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Tag: boko haram

  • Police arrest top Boko Haram kingpin in Borno

    Police arrest top Boko Haram kingpin in Borno

    A security source has informed that a top Boko Haram commander was arrested Thursday by the intelligence unit of the Borno State Police command following a tip off.

    The Boko Commander, who is known as Ibrahim Audu Diye alias Romeo according to the source was arrested at about 2pm Thursday at an undisclosed location in Borno state.

    The source also revealed that Romeo has recently threatened to kill the District Head of Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

    He has equally been terrorizing that axis before his arrest Friday.

    Read Also: Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    In another development, the source also revealed that military have closed up on Boko Haram terrorists that attacked Mainok town along Damaturu/Maiduguri Highway on Wednesday.

    The source informed that the insurgents were chased to Zari Village of Mobbar Local Government.

    Details of the encounter with the insurgents were however not revealed.

  • Governors approve $1b oil cash to fight Boko Haram 

    Governors approve $1b oil cash to fight Boko Haram 

    Governors yesterday backed the Federal Government’s plan to spend $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki broke the news to State House correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    With him were Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu.

    Obaseki said: “The NEC also resolved through the chairman of the Governors Forum to support the effort of the Federal Government in the area of security. Pleased with the achievements that have been made till date in the fight against insurgency, particularly in the Northeast, the governors of Nigeria through their chairman announced at the NEC meeting that the governors have given permission to the Federal Government to spend the sum of $1billion in the fight of insurgency.

    “This money is supposed to be taken from the Excess Crude Account,” he added.

    Obaseki said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was planning a retreat for secretaries to state governments – to have an alliance with states.

    “This retreat will hold from the 18th to 19th of December and he implored all governors to ensure that all SSGs attend this retreat,” he said.

    According to him, the Council also discussed the fuel scarcity in some part of the country.

    “The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources assured council that within the next 48hours fuel supply will be restored nationwide because there is enough fuel in our strategic reserves and the ministry has released fuel from these reserves and it expects distribution will reach all part of the country within the next 48hours.”

    Damkwabo said that some of the issues considered at the meeting included updates from the forensic audit of revenue that accrued into the federation account up to 2015.

    As a follow-up to the report that was submitted during NEC last month, he said that the Council was informed that KPMG was still conducting the audit of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

    “Hopefully, by January 2018, these audits will be concluded and reports will be submitted to the council,” the governor said.

    He said that Council was also informed by the Accountant General of the Federation that the balance in the Natural Resource Development Fund Account as at 13th December stood at N106.984 billion.

    According to Dankwambo, the Accountant General of the Federation also informed Council that the balance in the Excess Crude Account as at 13th December 2017 stood at $2.317billion.

    He added: “Update of the current balance of the Stabilisation Fund account was also reported by the Accountant General of the Federation, which as at 13th of December 2017 stands at N7.78billion.

    “Update on budget support facility loan granted to states was also reported to council and that for the month of June,July and August, some states have been paid and the Federal Ministry of Finance is working on the payment of the month of September budget support.

    “The Minister of Finance informed Council that the budget support facility to states is also based on certain conditions as agreed under the fiscal responsibility plan, but she complained that most states are yet to comply and added that non compliance will make her ministry stop to give states that do not comply.”

  • Boko Haram: Group exonerates Nigerian troops of complicity in abuse of IDPs in North East.

    Boko Haram: Group exonerates Nigerian troops of complicity in abuse of IDPs in North East.

    *lauds troops on humane posture

    The Global Amnesty Watch has exonerated Nigerian troops from the various allegation of complicity in the abuse of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the North Eastern part of the country.

    The Country Representative, Africa Affairs of the Global Amnesty Watch,GAW, Helen Adesola who disclosed this at the public presentation of its report on sexual harassment and exploitations being carried out in various IDPs camp across the country.

    She said the ugly incidents came to light in the form of rumours and idle talks, which prompted GAW to initiate further scrutiny of the claims being made.

