C-O-N-F-U-S-I-O-N!!! Abducted Girls’ Conversion To lslam, War Against Christians - Pastor Oritsejafor.

The National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said on Monday that the purported conversion of the abducted schoolgirls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Born State by members of Boko Haram was a declaration of war against Christians in the country. The CAN leader, who was reacting to a new video by the Boko Haram, showing the Chibok schoolgirls reciting the Holy Qur’an on Monday, noted that those girls could not be exchanged for the release of any detained Boko Haram members, who he described as ‘criminal’ in detention, as demanded by the sect. Oritsejafor, who spoke through the CAN’s National Director of Research, Elder Sunday Oibe, at a press conference in Kaduna, added that the forceful conversion of the girls, who are mostly Christians, amounted to persecution of Christians in Nigeria. He said, “I have the consent of our national president, who is abroad to address you. First, these children are Christians and not Muslims and so they cannot be converted to a religion that is not theirs at gunpoint without conviction. Besides, is that how conversion is being carried out? All the children displayed are Christians and that is the motive behind the abduction. “It is simple. Because they are Christians and they represent the church in the eyes of their abductors. Secondly, it smacks of some form of religious persecution. If not, why are their captors converting them to another religion? And if they say they will use them as a condition to negotiate for their men in detention, our daughters are not criminals and cannot be used in any way to free their criminal fighters. “Show us where in Nigeria you have seen Christians fighting and throwing bombs in the name of God. We challenge any one to show us where Christians have abducted Muslim children in the name of Christianity. We challenge anyone to prove in Nigeria where Christians have taken arms in the name of protecting Christianity or even carry out acts of genocide on helpless and defenceless Nigerians. As far we are concern, it is a war against Christians and Christianity.” - Hope For Nigeria

UN Security Council Vows to Bring Boko Haram Sponsors To Justice

Abiodun Oluwarotimi — May 11, 2014 The United Nations Security Council has vowed to ensure that the financiers and sponsors of the Boko haram sect are brought to justice The Council President, Ambassador Oh Joon of the Republic of Korea, who said this in a statement obtained by LEADERSHIP Sunday yesterday also condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks committed by Boko Haram that occurred in Gamboru Ngala, Nigeria on May 5 causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. In the statement, members of the Security Council urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Nigerian authorities. The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at the terrorist attacks conducted by Boko Haram since 2009, which have caused large-scale and devastating loss of life and represent a threat to the stability and peace of West and Central Africa. The Council reminded states that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian laws. The body reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations was criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, members of the Security Council strongly condemned all abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving sexual and gender-based violence, abductions and attacks against schools and hospitals, including their personnel, and underline that all perpetrators of such acts must be held accountable at national or international levels, and that some of those acts may amount to crimes against humanity under international law.

We Will Fish Out Abducted Schoolgirls, INTERPOL Assures Jonathan"

President of the International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, Mrs. Mireille Ballestrazzi, Saturday assured President Goodluck Jonathan that the abducted schoolgirs will be fished out by the organisation wherever they may be around the world. Jonathan disclosed the INTERPOL commitment in Oporoza, in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State, at the groundbreaking ceremonies of the NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard, Okerenkoko and Nigeria Maritime University at Kurutie, under the auspices of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). He reassured Nigerians that the abducted girls could not be sold into slavery as threatened by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau in recent video clip. The president was full of praises for international community for coming together condemning the abduction as well as their resolve to help find and free the abducted girls . “The international community is angry with the whole thing. We have support from other countries; we promise the world that we must get the girls out. “I am very pleased with the support coming from the United States, the United Kingdom, France the Republic of China, Israel, Spain and others. “I am happy with the cooperation we are getting from our neighbouring countries, Cameroon, Niger ,Chad and Benin, we are totally committed to making sure that we these girls out. “The story that they have sold them definitely they cannot buy any of those girls. “I just had a communication with the President of INTERPOL who said they are ready to key with the Nigerian government to search the whole world. Wherever these girls are, we must get them” . Source ThisDay.

CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPING!!! Muslims IShould Unite Against Boko Haram - IBB.

Piqued by the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram sect in the country, a former military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd) has called on Nigerian Muslims to rise up against the continued blackmail of the religion of Islam in the land. “Islam enjoins you to live peacefully with fellow human beings. Allah says there is no compulsion in religion, so this alone is okay for us. Therefore, anybody who will come and smear our name, all Muslims should kick against that. Muslims should also do everything possible to stop this continued blackmail against the religion of Islam. We must prepare to fight it and ensure that we become successful,” he said. Babangida, in a telephone interview with the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation monitored in Kaduna State on Saturday, also said now was the time for Nigerians to unite so as to rescue the missing Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State. While commiserating with parents of the Chibok schoolgirls over the abduction of their children, the former military ruler said, ”first of first, I am together with the parents of those girls in prayers so that Allah will protect these children. Secondly, this has affected the entire country. Once you are a Nigerian, no matter your religion, what happened to these children has affected every one that is called a Nigerian.” On the slow response of the Federal Government with regards to rescue efforts, Babangida said now was not the right time to apportion blames. “Allah has destined that this thing would happen in this way, what we are supposed to do is to look for ways that we can assist in finding these missing girls. If we could find them, they are not just girls from Chibok, no..they are Nigerian girls. So what I hope is that,the Muslims, the Christians, even the animists,” he said. - Hope For Nigeria

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G News!!! Israel Army Join Search For Missing Girls & Fight Against Boko Haram.

The Israeli Army have confirmed their readiness to join the search for the Kidnapped Chibok School girls and the fight against the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram in Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan according to Presidential source available to Hope For Nigeria, agreed with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Nethanyahu over the phone this afternoon on the deployment of Israeli anti-terrorism experts and Military to the troubled North Eastern states of Nigeria. - Hope For Nigeria.

‘We Informed Security Agents Ahead Of Attack But They Fled’ – Chibok Resident Opens Up

A resident of Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State have said they informed security officials about impending attack by Boko Haram insurgents on the community but no action was taken. According to the resident who is an uncle to one of the abducted girls, they had gotten information from a reliable source that the Boko Haram members had plans of Attacking Chibok after wrecking havoc on other neighbouring communities. He said rather than take action, the security men in Damboa told their colleagues in Chibok to run away since they did not have the weapons to fight the Boko Haram members. “So, the soldiers ran away on Monday around 8.pm and left only mobile policemen and one soldier. The Boko Haram people killed one mopol, the soldier was killed when he was trying to jump a fence,” the resident said. He explained that the insurgents divided themselves into two groups, one group going to Chibok town and the other to Government Secondary School where they abducted over a hundred girls, adding that apart from the girls who were said to have escaped, he had no information about any other girl that returned yesterday. He said security has however been beefed up in the area.

