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Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram: Abductions, bomb kill ceasefire hopes

    Boko Haram: Abductions, bomb kill ceasefire hopes

    Whatever is left of the hopes of the “ceasefire” between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents have been shattered.

    More women are being abducted, men killed and homes burnt in Borno and Adamawa states.

    Besides, a bomb went off Wednesday night in Azare, Bauchi State.

    Five people were killed and 12 injured, according to the police.

    This followed the abduction of about 45 women in Magadali in Adamawa State on Tuesday.

    Some of those who were freed after the abduction told reporters in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, yesterday that many of the younger women among those abducted were forcibly taken straight into matrimony.

    In spite of this, the government delegation and supposed representatives of the sect were in talks in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital. The talks are being moderated by Chadian President Idris Derby. Details are, however, unavailable.

    Residents of the town of Wagga told AFP that 40 females were kidnapped by suspected Islamist gunmen who went door-to-door, specifically looking for young women and girls.

    “They left N1500 and some kola nuts in each home where they seized a woman, apparently as a bride price,” said Lazarus Baushe, an elder of the Wagga community.

    Witnesses in the nearby town of Gwarta separately reported a kidnapping last weekend involving another 20 female victims, but details were not immediately clear.

    Bauchi police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the dead in the Azare bus station blast were “burnt beyond recognition”.

    No-one claimed responsibility, but Bauchi has been attacked repeatedly throughout Boko Haram’s brutal five-year uprising, which has left more than 10,000 people dead.

    “Five persons burned beyond recognition were certified dead, while 12 others sustained various degrees of injuries,” Haruna said.

    “The entire surrounding (area) has been cordoned off … No arrest has yet been made, but an investigation has commenced.”

    A Chadian diplomat told Reuters that a deal could still be reached if this faction has ultimate control over the girls — although analysts say that could be divided between several cooperating factions.

    Reports of fresh kidnappings by the Islamists first emerged on Saturday near Chibok, where 219 schoolgirls were seized since April.  Their release is part of the ongoing talks.

    Confirmation that the Bauchi bombing or the latest abductions were tied to Boko Haram would further undermine the government’s claim that they have negotiated a ceasefire with the extremists.

    After Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh announced the ceasefire following talks in Saudi Arabia, a senior aide to President Goodluck Jonathan said Boko Haram had agreed to release the schoolgirls.

    But evidence is mounting that both pacts were hollow.

    There has been no comment so far from Boko Haram’s purported leader Abubakar Shekau and hopes voiced by the Presidency that the girls would be released by Tuesday came to nothing.

    Nigerian negotiators were reportedly set to resume talks with Boko Haram envoys in neighbouring Chad next week, but further questions will likely be asked about the identities of the purported sect negotiators.

    Some of the residents of Michika and Madagali local government areas, Adamawa State, who were abducted by Boko Haram have returned home, bearing tales of their harrowing experience.

    Some of the 45 girls and women recently abducted in the area have been wedded to fighters of the Islamic sect, they said.

    The insurgents, according to the returnees, have also turned some of the abducted girls to maidens who cook their food.

    Many of the relatives of some of the abducted girls who were released because of ill health told reporters in Yola, the state capital, that their relatives claimed that some of the girls had been turned to cooks while others were married off to the fighters.

    A relative to one of the women released by the insurgents who does not want his name in print said initially, the insurgents seized about 80 girls and women whom they loaded into vans and zoomed off.

    He added that later in the night, the insurgents separated the elderly women from the girls and released them. Many, the source said, are languishing in the forest as they could not find their way back to the towns.

    “We were told by trapped residents that the elderly women were released while the insurgents went away with the young ones,” he said.

    A relative of one of the abducted girls has enjoined the Federal and Adamawa State sovernments to intensify efforts at rescuing the abducted girls so that they will not be left in the hands of the insurgents for too long to save them from being abused.

    “We are confused that hours after the so called ceasefire agreement has been entered between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents, our girls were abducted by the insurgents.

