The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram: EU launches 50m euros trust fund for N’East

    The European Union yesterday lunched a 50 million Euro Trust Funds in Maiduguri for internally displaced persons (IDPs) for the three states affected by Boko Haram crisis.

    The EU Representative, Mr. Kurt Cornelis, said at the launching ceremony at the Government House in Maiduguri that the money will be used to fund seven new EU projects.

    He said that more than 370,000 people would benefit from the projects.

    He identified the beneficiary states as Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe states, stressing that the projects would also “strengthen the resilience” of IDPs and other vulnerable groups and in turn stabilise the region.

    Cornelis said: “These emergency projects will expand and deepen the already extensive EU humanitarian development assistance to the many victims of violence and displacement in the Northeast.

    “The project, Enhancing State and Community Level Conflict Management Capability in the Northeast, is implemented by the British Council in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.”

    He said the seven implementing partners will execute the projects for a period of two to four years, depending on the safe accessibility of liberated communities in the affected sub-region.

    He explained that the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in collaboration with the Danish Demining Group and Norwegian Council (NRC) will be contributing to linking relief, rehabilitation and development in the Northeast.

    He said UNICEF’s project, From Risk to Resilience, was meant to increase resilience, strengthen the coping mechanism and psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents acutely impacted by conflict in 12 councils in Borno State.

    Speaking on regional project, he said: “The economic and social inclusive recovery plan for the Lake Chad is co-financed by the EU Emergency Trust Fund and the French Development Agency for 34.2 million euros.”

    The contributions of four partners will promote stability, safety and resilience of communities affected by conflict and displacement.

    The seven projects, according to him, will improve access to basic services for vulnerable people, boost socioeconomic recovery and ensure sustainable livelihoods for displaced persons and host communities’ returnees.

    He added that the projects were targeted at young people to improve community safety and conflict mediation.

  • We are winning war against terrorism – NAF chief

    We are winning war against terrorism – NAF chief

    The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said on Friday the Nigerian military is winning the war against terrorism in Northern part of the country.

    Air Marshal Abubakar stated this while commissioning a one-by-30 unit building at the 115 Special Operations Group (SOG), in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    He  said the military had demonstrated strong commitment in safeguarding the nation’s territory, adding that troops were determined to tackle terrorism effectively.

    “Certainly, we are winning the war against terrorism in the North East. If you look at where we are coming from in 2014, when convoys of 15 -20 Hilux vehicles were moving, ravaging and killing villagers. That is not the situation on ground now.

    “Yes, we are having suicide bombings, but we are doing everything humanly possible to contain all these insurgences. It will linger for some time, until we are able to deal with the whole issues,” Abubakar said.

  • Army kills 404 insurgents in mop-up operations in Borno

    Army kills 404 insurgents in mop-up operations in Borno

    The Nigerian army on Thursday said it killed 404 Boko Haram insurgents and arrest 810 others in various operations in the past five months.

    Maj.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, the Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Maiduguri.

    Ibrahim said the insurgents were killed during operations designed to clear remnant of the fleeing Boko Haram members.

    He said that the troops encountered the insurgents at various fronts including Marte, Mafa, Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza.

    “Some 860 settlements were cleared and 19,640 civilians were rescued from the insurgents.

    “Also, 810 insurgents, including a high-profile member of the insurgency, were arrested within the period under review.

    “The rescued civilians were screened and placed at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps,’’ Ibrahim said.

    According to him, during this operations, troops recovered various ammunitions and destroyed camps.

    The commander said that 97 attacks using Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were recorded, adding that some of the attacks were neutralised by the troops.

    According to him, about seven soldiers died while nine others were wounded during the operation.

    He explained that the command, in joint operations with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), had cleared 11 settlements on Lake Chad basin in Kangarwa and Marte as well as in parts of Cameroun and Chad.

    He listed Domo, Kelewa, Damara, Abaga, Karo, Kunaguma and Jugulu Kara as some of the liberated communities.

    Ibrahim also explained that the insurgents had resorted to IEDS attacks on civilians in view of the success recorded by the military in its campaign against them.

    The commander reiterated the commitments of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency while protecting lives and property in the country.

    He advised the people to be vigilant and support the military to enable it to discharge its duties effectively.