Abducted Chibok girls spotted in Central Africa

There are strong indications that the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, may have moved some of the over 200 schoolgirls it abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State out of West Africa. There were reports on Friday that some of the abducted schoolgirls were seen in Birao, Central African Republic with armed men. Birao is a small town in the north of the CAR. The Islamic sect had abducted pupils of the school on April 14 and taken them into the forests along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. Over 50 of the pupils escaped while being moved out of the school. An online report by a French news medium,Jeune Afrique, on Friday, said villagers saw about 50 young women led by armed men in the North Central African Republic last week. The report was translated into English by one of our correspondents. The report says, “The Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram have passed through the northern CAR, escorted by armed men. Based on several testimonies of inhabitants, the women arrived Wednesday, April 30 aboard trucks. “They were guarded by heavily armed men, who spoke English, and also members of the former (CAR) rebel Seleka.” Seleka is an alliance of Islamic rebel militia factions that overthrew the Central African Republic government early last year and installed their leader as president. The group which has reportedly carried out several executions, rape and looting split last year with Christian and Muslim factions terrorising the CAR, forcing France to send more troops to the region. The French newspaper added that natives of Birao were afraid to approach the kidnapped girls. “According to our source, the convoy of two trucks and a pickup was previously seen at Tiroungoulou (about 170 kilometres southwest of Birao) and perhaps Chad. “Upon arrival, some were frightened, cried and were violently rebuked in English. The girls and their guardians were then housed for several days in a house. “The group reportedly left the scene on the night of Sunday to Monday, May 4 to 5, without a trace,” the report said. Barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan said no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction of the pupils, Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, claimed responsibility for the abduction. Shekau, while claiming responsibility for the seizure of the girls in a video, threatened to sell the abducted girls. “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah,” he said. Earlier, there were reports that the girls were taken to neighbouring Cameroon and Chad. The Cameroonian government however faulted reports that some of the teenagers had been married off in the country. Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakari, was quoted as saying he was shocked by accusations that Cameroon was not collaborating with Nigeria to free the girls from their captors. “We insist that allegations from Nigeria that a part of the 200 young female students recently kidnapped in the North-East of Nigeria would have been transferred to Cameroon to be forced into marriage to members of the Boko Haram sect are fully unfounded. “Cameroon will never ever serve as a support base for destabilisation activities towards other countries,” he was quoted as saying. The Unites States, Britain, France and China have, however, expressed their readiness to assist Nigeria in rescuing the girls. The US and British military personnel and hardware arrived in the country between Thursday and Friday. One of our correspondents in Abuja also gathered that the Federal Government would engage Israel in the search for the abducted girls. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the Federal Government and Israeli authorities had held a series of meetings since the girls were abducted on April 14. A security source said on Friday that the collaborative efforts between Israel and Nigeria on the issue of terrorism and insurgency had been ongoing for some time. The source who pleaded anonymity said, “The issue of collaboration with Israeli and other countries did not start now, a lot of meetings have been held on insurgency.” When contacted on Friday, the Press Officer of the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Tony Obiechina, said the embassy had closed for the day and could not respond to the issue.He said, “We have closed. I will have to meet with the ambassador on Monday to see if there is any information on your request.

Jonathan Hails Buhari’s Patriotic Stand Against Terrorism"

