Robot exoskeleton suits that could make us superhuman

Lockheed Martin's HULC exoskeleton is designed to allow soldiers to carry superhuman loads.


Cyberdyne's HAL-5 suit could take rescue workers into dangerous zones in the future. For now, it is allowing hundreds of Japanese patients suffering from muscle weakness to get around



Nasa's X-1 suit could be vital for astronauts venturing into deep space.

(CNN) -- If you've been dreaming of strapping on your own Iron Man armor, you might have to wait a while longer yet. But revolutionary "bionic exoskeletons" like the metal suit worn by comic book hero Tony Stark might be closer than you think -- just don't expect to fly away in one.

Exoskeleton developers working in rehabilitation are leading the way, creating wearable robotic suits that allow people with lower-body paralysis to walk upright again.

Other developers are hoping to enhance users' existing strengths, with the DARPA Warrior Web project aiming to produce an undetectable under-suit exoskeleton for the U.S. Military.

Bionics expert Thomas Sugar says that medical and military exoskeletons are going to become a much more common sight -- and that exoskeletons for the average person are not far behind.

In the next five years we're going to see more and more exoskeletons out there in practice.
Dr Tom Sugar, Arizona State University

"In the next five years we're going to see more and more exoskeletons out there in practice," says Sugar, associate professor at the Department of Engineering, Arizona State University.

In addition to personal systems being pioneered in Japan that aim to "give aging people a spring back in their step," Sugar says devices for the active individual or "weekend hiker" are on the horizon: "If you live near where I do and want to go out and hike the Grand Canyon, exoskeleton devices 10-15 years from now could assist you to do that."

Interactive: Explore the bionic body

But there are hurdles that need to be overcome. Finding batteries powerful enough to fuel an exoskeleton's motorized joints remains a key stumbling block, explains Sugar. But he says that the real acid test for exoskeletons of the future is whether the device can interpret the user's intent effectively into action.

"If you look at some of the devices out there, they're actually quite hard to walk in," says Sugar. "You've got to make sure they really enhance people's abilities"

Here are some of the most advanced exoskeletons aiming to supercharge our lives in the near future.

Lockhead Martin HULC

Defense technology developer Lockheed Martin leads the efforts to develop a exoskeleton fit for the battlefield with its Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC).

The system aims to divert up to 200 lbs in weight through powered titanium legs while allowing the user to move freely.

Lockheed claims that a fully laden soldier will retain the ability to march at 3mph and even break into 10mph sprint "bursts" while wearing the battery-powered HULC.

The system is designed to reduce the stress on the leg and back muscles -- a common cause of injury among soldiers -- and comes with a Lift Assist Device attachment that allows a soldier to safely lift heavy loads with the strength of two or more men.

Read this: Are bionic superhumans on the horizon?

Cyberdyne HAL-5

HAL made news at the time of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011, when Japanese firm Cyberdyne ventured its robot suits as the disaster-fighting protection of the future.

While a radiation-resistant model is yet to see action, HAL-5 Type-B has become the first personal exoskeleton robot to receive a global safety certificate.

Cyberdyne says that so far, 330 of the full-body exoskeletons have been leased to hospitals across Japan, where they assist patients with muscle weakness or disabilities due to stroke and spinal cord injuries.

The company boasts that it is the world's first "cyborg-type robot" as the system interprets faint electrical signals in the skin around damaged muscles and moves the motorized joints in response.

Muscle Suit by Kobalab

Scientists from Tokyo University are gambling that they can beat the competition to launch a superstrong exoskeleton by shunning complex computer systems.

Kobayashi Labs' Muscle Suit replaces electronic actuator motors with a system of inflatable pneumatic "artificial muscles" to help nurses or care workers carry elderly or ill patients.

Volunteers have been invited to try on the suit, which currently allows users to support 50kg with ease, carrying it with fixed arms, like a walking forklift truck.

Argo ReWalk

Argo's ReWalk has already propelled former chiropractor Claire Lomas into the record books. Five years after a horseriding accident left Lomas paralyzed from the chest down, she became the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic exoskeleton at the London Marathon in May 2012, while using the ReWalk.

