The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Boko Haram insurgency

  • Three million children need emergency education support – UNICEF

    Three million children need emergency education support – UNICEF

    The security challenge in the Northeast has deprived an estimated three million children of education, United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) has said.

    The crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, according to UNICEF means that over 57 per cent of schools in Borno, the worst-hit state, are closed, even as the new school year begins.

    Since 2009, across the northeast, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 have been displaced. Almost 1,400 schools have been destroyed with the majority unable to open because of extensive damage or because they are in areas that remain unsafe.

    “Children in northeast Nigeria are living through so much horror,” said Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the end of a three-day visit to Maiduguri, the epicentre of the crisis in the northeast.

    “In addition to devastating malnutrition, violence and an outbreak of cholera, the attacks on schools is in danger of creating a lost generation of children, threatening their and the countries future.”

    Some children living in camps for the displaced in Borno state, however, are actually benefiting from education for the first time in their lives. In the Muna Garage camp on the outskirts of Maiduguri, for example, an estimated 90 per cent of students were enrolled in school for the first time.

    In the three most-affected states of northeast Nigeria, UNICEF and partners have enrolled nearly 750,000 children in school this year, establishing over 350 temporary learning spaces, and distributing almost 94,000 packs of learning material that will help children to get an education.

    UNICEF is also working with partners to rehabilitate schools and classrooms, as well as training teachers to build a stronger education system for the future.

    While in Maiduguri, Forsyth met with families and children affected by the conflict who told him of their fear living under Boko Haram and the dire conditions they live in.

    To date, nearly 1 million children have been displaced by the crisis and 450,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. The use of children as human bombs – close to 100 so far this year – has sown a climate of mistrust among communities in the northeast, and a cholera outbreak has affected more than 3900 people, including over 2450 children.

    UNICEF’s life-saving emergency programmes in northeast Nigeria remain underfunded. With only three months left in the year, UNICEF has a 40 per cent funding gap in its needs for 2017.

  • Boko Haram: Army assures wounded soldiers of adequate medical care

    Boko Haram: Army assures wounded soldiers of adequate medical care

    The Nigerian Army has assured wounded soldiers fighting the Boko Haram insurgency of adequate medical care and attention.

    The Acting Corps Commander Medical (CCM) of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Clifford Wanda gave the assurance yesterday when he visited the wounded soldiers as part of his operational visit to 7 Divison Medical Services and Hospital (DMSH) in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

    The CCM in company of other senior military officers of the medical Corp interacted with the soldiers and inspected facilities in the hospital wards. He particularly   praised the soldiers for their “commitment, bravery and service to the country”.

    According to him, his visit to the Division was to “familiarize and ascertain the performance of Medical personnel’s and equipment deployed in the North East”.

    Brig. Gen. Wanda extolled  the leadership qualities of the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) , 7 Division Brigadier General  Ibrahim Manu Yusuf, while soliciting support  from all and sundry to the  troops for the   fight against Boko Haram terrorists within the 7 Division Area of Responsibility in Borno State.

    The CCM equally promised to look into the challenges confronting the Hospital with a view to finding immediate solutions to them.

    In his   remarks, the Acting Commander 7 DMSH, Lieutenant Colonel Ndidi Onuchukwu thanked the Acting Corps Commander for the visit to the Hospital.

    He congratulated him on his recent appointment as the Acting CCM of the Nigerian Army, just as he briefed him on the activities of the Hospital.

     

  • Boko Haram: NPA donates relief materials to victims in Yobe

    Boko Haram: NPA donates relief materials to victims in Yobe

    As part of her social responsibility to the society, The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has presented food and non-food relief materials to victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Yobe State.

    The items  donated include;  750 bags of rice, 400 bags of beans, 350 bags of Semovita, 160 bags of corn, 1,400 pieces of wrapper, 5,000 blankets, cooking oil, mats and rechargeable lantern among others to IDPs in Pompomari, Abari, Fuwuri, Ngabaruwa, Gujba, Damaturu, Kukareta, Gulani and Plot 13.

    The Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman while presenting the items to Yobe State Government  at a courtesy call on the deputy Gov. Engr. Abubakar Aliyu who stood in for Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam regretted the cause of the insurgency and called on deliberate measure to be taken to address the errors.

