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Tag: boko haram

  • ‘Past leaders were deceitful in handling Boko Haram, Niger Delta crisis’

    A non-governmental organisation, Newstime International Company, Tuesday blamed past leadership in the country for showing gross incompetence and deceitfulness in handling the issues of Boko Haram insurgency and Niger Delta militancy.

    The group said the situation in Nigeria on the twin challenges of Boko Haram and Niger Delta militancy were a legacy of many years of problems.

    President of the group, Tony Oyatedor, said these at a briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja.

    Oyatedor said Boko Haram and Niger Delta militancy will move from bitter fighting to close friendship with the federal government through the help of Nigerians.

    He called on the Federal Government to make peace with aggrieved Nigerians to end killings and the continuous destruction of properties of innocent Nigerians.

    He said: “The situation in Nigeria on the twin problems is a legacy of many years of problems. It is not something that happened overnight. We are not going to be able to resolve it overnight with a snap of the finger.

    ‘’We must not take sides. Our work is not to condemn, but our work is to accomplish reconciliation and peace.

    ‘’The twin problems in Nigeria is a serious problem and no one is working to fix it, they only talk about it but Newstime has the solution and will roll up our sleeves to work and fix it for good.”

    Oyatedor said previous administrations in the country proved their priorities were to look the country instead of creating an enabling environment for peace, security and development.

    ‘’Niger Delta leaders always complain about the terrain in the area while, northerners and so many other countries are begging God to give them water. Niger Delta have water but the people make it sound like it is a disease to have water, instead to give thanks, praise and glory to God for a land flowing with oil, gas, milk and honey due to water and the terrain.

    ‘’People complain about unemployment, power outages, bad roads, lack of potable and clean water to drink and clean environment. Government should rather employ people to handle this infrastructural deficit properly,” he added.

  • We won’t rest until remaining Chibok girls are released — Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari pledged that his government will not rest until the remaining Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in April 2014 are safely released

    According to a statement issued by President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja  Buhari made the pledge on Monday in Katowice, Poland, during a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, on the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP24.

    The Presidential aide said Buhari had spent the whole day at the International Conference Centre, Katowice, where he delivered his national address at the opening of the 12-day meeting of COP24.

    Shehu said the president had also met with several world leaders and visited the impressive Nigerian pavilion at the climate summit.

    During his meeting with the Swiss President, the Nigerian leader thanked the Swiss Confederation for its efforts and important role as intermediaries to secure the release of some Chibok girls.

    He assured him that the issue of the remaining kidnapped girls and other abducted persons would remain a ‘key priority’ for the Nigerian government.

    President Buhari and his Swiss counterpart, according to the statement, discussed joint strategies to ensure the safe return of the girls, building on the past successes of securing the release of some of the Chibok girls and other abducted persons in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.

    The President also welcomed the Swiss President’s commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and to ensure the safe release of the abducted school girls.

    ”We will continue to make the safe release of the remaining Chibok girls a priority and will welcome any kind of support from any quarters to make this happen, ” the President said.

    In separate bilateral meetings with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, President Buhari commended the country for a successful outing at the opening of the COP24 meeting in Katowice.

    The President told his Polish counterpart that Nigeria was facing serious climate change challenges, particularly the receding Lake Chad, which had been a source of livelihood to some 40 million people living in the region.

    ”Nigeria is totally committed to global efforts to mitigate and adapt to effects of climate change,” President Buhari told the Polish leader, whose country is the president of COP24.

    In his meeting with Prime Minister Morawiecki, the President lauded the plan by the Polish Government to open a Trade Office in Lagos soon, promising that “investors who look to Nigeria can be ‘guaranteed’ of safe returns on their investments.’’

    He said: ”We have a vibrant and active young population and our government is doing so much on the Nigerian economy, including diversifying to non-oil sectors.

