By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Boko Haram commander surrenders to Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army’s war on insurgency in the West African country has recorded a huge success. A notorious Boko Haram commander Bulama Bukar surrendered to the military on Wednesday even as three terrorists were killed in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. An ammunition courier on a mission to deliver ammunition to a bandit leader named Gishiri was also intercepted in Zamfara State.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Nigerian Army director of public relations, said, via a statement on X, that Bukar, leader of the Boko Haram Camp Tapkin Chad at Gilima village in Abadam County of Borno State, surrendered to troops of 5 Brigade in the northeast State.
An AK-47 rifle, 44 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a knife, and a motorcycle were among the items recovered from the surrendered terrorist. Brig.-Gen. Nwachukwu said Bukar is currently undergoing profiling sessions at a military facility.
Read the statement from the Nigerian Army: https://twitter.com/HQNigerianArmy/status/1714691079742660907?t=AxlUQiRDfewJjTGZm744pA&s=19
Hoodlums disrupt opposition political rally in Kogi
A political rally by opposition Social Democratic Party [SDP] in north central Kogi State of Nigeria was on Wednesday morning disrupted by thugs. The armed thugs invaded the venue of the rally two hours before the rally began and destroyed the canopies, public address systems, chairs and the podium set up for the event while shooting indiscriminately.
“Several persons were injured in the course of the mayhem, while the thugs equally destroyed several vehicles they identified as belonging to SDP supporters,” SDP spokesperson Faruk Adejoh-Audu said. Similarly, the SDP governorship candidate Murtala Yakubu Ajaka’s convoy was attacked by thugs.
On June 3, Ajaka escaped an assassination attempt during an attack on his convoy. The SDP alleges that the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC] is the sponsor of the attacks on its candidate, but the APC always denies the allegations. The governorship poll is slated for November 11.
Read the full story: https://saharareporters.com/2023/10/19/gunmen-suspected-apc-thugs-attack-kogi-sdp-gov-candidate-ajakas-rally-ejule-damage
Military repel ISWAP attack in Borno
A military formation in Gamboru Ngala, a border town between Nigeria and Cameron in Borno State came under attack by the Islamic State of West Africa Province [ISWAP] jihadists. The ISWAP militants in Hilux trucks and motorcycles attacked the military base with heavy weapons late Wednesday in an attempt to penetrate the market town.
But troops of the Nigerian Army swiftly engaged the Islamic extremists in a gun battle and the insurgents were forced to flee. A report by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication in Lake Chad, says an unconfirmed number of terrorists were killed.
A truck conveying goods from Gamboru to Maiduguri, the capital city was bombed by an Improvised Explosive Device [IED] planted by the terrorists for the enemy. The truck driver and one other were severely injured.
Read the full story: https://zagazola.org/index.php/breaking-news-edit/troops-repel-iswap-attack-in-borno
Naira crashes to N1,100/$1
The exchange rate between the Nigerian naira and the USD has slumped to N1,100/$1, the latest record low for the Nigerian currency since President Bola Tinubu embarked on a “thorough house cleaning” of the nation’s monetary policy causing continuing repercussions.
Since the Nigerian President floated the naira by closing the gap between the official rates and the black-market rates of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market in June, the naira has been on a free fall due to persistent USD scarcity amid the rising demand for the hard currency.
This trend of the weakening naira is also mirrored in the official Nigerian forex market. The official exchange rate dropped to N848/$1 on Tuesday [Oct. 17], putting a big question mark on the Nigerian government’s plan to achieve a N700/$1 rate by January 2024.
Read more: https://nairametrics.com/2023/10/18/exchange-rate-quotes-for-n1100-at-parallel-market/
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Ozinwanne Onwuka reports politics and culture for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
