“Where Is Gwoza Sef?” Jonathan Asks At Meeting With Emir

In a bizarre tale that illustrates how Nigeria is run, President Goodluck Jonathan arrived two weeks ago at a top secret meeting with the exiled Emir of Gwoza, the newly-named headquarters of Boko Haram's so-called "Islamic Caliphate," with no knowledge of the location of Gwoza, presidency sources at the meeting said.  

He arrived in Abuja after first making his way to Maiduguri to escape further attempts on his life. His father, Idrissa Timta, had died in a Boko Haram ambush on May 30, 2014 as Boko Haram ambushed his convoy on his way to the burial of the Emir of Gombe.

Shortly after Timta's arrival in Abuja, President Jonathan sent for the Emir, who was accompanied to the meeting by a Borno Senator, Ali Ndume. However, to the utter shock of the Emir, President Jonathan did not know where Gwoza was located: Adamawa or Borno State.

Presidency sources said silence enveloped the room after the President, apparently lacking basic research or a briefing by his numerous aides and security agencies, asked in condescending pidgin, "Where's Gwoza sef?"

Mr. Jonathan then promised to 'liberate' Gwoza after Senator Ndume told him Gwoza was his home town and that it is located in Borno State.

Gwoza remains under the control of Boko Haram after the sect took over the township in a raid and declared the town the headquarters of the "Islamic Caliphate" in the Northeast of Nigeria.

At least three attempts by Nigerian troops have been repelled by the militants.  Several soldiers and innocent civilians were killed.

Thousands Flee Bama As Nigerian Troops Engage Militants

Thousands of Bama residents in Borno State have fled to the town of Kawuri as heavy gunfire continued near the town as Nigerian troops battle militants belonging to the Islamist group, Boko Haram.

The militants stormed Moraraba village near Bama, the second most populous city in Borno State, in the early hours of Monday. According to refugees who fled, the militants started shooting sporadically as they entered the town.

Nigerian troops and members of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) engaged the militants, and the conflict was ongoing at the time of the filing of this report.

The fighting, which has lasted several hours, appears to have weakened the militants. A security source told SaharaReporters that many of the insurgents came from Gwoza, a major town recently seized by the militants.

A Maiduguri resident, Modu Bukar, said, "My mother called me this morning to come and pick them at Kawuri village. She said they left Bama due to heavy shooting near the town now. I am just confused," he said. 

Another source told our reporter, "Nigerian troops were seen heading towards Bama in the morning to assist those at the 21st Brigade barracks which was recently relocated to Bama."

Moraraba is about 10 kilometers from Bama, where at least 16 militants were apprehended and killed yesterday by local vigilantes.


SaharaReporters revealed in an exclusive report yesterday that Boko Haram militants were planning a major attack on the state capital, Maiduguri. Bama is less than 40 kilometers from Maiduguri.

Soldiers Abandon Bama Battle Front As Air Force Jets Bomb Barracks

About 500 soldiers have fled the battle front in Bama after initially overwhelming Boko Haram militants who tried to take over the city earlier today.

Bama is the second largest city in Borno State, after Maiduguri, the state capital.  

Saharareporters sources said the militants arrived in Bama as early 5:30a.m.but met stiff resistance from soldiers in the city.  As the battle drew into the evening, however, about 500 soldiers initially drafted in to fight the insurgents fled to Maimalari Barracks in Maid, with thousands of civilians fleeing the city.

Trouble started when an Air Force jet sent in to assist the ground troops bombed the Bama Barracks after civilians that had sought refuge there were sent away by soldiers who then abandoned their weapons and sought to flee with the civilians.  A few minutes later, the jet bombed the barracks, leading to casualties on the side of soldiers.

A military source told SaharaReporters tonight that Bama has become vulnerable and may be taken by the militants, who are believed to have gone for reinforcements.

Earlier today, over 50 militants were reportedly killed in fighting in Moraraba village, near Bama.  Hundreds of Bama residents were reported to have streamed into Maiduguri, where they are lodging in Mairi Day Government Secondary school on Bama Road.  

