…after setting off his own suicide vest’ during a US Special Ops raid on his Syrian lair following a five-year manhunt
The leader of the Islamic State militant network is believed to be dead after being targeted by a US military raid in north-west Syria,

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called caliphate, is thought to have detonated his own suicide vest during the targeted raid on his lair in Syria’s Idlib province.

A US official said confirmation that the ISIS chief was in the explosion is pending, while US President Donald Trump said there would be a major announcement, tweeting on Saturday night that ‘Something very big has just happened!’



The strike came amid concerns that a recent American pullback from northeastern Syria could infuse new strength into the militant group, which had lost vast stretches of territory it had once controlled.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syria war monitor, reported an attack carried out by a squadron of eight helicopters accompanied by a warplane belonging to the international coalition on positions of the Hurras al-Deen (al-Qaida affiliated group – Guardians of the Jihad) and where ISIS operatives are believed to be hiding in the Barisha area north of Idlib city, after midnight on Saturday-Sunday.

It said the helicopters targeted ISIS positions with heavy strikes for about 120 minutes, during which jihadists targeted the helicopters with heavy weapons.

The Syrian Observatory documented the death of nine people as a result of the coalition helicopter attack, adding that the death toll is likely to rise due to the presence of a large number of wounded.

Al-Baghdadi led ISIS for the last five years, presiding over its ascendancy as it cultivated a reputation for beheadings and attracted hundreds of thousands of followers to a sprawling and self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

He remained among the few ISIS commanders still at large despite multiple claims in recent years about his death and even as his so-called caliphate dramatically shrank, with many supporters who joined the cause either imprisoned or jailed.

His exhortations were instrumental in inspiring terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe and in the United States.

Shifting away from the airline hijackings and other mass-casualty attacks that came to define al-Qaida, al-Baghdadi and other ISIS leaders supported smaller-scale acts of violence that would be harder for law enforcement to prepare for and prevent.

They encouraged jihadists who could not travel to the caliphate to kill where they were, with whatever weapon they had at their disposal.

In the US, multiple extremists have pledged their allegiance to al-Baghdadi on social media, including a woman who along with her husband committed a 2015 massacre at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.

With a £19.5 million ($25m) bounty on his head, al-Baghdadi had been far less visible in recent years, releasing only sporadic audio recordings, including one just last month in which he called on members of the extremist group to do all they could to free ISIS detainees and women held in jails and camps.

The purported audio was his first public statement since last April, when he appeared in a video for the first time in five years.

In 2014, he was a black-robed figure delivering a sermon from the pulpit of Mosul’s Great Mosque of al-Nuri, his only known public appearance.

He urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader.

‘It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you,’ he said in the video.

‘I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God.’

The reported death of such a high-value US target comes amid a difficult political backdrop fro Trump, who has been frustrated heavy media focus on the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, which he calls an illegitimate witch hunt.


He has also faced withering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats alike for his U.S. troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America’s Kurdish allies.

Trump was expected to make the statement in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, which he has used to make a number of major announcements.

Just last week he used the same room to announce that a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurds had taken hold

The Lagos State Police has arrested a 25-year-old thief who abandoned his mission to watch couples having sex in their apartment at Innocent Amadi Street (Mercy Estate) Baruwa area of Ipaja, Lagos State.
The thief identified as Uchenna Ebube slept off in the process and was nabbed after Mr. Idris Olumo and his wife finished up and met him in their living room by 4a.m. Upon being interrogated, Uchenna said he was at the couple’s apartment to steal valuables after gaining entrance through the window.
He was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum, after being arraigned before an Ejigbo Magistrate Court following his arrest by the Police at Ipaja Division,
Mr. T.O Shomade, the Presiding Magistrate adjourned the case till Novermber 13 while also ordering that the suspect be remanded in prison custody pending when he perfects his bail conditions.

The ministry of women affairs says it has embarked on an initiative to subsidise the cost of sanitary pads for school girls in the country.
Mary Ekpere-Eta, director-general of the national centre for women development, a parastatal of the ministry of women affairs, made this during a press briefing to commemorate the 2019 International Day of the Girl in Abuja on Friday.
Investigation carried out by the cable into how the education and health of schoolgirls are affected by the inability to afford sanitary pads.
In the report, some of the affected persons said they were unable to afford sanitary pads — even for N200 — hence stay away from school during their menstrual period.
She said efforts are ongoing to reach an arrangement with companies who produce sanitary pads to sell at subsidised rates in rural areas.
Ekpere-Eta enjoined the companies to support the initiative by reducing the cost and making it easily available.
She said young girls would be spared the pain of wondering how to get pads that they cannot afford.
“We have a menstrual hygiene corner in our programme whereby many of you could just drop in maybe N10 or N20 and there’s an arrangement with most of these companies who produce sanitary pads who will now sell at subsidised rates, which we will distribute to rural areas, especially in secondary schools, “she said.
“Be that as it may, we are working further to see how the issue of price will be dealt with. But it is a gradual process and we need to find a way to reach the manufacturers and find out how to reduce the price.
“Through advocacy, we encourage as a corporate social organisation from other agencies and private sector, to ensure that every organisation will buy a certain quantity of pads available to schools and send to rural areas as their own CSR.”
Wunmi Onanuga, chairperson of the committee of women development and social development, and four other lawmakers also moved a motion on the matter at the plenary session on Thursday.

