The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Troops rout Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    In continuation of the counter insurgency operations, troops on Friday regained Gudumbali in Borno State and cleared the town of insurgents.

    The troops also reclaimed land mines along Dikwa route, although they lost two soldiers and two others were critically injured.

    These disclosures were contained in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, on the renewed campaign against Boko Haram.

    He said troops from 7 Brigade and 5 Brigade had bloody encounters with the insurgents in Borno State.

    The statement said: “As part of the continued offensive operations against the Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 7 Brigade have today entered and cleared Gudumbali town, Kukawa local government area of Borno State.

    “During the operation, quite a number of the terrorists were killed, while their weapons and equipment were destroyed. The troops are currently doing clearance operations in the general area.

    “It should be recalled that the Nigerian Air Force has inflicted heavy damage on the terrorists’ camps within the general area last Monday.”

     

  • We’ll soon defeat Boko Haram, says  Buhari

    We’ll soon defeat Boko Haram, says  Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari  has  reaffirmed  his conviction that the end of the Boko Haram insurgency is in sight with the added vigour the war against the terrorist sect is now being prosecuted by Nigeria and her allies.

    Speaking during a visit by Mr Mousa Faki Mahamat, Chadian  Minister of Foreign Affairs and  Special Envoy of President Idris Deby, Buhari said that with higher morale among troops on the frontline against Boko Haram and their improved logistics, equipment and training, a rapid end to the insurgency could be expected.

    A statement by Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said Nigeria and Chad must be prepared to make more sacrifices to end the scourge of Boko Haram since they were at the “very heart of the insurgency”.

    “We will sustain our efforts, and the insurgents will be defeated soon,” President Buhari vowed.

    The Special Envoy said President Deby appreciated the leadership being shown by President Buhari in the war against terrorism.

    ”We also appreciate the diligence shown in appointing a commander for the Multinational Joint Task Force, and President Deby believes that the fight will end in a few months.

    “Our people rely on us to end the insurgency, because economic development is being hampered.  This fight has to come to an end. My coming here is to reaffirm our full commitment. Beyond the number of troops earlier announced, Chad is still ready to commit more soldiers.

    “The enemy is weakened already. Let’s stand firm, and neutralize them,” he said.

  • Boko Haram’s end in sight – Buhari

    Boko Haram’s end in sight – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday reaffirmed his conviction that the end of the Boko Haram insurgency is in sight with the new vigour the war against terrorism is being prosecuted by Nigeria and her allies.

    Speaking during an audience with Mr. Mousa Faki Mahamat, the Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of President Idris Deby, President Buhari said with higher morale among troops fighting the Boko Haram militants and their improved logistics, equipment and training, a rapid end to the insurgency should be expected.

    The President, however said, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, that Nigeria and Chad must be prepared to make more sacrifices to end the scourge of Boko Haram since they were at the “very heart of the insurgency.”

    “We will sustain our effort and the insurgents will be defeated soon,” President Buhari said.

    The Chadian minister said President Deby appreciated the leadership being shown by President Buhari in the war against terrorism.

    “We also appreciate the diligence shown in appointing a commander for the Multinational Joint Task Force, and President Deby believes that the fight will end in a few months.

    “Our people rely on us to end the insurgency, because economic development is being hampered.  This fight has to come to an end. My coming here is to reaffirm our full commitment. Beyond the number of troops earlier announced, Chad is still ready to commit more soldiers.

    “The enemy is weakened already. Let’s stand firm, and neutralize them,” he stated.

     

  • No Boko Haram threat in Ondo, says govt

    •Army: we didn’t arrest suspects 

    The Ondo State government and the Headquarters 32 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Akure have described as untrue, a report that suspected Boko Haram members were arrested in the state.

    Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade, in an interview with reporters in Akure, said the state remain the safest and most peaceful in the country.

    Akinmade said there was no record of any arrest as reported with the police and the military

    He added that the security meeting, which the report was hinged on, was a routine monthly security meeting, which the governor had since ordered must hold between the chairmen of local government areas and heads of security agencies in their locality.

    He mentioned that there are series of such security meetings that hold regularly at different levels on the governor’s instruction to ensure the maintenance of peace in the state.