    Read Also: Buhari: I’ll not complain again about Nigeria’s problems

    ”We welcome increased cooperation with Poland and will encourage investments in other sectors of the economy like solid minerals and information technology.’’

    Morawiecki told President Buhari that traditionally 96 per cent of oil imports to Poland came from Saudi Arabia and Russia, adding ”but now we are looking at importing oil from Nigeria.”

    The Prime Minister noted as the fastest growing economy in the European Union, Poland had identified Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, as three top investment destinations in Africa.

    ”We want the hub of our investment destination to be in Nigeria,” he added.

    The Polish Prime Minister welcomed the pledge by the Nigerian leader to immediately put in place a framework to encourage more Polish investments in Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, the President’s bilateral meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Van der Bellen, focused on the challenges of Lake Chad and what was required to recharge it.

    While noting that the Lake faced the two challenges of technology and financing, President Buhari told the Austrian leader that enormous financial resources and technology were required to transfer water to Lake Chad from the Congo Basin.

    Van der Bellen, who indicated his country’s interest to cooperate with Nigeria on recharging the Lake Chad, talked about climate change challenges in Austria including drought, glaciers melting, among others.

    President Buhari also met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and both leaders followed up on their past discussions, during their last meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, in July, which centred on trade, investments and partnerships in agriculture.

    The President welcomed the proposal by the Dutch Prime Minister to visit Abuja soon and promised that the Nigerian government would continue to provide a conducive business environment for existing and prospective Dutch investors.

    On the sidelines of COP24, President Buhari also met with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Jüri Ratas.

    The Prime Minister of the Northern European country sought Nigeria’s support on its bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020 to 2021.

    “The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and climate change mitigation,’’ the statement said.

     

    NAN

  • Boko Haram: Fed Govt orders Buratai back to war theatre

    Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai is to return to the Northeast where he will stay until Boko Haram insurgents are crushed, the Federal Government ordered yesterday.

    It also asked Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin and Gen. Buratai to effect changes in operational commands of major operations in the country, especially operations Lafiya Dole in the Northeast, Operation Delta in the Niger Delta, Operation Sharan Daji in Zamfara and Katsina states and Operation Awatse in Southwest.

    This development is coming on the heels of the attacks on troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Northeast, the latest of which is the attack on the troops of 157 Battalion stationed in Melete, northern Borno in which 23 soldiers died.

    The Army chief had as a result of the attacks moved the Chief of Army staff  4th Quarter Conference slated for Benin, Edo State capital, to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, to enable him motivate troops for the challenges of Boko Haram.

    Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali directed the military top hierrachy to effect changes that would restore peace and orderliness to the troubled states and zones of the country.

    He also directed the General Officer Commanding the 8 Division  to relocate his tactical headquarters to Gusau, Zamfara State, from Sokoto and directly oversee the conduct of Operation Sharan Daji.

    A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer to the minister, Colonel Tukur Gusau, said the decisions were taken at the end of the meeting of the minister, the chief of Defence Staff, (CDS)  and  Service chiefs yesterday.

    It stated that President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the emmergency procurement of critical equipment for the armed forces.

    The statement reads:  “   The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali met with the CDS and Service Chiefs today Monday 3 December 2018 at the Ship House, Headquarters of Ministry of Defence and consequently directed the Chief of Army Staff to remain in the Northeast until security situation improves.

    “ Similarly, the General Officer Commanding the 8 Division, Nigerian Army, was also directed to relocate his Tactical Headquarters from Sokoto to Gusau, Zamfara State to oversee the conduct of Operation SHARAN DAJI.

    ”   The Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff were also mandated to effect changes in the operational commands of Operations DELTA SAFE in the Niger Delta, LAFIYA DOLE in the Northeast, SHARAN DAJI in Zamfara and Katsina states and AWATSE in the Southwest. This is to enable them meet up with the current threats and security challenges in their areas of responsibility.

    “The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has also directed the emergency procurement of critical equipment for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in line with the Federal Government policy of procuring equipment from Original Equipment Manufacturers through government to government basis.

