The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Gaidam tasks UniMaid to research on Boko Haram

    Yobe state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, has tasked University of Maiduguri to conduct research on the causes and come out with possible solution on the Boko Haram crisis.
    According to him, the university having situated at the heart of Boko Haram insurgency is can play a great role  of establishing  academic programme that would reduce or prevent violent extremism, start socio-economic and psycho-social intervention projects in response to humanitarian crises brought by Boko haram insurgency in the Northeast. 
    The governor, who spoke while receiving Fund Raising Committee of University of Maiduguri for its 40th Anniversary praised the institution for the success it has made so far in producing leaders and scholars in the country since its establishment in 1976.
    “One of the hall-mark of a university is the ability to embark on innovative use of its knowledge base and research findings to address challenges facing the immediate environment.
    “I want to believe that being situated at the central point of Boko Haram insurgency, the university is undoubtedly placed in a better position y]to conduct deep research into the phenomenon of Boko Haram extremism than any other institution of learning. In this regard, we expect the University to think in terms of mounting academic program to reduce or prevent violent extremism as well as start socio-economic and Psyco-social intervention projects in response to the humanitarian crisis brought about by the Boko Haram insurgency…,” Gov. Gaidam said.
    Gaidam also  advised Islamic scholars in the country to take the challenge of educating  misguided and misleading representation of Islam to the youths by some  extremist groups.
    The governor noted his commitment to education and human capital development with the establishment of Yobe  State University  adding that  huge budgetary allocation to education remains the priority of his administration.
    “The investment yielded dividend because Yobe University has scored 100 percent success in its first accreditation exercise. A total of 29 academic programmes were presented. At the end of the exercise, 27 programme were granted full accreditation while 2 were granted interim accreditation” he said
    He pledged to  continue with the  collaboration between Yobe state government and the University of Maiduguri.
    The governor ordered for the immediate release of the sum of N30 million as part of Yobe state support for the 40TH anniversary of the institution.
    Earlier, University`s Vice Chancellor, represented by his Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Godowoli, had unveiled the reason of the visit to the governor and request his attendance for the 40th anniversary and convocation of the university.
      
    He noted that the university programme was never once interrupted by the Boko Haram crisis in the state.

  • Troops rescue 11,595 Boko Haram hostages, says Army

    Troops fighting insurgency in the North-East region have rescued 11,595 persons held hostage by Boko Haram insurgents between Feb. 26, and end of March.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Army Spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said the hostages were rescued during clearance operations conducted by troops in different locations in the North-East.

    Usman said most of the hostages were rescued in various areas and towns where remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents were hiding, while others were received from Cameroonian authorities.

    According to Usman, on March 1, troops of 155 Task Force Battalion received 10,000 hostages from the Republic of Cameroon at Banki and Bama axis.

    He added that 63 persons held captives by the terrorists at Maleri were also rescued two days later by Army Headquarters Special Forces (AHQ SF) Battalion.

    Usman said on March 5, the same unit rescued 779 persons at Fotokol general area, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon.

    He noted that 45 persons were released from Boko Haram captivity in Kuaguru by troops of 254 Task Force Battalion in the first week of March.

    Usman said troops of 143 Battalion also rescued 27 persons at Gadayamo; 15 at Galadadani Dam in Madagali and 10 persons from Disa Village.

    On March 11, Usman said troops of 231 Battalion and Armed Forces Strike Force (AFSF) rescued seven persons comprising five elderly women and two young girls at Betso Village.

    According to the statement, troops of 117 Task Force Battalion received 14 hostages from Sahuda, a border town with Cameroon on March 15.

    Usman said the same battalion rescued 59 Boko Haram hostages at Bitta general area on March 19.

    He said troops of 22 Brigade in conjunction with Army Headquarters Strike Group (AHQ SG) also rescued 309 hostages from Kala Balge general area on March 23.

    On March 30, Usman said that troops of 25 Task Force Brigade rescued 45 men; 85 women and 137 children from Boko Haram insurgents at Zahdra and Weige villages.

    Usman said more persons were expected to be released from captivity as the troops continued with clearance and mop-up operations in the region.

