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Tag: boko haram

  • Re: Buratai’s bruises on Nigerian troops

    I recently read the piece by the dependable Festus Adedayo, who in truth is one of the best hands in the media landscape in Nigeria. I mean with a Ph.D. in Political Communication from the University of Ibadan, one should expect that his political services should be in hot demand.

     

    He was at a time Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Enugu and Oyo States and recently the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan appointed him to the same position. But it ended in a controversy that the appointment had to be reversed not on the strength of capacity or qualification.  I stand to be corrected.

     

    I admire Festus Adedayo for his intellectual prowess. He speaks power to the truth on critical issues as it concerns governance and he has been applauded severally for this seemingly patriotic stance.

     

    But I have some reservations on his recent piece titled “Buratai’s Bruises on Nigerian Troops.” He, as usual, played with words and tried to mesmerize his readers. He went back and forth, trying to justify the title of his piece. He also went as far as quoting from the Nigerian Armed Forces Act, especially Section 45, 46, 47 and 48 which deal with the misconduct of military personnel.

     

    But the plot failed. This time he was unable to deliver on his much anticipated best seller. I won’t say I was disappointed. I would rather say he wrote with so much venom that he forgot the place of logic in writing and that emotions should be kept at bay. Those were the areas he got it woefully wrong. Aside the fact that he wrote on a topic he was completely ignorant on.

     

    Back to the crux of the matter. He stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai accused his troops of treason with his statement at a workshop tagged “Transformational leadership” which was organized by the Army Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation, which held at the Army Resource Centre in Abuja recently.

     

    Buratai had said: “It is unfortunate, but the truth is that almost every setback the Nigerian Army has had in our operations in recent times can be traced to the insufficient willingness to perform assigned tasks or simply insufficient commitment to a common national/military course by those at the frontlines. Many of those on whom the responsibility for physical actions against the adversary squarely falls are yet to take ownership of our common national or service cause fully.”

     

    I will start on this note. The media quoted the comment by the Chief of Army Staff out of context, which is common in this clime. Two statements in the commentary were right and a reflection of the harshness of the reality on the ground in Nigeria. And they are an insufficient willingness and insufficient commitment to take ownership of our common national service or cause fully.

     

    The above two have been the bane of the myriads of challenges facing Nigeria. Lack of willingness and lack of commitment to a common goal. Everyone seems to be preoccupied with their interest rather than national interest. And this was simply what the Chief of Army Staff was trying to emphasize in his comment.

     

    But for how the press interpreted it. The statement wasn’t meant to dampen the morale of the troops. Far from that, rather it was meant to provide explanations to why things go wrong and why things also go right narrowing it to the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Nasarawa Gov, Sule appoints personal aides

     

    Festus Adedayo in his piece in an attempt to let the world know he is an intellectual went ahead to suggest what the Chief of Army Staff meant by insufficient willingness. He wrote “Insufficient willingness” could be a symptom of several malaises, ranging from weariness to fight, disobedience to command, sagging morale, cowardly behavior, communicating with the enemy, among the panoply of other tendencies.”

     

    After reading this, I wondered if Festus Adedayo was a soothsayer that could with the whip of a handkerchief interpret a statement with such authority. I think he took his brilliance too far for want of a better expression.

     

    He also systematically analyzed how Boko Haram fighters earn $3000 daily and how Nigerian soldiers earn a meager N1000 daily. Even though he alluded that it was not his original idea, but that of Dr. Sidi Mohammed, a member of the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI). The mere fact that he could cite such nonsense is an indication of how not be an intellectual.

     

    And assuming such was even real, I can bet that even soldiers would readily switch camp since it’s all about how the Nigerian Army has neglected the soldiers at the battlefront as Festus Adedayo wants us to believe.

     

    He also attempted to be emotional in his piece like he has ever traveled to the theatre of operations for once in his lifetime. If he hasn’t, then there is no moral justification for him to lend his voice to the activities of the Nigerian military in North East Nigeria. The bulk of the stories of neglect and what have you are figments of the imaginations of the authors, or probably they still relied on the fate of Nigerian soldiers before the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015. Just like Festus Adedayo and members of the unsuspecting public.

