President Buhari Tells Newly Promoted Officers - Justify Your Promotions

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja charged public officers entrusted with certain responsibilities to live up to their duties and justify the confidence reposed in them as this was the only way Nigeria can get out of the current hardships facing the nation.

Report from the office of the SSA on Media and Publicity to President Buhari shows the statement said by the President while decorating two of the newly promoted officers of the Nigerian Police Force deployed to his office with their new ranks.

We will Protest Unless You #BingBackOurGirls; Oby Ezekwesili declares as police attempt to stop Abuja protest

Nigerian Police Force attempted to disrupt the #BringBackOurGirls sit-out today at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, but a former Minister was reported to have dared the Police that nothing can stop the ongoing protest until the girls are back safely.

#BringBackOurGirls  peaceful protest which took place this afternoon faced serious opposition from the police who wanted all the protesters out of the venue or face arrest. Among those present for the rally were former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, as well as former lawmaker, Dino Melaye.

Below are Twitter updates of the protest:

Update: Security Opratives surround Abuja NNPC Over a Possible Threat of Bomb Attacks

Heavily armed men of the security operatives from both the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday morning surrounded the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Abuja following claims of possible attack on the NNPC towers by terrorists.

 The NNPC officials denied any bomb threat.

Security operatives who arrived the venue around 6am on Tuesday morning, restricted movement into the towers. Those allowed entry were mainly employees, while visitors were thoroughly screened.

Boko Haram: Borno needs more troops - Shettima

The governor of the north-eastern Nigerian state of Borno has called for more troops to be deployed to combat Boko Haram Islamist militants.

Kashim Shettima was speaking during a visit to the town of Konduga, where 39 died in an attack on Tuesday.

A mosque and more than 1,000 homes were also razed to the ground, residents said.

Boko Haram has been conducting a four-year campaign of violence to push for Islamic rule in northern Nigeria.

Last May, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno and the neighbouring states of Adamawa and Yobe in a bid to stop their insurgency.

But  military is once again facing criticism for not doing more to protect the people of the north-east and failing to detect and attack another convoy of Boko Haram militants.

'Better motivated'

An eyewitness in Konduga, about 35km (22 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, said the militants arrived in many vehicles, planted a black flag in the middle of the town before going on the rampage shooting people, slitting the throats of some of their victims and torching buildings.

"Frankly speaking officers and men of the Nigerian army and the Nigerian police force are doing their best given the circumstances but you and I know that Boko Haram are better armed and better motivated," Mr Shettima said.

"They are putting in their best given the circumstances they have found themselves in but there is a need for additional troops and support for the military," the governor said.

It is not clear how many troops are in the region, but thousands more were deployed last year when Mr Jonathan imposed emergency rule, saying every resource of the armed forces would be used to combat the militants.

Frustrated by their efforts, the president then replaced his top military brass on 16 January.

The attack on Konduga is thought to have been the biggest in the restive region since those new appointments.

BBC