  • DHQ to Boko Haram members: surrender

    DHQ to Boko Haram members: surrender

    •Sets up camp for repentant terrorists

    The Defence Headquarters has urged members of the Boko Haram sect to drop their weapons and embrace peace.

    DHQ, in a statement, announced that it has established a rehabilitation camp, known as ‘Operation Safe Corridor’, for repentant Boko Haram fighters.

    The statement said the camp was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to end the war against insurgency in the Northeast and in furtherance of its efforts to rehabilitate and re-integrate repentant Boko Haram members.

    The repentant terrorists in the camp, said the DHQ, would be given empowerment training to enable them contribute meaningfully to the economy.

    Defence Headquarters appealed to other recalcitrant terrorists still carrying arms to repent and benefit from the opportunities offered by the camp.

    The DHQ added that the final onslaught against the remnant group of terrorists would continue unabated until the power of evil in the Northeast  was neutralised.

    “The reluctant Boko Haram members should, therefore, see wisdom in surrendering now, thereby saving themselves from imminent calamity that is about to fall on them, in the event of a military mop-up, if they continue in their unwholesome acts,” the DHQ said.

    The DHQ urged the public to be extra vigilant and report any unusual persons, objects and movement to the security agencies.

     

     

  • ‘Selfish Nigerians behind Boko Haram video’

    A northern group, the Arewa Youths Integrity Forum, has described the latest video of Boko Haram, claiming it has not surrendered, as the handiwork of selfish Nigerians determined to ensure that the insurgency continues.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday, the group’s National President, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, said the video showed there was a crack in the ranks of the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Describing the individuals as “war entrepreneurs”, he said: “The war entrepreneurs, who defrauded the Goodluck Jonathan administration to the tune of billions of naira with the claims of negotiation and ceasefire are back to their game of wanting to keep exploiting Boko Haram for monetary gains.”

    Abubakar said it was good that the military dismissed the indirect call for a truce and pressed on with President Muhammadu Buhari’s orders as commander-in-chief to wipe out the insurgents.

    He said: “They will use the two videos as a compelling argument to draw the Federal Government into engaging them as brokers and will pocket the proceeds of the media they have carefully set up. The country must not be led down this path again.

    “An equally possible facet is that Boko Haram sponsors, patrons and benefactors, who want to undermine the Army and the Federal Government, used paid actors for either of the videos or for both. The intention will be for the Federal Government, the Army, to become complacent and engage in premature celebration of a seriously-battered Boko Haram and consequently slow down the offensive against the terrorists, who will then regroup and receive arms and logistics to take on the military.”

    Abubakar enjoined the Army and the Federal Government not to be lulled into any false sense of achievement by the kind of trick that Boko Haram just pulled so it would not repeat the mistakes of the previous administration that dealt with paid actors while the terrorists continued.

    Said he: “The only surrender that Nigerians will recognise is that of Boko Haram members or leaders that surrender or hand themselves over to our troops. Surrendering by video or any other indirect method is not acceptable. The crimes they committed were committed in person, so they should also surrender in person. Those who want to continue fighting the Nigerian state have made their choices as enemy combatants and the rules of engagement are clear.”

  • Shettima: Boko Haram has been defeated

    Shettima: Boko Haram has been defeated

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, that Boko Haram insurgents no longer occupied any territory in his state.

    Shettima, chairman of the Northern State Governors’ Forum, who visited Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in company of his Niger and Jigawa state colleagues, Alhaji Abubakar Sanni Bello and Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, said Boko Haram had been defeated.

    He said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) government has scored a pass mark in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency. Boko Haram has been defeated and the roads in the state have been reopened for business.”

    Commenting on the economic situation in the country, Shettima said: “The problems faced by the nation are expected, as the APC government is in the process of rebuilding the nation.

    “When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) misruled the country, crude oil was about $140 per barrel. The price has fallen to less than $40 per barrel. It is to the credit of President Muhammadu Buhari that the nation is still moving despite the decline in revenue. If the PDP had been in power, the country would have collapsed.

    “The President’s integrity has earned the nation respect in the global community, as corruption has reduced. Nigerians should hail President Buhari for rebuilding the country.”