    The MD who was represented by the General Manager, Human Resource, Alhaji Yahaya Gana Bukar said Boko Haram members were not born but created, stressing that, “new efforts must be deliberately and constantly made to ensure that we correct whatever error of the past, and chart a new course for the future of Yobe State and indeed that of the Northeast to come out strong from this catastrophe”.

    Mrs  Bala noted that  the effect of  Boko Haram  insurgency of the economy of the country and the northeast in particular is so intense  that it will take a long time for a complete recovery from the crisis in all facets of human endeavor with the destruction estimated at almost 5.9 billion US dollars.

    She warned, “We must resolved now to never let this nature of crisis befall our people and country again,” she added

    She said the food items donated to the state is only to cushion the food demands of the displaced people.

    Earlier, Deputy Gov. Abubakar D. Aliyu, said the intervention came at the right time when it’s most needed by the affected people.

    He however appeal to  the NPA to take further step by providing  more assistance in the livelihood of the displaced people by  providing  building materials as many of the people have now returned back to their homes.

     

  • Victims support fund realises N54bn to support victims of Boko Haram insurgency

    The Executive Director, Victims Support Fund (VSF), Dr Sunday Ochoche, said that N54 billion was pledged at the fund raising organised to support victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

    Ochoche disclosed this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Sunday in Abuja.

    According to him, less than N30 billion of the amount has been redeemed since the commencement of operations by VSF.

    He said that a committee was inaugurated by the Federal Government to help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency.

    “As soon as the General Danjuma committee was inaugurated by the president, the first thing they did was to hold the fund raiser to generate fund; Yes the Federal Government made a pledge and the Federal Government has redeemed 100 per cent of its pledge.

    “There was no fund from the international community, the rest of the funds have come from the private sector, from individuals and from the business sector.

    “The single largest individual contribution came from the chairman itself General Danjuma, who pledged $10 million and redeemed his $10 million immediately. Other Nigerians pledged, many have redeemed but many more also have not.

    “A total of N54 billion was pledged at the fund raiser, we have redeemed less than N30 billion’’.

    He said that many Nigerians are beginning to see the transparency at which VSF was going, adding that many are coming forward to make their little donation to the victims support fund.

    The executive director explained that with the enormity of the situation in the North-East, no single agency could significantly make a difference in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of the affected states.

    “You need to understand the enormity of the situation to appreciate whether any agency by itself can significantly make a difference to the situation.

    “It is in the appreciation of the enormity of the situation that the Federal Government recognises that even with its might as the Federal Government, by itself will not be able to do much.

    According to him, the Federal Government has to invite the private sector to also support its effort to support the victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

    He said that over two million people were believed to have been displaced as a result of the insurgency in the country.

    “We have been hearing numbers of deaths at about 20,000 but those are figures that have been paraded for over a year plus now; I want to believe that the actual figure of deaths will be well above that.

    “We have a situation where if you travel in the North–East, you travel from Maiduguri to Bama, from Konduga all the way to Bama not a single hut is standing.

    “If you are travelling a little bit further from the northern axis to Dikwa and Gamboru Ngala all the way from Mafa to Dikwa to Gamboru Ngala nothing is standing.

    “If you go further north the Abadan and other areas have remain occupied until recently by Boko Haram.

    “If you go to Yobe and you go to Gujba Local Government the whole of Buniyadi nothing was standing, you go to  Gulani much of Bara nothing was standing’’.

    He said that similar issue of destruction applied to some Local Governments in Adamawa state as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Ochoche said that VSF was set up to evaluate the need assessment of a deficient locality such as the case of people affected by the insurgency and thus act on their plight.

    “We have identified and defined our area of need and area of comparative advantage.

    “By our need assessment, we realised there are significant gaps; we are not directly involved into humanitarian intervention, we do not provide food,’’ he said.

  • Air Force personnel contribute N7m for IDPs

    Air Force personnel contribute N7m for IDPs

    Officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force have contributed the sum of N7million towards the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.

    The cash donation and other relief materials were recently voluntarily contributed by the officers and handed over to the National President, Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA), Hjiya Hafsat Abubakar for onward delivery to the victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

    The  Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar had earlier encouraged Air Force commanders to make voluntary contributions to the IDPs a core value of service to support the  Federal Government to alleviate the plights of the IDPs.

