Twin Bomb Blasts Kill 32 in Jos
Nigerian Mirror
by TOLA AKINMUTIMI AND UBONG UKPONG AND JAMES ABRAHAM
Dec 12, 2014 |
Two bomb blasts in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday evening killed at least 32 people.
It was gathered that the first blast occurred near Mr Biggs fast food restaurant located around Terminus market area in the city centre, while the second blast went off a few minutes later along the Massalacin Jumma street, not far from the scene of the first blast
Eyes witnesses said casualty figure could be high as according to them, the two explosion sites were usually crowded with people.
The blasts, which occurred at a time when most people were closing for business, caused panic as people ran in all directions in fear.
As at the time of filling this report, members of the Special Task Force, STF, and police anti bomb squad were heard speeding to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order
The Chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Sabiu Musa Ibrahim, whose house is not far from the scene, confirmed the explosion to our correspondent
The prolonged Boko Haram insurgency has kept at least 194,664 students out of school and left 800 school buildings destroyed, a report on the performance of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, by the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, has revealed.
Presenting the report to journalists in Abuja yesterday, the President of the CSO coalition, Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams, said that the development constituted a formidable challenge to Nigeria’s education sector, especially in government’s efforts to meet the objectives of the education for all drive by the year 2015.
Williams noted that the Boko Haram menace in the North had placed Nigeria as the only country amongst the 15 countries covered by the UNESCO projects that will have fewer than 80 per cent of its primary school age children enrolled by 2015.
He said the assessment, carried out in collaboration with Sihle Masonso (Africa Partnership for Civil Society), Kristen Strong (World economic Development) and Emeretine Christisle (Centre for Educational Development, United Kingdom), among others, was on the progress made so far in the formulation and implementation of policies for the successful operation of the UBE in Nigeria.
The study also covered the role of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, in actualising the core mandate of an unhindered access without prejudice to primary and junior secondary school education by all Nigerian children.
The CCSG leader called for urgent development of national education policy to address humanitarian and emergency situation that may arise as a result of unforeseen crisis situation.
He also advocated improved funding for the education sector as dwindling budgetary allocation would hamstring the development of basic education in the country.
Williams pointed out that the high rate of out-ofschool children in Nigeria, which is put at 10.6 million, required a drastic solution backed by adequate funding in order to arrest the trend.
In addition, he said that government needed to embark on national free feeding programme for all primary schools to reduce the high incidence of out-ofschool children.
Poverty, he noted has been identified as responsible for the high rate of outof- school syndrome.
He advocated the enactment of a law that will address the high incidence of un-accessed grants, which he noted, will eliminate the current trend whereby states are not accessing their funds in the coffers of the UBEC.
Williams pointed out that the legislation was long overdue as most states had been found to be consistently negligent in accessing the grant to develop basic education.
The research showed that conflicts, gender discrimination, child labour, ignorance and poverty were primarily responsible for the high rate of out-ofschool children in Nigeria, amongst other causative factors.
Meanwhile, troops in the ongoing counter-insurgency war against Boko Haram sect, have again, killed scores of the insurgents in Adamawa State.
This is even as the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, have placed Garkida, Vimtim, Kumare-Uba, Mararaba, Mubi, and others, under close watch and intensive military patrol to forestall attempts by terrorists to attack them.
Only few days ago, troops on an offensive in the state, recovered from the terrorists a hit list and sketches of communities slated for attacks.
In a post on its Twitter handle, the DHQ said that assorted kinds of weapons were also captured, while an armoured personnel carrier, APC, used by the insurgents was destroyed.
Some soldiers also lost their lives in the battle, it said.
The DHQ said that the troops, while pursuing the terrorists caught up with them at Muva junction, leading to heavy casualties and loss of equipment on both sides.
However, it said the troops were continuing their advance backed by air strikes.
The DHQ said: “Troops in pursuit of terrorists had an encounter with a group of them at Muva Junction yesterday.
“The fierce encounter resulted in substantial casualties, including loss of lives and equipment on both sides.
“An armoured personnel carrier used by the terrorists was destroyed, general purpose machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, IED, rifles, ammunition as well as, bows, arrows, locally made pistols and guns captured from them have been taken into custody.
“Troops have continued their advance, backed with highly coordinated air strikes against the terrorists.
