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Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram abducts 40 in Borno

    Forty youths have been abducted in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents who resorted to deceit to trap their victims.

    And the abduction was effected in the presence of many parents who watched helplessly as their children were taken away by the armed men.

    The insurgents had stormed Malari village in Damboa Local Government area on Wednesday night and called out residents to come to the frontage of the village head and listen to their preaching.

    But once the people had gathered, the armed men began picking the young men one after the other.

    A resident, Maisaje Abdullahi,61, said three of his sons and two of his nephews were taken away by the invaders.

    “They gathered us in front of the village head`s house for preaching after which they took away over 40 of our boys between the ages of 10 and 23 years heading towards Sambisa forest. They  did not touch a single married man,” he said.

    “They said they won’t kill anyone but we have fled the village for fear of our dear lives.”

    Malari village is  about 20 kilometres   from Sambisa forest. Witness Mohammed Zarami said the gunmen arrived at the village of Malari at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday, heavily armed but did not fire shots or kill anyone.

    “People ran out of their houses in fear but they warned that no one should disobey them,” Zarami said in the state capital, Maiduguri, where he had fled to on foot.

    The attack on Malari has triggered panic in surrounding villages forcing residents to flee.

    Lawan Adamu, a resident of Mulgwai, is one of those on the run. He said Boko Haram insurgents regularly visit the village to preach and with what has happened at Malari, many villagers have learnt their lesson.

    “Now most of our people are fleeing the village, because they come regularly to the village to preach and leave but with the recent abduction we are afraid they may come back to abduct our children or even burn the village and kill us,” Adamu said.

    Efforts to get the Borno State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jibrin, for confirmation proved abortive, as his telephone lines were not going through.

    Over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in the same state last April by the sect are yet to be found.

    Parents of the girls said they are now taking the case to the United Nations for possible assistance having lost confidence in the ability of the federal government to rescue their children.

  • Elections: Nigeria in trouble, says NSCIA scribe

    Elections: Nigeria in trouble, says NSCIA scribe

    •Those behind Boko Haram will soon be known—Oloyede
    •Blasts FG, says ‘it’s clueless’

    The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede he said Nigeria is in trouble and pleaded, with citizens to ensure that competent people rule them.

    He said in an interview on Radio Kwara that it was clear that the federal government merely used the recent National Conference to divert the nation’s attention from the forthcoming elections.

    He also said there is every reason to believe that there is a conspiracy theory behind Boko Haram.

    He said some traditional rulers in the north have discovered helicopters dropping arms and ammunition for Boko Haram insurgents.

    Nigerians, according to him, will soon realise that some of those berating Boko Haram are behind the sect.

    He said the abstention of Nigeria from voting on the fate of Palestine has justified the assumption in some quarters that the Federal Government is clueless.

    Oloyede, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said: “Right from the word go, I think we knew the National Conference was a joke and we said so. We knew we were going for a jamboree.

    “In a letter we wrote to Mr. President, we said this thing (National Conference) is too close to election, you will not have the opportunity, the chance and the time to implement any decision before the election.

    “We said:  why don’t you face the election? The time wasted was to divide attention from preparation for the election. And now we are talking about election in February and nothing is on ground when you have wasted four months and resources you could have expended on that.

    “And recently Mr. President said it was a Yoruba-inspired conference. It is so clear that the Presidency of Nigeria is so weak that a group can manipulate it and at the end of the day, the President said I have conflicting advice coming from different people. That is why you were elected to iron out conflicting advice.

    “I think the issue is that we are in trouble. May God save this nation.”

    On Boko Haram insurgency, Oloyede said: “I see so many hands in it. If you like, call it conspiracy theory. If the government had taken the matter serious, it would have addressed it.

    “I have spoken to so many traditional rulers in the North who can tell you that they had with their naked eyes seen helicopters dropping food and ammunition for these Boko Haram insurgents. And they are people you cannot doubt. And what they will tell you is that why didn’t you take their photographs?

    “We will soon know that those who are shouting against Boko Haram are the perpetrators. We have spoken, we have lamented, let all Nigerians continue to pray to expose those behind Boko Haram.”

