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Tag: boko haram

  • Monarchs to adopt kids orphaned by Boko Haram

    Children whose parents were killed by terrorist group Boko Haram will be adopted by traditional rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has said.

    This is with a view to giving the children a new lease of life.

    The Sultan declared that traditional rulers’ have resolved to adopt children orphaned by the Islamist group.

    The revered leader revealed this during the launch of a book titled “ Fath  Rabbil Bariyya”, a commentary on Islamic jurisprudence popularly known as “Izziya” by Sheikh (Dr) Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto.

    Emirs of Gwandu, Iliyasu Bashar, Kazaure, Wazirn Katsina, Tsafe, Misau, Lafia, Yariman Zazzau, Lere, Etsu Agaie, representative of Minister of Justice, among others, graced the event.

    According to the Sultan, over 50,000 orphans who should be cared for by wealthy Nigerians are in various camps of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the Northeast.

    “These children lost their parents to the insurgents and need to live a decent life in order not to be a nuisance in the society.”

     

  • Buhari to Tillerson: Why we opted for negotiation with Boko Haram on abducted girls

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, why Nigeria opted for negotiation with the Boko Haram militants who abducted the Chibok girls and students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.

    The President said Nigeria prefers to have the abducted girls back alive.

    He made the remark while receiving the U.S Secretary of State at Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Nigeria was working in concert with international organizations and negotiators to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.

    “We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive,” the President said.

    He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good “but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.”

    The President promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, where Dapchi girls were abducted, later this week “as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.”

    He pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then U.S Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls “and told the party in government then and those of us in opposition to behave ourselves and we did.”

    Tillerson commended President Buhari on his strides in the anti-corruption war, to which the Nigerian leader responded that moneys recovered are being invested on development of infrastructure.

    The U.S Secretary of State said Nigeria was a very important country to America, stressing: “You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments and peaceful polls in 2019.”

     

     

     

  • Video: Aisha Buhari to Boko Haram: Leave our daughters alone

    Video: Aisha Buhari to Boko Haram: Leave our daughters alone

    From the president’s wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, came yesterday words of comfort for the distraught parents of all abducted schoolgirls. Mrs. Buhari said she shared in their sorrow and agony.

    She said she shared the agony of especially parents of the abducted Chibok and Dapchi school girls.

    She spoke in Abuja while delivering a speech she titled: “Leave Our Daughters Alone’’, to mark the 2018 International Women`s Day.

    ”As a mother, I share (in) the sorrow and agony which the parents are going through up to this moment.

    “I am aware of the efforts being made for the release of the remaining Chibok girls as well as the recently (abducted) Dapchi girls.

    “It is my sincere hope that the efforts will yield positive results.”

    The wife of the President said that the abductions had further exposed the long-standing evil perpetrated against women in the society.

    Mrs. Buhari called on stakeholders, especially the media, to stand against the “disturbing issue’’.

    ”It is a disturbing issue for which we must put heads together, pray, speak out, show concern and ensure that the situation comes an end.’’

    She called on Nigerians, especially the media, to join the campaign against all forms of abduction and maltreatment of the Nigerian woman.

    Mrs Buhari said it was unfortunate that celebration of the 2018 International Women’s Day came with pains and agony following the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls.

    She also expressed concern over the use of young girls by insurgents to carry out suicide bombing.

    She, however, congratulated Nigerian women for successfully marking the Day and prayed for greater opportunities for the Nigerian woman.

    The wife of the President also prayed for women to have equal opportunities in governance as their male counterparts.

    The wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, said the 2018 event came in a very happy and worst situation, considering the progress made by Nigerian team at the winter Olympic as well as the abduction of the Dapchi girls.

    Mrs Osinbajo also called for equal opportunity to the women.

    The United Nations set aside March 8, of every year to mark the International Women’s Day.

    The event was organised by the National Centre for Women Development in collaboration with the wife of the President.

     

  • Four policemen, Six soldiers killed in Rann attack – CP

    Four policemen, Six soldiers killed in Rann attack – CP

    The Police in Borno on Thursday confirmed that four policemen and six soldiers were killed in the Boko Haram attack in Rann community of Kala Balge Local Government Area of the state.