    “ The Council/Board also considered and approved the promotion of qualified senior military officers to their next higher ranks. In a related development and a show of concern to the welfare needs of members of the Armed Forces, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has directed the enhancement of the welfare of troops, particularly those serving in operational areas within the country.”

  • Buratai warns Troops against fake news

    Troops deployed to the northeast against Boko Haram Terrorists have been cautioned by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur  Buratai, to be wary of Boko Haram  terrorists and their sympathizers, especially in the way and manner they employ propaganda to achieve certain objectives.

    Buratai said if troops get expose to social media and fake news there is the likehood that it would demoralize their fighting spirits and undermine national security.

    The Army Chief made the observations at a dinner for the troops of Armed Forces Special Forces Battalion (AFSF Bn) and Army Headquarters Strike Group in Maiduguri at the weekend.

    Speaking further, he stressed that the troops should be mindful of what they see and read on the social media as most of the stories are either doctored or fake.

    Believing these stories would demoralize their fighting spirit, thus undermining national security, the COAS added.

    Buratai was also quoted as saying that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies are now fighting terrorism as the days of insurgency has long gone.

    In a statement by Army Spokesman , Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, Lt. Gen. Buratai emphasized that Boko Haram terrorists have no claim to any territory in Nigeria as of today and therefore enjoined the troops to flush out remnants of the terrorists wherever they are hiding..

    Buratai who asked the troops to use tactics acquired at different stages of their training as Special Forces, added that more attention would be given to In-theatre training and intelligence gathering and capabilities of personnel would be enhanced.

    He also urged them to maintain the peace in the country and work hand in hand with other security agencies to defend the democratic system.

    Every commander is already aware of what is expected of him especially, in the upcoming general elections of 2019, therefore you should live up to expectations of the authorities, Buratai said.

    In his vote of thanks on behalf of the officers and men of both units after the dinner, the Commanding Officer of the AFSF Bn, Navy Commander G B Osuobeni, lauded the Army Chief for the visit and the kind gesture of hosting them to a dinner.

    He said that the event signifies the Chief of Army Staff’s appreciation and support of their efforts in the fight against terrorism in the north east under the auspices of Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

    The Commanding Officer stated that the occasion would remain indelible in their minds and that the troops of both units were highly motivated by the visits and interaction, assuring that they would continue to do their best to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the border areas and other areas of the north eastern part of Nigeria.

  • Buratai to troops: you’ve what it takes to flush out Boko Haram

    TROOPS involved in the anti-Boko Haram battle in the Northeast have the wherewithal to defeat insurgents, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has said.

    He directed the troops to flush out the remnants of Boko Haram fighters from their hideout.

    The COAS said that troops deployed in the northeast have what it takes in terms of equipment and logistics to wipe out terrorists within the shortest period.

    Lt.-Gen Buratai gave the directive while addressing Armed Forces Special Forces Battlion at the weekend in Borno State.

    Army Spokesman Brig.-Gen Sani Usman said in a statement that Buratai urged the troops to fill in the observed gaps as they were deployed for that purpose and should therefore make the difference in the fight against terrorism.

    The COAS was quoted as saying that the troops have all it takes to do the job and they should work together as a team, adding that the Nigerian Armed Forces have done a great job in the Northeast in terms of degrading the Boko Haram terrorists.

    The attained success must be consolidated as they are adequately equipped, trained and with superior tactics than the terrorists, Gen. Buratai was quoted as saying.

    He implored the troops to dominate everywhere in the theatre and deny the terrorists freedom of action and movement.

    Brig.-Gen Usman said that the COAS later had private durbar with the troops in which they bared their minds on various issues, while the Army Chief provided answers to their enquiries.

    The spokesman said: “The COAS also paid similar visit to Army Headquarters Strike Group where he had one-on-one interaction with them. Later in the evening he had dinner with the troops.