    Adesola said such cautionary step was necessary to ensure that traumatized victims do not wrongly accuse anyone and to ensure that perpetrators do not get alerted and have enough time to intimidate witnesses or victims.

    “The allegations however found their way into the media before GAW could conclude its investigation.

    “Even after losing the cover of unanimity under which it had wanted to conclude the review of the various incidents in the IDPs Camps, GAW went ahead with the exercise.

    “It must however be admitted that it became an uphill task given the resulting sensationalism in the mainstream and social media, which muddled the facts with a handful of fictitious accounts.

    GAW also proposed that necessary changes should be made in the running of the camps in addition to improving on the security at the various locations.

    Adesola said, “the patriotic actors in the fight against terror and the troops have been most embarrassed by the allegations that they were engaged in raping the Nigerians they are meant to be protecting especially with the kind of damaging piece by New York Times.

    “This notwithstanding, authorities need to order a fresh investigation that will do away with the bias that had been created by the way the allegations of rape were published with certain groups unilaterally indicting soldiers even before a proper probe has taken place”she said

    She added that the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of the survivors and indeed all IDPs in camps must be given higher priority to ensure that there is no repeat of what has been reported.

    Adesola also proposed the Identification, apprehension and punishment of the real culprits as a first step towards realizing this since our research has cleared the military and its personnel.

    GAW also called for an overhaul of the curfew system in IDPs camps to ensure that impersonators do not have the benefit of sneaking out of their own quarters to commit havoc while pretending to be soldiers or security operatives.

    “IDPs in the various camps should be encouraged to form watch groups that function like “camp police” that will provide timely information to authorities whenever they observe anything untoward.

    “Social workers, therapists and counselors should be engaged to work with willing rape survivors after which their testimonies should be revisited when they must have gotten a handle on their trauma so that the criminals behind their ordeal can be apprehended” she said

    Adesola added that GAW will provide legal services to IDPs and families who were molested by any individual either in the military or amongst the civil population.

    “Non-state actors should be advised to desist from making bogus claims that are capable of eroding the gains made by the Nigerian military”she concluded.

  • Theater Commander urges Boko Haram insurgents to surrender

    Theater Commander urges Boko Haram insurgents to surrender

    Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the newly-posted Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, has called on the Boko Haram insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

    Nicholas made the call at hi maiden media interactive session on Monday in Maiduguri.

    He said that the call was imperative to encourage remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents to surrender in order to end insurgency and guarantee lasting peace in the region.

    “We have determined and courageous soldiers to crush the terrorists and bring peace to the North-East.

    “I call on the insurgents in the bush to surrender to the Nigerian Government and embrace peace,” he said.

    Nicholas also tasked the media to work toward awareness creation on de-radicalisation of the sect’s ideology, promote peace building and social cohesion.

    Read also: Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    He reiterated the readiness of the military to work with media to ensure successful campaign against insurgency in the country.

    “The command will provide enabling environment for the media to access information on our operations.

    “You should ensure accurate, factual and balance reportage on the military operation,” he said.

    The commander warned that the authorities would not condone misrepresentation of facts and bias reportage.

    Nicholas disclosed that the command would come out with new strategies to intensify campaign to end suicide bombings and attacks by the insurgents.

    He also called on the people in the region to cooperate with military to enable them to win the war against the terror group, adding that the war against insurgency was a collective responsibility.

    Also, the outgoing commander, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said the military had implemented various operations to get rid of the insurgents and sustained the feat recorded in the counter-insurgency campaign.

    Attahiru said that Boko Haram insurgents were tactically defeated, while the military liberated all the territories from the insurgents.

    He explained that the military had launched various operations designed to clear the remnant of the insurgents.

    “In view of the successes recorded by the military, the Boko Haram insurgents resorted to suicide bombing of soft targets,” he said.

    Attahiru said about 100 Boko Haram insurgents including five high profiled commanders were killed and 72 others surrendered to the military in the past six months.

    According to him, the military had reinforced its Mobile Strike Force to block the sect’s supply routes and enhance clearance operations.