    The Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, disclosed this while fielding questions at a monthly police meeting in Maiduguri.

    “In the recent attack in Kala Balge Local Government Area, four mobile policemen and some six soldiers were killed.

    “The police are part of the counter-insurgency campaign to restore peace and stability, and were deployed to various locations,” Chukwu said.

    He also disclosed that over 500 men had been deployed to Operation Lafiya Dole, and reiterated the commitment of the command to the successful implementation of the counter-insurgency campaign.

    According to our reporter, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs  (UN-OCHA) had said that three aid workers were killed and three others sustained injuries while a nurse was declared missing during the terrorists’ attack in Rann on March 1.

    The UN agency said the aid workers were providing humanitarian services to over 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled their homes due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

    NAN

     

  • Ending Chibok and Dapchi crisis

    Ending Chibok and Dapchi crisis

    Several reactions have continued to trail the attack on the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State by Boko Haram insurgents where no fewer than 110 girls were abducted from their dormitories.

    This was after a shooting occurred in the school premises as the girls were observing Maghrib (sunset) prayers, breaking their voluntary fast and getting set for supper.

    Robert Ogbogu, Team Lead, at Locate Initiative for Missing and Exploited Persons (Locate NG) believes that sad occurrences like this can be better avoided.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Robert laid claim to the International Humanitarian Law which binds countries of the world to account for missing persons in domestic and international armed conflicts.

    “The International Humanitarian Law Rule 117 significantly binds countries to account for missing persons in both international and domestic armed conflicts and Nigeria is bound to fulfil this obligation but unfortunately this is not so, as the government has not only ignored this provision but also failed to learn from previous incidents.

    “That is why we are having a repeat of Chibok in Dapchi. The Nigerian government has ignored security threats Boko Haram insurgents pose in our society and tragedy has struck once again. With Rule 117 in perspective, an enabling environment has been provided for relevant stakeholders to introduce reform programs that will help find and account for missing persons,” he said.

    Robert stated that the number of missing persons over the years have continued to pose threats to citizens and critical stakeholders in the country.

    “The fate of missing persons in Nigeria has been a major challenge to citizens and other critical stakeholders as it relates to public safety, security and human rights.”

    “Key concerns range from poor and untimely reporting, poor case management, delays in the search process, human rights abuses, lack of modern information technology tools and weak coordination and cooperation amongst relevant
    stakeholders, security agencies and citizens,” Robert added.

    Read Also: Military tackles Rep over Dapchi girls’ whereabouts

    Robert agreed that the Government has done a great job in releasing a list of the abducted girls but needs to do more than just that if the girls are to return home as he called for more enlightenment in the face of the on-going crisis.

    “The government are doing well already by deploying military assets and officers to work but more has to be done. They need to engage the locals and I urge parents, friends and families of the missing girls to come forward with the pictures of the girls so we can upload same to our missing persons portal. It saddens me that at this moment we are yet to put faces to the names of the girls.

    “I know Nigerians want to help and they can do it better with adequate information. You never can tell, these girls might be held hostage in plain sight and if we fail to act now, consequences for delay in acquiring military intelligence to rescue our girls could be dire now and in the not too distant future. In cases like these, the need for enlightenment on preventive tips to staying safe in volatile area must be provided for mass consumption,”Ogbogu enthused.

    Robert spoke of www.locate.ng which is an easy, fast and research supported intervention that addresses the three most important reasons why it takes a long time for missing persons to be found or not found at all in Nigeria – reporting, broadcast, citizen engagement, and instant search.

    Locate will allow Nigerians report, broadcast and engage to find missing persons. It will bring together citizens, media houses, security agencies, development partners, national and state government, civil society organizations, and religious centres.

    Locate is designed to receive reports and broadcast alerts of missing and displaced persons; and also provide social and psychological support to families of victims of missing and displaced persons.

  • Boko Haram and the Dapchi school girls’ abduction

    It is becoming clearer by the day that there is no end in sight in to the nefarious activities of the Boko Haram with the abduction of one hundred and ten girls of Dapchi Government Girls Science Technical College, Yobe State, recently.