     

    Festus Adedayo tried as much as possible in his piece to conceal its true intention, which is to throw a jab at the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the humiliating way his appointment was terminated. Even though he has screamed to high heaven that he never wanted the job, but a week after he didn’t come out to reject it, not until the public outcry that followed.

     

    One of such way he wanted to get at the government was his satirical statement that read thus “The truth is, if we count the number of the dead since Buhari assumed office in 2015, it should be near the casualty figure of the Nigerian civil war.” I wondered how Festus Adedayo lost it this easily. A Special Adviser to the Senate President is not an Olympic medal that should rattle the Festus Adedayo we all know.

     

    Having stated the above, it becomes apparent the Festus Adedayo needs some form of enlightenment on what it takes to be in a war situation and what most war commanders face in galvanizing their troops to victory. Festus Adedayo should know that there would lethargic feelings which would translate to insufficient commitment or reluctance. This is a natural occurrence even in the most civilized climes in the world.

     

    Warfare is not political science or communication, and as such, it would be difficult for Festus Adedayo to comprehend the statement of the Chief of Army Staff, just like those that misconstrue it to mean blaming the soldiers for the setbacks recorded in recent times.

     

    His entire piece was laced with outright insinuations and illogical conclusions. There was not a single sentence or paragraph that contained first-hand information; rather it dwelled on hearsays and cheap gossips not befitting for intellectual discourse.

     

    Festus Adedayo must rephrase his piece to read “How I misled my readers with half-truths” and consequently apologize immensely for missing it this time around. In all, I need to mention that I am a great fan of Festus Adedayo. But the truth must be told at all times. This very one is a big disappointment.  The comment of the Chief of Army Staff was not a bruise. But rather a wakeup call. It is called strategy.

     

    Agbese is a human rights activist based in the United Kingdom.

     

     

  • The fear of Boko Haram

    KATSINA State might have been the only state in the north, nay the country, to officially announce the cancellation of any elaborate inauguration on May 29, which is the date the civilian administration that we have in the country came into being in 1979; there is no doubt that some other states must have celebrated the day in fear. Ordinarily, the date should be a watershed in the country’s history because it was the day when soldiers left the political stage for politicians after about 16 years of military interregnum.

    The fear of Boko Haram and other security threats would appear to be the beginning of wisdom for many Nigerians living in the troubled parts of the country. And this fear is not unfounded. Of the 2.3 million people displaced by the Boko Haram conflict since May 2013, at least 250,000 have left Nigeria and fled into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad or Niger. Boko Haram killed over 6,600 in 2014 alone.

    Moreover, the group has carried out mass abductions, including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014. Indeed, the terrorists have rendered some parts of the north desolate, churning out orphans, widows and widowers with reckless abandon. At a point, the sect had sacked several local governments and installed its own governments in those places before the country’s security agencies reclaimed those seized territories. Sadly, the Federal Government and the security agencies do not seem to have the solution to the question posed by the terrorists.

    Katsina State has not been particularly immune from the security fears posed by the activities of the terrorists and other criminals who seem to have seized the nation by the jugular, given the sheer number of people they have dispatched to untimely graves. In this kind of scenario, it is easy to understand the fears of the Katsina State government to only mark, but not celebrate the inauguration of the new government in the state.

    Many would wonder about why this kind of thing will be happening in the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari? In other words, why Katsina State? And, if we may ask: why not Katsina State? Is Katsina State not in Nigeria? Is it not in the northern part of the country where all manner of bandits have been threatening the country’s security in recent times? Won’t Nigerians also complain if the state is immune to the activities of these criminals? Won’t we accuse the President of nepotism?

