The Nation Newspaper

Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram: We’re yet to be communicated on detainees’ release – JTF

     

    There seem to be no sign yet of setting free the women and children in custody of the army in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital two days after the Presidential order that such women and children be released, The Nation had observed.

    Our correspondent who is monitoring the situation in the state since the presidential directives saw no sign of such process at the two popular detention camps otherwise known as Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib in Damaturu.

    Commenting on the issue, the JTF spokesman in the state, Lt. Lazarus Eli, said that “Yobe JTF has not received any official directives concerning the matter. We are still waiting for our headquarters and as soon as we are official communicated, we will begin the process.

    “You may be aware that the official directives if sent to us will contain details of the process of the release. We cannot begin to act on media pronouncement. Thank you,” he explained.

    The Nation checks gathered that there are a few women in the custody of JTF in Damaturu and some of them are suspected to be wives of top Boko Haram leaders. It was also gathered that a couple of them that were pregnant have delivered safely in custody.

    It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced in Abuja on Tuesday that it would release women and children detained in connection with terrorist activities.

    The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement that the decision to release the suspects was based on the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan.

     

  • Boko Haram: Detained suspects to be released in phases, says Presidency

    The Presidency yesterday made clarifications on the release of persons detained in connection with the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in a statement, said the suspects would be released in phases.

    According to him, the first batch of suspects to be released will be women and children who were detained on suspicion of involvement or connection with insurgency.

    Okupe said the phased release of detainees was to encourage other insurgents who may wish to embrace the peace option to take advantage of it.

    “This will be followed by other phased releases where cases will be treated on their individual merits by the Defence authorities and security agencies,” Okupe added.

    He said President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive on the detained suspects was as a result of the interim report by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peace in northern Nigeria.

    The Committee, he said, recommended the measure as part of the government’s multi-faceted strategy to solving the security challenges posed by the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

    “This directive by Mr President further proves that the Federal Government has not foreclosed dialogue as a viable option in its bid to put an end to insurgency and terrorist activities in the northern part of the country.

    “It is expected that this phased release of detainees will encourage those who wish to embrace the peace option to come out and take advantage of the dialogue and peace option provided by the Committee put in place by government.

    “ It has become necessary to make further clarifications on the directive for the release of some people held in connection with activities of the Boko Haram sect, in view of misrepresentations in some sections of the media,” the statement added

    Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) rejected the release of Boko Haram suspects from detention without trial, saying it is like giving them the licence to commit more suicide bombings.

    Benue State CAN chairman Bishop Yiman Orkwar, who spoke to reporters in Makurdi, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to stop his directive that Boko Haram suspects be release from detention, saying such action would further escalate the security situation in the North.

    He spoke of the recent killings of farmers in Benue State by people he described as Jihadists.

    He praised President Jonthan for the declaration of the state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa and called on the Benue State government to provide camps for the internally displaced persons and empower them to return to their homes to continue with their farming.

  • ‘Amnesty can’t solve Boko Haram crisis’

    ‘Amnesty can’t solve Boko Haram crisis’

    What is your reaction to the proposed amnesty for the Boko Haram sect?

    To the best of my knowledge, the President has set up a committee on amnesty. I think what the President was trying to say is that he is inclined to listening to anybody who has any grievance and wish to come to the round table with him. He metaphorically said he could not dialogue with the ‘ghosts’, which simply means that anybody who has an issue or any link with them should come out and say Mr. XYZ or group XYZ are responsible for it.

    Look at the way they are killing people who are our brothers in the North. When I say our brothers, I mean they are our brothers, no matter what they do but I think it is not done, no matter what their grievances or what their agitation against the government might be. I believe that some of the goals they are pursuing may never be met by the government because I don’t know how the President can accept any agitation on the bases of what they described as western education as bad. In a nut shell, I think what the President is trying to say is that he will be willing to talk to anybody from any part of the country who is incline to tell him the agitation of the sect. From what we have seen, amnesty wont be able to address the Boko Haram problem.

    Suddenly, the Niger Delta militants are back on the street. What does that portend?