    During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, nearly three hundred girls of Chibok Government Girls Secondary School were abducted and it took almost three years to negotiate with the Boko Haram insurgents to release about one hundred of the girls with the additional that were either rescued or ran away from the insurgents.

    Not yet done, the Boko Haram insurgents late last year abducted some lecturers of the University of Maiduguri who were on oil exploration and some police officers’ wives.

    They were released after the government entered into negotiation with the Boko Haram insurgents, and like Oliver Twist after they were released another set of girls were abducted.

    It is so sad that the insurgents still have the guts to show that they are unbeatable and can abduct more school girls. In fact, it seems that abduction of school girls by the Boko Haram insurgents has become a source of getting financial reward through negotiation. Even the government is not helping matters seeing how porous the school was and less than a kilometre to the town’s police outpost.

    Lessons ought to have been learnt with the Buni Yadi killings by the insurgents in the same Yobe State, yet the government failed by not putting proactive measures in place.

    The army cannot be everywhere combing the whole country. Therefore, it is a collective responsibility for the people to share intelligence report.

    It is imperative for the army to go all out to crush the Boko Haram insurgents so that it would come to end. The issue is beyond politics.

    It is important for the government to give good listening ears to what Ahmed Salkida says because he knows the mindset of the insurgents.

    What is happening in the theatre of war between the Nigerian state and Boko Haram is one step forward two steps backward as the claims that they were completely defeated is false because the group is waxing stronger by the day.

    The war against the rag tag Boko Haram by the Nigeria military speak volume of so many things in spite of claims by the military that they have finished with the insurgents and less than a month, the insurgents struck in Dapchi.

    The war with the insurgents is getting to nine years now and we are still grappling with it. What is needed is a total war in full gear and force and nothing more than that.

    The army should not leave any stone unturned in the fight. The method of abduction is a strategy by the elements of Boko Haram to get finance to continue executing their nefarious activities.

    We have a long way to go if by now, our intelligence cannot get where the insurgents are, and also cannot detect the attack on the girls of Dapchi. If need be, let us invite other super powers to assist in defeating Boko Haram completely as the fight is getting messy.

    • Usman Santuraki

    Jimeta-Yola.

  • Insurgents hit Rann community, kill three aid workers, eight others

    Eleven people, including three UN aid workers, all Nigerians, were killed in a night attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Rann community in the Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The terrorists attacked a displaced persons’ camp holding about  55,000 IDPs and military barracks.

    Four soldiers and four police officers were killed, according to reports.

    The militants, armed with rocket-propelled grenades and truck-mounted guns, initially overpowered soldiers in a firefight at the military barracks but the armed forces later regained control.

    The attack came a week  after Boko Haram abducted 110 students from Dapchi in Yobe State.

    A female aid worker was missing while one other sustained injuries in the Thursday attack.

    Samantha Newport, Head of Communications, UNICEF Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said  yesterday in Maiduguri,the Borno State capital, that  two of the deceased were contractors of the UN client organisation, International Organisation of Migration ( IOM), deployed to Rann as camp managers.

    She added that others killed were a medical doctor working as consultant with UNICEF and an aid worker with International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) affiliate organisation.

    The UNICEF communications head said a female nurse was abducted, while another female aid worker was injured in the attack.

    The insurgents struck  at about 7 p.m. on Thursday, riding  in gun trucks and on  motorcycles.

    They  attacked a military base and a displaced persons’ camp holding about   55,000 IDPs.

    Mr. Edward Kallon, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, and Christos Stylianides, European Commission’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, condemned the murder of the three UN aid workers.

    Kallon said that “aid workers put their lives on the line every single day to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable women, children and men.”

    He noted that the UN and non-governmental humanitarian organisations were working in the northeast to provide aid, including food, safe water and medicine to some 6.1 million people in need.

    Some 3,000 aid workers are present in the northeast, majority of them were Nigerians, he said. (NAN)

    The EU commissioner in his own statement in Brussels described the attack as a senseless and violation of all humanitarian principles.

    “Right now, our thoughts are with families, friends and organisations of all those affected and the most vulnerable people aid workers strive to help in Nigeria. Humanitarian workers are not a target. Saving lives should not cost lives,” he said.