The ministry of women affairs says it has embarked on an initiative to subsidise the cost of sanitary pads for school girls in the country.
Mary Ekpere-Eta, director-general of the national centre for women development, a parastatal of the ministry of women affairs, made this during a press briefing to commemorate the 2019 International Day of the Girl in Abuja on Friday.
Investigation carried out by the cable into how the education and health of schoolgirls are affected by the inability to afford sanitary pads.
In the report, some of the affected persons said they were unable to afford sanitary pads — even for N200 — hence stay away from school during their menstrual period.
She said efforts are ongoing to reach an arrangement with companies who produce sanitary pads to sell at subsidised rates in rural areas.
Ekpere-Eta enjoined the companies to support the initiative by reducing the cost and making it easily available.
She said young girls would be spared the pain of wondering how to get pads that they cannot afford.
“We have a menstrual hygiene corner in our programme whereby many of you could just drop in maybe N10 or N20 and there’s an arrangement with most of these companies who produce sanitary pads who will now sell at subsidised rates, which we will distribute to rural areas, especially in secondary schools, “she said.
“Be that as it may, we are working further to see how the issue of price will be dealt with. But it is a gradual process and we need to find a way to reach the manufacturers and find out how to reduce the price.
“Through advocacy, we encourage as a corporate social organisation from other agencies and private sector, to ensure that every organisation will buy a certain quantity of pads available to schools and send to rural areas as their own CSR.”
Wunmi Onanuga, chairperson of the committee of women development and social development, and four other lawmakers also moved a motion on the matter at the plenary session on Thursday.

An estimated $582 billion has been stolen from Nigeria since independence in 1960.
The estimate, which was attributed to Chatham House, was quoted in an article published by The Economist titled, ‘Catch me if you can, African kleptocrats are finding it tougher to stash cash in the West,’ published in online
Corruption is known to be one of Nigeria’s major problem and at least N11 trillion is said to have been diverted in the power sector alone since 1999, while. 1.3 trillion public fund were reportedly laundered between 2011 and 2015.
In the article which talks about illicit financial flows in Africa, The Economist said so much has been pilfered from the continent that “tracking it all is tricky”.
It quoted Britain’s International Corruption unit as saying it has confiscated £76m ($117m) loot from Nigeria since 2006.
“Another £791m has been frozen worldwide thanks to its work,” it said, adding that “it barely makes a dent in the £100bn of illicit funds which Steve Goodrich at Transparency International, a watchdog, reckons enters Britain every year”.
The Economist said African leaders’ best way of hiding and moving stolen funds is to set up “a raft of anonymous shell companies and bank accounts”.
It spoke of how Sani Abacha, the former military head of state stole Nigeria blind and “deposited billions of dollars in banks across the rich world, no questions asked”.
“Light-fingered tyrants are looking back wistfully. In past decades they could stash their illicit wealth in the West,” it said.
“Friendly lawyers, banks and middlemen were on hand to park the loot. Western governments often seemed equally unfussed.”
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
The article, however, said gone are the days when stealing public funds was easy as it is “becoming a bit harder to get away with”.
“Anti-corruption campaigners and muckraking journalists have busied themselves trying to uncover stolen assets,” it said.
“Western governments, tired of seeing aid money stolen, have toughened up money-laundering and bribery laws.”
Similarly, an anti corruption tool in the form of a mobile application was recently launched by the Akin Fadeyi Foundation to enable Nigerians to report corrupt practices.