Already on the market for $65,000, the ReWalk enables people with spinal cord injuries to walk again and can now claim 220 trained users around the world.

Competitor Ekso Bionics has seen similar success -- claiming to have powered one million steps with its 50lb wearable robot -- and will launch a personal version in 2014.

Read: Exoskeleton allows paraplegics to walk

Nasa X-1

What if an exoskeleton inhibited a person's movement as well and helped it? It doesn't seem like such a useful idea on Earth -- but up in the resistance-free environment of space, Nasa astronauts could benefit from a little hindrance.

The 25kg X-1 has been designed to allow astronauts to exercise without the Earth's gravitational pull and could be critical for future missions into deep space, NASA says.

The device could improve the health of crew aboard the International Space Station -- and potentially during future long-duration missions to far away asteroids or Mars.

The legs have the added benefit of assisting movement, with four motorized joints, if used here on Earth -- but there are currently no details on when the legs might see a wider release.

While Southern Kaduna Burns, Senator Nenadi Accused Of Trying to Buy Re-election With Exotic Cars

Posted: May 22, 2013 - 11:07

Senator Nenadi Esther Usman

By SaharaReporters, New York

Matthew James in the Kafanchan area of troubled Southern Kaduna, is angry because he states that while Southern Kaduna is on fire, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman is distributing exotic cars to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area in an effort to win re-election.
Former Finance Minister Usman represents the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District in the Upper House, and James alleges she is trying to clear her way by giving away the cars by the name of economic empowerment, while she ignores the ongoing killings by so-called “unknown gunmen.”
 Mr. James added that the Senator is also heavily inducing elders and unprincipled politicians in the area to her side by doling out hard cash. He observed that there is growing resistance, particularly among radical Southern Kaduna youths and politicians who are working against her “monetized politics” and ineffective representation in the Senate, drawing attention to under-development issues along with the insecurity in Southern Kaduna.
 He said, “It surprised us on Monday when the Senator instead of [being] bothered about the killings, and myriads of crucial issues in Southern Kaduna just came in and bribed chairmen of PDP in all eight local government's area of Southern Kaduna with exotic cars. While we are still searching for the corpses of our people killed in Attakar.
 “Her primary duty is to make laws and make our wishes known to Nigerians through the Senate and not sharing exotic cars and bribing elders ahead of 2015,” James said. “It is an insult; to her, the people of Southern Kaduna are commodities, and she can price and pay like she did in 2011.
She did that in 2011, buying Golf Cars for Christian Association of Nigeria leaders and now counting on buying cars and dishing out money as a bribe in lieu of concrete achievements. How can a Senator behave like this ?
He expressed anger that the Senator is unworried about the killings that have crippled socio-economic activities, including agriculture, stressing that the people cannot farm without security.
 “And now she is boasting that it was her money that gave her and nothing will stop her in 2015,” James said.

Kano Governor, Kwankwaso, Blames Government And Society For Nigeria’s Insecurity

Posted: May 21, 2013 - 21:19

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso 

By SaharaReporters, New York

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State yesterday took a critical look at the insecurity in the country, and divided the blame between  governments, politicians, traditional rulers and religious leaders,  parents, and communities.