Jonathan Hails Buhari’s Patriotic Stand Against Terrorism" President Goodluck Jonathan has commended former military Head of State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major-General, Muhammdau Buhari, for his statesman-like view on terrorism and insecurity in the country, as expressed in his article, which was published by the media this week. In a statement issued by the president’s spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan said the position taken by Buhari was that of a “true patriot, respected former head of state, revered elder statesman and nationalist”. “The president welcomes General Buhari’s call on all Nigerians to remain steadfast and work in unity to overcome terrorists and other merchants of death who currently threaten national security. “President Jonathan fully shares General Buhari’s view that a minority must never be allowed to bring the nation to its knees through terror. “He has noted General Buhari’s recommendation that the nation’s counter-terrorism strategies be further fine-tuned and welcomes his kind offer of support and cooperation in dealing with the challenge of terrorism. “The president assures General Buhari of his administration’s sincere commitment and dedication to the successful prosecution of the fight against terrorism and all other threats to national security. “He further assures the general of his preparedness to work with him and all other patriotic Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, to strengthen national security and end the scourge of terrorism,” Abati said in the statement. In the meantime, the meeting of the Northern Governors’ Forum slated for today is expected to be moved forward by a few hours to enable the governors from the region to deliberate ahead of the expanded National Security Council (NSC) meeting also scheduled to take place at noon today. The president, 36 state governors and the security and service chiefs are to meet this afternoon to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country and forge a way forward on how to tackle the Boko Haram menace. According to security sources, the need for the northern governors to meet ahead of the enlarged meeting between the president and all the governors, as well as the letter written by the Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako to his northern colleagues, in which he had accused the federal government of genocide in the North, necessitated the postponement of the security council meeting to today. THISDAY had exclusively reported yesterday that the expanded meeting of the security council had been postponed by the presidency for the second time in one week to today. It was originally slated for Thursday last week but was rescheduled for yesterday and postponed for a second time to take place today. But a top security source disclosed to THISDAY yesterday that the “nasty” letter by Nyako largely altered the original agenda and arrangements for the meeting. It was also reasoned that on technical grounds and following the serious issues stirred by Nyako's letter, it would be wrong to hold the Northern Governors’ Forum meeting, also slated for today, a day after having a comprehensive security meeting with the president. The source explained to THISDAY that officials in the presidency, top security brass and some governors consider today's meeting as the apex body where all the regional, geopolitical and ethno-religious issues should be collectively discussed and thrashed out. Accordingly, the meeting of the Northern Governors’ Forum is expected to be held this morning before the enlarged security council meeting, or at the very worst, it might be shelved immediately after the meeting with the president, all the governors and security chiefs takes place. It was also revealed that top on the agenda of today's meeting, will be Nyako’s letter, which was said to have angered, shocked and surprised many among the northern elite, who are desperately trying to do damage control. According to some concerned northern policy makers, the recent interventions by Buhari, and former military administrator of Kaduna State, Colonel Dangiwa Umar (rtd), were borne out of the need to “assuage the embarrassment caused by Nyako's letter”. “For the postponement, there was a consideration, technically and as a result of Nyako’s bombshell, that it will be wrong to hold the highest security meeting before that of the Northern Governors' Forum. It was decided that it will be better to first have other sectional or regional meetings, where the northern governors' position could be tabled at the enlarged security council meeting. “Already, a lot of northern leaders have been put off by Nyako’s letter and have been doing damage control like Buhari's intervention this week. So there was a technical consideration in that regard,” the source explained. Other than Nyako’s letter, other major issue that would be high on the agenda is the uncertainty over the extension of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, as well as the abduction of scores of female students in Chibok, the Fulani herdsmen crisis, and possibly, the controversial Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) project for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). However, the most volatile and divisive agenda, which has presented the president with a dilemma is the raging issue of emergency rule, with the security agencies, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership and moderate elements of APC rooting for its extension, and in extreme cases for the full-scale declaration of emergency rule that would lead to the removal of the three governors of the affected states. Despite the support the extension of emergency rule has, the governors from the north have kicked against it on the premise that it has been ineffective. “However, this is fiercely being opposed by the governors of the three states, the APC leadership and Northern Elders Forum (NEF), meaning that any decision that will be taken in that regard would have to juxtapose security/military considerations against political calculations,” the source said. However, before today’s meeting, THISDAY gathered that an exhaustive meeting of the security chiefs was held at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Tuesday to deliberate on the recent security challenges across the country, especially the Nyanya bus station's bombings and general terror threat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A top military source disclosed that the DHQ meeting also looked at the disturbing issue of the schoolgirls’ abduction as well as the, Wukari clashes between Fulani herdsmen and locals in the North-central zone. It was however revealed that the most passionate discussion centred on Nyako's letter with the security chiefs under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), in liaison with the National Security Adviser (NSA), brainstorming on the content and implications of the letter. “There were many considerations and implications of the letter. Was