Gist Arena

The Department of State Services said in Abuja on Sunday that some members of the dreaded Boko Haram were already making plans to join the army. It, however, said that two members of the sect, who it described as specialists in the making of Improvised Explosive Devise, had been nabbed before they succeeded in joining the army. Spokesperson for the DSS, Mr. Tony Opuiyo, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the suspects were arrested in Kano. He said, “In response to the regrouping of Boko Haram elements in Kano State, the Service in concert with the military, carried out coordinated operations in the state which led to the apprehension of two high profile members of the sect. “They are Ibrahim Abubakar and Idris Audu. Audu is an IED specialist who was being groomed to penetrate security agencies in the country. “Audu had already perfected plans to seek for recruitment into the next recruitment scheme of the Nigeria Army, befo...

The Federal Government has described the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration, as sadly out of tune with reality.  In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ‘’Insecurity anywhere is insecurity everywhere. Had Congressman Marino underst...

Troops of 2 Brigade Nigerian Army yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, conducted a show of force as part of the ongoing Exercise CROCODILE SMILE in the area. More photos after the cut.

The Moroccan authorities  on Friday , arrested a Nigerian national who was smuggling 1.05 kilograms of cocaine inside his stomach. According to Moroccan Times, authorities said that the Nigerian man raised suspicion because he did not look quite comfortable in their presence. He was then taken to Casablanca’s Ibn Rush hospital, where he was subjected to a surgery to remove the drugs from his stomach. The suspect had just landed from a flight coming from Brazil when he was arrested. An investigation was launched and he will stand soon before a judge to defend himself against heavy drug trafficking charges. Moroccan Times

Lol.

A member of the United States Congress, Tom Marino, has written a letter to Secretary of State, John Kerry, asking the US government to withhold security assistance to Nigeria until President Buhari demonstrates a “commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech”.  According to Thisday , Marino in his two-page letter, accused President Buhari of autocratic tendencies and selective anti-graft war. Marino asked the State Department to stop selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusion of other opposition members. His letter to Kerry reads: “Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria and its administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple insurgent movements, and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs ...

Monalisa and her husband Tonye Coker, kiss as they relax at the pool side in Santorini, Greece where they had there white wedding few days ago. See photos of Monalisa and some of her friends at the poolside below.

Lawyer/Human Rights Activist, Inibehe Effiong (left) shared this interesting new update via his twitter page. Effiong was involved in the case of Joachim Iroko Chinakwe (right), who was was arrested when a neighbour filed a complaint against him for naming his dog 'Buhari'. See the tweets below