    He added: “At this difficult time, the European Union stands by the Nigerian authorities and people. These attacks will never deter our commitment to support those most in need in Nigeria.”

  • Women pray for safe rescue of 110 school girls

    Women pray for safe rescue of 110 school girls

    Task FG to rise up to security challenges in Nigeria

     

    Women under the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) have taken  time off to pray for the safe rescue of the over 100 Dapchi, Yobe state school girls abducted by the Boko Haram insurgent.

    The women also urged the Federal Government to rise up to the security challenges in parts of the country, particularly in the northern part of the country.

    The prayers took place in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    Speaking on the abduction of the girls, South-West Women Leader of the church, Mrs. Florence Alashi said: “We urge the Federal Government to do something about the girls.

    We pray that very soon they will return to their homes. But we can only pray that the FG will not take things lightly this time around. Government should take it seriously because of the homes that are affected. Even those of us that are here, we are also affected as mothers.

    “It is not going down well with us. I will implore all of us not to relent in our prayers to the God that is all knowing and can do all
    things for this kind of thing to stop in this country. As any of us can fall victim of the incident.”

    The prayers were parts of the activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary conference of the women fellowship of the church.

    The conference is slated for Wednesday 7th and 10th of this month in Igbaja, Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state.

    Earlier, Chairman, Central Planning Committee Emmanuel Malomo said ECWA as a whole had been one of the hardest hit by the activities of the Boko Haram Islamists. Said Pastor Malomo: “On the part of Evangelical Church Winning All as a whole not just the women fellowship, we are not happy about the happenings in Nigeria.

    Over six thousand members of the church are affected. Even in the recent kidnap. Scores of our pastors have been abducted, some killed as a result of the security challenges in parts of the North. Great number of ECWA churches have been burnt down in Yobe, Borno and other parts of the nation by these Boko Haram terrorists.

    At present, we are want to challenge the Federal Government of Nigeria to rise to the security challenges in the country. Even as the church continues to pray.

    “Government should do more to secure the lives of our children, these are the future leaders of this country. That is our prayer and
    commitment. For us as a church we will join forces with security outfit there to secure the lives and properties of our people.”

    On the 2019 elections, Pastor Malomo enjoined members not to shy away from their civic rights by participating in the ongoing continuous voters registration exercise.

    “It is our sole responsibility to register and get our voter’s card. In fact, if we are part of the nation and we want the country to grow
    and want the economic to be effective and we want the government to do the right thing we have to express our constitutional right in voting for the right people in the nation.

    “As a church we have saddled our members to come out en-mass and register in the ongoing voter’s registration exercise. It is necessary.

    As far as we are concerned in ECWA, we do not belong to a particular party, but as electorates we have the right to vote.”

  • Boko Haram bomber kills self in Yobe

    Boko Haram bomber kills self in Yobe

    A female suicide bomber has killed herself and injured three others when a bomb wrapped on her exploded during the dawn prayers at Buni Yadi, Yobe State.

    An eyewitness said the incident occurred at Fulatari ward of the town.

    The injured persons were later taken to hospital in the area.

    Buni Yadi, a former stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents was reclaimed by the military in 2015 and currently has army formations, including a military training institution.

    Boko Haram fighters had on February 24, 2014 attacked the Federal Government College (FGC) in Buni Yadi, killing 58 male students and setting the school ablaze.

     

  • Boko Haram kills four aid workers in Borno

    Boko Haram kills four aid workers in Borno

    Boko Haram fighters on Thursday night killed four United Nations aid workers at Rann community in Kala Balge local government area of Borno State.

    All the victims are Nigerians.

    A female aid worker was also missing while one other sustained injuries in the attack.

    The Head of Communications, UNICEF Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Samantha Newport, said on Friday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, that two of the deceased were contractors of the UN client organisation, International Organisation of Migration (IOM), deployed to Rann as camp managers.

    She added that others killed were a medical doctor working as consultant with UNICEF and an aid worker with International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) affiliate organisation.

    The UNICEF communications head said a female nurse was abducted, while another female aid worker was injured in the attack.

    The insurgents struck at about 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, riding in gun trucks and motorcycles.

    They attacked a military base and a displaced persons’ camp holding about 55,000 people.

    NAN