“We are all guilty,” was his verdict.
Kwankwaso was speaking at a meeting with the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of security challenges in the North, aka Amnesty Committee.  He traced the security problem to the failure of the nation’s leaders to take full responsibility of governance and offer the dividends of democracy to the people.
He also regretted that family values are no longer being upheld.  “Parents no longer take responsibility of their family,” he said.
In a statement with important implications for the lifestyle in the North, he said, “We have a situation in this part of the country where parents give birth to 20 to 30 children, chose only two out of them and send the rest away to God knows where.
“Children are sent to places that they don’t know. They are left to fend for themselves. We have a situation where you go round the city and find garrison of children—able-bodied youths begging.”
He said that having been abandoned by their parents, those children “grow up to hate themselves, hate their parents, hate the leaders, hate the government and the society. They feel they were deprived, they feel injustice and they become enemies of the state and constituted authorities; and thereby becoming vulnerable to crime and violence.”
According to the governor, “These are the bitter pills we must swallow—that we are all guilty of what is happening today. We have to wake up and rise up to the challenges. What started in Yobe and Borno is everywhere in the North, it may eventually envelope the country if we don’t check it now. It is a national issue that must be addressed.”
The governor, also a former Defence Minister called on the government and Nigerians to eschew greed and ensure that what is meant for the people goes round.
To end the Boko Haram insurgency, he challenged the leaders to embark on long-term planning, and on incumbents to plan only for their chance at a second term in office while the actual business of governance suffers.
“As a former Defence Minister, I advise that the rule of engagement must be strictly followed by soldiers deployed to those areas [in which] we have emergency rule,” he cautioned. “I appeal to those affected in this insurgency to come to the table and dialogue. We have to reduce the issue of greed, if we cannot eliminate it. We have to ensure that the right thing is done under the worst circumstance. We also have to control our emotion,” Kwankwaso noted.
The chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Kabiru Taminu Turaki, commended Governor Kwankwaso for his efforts towards ensuring security of life and property in the state, even in the face of the insurgency.
He said the Committee was in Kano in furtherance of its nation-wide consultation geared towards initiating dialogue for peacefully resolving the insurgency facing the country and the North in particular.
He listed the Committee’s terms of reference to include constructively engaging the Boko Haram sect to dialogue, and in the process restore peace and stability in the country.
The Committee will also seek, within 60 days, a comprehensive and workable framework that will ensure total disarmament.
Turaki observed that in Kano, “We have seen changes taking place as far as the insurgency and insecurity is concerned. Security has so much improved. We want to learn from you (Kwankwaso) how you have been able to do this.
“We are satisfied that Kano is well-secured. We also observe that the state government has rebuilt most of the structures that were affected. We thank you for the bold step you have taken to finding the root causes of the insurgency, by empowering the youths. We have seen how you have been making bold steps to creating opportunities to youths to become self-reliant.”
He also promised that the recommendations of the committee will touch on serious issues that will put an end to the insurgency, and solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders.

State Pardon: Alamieyeseigha Says Jonathan Had No Choice

Posted: May 21, 2013 - 17:33

By SaharaReporters, New York

Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-convict, DSP Alamieyeseigha has said that President Goodluck Jonathan had no choice in the state pardon he recently granted to him, as it was a deal that had been negotiated since the tenure of late President Umaru Yar'Adua.

““Well, it (state pardon) started during the late President Yar’Adua’s
reign,” he said in Lagos yesterday.  “It was a pardon that was negotiated. People who don’t know what happened are the ones talking."
The ex-convict held back on what the deal was, but boasted that President Jonathan was his deputy as Bayelsa State Governor, and was part of the entire deal that he would disclose in a memoir he is writing.
"Like I said, the pardon was negotiated and if I fulfilled my own part
of the bargain, why shouldn’t the Federal Government fulfill its part?” he asked.
“President Goodluck Jonathan was part of the negotiating team. There
is no person in this country that knows issues surrounding
Alamieyeseigha better than Mr President. He was my deputy governor and
all that transpired were known to him. I am already writing my memoir.  At the appropriate time, you will know that my pardon was in order.”
Reviewing the comment today, a political observer in Abuja described Alamieyeseigha “a balloon of hot air.”
He told SaharaReporters, “There is nothing that an individual convict could have negotiated with the federal government by which to obtain pardon.  Alams did not negotiate anything and could not have negotiated anything.  This is like IBB telling Nigerians he will soon disclose the reason for annulling the 1992 elections.  IBB has been making that promise for 20 years now, but he cannot fulfill it because words cannot frame the depth of his betrayal of Nigeria.  Alams took advantage of a weakling in presidential office that used to be his Deputy Governor, that is all.   I feel sorry for Nigeria and Nigerians.” 

Saharareporters gathered that Alamieyeseigha has begun moves to throw
his full questionable weight behind President Jonathan's 2015 presidential ambitions, as that is the only way the ongoing hoax can survive.