    “The visit to the troops by the Chief of Army Staff is coming at the end of the Chief of Army Staff’s annual conference 2018 which took place in Maiduguri from 28-30th November 2018.”

    Also at the weekend, the COAS listed the dangers of fake news. He said the trend not only poses threat to national security, but makes the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the Northeast more difficult.

    Condemning those behind fake news, Gen. Buratai  urged Nigerians to be patriotic and wary of false information.

    He said: “It is inimical to national security; it is inimical to the morale of the troops and by and large, it is one of the demoralising factors making the counter insurgency operation more difficult.’’

    He stated that terrorists survive on propaganda to get attention and spread their ideology as well as to create fear and the impression that they were “untouchable, invincible or have capacity that they do not possess.’’

    “Nigerians must be very careful not to fall to their antics by condemning their actions and propaganda, and support the efforts of the military, especially the Nigerian army.

    According to the COAS, the troops deployed to fight the terrorists, bears the consequences of the fake news.

     

    Eight killed as Boko Haram launches fresh attack on military base

    SUSPECTED Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday   night launched a daring attack on a military base located at Buni Gari, Yobe State.

    Buni Gari is less than five kilometres from the 27 Task Force Brigade of the Nigeria Army located in Buni Yadi, about 50 kilometres from Damaturu, the state capital.

    A reliable security source claimed that six Boko Haram fighters and two soldiers were killed in the in the cross-fire between insurgents and troops.

    “We lost two soldiers but we killed six of the bastards,” the source said.

    A resident, who identified himself as Babagana, said they fled their homes after sounds of sporadic gunshots boomed from the military base located in the southeast of the town.

    Babagana also informed that most of the residents that ran out of the town have returned with the army taking full charge of the area.

    “There was serious reinforcement from the 27 Task Force Brigade therefore the terrorists couldn’t make any impact,” a soldier informed.

    The Nation recalled that the insurgents lunched a similar attack on a military location in the same axis in Katarko on November 7.

    The rampaging Boko Haram fighters set the military base ablaze and also part of the village.

  • 2,000 policemen, sniffer dogs to battle Boko Haram

    Two thousand policemen drafted from the Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and Sniffer Dog section have been deployed in the Northeast to assist the military to fight Boko Haram.

    They were deployed for combat by Inspector General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris under operation Lafiya Dole.

    According to the police, the cops would engage in purely military duties, adding that the deployment was in line with Section 4 of the Police Act.

    Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, an acting Deputy Commissioner (DCP), said the deployment was also to support the strength of the military to defeat the insurgents.

    The police, Moshood, said previously had 47 PMF units totalling 2961 operatives in Borno as well as the PMF Squadron in the state.

    He said: “Twenty-six units (63 X 26 = 1638) on ground in Yobe in addition to the PMF Squadron in the state and 18 units (63 X 18 = 1134) on ground in Adamawa in addition to the PMF Squadron in Adamawa State.

    “The Counter Terrorism Units of the Force has deployments of over 1,250 specially trained personnel. The Police Anti-Bomb Squad has about 300 personnel, while over hundred sniffer dogs are working with the military in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

    “It is of significant note that the PMF personnel, CTU, Anti-Bomb Squad (EOD), Sniffer Dog Sections, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and conventional police personnel have being fighting along with the military in the frontline against Boko Haram insurgency and also providing security for restoration of law and order in the Northeast, security for all the liberated towns and villages in the Northeast, escort of foreign and local humanitarian workers and relief materials, protection of IDP camps and security of public and private infrastructures.

    “The police air-wing surveillance helicopters and crews are also deployed to support most of the operations of Lafiya Dole throughout the Northeast in the fight against insurgency.

    “The Nigeria Police Force is committed to the fight against insurgency and will do all it takes in collaboration with the military to bring a quick end to Boko Haram insurgency and crisis in the Northeast.”