    “We are at a loss about the government’s sincerity on the whole issue and we urge it to rescue our daughters without further delay as we are ready to die searching for our missing ones,” he said.

    More than 400 girls have so far been kidnapped by the fighters since April 2014 in many places across Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states since the insurgency began five years ago.

  • Ceasefire announcement ‘hasty’

    Ceasefire announcement ‘hasty’

    Walks were on yesterday in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, between a Federal Government team and Boko Haram representatives.

    But the shape of the talks, those in the teams and the venue were shrouded in secrecy.

    Chadian President Idris Derby is believed to be involved but top diplomatic sources  could only confirm that they were talking. They had no knowledge of the extent.

    The Chadian talks are a follow-up to the initial decision in Saudi Arabia last week after which hope was raised on the release of the abducted 219 Chibok schoolgirls.

    Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh announced a ceasefire.

    But attacks by suspected sect members followed last Friday’s announcement. Further clashes initiated by the sect’s fighters also occurred.

    Besides, the military is said to be probing the reported abduction of no fewer than 40 women in Madagali, Adamawa State.

    “I sense Nigeria rushed to announce the deal with electoral-political calculations in mind,” said Mark Schroeder, vice president of Africa Analysis at the Stratfor consultancy.

    “Getting a victory with the schoolgirls and a short-term truce with Boko Haram could be positive for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign,” he said.

    The announcement of the truce came a day before a rally of the president’s supporters in Abuja, although he has yet to announce his candidacy.

    Some residents of Northeast, which has borne the brunt of the insurgency, also saw political calculations behind the announcement and doubted the talks in N’Djamena would lead to a lasting peace.

    “The government just wants to (win) 2015 elections at all costs,” said Joel Peter, who runs a barber’s shop in Maiduguri, the city at the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “Only the government is ready for ceasefire, not Boko Haram. Government is tired of insurgency and it hasn’t been winning the war … but Boko Haram aren’t tired,” he said, adding: “For the Chibok girls, let’s wait and see.”

    A senior Chadian diplomatic source who requested for anonymity said Jonathan made the announcement to show he had obtained a result but a deal had not yet been finalised.

    “Our feeling is that they acted precipitously. They should have waited until they at least had some of the girls. I don’t know anyone in the country who actually knows where they are,” the diplomat said.

    The fact that the announced ceasefire has been broken does not mean that there was no deal in the works, he said, because it may take time to get the message down Boko Haram’s fragmented chain of command.

    It is still not clear which faction of this decentralised insurgent movement was involved in the talks, nor whether it is the one holding the girls, but the Chadian diplomat said the Nigerian government has accepted it as representing Boko Haram.

    As the nation awaits the outcome of the negotiation, troops were placed on red alert in some flashpoints in the Northeast.

    It was also learnt that the military was still trying to verify alleged abduction of yet another batch of 40 girls in Madagali, Adamawa State.

    The United States (U.S.) government has said that its military advisers were not yet involved in the negotiation for the release of the Chibok girls.

    A source said the ceasefire does not mean withdrawal of troops.

    The source said troops had been placed on “Red Alert” in Konduga, Maiduguri, Damboa, Biu, Shaffa, Madagali, Michika, Mubi, Benisheik axis and some parts of Yobe, including Damaturu.

    “Troops will not attack the insurgents but they will also not be flippant or gullible to allow the insurgents to overrun them.

    “The military authorities ordered the troops not to be vulnerable. The insurgents have adopted the same strategy as they are still holding on to Gwoza, Bama, Madagali, Abadam, and some occupied towns and villages.

    “We hope the ceasefire will be able to address disengagement from these seized towns and villages.”

    There were unconfirmed reports last night of the abduction of 40 women in Madagali.

    A military source said: “We have not got any signal on the abduction; we are trying to verify the claim.

    “What is being circulated came from those whose villages were attacked. We have to find out the truth or otherwise.”