    Receiving the items, Abubakar expressed deep appreciations to officers and men of the NAF for their genuine concern towards the IDPs and for taking concrete steps to put smiles on their faces.

    She promised that the Association would be fair and transparent in handling the donations, even as she stated that the items would be transported immediately to Maiduguri to enable the association to commence immediate distribution in Bama IDP Camp.

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  • NBA joins forces with govt over Niger Delta crisis, Boko Haram insurgency

    NBA joins forces with govt over Niger Delta crisis, Boko Haram insurgency

    Lawyers have raised two teams to join forces with the Federal Government in tackling the Niger Delta militancy and restoring the Northeast.

    Inaugurating the task forces, NBA President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) noted that the twin challenges of insurgency and militancy in the Northeast and the Niger Delta constituted a threat to national security.

    Mahmoud said: “Although the 1999 Constitution provides that the security, protection of life and property is the primary duty of the government, the Bar and the general public have roles to play in tackling the security problems in Nigeria. Let me also commend the commitment and political will exhibited by the Buhari Administration in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

    “We have in the last year and half seen the liberation of most of the areas previously held by the insurgents and the restoration, to a large extent, of normalcy in the region.  Earlier this month Nigerians were delighted to receive the heart-warming news of  the release of 21 out of the 219 Chibok school girls held in captivity for more than two years.”

    Mahmoud praised the military and security agencies for the success achieved.

    ý”The NBA has reviewed the state of affairs in the Northeast region of Nigeria, especially the severe security problems confronting our members in particular and innocent citizens in general. In the last 12 months, I have visited the IDPS in Maiduguri three times the last being a campaign tour in my quest to occupy this office.

    “I recall during our last visit, some of my colleagues on the campaign broke down in tears on sighting the hundreds of malnourished children who were orphaned in the camps.

    ”It is also worthy of mention that the insurgency in the Northeast has affected the independence of the legal profession and the welfare of our members.

    “Legal practice in North Eastern Nigeria has been largely disrupted as a result of the insurgency in the region. Our noble colleagues in that part of the country are besieged and endangered.

    “There are even many of our members from other parts of Nigeria who have lived and practised in North Eastern Nigeria for years. Some even married and settled there. But, as I speak, most of our members have not only lost their practice as professionals, but have also lost their livelihoods and physical wellbeing.

    “Even some of our members are regarded as insurgents and threatened with prosecution. Also, judicial officers are loathe to adjudicate on certain types of cases in the absence of adequate protection of their lives and families. This is the situation in which our members have found themselves in the Northeast of Nigeria,” Mahmoud said.

    On the trouble in the  Niger Delta, Mahmoud spoke of “the devastating impact of the conflict on the various communities and citizens living in the region”. “It is clear that the environmental destruction and the human suffering and the general impact on the national economy are huge.

    “We believe that there is need to inculcate law into the development plans and objectives for the Niger Delta region. We consider law to be crucial to unlocking the potential key areas in the Niger Delta. Law can be applied to the framework for maritime and coastal security, ocean governance, trade, natural resources development, peace and conflict resolution initiatives.

    “It is our hope too that we can make our services available to address any possible negotiations between the various communities and actions in the region aimed and at achieving resolution of the conflicts.”

    Members of the task force for the Northeast are: Prof. Mohammed M. Tabiu – SAN – (chairman), Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa – Alternate Chair, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, Rakiya Mukhtar Tofa,  Altine Ibrahim, Hafsatu Mohammed and Hassan Maidoki.

    Others are:  Lauretta Adaeze,  Hauwa Shekarau, Amina Ibrahim, Ronke Ige, Alfa Ibrahim, Isa Muhammad Nurudeen and Kunle Adegoke.

    Members of the task force on Niger Delta are;  Albert Akpomudge, SAN – (chairman),  Ledum Mitee Esq (alternate chairman), Mia Essien (SAN),  Mba Ukweni, SAN,  Q. E. B. Offiong (SAN), Charles Ajuwa (SAN) and Sosoprieye Long Williams.

    Others are  Kelvin Ejelonu, Muyiwa Olowokure, Sagir Gazawa,Mrs. Lillian Ene Ogar , Nkiruka Maduekwe, and Alex Mouka Esq. – Secretary.

