Buhari and Conspiracy Theories: Mahmud Jega is Right

I study Northern Nigeria for a living. I am a Lugardian Northerner. I grew up in and schooled in Northern Nigeria. I know that conspiracy theories have a high resonance in the region. I know that implausible and sometimes ridiculous alternative explanations and alternative facts circulate in the region to devastating effect.

Conspiracy theories led to non-Muslim fellow Nigerians being killed in Kano shortly after the beginning of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The ignorant interpretation of cosmic and climatic events as recompense for sin by some Muslim clerics led to Christians being attacked in Maiduguri when there was a solar eclipse--years before Boko Haram emerged.

Counter Extremism Project: Iraqi Shiite Militias Fight for Assad in Aleppo, Accused by U.N. of Human Rights Abuses

Qais al-Khazali

Founder, leader

(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today released updated resources on powerful Iraqi Shiite militias Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), trained and supported by Iran, that are fighting with Hezbollah for the Assad regime in Syria.

On December 13, 2016, the United Nations implicated AAH’s Syrian wing, known as Harakat al-Nujaba, in the slaughter of dozens of civilians in Aleppo. Although supposedly operating independently of AAH in Iraq, Harakat al-Nujaba is comprised primarily of AAH fighters and those from fellow Iranian-backed militia KH.

Iraq’s Shiite militias are referred to as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). In a July report, Human Rights Watch documented killings, disappearances, torture, and the destruction of homes by PMF groups during the fight to retake Fallujah and other Sunni-dominated areas in Iraq from ISIS. 

Nevertheless, the Shiite militias were formally recognized by the Iraqi Parliament in November 2016.

FROM CHANGE TO CHAIN: THE ONGOING METAMORPHOSIS OF A POPULIST REGIME. BY JAYE GASKIA

[This piece was written originally for publication by Pan African Visions – US based online Magazine with a Pan African Focus]

This is the month of the first anniversary of the inauguration of the PMB populist regime and of the formal ascension to power of the self-proclaimed ‘New Governing Party’ – the APC. And I am not trying to be cheeky here, just coming from a bruising encounter with the populist regime as it tries to consolidate its hold on power.

How many of us still remember the heady days of exuberant triumphalism occasioned by the declaration of the then APC Presidential candidate as the president elect? How many of us remember the atmosphere of incredulous anticipation and of mass hysteria on the streets in general, and around the APC National Headquarters in particular?

It was while enveloped in the surreal ambience of a longed for and hard fought victory that the then main opposition party addressed the world press promising as an evidence of the change that was promised that it was going to be ‘a governing’, and not ‘a ruling party’! So as you can see, I am not being cheeky at all.

Fears of imminent attack: ISIS declares state of emergency - US military official claims

ISLAMIC State (ISIS) has declared a state of emergency in its terror heartland over fears of an imminent attack, a US military official has claimed.

The jihadi group feels threatened in its self-declared capital of Raqqa in Syria and is moving troops to prepare for a possible invasion, according to Colonel Steven Warren.

The US military official said it was monitoring the terror group’s declaration to attempt to better understand what it meant.

Speaking in a Pentagon briefing over the phone from Baghdad, Iraq, Col Warren said: “We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means.

UN Expresses more concern by reports of Boko Haram links with ISIS, back Abuja RSS summit

The United Nation Security Council has expressed alarm at ties between the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram and Isis - while a security summit is taking place in Nigeria to discuss efforts to combat the extremists.

In a statement approved by all 15 council members it demanded Boko Haram “immediately and unequivocally cease all violence and all abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law."

The Council said they were alarmed at Boko Haram’s links with Isis. They also demanded the release of thousands of captives reportedly held by the group, including more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, in Nigeria’s Borno State in 2014.

Hilarious!! - TRUMP'S FIRST DAY AS AMERICAN PRESIDENT - Sent via WhatsApp

Trump's first day in the Oval Office.

First briefing by CIA, Pentagon, FBI:

Trump: We must destroy ISIS immediately.

CIA: We cannot do that, sir. We created them along with Turkey, Saudi, Qatar and others.

Trump: The Democrats created them.

CIA: We created ISIS, sir. You need them or else you would lose funding from the natural gas lobby.

Trump: Stop funding Pakistan. Let India deal with them.

CIA: We can't do that. It is Modi in India and not Manmohan.

Trump: So what?

CIA: Modi will cut Balochistan out of Pakistan.