    However, while we appreciate the concern of the state government in protecting the lives of citizens of the state by not unnecessarily exposing them to avoidable danger, perhaps due to security alerts, we make bold to say that the solution does not lie in giving the impression that the state is helpless, despite the weapons of coercion at its disposal. We must not advertently or inadvertently give the impression that will continue to embolden the terrorists.

    The government and the security agencies do not have to keep telling us that they have degraded the terrorists; rather, this must be seen and felt to be so. A situation where the criminals strike after government has made claims of degrading them does not engender the trust and confidence of the populace that the government is on top of the situation.

    What we are saying, in essence,  is that having a low-key celebration due to fears of terrorists attack is only a short-term measure. What if this continues till  next year, will the state government cancel the celebration again? What if this happens in a place like Abuja, will the Federal Government simply throw up its hands in frustration and helplessness? No. What is required is a pragmatic approach that will substantially knock out the criminals. It is about time government and the security agencies reviewed their tactic. They cannot be doing the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. Under no circumstance should the terrorists go away with the impression of having psychological victory or gaining an upper hand in the war against them.

     

  • I’ll tackle Boko Haram with full force – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari will host leaders of Lake Chad Basin Commission in an informal summit on the side lines of Democracy Day and second term inauguration celebrations on June 12, 2019, in Abuja.

    The meeting, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, will focus on bringing up new strategies to end the menace of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

    Speaking at a bilateral meeting with President Idris Deby Itno of Chad Republic in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where both leaders are attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, Buhari said it was time for “a new way forward that completely removes the threat of terrorism from Lake Chad sub-region.”

    Read Also: Air Force degrades Boko Haram in Borno

    The President said since elections were over, he would have more time to pursue the threat of terrorism with “full force’’.

    The Nigerian and Chadian leaders agreed on the need for sub-regional leaders to sit down and agree on changing the strategy “for a more sustained operation, which will continue until the threat is brought to a permanent end.’’

    President Buhari and President Deby Itno also discussed the challenge posed by rainy season to military operations against terrorism, agreeing to urgently review strategies that will bolster onslaught against insurgents.

    The two leaders talked about how the meeting in Abuja will respond to infiltration of displaced elements of the Daesh, an acronym for ISIL’s Arabic name, al-Dawlah al-Islamîyah fî l-»Irâq wa-sh-Shâm, through Libya into the Lake Chad area.

     

  • Child soldiers

    We welcome UNICEF’s initiative to end the scourge

    It has been a multiple whammy for children in the north-east part of Nigeria, ever since the predatory Boko Haram struck in that territory. If they are not getting killed in the armed conflict, they may be conscripted to fight the war, even by non-state combatants. The tragedy of children who have been denied their normal childhood experiences has the most devastating impact. Regrettably, to help protect the neighbourhood, the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) had recruited children amongst their members.

    But that kind of abuse is about to end. Following the intervention of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the CJTF has agreed to stop recruitment of children into their fold and to release those already recruited. Penultimate Friday, about 894 children, including 106 girls recruited into the CJTF in Maiduguri, Borno State, were released. The UNICEF in a statement said: “Children of north-east Nigeria have borne the brunt of this conflict. They have been used by armed groups in combatant and non-combatant roles and witnessed death, killing and violence.”

    Confirming the release of the children, UNICEF said it was in fulfilment of an agreement it reached with the CJTF in 2017 to release children in their fold, and to also stop any such recruitment. We applaud the agreement and its implementation. The children, no doubt, deserve to have a better life experience, and every effort should be made to discourage their recruitment as child soldiers, whether by Boko Haram or those fighting the scourge. At least, with the CJTF releasing the children in their control, one aspect of the challenge is contained.

    On this page we have had cause to commend the CJTF, and that commendation is deserved considering the enormous support they have given the military joint task force to fight Boko Haram. Of course, being indigenes of the community, they know the terrain and the renegade members of the community more than the regular fighting forces, and such knowledge is useful in fighting a shifty rogue army like Boko Haram. So, getting the CJTF to conform to international practices with regards to the rights of children, even in war, is welcomed, so that the CJTF members are not indicted under international laws, after the war.

