Nigeria: Fresh Attacks in Kano as Sect Members Arrested

KANO--New attacks have been reported in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano, where coordinated attacks and gun battles last Friday, blamed on the Islamic Sect Boko Haram, left at least 185 dead.

Several explosions and sporadic gunfire were reportedly heard early on Tuesday, coming from an area near a mobile police headquarters in the town. A night curfew is in effect in Kano, Nigeria’s second largest city, following Friday’s bomb attacks and fierce gun battles between the police and the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect fighters.

The Nigerian joint military task force units have arrested over 158 suspected members of the sect in several operations in the city. A man and his wife were killed in a shootout during one of the raids to seek out a sect member from his hiding.

The task force on Sunday killed four suspected Boko Haram members in the northern state of Maiduguri and found explosives in their car, following recent boost in patrols by the military in the state that has been plagued by the sect’s attack in the past.

Nigerian police on Monday said they impounded several cars and vans loaded with explosives in Kano. At least 10 unexploded car bombs, including one at a petrol station near the central police station were discovered, as well as several other explosive devices.

Police in reaction to the discovery of the bombs and explosives have asked citizens to be on high alert and report any suspicious activities in public places.

Loosely modelled on Afghanistan’s Taliban, Boko Haram has been fighting to instil Islamic laws throughout Nigeria, a multi-cultural nation with a population of 160 million people, divided between a largely Muslim north and south, inhibited mainly by Christians and animists.

The US has called on Nigerians to stand united against “enemies of civility and peace,” and urged them to use their ethnic and religious diversity as force against those trying to divide the country.

The US counter-terrorism officials are in the country meeting with their Nigerian counterparts as part of regional security cooperation.

“Obviously we were comparing analyses of the threat, and we were talking about how we might strengthen cooperation so that we can better help the Nigerian government get its arms around Boko Haram and comparing analysis how we might do that together,” said Victoria Nuland, US State Department spokeswoman.

Rights group Amnesty International has criticised the Nigerian government for failing to prevent, investigate and prosecute or punish acts by the sect, in its statement released on Tuesday, calling the government to do more to tackle the group.

Tripoli, Libya

Gaddafi’s Loyalists Seize Bani Walid

Forces loyal to Libya’s deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi have seized control of the western town of Bani walid , in latest surge of unrest in the oil-rich state, months after the revolutionary war was declared over.

Local authorities in the city reported highly trained and well armed remnants of Gaddafi forces seized the town, raising former government’s green flag over buildings late on Monday following hours of clashes with revolutionary fighters.

Mahmud Warfelli, a spokesperson for the Bani Walid local council said there were around 100 and 150 heavily armed men who attacked and are still in control of the city, 150km southeast of Tripoli.

“We have asked for the army to intervene, but the defence ministry and NTC [National Transitional Council] have let us down,” said Warfelli. “They took control and hoisted the green flag on some important districts in the centre of the city. We’ve been warning about this for the past two months.”

About seven of the revolutionary fighters are said to have been killed and other 20 injured in the clashes which have led the authorities to declare states of emergency in several areas. Many revolutionary brigades from other cities have assembled outside Bani Walid awaiting the government order on how to proceed.

The interim government met on Tuesday to discuss issues of the town in which officials say clashes erupted due to internal problems in the town, refuting claims of attack by pro-Gaddafi forces.

Colonel Salem al-Ouaer, a tribal leader from Bani Walid, told the AFP that leaders of local tribes were holding meeting outside the city with other leaders from nearby towns of Zintan and Sabratha.

“The situation is under control and calm is returning. What happened yesterday was purely a local conflict,” said Ouaer.

 Protests have surged in recent weeks, with people demanding that the interim leaders deliver on promises of transparency and compensation for those injured in the fighting.

Bani Walid was one of the slain leader’s last bastions to fall, following fall of his hometown of Sirte that led to his capture and killing, marking liberation of Libya from his 41 year-rule.