    Attahiru listed other achievements of the command to include conduct of polio immunisation exercise in non-accessible rural communities and lifting of ban on fishery activities at Lake Chad Basin.

    Nicholas was the Chief of Logistics, Army Headquarters, before his new appointment as the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole.

    NAN

  • Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    Army removes commander over Boko Haram attacks

    The Nigerian Army has replaced the theatre commander of the troops fighting the Boko Haram sect, Ibrahim Attahiru, after half a year following a string of insurgency attacks despite years of official claims the group has almost been defeated.

    The shake-up underscores the fragility of the security situation in Nigeria’s North East where the conflict with Boko Haram is now in its ninth year, despite assertions by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that it is on its last legs.

    Read Also: Army kills Three insurgents in Borno

    Attahiru is being replaced by Major Gen. Rogers Nicholas in the wake of a series of “embarrassing” attacks, two military sources told Reuters.

    They said the conduct of the war against the insurgents is now being reviewed.

    “The attacks that occurred during Attahiru’s command included the kidnapping of members of an oil prospecting team which led to at least 37 people being killed in July, and deadly assaults on the towns of Magumeri, Biu and Madagali,” the sources said.

     

     

  • Army kills Three insurgents in Borno

    Army kills Three insurgents in Borno

    The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said its troops had killed three Boko Haram insurgents in Sabsawa axis of Sambisa forest area of Operation.

    Brig. Gen. Sani Kukasheka, the Director, Army Public Relations, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Kukasheka said that the troops killed the insurgents in an ambush on Monday at Sabsawa while trying to cross into Tangos area.

    Read also:Army rescues 212 captives, capture one Boko Haram commander

    He further disclosed that the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the insurgents.

    “Troops of 202 Battalion, Sector 1, Operation LAFIYA DOLE at the early hours of Monday Dec.4, sprang an ambush on unsuspecting Boko Haram terrorists along Sabsawa axis.

    “During the encounter, the troops neutralised 3 Boko Haram terrorists trying to cross between Tangos.

    ‘’In addition, the troops recovered AK-47 rifles and Improvised Explosives making devices from the terrorists,“he said.

    NAN

  • NAF jets hit Boko Haram hideouts, kill several insurgents

    NAF jets hit Boko Haram hideouts, kill several insurgents

    The Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ) said on Tuesday it has carried out bombings of Boko Haram targets in the North East, killing scores of insurgents through air strikes.

    The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said in a statement in Abuja that the force personnel carried out several interdictions and destroyed Boko Haram structures in Bogumeri and Gwoza in the North East part of the country.

    The statement which was supported with the video footage of the air strikes reads: “In furtherance of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on 24 November 2017, successfully neutralized a large gathering of Boko Haram Terrorists in Bogumeri, Borno State.

    “A NAF platform, while on routine Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), had previously discovered the large gathering of the BHTs in the area, which was known to have significant BHT presence.

    “Consequently, NAF fighter aircraft were detailed to carry out air interdiction on the target, in quick succession. The Alpha Jet fighter aircraft attacked the target with bombs, killing the insurgents and setting some structures ablaze.

    “Meanwhile, in a separate attack on 28 November 2017, the NAF successfully neutralized another large gathering of BHTs in Gobara, 15km north west of Gwosa. A NAF ISR platform had previously discovered the armed BHTs, who were gathered by a building that was apparently being used as a hideout.

    “The subsequent air strike resulted in the immediate destruction of the target building, killing all the BHTs inside it.”

     

     

  • Buratai: we’ve degraded Boko Haram

    Buratai: we’ve degraded Boko Haram

    •Army chief lists achievements of tenure

    CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai said yesterday that the Boko Haram terrorists have been degraded that they are no longer in control of any Nigerian territory.

    Buratai said it was heart-warming that the battle tide was turned against the insurgents within the past two years, following his appointment and the support of President Muhammadu Buhari for the military.

    The army chief spoke while opening a retreat for past commanders of the on-going Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations in the Northeast at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

    Buratai said: “As we are all aware, the emergence of the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) led insurgency that began in 2009 in the Northeast has been one of the most daunting national security challenges that have threatened and undermined the peace and security of Nigeria.