    A Presidency source said: “We have not heard any hints from the two parties in Chad but we are positive.

    “Since the talks had been restrictive, it is difficult to say categorically the mileage President Deby of Chad had gained.”

    The Deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, Marie Harf, said at a briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday on whether or not US military advisers in Nigeria have any role in the negotiations: “They have not. They have not. I don’t have a prediction going forward, but they have not up until this point.”

    The women were said to have been abducted at Waga Mongoro District of Madagali Local Government Area.

    The insurgents reportedly invaded the area, forcing residents to flee to safe places in the bush and mountain tops. Many trekked to nearby local government headquarters.

    Reports said that the insurgents invaded the district which borders Gwoza in Borno State, burning down houses.

    The insurgents were also said to have used the abducted women as shields during attacks by troops.

    Fleeing residents said the insurgents razed some villages and carted away food items, animals and household utensils.

    Two residents who escaped the attack to Yola told reporters that they passed through the bush to avoid being killed.

    A man who gave his name as Titus said the insurgents stormed the town in the wee hours of Tuesday through the road leading to Sambisa forest and escaped through the same route.

    He said when they came into the town, they rounded up the girls, put them in trucks along with food stuff, house hold items and domestic animals.

    He said: “When they struck, we heard them chanting anti-government slogans to the effect that they were not party to any ceasefire agreement, adding that the government was on a mission to deceive the people.”

    But the chairman of Madagali Local Government, James Abawu Watharda, could neither confirm nor deny the report. He said he had lost contact with the people while staying in Yola.

  • Reps approve $1bn loan for Jonathan to fight insurgency

    Reps approve $1bn loan for Jonathan to fight insurgency

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the $1 billion loan requested by President Goodluck Jonathan to tackle security challenges in the country.

    This was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Adeyinka Ajayi- headed Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management and the Committee on Finance headed by Abdulmumin Jibrin, tendered before the House.

    The report which was laid on Tuesday and given accelerated hearing on Wednesday urged the House to “approve the request of Mr. President on the need for his administration to borrow not more than $1 billion dollars to fight national security challenge.”

    Members subsequently approved the four clauses in the report on the external borrowing.

    The House while approving the loan requested the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to provide information on source of funds, terms and conditions of the loan.

    Details of the tenure and interest repayment were also requested from the minister.

    It also requested the National Security Adviser to provide the breakdown of allocations apportioned to the Nigerian Air force, Nigerian Navy, Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Police and Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA).”

     

  • Boko Haram: FG seeks secret trial for Ndume

    Boko Haram: FG seeks secret trial for Ndume

    The Federal Government on Tuesday requested that the trial of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume should henceforth be conducted in secret to preclude members of the public from witnessing proceedings.

    The request by the government is coming midway into the trial, which began last year.

    Ndume, a serving Senator from Borno State, is facing terrorism related charges before the Federal High Court, in Abuja.

    He was arraigned before Justice Kolawole on December 12, 2013 on a four-count charge by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    He was accused of sponsoring the Boko Haram sect, and failing to provide information about the sect’s operations.

    On Tuesday, the prosecution lawyer, E.A. Orji, while moving a motion dated September 23, 2014 urged the court to protect the identity of the remaining witnesses scheduled to give evidence in the case.

    He said the intended secret trial was intended as a protective measure for witnesses in the case, whose security could be endangered if their identities were not shielded.

    “We urge the court to exclude members of the public from the trial. We also want the court to protect the identities of the remaining witnesses that will give evidence in this case.

    “The fundamental rights of the accused have not been violated because his counsel is represented and has not in any way been excluded from the matter. It is in the interest of national security and public safety that the motion should be granted,” Orji said.

    Lawyer to the accused, I. Amaza argued that the prosecution’s request would violate his client’s right to fair hearing. He urged the court to refuse the request and continue with the trial.

    After listening to both lawyers, Justice Kolawole adjourned to October 24 for ruling.