    These issues of sects are topical in my mind. That is why it was the first motion I moved in the House of Representatives when I got there. The intention of the late President Umaru Yar ‘Adua on the issue of amnesty was noble. I think recent events have shown that amnesty has not really done what we expected. What they claimed that is the problem must be systematically addressed. And I want to tell you that you cannot have a superficial solution to a systemic problem. For instance; it is not appropriate for one to buy Vaseline and be applying it on somebody who has boil on his body. So, I don’t think that the amnesty capsule, as a drug, has addressed the systemic health problems that is facing Niger Delta. What the figurative amnesty capsule has done so far now was to reduce the immediate pain of the Niger Delta problem but not to savage the region from where the problem is coming from. People have talked about the injustice of their resource control and I agree that it is one of the fundamental issues in the region. And I keep wondering, if they have drop all the weapon in their possession, what do they used to kill those 12 police men? In the days of the late Isaac Boro and the late Ken Sarowiwa, the duo did not have the coloration of personal benefit. They could have done a deal with Shell under the Late General Sani Abacha but they didn’t do that because they were concerned with the environment and their people. All of a sudden, the tenor changed. People who did not understand what the struggle was, ceased the opportunity to enrich themselves.

    How would you rate the Jonathan Administration?

    If I want to be fair with Mr. President, I’ll say he has not performed to the expectation because the bulk ends on his table. Nobody is going to blame any minister for the failure of the administration of President Jonathan. How many ministers in the regime of former President Obasanjo do we remember today? How many Director General and the ministers of the Late Umaru Yar ‘Adua do we remember today? The bulk ends on the table of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, so he must take the responsibility and he must take charge. Now there are primary focus areas in which people can judge the performance of any administration. Jonathan should ask himself whether he has improved on power supply? I saw one minister on television who was saying we are to celebrate our power supply because we hit 4,000 mega watts in the nation of 160 million people. South Africa in four five years ago, with 40million people was having 40,000 mega watts of power and the minister knows that.

    How can we prevent budget failure?

    The legislators should rise up to the challenge. That is the only arm of government that is constitutionally empowered to ensure that appropriation is blend with the reality on ground. It is possible for the ministers and other executive to carry out their duties because 46 ministers will sit in their EXCO every Wednesday and what they will tell us after their sitting is that the Federal Government has awarded this project. Is it possible for 46 people to know Nigeria more than 360 legislators? It is reverse logic to think that the executive who are not up to 50 know Nigeria more than people who are elected from their various constituencies. Can anybody know Ikole Ekiti more than me? Every budget is a financial law and the constitution says if you break the law, it is impeachable offence and it is only the parliament that is capable of impeaching the President. So, Mr. President cannot be bigger than 160 million Nigerians.

    In your view, can the All Progressives Congress (APC) dislodge PDP in 2015?

    I am always modest with my evaluation. I know too well that with the kind of commitment of our leaders; like Asuwaju Bola Hamed Tinubu, General Muhamad Buhari (rtd) of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and other people in APGA and ANPP, the party is going places.

     

     

  • Boko Haram: Jonathan finally decides

    Boko Haram: Jonathan finally decides

    At long last, President Jonathan has decided to take the bull by the horn. Last week, he declared a state of emergency in Yobe, Adamawa, and Bornu, the three states in north eastern Nigeria in which the insurgents have been most active in recent weeks. The declaration by the President of a state of emergency in those three states was prompted by the vicious and bloody Boko Haram attack on Baga in which over 200 people were reported killed. Fearing a possible backlash from the North President Jonathan had until now been reluctant to accept the advice of his security agencies that a bolder and more decisive military action was now needed. The president had to act swiftly and decisively. He was away in South Africa. He immediately cancelled his planned visit to Namibia and returned home. Finally, the President abandoned all pretences that the insurgents could be prevailed upon to lay down their arms by treating them with kid gloves. It was always clear that more determined and sustained military action against the insurgency was imperative and urgent.

    The fact of the matter is that since it first emerged in 2009 Boko Haram has developed into a sophisticated, better organised; well-armed, and well financed insurgency that poses a grave threat to the security and future of this country. It has both external and internal links and support, and it seeks nothing less than the overthrow of the government and social order in this country. But its support in the country, including the North, is really limited. Whatever goodwill it once had has since been lost by its wanton and bloody attacks on innocent civilians. Nigeria is a multi-religious state that guarantees to its citizens freedom of worship. But the aim of Boko Haram is to Islamise Nigeria by force of arms. This is not acceptable and should be resisted firmly and squarely. It could lead to a religious war and the break up of the country.

    Until now, President Jonathan had been severely criticised for his tepid approach to the violent and dangerous insurgency. His critics say he should have acted promptly long before now by taking stronger military action against the insurgents. That criticism is justified. Now that he has acted by declaring a state of emergency in the Northeast, he deserves the nation’s full support.