Nigerian Military To Release Women, And Children Of Boko Haram Militants From Detention

Posted: May 21, 2013 - 19:22

By Premium Times

The military said it was acting on directives by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced in Abuja on Tuesday that it would release some persons detained in connection with terrorist activities.
The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement that the decision to release the suspected terrorists was based on the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mr. Jonathan had declared state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa on May 14.
The statement said the move was in furtherance of the Federal Government’s position in response to requests by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Reconciliation.
“The measure which is in line with presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts in the country will result in freedom for suspects, including all women under custody.
“The details of the directives and those to benefit from this gesture have been communicated to field units and the Joint Task Force, ‘’ it said.
The statement said that the beneficiaries would be released to the state governors who would be involved in further rehabilitation before the suspects were released to their respective community leaders and relations.
Part of the major issues raised by the Boko Haram in videos made before the State of Emergency declaration was their demand that government forces release all their wives and female relatives in detention.

PHOTONEWS: Prof. Chinua Achebe's Body Arrives In Nigeria

Posted: May 21, 2013 - 12:35

Dusk -To-Dawn Curfew

Boko Haram Crackdown: Yobe Too Declares Dusk -To-Dawn Curfew

Posted: May 20, 2013 - 15:14

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State

By SaharaReporters, New York

In continuation of the military crackdown against the Boko Haram sect, the Yobe State government this afternoon declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew in observance of military operations following President Goodluck Jonathan's declaration of a State of Emergency in three states.
In a statement issued on behalf of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam by his Special Adviser on Media, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, the government said that the curfew would commence from 6pm to 6am daily throughout the state.
The statement which did not specify the length of the curfew urged citizens of the state to comply and cooperate with all military personnel towards successful resolution of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Defence HQ Deploys Another 1000 Soldiers To Adamawa

Posted: May 20, 2013 - 12:46

By SaharaReporters, New York

In furtherance of its crackdown of Boko Haram sect in Nigeria's troubled North-East region, the Defence Headquaters in Abuja has ordered deployment of 1000 combatant soldiers to border areas of Adamawa State.
A senior military officer told SaharaReporters in Abuja that the soldiers had started arriving at their destinations within the state. The officer  who didn't want to be quoted said 150 soldiers yesterday flew into Adamawa on a military aircraft, and the rest of the deployment will continue today. He also said that there is not so many gun fights recorded in Adamawa areas  with Boko Haram militants unlike in Borno and Yobe states.

Obama Use To Walk On Water, Now He Drowns In Water

Posted: August 16, 2011 - 16:40

by Godfrey Mwampembwa AKA GADO

Speaker Tambuwal Is Face Of Campaign To Stop Politicians From Foreign Medical Trips