  • 8 killed as Boko Haram lunches fresh attack on military base in Yobe

    Suspected armed Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday night lunched a daring attack on a military base located at Buni Gari, Yobe State.

    Buni Gari is less than 5km away from 27 Task Force Brigade of the Nigeria Army located in Buni Yadi which is just about 50km away from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

    A reliable security source informed that two soldiers got killed in the attack, just as six Boko Haram insurgents were also killed by the troops.

    “We lost two soldiers but we killed six of the bastards,” the source said.

    A resident who identified himself as Babagana said they all ran out of the town for fear after sounds of sporadic gunshots from the military base located in the southeast of the town.

    Babagana has also informed that most of the residents that ran out of the town have returned with the army taking full charge of the area

    There was serious reinforcement from the 27 Task Force Brigade therefore the terrorists couldn’t make any impact,” a soldier confidentially informed.

    The Nation  recalled that the insurgents have lunched a similar attack on a military location along the same axis in Katarko on November, 7th,  2018 where they went on rampage setting the military base ablaze and some part of the village.

  • Metele massacre

    Book Haram’s recent resurgence must be checked if Nigeria is to retain the pride of nationhood

    How did what started as a band of confused religious ideologues transform into a modern potent force that could stand up to the Nigerian Army and inflict maximum casualty? The casualty figures from the attack suffered by the Nigerian Army in Metele, 200 kilometres from Maiduguri, Borno State, on November 18, has called attention to what the Federal Government and the military high command have consistently kept from the public over the years.

    One reason former President Goodluck Jonathan was voted out of power in 2015 was his seeming inability to tame the Boko Haram terror group that was growing in confidence, seizing territories, hoisting flags and installing leadership in some parts of the country. Then, General Muhammadu Buhari who was flying the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag was seen as a suitable replacement. By December 2015, the APC government felt bold enough to declare victory in the war, with all territories claimed retrieved and people assured that the enemy had been degraded.

    However, there has been a resurgence by the terror group currently regarded as the deadliest in the world; not only are villages sacked, military formations are overrun with unbelievable ease and casualties keep mounting. This was the build-up to the Metele attack that saw an unprecedented number of our fighters killed. Till date, no one knows accurately how many soldiers were killed by the insurgents. While independent sources claim they were more than a hundred, the army has admitted 23.

    It was serious enough to make the army move the annual Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Conference to Maiduguri, to give the impression that it is up to the task. It was considered such a turning point that President Buhari, first, sent his defence minister to the Republic of Chad, decided to attend the COAS Conference in person, visit the wounded, and then jet off to Chad for deliberations on how to rejuvenate the Multinational Task Force set up with our neighbours to check the insurgents’ advances.

    This is a soul searching moment, one that should not be allowed to be muddled by partisanship. The Metele massacre is evidence that there is a limit to the use of propaganda in prosecuting a war. Living in denial has not helped and it’s time to change tactics and strategies. This much the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, has admitted and committed the leadership to effecting. But, can the current set of military chiefs be entrusted with this onerous task? What happened to the one billion dollars spent by government ostensibly to procure weapons for the war, and controversially approved earlier in the year by the National Assembly? Who is looking into the claim that our men at the battle front are ill-equipped and sometimes armed with obsolete weapons?

    It is shameful that Gen. Buratai could attribute the Metele setback to the deployment of modern surveillance machines by the “degraded” Boko Haram terrorists, aided by foreign mercenaries. Why couldn’t our men in the Nigerian Air Force and the army intercept the drones? How good is the intelligence arm of the armed forces? Are the various arms of the military cooperating and coordinated? It seems we have seen the best of this set of military chiefs and, as we had pointed out in another editorial, they should be changed. It might be suicidal to trust them with effecting the change of strategies needed at this point.