  • Soldiers kill 14 civilians mistaken for militants in Niger – official

    Soldiers kill 14 civilians mistaken for militants in Niger – official

    Soldiers in Niger killed 14 unarmed civilians after mistaking them for Boko Haram militants during a patrol in the remote southeast of the country, a senior regional official said on Thursday.

    According to Yahaya Godi, Secretary-General of the Diffa region of southeast Niger, said Nigerien soldiers were patrolling a militarily restricted zone around the village of Abadam near Lake Chad on Wednesday afternoon when they opened fire on what turned out to be farmers.

    Godi said: “fourteen people are dead. Abadam is a village located in the red zone and has been prohibited for a very long time.

    “Any individual seen in the area is considered Boko Haram.”

    He said two of the dead were from Niger and the rest from neighbouring Nigeria, where Boko Haram is based and from which the jihadist group has sometimes carried out cross-border attacks into Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

    It was not immediately clear why the civilians were in the restricted area and what made the soldiers open fire. Nigerien army officials were not reachable for comment.

    One witness said the farmers had just finished eating when gunfire broke out, forcing them to flee.

    The incident occurred three days after suspected Boko Haram militants killed nine people and abducted dozens more in southern Niger.

    The attack raised concern about Niger’s inability to stop Boko Haram crossing the desert border from their bases in Nigeria.

    The Diffa region has seen intense fighting over the past year between Niger’s army and Boko Haram.

    Thousands of people have been displaced and many areas are off-limits.

  • Ishaku: GOC Ahanotu on mission to satisfy interests in Taraba crisis 

    Ishaku: GOC Ahanotu on mission to satisfy interests in Taraba crisis 

    Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku Wednesday faulted comments made by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 3 Division of the Nigeria Army, Brig-General Benjamin Ahanotu on the recent crisis on Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna local government area of Taraba State.

    Ahanotu, on visiting the scenes of the killings and destruction in the area on a motorbike, had described the incident as “genocide, worse than Boko Haram massacre.”

    In Gembu, Ahanotu told the Chief of Mambilla Shehu Baju: “I was shock with what I saw.

    “Even Boko Haram did not slaughter women and children, but here I have seen young children and pregnant women slaughtered because of hatred.”

    “The Fulanis were mercilessly slaughtered along with their cows.

    “They (Fulani) are fellow Nigerians and indigenes of this area; they should be treated with dignity.”

    At a security meeting in the Government House exco chamber, Jalingo, the GOC said he has never seen such a gruesome devastation since he started his military career.

    Governor Ishaku, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity Bala Dan Abu, said: “It was clear that Ahanotu was on a mission to satisfy some vested interests in the crisis.

    “He (Ahanotu) has spoken in places in a manner unexpected and unbecoming of an officer of his rank and training.

    “The Taraba State Government rejects in its entirety the deliberate and callous attempt by unpatriotic elements to tag the Mambilla crisis as genocide.

    “The recorded casualty figure of 18 human lives as announced by the police and other security agencies that brought the fighting to an end obviously do not support that evil name-tag.”

    Two groups, Taraba Pro-Democracy Organisation (TPDO) and the Good Governance Group (GGG) yesterday alleged the federal government was planning to declare a state of emergency in Taraba state.

    A military source also hinted The Nation of a possible state of emergency in Taraba should investigations show that the killings on the Mambilla Plateau were genocide.

    Our source added that a plan (of state of emergency) was in advanced stage, but the federal government was only awaiting findings to ascertain whether the Taraba State Government had a hand in the killings.

    Minister for Women and Social Development Senator Aisha Alhassan had alleged that “the Governor, Darius Ishaku and the Speaker Peter Abel Diah of asked the people to go and fight.”

    Senator representing Central Taraba, Yusuf Yusuf, who made a call for an emergency rule in Taraba State, said over 200 Fulanis with their over 20,000 cows were massacred.

    Reacting to a front page comment in Daily Trust publication of Monday, July 3, entitled: “Genocide in Mambilla,” the governor said “the killings were no genocide but a clash between herdsmen and farmers.”

    He described the newspaper’s editorial judgment as “biased and discriminatory,” and equally faulted it for “heavily relying on the reckless, highly partisan and distorted account of the Mambilla crisis by Brig-General Ahanotu.”

    “In that editorial comment the newspaper laboured painfully to give the ugly tag of genocide and ethnic cleansing to the unfortunate crisis that occurred recently between herdsmen and farmers in Mambilla.