Counter Extremism Project Against Boko Haram, ISIS And Al-Qaeda - Introduction Video

The Counter Extremism Project acts to shine a light of transparency and accountability on those persons, businesses and institutions that financially underpin the activities of extremist groups.

Visit here to sign up -Counter-Extremism Country Reports

Residents of ISIS-held Iraqi city suffer under siege

Abu Jassim can only afford to provide one meal a day for his seven-member family - usually a stew made of locally grown leafy green vegetables or rice with a small portion of flat bread.


“We are experiencing the agony of starvation for the first time in our life,” said Abu Jassim, a 52-year-old grocer and resident of the besieged ISIS-held city of Fallujah.

In reality, nobody seems to be starving in Fallujah just yet. But medical officials say malnutrition is on the rise and vital medical supplies are running out.

Boko Haram, Islamic State collaborating, military leaders say

U.S. and Nigerian military officials said an increase in collaboration between the Islamic State and the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is "cause for alarm" for a wide swath of north and central Africa.

Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc, commander of the United States military's Special Operations Command in Africa, said an IS weapons convoy from Libya, intercepted while traveling to the Lake Chad region, suggests a growing link between the two groups. Nigerian Gen. Lamidi Oyebayo Adeosun, commander of a joint African force battling Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area, echoed Bolduc's concerns, saying officials are attempting to learn more about the relationship. Last year, the Boko Haram pledged allegiance to IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh.

"The Lake Chad basin is ground zero" in the fight against Islamic extremists in Africa, Bolduc said. He said IS and Boko Haram are sharing "tactics, techniques and procedures" in the Lake Chad region, which includes northeast Nigeria, and parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Snapshot: Three days of Russian air strikes on Syria And Criticisms, Paris States 3 Conditions to Cooperate with Russia in Syria

Sukhoi warplanes used by Russia in Syria anti-terror

A snapshot of developments since Russia's first air strikes on Syria, an intervention the West says is directed more at regime opponents than Islamic State group jihadists.

On Friday, French President Francois Hollande and Russia's Vladimir Putin had an in-depth discussion on Syria on Friday in which they "tried to narrow down differences on political transition," an aide to Hollande said after the two met in Paris.

The aide did not say if they had succeeded in any way in the 1h15-minute conversation, which took place ahead of a meeting the two men had with the leaders of Germany and Ukraine aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis.

International coalition urge Russia to stop bombing Syria over fears of civilian deaths; Putin, Hollande had 1h15-minute conversation over Syria

The US-led coalition against Islamic State (IS) urges Vladimir Putin's forces to 'immediately cease attacks on opposition and civilians' in Syria.

Russian officials dismissed reports of civilian casualties as 'information warfare' and insisted strikes are targeting extremists.

 Iraq said Russian intervention is a welcome development.

The US and members of the international coalition bombing Isis have urged Russia to stop attacking the Syrian opposition and expressed “deep concern” over its intervention.

This is contained in a joint statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry with the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

Putin’s address to the 70th U.N General Assembly

Russian President Putin at the UN General Assembly

Russian President Putin addressed the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2015. Here are the Highlights of his speech

Need to create a genuinely broad international coalition against terrorism

Modern countries are expected to play a key role in this coalition

Putin proposed that the world coordinate its actions to fight ISIS based on the principles in the UN charter.

How ISIS jihadist group crucified 9 people in Syria

The jihadist group, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has publicly executed and crucified nine men in Syria, eight of them rebels fighting both President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the jihadists, a monitor said on Sunday.

The report comes amid fierce clashes on the outskirts of Damascus between the ISIS, which is spearheading a major offensive in Iraq, and rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"ISIS executed eight men in Deir Hafer in the east of Aleppo province" on Saturday because they belonged to rebel groups that had fought against the jihadists as well as Assad's forces, it said.

UPDATES: Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki urges troops to fight back Islamist militants as 500,000 people fled Mosul

Islamist insurgents Attack Iraq's Tikrit after 500,000 are forced to flee Mosul

Islamist insurgents have overrun parts of the Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, after taking control of Iraq's biggest city Mosul.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged troops to fight back against the militants as up to 500,000 people fled Mosul after the al-Qa'ida splinter group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) overran the city.

Security sources said some parts of Tikrit, which is located 150 km (95 miles) north of Baghdad, is now under the control of militants and dozens of the insurgents have reportedly been clashing with security forces near the headquarters of the government in the city centre.