     

     

  • 30 killed in troops, Boko Haram clash

    30 killed in troops, Boko Haram clash

    No fewer than 25 suspected Boko Haram insurgents were killed yesterday in clashes between troops and the Islamist militants in Borno.

    Five civilians were also killed in fighting elsewhere in the area, a military source and residents said.

    A ceasefire between Boko Haram and the Federal Government, expected to lead to the liberation of more than 200 Chibok school girls kidnapped by the militants on April 15, was announced at the weekend. Talks were due to continue in northern neigbour Chad yesterday.

    Boko Haram had not confirmed the truce as at yesterday and there have been at least six attacks over the weekend — blamed by security sources on the insurgents – that have killed several dozen people since the announcement of the ceasefire.

    A government spokesman had said the fighting on Sunday may be the work of criminal gangs hiding under the cloak of Boko Haram to operate.

    An army officer, who requested anonymity, said the militants tried to enter the town of Damboa late on Sunday through Alagarno, a Boko Haram hideout, but soldiers fought them off.

    “Our men gunned down 25 of the insurgents because they would have entered Damboa and unleashed more terror on the town that is just picking up from its ruins,” the officer said.

    He said an armoured vehicle and some arms were recovered from the insurgents.

    Damboa, a garrison town near the border with Cameroon, has been the site of fierce fighting between the militants and Nigerian forces for months. The insurgents sacked the town in July but were driven out by an army counter-offensive.

    A member of pro-government Civilian Joint Task (JTF) vigilantes, Mohammed Haruna, said of clashes on Sunday: “Two of our members came to (the town of) Biu this morning from Damboa and said the soldiers engaged Boko Haram yesterday and the battle lasted till about midnight.”

    Maiduguri resident Andrew Tada said the insurgents killed five people in Gava, a hilly town in Gwoza Local Government Area not far from Damboa.

    Tada said his brother in Gava was lucky to have escaped to the top of a mountain.

    “My brother is still there now with other relatives, women and children,” he told Reuters after speaking with his brother on the phone.

    “They (the militants) came yesterday (Sunday) while people were scouting for food at the foot of the mountain. When the insurgents sighted our people, they pursued them and slaughtered five,” Tada said.

  • Jonathan, Sheriff meet at Aso Rock

    Jonathan, Sheriff meet at Aso Rock

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday met behind closed doors with the former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

    Sheriff, who has been fingered as one of the sponsors of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, declined to speak with State House correspondents at the end of the over one hour meeting.

    Dressed in a cream coloured ‘Agbada’ Sheriff said to journalists: “No time today. I’m going to see the Chief of Staff.”

    Discussions at the meeting is believed not to be unconnected with the activities of Boko Haram in the North East.

  • Insurgency: U.S fully behind Nigeria – Envoy

    Insurgency: U.S fully behind Nigeria – Envoy

    The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, on Monday said his country is fully behind Nigeria in the efforts to end terrorism in the country.

    He added that America’s support for Nigeria in its bids to end insurgency in the land comes from the “highest levels of U.S government.”

    The envoy stated these in a statement released by the U.S Consulate office in Lagos.

    He also faulted recent media reports that questioned U.S willingness to support Nigeria’s war on terrorism.

    Despite insisting that the U.S will support the Nigerian government in whatever capacity to end terrorism in the country, he maintained that provision of new equipment and other items of warfare is not the solution to the crisis.

    He urged the Federal Government to meet the basic needs of soldiers by making sure they have the proper attire, are well-trained, and are properly fed in the field.

    In addition, he canvassed economic opportunities to alleviate poverty in the North East, saying these will offer  potential extremist recruits a viable alternative to a life of crime and violence.

    He said, “Our support to Nigeria’s war against terror takes many forms and has been consistent from the beginning.  It involves military training as well as information sharing.  Security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria promotes the professionalization of Nigeria’s security forces and strengthens their contributions to international peacekeeping missions.