he (Nyako) actually planning subversion. Had he a deep connection with the terrorists? Was he trying to ruffle feathers in order to stop the extension of emergency rule, fearing that he might be removed, or is this a question of old age and its attendant setbacks?” the security source asked. He disclosed that in order to get to the bottom of the motive behind the letter, investigations have commenced and the governor would be invited for questioning very soon. “But as you know, the invitation and questioning would be done in a diplomatic manner because of immunity clause and also with a view not to embarrass him,” he said. THISDAY had also reported that the presidency and security agencies, led by the Office of the National Security Advisers (ONSA), are working on a plan to probe and possibly prosecute Nyako when his immunity is lifted over alleged links with Boko Haram and the scathing statement in his letter. In a related development, the federal government yesterday came down hard on Nyako over his comment alleging genocide against northerners by the government, saying the statement was inciting, the height of irresponsibility and anti-Nigeria. The federal government said to hear the kind of things being said by the governor at this period was very unfortunate. Information Minister, Labaran Maku, made the decision of the federal government over Nyako's allegation known, when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. “Nyako is the former Chief of Naval Staff, he is someone that has worn uniform before, but to publicly incite the people against the security forces of this country is the height of irresponsibility. “And I believe that for someone like that who is old enough to appreciate the kind of crisis this country is going through, we expected that there should be greater understanding, politics aside. “When people reach a certain age, they should watch their utterances and the kind of things they are expected to say. Maybe when young people like you and me speak recklessly, we can blame it on lack of experience. “But when someone who knows the difficulty this country is going through and the kind of effort that is being made by the federal government, for them to come out to make those statements that divide the country, even at a point that when we need national unity and national healing, is grossly irresponsible. “We are expecting that as we move forward, this nation will definitely defeat terror. This is a war of criminals against the entire nation and they know that this crisis originated at local level,” Maku said. He noted that the responsibility of maintaining vigilance goes right down to the village level, as well as every hamlet, adding: “But these responsibilities have been abandoned as people no longer organise themselves to fight terror.” The minister added that “the challenge for all of us in the north is unless all of us act together, this part of this country is going down and down, while the rest of the country is experiencing growth. And the responsibility of security must be taken seriously. “People grandstanding, people playing to the gallery, people making inflammatory statements that divide public opinion, that cause confusion, will appear to me as people that are anti-Nigeria. “This is the time we expect all our people to speak with one voice, and speak with a voice that gives our people hope that we the leaders are united in finding a solution.” He said the divisive statement must be condemned, as all Nigerians have a responsibility to the country. On the traffic gridlock in Nyanya, the scene of the recent bomb blast in Abuja, the minister said government feels the pains of its citizens, saying: “Our hearts go out to citizens who under the present circumstances are compelled to endure long queues because of the road blocks that have been set up following the terror attack at Nyanya last week. “We understand the pains our citizens are going through, we have indeed tried to find out from security services how we are going to manage the road blocks. I know a lot of man-hours are lost as a result of the roadblocks but we want to appeal to citizens to appreciate the challenges we are going through. Nobody is doing it to punish the citizens.” Maku added that the government was looking at alternative ways of managing the road blocks. In addition to the criticism from the federal government, former military administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), joined others to condemn Nyako, asking him to “shut up”. According to Marwa, “Enough is enough. You are setting an unheard of precedent for the younger generations by those inflammatory statements.” Speaking at his residence in Yola, Adamawa State, Marwa said Nyako had embarked on a single minded and self-appointed misadventure of being the enfant terrible of the Nigeria's political class. The former military administrator said as a native of the state and former governorship aspirant on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 elections, it was imperative to respond to Nyako disparaging his country and its leadership in far away America. He further explained that he was unhappy with the letter Nyako wrote to the northern governors, warning that it could scare away foreign investors. “I want to state very clearly that Nyako’s letter does not represent the opinion of the Adamawa State citizenry. Nyako’s statement, apart from its incoherence, was disgraceful, shameful, embarrassing to the military constituency and was a behaviour unbecoming of a retired admiral, former service chief and executive governor,” he said. He said the current security challenges in Nigeria called for a non-partisan approach towards finding a lasting solution, adding that the blame game was not the way out of the difficult circumstances the country finds itself in. “We must come together and be united in confronting the challenges in front of us. Nyako should be quite clear that President Jonathan did not pronounce himself president. “Even our two scriptures of the Holy Bible and Quran said God made leaders and gives leadership to whom he chooses. Whether Nyako likes it or not he must recognise and respect him as the leader of Nigeria. “It is therefore in bad faith and setting a bad example for the younger generation in the armed forces for Nyako to bad-mouth his president in the way and the manner he has been doing of recent. “It is this reason that I have never uttered a word of disdain, insult or indecorous language against Nyako because he is my senior in the armed forces. In the same manner, he must respect the office of the president,” he observed. Marwa said the governor’s current antics had portrayed Adamawa State in a bad light and he was looking for a way to explain his non-performance by blaming the security challenges for eating into the state’s finances. He held the view that APC and Nyako could never form the next government in Adamawa State, adding, “We were the roots, trunks and branches of the APC and we have left the party, we are gone and Nyako is left with the shell.”