    “The paper’s editors failed to perform their professional duty of subjecting information on the crisis to independent investigation through their own reporters and other field men.

    “Rather, they chose to believe the outrageously partisan and fraudulent figures of death of people and cows as given by Fulani leaders who were party to the crisis,” Ishaku said.

    He added: “The newspaper’s curious silence and failure to label the massacre of indigenes of Southern Kaduna by Fulani as a case of genocide and ethnic cleansing has apparently exposed the partisan direction of Daily Trust’s editorial standpoint on issues in which the interests of its pay masters are involved.

    “The Mambilla crisis was an unfortunate clash of people who have lived together for decades as neighbours.

    “The crisis was unfortunate and it has been condemned as wrong by respectable voices from around the country.

    “The Taraba State Government has deployed men and materials to the affected areas to give succor and help quicken the healing process. What the government expects is support for this effort and not the evil act of promoting sentiments that can only worsen the peace process being pursued by government.

    “Enough is enough of this mischievous effort to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it

  • Alleged Boko Haram link: Court frees Ndume

    An Abuja Federal High Court has convicted Senator Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South) of the terrorism-related charges brought against him by the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole upheld Ndume’s no-case submission and proceeded to discharge and acquit him.

    According to him, the prosecution failed, through evidence led, to link the defendant to the offences, to warrant his being called to enter defence.

    Justice Kolawole noted that although Ndume admitted volunteering information to the Department of State Services (DSS), the police and other security agencies, no representative of any of the agencies were called as witness by the prosecution.

    “When I read the evidence led by the prosecution witnesses, I didn’t see any evidence by which the defendant was linked to Boko Haram members or to aid their logistics,” he said.

    According to him, the prosecution failed to debunk Ndume’s cliam, in the three extra-judicial statements made to the DSS, that he contacted some members of the sect while acting on behalf of the Federal Government as a member of the presidential committee raised to investigate the security challenges in the Northeast.

    Justice Kolawole also noted that the prosecution failed to call Konduga, still serving jail, even to give evidence as to the period he communicated with Ndume.

    He said: “Counts 1 and 2 are based on Section 7(1)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011, while count 3 is based on section 3(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act and Count 4 on section 4(1)(a) of the same Act.

    “Section 7(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act says that ‘it shall be a defence for a person charged under sub-section 1 if he has a reasonable excuse for not making the disclosure…

    “Thus, if it was linked with the period, will enable the court to come to the decision that the contents of Exhibit P1, P2 and P3 (Ndume’s statements), by which the defendant said it was the presidential appointment that brought him into contact with members of the Boko Haram sect, will appear to be proved by prima facie evidence and may have warranted the defendant, regardless of Section 7(2) of the Act, to be called upon to enter his defence if only to prove that he had a reasonable fear that giving the information  may endanger his life and his family.”

    Ndume was charged with among others, withholding information about operations of Boko Haram, and communicating with some of its leaders.

    The defendant, in his no-case submission, claimed to have been involved in negotiation with Boko Haram leaders at the instance of the Federal Government.

    He said former Vice President and the Director General of the DSS, during Jonathan’s administration, knew about his interactions with a Boko Haram member, Ali Konduga.

    He said his link with Konduga, who has since been convicted for terrorism, was at the behest of the presidential committee.

    The Senator was arraigned on December 12, 2011, on a four-count charge relating to terrorism.

    He was accused of, among other things, sponsoring the sect, maintaining a link with its members and failing to disclose Konduga’s mobile number.

    The prosecution began trial on July 3, 2012, and closed on June 22, 2016, after calling nine witnesses.

    Ndume’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN), while adopting his no-case submission on June 6, urged the court to discharge and acquit his client on the ground that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima facie case against him.

    Tarfa said the prosecution was unable to lead sufficient evidence link his client with the offences alleged.

    Reacting to the court’s decision yesterday, Ndume said: “I thank God for sparing my life. Many Senators, who had cases against them, have died, but here I am and well. I am grateful to God.”

     

  • Alleged link with Boko Haram: Court frees Ndume

    Alleged link with Boko Haram: Court frees Ndume

    About six years into his trial, a Federal High Court in Abuja has freed Senator Ali Ndume (All Progressives Congress, Borno State) of terrorism related charges brought against him in 2011 by the Goodluck Jonathan government.