    Governor Okorocha said: “There was evidence that Nigeria was almost going down before the emergence of the APC government. God loves this country and this is why he has brought APC at this point in time to save the nation from collapse. If the PDP is still in charge and oil falls to this level, the country would have been in a mess. Which means, God is not yet done with Nigeria and in President Buhari, he has restored our hopes.”

    He added: “For APC leaders, it is a test. APC is equal to the task and we will move Nigerians out of this pit dug by the PDP and the economy will soon blossom. President Buhari has brought a sense of direction and leadership to the nation. But for him, the economic problem would have plunged the nation into crisis. We, the APC governors, are putting heads together to see how we can complement the President’s efforts.”

  • No truce, no surrender, Boko Haram boasts in new video

    No truce, no surrender, Boko Haram boasts in new video

    The terrorist group, Boko Haram, issued a  new video yesterday dismissing  any suggestion it would surrender.

    This came  just over a week after the sect’s  shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a rare message looking dejected and frail.

    Shekau, who was not seen on camera for more than a year, released an unverified video late last month and said his time in charge of the group might be coming to an end.

    If the video indeed depicts Shekau, he appears thin and listless, delivering his message without his trademark fiery rhetoric, prompting speculation from the army that the sect was on the verge of collapse in the face of a sustained military counter-insurgency.

    However, in the latest message, Boko Haram maintained it was a potent fighting force, with insurgents posing with AK-47s in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military cannon.

    “You should know that there is no truce, there is no negotiation, there is no surrender,” an unidentified masked man wearing camouflage said in a prepared script in Hausa, in the video posted on YouTube.

    “This war between us will not stop.”

    The video, which was of markedly of better quality than Shekau’s and included Arabic subtitles, featured nine masked Boko Haram fighters standing on sandy ground in an undisclosed desert location.

    Shekau did not appear in the video but the masked man in the video said he (Shekau)  remains  the sect’s leader.

    He likened Boko Haram to the Islamist insurgencies in Iraq, Libya and Syria.

     In March 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

    But there were few signs Boko Haram — now styled as Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) — has so far benefited from the partnership.

    The army has since then recovered  swathes of territory from the terrorists, liberating thousands living under Boko Haram control.

    An estimated 20,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram began its campaign of violence in 2009 in the Northeast.

  • Boko Haram: Borno donates more patrol vehicles to army

    The Borno State Government yesterday added to the fleet of vehicles donated to the Nigeria Army troops in the state to assist in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The patrol vehicles were presented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan, on behalf of Governor Kashim Shettima with the message that the vehicles would assist the troops in their current challenges. He also commended them on recent successes in Kala/Balge, Ran and Alagarno in the state.

    He said: “His Excellency has directed me to congratulate you on the successes you have recorded in recent times, particularly the recapture of Kala/Balge, Ran, and Alagarno, to mention a few. The governor is also aware of your commitment as well as the zeal you have demonstrated in this military operation, particularly you at the helm of affairs of the GOC of 7 Division taking the war to the doorsteps of these miscreants in their hideouts and enclaves.

    “The governor further said he will continue to support the military to complement the efforts of Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. We are very proud of you; I will continue to pray for you to excel in this fight.

    “We’ve no words to convey our depth of gratitude to Mr. President for what he has done so far in the last 10 months in the counter-insurgency operation in Borno and the Northeast. We wish to thank the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai for identifying gallant military officers and for posting them as GOCs, Commanders, Principal Staff Officers and troops to end this operation in no distant future.

    In his remarks after receiving the keys to the 10 vehicles, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, observed that the donation is not the first time but a series in Governor Kashim Shettima’s donations of patrol vehicles to assisting the army in their job since the beginning of the Boko Haram crisis.

  • Boko Haram insurgency to end soon – Chief of Air Staff

    The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, Thursday said the Boko Haram insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria would soon end.

    Speaking when he paid a maiden visit to the 207 Special Mobility Group of the Nigerian Airforce in Calabar, he said that the military was at the “tail end of totally eliminating the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.”

    According to him, the movement of the sect in long convoys from one village to the other, killing innocent people has been curtailed.

    He said that the military has re-captured most of the territory that were previously in the control of the sect.

    “We are not only winning the war against Boko Haram, we are actually at the tail end of the battle.