    “Our cooperation emphasizes a whole-of government approach that underlines the importance of human rights, civilian protection, and adherence to rule of law at all levels as key tools in the fight against terror.

    “Over the years, the United States has always been willing to share appropriate military equipment with Nigeria.  That remains the case today but must be understood in the context of our global policy on arms transfers.

    “The U.S. government undertakes a rigorous evaluation process before proceeding with the sale of military equipment to any country, including Nigeria.  The U.S. Departments of State and Defense review all potential arms transfers for their consistency with U.S. policy and interests, as detailed in the U.S. Conventional Arms Transfer Policy.

    “This includes any requests from a country that we have sold or donated weapons to resell or donate those same weapons to another country, such as Nigeria.  We examine whether an arms transfer makes sense for the needs of the prospective country.

    “Part of our review considers whether equipment may be used in a way that could adversely affect human rights.  The United States believes that we bear a certain level of responsibility for how the equipment is ultimately used.

    “The battle to end the Boko Haram crisis requires more and these include meeting the basic needs of soldiers – making sure they have the proper attire, are well-trained, and are properly fed in the field.”

    “In addition, providing economic opportunities to alleviate poverty is essential in order to offer potential extremist recruits a viable alternative to a life of crime and violence.  To foster the stability, security, and prosperity of its citizens, Nigeria must effectively address all aspects of the terrorism equation, and we stand with the Nigerian government in its efforts to do just that.”

     

     

     

  • Chibok girls: Anxiety over Fed Govt, Boko Haram deal

    Chibok girls: Anxiety over Fed Govt, Boko Haram deal

    Parents, community, activists, others doubt deal

    Talks today in Chad

    My heart tells me to keep my fingers crossed and be prayerful, but my head tells me to just wave it away. —Chibok community leader

    If the ceasefire was real, it will be a good omen for the nation…But we should be wary of false ceasefire.—Rights activist Shehu Sani

    Doubts swept through the Chibok community yesterday over the ceasefire and imminent release of the abducted schoolgirls announced by the government at the weekend.

    Some parents of the girls in captivity, the Bringbackthegirls campaigners, Borno State Senator Ahmed Zannah, rights activist Shehu Sani, among others, have at best expressed cautious optimism.

    Doubts over the ceasefire  were strengthened by the weekend’s attacks believed to be by the sect in Borno State. Many were killed.

    Going by the terms of the said agreement, the meeting will continue today in Chad after which some of the leaders of the sect in detention will be swapped for the Chibok girls, this week.

    One of the elders of the Abuja Chibok community, Dr. Dauda Iliya questioned the truthfulness of the truce because of the weekend’s attacks.

    Iliya, a representative of the Abuja Chibok community, said he would like to believe the truce but his head told him to dismiss it.

    “My heart tells me to keep my fingers crossed and be prayerful, but my head tells me to just wave it away and to dismiss it like I know the government to tell bull’s stories.

    “I simply think the government is playing Nigerians for two reasons:  One, I have received reports that two very well-known villages in southern Borno,  one in Hawul in the village of shaffa was attacked and many people killed between Friday and Saturday.

    “Two, the second village is Lassa in Askira/Gwuba Local Government. It was also attacked between Friday night and Saturday. I think,  Kana Local government,  so with this,  why will Boko Haram be attacking villages,  killing people and destroying houses if indeed there was a truce that is number one.

    “Number two; why should the government be the one announcing the truce,  when it is the government and its army that are under attack?  I think it is the people attacking that should be announcing any kind of truce.”

    The leader of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy, Aisha Yusufu, said: “We are hopeful, waiting and really anxious. We are just surprised that a ceasefire has supposedly been reached and people are still been killed.  Who are they having this ceasefire with if the Boko Haram doesn’t even know that there is an ongoing ceasefire?

    “For me I don’t want to lay allegations; all I want to say is that what we Nigerians want from the government is the truth, nothing but the truth. It is high time that the Nigerian government came out, to tell the people the truth, no matter how bitter it is and then we know what to do.