Posted: May 20, 2013 - 03:02

By SaharaReporters, New York

A delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) last Thursday visited the National Assembly Complex to unveil Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, as the face of health checkups in Nigeria.
Designating Mr. Tambuwal as the ambassador of local health checkup campaign, NMA President Osahon Enabulele called for the re-organization and reformation of the health sector in order to restore professional dignity. Most Nigerian political leaders and their families make foreign medical trips that cost Nigeria several billions of naira each year.
Dr. Enabulele also said the NMA was demanding improved working conditions for medical practitioners as well as training, capacity building, and security.
The NMA leader announced that his association, through its health mission campaign, had offered free medical and dental services to 8,000 Nigerians. He disclosed that the campaign holds every four months and is rotated to different parts of the country.
The association announced that the next edition of its health mission would hold in Mr. Tambuwal’s hometown in Sokoto State. The NMA plans to use the occasion to formally introduce the speaker as the face of their campaign to convince more Nigerian politicians to seek medical treatment in the country.
“NMA would like to unveil the face of Mr. Speaker as the face of health check-up in Nigeria during our next national health mission, which with the support of Mr. Speaker, shall take place in the 2nd week of August, 2013 in Tambuwal Village, Sokoto state,” said Mr. Enabulele.
During the visit, the NMA leader complained about various gross abuses of health rights of Nigerians and poor work conditions for doctors. He drew attention to the failure to include Nigerians’ rights to healthcare in proposals for the amendment of the country’s constitution, despite efforts and mobilization by members of the NMA. He also called Mr. Tambuwal’s attention to the crippling of resident doctors’ training as a result of an abrupt reduction in the fund allocation for the health sector in the 2013 budget of the federal government.
The NMA’s address also highlighted vicious attacks on health workers, noting that last week’s siege on the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital by mobile policemen left a resident doctor with a femoral fracture.
A source in the NMA told SaharaReporters that the association sought the speaker’s support for consistent health checkups as part of a strategy to convince Nigerian political functionaries to abandon the habit of going abroad for treatment. “It is a matter of embarrassment that our politicians frequent overseas hospitals sometimes just to check their blood pressure,” said the NMA official.
During the visit to Mr. Tambuwal, the NMA leader made a symbolic gesture of checking the speaker’s blood pressure, thereby making the point that it was unnecessary for politicians to go abroad for such everyday checks.
One of the NMA members said, “I do not think [the politicians] are going abroad to get any special touch. After all, we know those they are going there to meet are also Nigerian doctors who are based abroad.” The source said he wished that Mr. Tambuwal would influence other politicians to cease scrambling abroad for medical checkups. “We are about to unveil the Honorable Speaker as the face of health checkup in Nigeria. We trust he’s going to set a good example by going to Nigerian hospitals and doctors.”
Another NMA member who owns a clinic in Abuja told SaharaReporters that numerous hospitals in the country have equipment for many kinds of diagnosis and treatment for which many Nigerians flock to foreign hospitals.
“For example, stem cell transplantation machines have since been in Benin and functioning, but people still go to India,” said the doctor. He stated that stem cell transplantation is used to correct deficiencies in sickle cell patients to enable them to live like other healthy persons.

Why I Support State Of Emergency – Femi Falana

Why I Support State Of Emergency – Femi Falana

Posted: May 20, 2013 - 02:53

By SaharaReporters, New York

Lawyer and activist Femi Falana has indicated his support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. In an interview with SaharaTV on Saturday, Mr. Falana explained his rationale for backing the decision.
Speaking from his home in Lagos, the activist lawyer stated that Mr. Jonathan had complied with the Nigerian constitution on declaration of emergency, adding that anybody who opposed the president’s action was not being serious about restoring normalcy in the areas of the country plagued by terrorist violence.
“The president is empowered to adopt extraordinary measures to restore law and order in the country whenever there is a breakdown in any section across the country. And that is what a state of emergency is all about,” said Mr. Falana.
The Nigerian government recently deployed more military troops to sections of Northern Nigeria as part of President Jonathan’s public address on May 14, focusing on the deteriorating situation in the three states where a state of emergency was declared. Portions of the three states are controlled by the Boko Haram sect, whose goal is to impose Islamic law in Nigeria.
In his nationwide broadcast, Mr. Jonathan acknowledged that violence and widespread destruction had overwhelmed Northern Nigeria. He also noted that his administration had attempted to combat the violence, but conceded that the insurgent’s systematic approach continued to thrive.
“We have taken robust steps to unravel and address the root causes of these crises, but it would appear that there is a systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists to destabilize the Nigerian state and test our collective resolve,” said President Jonathan in his state of emergency speech.
Mr. Falana asserted that the declaration actually came too late, adding that the situation had now become a national tragedy, not only in the north but for the entire country.
“It’s not a northern phenomenon, it’s a national calamity,” said Mr. Falana. “They have killed 4,000 people in the last three years. We’ve lost property worth over 2 trillion naira. They’ve set churches on fire. They’ve attacked people at the mosque, killing innocent people. They’ve bombed the UN building in Abuja. They’ve attacked the police headquarters. They’ve attacked military barracks and police stations,” added the lawyer, likening the situation to a state of war.
The current state of emergency in the north recalls the January 2012 state of emergency imposed in Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Niger States, which came shortly after the Christmas Day bombing attack at Saint Theresa's Catholic Church, near Abuja. That attack, believed to have been launched by Boko Haram, left more than 40 dead.
However, the 2012 state of emergency was lifted after six months, with several political figures questioning whether it served any purpose. One critic, Timothy Golu, the Chief Whip of the Plateau State House of Assembly, declared that security situation remained virtually the same as before the state of emergency.
“We thank the president for his deep and committed concern for Plateau State, but the state of emergency did not achieve what he earnestly sought for,” said Mr. Golu.
According to Falana, once the National Assembly approves the current state of emergency, the same regulations that existed during the 2012 state of emergency would be put into effect.
“If you go by the one declared last year, there were about eight regulations which included the movement of troops, restriction of movement, ban on public meetings and rallies,” said Mr. Falana.
A 24-hour curfew is currently in effect for Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and one of Boko Haram’s strongholds. Some civilians in the town have reported seeing fighter jets in the air and hearing loud explosions from far, according to a report by Aljazeera.
The military’s often ambiguous role in fighting Boko Haram has for long been a concern for several human rights groups and activists that have accused the military of extrajudicial killings and wrongful arrests.
In response to that concern, Mr. Falana suggested that any person who participates in such crimes should be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague.
“Anybody that is found liable in the situation that is going on will definitely be taken to the Hague [for] trial,” said Mr. Falana. He added, “That’s why we have warned the JTF operatives to watch out and to be very careful.”
In 2012, Mr. Falana had issued a statement accusing the Nigerian government of “crimes against humanity,” declaring that the government should be brought before the ICC.
Asked about the source of Nigeria’s crises, including Boko Harm, cults and poverty, Mr. Falana blamed corruption, lack of support for security personnel, and unemployment. On a long term solution, he said, “If you want law and order in the country you must provide for the majority of the people.”