Breaking News: BOKO HARAM Announces cease Fire! …The arrest and prosecution of ex-Gov Ali Modu Sheriff is part of their condition

In a surprise development that may end the persistent uprising that has resulted in the killing of innocent people and destruction of property worth billions of naira in the last three years in north eastern part of Nigeria, the radical Islamic sect Boko Haram whose operations have crippled the economy of Borno and neighbouring Yobe states have announced a surprise cease fire today in Maiduguri the Borno State capital. DESERT HERALD had hours earlier broken the news that the sect will today formally announce a cease fire with some conditions. Conservatively, the violence in the northern part of Nigeria had killed more than two thousand people while many more are left permanently incapacitated either due to the terror attacks (suicide bombing) by the sect or due to torture and sometimes even gun shots by the members of the Joint Task Force (JTF). Dependable sources told DESERT HERALD that the leadership of the sect in recent weeks were under intense pressure from the Borno Elders Forum to consider the sacrifice of a cease fire not because of the lackluster attitude of the federal government but because of the increasing casualties being recorded on a daily basis. Earlier, DESERT HERALD had received an exclusive email from the sect members confirming the their resolve for a cease fire and according to them to give those in authority the chance to show to the world that they are indeed committed to peaceful resolution of the crisis. In a press conference that was attended by some members of the Borno Elders Forum in Maiduguri this evening the Boko Haram sect through their representative one Abu Abdul’aziz said they are formally announcing a cease fire in consideration of popular demand and to give the facilitators the benefit of doubt. Abu Abdul’aziz said to demonstrate their commitment to peace, they are not giving government conditions that may give it reasons to continue to waste public resources without commensurate result. Part of the conditions as gathered exclusively by DESERT HERALD is that the sect had agreed on its own to lay down their arms and suspend any campaign of violence and killings in whatever form and that they will await federal government actions that will show its commitment to peace and reconciliation with them. The Boko Haram sect through Abu Abdul’aziz also demanded full compensation to all the families of their members that were not killed in the battle field (those that were extra-judiciously executed by the JTF from 2009 to date including their leader Mohammed Yusuf and those that were killed through torture and gun shots while in custody). Similarly, the sect demanded the release of all their members that were not captured in battle field by the government as well as reconstructing their place of worship (Markas) in Maiduguri and the freedom to practice their religion as they used to do before. Boko Haram in the first press conference also said that part of the condition for lasting peace is the immediate arrest and prosecution of ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and all the officers that killed their leader and hundreds of their people in 2009 without subjecting them to due process of the law. They said they will give both the federal government and the Borno State government time to act and that during such time they will not be directly or indirectly involved in any attack and that anybody that attacks or kill within that period is not their member and that there would not be such instruction from their leadership. Abdul’aziz said they will lay down their arms for the period but that they are not giving their arms because their campaign has not ended until such a time government demonstrates sincere commitment to everlasting peace. They if their freedom to religious practice cannot be guaranteed the efforts of well meaning Nigeria’s may never work and that the little conditions they gave will show to the whole world whether it is the government that is encouraging the violence for its benefit or not. The spokesman of the Borno Elders Forum who was part of those that attended the press conference, Bulama Mari Gubio confirmed the development to DESERT HERALD.