    This should not be made a partisan affair. There is a consensus in the nation in favour of stronger military action against the insurgents. The measures taken by the President against the insurgents have the support of the entire country, including Northern leaders all of whom are sick and tired of the Boko Haram carnage in Northern Nigeria. Many of them are targets of the insurgents and now live in fear. As I write this article the Northern Governors are reportedly planning a meeting this week to review the state of emergency declared in the three states in the North. If they seek the return of peace to the region, then they must all support the stronger military measures being introduced by the President. Equally, the National Assembly must pass the necessary enabling bill in support of the declaration of a state of emergency in the three Northern states.

    The state of emergency does not in any legal or constitutional sense affect the position or legitimacy of the governors. Their states have not been taken over by the Federal Government. They remain governors and will continue to perform their functions as governors. State security was never their responsibility but that of the Federal Government. This is a constitutional anomaly that will need to be addressed in future by the creation of state police. The states should have some responsibility for their own security. But for now the Federal Government is fully in charge of security throughout the country. The only real limitation on the governors is the limited curfew imposed on the three states. The governors may not like this, but it is necessary for the restoration of public order and peace in their states. The people of the states need peace to pursue their normal daily activities. The insurgency has crippled economic activities in most parts of the North. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure that all the citizens of our country enjoy peace and security to pursue their legitimate economic activities.

    There are, of course, internal and external legitimate concerns about the manner in which the security forces carry out their military operations in the three states. Specifically, there is concern that the military operations against the insurgents should comply with the appropriate rules of engagement. This is absolutely necessary if the people of the three states concerned are not to be alienated. The military have to defend themselves. They should be well equipped for this. Far too many of them are being killed by the insurgents. The military must avoid the situation in which military operations to protect the people from the insurgents lead to heavy civilian casualties and their alienation. Even in the state of emergency human rights must continue to be fully respected by the military. The military need to win the hearts and minds of the citizens of the three states. Already, the US and other Western embassies in Nigeria have expressed some concerns about this. The military must not resort to a scorched earth military strategy leading to massive civilian casualties. The military objective is to destroy Boko Haram and not the people, the victims of Boko Haram attacks.

    Despite the dire situation and his stronger military action, President Jonathan must continue to seek peace and an end to the insurgency through dialogue and consultations. Boko Haram has spurned all peace efforts but the Federal Government should not abandon its efforts in this regard. The strategy should continue to be a combination of stick and carrots. Peace will not be achieved overnight. This is going to be a protracted struggle until Boko Haram is finally defeated. The insurgents must and should not prevail. If they do, then that could be the end of Nigeria. Almost certainly, the nation will break up as the other religious and ethnic groups will take up arms to defend themselves.

    Book Haram is the inevitable product of the long period of neglect of the people of the Northern region by their own leaders. It has been spurned by widespread ignorance, poverty, and religious fanaticism. The whole region needs a combination of a political and economic programme that should aim at eliminating past social and economic injustice. Military action alone, though necessary in present circumstances, will not solve the problem of the insurgency. Direct and tangible action should be taken by the Federal Government in concert with the Northern states governors and leaders to tackle the deep seated social and economic grievances more prevalent in the North. Mass education and better job opportunities will reduce whatever attractions Boko Haram may have for the people of the region. The fact of the matter is that the governments at various levels of the country have failed woefully in tackling the mass poverty in our nation. This is breeding ground for malcontents and the source of the increasing violence in the country.

     

  • Bayero to Boko Haram panel: advise govt wisely

    The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, yesterday urged the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North to offer wise advice to the Federal Government on the best ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The Kano monarch regretted that sponsors and collaborators of the sect could be known individuals operating within and outside the country.

    According to him, only prayers, God’s intervention as well as concerted efforts by the government and Nigerians can end the violence and spate of insecurity in the land.

    Bayero, who received members of the committee in his palace, decried what he called government’s lackadaisical attitude over reports and recommendations of similar committees.

    The monarch hoped the Federal Government would take the prevailing insecurity seriously and implement the committee’s recommendations.

    Committee Chairman, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), told the Emir that his team has been consulting stakeholders to learn from their wealth of experiences.

    He said: “We are in your palace to interact with you and to take ideas from you. We want to understand it from your own perspective. We need your prayers and words of wisdom because the society holds you in high esteem.”

    Also, the founder of One Love Family, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji, has said the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, is a creation of northern oligarchy.

    Maharaj Ji said some notable northern leaders resorted to sponsoring the sect, having lost power to the South, especially in the 2011 general elections.

    The religious sect leader alleged that Boko Haram sponsors planned to make the country ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said Boko Haram members lack effective education, adding that this is why they have resorted to killing innocent people.