North Korea Fires Sixth Missile In Three Days

North Korea Fires Sixth Missile In Three Days

North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday, making six launches in three days, and it condemned South Korea for criticizing what it said were its legitimate military drills.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said North Korea had fired one missile on Monday morning and a second one in the afternoon. Both were fired into the sea off North Korea’s east coast, a ministry official said.

The launches come hard on the heels of more than two months of threats from North Korea that it would wage a nuclear war against South Korea and the United States if it were attacked.

The North condemned joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises, that ended in late April, as a rehearsal for an attack on its territory.

“We are conducting intense military exercises to strengthen our defense capacity,” North Korea’s KCNA news agency quoted the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, the body that handles inter-Korean issues, as saying on Monday.

“Our military is conducting these exercises in order to cope with the mounting war measures from the U.S. and South Korea, which is the legitimate right of any sovereign country.”

North Korea frequently fires short-range missiles, although the current spate of launches has drawn criticism from South Korea and the United States after the recent threats from the North.

Seoul on Monday condemned the launches for stoking tension in the region while Beijing, the North’s sole major ally, called for restraint.

“These launches are its tactic of signaling to the world that the regime is willing to negotiate now, while at the same time saving face,” Kim Yeon-su, a professor at Korea National Defense University in Seoul, which is part of the Defense Ministry, said of North Korea.

Kim said that North Korea had an arsenal of hundreds of short- and medium-range missiles.

There appears to be little prospect of talks between North Korea and the United States as Washington insists that Pyongyang needs to abandon its nuclear weapons program, something the isolated and impoverished state has said it will not do.