Soldier Shoots High Court Judge, Son In Kaduna

Justice Hajara Gwadah of the Kaduna State high court and her son, Saminu Gwadah, were on Sunday shot by a soldier in full Nigerian army fatigues, at the junction of Ali Akilu and Alkali roads by SCOA, in Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State.




According to Leadership, the husband of the high court judge and former legal adviser of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Barrister Bitrus Gwadah, who confirmed the tragedy, said it occurred at about 9.am while his wife and son were on their way to church.

"My son was driving, and in front was a civilian car which was itself following a jeep/Toyota Hilux full of armed army personnel. My son, as were the two vehicles in front of him, was slowing down for traffic control. Suddenly, he saw a soldier in the open jeep, which was beginning to turn into Alkali road, cock his gun and shoot at him" he said.

Barrister Gwadah further revealed that after his son had managed to pull over the car following the shock he suffered at the moment. It was observed that the car bonnet was smoking, and when it was opened it was discovered that the bullet had destroyed the radiator, the compressor, part of the engine block and some other mechanical parts.

He added that the vehicle conveying the soldiers also pulled over on Alkali road, where two armed soldiers in battle mode approached them and said they were too close and warned them not to try it again. He said the soldiers went back to their jeep and zoomed off.

 

Meanwhile, the state has been violent ridden for some time now following the activities of insurgents in the Northern part of the country. It would be recalled that on August 6, 2014, Policemen in Unguwar Rimi area of  Kaduna state, also shot dead a 21-year-old female student of the School of Science and Health Technology, identified as Fauziyya Sulaiman. Also on August 7, 2014, suspected Fulani gunmen reportedly launched an attack on Gimi Dogara village, Sanga Local Government Area of the state, killing at least four people.

See The Juicy Details On Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Anita Divorce

Remember months ago when rumors emerged about the divorce of Pastor and Chris and his wife on a Facebook page created by some of his church members? Well, I just went back to check up on them and this is what I found.

The page had shared this memo you are about to read last week, then news about Pastor Anita filing for divorce emerged yesterday. 

Read below: -

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is very interesting that we requested the closure of this page and were informed that in 14 days, the page will shut down. But… its still here! What happened?

 The Lord needs the page open! The purpose obviously has not been achieved. There is a huge question still hanging – "Where is Rev. Anita Oyakhilome?"

 I believe the Lord allowed our silence to show us and all of you who are concerned about the ministry just how deep the problems are.  It is not surprising the negative, abusive and insultive comments people have come here to make against others because they decided to stand up for truth and speak up.

 The truth is that most of these people know the truth but the devil will not give up
without a fight. Some of these people were sent here by the leadership of the ministry thinking that a couple of barks will scare people away and finally shut down the page. What they do not realise is that our God is not a sentimental God and when He puts His hands on a thing, that thing becomes unstoppable. No matter what anybody says, does or thinks.

 It is important for us to realise that Rev. Anita did not just leave, this is the move of the Spirit. There is no one else He could have moved in this way to cause a shaking for change. Plus, He could use her because she has never been a part of the evil. The Lord just separated her from the start and she gave herself to worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in Truth from the start.

When Pastor Chris moved her and the children to the UK and seemed to separate himself from his family, little did he know that the Lord was going to use his unfair thoughts and actions for the good of Rev. Anita and all His children who the ministry have smartly and are still trying to smartly lead away from God. The wisdom of man can never match the wisdom of God.

 While, Pastor Chris is not making, I repeat, not making any moves to reconcile with his wife, he still needs her name and face in his materials to keep them attracting people and selling. How deceitful is that? Her name and face still appear on some Rhapsody of Realities articles she did not write. The authors of Rhapsody of Realities remain Pastors Chris and Anita Oyakhilome, even though she is completely out of the picture. And that is what some people hang on to to debunk the fact that she is no longer in the picture.

They initially tried to take her face and name off but realised quickly that it would be bad business for them. So, what next, keep her face and name on but her presence of course is not required. Well, not anymore! This is no longer the time of business as usual. Not at all!

 Dear Pastor Chris, God is a merciful God. You know that. We still love you and will stand with you if you make the change. There is still time to make the required changes. You know very well the changes God needs you to make. Our thinking that the marriage is what needs fixing, is misplaced. The marriage breakdown is the result of the heart turned away from God.