    On the nation’s abstention from voting on Palestine at the UN Security Council, the NSCIA scribe said it was a sad development.

    He added: “I feel very sad and I believe all those who have conscience all over the world should condemn the Federal Government for this stupid decision.

    “The implication is that Nigeria has identified with the oppressors, Nigeria has said that what is going on is okay, Nigeria has endorsed the killing of innocent souls in Palestine. Nigeria has said there is nothing bad, it has said might is right. That is the position. I do not know what Nigeria can do to reverse that situation because the dent is already there.

    “That is why it is important for people to have competent people ruling them. A person that is not competent can do a permanent damage to a nation. And that is exactly what has happened.

    “To me, I just believe that if there is anybody who is in doubt about the fact that this government has lost all sense of decency, this event had proven that. This even had proven that you are clueless, you don’t even have simple principle of international diplomacy, you cannot be counted.

    “Of course, America will not because of that take you serious, Britain knows why you are doing that is because you want to do many things under the carpet. Israel also knows that you are just follow-follow. They would just make a mockery of us as a nation because if we are really sensible, we would not have taken that position.”

  • Gunmen abduct 40 people in Borno

    Gunmen abducted 40 boys and young men from a remote village in Borno State, in a raid that residents and a security source blamed on Boko Haram, the sect that has gained worldwide notoriety for mass kidnappings.

    Witness Mohammed Zarami said the gunmen arrived at the village of Malari around 8pm on Wednesday, heavily armed but did not fire shots or kill anyone.

    “People ran out of their houses in fear but they warned no one should disobey them,” Zarami told Reuters in the northeast city of Maiduguri, where he had fled to on foot.
    “They took away over 40 (male) youths mostly between the ages of 15 to 23. As I am talking to you now, there is no youth in our village,” he said.

    Boko Haram fighters have abducted hundreds of people in the past year. Boys are recruited as fighters and the girls as sex slaves, security officials say.

    Its five-year-old uprising for an Islamic state is the gravest security threat to Africa’s top economy.

    Parents of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by insurgents in April have said they are appealing to the United Nations for help after losing hope that the Nigerian government would rescue them.

    A man claiming to be Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, at the end of October said in a video that the girls had been “married off” to Boko Haram commanders.

  • Boko Haram ’ll soon be history —Northern governors

    Boko Haram ’ll soon be history —Northern governors

    The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday predicted that the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram in the region would soon be history.

    He said the terrorists group would soon meet their waterloo as government had maintained sporadic attacks on their hideouts.

    Aliyu’s prediction was contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel A. Ebije, to the entire Ummah in the country in commemoration of Eid-el- Maulud – the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    The NSGF chair reiterated that Boko Haram insurgents were neither representing Islam nor carrying out the teachings and lifestyles of Prophet Muhammad.

    He then congratulated Muslim Ummah in the country for the celebration of the Eid-el- Maulud and urged them to use the occasion to reflect on the teachings and exemplary life of the Holy Prophet for the overall development of the country.

    “Let me join all Muslim Ummah in celebrating the messenger of Allah through whom the Holy Qur’an was revealed to mankind. Indeed, the life the Prophet lived should always serve as an inspiration to the faithful and his pious life as a model for all of us.”

    Aliyu said Prophet Muhammad and indeed Islam generally preached peace, tolerance, unity and cohesion, stressing that it was only on those platforms that the society could progress and not through killing and maiming of innocent citizens.

    The NSGF chair also reminded Nigerians on the need to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), insisting it  was the only instrument they could use to exercise their constitutional right in electing leaders of their choice.

    He, therefore, urged those who have not seen their PVCs as well as those who just attained the age of 18 to register, adding that it was also an opportunity for those who lost their Temporary Voters’ Card (TVCs) to go and re-register in order not to be disenfranchised.

    The governor, who noted that the 2015 general election was just a few weeks away, called on politicians and the electorate to play according to the rules of the game to ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise and a smooth transition.

  • Boko Haram ’ll soon be history —Northern governors

    The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday predicted that the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram in the region would soon be history.