Boko Haram In Disarray, Nigerian Army Reports

Posted: May 19, 2013 - 19:01

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Nigerian Army has reported that displaced Boko Haram terrorists are in disarray, with a large number of them heading across some borders.  Fourteen of the terrorists were confirmed dead in encounters with Nigerian troops in various battles since yesterday, and three soldiers were also killed.
A statement today from Defence Headquarters in Abuja, signed by Brigadier General AC Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, said the militants were deserting their bases but making efforts to evacuate most of the large stock of logistics, including scores of vehicles.
“In the course of special forces pursuits and operations, a number of encounters have ensured since yesterday,” the statement said.  “After a mop up of scenes of battle, 14 terrorist were confirmed dead, while 7 vehicles and 13 telephone handsets were recovered.”
It added that 20 terrorists were apprehended as they fled.  “Altogether, 3 soldiers died, while 7 are wounded and are being treated in military medical facility, one soldier is missing.”
Full text of the statement:
  DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
P M B 309
GARKI - ABUJA
DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI                                                              l9 May 2013
PRESS RELEASE
UP DATE: BATTLE AS TROOPS PURSUE TERRORIST
Troops have continued the advance and attack on identified terrorist camps in the Northern part of the country. Patrols are also ongoing to secure towns and villages from infiltration, while curfew on identified flash points are being enforced.
Dislodged terrorist have been noted to be in disarray with a large number of them heading backwards various border. There bases are being deserted but they are making efforts to evacuate most of the large stock of logistics including scores of vehicles in there holdings.
In the course of special forces pursuits and operations, a number of encounters have ensured since yesterday. After a mop up of scenes of battle, 14 terrorist were confirmed dead, while, 7 vehicles and 13 telephone handsets were recovered. A total of 20 terrorist were apprehended as they fled.  Altogether, 3 soldiers died, while 7 are wounded and are being treated in military medical facility, one soldier is missing.
Meanwhile the required reinforcement and logistics have been delivered to forces in front where the forces have been engaging a large number of heavily armed terrorists since yesterday.
Defence Headquarters is quite satisfied with the high standard of compliance with operational order and strict observance of the rules of engagement so far. The forces have been directed to maintain the robustness of the patrols and enforcement of curfews where emplaced and ensure that civilians are kept out of harms way as much as possible. 
 

PHOTONEWS: Churchgoers Killed During Holy Water Stampede At Prophet TB Joshua’s Church In Accra

Posted: May 19, 2013 - 18:56

church premises after the tragedy

Four Ghanaian churchgoers were killed today during Pastor TB Joshua's church service on Sphintex Road in Accra during a stampede as worshippers scrambled for "Holy Water ".
Police sources in Accra stated that the four dead persons comprised of three females and young boy. Thirteen others were injured in the stampede. The Nigerian born controversial priest is the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), church with a large following in Lagos suburb and also a televangelismarm that parades miracles and prophesies ranging from claims of AIDS /HIV cure, plane crashes and outcomes of soccer matches.
A Greater Accra Police Public Relations Officer DSP Freeman Tetteh confirmed the death to journalists claiming that the dead have all been taken to the morgue while those injured are currently receiving medical treatment.
The police officer also stated that the church was forced to close down its service following the tragic incident.
Last week, bodyguards to Pastor Joshua illegally detained some Ghanian journalists during a church service. It is unclear if the Ghanaian police plans to investigate the deaths or filing charges against the operators of the church.

Boko Haram/Nigeria Military Clashes: Over 2000 Nigerians Flee Into Niger Republic

Posted: May 19, 2013 - 19:22

Nigerian Army

By SaharaReporters, New York

Over 2000 Nigerians have fled the Nigerian State of Borno following the clash between Boko Haram and Nigerian troops in Abadam local government area of Borno North Senatorial District.
A journalist travelling in the Nigerian-Niger Republic border confirmed to SaharaReporters that between Saturday evening and Sunday over 2000 locals from villages in and around Abadam local government area have been fled their homes and crossed over into Niger Republic.
The journalist, who did not want to be identified, said that the locals, hearing the strange sounds of weapons and bombs being exchanged decided to leave, citing their recent experience of the Baga killings. He also said that the arrival of hundreds of soldiers in the villages made the villages uncomfortable.
The fleeing Nigerians, the sourc, said are camping in Bosso, Diffa State, of Niger Republic.
“They are in hundreds and running out, some on machines, cars and bicycles and others on foot running out of their homes to Niger Republic,” he told SaharaReporters.  “You know they are afraid of what happened in Baga, and they have firsthand experience because Baga is very close to their villages. They have been hearing gun sounds and heavy weapons being positioned.”
He also pointed out that these locals are not being given any information as to what is going on over the military following the declaration of a state of emergency, and that unlike in Nigeria, there are no communication facilities in the Nigerian.
As SaharaReporters reported a few days ago, telecommunications distress has set in the areas of emergency