    In a ruling this afternoon, Justice Gabriel Kolawole upheld Ndume’s no-case submission and proceeded to discharge and acquit him.

    The judge said the prosecution failed, through evidence led, to link the defendant (Ndume) to the offences alleged, to warrant his being called to enter defence.

    Justice Kolawole noted that although Ndume admitted volunteering information to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and other security agencies, no representatives of any of the agencies were called as witness by the prosecution.

    Ndume was charged with among others, withholding information about the operations of Boko Haram and having link and communicating with some of its leaders.

    The defendant had, in his no-case submission, claimed to have been involved in negotiation with Boko Haram leaders at the instance of the then Federal Government led by President Jonathan.

    He said former Vice President and the Director General of the DSS during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration were aware of his interactions with a Boko Haram member, Ali Konduga.

    He said his link with Konduga, who has since been convicted on terrorism related charges, was at the behest of the presidential committee set up under the Jonathan government to help address security challenges in the North-East part of the country.

    The Senator was arraigned on December 12, 2011 on a four-count charge relating to terrorism charges. He was accused of, among other counts, sponsoring the Boko Haram sect, maintaining a link with the sect member and failing to disclose the phone number of Konduga, which was alleged to be in his (Ndume’s) possession.

    The prosecution commenced trial on July 3, 2012 and closed its case on June 22, 2016, after calling nine witnesses, following which Ndume opted for a no-case submission.

    Ndume’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN) had, while adopting his no-case submission on June 6 this year, urged the court to discharge and acquit his client on the ground that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima facie case against the defendant.

    Tarfa said the prosecution was unable to lead sufficient evidence link his client with the offences alleged.

    He said Ndume’s contact with Boko Haram came about when the senator was a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Matters in the North-East of the country.

    Reacting to the court’s decision, Ndume dressed in white robe (agbada and white cap) thank God for spearing his life to witness his acquittal.

    “I thank God for spearing my life. Many Senators, who have cases against them have died, but here I am and well. I am grateful to God,” he said.

  • #BBOG condemns FG, Military over silence on Police women abduction

    #BBOG condemns FG, Military over silence on Police women abduction

    …Group compares governments’ reaction to that of Chibok girls

     

     

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy have condemned the Federal Government (FG) and Military on its continues silence on the abduction of 16 Police women by Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri.

    The group says it is worried that 13 days after the reported tragedy, the federal government and military have maintained an eerie silence on the matter.

    In a statement signed by leaders of the group Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, #BBOG noted that it was 4 days after the unfortunate claim by the terrorists and more than 1 week after the incident that the Nigeria Police Force made its first statement, denying the women.

    The group added that for them there is a painful sense of déjà vu that compelled them to issue the statement. Assessing how the authorities have handled the latest incident of abduction, to them, it appears 3 years on, another #ChibokGirls-like tragedy is happening all over again.

    The group stated, “Almost 2 weeks ago, on 20 June, the media widely reported that a security convoy of vehicles conveying military and police personnel was attacked by the terrorists 30 kilometres from Maiduguri on the Maiduguri-Damboa federal highway. Part of the convoy was said to be civilians and personnel of Nigeria police travelling for the burial rites of a deceased police colleague. In some of the reports, eyewitness accounts relayed that 16 women were abducted by the terrorists from among the burial convoy.

    “Our movement is worried that 13 days after this reported tragedy, the federal government, the military have maintained an eerie silence on the matter. The ominous silence is made more troubling when 4 days after the attack and alleged abduction of the women from the burial convoy, the Boko Haram terrorists released a video in which they took responsibility and paraded the women they claimed were the police women, victims of that attack.

    “We also noted that it was 4 days after the unfortunate claim by the terrorists and more than 1 week after the incident that the Nigeria Police Force made its first statement. In said statement, it out rightly denied that any police personnel was abducted, that the women in the released video were not their staff although the statement confirmed that two (2) of their personnel were missing.

    “For us the #BringBackOurGirls movement there is a painful sense of déjà vu that has compelled us to issue this statement. Assessing how our authorities have handled this latest incident of abduction, it does appear that 3 years on, another #ChibokGirls-like tragedy is happening all over again.