“Communities and locations such as Garkida, Vimtim, Kumare-Uba, Mararaba, Mubi and others are also under regular patrols and surveillance.”
by TOLA AKINMUTIMI AND UBONG UKPONG AND JAMES ABRAHAM
Dec 12, 2014 |
Two bomb blasts in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday evening killed at least 32 people.
It was gathered that the first blast occurred near Mr Biggs fast food restaurant located around Terminus market area in the city centre, while the second blast went off a few minutes later along the Massalacin Jumma street, not far from the scene of the first blast
Eyes witnesses said casualty figure could be high as according to them, the two explosion sites were usually crowded with people.
The blasts, which occurred at a time when most people were closing for business, caused panic as people ran in all directions in fear.
As at the time of filling this report, members of the Special Task Force, STF, and police anti bomb squad were heard speeding to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order
The Chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Sabiu Musa Ibrahim, whose house is not far from the scene, confirmed the explosion to our correspondent
The prolonged Boko Haram insurgency has kept at least 194,664 students out of school and left 800 school buildings destroyed, a report on the performance of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, by the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, has revealed.
Presenting the report to journalists in Abuja yesterday, the President of the CSO coalition, Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams, said that the development constituted a formidable challenge to Nigeria’s education sector, especially in government’s efforts to meet the objectives of the education for all drive by the year 2015.
Williams noted that the Boko Haram menace in the North had placed Nigeria as the only country amongst the 15 countries covered by the UNESCO projects that will have fewer than 80 per cent of its primary school age children enrolled by 2015.
He said the assessment, carried out in collaboration with Sihle Masonso (Africa Partnership for Civil Society), Kristen Strong (World economic Development) and Emeretine Christisle (Centre for Educational Development, United Kingdom), among others, was on the progress made so far in the formulation and implementation of policies for the successful operation of the UBE in Nigeria.
The study also covered the role of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, in actualising the core mandate of an unhindered access without prejudice to primary and junior secondary school education by all Nigerian children.
The CCSG leader called for urgent development of national education policy to address humanitarian and emergency situation that may arise as a result of unforeseen crisis situation.
He also advocated improved funding for the education sector as dwindling budgetary allocation would hamstring the development of basic education in the country.
Williams pointed out that the high rate of out-ofschool children in Nigeria, which is put at 10.6 million, required a drastic solution backed by adequate funding in order to arrest the trend.
In addition, he said that government needed to embark on national free feeding programme for all primary schools to reduce the high incidence of out-ofschool children.
Poverty, he noted has been identified as responsible for the high rate of outof- school syndrome.
He advocated the enactment of a law that will address the high incidence of un-accessed grants, which he noted, will eliminate the current trend whereby states are not accessing their funds in the coffers of the UBEC.
Williams pointed out that the legislation was long overdue as most states had been found to be consistently negligent in accessing the grant to develop basic education.
The research showed that conflicts, gender discrimination, child labour, ignorance and poverty were primarily responsible for the high rate of out-ofschool children in Nigeria, amongst other causative factors.
Meanwhile, troops in the ongoing counter-insurgency war against Boko Haram sect, have again, killed scores of the insurgents in Adamawa State.
This is even as the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, have placed Garkida, Vimtim, Kumare-Uba, Mararaba, Mubi, and others, under close watch and intensive military patrol to forestall attempts by terrorists to attack them.
Only few days ago, troops on an offensive in the state, recovered from the terrorists a hit list and sketches of communities slated for attacks.
In a post on its Twitter handle, the DHQ said that assorted kinds of weapons were also captured, while an armoured personnel carrier, APC, used by the insurgents was destroyed.
Some soldiers also lost their lives in the battle, it said.
The DHQ said that the troops, while pursuing the terrorists caught up with them at Muva junction, leading to heavy casualties and loss of equipment on both sides.
However, it said the troops were continuing their advance backed by air strikes.
The DHQ said: “Troops in pursuit of terrorists had an encounter with a group of them at Muva Junction yesterday.
“The fierce encounter resulted in substantial casualties, including loss of lives and equipment on both sides.
“An armoured personnel carrier used by the terrorists was destroyed, general purpose machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, IED, rifles, ammunition as well as, bows, arrows, locally made pistols and guns captured from them have been taken into custody.
“Troops have continued their advance, backed with highly coordinated air strikes against the terrorists.
“Communities and locations such as Garkida, Vimtim, Kumare-Uba, Mararaba, Mubi and others are also under regular patrols and surveillance.”
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