    He said the terrorists group would soon meet their waterloo as government had maintained sporadic attacks on their hideouts.

    Aliyu’s prediction was contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel A. Ebije, to the entire Ummah in the country in commemoration of Eid-el- Maulud – the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    The NSGF chair reiterated that Boko Haram insurgents were neither representing Islam nor carrying out the teachings and lifestyles of Prophet Muhammad.

    He then congratulated Muslim Ummah in the country for the celebration of the Eid-el- Maulud and urged them to use the occasion to reflect on the teachings and exemplary life of the Holy Prophet for the overall development of the country.

    “Let me join all Muslim Ummah in celebrating the messenger of Allah through whom the Holy Qur’an was revealed to mankind. Indeed, the life the Prophet lived should always serve as an inspiration to the faithful and his pious life as a model for all of us.”

    Aliyu said Prophet Muhammad and indeed Islam generally preached peace, tolerance, unity and cohesion, stressing that it was only on those platforms that the society could progress and not through killing and maiming of innocent citizens.

    The NSGF chair also reminded Nigerians on the need to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), insisting it  was the only instrument they could use to exercise their constitutional right in electing leaders of their choice.

    He, therefore, urged those who have not seen their PVCs as well as those who just attained the age of 18 to register, adding that it was also an opportunity for those who lost their Temporary Voters’ Card (TVCs) to go and re-register in order not to be disenfranchised.

    The governor, who noted that the 2015 general election was just a few weeks away, called on politicians and the electorate to play according to the rules of the game to ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise and a smooth transition.

  • Boko Haram: Group asks minister to resign

    Boko Haram: Group asks minister to resign

    A group, Nigerian Youths Movement for Violence Prevention and Moral Values Restoration has urged the Minister of National Planning Alhaji Abubakar Sulaiman to resign for making misguided statements about France and other foreign nationals on issues bothering on national security and international relations.

    In a statement issued in Lagos by its National President of the group, Comrade Ado Victor Akinbode, the group in Lagos condemed what it termed ”the minister’s media outburst” against some foreign countries.

     “ Blaming Nigeria’s woes from Boko Haram insurgency on the nation’s foreign allies is not only insensible but outrightly undiplomatic and totally illogical. We understand that the intention of the members of Boko Haram is to Islamise the northern region of Nigeria, at such it will be illogical and unthinkable for any sane mind to now allude to the fact that countries like the United States of America and France will be allies to such evil and undemocratic moves.

    The group berated Boko Haram insurgents for the waton killings of innocent citizens and senseless destruction of property worth millions of naira noting that Alh  Sulaiman shied away from the truth  for alleging that some Nigeria’s allies are sabotaging the country instead of addressing the challenge of ill- equiped security agencies, lack of training and professionalism in the military as well as the absence of political will on the part of the government to halt the activities of Boko Haram”.

  • Three Boko Haram suspects die in car explosion

    Three persons suspected to be members of the Boko Haram died on Tuesday in a suicide mission at Bajoga, Gombe State.

    A source told our reporter that the incident occurred at dusk at one of the security checkpoint at the entrance to the town from the Northern axis.

    The source said the vehicle used by the insurgents, a white Toyota Hilux, sped into the barricades on the road and went off in an explosion as the security agents at the checkpoint ran away.

    Police spokesman, Fwaje Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the incident yesterday, added that none of the security operatives was affected.

    Atajiri said the take-off and final destination of the insurgents could not be ascertained because the three occupants of the vehicle died in the explosion.

    Also, the police command yesterday paraded 22 armed suspects, who had allegedly been terrorising the state.

    Three of the suspects, who were said to have operated in a tricycle – popularly called Keke NAPEP – rammed into an articulated vehicle at the Federal Low Cost as they attempted to evade police arrest.

    The others were reportedly arrested at Buba Shongo, Kagarawo, Jan Kai and Jakadafari areas of Gombe, following tip-offs from the public.

    Atajiri urged the public to inform the police on suspicious individuals, movements and activities.

    The spokesman said the command would treat the information with prompt attention and utmost confidentiality.