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G News!!! Boko Haram Leader Declares War On World Leaders And Abraham Lincoln.

B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G News!!! Boko Haram Leader Declares War On World Leaders And Abraham Lincoln. **Nigerian Muslims, either you are with us (Boko Haram) or you are with Obama! In a new clip released online, the leader of the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram declares war on the West, denouncing a number of world leaders, as well as Abraham Lincoln. The grainy video was released by the New York Times and shows a gun-toting Abubakar Shekau reading from a script in his left hand, flanked by two masked men in camouflage. Addressing the camera, Shekau warns that "either you are with us or you are with Obama! Francois Hollande! George Bush. Bush! Clinton!" After pausing briefly he adds "Abraham Lincoln" to the list. In another unhinged moment Shekau slams U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and then simply repeats "kill!" over and over. The Times says the footage is part of the same 57-minute video in which Shekau took credit for the kidnapping of over 200 missing schoolgirls from the northeastern city of Chibok more than three weeks ago. International outrage over the kidnapping of Nigeria's schoolgirls, as well as the lack of government action to bring them back, has been growing steadily since their forceful disappearance on April 14. On Tuesday, new reports emerged that 8 more girls have been kidnapped in the country's north. Videos of this kind are nothing new for Boko Haram, as Shekau, who the BBC reports is also the groups "spiritual leader," has been long-known to tape lengthy sermons challenging the government and western leaders. In one of these videos, released after a 2012 bombing that killed over 180, Shekau reportedly professed to "enjoy killing anyone that God commands me to kill." - Hope For Nigeria

Michelle Obama: Nigeria’s Abduction an "Unconscionable" Terror Act"

Michelle Obama: Nigeria’s Abduction an "Unconscionable" Terror Act" # Michelle spoke in place of her husband# there was no hue and cry by the opposition party back home as APC would have done if it was our dear First Lady. Zacheaus Somorin in Berlin with agency report The mass kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria was an "unconscionable act" of terror against the education of girls, United States First Lady, Michelle Obama said Saturday. Speaking in her husband's place during President Barack Obama's weekly Saturday morning address, Michelle Obama, according to AFP report, said that this violence "was not an isolated incident ... it's a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions." "Like millions of people across the globe," Michelle Obama said, "my husband and I are outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school dormitory in the middle of the night. This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group determined to keep these girls from getting an education - grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls." On April 14, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibook, and the kidnapping of eight more girls from Warabe on May 5. Three weeks later 223 girls are still missing. The Islamist terror group Boko Haram claimed responsibility, and threatened to "sell" the girls into slavery. "In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters. We see their hopes, their dreams - and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now," Michelle Obama said. Obama praised the courage of the parents to send the girls to school despite the threats, and of the girls going to class knowing "full well the dangers they might encounter." The girls were "determined to one day build careers of their own and make their families and communities proud," she said. Obama evoked the example of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who "spoke out for girls' education in her community ... and as a result, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while on a school bus with her classmates." The courage of Malala "and girls like her around the world should serve as a call to action" because "more than 65 million girls worldwide are not in school. "Yet, we know that girls who are educated make higher wages, lead healthier lives, and have healthier families," thus boosting "their country's entire economy." US presidents issue a weekly radio address on a subject of their choosing. A video version is also posted on the White House website each Saturday. Michelle Obama has appeared alongside her husband during the addresses, but this is the first time that she spoke alone. Earlier this week, she expressed solidarity with the kidnap victims, tweeting a photograph of herself holding a placard bearing the slogan ‪#‎BringBackOurGirls‬, the hashtag used as the rallying cry for a viral campaign calling for the schoolgirls' return. Seven military officials along with a State Department expert arrived in Nigeria on Friday to help search for the girls. Three FBI personnel and four others were due to arrive Saturday. President Barack Obama on Tuesday described the kidnapping as "heartbreaking" and "outrageous.