    No doubt, the plight of children in the north-east is horrible. Many of them have become orphaned by the war, and are just roaming the streets without any next-of-kin. Many more are not only out of school; they leave in refugee camps, with all the consequences associated with them. The female ones get raped or asked to give sex in exchange for food and other essentials. Added to these traumatic experiences is the possibility of being recruited as a child soldier. As noted by UNICEF, children’s “participation in the conflict has had serious implications for their physical and emotional well-being.”

    The north-east harbouring millions of internally displaced persons surely needs more aid from the international community. Of note, according to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria stands at about N78.4bn (about $279m) out of which United Nations humanitarian chief, Mr Stephen O’Brien, has released about N3.7bn ($13m) from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to support about 250,000 displaced persons in the region. The agency noted that the gesture is a life-saving measure for the people in the region who have suffered so much from the ravages of Boko Haram attacks.

    Admittedly, other institutions in Nigeria and across the world have thrown in huge sums, to ameliorate the challenges faced by the displaced persons. The federal and state governments, particularly Borno State, the epicentre of the insurgency, have also done a lot to help the situation, but, like in any unfolding tragedy, the resources poured in are also swallowed by the increasing need of the displaced. So, the permanent solution is to defeat Boko Haram, so the people can be resettled in their homes to fend for themselves.

    As noted by the UN agency, “the destruction of crops and looting of livestock have left many people unable to support their families.” Towards helping those able to farm to start again, the UN agency notes that “more than 50,000 people need seeds and tools for the upcoming planting season.” Mr O’Brien also said the “CERF funds will enable humanitarian partners to provide critical psycho-social support and protection services.” Furthermore, he said: “CERF funding will help them to rebuild their livelihoods.”

    The most vulnerable in the crisis in the north-east no doubt remains women and children. All necessary efforts to help them should be put in place. That should also include international pressure on Boko Haram to stop the atrocity of recruiting child soldiers. On their part, the CJTF must release every child helping as combatants and non-combatants in the unfortunate war brought by Boko Haram.

  • Three nuts to crack in Buhari’s second term

    Insecurity was pivotal to the downfall of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Back then, not even the nation’s capital was immune to the scourge of suicide bombers who were setting off their ordnance in public places and military barracks in the city.

    I recall that after one such attack at a popular motor park in Abuja, the president paid a quick visit to see victims at some hospital and thereafter headed to a Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) rally in Kano where he was pictured dancing enthusiastically.

    The optics were awful. Not only was Jonathan coming across as not having a solution to the security challenge of the time, his appearance at the rally painted a picture of an unfeeling leader. It was propaganda gold served on a platter to the opposition who milked it for all it was worth.

    Muhammadu Buhari, on the other hand, was sold as the no-nonsense general with commensurate experience to bring Boko Haram insurgents to heel. Four years after being handed the job, and on the cusp of entering his second lap, the scorecard is a mixed bag of significant progress in the Northeast and deterioration in some other areas.

    The government and its security agencies are quick to point to their successes against the insurgents as evidence that things have improved. They have their point because for years not a single bomb has gone off in Abuja or any of the major northern cities outside of the Northeast theatre of conflict.

    Much of the ground that Boko Haram once held has been retaken. This is a far cry from the days when the terrorists’ sleeper cells were uncovered in Kogi State and the fear was it just a matter of time before they struck in the Southwest.

    However, the progress against the insurgents has been vitiated by the snowballing of other security threats like kidnapping and banditry to unprecedented levels.

    No honest person would say we don’t have a crisis with kidnapping – a menace that is occurring in virtually all geopolitical zones. Where, once upon a time, it was a novelty associated with the Niger Delta struggle, now it has become a business venture – shorn of any political or religious motivations.

    The banditry scourge in Zamfara and other parts of the Northwest is even more complex. On the one hand it is a communal conflict pitting the Fulani against Hausas, but the killings have also been linked to economic factors.