     

  • Affliction will not rise again

    While we thought we had achieved relative peace as the Nigerian Army heavily battled the Boko Haram Insurgency and banished its embers feather by feather, wing by wing in the North East; Nigerians could now heave a sigh of relief of peace gradually returning to its dwelling as a nation popularly regarded to be the Haven of peace.

    While we had stopped for a moment to catch our exhausting breaths; another evil again arose in the east- they took to arms and brandished leaves: taking off exactly where the Niger Delta militants stopped- avenging their grievances by blowing oil pipelines into black fumes, further desecrating their land with more self- imposed oil spills.

    It is said that evil rebirths itself. One big evil though cleared will regenerate itself unless there is a great atonement.

    And so it happened that under our noses; the inevitable happened. Hoodlums migrated first to Ikroudu to showcase themselves as they ruthlessly inflicted terror on various residents, before we knew it; they had let themselves in through the inland water way at Iba and abducted the Oba: Not without putting his youngest wife in a state of coma, killing his night guard and making themselves scarce through the river where they once appeared.

    The story of Fatoki, in Egan town, near Igando; Alimosho, a fast developing suburb can only be told in hushed tones. When the one million boys- a professional armed robbery gang who, also termed to be gunmen migrants accessed the little town through the border at Odo where the inland water way leads to Ogun state are not left out of this terror filled unrest.

    Rumour has it that this notorious gang reportedly handed a letter to the Igando Local Government Area police promising to visit heavily armed and dangerous last Thursday after sporadically shooting innocent people in the street earlier on Tuesday the same week.

    Rumour also has it that while they are heavily fortified with diabolical voodoo; one that prevents them from being shot as some police men were rumoured to have absconded their duty posts last Tuesday when the reported hoodlums paid a fearful visit.

    Just like many lawful abiding citizens; it has been a wonder; a question why these uprisings have migrated from the North to the East and now the West. Who is left out or who is next? The South? We can only hope to God to keep us dear.

    The matter, very serious has thankfully alerted members of the Lagos State House of Assembly- a matter which the senators have condemned and deliberated fortification of the border towns.

    They only spoke about the abducted Iba Monarch and Ikroudu rampage. We can only hope the cries of the residents of the Egan community are heard.

    Have you stopped to ask yourself where is Mr President?

    Is it until these “little” cases involve a bomb blast that the Presidency will issue a press statement and condemn? How long will the lawmakers dwell on Dino Melaye’s recent word brawl or the CCT trial or Fani Kayode’s freedom at last. He should do a huge Thanksgiving now; and write a book on how much he has suffered.

    Well, back to trending matters.

    But I have wondered whether these simultaneous attacks are a by-product of an old proclaimed bill now being put to act- The banishment of itinerant hawkers.

    Sources say this bill has been signed far back as 2004 but was the Lagos State Governor too fast to stretch his hands?

    Giving the itinerant workers a timetable- a workable timeline would have done that job better. It is not every time the father scolds the child.

    But must we fold our hands and let this reign of terror ravage our lands?

    No, God forbid! Whatever it will take that affliction would not rise a second time must be done. Get the army, get the Navy but don’t let this words die.

    Affliction will not rise again.

     

  • Shettima: ‘why I never owed #2.6b monthly salaries’

    Shettima: ‘why I never owed #2.6b monthly salaries’

    Notwithstanding the Boko Haram insurgency and it’s financial effects on the Government, ‎workers in Borno State have never been owed their salaries in the last 60 months, covering June, 2011 to May, 2016, the State Governor, Kashim Shettima has said.

    Shettima who spoke when he hosted members of the Borno Elders Forum and the Business Community in the State for Ramadan Iftar at the Government House on Monday night noted that even though it was sometimes difficult he made it a duty to regularly provide two billion, six hundred million nira (N2.6b) every month to pay salaries while at the same time making expenditures on feeding  internally displaced persons and carrying out reconstructions in the last five years. 

