ONE: More analysis on Boko Haram that examines foreign influences on the group and the “Balkanisation” of Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
TWO: The Police Command in Borno state paid N500,000 to a man who had provided them with information that led to the thwarting of a plan to murder a clergyman in the state. The man’s name was not made public for security reasons.
THREE: After the Easter bombings in Kaduna, the Muslim and Christian communities came together in a show of solidarity. Over Easter, hundreds of members from the Muslim Youths and the Youths Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) gathered to celebrate the event and to reflect on past religious tensions. The two religious groups came together to condemn violence and to outline the differences between politics and religion. According to the chairman of the CAN Youths Wing, non-Christians made more than 70 per cent of the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings.
FOUR: The Nigerian army has trained dogs to assist a special squad in the art of using dogs to fight Boko Haram members. Such tactics have been used in other countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
FIVE: Last week, Google+ hosted an event in Lagos where members of the Google Nigeria teams shared information on the social content platform. The event offered a small group of celebrities, social influencers and social creators an in-depth look into Google+.
SIX: A hike in electricity tariff looks set to happen due to the Federal Government’s inability to privatise the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) unless the Cost Reflective Tariff (CTF) for electricity is fixed, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has hinted. Apparently prospective bidders for PHCN have said that they found the unbundled companies unattractive in respect to the pricing of electricity which they suggest is not a reflection of the cost of generating or distribution. It is possible that the electricity tariffs will increase up to 88 per cent although no specific date has been set due to the removal of fuel subsidies earlier this year.
SEVEN: An orphanage where young women were forced to bear children that were then sold has been raided by the Nigerian police in Uruah local government area in Akwa Ibom State. The “baby factory” was raided after a tip-off and seven young women between the ages of 18 and 20 were freed. Though no babies were discovered, three of the seven women freed were pregnant. The owner of the orphanage, his wife and an accomplice were arrested. They are suspected of paying young girls and women up to 70,000 naira to get pregnant and have babies which are then sold.
EIGHT: The Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs in the United States, Mr. Johnnie Carson has come out to say that Nigeria is too important to fail and that a lot depends on Nigeria’s success. In the face of challenges such as Boko Haram, who have recently threatened to remove President Goodluck Jonathan from power within three months, it is clear that foreign powers hinge a lot of importance to Nigeria’s growth and prosperity.
NINE: This video of a woman who was arrested at a military checkpoint in Tsafe, Zamfara state for concealing arms and weapons in garri bags has been making rounds across the internet.
TEN: An engineer based in Ilorin, Suleiman Famro has invented a multi-purpose crop processing machine branded as the “farmking extractor”. The machine was designed primarily for the processing of root crops such as cassava. Agriculture has become the major source of job creation in Kwara State in the past decade, with the government intensifying efforts to make the State the hub of agricultural activities and to attract investors.