    “Let them tell us the truth as a nation and then collectively we know how to sort it out together,  but just lying about it or trying to politicise it will not work for us as a nation. We are hopefully waiting for Tuesday when they said that the girls could possibly be released.

    “We honestly want this to end and the girls back so that we can begin to rehabilitate them.”

    Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, whose “Bring back our girls” campaign has highlighted daily protests in Abuja, told Reuters she was “cautiously optimistic”, but “extremely anxious, not knowing what the details of this ceasefire really are. If it happens, it would be the best news in decades”.

    “We were jubilating. We had every reason to be happy … but since then the ceasefire has been broken in quite a number of places already,” Lawan Abana, a parent of the one of the missing girls, told Reuters by telephone.

    He added that there were doubts about the credentials of the reported Boko Haram negotiator, Danladi Ahmadu, who was unheard of before. “Can we trust him that he can deliver on this promise of releasing the girls when he has not delivered on the promise of the ceasefire?” Abana said.

    Senator Ahmed Zannah (Borno Central) advised the Federal Government to tread with caution in implementing any ceasefire agreement with the insurgents.

    Zannah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the Federal Government must exercise wisdom and discretion in dealing with the issue.

    He expressed doubt about the sincerity of Boko Haram on the ceasefire.

    He said: “I do not think it is true, because the Boko Haram insurgents are still attacking communities in Borno.

    “The insurgents attacked villages in both Northern and Southern Borno on Saturday.’’

    Zannah said if the ceasefire was real and sincere, the insurgents would not have attacked the villages.

    The government said the attacks may not have been Boko Haram but one of several criminal groups exploiting the chaos of its insurgency.

    “Boko Haram is deeply fractured. The Nigerian government has had a … difficult time identifying a Boko Haram representative who could make compromises and guarantee the entire group will observe them,” risk consultancy Stratfor said in a note.

    “It is quite possible that Abuja has reached an agreement with a legitimate representative of a specific cell … that holds the kidnapped schoolgirls captive,” it said at the weekend.

    Ahmed Salkida, a Nigerian journalist who was once close to Boko Haram and shared a jail cell with its founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, tweeted that whoever Ahmadu is, he is not a member of Boko Haram’s senior “Shura council” nor does “he speak for them, as far as I know”.

    “It’s interesting the timing comes as Jonathan is about to announce he wants to run for a second term. Is it by sheer coincidence?” All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said by telephone.

    The President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Comrade Shehu Sani, yesterday said there had been cautious optimism on the ceasefire.

    He said the patterns of the ceasefire were not in line with the mode of operation of the sect, adding that only the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, could order the release of the Chibok girls.

    He, however, said it would be a good omen for the nation if the ceasefire was real.

    Sani, who is one of the facilitators of dialogue with the sect, bared his mind on the ceasefire in  a chat with our correspondent.

    He said: “There were a lot of doubts about the ceasefire because this is not the first time. In 2012, one Abdulaziz, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the sect,  declared ceasefire five times. A minister  confirmed that Abdulaziz was representing the group.

    “In 2013,  Mohammed Marwana also spoke on behalf of the sect and declared a ceasefire which never held.

    “In 2014, Danladi Ahmadu claimed to have negotiated a ceasefire. But the sect is saying that Danladi is a name that is unknown to the group.

    “This is not the style of the sect. All the precepts or prayers of the sect were also not part of Danladi’s speech.

    “Contrary to what Danladi said, members of the Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad do not refer to themselves as Boko Haram. Such a name is alien to the group.

    Responding to a question, Sani added: “From our own experience in negotiating with this group, they had insisted on the total release of their men as a precondition for the release of the Chibok girls and ceasefire.

    “The group will not put ceasefire first before negotiating other terms. I do not think so.

    “So, the so-called talks in Chad were very doubtful. The Federal Government should beware of raising false hopes to achieve political advantage or boost the morale of the military and security agencies.”