    Akinmade said: “It is misleading and unfortunate that some people will allude the reason for a regular meeting on security matters in the state to the imaginary influx of  Boko Haram members.

    “The meeting is not new as it has been holding before now and it will continue to hold  because it has proved useful in the course of ensuring adequate security in the state.”

    Insisting that there was no threat to the peace of the state, he  said adequate measures were being taken to ensure security of lives and property, adding that “there is round the clock screening at every entry point to the state by joint security patrols”.

    Urging the people to go about their normal business without fear, he assured that “Ondo has what it takes to maintain its most peaceful status as the various arms of the security agencies have been cooperative”.

    Also, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the Artillery Brigade, Captain Ojo Ifedayo Adenegan, in a statement, said: “The news story was not true, as no Boko Haram suspects were arrested anywhere in Ondo State”.

    The statement reads: “The Commanding Officer 323 Artillery Regiment Lt. Col. W. O. Ubi was in a sensitisation forum with the members of National Union of Road Transport Workers and other security agents at Ikare Akoko, where he had an interactive session on the need to be vigilant and keep the security informed on any suspected persons or actions that could lead to the threat of security in the state.

    “During the interactive session, he only recalled an effort by a commercial driver at Ifedore, who alerted soldiers at a check-point on some suspected persons who were later arrested and handed over to the appropriate authority for further investigation. That was in June.

    “We were surprised that such an advice could be misquoted. Therefore, we are once again informing the general public that no arrest of Boko Haram suspects anywhere in Ondo State.

    “We are using this medium to appeal to the general public to discard such untrue information and go about their normal legal business and be assured that the security agencies in the state will continue to secure the state.”

     

  • Boko Haram fear hits Ondo communities

    Boko Haram fear hits Ondo communities

    RESIDENTS of four local government areas in Akoko, Ondo State, are living in fear, following what has been described as the influx of suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

    Akoko is the gateway to the northern part of the country.

    It was learnt that a commercial driver alerted the military about the strange movement of some passengers at Oke-Agbe-Akoko in Akoko Northwest Local Government Area.

    The passengers, who were suspected to be insurgents from Chad, were arrested by soldiers.

    Following the development, residents and others have organised a one-day interactive session with representatives of security agencies.

    The forum was held near a military check-point in Ikare-Akoko. It was attended by prominent indigenes of the area, including the caretaker chairmen of the four local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and a lawmaker representing Akoko South East/West Federal Constituency, Babatunde Kolawole.

    Others present were Dr. Olu Agunloye, former Commissioner for Youths and Sports Alhaji Yekini Olanipekun and the Ondo State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr. Rotimi Rahman.

    Representatives of security agencies, including Army, Police, Directorate of State Services (DSS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were led to the meeting by the Commanding Officer of the Army in the area, Lt.-Col. Wo Ubi.

    The concerned residents and indigenes, at the forum, discussed the level of insecurity in their communities.

    They said Akoko, which comprises 40 communities, serves as a gateway for travellers coming from the North to the Southwest.

    The meeting was also told that the alleged presence of suspected militants made the communities vulnerable to Boko Haram invasion.

    The gathering urged the security chiefs to mount more checkpoints, where those entering the communities would be properly scrutinised.

    Kolawole hailed the people for being proactive, saying President Muhammadu Buhari was already taking positive steps to eradicate the activities of the Boko Haram.

    The lawmaker, who served as member of ad hoc committee that screened the Service Chiefs, said the security operatives needed to work with the residents to identify strange persons in their midst.

    Lt.-Col. Ubi said for security operatives to tackle the matter, they needed the support of the residents for information.

    He hailed a driver, who, according to him, “quickly alerted the military about the activities of his passengers at Oke-Agbe-Akoko”.

    The military officer said: “If not for the drivers, we won’t know that the passengers were Boko Haram members and they were Chadians. We arrested them and took them to our command where necessary information was gathered from them.”

    He promised to inform his superior officers about the demands of the people, particularly additional military checkpoints on all the roads that link Akoko communities with the North.

  • ‘RCCG committed to Boko Haram victims’

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said the church will not stop helping victims of insurgency.