    Add to this grim mix the lingering bloodletting between herdsmen and farmers and you have a gigantic headache for Buhari as he heads into the second tenure.

    Today, the armed forces and other security agencies have multiple operations currently running in different theatres across the country – each with fearsome names like ‘Operation Thunder Strike’, ‘Operation Python Dance,’ ‘Operation Puff Adder’ to name a few.

    The fact that they are so many underscores the gravity of the situation. In spite of these diverse emergency interventions, the security situation remains fluid as kidnapping, banditry and other forms of extreme criminality don’t look like they are about to disappear. Despite the position of the agencies that the situation is actually improving, each new day brings reports of some new outrage by criminals.

    Sometimes, the security agencies take the simplistic position that all such activities are fanned by desperate and ambitious politicians. That sort of thinking led the DSS under Jonathan to allege that the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) were the sponsors of Boko Haram.

    Perhaps we are seeing shades of that sort of thinking with the erstwhile rulers now turned opposition being accused of actively plotting to destabilise the Buhari government. That suspicion would remain until evidence is released to back up the charges.

    At other times the argument is that some of these groups just want to confront the state. While we must make room for erratic and irrational behaviour, one is left wondering what the motivation for confronting state is. Is it just confrontation as an end?

    Assumptions about groups bent on confrontation can be reasonably made when discussing Boko Haram and, to a lesser extent, Sheikh El-Zakzaky’s Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN). But the threats to wellbeing of the larger population are not from these two now significantly-weakened groups.

    The earlier the government addresses itself to the fact that criminality is rising because of the parlous state of the economy the better. Youth unemployment is rampant. We have scores of public and private universities churning out thousands of graduates yearly without any idea of how they would be put to work.

    There is even a greater nightmare with the less-educated and illiterate who have swarmed into commercial motorcycle riding (okada) – because for them it is the only game in town.

    Unfortunately, the economy is not creating new openings at a pace to offset mounting job losses. The upshot is a spike in the numbers of the idle and frustrated.

    The government spent the last four years pursuing a strategy of attempting to reflate the economy by investing massively in public infrastructure and paying contractors who were not receiving their monies under the last administration. It has also tried populist initiatives like Tradermoni.

    However, its best efforts don’t appear to be denting the problem. Buhari has to crack the co-joined issues of the economy and insecurity in his second term, otherwise the negative feedback surrounding these issues would totally eclipse whatever he may attain building infrastructure. Quite frankly, it’s still the economy, stupid!

    The third thing that has to be addressed urgently is the structure of the country. Much of the stresses and strains we are witnessing have much to do with how we co-exist, how common resources are apportioned as well as the manner in which power and responsibilities are shared by governments at different levels.

    There is failure of governance at the grassroots because many states have hijacked the funds and functions of local governments and are not willing to let go. Even with what they have grabbed, the sorry states are not in any better shape.

    For its part, the Federal Government has had too much stuffed on its plate by the constitution, making it ineffective and inefficient in many areas. There has to be a radical redefinition of how things work such that certain powers and responsibilities are taken from the centre and devolved to the states.

    In this wise, it is absolutely imperative that control over natural resources is redefined such that states can become viable and local economies built up without the current beggarly relationship that exists between them and Abuja.

    But the process cannot be helped if public officials keep regurgitating clichés about Nigeria’s indivisibility. While the advantages of size make it a wise option to remain one entity, we must accept that ours is a far from perfect union that desperately needs tweaking. That is why the visceral reaction to any mention of restructuring shouldn’t be some lecture about remaining one indivisible nation.

    It might be the wish of some to hold the nation together. But wishes are not horses. Sometimes, historical forces just take matters out of our hands. The centrifugal forces pulling Nigeria in different directions are increasing in their intensity such that there could be a rent somewhere if something urgent isn’t done about today’s issues.

  • Air Force strikes kill scores of fleeing terrorists in Borno

    The Nigerian Air Force on Saturday said it has inflicted heavy casualties on scores of Boko Haram Terrorists at the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno state.