Hon.Bar Ezekiel Mandyau,the newly appointed Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGC of Plateau State has set up a Seven Member Audit Committee to investigate the activities of his predecessor, Hon Dickson Chollom, the immediate past Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGC.
Mandyau made the declaration immediately after receiving the handover notes from Hon Dickson Chollom after so many days of hide and seek and even threats.
The Handing over and Taking over Ceremony which would have taken place since last week, like that of Jos South LGC, could not hold on Friday, Monday until Tuesday,15th October,2019 afternoon because the immediate past Chairman was unwilling to handover reigns of governance on the pretense that he was typing and proof reading the doctored handover notes.
Upon receipt of the handover notes,Hon Bar Ezekiel Mandyau hinted that to pass the competency test and the best world standard practice, the reports must be audited.
The newly appointed and resumed Council boss told his predecessor there and then that because he does not want to be misquoted and seen to be witch hunting Hon Dickson Chollom,he wants to let him know that his two years and three months administration would be audited to confirm the handing over reports and documents.
The Handing and Taking Over Ceremony started at about 2:18 PM when the Council Information Officer, Zakari Gontu introduced the predecessor and the incumbent Chairmen.Gontu asked Hon.Dickson Chollom to present his speech before the handover and takeover ceremony.
In his remarks,Hon Dickson Chollom said it was a great privilege for him to be standing to present his handover notes to Hon Bar Ezekiel Mandyau,a brother, friend and a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after his two years and three months rule as the Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGC.He hinted that he was also a Chairman of Barkin Ladi seven years ago thus, having a second journey as the Council boss.
Hon Dickson Chollom informed the incumbent Chairman that there are nine departments now in Barkin Ladi LGC with the addition of the WASH and the Education Departments, headed by Directors.
The out gone Chairman said most of the contracts issued by the last administration before him were politically motivated, hence the myriad of litigations for payments in Courts but his contracts were peopled-driven by the Communities, hence the construction of twenty one boreholes,a youth center and the landscaping of the Barkin Ladi LGC Secretariat with N38m.
Mr Zakari Gontu, the Council Information Officer said the Taking Over Ceremony is only complete when the out going and the in coming Chairmen sign the handover notes signifying he has taken over the reigns of governance of Barkin Ladi LGC.This took place at exactly 2:45PM.
Hon Bar. Ezekiel Mandyau after taking over from his predecessor,Hon Dickson Chollom in his opening remarks acknowledged the presence of all those available at the handing and taking over ceremony.
Mandyau said he was sincerely pleased to be the one taking over from his friend and brother and that he adopts all the former Chairman said.Mandyau assured his predecessor that the Council will look at the handover notes to guide the Council take informed decisions.
The Chairman dropped the bombshell when he announced to the surprise but endorsement of many the Constitution and inauguration of a seven member Audit Committee to commence work on Monday,21st October,2019.
The Legal Luminary and the Chairman of Barkin Ladi LGC urged the Staffers of the Council to give him all the needed and necessary support to succeed as he is in a hurry to succeed and deliver on the mandate given.He posits that “my mandate is for three months,thus you should appreciate the speed with which we are going with in order to leave an enduring legacy in line with the Three Pillar Policy Thrust of the Governor Simon Bako Lalong Rescue Administration”.
Hon Bar Ezekiel Mandyau hinted that the key word of his administration is “Partnership”, where everyone has a great role to play since they have wholeheartedly accepted the responsibility of good governance bestowed on them.

The newly sworn in executive chairman of Langtang North Local Govt Hon Joshua Ubandoma Laven has hit the ground running with the renovation of parts of the local government secretariat.


In a statement by a source close to the chairman, Mr Dogo Nanzing, who said, “Hon Ubandoma resumed work at the secretariat a day after his swearing in only to meet an office in desperate need of repairs & the surrounding environment left with over grown bushes which in itself stands as a public risk as snakes & other dangerous creatures may find the surrounding very convenient to hide.


Mr Dogo further said ” it’s disheartening that Langtang North Local Govt administration rely on commercial water vendors to supply water to the secretariat on daily basis, a practice he described as very shameful.
As a young visionary leader, Hon Ubandoma Laven has ordered for boreholes to be drilled which will satisfy the water need of the entire secretariat complex “


As at press time, the drilling of boreholes at the local government secretariat has commenced.

Rt. Hon. Saleh Shehu Yipmong Attends Inauguration of the Newly Elected Officials of NANS JCC Committee (Plateau State Chapter) Held in Plateau State University, Bokkos.

The Chairman of the inauguration, Comr. Enoch Vilret speaking on behalf of Nigerian students welcomed the Deputy speaker to the event. He described him as a leader per excellence and a student emancipator. Comr. Enoch Vilret appreciated the Dengi lawmaker for coming and assured him that Nigerian students will stand with him wherever and for whatever.