Turn your heart back to your first love and the restorer will restore all. Yes, there would be unveiled dirty secrets but the merciful Lord will not allow it to be as bad as it would be if you do not make the change. When a leader makes a wrong turn, its the people that suffer most. After David numbered Israel and the people began to die as a result of his actions, David repented, but God gave him some options for his purnishment. David quickly took the option for God to deal with him by Himself. Why? He preferred for the Lord's direct purnishment and not his enemy's because as he declared, God is a merciful and kind God. That God has not changed.

 Man's love is fickle. Just a little while longer and all those who have been rally around you, praising you on that all this will not lead anywhere, will begin to plot their quiet departure when they realise the brand "Pastor Chris" is no longer working for them. It is important for us to mention here that some of the writers on the page are your or informed by your close lieutenants.

 This word is enough for now. This page is up and running!

Nigeria Army Imposes Dusk-To-Dawn Curfew In Maiduguri

The 7th Divisional headquarters of the Nigerian army has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Maiduguri, Borno state capital. The curfew will persist until further notice according to a terse announcement by the army.
 

The army reportedly took the action to forestall a plot by Boko Haram militants to seize Maiduguri; a plot earlier revealed by SaharaReporters.
 
 Nigerian troops are currently battling the militants in Bama some 40 miles from Maiduguri.

Divorce Scandal: Anita Oyakhilome’s Name Removed From Christ Embassy Church Website

The divorce mess between Pastors Chris and
Anita Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy Church has
worsened, P.M.NEWS can reveal.
On Sunday, two days after it was reported that
Anita Oyakhilome had filed for divorce, Christ
Embassy deleted her pictures and personal
information from its official website,
www.christembassy.org.
Many describe the action as the beginning of a
process to shut her out of the church, after she
accused her husband of "adultery" and
"unreasonable behaviours" in a divorce suit
filed in London last April but only made public
on Friday.
Christ Embassy's new website now shows only
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, with a broad smile
welcoming his followers to the month of August,
and tagging it, 'Month of Praise'.
In the message on the website, Oyakhilome
also urges his followers to "rejoice for the joy of
the Lord is your strength."
Also, on the website of the Rhapsody of
Realities, a daily devotional co-authored by the
esrtwhile couple, there's nothing to show that
Anita is still recognised as the only visible face
on the website among the family members is
that of her husband.
It was too early to know if the September
edition of the Rhapsody of Realities still has the
photographs of both the pastor and his wife as
it used to be.
In the past, when the going was good, Anita and
Chris Oyakhilome held hands on the church
website and smiled broadly. They projected the
image of a perfect couple.
But P.M.NEWS checks at the weekend revealed
that there is confusion in the church following
the divorce suit filed by Anita to end her over
two decades marriage to the founder of Christ
Embassy Church.
In the past, Pastor Chris headed the Nigerian
branch of the church, though he travelled to
other branches occasionally, while Anita
headed the branch in London and its environs.
Christ Embassy and its founder have been
embroiled in a myriad of controversies in the
past. In 2010, Oyakhilome was accused of
engineering a money laundering scheme in
Nigeria, and questions swirled around his
finances because of his glamorous lifestyle.
Many pastors and theologians also excoriated
Oyakhilome for his "New Creation" doctrine—a
form of gnosticism that says after a person
becomes a Christian, any sin they commit is
only in the body and will not affect the spirit.
In 2008, Oyakhilome's reputation as a faith
healer was tarnished badly in Johannesburg,
South Africa, when a man told a Soweto
newspaper that Christ Embassy offered him
more than $1,200 to sit in a wheelchair and
pretend to be crippled until Oyakhilome prayed
for him.
"The man went to the media instead of taking
the money, sparking concerns that healings
were being faked to impress growing crowds,"
said Lee Grady in an article in 2012 published
by Charisma Magazine.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has also been a target
of criticism by the Treatment Action Campaign
for his support of faith healing to cure HIV.
is support of faith healing to cure HIV.
Allegations that Christ Embassy members are
reportedly being forced to give huge sums of
money in offerings with the biggest donors
receiving the biggest awards have left many
people concerned.
Many Nigerians have also alleged that the
church operates like a cult and pressures
members to marry only within Christ Embassy.
Many people also remember the scandal
involving Christ Embassy and Sheraton Hotel
some years ago when a member of the church,
who worked at the Sheraton Hotel, stole money
from his employers and gave it to Christ
Embassy. But when Sheraton approached the
church for reimbursement, the church allegedly
claimed that the money had been given to God
and could not be refunded.
Many also excoriated Pastor Chris some years
ago when the church began collecting gate fees
from members for their New Year Eve's Service.
More recently, Oyakhilome came under attack
after he claimed that Christians were free to
masturbate because it was not a sin.
But the latest scandal involving Anita and Chris,
who have two daughters, seems to threaten the
very existence of one of the biggest churches in
Nigeria.
Christ Embassy runs several arms including the
Healing School, Rhapsody of Realities, and an
N.G.O called the Innercity Missions as well as
three Christian television channels: LoveWorld
TV, LoveWorld SAT and LoveWorld Plus.
The church is scattered all over the world,
including in the United Kingdom, the United
States, South America and the whole of Europe.
Stories about women bringing men of God
down are not new. In 1988, Jimmy Swaggart, a
famous American preacher was implicated in a
sex scandal involving a prostitute that resulted
initially in his suspension, and ultimately
defrocking, by the Assemblies of God.
Three years later, Swaggart was implicated in
another scandal involving a prostitute. As a
result, Swaggart's ministry became non-
affiliated, non-denominational and significantly
smaller than it was before the scandals.