    Pastor Adeboye spoke at the Special Monthly Prayer and Thanksgiving Service, organised by the RCCG, National Headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebute-Meta, Lagos.

    Pastor Adeboye, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the General Overseer in the United Kingdom, Pastor Agu Irukwu, said: “We are concerned and are privileged to mention the issues of the persecuted church with top government officers in the UK and they have promised to do more until the concerns of the church are addressed.”

    We have a task to continue to advocate for a safe haven for members of the body of Christ.”

    who need our help to lead a normal life.

    “They are not alone and we will do everything that we can to speak louder and give the western world no rest until they do what they are suppose to do for the persecuted church worldwide.”

    On homosexualism, he said: “We love everybody whether they are bisexual, gay, strait or not, but the bible is our paradigm and is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman in a monogamous relationship. Some of us have been attacked because of our unwavering stand against same sex marriage. We will not give up but we will continue to preach in love that until sinners come to the knowledge of the truth.”

     

  • 150 killed in Boko Haram attacks

    One hundred and fifty people drowned in a river or were shot dead by fleeing Boko Haram insurgents, who attacked a village in Yobe State, locals said yesterday.

    Dozens of militants arrived on motorcycles and in a car last Thursday and opened fire on residents of Kukuwa-Gari.

    “They opened fire, which forced residents to flee. They shot many people. Unfortunately, many residents, who tried to flee, plunged into the river. Many drowned,” Mr. Modu Balumi, a resident of the village, told AFP.

    He added: “By our latest toll, we have 150 people either shot dead or drowned. The gunmen killed a fisherman, who tried to save drowning residents.”

    Balumi said the bodies of many of the drowned were picked up by locals several kilometres away.

    News of the attack was slow to emerge because the militants have destroyed telecoms masts near the village, about 50 kilometres from Yobe State capital, Damaturu, since the insurgency began in 2009.

    “Boko Haram gunmen attacked our village last Thursday, which resulted in the death of about 150 people. Most of the victims died in the river while trying to escape. The insurgents opened fire on the village, forcing people to run,” Bukar Tijjani, another villager, told AFP.

    “Most residents, particularly women and children, ran towards the river in confusion. They were pursued by the gunmen, who kept firing at them. In an effort to escape, they jumped into the river.”

    A local government official confirmed the attack, but put the death toll much lower, at around 50.

     

  • Military gets kudos for renewed onslaught against Boko Haram

    Military gets kudos for renewed onslaught against Boko Haram

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the military for ramping up the fight against Boko Haram, saying the visible paradigm shift in the  battle against the insurgents is yielding results.

    In a statement in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the rejuvenated military was now taking the battle to the insurgents, instead of waiting for them to attack.

    It described as refreshing and reassuring the fact that Service chiefs had been visiting the battle field in the Northeast, not only to pep up the fighting men and women but also to meet with political and community leaders.

    ‘’The stepped-up fight against Boko Haram has convinced Nigerians that indeed their military is getting its groove back, and can beat the three-month deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari for the defeat of Boko Haram.

    ‘’The renewed battle has also shown that President Buhari was right in directing the relocation of the military’s command and control centre from Abuja to Maiduguri.

    ‘’Watching the video clip of Air Force jets pounding targets in Sambisa Forest, which is the fortress of the insurgents, over the weekend, arouses great pride in the military,’’ APC said.

    The party said thanks to the purposeful leadership and political will provided by President Buhari, Nigeria’s neighbours are now ready to contribute in full to the battle, with the latest news showing that Cameroon had tripled its initial troops to the Multi-National Joint Task Force to 2,400 troops.

    ‘’Also, contrary to the lies being propagated by the naysayers, President Buhari’s visit to the United States has reset Nigeria’s relations with that country to the level where military hardware is now being sent to Nigeria to increase the country’s military firepower,’’ it said.

    APC said while the military must sustain its efforts to further degrade the fighting ability of the insurgents, it is important for Nigerians to continue to support the troops so that the monsters, who have killed and maimed at will in the past years, can be defeated once and for all.