    Only a few days after the Metele disaster, the air force was said to have bombarded the terrorists’ camps in the Lake Chad area. Desirable as this is, it won’t amount to much if we do not boost the morale of the ground troops and procure the right equipment for them. We are not unmindful of the fact that our fighters are unfamiliar with asymmetric warfare, having been trained to confront conventional enemies, but the experience from other parts of the world and the past decade of confronting this deadly group ought to have given them the requisite know-how to record irreversible successes. The Boko Haram War has cost the country so much in men and materials such that excuses are no longer acceptable. The internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the North East are still bustling with distressed compatriots. The dreams of many children have been cut short and their joy arrested. Women, wives and mothers are not only separated from loved ones but turned to destitute, others ferried away as sex slaves. A country that prides itself as a giant, if not the giant of Africa cannot continue to tolerate this sorry state of affairs.

    Nigeria is not a failed state; it has a standing army, a central authority and is a respected member of the international community. All these must be brought to bear in stopping this shame. Metele is the height of insult to our sovereignty.

  • Army rolls out new strategies to fight Boko Haram…as COAS conference ends

    The Nigerian Army said yesterday that it had put in place new strategies to fight and defeat Boko Haram insurgents in the country.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, at the closing ceremony of the  Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference held at the Command Guest House, Maiduguri, stated that the conference  afforded the participants to deliberate on critical areas, such as leadership, command, responsibilities and doctrine.

    The Army Chief gave a stern warning to operational commanders against leadership failure, just as he urged them to remain committed and focused on their duties.

    Lt. Gen. Buratai, who regretted the recent setbacks suffered by troops in the Theatre Command, charged the troops not to be deterred but rather be determined to ending fighting the war to the finish.

    He noted that the Nigerian Army from next year will embark on aggressive training of personnel and ensure more synergy with other security agencies to achieve the desired results.

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Chief of Army Staff  called on  officers and soldiers to remain neutral in discharging their responsibilities.

    Lt. Gen. Buratai said the army hierarchy would neither be distracted nor dragged into partisan politics.

    He said: ”The theme was carefully selected to remind us of our constitutional role as an army operating under democracy, especially as we approach general elections. The Nigerian Army is apolitical and must remain non-partisan in the conduct of the elections”

    Read also: Army, Rivers clash over ‘militia training camp’

    The Army Chief said the conference with the theme,  “Optimizing the Operational Efficiency of the Nigerian Army Towards Safeguarding Democracy and National Security in Nigeria,” was carefully crafted to shun the lures of politicians .

    “It is incumbent on us to maintain peace in our areas of responsibilities and shun the lures of politicians and  in appraising our operations, we noted the need to increase our manpower, maintain our role and get less involved in roles for the Nigerian Police,” he added.

    He said: “We deliberated on a lot of salient issues, including the issues of leadership, command responsibilities. I was pleased to listen to thought-provoking deliberations generated during discussion sessions. I believe there is hope for Nigeria with the officers that will take over the army leadership in future.”

    He said there had been clear leadership failure and lack of initiative among senior and junior commanders, stressing that this must be checked and directed operational commanders at all levels to imbibe leadership virtues in coordinating their subordinates.

    “The recent unfortunate incident involving our troops has given me great concern. We have not done enough in providing adequate protection,” Buratai stated.

    While cautioning the commanders, Buratai said: “We must remember our oath to defend the nation at all cost. In this regard, the recent activities of Boko Haram should not deter us. We must end the menace”.

  • Buhari to politicians: Don’t politicize religion in Nigeria

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerian politicians not to politicize religion in the country.

    He made the call in his opinion on religion published in the Church Times, UK’s largest Anglican newspaper on the 30th November, 2018.

    According to him, Muslims and Christians can coexist and live peacefully together.

    Those who are bent on dividing the country, he noted, recently sponsored the tragic clashes between nomadic herdsmen and settled farmers in the central regions of the country.

    The opinion reads “In 1844, the Revd Samuel Ajayi Crowther returned home to Yoruba land (now part of modern-day Nigeria). Twenty years earlier, he had been kidnapped and sold to European slave traders who were bound for the Americas. He was freed by an abolitionist naval patrol, and received by the Church Missionary Society. There, he found his calling.