    Sani said it was still possible to get the Chibok girls out of captivity through dialogue.

    “If the ceasefire was real, it will be a good omen for the nation because we want peace in the country; we want to put the insurgency behind us. But we should be wary of false ceasefire like the cases we had in the past.”

    Adamawa State indigenes under the aegis of Save Adamawa Communities from Terrorists (SACT) also yesterday expressed doubt about the ceasefire. It said the terrorists might be re-strategising.

    The group said in a statement issued in Kaduna at the weekend that the sect might have suffered heavily in the hands of the military and wanted to use the ceasefire to acquire more arms for deadlier attacks.

    The statement signed by its chairman, Mr. Josiah Garba, recalled the invasion and destruction of nine villages in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and called on the Federal Government to allow people in communities being terrorised by terrorists to carry arms to defend themselves.

    The villages are  Zah, Mubang, Kingin,  Kopre, Buwarya,  Pana, Larh and  Garha.

    Garba added that the attacks had been going on since April without anyone confronting the terrorists, adding that the latest attack was in Garha where houses, including the biggest church in the area, were destroyed while many people were killed.

    “These attacks have been going on for too long without the security agents coming to our aid. Whenever we call the soldiers to tell them of what is happening in our communities, they don’t come until after the terrorists had finished their operations then they will come just to see the destruction and the bodies.

    “The terrorist normally come in broad daylight and when they come, the villagers will start running for their dear lives. Those who are unlucky are killed, houses are burnt while young boys and girls are captured and taken away.

    “Unfortunately, people who are supposed to draw attention to our plight are not saying anything about this ugly situation.

    “We have our representative in the House of Representatives, Hon. Francis Haske Hananiya representing Hong/Gombi Federal Constituency but he has never drawn attention to our predicament before the floor of the house. Even our representative in the House of Assembly, Aminu Iya Abas, has never mentioned these attacks on the floor of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

    “As far as we, concerned, the government has just left us at the mercy of Boko Haram and it is very unfortunate. We and our property deserve to be protected by the government.

    “If the government is not ready to protect us, we should be allowed to carry arms and confront the Boko Haram. The unfortunate thing is that if you are found with a small knife, you are treated as a criminal, but they allow Boko Haram to be moving around with sophisticated weapons, killing people and destroying our property.

    “This is nonsense, if the government is not willing or is failing in its responsibility of protecting the citizenry, we should be allowed to carry arms so that we can defend ourselves.

    “Many people don’t know where their wives or their children are. That is the situation here. Everything is completely destroyed. Up till this moment, no relief material has been sent to displace people who were chased out of the homes without taking any of their belongings.

    “We are very skeptical about this so called ceasefire and we call on the government not to be deceived by the terrorist as this may be a ploy for them to acquire more arms for further attacks. Government should take adequate steps to secure our communities” the statement added.

  • I think the government is playing us, says Chibok elder

    I think the government is playing us, says Chibok elder

    A leader of the Abuja Chibok community,  Dr. Dauda Iliya expressed doubt about the reported truce between the federal government  and Boko Haram.
    He questions the truthfulness of the truce when since it was announced on Friday,  Boko Haram has been attacking villages in Borno.
    “My heart tells me to keep my fingers crossed and be prayerful, but my head tells me to just wave it away and to dismiss it like I know the government to tell bull stories.
    “I simply thinking the government is playing Nigerians for two reasons.  One, I have received reports that two very well known  villages in southern Borno,  one in Hawul in the village of shaffa was attacked and many people killed over the weekend between Friday when the attack was made and Saturday.
    “Two, the second villge called Lassa in Askira/Gwuba Local Government was also attacked between Friday night and Saturday and also in northern Borno in I think,  Kana Local government.  With this,  why will Boko Haram be attacking villages,  killing people and destroying houses if indeed their was a truce that is number one.
    “Why should the government be the one announcing the truce,  when it is the government and its army that is under attack,  I think it is the people attacking that should be announcing any kind of truce,” Iliya stated.
    Leader of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy group, Aisha Yusufu also added, “we are hopeful,  waiting and really anxious,  we are surprised that a ceasefire has supposedly been reached and people are still been killed.  Who are they having this ceasefire  with if the Boko Haram doesn’t  even know that there is any ceasefire going on.
    “For me I don’t want to make allegations.  All I want to say is that we Nigerians what we want from the government is the truth,  nothing but the truth. It is high time that the Nigerian government comes out and begin to tell the people the truth no matter how bitter. It is and then we know what to do.”
  • Boko Haram defies ceasefire

    Boko Haram defies ceasefire

    Kills 15 in Borno, Adamawa

    Barely 24 hours after a reported ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram, the sect struck yesterday by attacking two communities in Borno and Adamawa states.

    The Borno attacks left no fewer than 15 people dead. In Adamawa State, houses were burnt in Sina Village in Michika Area. Some villagers were feared killed but it was difficult to ascertain the actual toll.

    A security source informed that over 10 Boko Haram fighters in Hilux vehicles unleashed terror on Abadam at the weekend, shooting everyone in sight.

    Abadam is located on the verge of Nigeria-Niger border in the northern parts of Borno State.

    The source also disclosed that the community was completely sacked by the insurgents.

    Another source informed that the father of an unnamed prominent politician was among those killed in the attack.

    In Dzur village near Shaffa in Hawul Local Government, it was gathered that eight people died when the insurgents sacked it.

    Residents fled into the bush following sporadic gunshot by the insurgents.

    “Boko Haram fighters have our village, Dzur. They invaded the area, shooting and burning houses. They slaughtered eight people.

    “Many people in Shaffa have run into the bush according to the report I got from my people who fled into the bush,” the resident stated.

    Shaffa had its dose of attack when Boko Haram killed at least 18 people, including a pastor.

    The attacks have fuelled skepticism among residents over the commitment of the sect members to the ceasefire announced by the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

    Some residents of Borno and Yobe, who spoke with The Nation, noted that they have heard such announcements in the past without any meaningful results.

    “What we want to see on the ground is practical ceasefire, which has to come with immediate restoration of peace in the troubled areas.

    “My town, Buni Yadi, is still under the control of Boko Haram, so how can I trust such a statement?

    “How are we even sure that it is the real Boko Haram that government has reached an agreement with.? I would have loved it if it is true but no one can explain what is happening,” Babagana, a resident of Buni Yadi, now residing in Damaturu, said.

    Head, Mass Communication department at the University of Maiduguri, Dr Mohammed Gujbawu, said it was a welcome development “if it is a genuine one.”

    He noted that nothing can be compared to peace.

    “We’ve seen war and we are desperately in need of peace. We welcome the ceasefire if it is a genuine one,” he said

    Gwoza, Damboa,  Bama, Gambouru, Ngala, Banki, Wulgo, Dikwa, Kirenoa, Marte in Borno State and Buni Yadi, Gulani, Goniri, Buni Gari and other dozen villages in Yobe State are under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

    According to a source, the insurgents allegedly struck in Sina Village in Michika Area village at about 2pm shooting sporadically and setting some houses ablaze.

    The source said: “The insurgents came in hundreds to attack our people. They shot at many people and burnt many houses in the village.

    “It is difficult to say exactly those killed and the injured because we are still taking stock. Many villagers scampered to safety to avoid falling to the rampaging insurgents.

    “The villagers were caught unawares because they were all hopeful that the ceasefire will work.”

    A community leader in Michika, Dr. Caleb Filli, confirmed the attack on Sina Village.

    He said: “The gunmen invaded the village in the afternoon and attacked people. We appeal to the Federal Government to ensure that the ceasefire agreement covers the withdrawal of Boko Haram fighters from the areas they are presently occupying.

    “Many of our people are already displaced. The ceasefire will not be meaningful unless it paves way for residents to return to their homes.”