Boko Haram Planning Attack To Seize Maiduguri

A senior military official in Abuja has told SaharaReporters that militants belonging to the Islamist group, Boko Haram, were planning a major assault to attempt the takeover of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The source assured that the Nigerian military was closely gathering intelligence on the attack, and would be prepared to repel any attack on the important northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri. 

Boko Haram militants
The military source disclosed that the Islamist insurgents had been moving arms and some of their most experienced fighters to locations near Maiduguri in order to facilitate the attack. 

"We have identified that one of their major operational bases is 10 miles from a major [Nigerian] army barracks, known as Giwa barracks," said the officer. 

He added that army officials in Abuja became aware of the plan to attack Maiduguri after Boko Haram operatives stormed and took over the town of Dikwa in Borno State shortly after the Nigerian military withdrew most of the soldiers previously stationed in the area to Bama in preparation for a major attack on Gwoza.
 
Our military source said the militants were also stockpiling weapons in Uye, Dafarda and Yamtake. "We are aware that Boko Haram is using their Camp 4 in Gwoza to train a special unit for the attempt to take over Maiduguri," he said. The insurgents recently seized Gwoza in a massive offensive that also enabled them to overrun and capture a police mobile training college located near Gwoza. 

The army officer disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents have devised a plan to use Sojiri, a town about an hour's drive from Maiduguri, as a staging ground for their planned major attack on Maiduguri.

"I can assure you that the Nigerian Army is ready to defend Maiduguri," the officer said, adding that the residents of Maiduguri have no reason to panic. According to him, the army is gradually improving its intelligence gathering on the activities of Boko Haram. He said the military would use ground troops as well as aerial bombardment to scuttle the insurgents' plots. 

Meanwhile, wives of soldiers and families have begun moving out of Giwa and Maimalari barracks to escape the impending attack. 
 The wife of a soldier told SaharaReporters today that a signal has been secretly circulated to soldiers in Maiduguri secretly be on red alert. She said several soldiers were moved to Bama leaving Maiduguri vulnerable to attack.

Boko Haram Invades Bama, Meets Resistance From Nigerian Troops

Boko Haram militants have invaded Bama, the second largest city in Borno state with the aim of taking over the town, but residents told Saharareporters that Nigerian troops in city have resisted the terrorists leading to a huge fire fight.

Several civilians including the Emir of Bama have already fled to the state capital Maiduguri to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Eyewitnesses said that the sect arrived the vicinity of Bama early today and began firing mortars, RPGs and hurling grenades into the city.

The battle was still raging as at the time of publishing this report.

Bama is a strategic city with over 500,000 inhabitants. If the sect captures Bama with all the military hardware in the city, then it just days away from capturing Maiduguri which less than 40 miles from Bama.