    Maharaj Ji spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, when he visited the secretariat of the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Iyaganku.

    He said the education in the North needs to be strengthened, adding: “Why must you take the law into your hands?”

  • Boko Haram: Detained suspects to be released in phases – Presidency

    Boko Haram: Detained suspects to be released in phases – Presidency

    … CAN rejects sect members’ release

    The Presidency on Wednesday made clarifications on the release of persons detained in connection with the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in a statement, said the suspects would be released in phases.

    According to him, the first batch of suspects to be released would be women and children who were detained on suspicion of involvement or connection with insurgency in some parts of the country.

    Okupe said the phased release of detainees was to encourage other insurgents who may wish to embrace the peace option to come out and take advantage of the dialogue and peace option.

    “This would be followed by other phased releases where cases would be treated on their individual merits by the Defence authorities and security agencies,” Okupe added.

    The President’s aide stated that President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive on the detained suspects was as a result of the interim report by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peace in northern Nigeria.

    The committee, he said, recommended the measure as part of government’s multi-faceted strategy to solving the security challenges posed by the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

    “This directive by Mr. President further proves that the Federal Government has not foreclosed dialogue as a viable option in its bid to put an end to insurgency and terrorist activities in the northern part of the country.

    “It is expected that this phased release of detainees would encourage those who wish to embrace the peace option to come out and take advantage of the dialogue and peace option provided by the committee put in place by government.”

    Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria has opposed the planned release of the Boko Haram suspects from detention, saying government’s decision to free the suspects is like giving them the “license to carry out more suicide bombings.”

    The body said “if those who deliberately killed innocent people are given freedom to walk the streets without punishment, then is clear indication that Nigerians have no nation.”

    Addressing a press briefing at the NUJ House in Makurdi on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Benue State chapter of CAN, Bishop Yiman Orkwar, appealed to President Jonathan to withdraw his directive on the suspects’ release, saying such action would further escalate the security situation in the region.

    He also condemned the recent killing of innocent farmers in the state by people he described as Fulani jihadist.

     

  • Boko Haram: Yobe approves N187m for victims

    Yobe state government has approved N187,401,281 for victims of the Boko Haram crisis whose houses were burnt or had their properties destroyed.

    The Commissioner of Home Affairs Information and Culture Goni Fika who briefed the press at the end of the state executive council meeting on Wednesday said  that the assistance also covers those religious houses that were affected.

    He explained that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)  identified that a  total of 99 people were killed while 135 others were attacked with their houses and property burnt.

  • Borno hails release of suspected sect members

    Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Wednesday commended President Goodluck Jonathan for ordering the release of all suspected Boko Haram detainees in military custody.

    Shettima stated this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communication, Malam Isa Gusau in Maiduguri.

    “It is cheering news for me and the government of Borno State because it will no doubt help in fast tracking the peaceful resolution process which like I have always said remains the long term solution to the crisis.

    “Releasing the detainees will further show the commitment and sincerity of the Federal Government to the peace negotiation which should attract the sect members to the negotiation table and increase community participation in the process,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying in the statement.

    Shettima said that releasing detainees would help prepare ground for dialogue between some willing members of the sect and the government to find lasting solutions to the crises.

    Shettima assured that the state government would support any action that would bring lasting peace to the state.

    “The state government is dutifully committed to every lawful and reasonable effort that aims at the return of peace and security of lives and property.

    “This is because no society can achieve any meaningful and steady progress in an atmosphere of violence,” he said.

     

  • Boko Haram fighters resist troops with Libyan arms

    Boko Haram fighters resist troops with Libyan arms

    Sect’s women, kids to be freed

    Reps curb President’s emergency powers

     

    Boko Haram insurgents have been fighting the army with sophisticated weapons from Libya, it was learnt yesterday.

    President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Borno –the epicentre of the sect’s activities – and two other states, Yobe and Adamawa, all in the northeast, to combat Boko Haram’s malignant insurgency.

    Since then, soldiers deployed in the states have been battling to rout out the sect’s members, who have been fighting back.

    On Sunday, the military announced the death of three soldiers in the battle. One soldier was also declared missing, although scores of terrorists were killed.

    “They have been putting up fierce resistance and they are very, very well-armed with weapons from Libya,” a senior military official told The Guardian of London, adding that most of the militants who have waged a bloody four-year battle to create an Islamist state have scattered across the borders.

    A renewed military campaign, including aerial bombardments of Boko Haram training camps in three remote states which were put under emergency rule this month, has led to the capture of almost 200 militants and the death of dozens in a week, according to the military. In one raid, a helicopter gunship was hit by anti-aircraft and anti-tank fire, the military said.