    According to the spokesman of the Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the insurgents who were fleeing from the bombardments of Niger and Chadian Air Force met their Waterloo with the Nigerian Air Force.

    Daramola said in a statement supported with video clips that the insurgents and their structures were destroyed during air strikes conducted by the air force.

    He said: “The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has inflicted heavy casualties on Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) elements in devastating air strikes conducted at Tumbun Hamma on the fringes of Lake Chad yesterday, 24 May 2019.

    ” The attack was conducted following credible intelligence reports indicating that the terrorists, who had fled the series of air strikes conducted by Nigerian, Nigerien and Chadian Air Forces, around the Malkanori-Tumbun Rego general axis of northern Borno State, had converged in Tumbun Hamma.

    Read Also: Police rescue man abducted by fake soldiers

    ” The attack was preceded by series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions which confirmed heavy presence of terrorists in several structures, along with their logistics items, spread across the small settlement. Accordingly, the ATF scrambled an Alpha Jet aircraft to attack the location, recording a successful direct hit in the centre of the target area leading to the neutralization of several terrorists as well as the destruction of their structures and logistics.

    ” The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its operations to completely degrade the terrorists in the Northeast. “

  • Boko Haram: 2, 295 teachers killed, 19, 000 displaced in Borno, others – Minister

    Over 2, 295 teachers have been killed and 19, 000 displaced in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in nine years, Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has said.

    The minister said 1, 500 schools have been destroyed by Boko Haram since 2014.

    According to him, this has resulted in 1, 280 casualties among teachers and students.

    This, he explained, has contributed to the number of out-of-school children in the country.

    The minister said: “The greatest challenge of the out-of-school, phenomenon in recent years has been the problem of insurgency. Since the inception of the insurgency in the North-East, education has been under constant and system attack resulting in the killing of both learners and teachers and destruction of education facilities.

    “Over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19, 000 displaced in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in the last nine years. An estimated 1,500 schools have been destroyed since 2014, with over 1, 280 casualties among teachers and students.

    “This crisis has further devastated the education system as children, teachers and schools are in the frontline of the conflict.”

    Read Also: Police dismiss rumour about vulture signalling impending Boko Haram attack

    To address this, the minister said the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF, NGOs, State Directors of Policy, Research and Statistics in the six geo-political zones formulated a policy on Violence Free School for Children in Nigeria to create zero tolerance national culture towards Violence Against Children in education.

    “The policy will also promote a learning environment where children are respected, protected and empowered. The policy has been developed, critiqued and is undergoing final statutory processes before distribution to all stakeholders for immediate implementation,” he added.

  • Buratai promises troops more weapons

    The Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Tukur Buratai has again urged troops in the front line to remain focus in clearing the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents out of their hideouts in the northeast.

    The Army’s Director of Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa said in a statement that Buratai gave the charge to the troops during his tour of duty to the northeast.

    He said the Army Chief promised that more weapons and ammunition would soon be inducted for the use of the troops to enable them conclude the operations against the terrorists.

    Col. Musa said Buratai visited the  Forward Operation Base at Buratai, Borno state, “where he interacted with the soldiers and urged them to remain focused and committed to bringing terrorism to an end. ”

    Read Also: Buratai inaugurates 20 staff quarters in Army University, Biu

    Col. Musa said “during his address to the troops, General TY Buratai assured them that more equipment will be inducted into the mission areas to boost their efforts in the war against terrorism and other assorted insecurities in Nigeria.

    “He used the opportunity to assure them (troops) of his total commitment to their welfare and that of their families.

    “He charged them to strictly adhere to the extant Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct which guide their activities while on internal Security duty.

    “The Chief of Training and Operations Major General Lamidi Adeosun, Theatre Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE Major General Benson Akinroluyo and Provost Marshal Army Brigadier General H Ahmed among other senior officers were in the entourage of the Chief of Army Staff.”