    He warned youths with criminal intents and those involved in kalare (political thugs) activities to desist.

  • ‘Niger Delta under threat by Boko Haram’

    ‘Niger Delta under threat by Boko Haram’

    In this interview, Richard Anthony, lawyer and conflict mediator,  speaks with BISI OLANIYI on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and threat to oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta by the Boko Haram insurgency. 

    Is the Boko Haram insurgency politically motivated or a religious issue?

    We should look at Boko Haram insurgency, as it is now, from the angle of conflict. We should not look at it from only one aspect. We should look at it from all the aspects, in order to effectively address the issue. We should look at it from the religious, political and developmental aspects. I will not want us to limit it to religious and political angles. We should look at Boko Haram suicide bombings holistically.

    Are Boko Haram suicide bombers not holding other Nigerians to ransom with their activities?

    Boko Haram insurgency is a thing of concern to most Nigerians, as we move towards the 2015 general elections. It is an issue that needs to be addressed more seriously, including other issues arising from the Boko Haram insurgency.

    If you are the President of Nigeria, how will you address the issue?

    It is beyond one man’s thinking to address the issue quite effectively. It is an armed violence that has its roots both within Nigeria, West Africa, Africa and internationally. So, it requires collaborative efforts in addressing it effectively. Governments within Africa can actually collaborate to see how Boko Haram issue is addressed, to ensure it does not escalate.

    There are fears that the general elections may not hold in the Northeast because of the insurgency. What is your reaction?

    The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is sincere in fighting Boko Haram, which is now transcending borders. So, it is wrong for anybody to say that the President is not concerned about the Boko Haram issue, because if it is not properly addressed, it will affect the sovereignty of Nigeria. Anything that threatens the existence of this country also threatens the Presidency.

    Is President Goodluck Jonathan really working hard to end the insurgency?

    Nigerians need to take ownership of the struggle, especially on how to proffer solutions to adequately address the menace of Boko Haram.

    Boko Haram insurgency has been traced to corruption in Nigeria. Are the anti-graft agencies effective?

    It has been researched globally that corruption actually fuels insurgencies in countries. Large-scale corruption can actually lead to violence, because funds that would have gone into social and economic developments would go into the pockets of a few persons. It is true that corruption can lead to uproar and uprising in nations, thereby requiring different approach.

    So, we need to be sincere in addressing the issue of corruption in Nigeria. The institutions that are supposed to prosecute corrupt persons must live up to their responsibilities.

    Often times, we tend to blame the President for ineffectiveness in tackling corruption, but we should also know that as a nation, we have a responsibility to ensure that our anti-graft agencies are strengthened.

    Some leaders from the Northern part of Nigeria are being accused of sponsoring Boko Haram insurgency. How do you react to this?

    We need to look at it from global perspective, because if we look at what is happening in ISIS (a dangerous militant/terror group, whose aim is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria) and Al-Qaeda (a global militant Islamist organisation, founded by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and several other militants), the trend in crude oil theft and narcotic trade is global. The funds are transferred through the financial sector. How are they transferring these funds? How do they get the arms and ammunition? These are global and critical issues that need to be addressed. Our airports and seaports must not be porous. The institutions and persons in charge must be alive to their responsibilities and there is need for stakeholders’ engagement.

    Won’t it be necessary to dialogue with the Boko Haram insurgents?

    We must look at this issue from different perspectives. For every violent situation, people need to dialogue. I am for the process of negotiation between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram suicide bombers. The Federal Government’s efforts in ensuring that the military protects the sovereign integrity of Nigeria are also steps in the right direction. Bold steps need to be taken to address the issue of insurgency effectively. Negotiations and the military aspect need to go simultaneously.

    How can the Federal Government of Nigeria address the issue of over 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) suffering from the insurgency?

    That is a potential explosive issue for this country, because the issue of IDPs needs to be taken care of properly, We need to address the issue effectively, towards the 2015 general elections. We should not create vacuum that will lead to crisis after the 2015 general elections. It has created a legal aspect for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resolve, because we have to look at the issue from Law, from different perspectives.