    North African country Libya recently emerged from a civil war which claimed almost one million lives including that of its long-standing President Col. Muhammar Ghadaffi.

    Although a transition government led by the rebels who flushed out Ghadaffi is in place, Libya is littered with weapons and small arms.

    The Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday endorsed the declaration of a state of emergency in the Northeast states.

    The House cut some of the powers the President requested in the implementation of the state of emergency.

    Also yesterday, President Jonathan ordered the release of some arrested Boko Haram members especially women and minors.

    Among the beneficiaries of the order are wives and relations of Boko Haram leaders in custody. They are to be released after a re-orientation, according to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ). Also yesterday the DHQ said Nigerian soldiers in Mali would not be withdrawn for special operations in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states against Boko Haram insurgents.

    According to a statement by the Defence spokesman, Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the order for the release of women, minors and others had been communicated to field units and the Joint Task Force.

    The statement said: “Consequent upon the directives of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Defence Headquarters will be releasing from detention a number of persons being held in connection with terrorist activities.

    “The move is in furtherance of the Federal Government position in response to requests by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Reconciliation. The measure, which is in line with presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts in the country, will result in freedom for suspects including all women under custody.

    “The details of the directives and those to benefit from this gesture have been communicated to field units and the Joint Task Force.

    “The beneficiaries will be released to the State Governors who will be involved in further rehabilitation before these suspects are released to their respective community leaders/relations.”

    In a separate statement, the DHQ said Nigerian soldiers in Mali would not be withdrawn for special operation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe against Boko Haram insurgents

    The statement added: “As the operation to rid our country of terrorist activities continues, the Defence Headquarters wishes to reassure Nigerians that the Nigerian military is quite capable and ready to discharge this duty professionally and creditably well.

    “The report, therefore, in a section of the press that Nigerian troops are to be withdrawn from Mali to face the ongoing insurgency is complete falsehood.

    “There is certainly no need for such action now as the human and material resources of the Armed Forces of Nigeria are being meticulously deployed and quite able to meet its present internal and external assignments.

    “As a matter of fact, the normal and scheduled rotation of troops in various missions will continue.

    “This routine should not be misunderstood or misrepresented to misinform Nigerians and the international community.

    “These times are too sensitive for anyone to engage in unnecessary sensation, speculation or rumour mongering on military affairs please.”

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, said he is in support of the decision of President Jonathan to release some detainees suspected of terrorist activities.

    Shettima said the decision of thePresident may bring Boko Haram leaders to the negotiation table.

    The governor made his position known in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Alhaji Isa Umar Gusau.

    The statement said: “I am in the picture of the very welcome development and I look forward to receiving them. It is cheering news for me and the government of Borno State because it will no doubt help in fast tracking the peaceful resolution process which like I have always said, remains the long term solution to the crisis.

    “Releasing the detainees will further show the commitment and sincerity of the federal government to the peace negotiation which should attract the sect members to the negotiation table and increase community participation in the process.

    “The State Government is dutifully committed to every lawful and reasonable efforts that aims at the return of peace and security of lives and property in Borno, the Northern region and Nigeria in its entirety since no society can achieve any meaningful and steady progress in an atmosphere of violence”

  • Nigeria seeks Niger Republic’s support to battle Boko Haram

    Nigeria seeks Niger Republic’s support to battle Boko Haram

    Nigeria is seeking the support of Niger Republic to halt cross border movement by Boko Haram men being dislodged from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where a military operation is ongoing.

    Niger, along with Chad and Cameroun border the three states which are under a state of emergency.

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nurudeen Muhammed on Monday night delivered the request for help from President Goodluck Jonathan to his Nigerien counterpart, Mahamadou Issoufou, in Niamey.

    “We currently have military operations under way in Nigeria in three federal states to combat terrorism and we would like to have Niger’s support in the common fight against these terrorists,” Muhammed told Nigerien television.

    Nigeria and Niger signed a bilateral defence pact in October 2012 that includes sharing intelligence on Islamist groups and joint military exercises.

    The deal stipulates that a request for military aid by one nation cannot be refused by the other.

    Nigeria and Niger share a porous frontier of more than 1,500 km (940 miles). The fighting in the northeast has pushed more than a thousand refugees across the border into Niger in the past few weeks, according to United Nations (UN) estimates.

    Soldiers from Niger and Chad participated with Nigerian forces in a joint assault on Boko Haram fighters last month in Baga, a fishing settlement on the shores of Lake Chad.