    ‘’We have always believed that the military, which has distinguished itself globally since its first participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo in 1960, has what it takes not only to protect and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity but also to win an asymmetrical warfare, such as the one against Boko Haram – under the right circumstances. We are glad that the military is now proving us right,’’ the party said.

     

  • Boko Haram’s Shekau dismisses death report

    Boko Haram’s Shekau dismisses death report

    … Says, I’m still alive

    Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has said in a new audio message quoted on social media on Sunday that he is still alive and leading the sect.

    However, the authenticity of the audio message has not been independently verified.

    Social media feed of jihad monitoring site, Site Intelligence quoted a new audio message released from Shekau denying reports that he is unable to serve as leader.

    There have been several claims by Nigeria’s military that Shekau has been killed over the last few years, but he keeps resurfacing in new videos.

    Last week Chad’s President Idriss Deby said Boko Haram leader Shekau was wounded and has been replaced as leader by Mahamoud Daoud, adding that Shekau went to Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, after he was wounded.

    Deby, according to Reuters, said the new Boko Haram leader, whom little is known about, was open to the idea of talks with Abuja.

    “Infidel media published that I’m dead, or sick and can’t speak, this is an utter lie.” Rita Katz, director of Site Intelligence posted on her social media site, quoting Shekau as saying to ISIS leader, Abubakar Baghdadi.

    “If this was true how is that I can speak now?”

  • Air Force pounds Boko Haram’s bunkers

    Air Force pounds Boko Haram’s bunkers

    The Nigerian Air Force yesterday smoked out more Boko Haram elements from their fortified bunkers deep inside Sambisa Forest .

    It was also gathered that the military has uncovered that the insurgents were operating make-shift bunkers covered by logs and tree trunks.

    According to PRNigeria, a covert  military propaganda machinery, the raids were part of efforts aimed at enforcing the marching orders issued by President Muhammadu Buhari for the military to crush the deadly terrorists and end their operations in three months.

    The military said: “In series of videos obtained by PRNigeria, Alpha jets and attack helicopters were seen raining explosives on some targeted locations hidden under trees and open warehouses.

    “Unlike the standard bunkers that are fortified chambers built below the ground with reinforced concrete, some of the fortifications destroyed by Nigerian Air Force were not set below the surface of the ground but were mostly covered by logs and tree trunks.

    “The mission is being accomplished by the recent deployments of fighter jets and attack helicopters in the Northeast.”

    The statement said troops had been in high spirit since the bombardment of Boko Haram bunkers began.

    According to the PRNigeria, a senior fighter pilot said:  “The Nigerian Air Force pilots are in high spirit as they even compete to fly the aircraft to defend their fatherland in their aggressive and patriotic determinations to end the Boko Haram ‘rubbish’ as soon as possible.

    “The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar had challenged NAF pilots to prove their worth by displaying their skills and expertise in combating enemies from the air.

    “While addressing the pilots recently, Abubakar said the raid would be sustained consistently and aggressively until the insurgency was brought to an end in Nigeria.

    “The Air Force raids commenced after weeks of reconnaissance by surveillance aircraft in the mission area. The deployed F-7NI, Alpha jets and attack helicopters are intended to degrade the fighting capacity of the terrorists.”

     

    Cameroon pledges 2,450 troops

    MORE support came from Cameroon’s President Paul Biyi for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against terrorism with a promise to send 2,450 troops at the weekend.

    The latest pledge announced by President Biya has tripled the initial troops promised to the international force against Boko Haram.

    Boko Haram attacks, including suicide bombings, have mounted over the past year in Cameroon’s north and the Nigeria-based extremist group has also recruited fighters in the country.

    At a meeting in Cameroon in February, Nigeria and the neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Benin agreed to deploy around 8,700 troops against Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) group earlier this year.

    Cameroon initially pledged to contribute 750 troops but the President said the increase followed recommendations from a June summit meeting of regional leaders.

    Deployment of the force has been delayed for lack of funds, but Chadian President Idriss Deby said last week that troops would be deployed within days.

    The force will be based in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena and Gen. Valere Nka, who was serving as Military Attache to Cameroon’s High commission in Abuja, has been appointed second-in-command of the force, Biya said.