  • Police dismiss rumour about vulture signalling impending Boko Haram attack

    The Police in Adamawa State on Tuesday dismissed an insinuation that a vulture found with a woman in Maiha Local Government Area could mean an impending attack by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Madaki, had on Monday spoken of the seizure of the suspicious vulture following a complaint by an elder in Maiha.

    Madaki had said the elder called to complain that a woman had brought a vulture and that the elder contended that the last time someone brought three vultures into Maiha, the area experienced a Boko Haram attack a few days later.

    The commissioner said since the people seemed to be disturbed by the presence of the vulture, the police took it into custody.

    Asked for an update on the vulture, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Othman Abubakar, told our correspondent on Tuesday afternoon that the vulture in question had been in the said house in Maiha long enough for Boko Haram to have attacked Maiha if the insinuation had any substance.

    “It is a rumour. There is no substance in it,” the superintendent of police said, urging the people of Maiha to keep calm about it.

    Maiha, a town and local government area in the northern part of Adamawa State, is one of the seven LGAs once seized by Boko Haram insurgents. They had occupied Maiha, Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, Hong and Gonbi from July 2014 until soldiers liberated the LGAs just before the 2015 general elections.

    Madagali, Michika, and to a smaller extent Maiha, have experienced Boko Haram attacks a number of times since then.

  • Boko Haram: Obasanjo’s comment offensive, divisive – FG

    The federal government has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to withdraw his recent divisive comments, imputing ethno-religious motive to Boko Haram, ISWAP, and as well apologise to Nigerians.

    In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said , such “indiscreet, deeply offensive and patently divisive comments are far below the status of an elder statesman”.

    ” It is particularly tragic that a man who fought to keep Nigeria one is the same one seeking to exploit the country’s fault lines to divide it in the twilight of his
    life”.

    The minister said Boko Haram and ISWAP are terrorist organisations pure and simple, adding that they care little about ethnicity or religion when perpetrating their senseless killings and destruction.

    ”Since the Boko Haram crisis, which has been simmering under the watch of Obasanjo, boiled over in 2009, the terrorist organisation has killed more Muslims than adherents of any other religion.

    “The terrorist group blown up more mosques than any other houses of worship and is not known to have
    spared any victim on the basis of their ethnicity.

    “It is therefore absurd to say that Boko Haram and its ISWAP variant have as their goal the ‘Fulanisation and Islamisation’ of Nigeria, West Africa or Africa,” he said.

    The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari put to rest the mis-characterization of Boko Haram as an Islamic organisation when he said, in his inaugural speech in 2015, that ”Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of”.

    He reiterated that Obasanjo’s comments were, therefore, “as insensitive and mischievous as they are as offensive and divisive in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria”

    “It is wondering whether there is no limit to how far the former President will go in throwing poisonous darts at his perceived political enemies.

    The minister noted that Obasanjo’s prescriptions for ending the Boko Haram/ISWAP crisis, which include seeking assistance outside the shores of Nigeria, are coming several years late.

    He said President Buhari had done that and more since assuming office, “hence, the phenomenal success he
    has recorded in tackling the terrorists”.

    Read Also: ICYMI: Obasanjo: Boko Haram is for Fulanisation, Islamisation

    ”Shortly after assuming office in 2015, President Buhari’s first trips outside the country were to rally the support of Nigeria’s neighbours – Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger – for the efforts to battle the terrorists.

    “The President also rallied the support of the international community, starting with the G7, and then the US, France
    and the UN.

    ”That explains the massive degrading of Boko Haram, which has since lost its capacity to carry out the kind of spectacular attacks for which it became infamous, and the recovery of every inch of captured Nigerian territory from the terrorists,” he said.

    He also noted that Obasanjo’s call for wide consultations with various groups as part of the efforts to tackle the Boko Haram crisis has been neutralised by his ill-advised comments which have served more to alienate a large number of Nigerians, who are offended by his tactless and distasteful postulation.

    The Minister called on the former President, whom he said took bullets
    for Nigeria’s unity, not to allow personal animosity to override his love for a united Nigeria.