Boko Haram’s Chief Butcher Arrested
On July 15, 2014, Nigerian police apprehended Mohammed Zakari, a man with strong ties to the notorious terrorist group, Boko Haram. Zakari, who claimed to be the group’s “chief butcher,” was captured in the Balmo Forest area in northeastern Nigeria.
During an intensive counterinsurgency operation in the area, detectives arrested Zakari, 30, as he attempted to escape. According to Nigerian police, Zakari was accused of being involved in the deaths of seven people, including women and children. He was also accused of participating in an April attack against Nigerian customs officers in Kari among other criminal acts he perpetrated.
When he was paraded, the terrorist ”chief butcher” gave more chilling insights into Boko Haram’s killings adding that it took him two minutes to butcher human beings after they have been condemned to death by the sect.
Twitter Launched
Similarly, on this day in 2006, San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially launched Twttr, which later rebranded to Twitter. Initially, the service allowed users to share short status updates with groups of friends by sending a single text message to a specific number (“40404”).
Twitter Just Launched a Major Redesign to Its Website. Here’s What You Need to Know | Inc.com
Twitter co-founder, Evan Williams, had encouraged his employees to propose new ideas, leading to Jack Dorsey’s concept being accepted and further developed. The microblogging service quickly gained immense popularity, becoming one of the world’s leading social networking platforms, valued at around $31 billion in 2013. With over 300 million active users, Twitter was eventually acquired by Elon Musk in 2022 at $44 billion and subsequently renamed X.
Other key events on this day
1. Prince Charles and Princess Diana signed divorce papers – 1996
2. Deborah Carthy-Deu, of Puerto Rico, crowned 34th Miss Universe – 1985
4. Mexican President, Huerta fled with 2 million Pesos to Europe – 1914
5. Napoleon surrendered and later exiled to St. Helena – 1815
6. Fashion designer Gianni Versace murdered by Andrew Cunanan in killing spree – 1997
8. Massacre in Vienna: 89 protesters killed by the Austrian police – 1927
10. Israel bombed Cairo during Arab-Israeli War – 1948
11. Pope John Paul II hospitalized for 3 weeks to have tumor removed – 1992
12. Israel announced it voted to accept the ceasefire proposed by Egypt; Hamas rejected it – 2014
15. Argentine footballer Lionel Messi officially signed for Inter Miami – 2023.
