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Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram: How US, UN pressure forced army to rescind UNICEF ban

    There were indications last night that high- level diplomacy by the United States and the United Nations with the Presidency led to the restoration of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) activities in the Northeast.

    The US intervention was said to have averted a diplomatic face-off between Nigeria and the UN.

    The UN has however directed the UNICEF office in the country not to react to the decision of the Nigerian Army.

    But it was gathered that security agencies will now strictly monitor the activities of more than 50 Non-Governmental Organizations in the zone.

    The Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigerian Army on Friday announced the suspension of UNICEF activities by accusing UNICEF of allegedly “sabotaging counter-terrorism efforts.”

    It accused UNICEF and some NGOs of playing the terrorists’ script.

    Although there was no formal warning, the Theatre Command was said to have acted on some intelligence.

    UNICEF however found the allegation spurious because it has stuck to its mandate.

    According to findings by our correspondent, the suspension of UNICEF created a diplomatic jolt and the United States had to wade in.

    A top source said: “Following the announcement of the suspension, Washington and the UN waded in the spat and opened up talks with the presidency.

    “The need to avoid a diplomatic face-off led to the lifting of the suspension by the Nigerian Army barely some hours after.

    “We are hopeful that the Army will make its observations available to the US, UN and other parties in order not to jeopardize the activities of UNICEF in the Northeast.

    “The truth is that about 80-90 per cent of UNICEF resources are deployed in the Northern part because of insurgency and other health challenges affecting children.

    “We are hopeful of amicable resolution of all issues.”

    A military source, however, said: “The Theatre Command has been having issues with UNICEF since April this year. In fact, three staff of UNICEF, namely Priscilla Hoveyda, Maher Farea and Milen Kidane were declared persona non grata by the Nigerian Army over false allegations on troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “Some UNICEF staff alleged that the Nigerian Army was using children below 18 years to fight Boko Haram in the Northeast when the guidelines for recruitment of troops are clearly spelt out.

    A top UNICEF staff, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have been directed by the UN not to speak on this issue. If is being handled at a diplomatic level.”

    This is coming as the Nigerian Army has lifted the suspension of UNICEF’s operations in the region. This came less than 24 hrs after the international organisation’s activities were suspended in the area.

    A statement by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director, Public Relations Theatre Command yesterday said the decision followed high level meetings with stakeholders and commitment on the part of UNICEF, just as the army warned them to desist from activities that will be detrimental to military operations in the theatre.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Boko Haram: It’s fight to finish, Buhari declares

    •As he meets with regional leaders in Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that the war against the terror group Boko Haram is a fight to the finish.

    He said this yesterday at an extra- ordinary meeting of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin in Abuja.

    He declared, “The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end. I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard. This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region.”

    President Buhari at the meeting insisted that the war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies must be won now.

    Those at the meeting included the Chadian President, Idris Deby Itno, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, and Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang, who represented President Paul Biya.

    The meeting, which is a follow up to a similar meeting held in N’djamena, the Chadian capital last month, was convened for the adoption of a report of the LCBC security and defence committee on the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Speaking during the opening ceremony, President Buhari, who is the chairman of the LCBC, said the adoption of the report of the committee would bring dynamism into the fight against the insurgents.

    Stressing that the Boko Haram war must be won, he said, the time has come for evil of the Boko Haram to be brought to a definite end.

    He said “Today’s meeting is in continuation of our joint efforts to address the prevailing security challenges in our sub-region after our meeting on 29th November, 2018, in N’Djamena.

    “Your participation in today’s summit, in spite of your tight schedules, is a clear demonstration of the resolute commitment that we all attach to the fight against our common enemy, Boko Haram, and the restoration of durable peace and security to our sub-region.

    “Your Excellencies would recall that during our Summit in N’Djamena, the need to overhaul our current strategy and concept of operations in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists took the centre stage of our discussions.

    “This was necessitated by the resurgence of attacks, particularly on the military, and the abduction of civilians for ransom across our borders by Boko Haram with the support of international terrorists who have infiltrated our sub-region.

    “Our meeting today will consider the report of the Committee we set up during our last Summit on the way forward. I thank the Committee for meeting the deadline assigned to it and I hope that their recommendations will bring a new dynamism in the fight against Boko Haram and their international affiliates.

    “The Lake Chad region has suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development, the Boko Haram crisis in the last eight years has worsened its already bad situation. We must take cognizance of the fact that sustainable growth and development of the sub-region is dependent on the quick attainment of peace and stability in the area.

    “We must put an end to the crisis in the sub-region to enable meaningful development for its people. We must remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region.

    While executing the war against the Boko Haram terrorists, he urged the leaders not to be oblivious of the fact that military may not provide the desired results alone.

    According to him, there is the pressing need to pursue simultaneously both military and developmental approach to the challenges of the region.

    He added “We will work towards strengthening of Civil-Military Cooperation in the fragile areas of the region to accelerate the implementation of the Regional Stabilization Strategy.

    “Our military strategy must be complemented by the mobilization and deployment of adequate resources to ensure the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of civil authority, as well as the provision of relief and succour for the affected.”

    “The Inter Basin Water Transfer project to recharge the disappearing Lake Chad would also go a long way in the restoration of sustainable peace and security to these areas.”

    Buhari also paid tribute to the gallant troops who have remained focused and committed to the task of ensuring the safety and stability of the region.

    He also urged the troops to remain steadfast in executing the war with the highest sense of honour, professionalism and patriotism.

    The president added, “To our esteemed partners and the larger international community, we appreciate your valuable support and contributions in helping with the resultant humanitarian crisis. We thank you for intelligence sharing and operations in our determination to defeat Boko Haram and its affiliates.

    “We, however, solicit greater cooperation and additional assistance to the LCBC/MNJTF to completely end the menace of Boko Haram and eradicate it from the sub-region. Such an outcome would add to global peace and security.” he said

    At the end of the meeting, a communiqué would be issued on the new strategy to be adopted in the fight against Boko Haram.

     

  • Boko Haram: Monarch cautions Amnesty International, others

    The Olowu of Owu Kuta in Ayedire Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Hammed Makama Oyelude, has warned Amnesty International and other non governmental organisations (NGOs) against sabotaging the efforts of the Nigerian military in the ongoing war against Boko Haram in the Northeastern part of the country. The monarch accused Amnesty International of disseminating wrong information about the military operations in the area to discredit the performances of the Nigerian troops.

    “Amnesty International and other NGOs should desist from sabotaging our efforts to destabilize the insurgency. Anything that will denigrate the integrity and image of our military should not be tolerated. I am of the  opinion that the submission by Amnesty International to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Nigerian Army is destabilizing, injurious and defamatory.

    “To say that the Nigerian military is guilty of murder pursuant to article 8(2)(c)(i); torture, cruelty, outrageous upon personal dignity and internationally directing attacks against civilians just exposed how far away from reality the ICC is. I consider it mischievous and malicious the timing of the release of the said report and the usual double standard of the so-called Amnesty International in demoralizing our patriotic army,” he said.

    Olowu charged President Muhammadu Buhari to come to the rescue of the military by using the military instinct in him to insulate the men and officers on the war fronts against blackmail and sabotage. “I urge Mr. President, despite his ongoing political campaigns, to focus more on the insurgency battle. The insurgency is a war. Emergency could be declared in some affected areas.

    “The budget of the military should not be questioned in times of emergency so that they could have enough resources to fight the battle. I will soon begin a tour of the palaces of traditional rulers in all the six geo-political zones of the country to advocate more support for the Nigerian military because the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable,” Oba Oyelude added.

     

  • Boko Haram’s end is now – Buhari

    Towards flushing out Boko Haram and other insurgencies in Nigeria and the neighboring countries, an extra- ordinary meeting of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin met in Abuja on Saturday.
    President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting insisted that the war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies must be won now.
    Those at the meeting included the Chadian President, Idris Deby Itno, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, and Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang, who represented President Paul Biya.
    The meeting, which is a follow up to a similar meeting held in N’djamena, the Chadian capital last month, was convened for the adoption of a report of the LCBC security and defence committee on the Boko Haram insurgency.
    Speaking during the opening ceremony, President Buhari, who is the chairman of the LCBC, said the adoption of the report of the committee would bring a dynamism into the fight against the insurgents.
    Stressing that the Boko Haram war must be won, he said, the time has come for evil of the Boko Haram to be brought to a definite end.
    He said “Today’s Meeting is in continuation of our joint efforts to address the prevailing security challenges in our sub-region after our meeting on 29th November, 2018, in N’Djamena.
    “Your participation in today’s summit, in spite of your tight schedules, is a clear demonstration of the resolute commitment that we all attach to the fight against our common enemy, Boko Haram, and the restoration of durable peace and security to our sub-region.
    “Your Excellencies would recall that during our Summit in N’Djamena, the need to overhaul our current strategy and concept of operations in the fight against the Boko Haram Terrorists took the Centre Stage of our discussions.
    “This was necessitated by the resurgence of attacks, particularly on the military, and the abduction of civilians for ransom across our borders by Boko Haram with the support of international terrorists who have infiltrated our sub-region.
    “Our meeting today will consider the report of the Committee we set up during our last Summit on the way forward. I thank the Committee for meeting the deadline assigned to it and I hope that their recommendations will bring a new dynamism in the fight against Boko Haram and their international affiliates.
    “The Lake Chad region has suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development, the Boko Haram crisis in the last eight (8) years has worsened its already bad situation. We must take cognizance of the fact that sustainable growth and development of the sub-region is dependent on the quick attainment of peace and stability in the area.
    “We must put an end to the crisis in the sub-region to enable meaningful development for its people. We must remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region.
    “The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end. I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard. This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region.” he said
    While executing the war against the Boko Haram terrorists, he urged the leaders not to be oblivious of the fact that military may not provide the desired results alone.
    According to him, there is the pressing need to pursue simultaneously both military and developmental approach to the challenges of the region.
    He added “We will work towards strengthening of Civil-Military Cooperation in the fragile areas of the region to accelerate the implementation of the Regional Stabilization Strategy.
    “Our military strategy must be complemented by the mobilization and deployment of adequate resources to ensure the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of civil authority, as well as the provision of relief and succor for the affected.
    “The Inter Basin Water Transfer project to recharge the disappearing Lake Chad would also go a long way in the restoration of sustainable peace and security to these areas.”
    Buhari also paid tribute to the gallant troops who have remained focused and committed to the task of ensuring the safety and stability of the region.
    He also urged the troops to remain steadfast in executing the war with the highest sense of honor, professionalism and patriotism.
    Buhari went on “To our esteemed partners and the larger international community, we appreciate your valuable support and contributions in helping with the resultant humanitarian crisis. We thank you for intelligence sharing and operations in our determination to defeat Boko Haram and its affiliates.
    “We, however, solicit greater cooperation and additional assistance to the LCBC/MNJTF to completely end the menace of Boko Haram and eradicate it from the sub-region. Such an outcome would add to global peace and security.” he said
    At the end of the meeting, a communiqué would be issued on the new strategy to be adopted in the fight against Boko Haram.

  • Buhari summons sub-regional leaders again

    President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned another Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to address prevailing security challenges in the sub-region.

    President Buhari stated that the meeting, which is a follow up to a similar one held in N’djamena, the Chadian capital in November, was convened for the adoption of a report of the LCBC security and defence committee on the Boko Haram insurgency.

    According to the Nigerian leader, time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end, and expressed the hope that the Saturday’s summit would take the right decisions in this regard.

    “This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region.

    The president observed that their participation in today’s summit was a clear demonstration of the collective resolute commitment of the sub-region to the fight against the common enemy, Boko Haram, and the restoration of lasting peace and security to the sub-region.

    He said, “Your Excellencies would recall that during our Summit in N’Djamena, the need to overhaul our current strategy and concept of operations in the fight against the Boko Haram Terrorists took the centre stage of our discussions.

    “This was necessitated by the resurgence of attacks, particularly on the military, and the abduction of civilians for ransom across our borders by Boko Haram with the support of international terrorists who have infiltrated our sub-region.

    “Our meeting today will consider the report of the Committee we set up during our last Summit on the way forward.’’

    President Buhari thanked the Committee for meeting the deadline assigned to it and expressed the hope that their recommendations will bring a new dynamism in the fight against Boko Haram and their international affiliates.

    He noted that the Lake Chad region had suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development, saying that the Boko Haram crisis in the last eight years had worsened its already bad situation.

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari must be defeated, says Jerry Gana

    “We must take cognizance of the fact that sustainable growth and development of the sub-region is dependent on the quick attainment of peace and stability in the area.

    “We must put an end to the crisis in the sub-region to enable meaningful development for its people.

    “We must remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region,’’ he added.

    The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end. I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard.

    “This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region,’’ he added.

    The president maintained that while executing the war against the Boko Haram terrorists, “we must not be oblivious of the fact that military may not provide the desired results alone.’’

    NAN

     

  • Sowore faults exclusion in presidential debate

    The presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Omoyele Sowore has said that his non-inclusion in the planned Presidential debate organised by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) in collaboration with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (NBC) was the beginning of electoral fraud in the forthcoming general elections.

    This is as he insisted that Boko Haram was still in control of some Local Governments in the country, contrary to the position of the government that the sect had been decimated.

    Sowore stated this on Thursday at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos during an interview with airport correspondents after he arrived from United States, aboard Delta Air Lines.

    Sowore insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was already jittery over the outcome of the 2019 polls and would make attempts to rig the election in his favour, which he said would be severely kicked against by the people.

    He declared that he was ready for debates on the election, stressing that he and his followers would fight to ensure his inclusion on the list of debaters for the election.

    Read Also: Sowore’s party gets INEC nod

    He emphasized that he was the most prepared and popular of all the candidates and wondered why his name would not be included in list.

    He said: “What we know is that Mr. President and his party are already afraid about conducting free and fair polls in 2019. The beginning of the electoral fraud was the non-inclusion of my name among the presidential debaters.

    “We won’t allow this to deter us because for us, the debate has commenced. Apart from using Nigerian media, there are some other media where issues are already been discussed.”

    On the refusal of Buhari to give assent to the Electoral Act as passed by the National Assembly, Sowore said the president wanted to perpetuate fraud with his non-assent.

    He said that if assented to, the Act would reduce corruption in the system.

    On the resurgent Boko Haram, Sowore insisted that the sect had not been decimated by the government.

    He said the terrorist group was still in charge of about 14 local governments in the North East.

  • I will go after Boko Haram sponsors, says presidential candidate

    The Presidential Candidate, Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Dr. Davidson Akhimien, on Thursday unfolded his plans to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the country if elected in 2019.

    The Edo State-born candidate said to win the war against Boko Haram, he would concentrate on identifying and neutralizing sponsors of the terrorist group.

    Akhimien, who recently flagged off his campaign at Onuebum, Ogbia, Bayelsa State, said the conspiracy theories fueling insurgency in the North-East must be properly interrogated instead of ignoring them.

    He said: “I have evaluated our security problems. I have done a threat analysis and I have seen at the highest level you have terrorism, which is a global phenomenon. Terrorism in the North East my approach is going to be double prongs. I will be using the political economy approach and the military approach. 

    “In the political economy approach, we will be looking at conspiracy theories and interrogating them properly. We don’t just wave them off. We have been in this thing for over eight years. Who are the sponsors? Why haven’t we been able to lay hands on the sponsors of this thing? 

    “What are the causative factors, economic neglect and lack of empowerment of the youths. So, we are going to bring about massive interventions. Deploy resources to engage the youths in productive ventures instead of leaving them in IDP camps. No matter how you deploy the military without taking care of ‘stomach infrastructure’, they will still win you”.

    Akhimien further said he would tinker with the Order of Battle (OBAT) of the country’s Armed Forces to concentrate efforts in defeating the ragtag Boko Haram.

    Read Also: Troops repel Boko Haram attack in Borno community

    “I will tinker with the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces. In the principle of war, there is what we call concentration of forces. If it will require two divisions of the army, 10 squadrons of the Air Force to decimate the ragtag army, what am l doing with my divisions in town?

    “I will deploy them. They are there to protect the territorial integrity of the country, which is being threatened. Asymmetric warfare at this time requires speed, sophistication of weapons which we are lacking in many areas”, he said.

    On fight against corruption, the presidential candidate said he would first carry out a judicial reform to cleanse the third arm of government.

    Observing that many judges are still corrupt in the country, he said without clearing the rot in the judiciary, nothing much could be achieved in the war against graft.

    He said: “In many areas, we have faltered as a country. In the immediate, the judiciary is very key in bringing about a corrective measure when it comes to the issues of corruption. We are going to be carrying out judicial reforms at optimal levels. Most judges are corrupt. 

    “But the judiciary is supposed to be the fulcrum of the democratic institutions. We will cleanse the judiciary and there will be consequences for action. It will be a case of who knows the law and not who knows the judge. It will bring about the self-corrective mechanism in the society. 

    “Government transactions will be transparent. Freedom of Information Act will work very well in my administration. The National Orientation Agency will be set up in 774 local government areas. 

    Akhimien also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rethink his withdrawal of assent on the new Electoral Bill to avoid insinuations.

    He said: “Maybe, the President is ill-advised because one of the problems of Africa and Nigeria centers around models for democracy. The problem is inability to ensure democratic transitions. Nigeria should not fall into that category. 

    “I would have preferred a situation where the President should give assent to that bill so as to take the electoral processes in this country to the next level. So that there will not be insinuations and manipulation in the process. 

    “My call to Mr. President is to think it through again as a patriotic citizen. Let him recoil on his own personal integrity and love for country think it through and assent to the bill. It is in the general interest of the people. It doesn’t do anybody any harm. It doesn’t the entire system a lot of good”.

  • Banditry/Kidnappings: Group backs Buratai for exposing those behind killings in Nigeria

    The Coalition of Human Rights Groups has backed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai for exposing those behind the unrest in the country.
    Lt. Gen. Buratai had on Wednesday said embittered politicians, who were bent on destabilising the country were responsible for the rising activities of bandits.
    He gave this assertion while hosting members of the 10-man Committee on Army of the House of Representatives, who were in Maiduguri on a two-day oversight function.
    He said, “There are myriads of security challenges we are facing right now in the North-West, North-Central and other parts of the country. I want to believe, and rightly so, that with the fallout of the just-concluded general elections, there are politicians who saw their defeat as a means of revenge, sponsoring these criminal activities and even banditry and clashes between the farmers and herders.”
    Speaking on the revelation, the human rights group warned those behind the serial acts of banditry, kidnapping and killings must desist from these evil acts and change their ways.
    Maxwel Gowon (Esq), Executive Director of the group in a statement obtained by our reporter on Thursday, appealed to defeated political players in the last election to use proceedings in expressing dissatisfaction with election outcomes without resorting to bloodletting.
    The statement reads below.
    Permit us to say that we are not in any way surprised by the revelations made by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai while speaking before a committee of the House of Representatives this week. In summary, General Buratai asserted that politicians are behind the new wave of attacks against Nigerians by Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and other killer groups.
     He also said some politicians who were defeated during the General Elections sponsor criminal as their own way of revenge for their rejection by Nigerians.
    The Coalition of Human Rights Groups in Nigeria want to categorically state that what General Buratai have disclosed is not really new. Political support for Boko Haram is something that our coalition expressed concerns about shortly before the elections.
     Our concerns at that time were validated when the Federal Government raised the alarm about how the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were procuring the services of these terrorists and foreign mercenaries to make the country unsafe. We had also, after the elections, revealed that the opposition, following their election losses, had given a fresh mandate to the terrorists to make the country ungovernable.
    The favor General Buratai has done for Nigerians is to confirm that the threat from politicians that lost election is real. The Chief of Army Staff, by virtue of his position has access to the best intelligence about the dynamics of the politically motivated acts of terror being committed against Nigerians by those that want to take over the government at all cost. The affirmation by General Buratai that the Boko Haram threat is real is therefore a well-founded fear and informed position as he neither known for being flippant nor alarmist but has always been sounded patriotic in his intervention.
    On the heels of what the Chief of Army Staff has said, we are drawing the attention of Nigerians to five critical points:
    The opposition backed terrorist groups and foreign mercenaries to cause insecurity in several parts of the country prior to the elections in the hope that the resulting chaos will either allow them rig the polls or deplete potential votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in his strongholds.
    The attacks by Boko Haram, bandits and other criminal elements are centered on areas where the opposition had predicted they would win but were roundly defeated, which could mean that Nigerians in these affected places are being punished by the opposition for voting their choice.
    The opposition, especially Atiku Abubakar, categorically told the world that they will ensure that killings continue across the country because President Buhari was re-elected. The killings are fitting this predicted pattern.
    Captured terrorists, victims and security agencies have repeatedly identified political players as drivers of the acts of terrorism that have been recorded.
    The opposition had never hidden their glee each time there was an attack anywhere. They are quick to exploit the attacks for launching verbal and media attack on the government. This insecurity is what they are now leveraging on to plot a coup against the government as have been exposed by the Nigerian Army.
    We are calling on the politicians that lost elections to have a rethink and immediately desist from sponsoring killings and supporting Boko Haram or any terror group to unleash deaths on Nigerians. There are legal proceedings to expressing dissatisfaction with election outcomes without resorting to bloodletting.
    Not only is the Coalition of Human Rights Groups in Nigeria asking these politicians to withdraw support for the killers they have commissioned, they must also, because they engaged these terrorists to carry out the killings, come up with modalities for decommissioning and demobilizing the killer gangs while handing over inventories of weapons they issued to these killers so that law enforcement agencies can properly mop up the illegal firearms that are being used to carry out the killings.
    Those that have been contracted to take the life of others must know that they face reckoning. Time has practically run out for them to repudiate the bloody contracts assigned to them by disgruntled politicians. They should immediately turn themselves in and name the politicians that gave them dirty jobs to do while also surrendering weapons in their possession. They must know that the military in Nigeria is capable of dealing them mortal blows once the era of persuasion is over. This will lead to certain death for the killers while their political masters are able to slink into the shadows to enjoy the proceeds of their corrupt past.
    In conclusion, we are calling on the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, notably the Nigerian Army, to consider that the period of grace is over for those that have decided that Nigerians cannot or will not know peace. The battle should be taken beyond the theatre of operation; the identities of Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and killer mercenaries gunned down in battles should henceforth be investigated and confirmed so that those they are linked to can be tracked down. The military should co-operate with the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Services (DSS) in this regard so that politicians or anyone found to be connected with these killers.
    We want to urge the Nigerian Army and other branches of the Armed Forces not to relent in the commendable efforts they have made in saving the country from the killers unleashed on the rest of us by the failed politicians. It is apparent that the situation would have been far worse if Nigeria does not have committed leaders in the military.
    Our appeal to the Federal Government is to repeat an earlier stated position that the situation at hand has gone past the one for political consideration. People that are devious enough to send killers after the electorate as punishment for not being voted do not require pampering; what they need is the activation of the full powers of the Nigerian state against them and the military and security agencies should be allowed to deploy this. They should get the backing to go after anyone found to be sponsoring these killers irrespective of whether there will be cries of clamp down on the opposition or not.
    Thank you for listening.

     

  • U.S. designates Boko Haram, ISIS ‘entities of particular concern’

    The United States has announced the designation of the Boko Haram terrorist group as an entity “of particular concern”.

    The U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in a statement, designated Boko Haram alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), al-Qa’ida and al-Shabab.

    Pompeo also designated Saudi Arabia, Iran, Burma, North Korea, among “countries of particular concern”, while Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan were placed on “special watch list”.

    “On November 28, 2018, I designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.

    “I also placed Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated ‘severe violations of religious freedom.

    “Finally, I designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qa’ida, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern,” Pompeo said.

    The U.S. top diplomat regretted that in far too many places across the globe, individuals continue to face harassment, arrests, or even death for simply living their lives in accordance with their beliefs.

    Pompeo said: “The United States will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression.

    “Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration.

    “In July, I hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which brought together some 85 like-minded governments and more than 400 civil society organisations to harness global attention and motivate forceful action to advance respect for the human right of religious freedom”.

    According to him, safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity.

    “These designations are aimed at improving the lives of individuals and the broader success of their societies.

    “I recognise that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; I welcome such initiatives and look forward to continuing the dialogue.

    “The United States remains committed to working with governments, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world,” Pompeo said.

    The Boko Haram terrorist activities have claimed thousands of people’s lives, and affected millions of families, leaving behind huge humanitarian crises, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

    “The humanitarian crisis in North East Nigeria that has spilled into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, is one of the most severe in the world today.

    “In North East Nigeria, 10 years of conflict has left more than seven million people in dire need of help in the three worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    “About 1.8 million people are internally displaced. People need food, water, shelter and health services,” the UN agency said.(NAN)

  • Troops repel Boko Haram attack in Borno community

    Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have successfully repelled Boko Haram insurgents’ attack at Jakana village in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno.

    The insurgents coordinated the attack at Jakana barely 12 hours after the troops repelled them in Bama and Rann communities.

    Although there were no official comments either by the military and government agencies, reports said the gallant troops engaged the insurgents in gun duel to repel the attacks.

    A competent source at the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), disclosed that heavily armed insurgents attacked Jakana at about 8 pm on Friday.

    The source disclosed that the troops, with support of other security personnel and members of the vigilante, engaged the criminals in serious gun battle which lasted for over an hour.

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    It said that the troops routed the insurgents and many of them escaped with gun shot wounds.

    The vigilante fighter added that there were no casualties on the part of the troops and members of the public in the attack.

    It will be recalled that gallant troops had earlier repelled attacks by the insurgents at Bama and Rann in the early morning hours of Friday.

    The insurgents burnt houses and a Malnourishment Treatment Centre, operated by an NGO at Rann community.

    The military authorities are yet to comment on the incidents.

     

    NAN