    “It is just a matter of time; this issue of insurgency will definitely come to an end.

    “If you visit Maiduguri today and witness the level of economic activities going on, you will believe with me that peace is fast returning back in that area.

    “In counter insurgency operation you cannot automatically rule out any chance. Where are these female suicides coming from? Who is arming them?

    “Boko Haram have been degraded and like I said, we are at the tail end of the battle,’’ he assured.

     

  • Boko Haram: Over 500 trapped in Gwoza hills at risk

    Boko Haram: Over 500 trapped in Gwoza hills at risk

    • children dying of malnutrition, hunger, diseases

    Close to 600 people hitherto trapped in the Gwoza hills by Boko Haram and rescued by the Nigeria Army are at high risk without humanitarian assistance.

    Our correspondent gathered from reliable sources that some of the people were rescued from the Zalidva hills in Gwoza Local Government of Borno State are currently squatting with soldiers at  a primary school in Pulka, while others are lurking in  petrol filling stations without food, shelter and Medicare.

    More disturbing is the reports that children are dying in droves of malnutrition, hunger and sicknesses, a source disclosed.

    Yohana Adamu, a Zalidva man among the rescued informed that their children are dying for lack of food, water, and lack of medical care, while calling on the Federal Government and Borno State government to urgently come to their aid.

    A vigilante source in Pulka disclosed that “about 303 people trapped in the hills by BH have been rescued by soldier last Sunday, but these people need food, shelter and med care. There is a lot of humanitarian crises here.

    “In addition to that a week earlier, we rescued 274 from Zalidva hills. All are in need of food and medical care since they can’t be evacuated to Maiduguri IDPs camps. People are dying of hunger and sicknesses. These people need urgent assistance from all angels,” the source said.

    Investigation revealed that a greater percentage of the people rescued are children and women.

     

  • Insurgency: Over 3,600 IDPs return to liberated communities 

    Insurgency: Over 3,600 IDPs return to liberated communities 

    More than 600 households comprising of over 3600 people earlier displaced by the Boko Haram crisis in a Yobe State have returned to their liberated Communities.

    Yobe State has over 300,000 IDPs scattered across the state, including about 28,000 living in IDPs camps.
    Our correspondent who visited some of the liberated towns observed  that life has  picked up in Katarko and Gujba communities hitherto taken over by Boko Haram.
    With the return of the IDPs, Yobe State Government through the Resettlement Committee has embarked on the provision of food relief materials and the restoration of basic amenities like water and food with two sub-committees putting the issues in the frontline.
    The sub-committee on the restoration of water to the liberated communities headed by the General Manager of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Bukar Lawan has so far resuscitated three boreholes in the two communities of Kartarko and Gujba with additional ones coming on stream in Buni Yadi, Buni Gari, Gotala, Gotomba etc.
    In the same vein, the sub-committee on distribution of relief materials headed by the Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs Information and Culture Aji Yerima Bularafa over the weekend took four truck load of assorted food and none food relief materials to the returnees of the two communities.
    The  food items distributed include; rice, beans, millet, maize, noddles and vegetable oil while the non food items were; blankets, mats and bathing soap.
    The items were handed over  to the Village Heads of the two communities by Aji Bularafa charge them to ensure that every returning IDP gets a share from the materials.
    He assured them of the commitment of the Yobe State Government to continue to provide succor to them as they pick up the pieces of their lives.
    In his remarks, the Chairman of Gujba Local Government Kyari Batrama expressed happiness that his people have started returning to their ancestral communities to re-start their normal lives.
    He called on the Federal Government to assist Yobe state in bringing back some of the essential amenities like the health facilities, schools, electricity and water that were destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents.
    The Executive Secretary of Yobe  State Emergency Management Agency Musa Idi Jidawa called on donor agencies and spirited Individuals to partner with SEMA in order to bring succor to the distraught IDPs returning back to their communities.
    According to him, “the job must be seen done to the finish”, adding that: “The donors, NGOs and our partners have worked tirelessly to keep these people afloat throughout the difficult times they were displaced. It is therefore important to point out that this last stage of resettlement is very crucial I the life of these people and so the job must be seen done to the finish.”