    “The activities of the group have inflicted overwhelming negative and destructive consequences on human lives, property, infrastructure and development in the entire landscape of Northeastern Nigeria.

    “The situation was so bad when I was appointed COAS in June 2015 that about 14 local government areas in Borno State were under the full control of the BHTs.  Furthermore, their activities have reduced the socio-economic activities in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe almost with concomitant hardship on the citizenry.

    “This national security challenge that the BHTs pose to the Nigerian state informed Mr. President’s directive to the Armed Forces to end the Boko Haram menace in three months from when he was sworn-in in May 2015.

    “Additionally, I took over the mantle of leadership at a time troops morale in the NA was at its lowest ebb and the battle tide almost in favour of the BHTs. The need to swiftly respond to this challenge informed the fashioning of my mission statement, which is ‘to have a professionally responsive NA in the discharge of its constitutional roles’.”

     

  • Wounded Chibok boy returns from Dubai

    Wounded Chibok boy returns from Dubai

    … Says, I want to be a policeman

    After being on wheelchair for four years in a Dubai hospital, a Boko Haram child’s victim, Ali Ahmadu, has returned to the country after successful surgery on his legs.

    The boy, who was wheeled into the plane three months ago disembarked from an Ethiopian Airline plane at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, at 12:22 p.m. without assistance.

    Ali, who was dressed in grey blazer, white shirt and blue jean, was all smiles as he disembarked from the plane.

    Overwhelmed with joy, Ali thrilled crowd with brisk walks at the Abuja airport.

    He returned to Nigeria to the warm embrace of a tumultuous crowd at the airport.

    It was hectic controlling those who trooped out to catch the glimpse of the boy.

    When he was approached by journalists at the arrival area of the airport, he simply said “I am fine.”

    When asked in Hausa about his experience in Dubai, he said “lafiya lao” (Fine, thank you).

    To really prove that he was fine, Ali lifted his legs in a marching order.

    He arrived the country alongside his aunt, Hannatu Madu, the Coordinator of Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC), Nuhu Kwajafa and representatives of Dickens Sanomi Foundation.

    Journalists seized the moment to ask him about his ambition, he said in Hausa, “I am fine, I want to be a policeman, I want to save people from harm.”

    But while the boy savoured the moment with many taking photographs with him at the airport, the Taleveras Foundation, announced a scholarship up to the university level for him.

    The chairman of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, who is also the Chairman of Taleveras Group, Mr. Igho Sanomi, said: “About three months ago, we all witnessed at the same airport Ali Ahmadu been taken away on a wheel chair, today to the Glory of God we are here to receive Ali Ahmadu, walking handsomely into our arms.

    “What started as a painful Journey  for Little Ali after his Boko Haram attack in Chibok, four years ago that confined him to a wheel chair, has transformed into a Journey of hope, Love and care.

    “Dickens Sanomi Foundation is backed by the principle of Love and care, one that was practiced and preached by Late Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Dickens Sanomi, today we demonstrate these principles by being our neighbour’s keepers and teaching love by showing it.”

  • Troops kill 3 Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    Troops kill 3 Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    The Nigerian Army yesterday claimed its troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents at Gajibo village in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Nwachukwu said that the troops killed the three insurgents, when a group of terrorists attempted to attack Gajibo community on Thursday.

    He disclosed that the insurgents, who launched the attack on the village in a Military Personnel Carrier and gun trucks, were repelled by the troops.

    “Troops of the 22 Brigade deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole on Thursday evening killed three Boko Haram insurgents in an encounter that ensued when a group of insurgents attempted an attack on Gajibo community in the fringes of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    “The insurgents armed with Armoured Personnel Carrier and gun trucks met with fierce resistance from the troops, who successfully defended Gajibo village after routing the insurgents. Troops also recovered three AK 47 rifles from the insurgents.

    “Currently, troops are further exploiting the success of the counter offensive and are still in pursuit of the insurgents,” he said