    “We recount how a little over 3 years ago when our #ChibokGirls were abducted, there was no official response from the federal government and the military for several days. Then came the news from the military that all 129 school girls (the wrong number assumed to have been abducted at that time) had been rescued with only 8 presumed missing. The military was forced by wailing affected families to recant this wrong assertion a few days after when evidence to the contrary proved that 276 school girls were abducted, 57 escaped on their own with no involvement of the military and 219 had become captives of terrorists.

    “The similarity of that 3-year old tragic episode seems to be replaying itself in that Nigeria Police statement of Wednesday, 28 June 2017 on the alleged abduction of our policewomen. When the abduction happened in Chibok in 2014, some officials of the federal government did in fact deny that the school girls existed in the first place referring to their abduction as a scam. And yet, from media reports, the policewomen were said to be on a national assignment to bury their deceased colleague when eyewitnesses to their attack saw them taken away in a truck just like it happened to our ChibokGirls on that night of 14 April 2014.

    “We recall also another unfortunate in which the Nigerian air force denied the brave and heroic 41-year-old Wing Commander Chimda Hedima after he was captured by terrorists and displayed in a video they released in 2014. It did not end well.

    “This is why we as a movement have always insisted transparency and truth in the manner our government prosecutes and communicates the terrorist war, our triumphs and losses. It is the only way to mobilise the trust, confidence and support of the Nigerian people, especially families and communities directly affected by the multiple tragedies of abductions and deaths.

    “We are worried that while the Nigeria police is issuing denials, some affected families are reaching out to our movement seeking support to advocate to the federal government to mount a rescue plan for their abducted relatives. This unnecessary confusion makes us wonder what the real facts of this alleged abduction are and how the federal government — especially the Presidency intends to resolve it speedily. This is the least respect that should be accorded the alleged abductees who in this case are those sacrificing daily to secure the rest of us.

    “We therefore demand immediate reaction of the Presidency and the federal government to the cries of families of the alleged abducted policewomen and other citizens in the burial convoy that was attacked. The federal authorities cannot carry on repeating all the wrong approaches in dealing with victims of terrorism that it should have learned to handle differently over these many years. Therefore, our federal government must immediately provide answers to the whereabouts of the missing policewomen and their civilian counterparts who were part of the burial convoy. It must also instantly convey its effort to rescue any one of the victims of that attack that is accurately established to be in terrorist captivity. Finally, it must institute a feedback platform to engage with all the families of the abducted policewomen and others thereafter.

    “We also seize this opportunity to remind the Presidency and the military that our 113 #ChibokGirls are still missing, 1176 days after their abduction on 14 April 2014. Since the return of 82 last May, we are anxious that nothing further has been communicated to the parents of those still left in terrorist captivity. We demand haste on the part of our federal government in securing the release or rescue of our missing 113 #ChibokGirls to join their 106 schoolmates that have regained their freedom.”

     

  • Boko Haram militants kill nine in Niger village

    Boko Haram militants kill nine in Niger village

    Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed nine people in south-east Niger, an official said on Monday.

    The militants arrived on foot in Nglewa village in Kablewa rural municipality some 100 kilometres north of Diffa on Sunday.

    Kablewa Mayor Abari Elh Daouda said that they killed eight young people and an elderly man.

    About 30 people, including women and young men, were abducted.

    Report says the radical Islamist group kidnaps women to use as servants and sex slaves, while they use men as fighters.

    The Nigeria-based group has killed no fewer than 20,000 people since 2009 in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

  • Over 700 Boko Haram militants have surrendered to troops – Buratai

    Over 700 Boko Haram militants have surrendered to troops – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said on Monday that over 700 Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Borno State.

    Buratai stated this at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) and Photo/Art Exhibition in Abuja.

    He said the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents surrendered following intensive bombardment of their hideouts near Sambisa Forest by the Nigerian Army and supported by air assault from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) component.

    The army chief said: “Just a short while ago, I received the good news that about 700 Boko Haram terrorists in the fringes of the Sambisa forest have surrendered to troops.

    “It is a clear indication that the war on insurgency and terror is clearly being won. I want to congratulate not only our gallant troops and indeed the Navy and the Airforce, but all Nigerians.

    “The terrorists are surrendering because of the concerted efforts of the Nigerian military. They are in total disarray, they are hungry and are looking for a way out.”

    The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, who was the special guest of honour at the exhibition, said the roles of Nigerian Army in nation’s building cannot be underestimated, adding that there is no doubt the army was at the forefront of President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda.