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Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram killings senseless, says U.S govt.

    Boko Haram killings senseless, says U.S govt.

    The United States has described the recent killing of Nigerians, especially school children, by the Boko Haram insurgents as “senseless.’

    The U.S Consular-General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffy Hawkins, said this on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti while addressing newsmen.

    He spoke shortly after visiting some aspirants who would participate in the June 21 governorship election in the state.

    The envoy said such a development was not good for a country planning to conduct general elections in 2015.

    He warned that the activities of the Islamic sect could mar the elections if not checked.

    Hawkins said that the American government had already voted $15 million to facilitate the conduct of the elections in Nigeria.

    The envoy said that his government was keen to ensure free and credible elections in the country and urged Nigerians to ensure a peaceful outcome.

    Hawkins said that his country would monitor Nigeria’s electoral umpire to ensure that the June 21 poll in Ekiti and that of Osun scheduled for August were conducted successfully.

    He said the war against terrorism and insurgency in the country must be won to enable the country move forward

  • Borno to fast for three days to end insurgency

    The Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn-Garbai, has directed residents of the state to fast for three days, beginning today, “for divine intervention on the Boko Haram insurgency.’’

    In a statement issued yesterday in Maiduguri, the emir said: “I am appealing to residents of the state to observe a three-day fast to seek Allah’s mercy in ending the crisis facing us.

    “I believe we should continue to seek Allah’s help toward peace in the state.”

    Ibn-Garbai added that the renewed violence by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect had led to destruction of life and property.

    The Shehu noted that it was time to seek God’s intervention and urged residents to start the fasting today and end on Thursday.

    He also directed that special prayers be held in mosques and churches to seek God’s help and urged residents to remain prayerful after the fasting.

     

  • Boko Haram and National Conference

    The resort to maximum terror by the Boko Haram insurgents in the run-up to the National Conference, starting on March 17, may be a political message to the Nigerian elite. If so, I hope they take note. With over 400 children, youths, adults, old men and women slaughtered or burnt to death, within five weeks to the start of the conference by the incendiary elements, the biggest issue for the national confab will no doubt be: ‘what can be done to secure lives and property in Nigeria’. The old national scarecrow, resource control, can only come second, now. Even the conferees will no doubt be wary of any suspicious movement, stampede or a carelessly lying suspicious object; as they wheel and deal in the cozy environment of Abuja.

    This column supported the convocation of the national confab, even before it became agreeable to the majority of Nigerians. The reason is simple. Nigeria as presently governed can not survive a few more decades, regardless of all the optimism by those temporary benefiting. And the reason is because there is perverse corruption, particularly the carefree massive stealing of our common resources, by public officials across the land. This gross mis-governance is possible because of the structural defects in our country, which our political office holders exploit to divide the people and avoid any form of accountability. But to my chagrin, and I guess most Nigerians, the 492 potential conferees, who I thought would change the paradigm, appear already ensnared into the gang of national treasury looters.

    Forgive my impudence, but there is no other way to describe the humongous allowances that the federal government has promised the delegates. That may explain, why retired and tired old men and women are struggling to get a share of the gravy. One source said the delegates will be paid 4 million naira per month, with other comforts. If that is true, each delegate will ‘earn’ 12 million naira for the three months they will sit. This ridiculous waste of scarce national resources will be shared from the mind boggling budget of a whooping 7 billion naira budget, for the conference. Now, if we rail at the audacious impunity of our law makers and executive officials, who appropriate unconstitutional allowances to themselves, what moral authority will the potentially conniving conferees have to propose an equitable protection and re-distribution of our national resources.

    Indeed, if truly the National conferees who will soon assemble to proffer the solutions to our current crisis, will be comfortable with such an anomalous earning for what should at best be a part-time patriotic engagement, then we wont be surprised if their time at the conference will be spent hankering over allowances, comforts and similar distractions. It does appear to me, now, that what the President has opted for, by agreeing to a national conference, is an opportunity to assemble the crème de la crème of our socio-political and economic elites, and summarily bribe them to shut-up and allow him a secound term in office, in 2015.

    For it is unthinkable that after grabbing, just in the same manner as our current political office holders are doing, 12 million naira and other sundry entitlements for a mere three months ‘work’; the participants will have the mindset or the temerity to thoroughly appreciate and proffer solutions to the dire economic and political crises starring our dear country in the face. Their case may not be different from the leaders of the Niger-Delta militants, who have been ensnared by the Abuja glitterati, that they have completely forgotten their recent past. If in doubt, compare the ‘rag tag generals and war lords’ that came out of the creeks to shake the hands of former President Yar’Adua on being offered an amnesty program and the suave and sharp looking ‘billionaire business men and philanthropist pretenders’ parading the corridors of power after having handsomely been settled because of who they were. The magic is the massive infusion of luxury and unearned income, which has compromised them.

    Such cycle is the tragedy of the Nigerian elite. When he/she is outside the corridors of power, the mind is uncluttered and he/she appreciates what needs to be done to have a functional nation, in the true sense of it. Unfortunately, when the elite gets into power or a position to influence a change, he/she is overwhelmed by the unearned easy life, and soon becomes so encumbered that he/she turns into a clog in the wheel of any measure of national progress. Regrettably, President Jonathan and the rest of them are, whether they know it or not, in that quandary. Our country, as is, is a nightmare, regardless of the amount of resources you may have accumulated. If for no other reason, for the simple one that you can not say with any measure of certainty, that you and your wealth are safe and secure.

    So as the conferees engage in their task, with all the temptations of excessive comfort, they should spare a thought as to the audacious impunity of the Boko Haram. What inspires and sustains it? What needs to be done to contain and resolve it – militarily or politically? They should also spare a thought as to why our national resource is like an unmanned bazaar, such that our public officials freely steal to their hearts’ desire. They should question the legitimacy of the sources and the security of national resource, both human and material. Here they should ask themselves, whether what is in place is fair, reasonable and sustainable. Luckily, nobody is expecting them to re-invent the wheel. Precedents, systems and process abound. What is needed is for them to spare a thought for the possibilities.

    For comments: 08033054939 (sms only)

     

  • Insurgency: Shehu of Borno declares 3-day fasting

    The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn-Garbai, has directed residents of the state to embark on a three-day fasting “for divine intervention over the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.’’

    The directive is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Maiduguri.

    The statement quoted the monarch as asking residents to start the fasting on Tuesday.

    He said “I am appealing to all residents of the state to observe a three-day fasting to seek Allah’s mercy toward ending the crisis facing us.

    “I believe we should continue to seek for Allah’s help toward restoring peace in the state.’’

    Ibn-Garbai added that the renewed violence by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect had led to massive destruction of lives and property.

    The Shehu noted that it was time to seek God’s intervention to the problem and urged residents to start the fasting on Tuesday and end it on Thursday.

    He also directed that special prayers be held in Mosques and Churches to seek God’s help and urged residents to remain prayerful even after the fasting.

  • Boko Haram: Military pounds 17 insurgents’ camps

    Boko Haram: Military pounds 17 insurgents’ camps

    •80 undergo grilling

    •DHQ orders full medical service for wounded sect members

    About 17 camps of Boko Haram spread across Adamawa and Borno States have come under sustained pounding by troops deployed to the Northeast to flush out terrorists in the area.

    Over 80 insurgents arrested during the raids are currently being grilled at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri.

    Fresh intelligence discovery by the military also confirmed that Boko Haram members have changed tactics as they now seem to prefer unprimed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

    The Nation gathered yesterday that troops have subjected more than 17 Boko Haram’s camps in the two states to pounding in the last 24 hours.

    “We have had sustained air raids on more than 17 locations of the insurgents in the last 24 hours,” one source said.

    “The encounters were mostly in mountains, forests and borders between Adamawa and Borno States. We have been targeting these areas in order not to give them a breathing space and to ensure there is no violation of the borders.

    “The reality is that we are going to sustain the air strikes for as long as possible; we will not relent at all.”

    Responding to a question, the source said over 80 insurgents had been arrested and were undergoing interrogation at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri.

    The source, who said some of the Boko Haram fighters were in bad shape, however, claimed that the Defence Headquarters had directed that the wounded be offered full medical service.

    The DHQ gave the directive in line with its rules of engagement and international practices on armed conflict.

    The source added: “We are currently interrogating more than 80 insurgents; we are also sorting them out based on empirical evidence of what we found on them.

    “Most of the insurgents were badly wounded; some of them look fragile; and a few others were bleeding.

    “The Defence Headquarters has however directed that we should give them full medical service in line with our rules of engagement and international best practices.

    “We are already taking care of them in different medical facilities although some have little chance of survival.”

    On why soldiers were reportedly running away from Boko Haram targeted areas, the military source said: “The troops are neither withdrawing from battle fronts or afraid of encounters with the insurgents.

    “What happens is that whenever they locate or sight Boko Haram camps, they will call for air raids and they have a responsibility to get out of the place before air strikes or else they will be killed along with the insurgents.

    “So a Senator that is saying that troops are running is not familiar with military tactics. Our air strikes on the insurgents are usually devastative and if troops remain during such raids, they will be killed too.

    “What the troops do is to keep a safe distance and lay ambush for the insurgents running away from air strikes.”

    But the source said the military had just discovered Boko Haram’s new tactics for unprimed IEDs.

    He said: “They now have preference for unprimed IEDs which can go through security checks undetected. In the past, they were using primed IEDs which would be planted at strategic locations.

    “On Friday, we found out that they have chosen to be smuggling unprimed IEDs into targeted areas and whenever they are ready to attack, they will unleash the explosives.

    “This is why we are doing more cordon and search, frisking, and combing of everyone because unprimed IEDs can only be located as an item but cannot be detected by security sniffing gadgets.

    “The intelligence units are also working on the probability that some external forces are giving backing to these insurgents. The patrols are on and more of the arrests of those with unprimed IEDs are being made.”

    The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade confirmed the arrest of many suspects.

    He said the military needs information from those arrested and “the more of them we catch alive, the better for our intelligence.

    “For instance, one of the specialists in butchering innocent citizens is in our net and he has made far-reaching disclosures. These insurgents are always after martyrdom but we want them alive for questioning.”

  • Presbyterian Church wants total war against Boko Haram

    The Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Prof. Emele Uka, has called for an onslaught against the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to put to an end to its relentless orgy of indiscriminate and senseless killings of innocent Nigerians.

    The prelate condemned the latest spate of killings including the massacre of innocent school children at the Federal Government College, Bunu Yadi, Yobe State, which he described as senseless and barbaric.

    Uka, in a statement, said the total war should be fought at all fronts including the arrest and prosecution of all those who directly and indirectly support the terrorist group.

    He wondered why the attacks and wanton killings by the Islamic sect were on the increase despite the state-of-emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan and the military onslaught against the sect.

    “The country is in a state of war,” the prelate declared, “and it is only a total counter war that will save the nation from this spate of mindless plunder and destruction of lives and property and the palpable state of fear and insecurity that have engulfed the nation.

    “With the sophistication of the sect’s arms and strategies, the impunity with which they unleash mayhem and the seeming ubiquity in parts of the North East geographical zone, it is obvious that they enjoy a massive support.

    “I am surprised that till today, no arrests of their sponsors have been made even though the government has made claims to the effect that they know those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram terrorist group.

    “If the government knows them, they should expose them and cause them to face the wrath of the law.”

  • Why insurgency persists, by Abidoye

    The Spiritual Head and Chairman of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye, has expressed concerns over the inability of government to curtail the Boko Haram insurgency in the north.

    Abidoye blamed the situation on the absence of quality leadership across the nation.

    According to him: “The continuous existence of the Boko Haram and the Niger-Delta crisis, among others, is because our leaders are not doing what they are supposed to do. Our government needs to be more careful.”

    He pointed out that “many people are afraid of the coming elections especially those in the north because the elections have never been successful.”

    He urged Nigerians to pray for the elections to be peaceful.

    Abidoye lamented that many modern Christians are after money, instead of God.

    “Nobody is behaving like a Christian. You find pastors caught in robbery and doing lots of bad things.

    “Christ is coming back very soon and all Christians must be prepared.”

  • Boko Haram: Archbishop suggests fasting and prayer

    The President, Integrity and Faithful Ministers World Network, Archbishop Friday Nwator, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a nationwide fasting and prayer over the incessant terrorist attacks by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in the northeast.

    He said the only solution to the insecurity challenge in the north is allowing God to do the battles.

    Nwator, who was among the clergymen that led the Niger Delta ex- militants to embrace the federal government’s Amnesty Programme, said the sect would be demobilised with just a 3-day nationwide fasting and prayer.

    Speaking in Port-Harcourt, Nwator said terrorist groups like Boko Haram need God’s mighty fire to come to their knees.

    According to him: “The issue of Boko Haram insurgency should not look like an unsolvable issue, every matter has a solution.

    “If all the peaceful and forceful avenues applied cannot work, I have the best solution to it.

    “That solution is simple. Let’s invite the Almighty God for three days in a nationwide fasting and prayer. We don’t need money to do it. All we need is Jonathan’s approval.”

     

  • Boko Haram: End killings, Gowon urges Jonathan

    Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon has  called on President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to vigorously work at ending the mindless killings and mayhem across the country.

    The Islamic sect, Boko Haram and other terrorists groups have continued to kill innocent Nigerians in the north eastern part of the country.

    Gowon, while speaking at the National Youth Peace Concert held at the Eagle Squares, Abuja on Saturday  also challenged the terrorists to come out to defend their actions.

    He urged Nigerians to come to the aid of the government by providing useful information about the terrorists.

    The Concert was organized by the Office of the First Lady and office of the Special Adviser to the President on Youth and Students Matters.

    He said: “I call on the Federal Government, using the various security agencies to vigorously work at ending the orgy of mindless killings and mayhem across the country. But the people can also help by making sure that they give intelligence of information of where these people are coming from.”

    “Are they Nigerians that are doing these? If they are Nigerians, I challenge them to come out and defend their acts against their motherland.”

    Calling on African leaders to rise to the occasion and stop crisis in Africa, he said:  “May I also use this medium to call on our leaders , not only in Nigeria but across Africa, to exercise the critical responsibility of leadership and rise up to the challenge of providing solution to these problems through education,employment, youth development and empowerment.”

    “These actions will help to stem the tendency towards violent conflicts in some parts of the country.” He added

    Gowon, who was the special guest of honour at the event, also expressed sympathy to the families of the dead and wounded students in the recent terrorists attacks in the school in Yobe State as he condemned  other similar attacks.

    “You must reject acts of violence of any sort. But you must embrace and build trust and confidence among one another for the eternal good of your respective countries band your continent.” He told the youths at the occasion.

    The Nigeria’s First Lady and President of African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dame Patience Jonathan  called on youths in the country to shun being lured into election thuggery among other crimes as the 2015 general elections approaches.

    Urging Nigerians to forgive one another and work together, she charged the youths to be peace ambassadors in their homes, community, states and Nigeria and the continent as a whole.

    She said: “I want you to go out there to preach peace for me. Why are our brothers killing one another? Let us not allow outsiders to come and cause confusion for us. We need everyone to be alive to build a strong nation.”

    “I am really pained, I don’t know how to say enough is enough. I have prayed in my bedroom. I want God to hear and answer me. We are killing one another. Let God, Allah touch our hearts. Let us stop killing one another.”

    “I am deeply pained and I wish you can help me today. The youths, you are my hope. I have called on my fellow women and yet help is still not coming, the men have tried and yet no help. So, I am calling on you the youth. I want you to be alive for me. I want Nigeria to be as it was before.”

    She went on: “No matter the religion we have,  we pray to one God. Allah us the same as God. Everything we do, God is seeing us. Let them cease from touching schools and killing students. I want you to be my ambassadors as you leave here. Carry my message along with you. From today, don’t call me First Lady Same Patience, call me ‘Mama Peace’.

    On forthcoming election, she said: “I am crying and begging you, don’t be used. Election is coming, they will come to you. Why are they not using their children? Their children are in schools abroad. They don’t have money to feed you, but they have money to buy grenades for you. Please don’t take it again. I want you to stay alive for me.”

    After releasing100 white doves  as symbol of peace in Nigeria and the continent at the occasion, she was presented with two awards for her role in promoting peace in the continent.

    Also speaking at the occasion, the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Sambo called all Nigerians to continue to promote peace and love in order to overcome the various security challenges facing the nation.

    Stressing that the occasion was imperative because of the various security challenges facing the nation, she urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used to destroy the future of Nigeria by anybody, but channel their energies to positive uses.

    She also maintained that the fast eroding of Nigeria’s religious and cultural values call for serious concern by those who genuinely love the country.

    “Let us all promote love and peace in the nation. It is time to wage peace and not war. Let us all be peace advocates …to end the threat to peace in our nation.” She stated

    The First Lady of South Africa, Mrs. N. Zuma, who spoke on behalf of the African First Ladies Peace Mission maintained that no meaningful development can be achieved in any society except peace is first archived.

    She urged the youths in the continent to continue to stand for love and peace in order to end the crises across the continent.

    Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion include First Lady of Sudan and other Regional Vice Presidents of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, the Wife of the Senate President, Helen Mark, First Ladies from various states of the Federation.

    Various Christian and Muslim leaders in the country also spoke at the occasion preaching love and peace in the country.

    TuFace Idibia, Onyeka Onwenu, and artiste from Cote’dIvoire, Katara were among the artiste that performed at the occasion.

    The concert was attended by thousands of youths that stormed the city from various states of the Federation.

  • Boko Haram: Arewa chair Coomassie blasts FG: you’re insincere

    Boko Haram: Arewa chair Coomassie blasts FG: you’re insincere

    The Pan Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday fired a broadside at the Federal Government, querying its sincerity in the fight against the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

    It said that the troops deployed to confront the insurgents in the Northeast appear not to be combat ready, given the ease with which Boko Haram is succeeding in killing innocent Nigerians.

    The ACF position is shared by retired Major General Adamu Ibrahim, a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, who said that the tactics being used by the soldiers are unworkable.

    The ACF , in a statement by its Chairman and former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, said the fact that the Army division established by government to fight the insurgents does not have a full combat-ready battalion to engage Boko Haram is a clear indication of lack of seriousness on the part of government to end the insurgency.

    It wondered, for instance, how a convoy of 30 to 60 vehicles full of weapons and materials would travel for five to ten kilometres, conduct an operation, killing people and destroying property and return to base unchallenged.

    ”There is certainly more than meets the eye. Or else how come a convoy of 30 to 60 vehicles full of arsenal men and material travel five to ten kilometres conduct an operation, killing people and destroying property and return to base unchallenged?” the organisation said.

    Denouncing what it called gradual attempt at annihilating Northerners the ACF said that “governments at federal and state levels go about their normal business as if all is well with us. This insensitivity on the part of government is highly condemnable. Northerners are full of despair and can only turn to our governors who are constitutionally charged with the responsibility of our security and welfare.”

    Northerners, it added, want to see their Governors at the forefront of employing every means at their disposal to bring to an end the massacre of their people, pointing out that the claim that the solution to the problem lies with the Federal Government alone is no longer acceptable.

    He said that while Northerners generally believe that the complacency of their elected leaders has contributed to prolonging the unfortunate situation troops deployed by the Federal Government are thinly deployed and “most inadequately equipped and motivated.”

    The ACF said:“ Baring insincerity why was the Governor of Borno State so castigated when he told the truth about the situation?

    “Continuous spate of massacre taking place on daily basis and claiming many innocent souls in villages of Borno,Yobe and Adamawa is a clear pointer to the failure of leadership and insensitivity of governance.

    “The Federal Government, Northern State Governors and the entire political elite including the technocrats and the bureaucrats and all leaders of thoughts need the people to be alive in order to rule them.”

    And to the Northern governors, it said: “ACF is now constrained to draw attention of our Governors to our collective responsibility as leaders and protectors of security of lives and properties of the entire North. The effort so far made by our governors towards the resolution of this crisis need to be re-doubled.

    “No matter how meagre the resources available to our governors, compared with their southern counterparts, we believe that you can do better, individually and collectively.”

    And speaking to The Nation in Jalingo, retired Major-General Adamu Ibrahim said that “the troops deployed to fight Boko Haram are only trained for conventional wars, not the urban guerrilla war where the enemies hit and run.”

    He added: “The tactics of fighting a conventional war are different from those used in urban guerrillas. In a conventional war, you know the enemies and their location, so you can direct heavy artillery like tanks or amours as well as air force to shed or crush them before getting there to capture them by hands.

    “But here, our troops don’t know the enemies’ sanctuaries; air surveillance jets cannot locate them; if you feel they are there and you attempt to bomb them you end up killing innocent people.

    “So, the whole thing boils down to necessary training. The soldiers may have the necessary equipment bought with huge money by the government. But they (soldiers) don’t have the skills to handle the equipment. That goes without the saying that it is not necessarily the equipment that makes you win a war, but the man behind the equipment.

    “In other words, you can spend a fortune buying sophisticated weapons, but if those behind the weapons are not well trained, they cannot maximize the handling of such weapons to get the required result.”

    Gen.Ibrahim stressed the need for intelligence in dealing with the enemy.

    “When your intelligence is low the enemies have the choice of coming after you,” he said.

    The general said that with the conventional approach having failed, the state of emergency approach proving abortive “and the enemies laughing” government should adopt flexibility of war plan.

    This, according to him, “allows you to change your method.”

    He advised President Goodluck Jonathan to “engage in productive dialogue using the right kind of people –he (Jonathan) doesn’t need to publicise them. But because those close to Jonathan are making huge money from the Boko Haram violence, they don’t want to advise the President to use the right people who have contact with the insurgents. Jonathan can use them under cover –he shouldn’t expose them because they too need protection.

    Instead of accusing the political elites from the North of being responsible for the Boko Haram crisis, the President should invite them (northern elites) for a round table discussion.”