion, but has yet to be approved.