    “Ordinarily, I don’t consider payment of salaries as achievement because salaries are debts, people worked and should be paid. However, in today’s Nigeria, payment of salaries has become rare and this makes it an achievement especially for a State like Borno that which has been battling with serious security challenges and spending billions over that. Well, we have sustained payment of salaries for an economic reason. It is elementary knowledge that salaries of workers mostly stimulate local economies especially in a situation where export is cut and there is gross decline in the number of persons coming into the State not to talk of doing business. We made it a duty to inject funds into the system through prompt payment of salaries by 25th of every month even while we were dealing with serious crisis of rebuilding communities from 2011 to date. We had to pay salaries because workers were at a point the only buyers of commodities, traders relied on salaries for the economy to be active. We had to consistently inject N2.6 billion for salaries of workers every month and that money circulated around markets. The money was what was going in circles from markets to the transport system, to the banking sector and to payment of other services. It was the salaries that held Borno’s local economy because nothing was happening before 2015, our exporters couldn’t go anywhere, whatever our traders brought in could only be bought when money circulated and salaries ensured that circulation” the Governor said.

    He explained that there instances the State tops as much as N700 million on federal revenue of N1.9b to pay salaries. He promised that the Government will sustain the salaries especially with the ongoing biometric exercise that is designed to eliminate ghost workers and cut down Government salary bill of N2.6b to something lower.

  • Insurgency: NGO empowers 1,000 Borno families

    Over 1000 families and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the northeast part of the country have benefited from the philanthropic gesture of a Non-Governmental Organization, Peace Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Initiative (PRRI)

    The gesture, according to the Executive Secretary of the group, Dr Sam Ode, is targeted at providing a source of livelihood for the returning families whose communities have been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He revealed that the group visited Biu Local Govt and gave raw cash support of N10m and food stuffs worth over N10m. Other communities also visited include, Buratai, Sabon Gari, Kwajafa, Shaffa, Biu IDP camps were assistance were given to some corporative societies.

    He added that the organisation has resolved to give improved seedlings procured from IITA, Ibadan to help the farmers boost their yields in the coming years.

    Ode said agriculture is key to the development of any nation and it remains the first line of any action plan to deliver people from economic hardships.

    He said PRRI is keen to see that the returning families are empowered.

    According to him, the PRRI team is moving to Yobe and Adamawa State where the teams have identified some villages and the inhabitants have fully returned home as a result of military operations which have restored normalcy to the area.

    The Executive Secretary of the organization while briefing news men in his office in Abuja said it was quite challenging as no government or individual can completely rebuild what was destroyed by the insurgents but a through the concerted efforts of all stakeholders including the once displaced persons.

    While recalling their experience during the tour and distribution of farming materials, he said some communities have not received a grain of rice or corn from any government or organization which is very pathetic and added that while waiting for the Federal Government to reach out to the IDPs, well spirited individuals must be encouraged to support the IDPs particularly those who have returned to their communities with food, money and farming facilities to help them totally recover.

    Ode who was full of praises for President Muhammadu Buhari and the military, informed newsmen that the level of devastation suffered in the north east before military interventions to reclaim those lost territories cannot be quantified in material terms and commended the Nigerian military for restoring law and order to these communities.

    The PRRI, led by the Executive Secretary, Ode said it has now given over 40 million naira as part of its philanthropic gesture to the various communities it has visited in Borno State.

     

     

  • Boko Haram: IPCR commences peace building programme

    Boko Haram: IPCR commences peace building programme

    As peace return to Adamawa after the Boko Haram insurgency, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has commenced training of stakeholders in the state on peace building.

    The Project Coordinator of the Peace Building Training Project, Mr Chukwuemeka Mbah, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Friday.

    Mbah said more than 200 stakeholders drawn from seven local governments of Yola North, Yola South, Hong, Gombi, Girei, Fufore and Song in central zone had benefited from the training.

    He said the second batch of the training would commence next week in Mubi town for stakeholders in northern zone of the state.

    The coordinator said that the zone comprised, Madagali, Michika, Maiha, Mubi North and Mubi South Local Government Areas.

    According to him, the institute and other experts have identified Adamawa as a fragile state.

    Mbah said that institute decided to intervene after the return of peace to douse tension created by suspicion among the diverse people of the state.

     

    “From our research in IPCR and from open source intelligence, we have identified Adamawa as a state that need a lot of intervention in terms of peace and coexistence.

    “After this insurgency a lot has happened; there is a lot of mistrust, hatred and we need to really start fostering coexistence.

    “Madagali and Michika are very fragile areas where we need a lot of interventions, especially now that things are going back to normal.

    “This is what we call the early recovery stages of conflict and that is where peace building has to be brought in,’’ Mbah, who is Coordinator External Conflict Prevention and Research, said.

    He lauded the support and commitment of UNHCR and Adamawa government to the project.