    Firstly, we need to look whether the Boko Haram issue is an international or non-international arms conflict, in which case, different legal requirements will apply. From my understanding, the Boko Haram issue is an international arms conflict, because from researches by renowned research institutions in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, among others, Boko Haram has been linked to the ISIS and the Al-Qaeda, which makes it an international arms conflict.

    From the perspective of the violation of war crimes, hostages are taken of women and children, civilians are killed in their thousands and child soldiers are recruited. These are international issues that are guided by international laws, making it an international arms conflict.

    To consider the issue of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) critically, especially with Boko Haram as an international arms conflict, we need to apply humanitarian aspects of the international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the international refugees law.

    To protect the rights of the IDPs, we need to find out if they are properly documented, because documentation will enable us to know the actual persons who are internally displaced. The rights of eligible voters who are internally displaced are human rights. So, they must exercise their rights to vote, as guaranteed by international laws and the constitution of Nigeria. We cannot disenfranchise them. They have a right to vote.

    Won’t the persons who are being displaced up North through Boko Haram insurgency will be moving down South, especially to the Niger Delta, and what is the implication?

    The implication is that most of the IDPs will not be able to vote, if they are not documented, because most of them would have lost their Temporary or Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in their former places of abode/residence. The law stipulates that you must vote at the unit where you registered. If the IDPs do not have access to their voter cards, how will they vote? Most of the IDPs are not documented. Documentation is very critical for the IDPs to exercise their voting rights.

    How can the IDPs be compensated by the Federal Government?

    The constitution of Nigeria guarantees the Federal Government to protect/provide security for all Nigerians and take care of their welfare. The constitution also allows Nigerians to settle and own property in any part of the country. If the property is vandalised, destroyed or burnt, the affected persons should be compensated by the Federal Government. The IDPs need some level of assistance from the Federal Government. It is constitutionally guaranteed for the Federal Government to provide such assistance for the people.

    INEC has just put a committee in place to look at how the IDPs can vote during the 2015 elections. How do you react to the initiative?

    It is a step in the right direction, especially for INEC to critically look at the issue of IDPs, in order not to disenfranchise them. INEC must conduct elections in 2015 and declare the results, without leading to violence. It will be unconstitutional, illegal and immoral not to allow the IDPs to vote during the 2015 elections, considering their plight and for not being the cause of Boko Haram insurgency.

    Members of the INEC’s committee of experts on IDPs must look at the issue from both the local and international laws and requirements, because the rights of the people to vote are guaranteed under the international laws.

  • Three Boko Haram members die in car crash

    Three persons suspected members of the Boko Haram sect died in a car crash at Bajoga, Gombe, on Tuesday.

    A source said the incident happened at dusk in one of the security check points in the area.

    He said the vehicle, a white Toyota Hilux sped into barricades on the road and went off in explosion after security agents at the check point had taken cover.

    The state’s police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, said none of the security operatives was affected.

    He said their take-off and final destination could not be ascertained as all three occupants of the vehicle died in the explosion.

  • Boko Haram kills 15 in Borno town

    Suspected Boko Haram militants opened fire in a remote town in northeast Nigeria, killing at least 15 people, witnesses and a security source told Reuters.

    The attack on Monday night targeted Kautikari, near the Cameroon border, just 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the village of Chibok, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April. They remain captives.

    “They were about 20, well-armed. They came in four-wheel drive vehicles and some motorcycles. Initially, I thought they were soldiers,” survivor Jonah Umaru told Reuters on telephone.

    “The man running behind me was gunned down as I was fleeing. Afterwards, there were 15 people lying dead in the streets.”

    Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped 172 women and children and killed 35 other people this month near the same area.

    Violence by Boko Haram, which is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, has killed 10,340 people so far this year, according to a count by the Council on Foreign Relations last month.

    The five-year-old insurgency has also displaced more than a million people from the remote northeast. It is considered the gravest threat to the stability of Nigeria and its neighbours.

    Underscoring the regional threat posed by the group, Cameroon’s army said it had killed at least 41 Boko Haram militants as it fought off a wave of attacks along its border with Nigeria over the weekend.