    “Crowther made his voyage home to establish the first Anglican mission in Yoruba land. He came with the first Bibles translated into Yoruba and Hausa languages. He opened dialogue and discussion with those of other faiths. And his mission was a success: Crowther later became the first African Anglican bishop in Africa.

    “Today, Nigeria has the largest Christian population on the continent. The messages and teachings of Christianity are part of the fabric of each person’s life.

    “Along with the millions of Christians in Nigeria today, I believe in peace, tolerance, and reconciliation; in the institution of the family, the sanctity of marriage, and the honour of fidelity; in hope, compassion, and divine revelation.

    “Like Bishop Crowther, I am a descendant of Abraham; unlike him, I am a Muslim. I believe our two great religions can not only peacefully coexist but also flourish together. But Muslims and Christians must first turn to one another in compassion. For, as it says in Amos 3.3: “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?”

     

    “As they are People of the Book, I believe that there is far more that unites Muslims and Christians than divides them. In fact, I believe that the messages of the Bible are universal: available for anyone to exercise, and instructive to all.

    “We must resist the temptation to retreat into our communities, because, if we do, we can only look inwards. It is only when we mix that we can reach new and greater possibilities.

    “Whichever religion or religious denomination they choose to follow, Nigerians are devout. Anything that Nigerians believe will place impositions on their practice, and belief is therefore sure to cause widespread alarm.

    “And, unfortunately, there are those who seek to divide Nigerians — and our two great religions — and to do so for their own advantage.

    “I stand accused — paradoxically — of trying to Islamise Nigeria while also being accused by Boko Haram terrorists of being against Islam. My Vice-President is a devout man, a Christian pastor. He, too, is accused of selling out his religion, because of his support for me.

    “This is not the first time that I — nor, indeed, my Christian-Muslim evenly split cabinet — have been the subject of such nonsense. Fortunately, the facts speak differently from the words of those who seek to divide us from one another.

    “Since my administration has been in power, Boko Haram has been significantly and fatally degraded; I have befriended church leaders and church groups both within and outside our country; my Vice-President has addressed and opened dialogue with Muslims up and down our land.

    Read Also: Buhari orders troops to wipe out Boko Haram

    “In all things, we seek that which all well-meaning Christians and well-meaning Muslims must seek: to unite, respect, and never to divide. Does it not say “There is no compulsion in religion” (Qur’an 2.256)? Does it not say “Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us” (Luke 9.50)? This, surely, is the path that followers of both our two great religions must walk.” he said

    The President went on “Unfortunately, those who wish us all to walk apart have recently found another focus for their efforts: the tragic clashes between nomadic herdsmen and settled farmers in the central regions of Nigeria.

    “For generations, herders have driven their cattle from the north to the centre of our country; they tend to be predominantly Muslim, although not exclusively. The farmers, in certain areas of central Nigeria, are predominantly Christian.”

    He said that the causes of the conflict are not religious or theological, but temporal.

    “At the heart of this discord is access to rural land, exacerbated both by climate change and population growth.

    “Sadly, there are some who seek to play fast and loose and so make others believe that these are not the facts. When religion is claimed as the cause — and by those who know that it is not — it only makes finding a resolution more difficult.” he said

    Stressing that the government has taken action to mediate to bring the two groups together in peace and unity, he however said that there is need for all parties to follow the teachings of the scriptures, and encourage reconciliation rather than cause division.

    “As it is said: “Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?” (Mark 8.18).

    “As our constitution codifies, politicising religion has no place in Nigeria; for it makes us turn away from one another; it makes us retreat into our communities and walk different paths.

    “I believe that there is a better way. To those who seek to divide, I still hold my hand out in brotherhood and forgiveness. I ask only that they stop, and instead encourage us to turn towards one another in love and compassion. Nigeria belongs to all of us. This is what I believe.” he stated