Rt. Hon. Yipmong charged the students to be law abiding, take their studies serious with thesame zeal they take student unionism and also to expose kangaroo associations who do nothing but go round offices sharing awards. Rt. Hon. Yipmong charged Comr. Barry Gabriel the newly sworn in Chairman and his excos to serve faithfully and never joke with the oath they took. He assured them of the Assembly’s readiness to always support any student program on the Plateau. He supported the organisers with the sum of #50,000 to cover costs incurred in organising the event.

ordinarily this write up is not to be responded to but coming from a legislative aide (L.A) to Hon.Esther Simi Dusu (Member representing Jos North west constituency in PLHA) should not be discountenanced with a wave of hand, the author of the said write up missed the point in Barr Auwal Haruna’s statement when he alluded the fact that he knows Barr Auwal Haruna very well but went ahead to castigate him as a defender of his kinsmen and the writer refused or deliberately neglect to digest what Barr Auwal Haruna wrote in its entirety.

How will APC members complain when the appointment is in their favour? What threat is the write up all about? What is religious in the write up? If John kele was meticulous he will understand that the people protesting over Jos North caretaker are only attacking the person of Hon Shehu Bala as a Hausa/ Fulani as not fit to be the chairman of Jos North LGA by virtue of his tribe and those challenging the appointment did not deem it fit to do so when it suit them. If John Kele and his sponsors can be magnanimous and recall back recently Hon.Sanda an Anaguta by tribe enjoys that privileged, Hon.Theresa Azi an Afizere/Jarawa by tribe and of recent Hon.Philip Izang also an Afizere/ Jarawa by tribe enjoy same privileges all by the same Lalong Administration and these groups at no point did they criticised Governor Lalong or made local press conference not to talk of World press conference and you expect other tribes to keep mute on such insensitivity of their rights? The writer made effort in pointing to the fact that its “We vs them” in vain as he can ask his principal the role the Hausa/ Fulani played in her emergence as a flag bearer of PDP during the party’s primary election. Therefore, i urged John kele and his pay masters watch their tongues as the Hausa/ Fulani are fully on ground come 2023 to use their delegates power judiciously to pay back accordingly.

John kele in his effort to paint Barr Auwal Haruna as ungrateful is far from the truth, as he has been a loyal PDP member and has respect for all the Elders of the party and he is fully aware that those championing the write up and the so called world press conference are not peace lovers but beneficiaries of crisis by heating the polity for pecuniary gains. The writer further said Barr Auwal Haruna collected his fair share…..is John kele saying his principal paid delegates for her emergence?…..John and his pay masters are economical with the truth when he/they said they spent days at the collation centre without food, how truth can this be?

Another questions to John kele are how many of your tribes men where killed because of PD? How many of your tribesmen houses were destroyed and burnt to ashes because they are in PDP? Hausa/ Fulani PDP members on the other hand had paid the supreme sacrifice for the party and no sacrifice is better or higher than this. Therefore made your research before making careless and unsubstantiated statement to satisfy your principal and is there “Abinchi in Jos North”. Just hearing it from you for the first time. We are PDP members and we will remain so, after all we are not performing any religious rite, therefore, if the Ethnic- phobia continue we will take decisive and appropriate decision at the right time.

Finally, we can understand why you (John kele) made the write up as your appointment by your principal is based on ethnic- phobia when the constituency she is representing has other tribes who made her the party’s candidate during the primary and equally voted for her at the general election.

-Abubakar Ali Sa’ad Gangaren Jos

With gratitude to God almighty, I received the news of my appointment.

This gesture means a lot to me and I am full of appreciation . It is an illustration of the trust and confidence the Honourable Chairman has in my capacity and by extension the youth constituency.
Let me also acknowledge the efforts of my father and friend, Chief Michael Maqual Kuba for always being there to intercede on behalf of the Youths.

On the flip side, after carefully listening to my inner voice and consultations; let me state clearly that I respectfully decline the appointment.
This decision( though a hard one) went down well with my conscience, and I hope that it will be accepted and respected by all.

This does not in any way mean am I brooding any acrimonious tendency towards the Local Government Council, the Leadership or our great Party, the All Progressive Congress.

Let me reiterate that my love and support for Bokkos LGA under the starling leadership of our amiable Chairman, Hon. Chief Yusuf Mahanan Machen(JP) The Jarumi Fodyer, whom we worked tirelessly to ensure his victory at the polls on 10/10/2018 will continue to grow from strength to strength. I therefore call on all well meaning indigenes, citizens and friends of Bokkos Local Government Area to give their maximum support to our Executive Chairman, Traditional institution and other relevant authorities as we collectively take Bokkos to enviable heights.

I remain resolute and ready for any engagement geared towards making Bokkos Local Government the pride of Plateau state and Nigeria at large.

Thank you and God bless.

Fatmun J. Ashubwick.