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  • Nigeria, Turkey agree to strengthen security cooperation

    Nigeria, Turkey agree to strengthen security cooperation

    President Muhammadu Buhari and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed, after talks, on Thursday in Ankara to strengthen cooperation between the security agencies of both countries to counter terrorism.

    Garba Shehu, the President Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement said the President was ‘very pleased that the defence ministers of both countries held extensive discussions on developing new strategies for counter-terrorism.

    He said, ‘‘We are very pleased with the progress of the meeting so far and we are going to wait for the details of meetings between the two countries”.

    ‘‘We will as a result of the meeting between the ministers and officials of both countries strengthen rapidly whatever their recommendations are,’’ the President said.

    Commenting on the degradation of Boko Haram in Nigeria, President Buhari said the improved security situation in the North East was an eloquent testimony to the efforts of his administration in combating terrorism since he came into office in May 2015

    ‘‘We were very surprised and disturbed by the claim made by Boko Haram on what they have been getting from ISIS.

    ‘‘We know we will be able to contain them and we have proven that we can do it

    ‘‘We are very pleased that Turkey is in a position to assist us and has been strengthening our educational and health institutions,’’ President Buhari said.

    The President said the two leaders also discussed the prospects of increasing their bilateral trade, which has exceeded 779 million USD in the first eight months of 2017.

    ‘‘There are a lot of potentialities in terms of investments and a lot is being done in the educational and health sectors in Nigeria.

    ‘‘These will be strengthened and I assure you that Nigeria is prepared to accept Turkish business people to come and explore more of Nigeria’s potentialities,’’ the Nigerian leader said.

    In his remarks, Erdogan said Nigeria had great potentials and remains “a global actor in terms of economy, demographics and its peacekeeping records.”

    He indicated that Turkey was interested in investing in Nigeria’s electricity, refineries and gas sectors, adding that increasing the flights between Turkey and Nigeria would further improve commercial and people-to-people relationships.

    On the fight against terrorism, the Turkish leader said: ‘‘there is no difference between Boko Haram, Fethullah Terrorist Organisation or Daesh (ISIS), which have all killed, inflicted pain and hardship on innocent people.

    ‘‘All of these organisations are hordes of murderers that feed on the innocent people, and in the fight against terrorism, we will stand with our Nigerian friends, and we are ready to share our experience and provide all kinds of support.

    ‘‘We also expect the same cooperation from Nigeria in fighting against Fethullah that murdered 250 Turkish citizens last year,’’ he said.

  • Nigeria, Turkey to strengthen security against terrorism

    Nigeria, Turkey to strengthen security against terrorism

    President Muhammadu Buhari and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed, after talks, on Thursday in Ankara to strengthen cooperation between the security agencies of both countries to counter terrorism.

    Speaking at a joint press conference after a tete-a-tete with his host, President Buhari said he was ‘‘very pleased’’ that the defence ministers of both countries held extensive discussions on developing new strategies for counter-terrorism.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said ‘‘We are very pleased with the progress of the meeting so far and we are going to wait for the details of meetings between the two countries.

    ‘‘We will as a result of the meeting between the ministers and officials of both countries strengthen rapidly whatever their recommendations are,’’ the President said.

    Commenting on the degradation of Boko Haram in Nigeria, President Buhari said the improved security situation in the North East was an eloquent testimony to the efforts of his administration in combating terrorism since he came into office in May 2015

    He said ‘‘We were very surprised and disturbed by the claim made by Boko Haram on what they have been getting from ISIS.

    ‘‘We know we will be able to contain them and we have proven that we can do it.

    ‘‘We are very pleased that Turkey is in a position to assist us and has been strengthening our educational and health institutions,’’ President Buhari said.

    The President said the two leaders also discussed the prospects of increasing their bilateral trade, which has exceeded 779 million USD in the first eight months of 2017.

    ‘‘There are a lot of potentialities in terms of investments and a lot is being done in the educational and health sectors in Nigeria.

    ‘‘These will be strengthened and I assure you that Nigeria is prepared to accept Turkish business people to come and explore more of Nigeria’s potentialities,’’ the Nigerian leader said.

    In his remarks, Erdogan said Nigeria had great potentials and remains “a global actor in terms of economy, demographics and its peacekeeping records.”

    He indicated that Turkey was interested in investing in Nigeria’s electricity, refineries and gas sectors, adding that increasing the flights between Turkey and Nigeria would further improve commercial and people-to-people relationships.

    On the fight against terrorism, the Turkish leader said: ‘‘there is no difference between Boko Haram, Fethullah Terrorist Organisation or Daesh (ISIS), which have all killed, inflicted pain and hardship on innocent people.

    ‘‘All of these organisations are hordes of murderers that feed on the innocent people, and in the fight against terrorism, we will stand with our Nigerian friends, and we are ready to share our experience and provide all kinds of support.

    ‘‘We also expect the same cooperation from Nigeria in fighting against Fethullah that murdered 250 Turkish citizens last year,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Photo: Buhari in Turkey

  • Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis most severe in the world – UNOCHA

    Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis most severe in the world – UNOCHA

    The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( UNOCHA ) has said that the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region is the most severe in the world.

    This is contained in its monthly North-East humanitarian overview reports recently released in Abuja.

    UNOCHA said the humanitarian crises in the region had left over 8.5 million people in dire need of assistance in the worst affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    It said the crises, which emanated from Boko Haram attacks, had made members of many communities in the affected states continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.

    It also said that the conflict had resulted in the spread of forced displacement, violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, severe protection concern and food and nutrition crisis in large proportion.

    “The prolonged humanitarian crisis has had a devastating impact on food security and nutrition in Nigeria’s North-East.

    “About 450,000 children under five are in need of nutrition support and this has been compounded by the lean season between July and September.

    “Today, more than 1.7 million people are internally displaced in the three worst affected states with 80 per cent of the IDPs in Borno the epic centre of the crisis.

    “More than half of them are living outside the IDPs camps in local communities who are themselves among the world’s poorest people.”

    UNOCHA also said that insecurity, especially in Borno, continued to hamper humanitarian operations.

    It said the situation had, however, improved through coordinated logistics and civil-military coordination efforts as humanitarian teams can now access some areas that were previously inaccessible.

    “Humanitarians have also noticed encouraging signs that the food and nutrition situation in some areas was stabilising, especially with the support from donors, food and nutrition emergency aid that significantly scaled up since late 2016.’’

    It said that presently, nearly two million people are receiving in-kind or cash-based food assistance every month.

    “Nutrition partners have reached nearly 500,000 children, pregnant and lactating women this year through supplementary feeding programmes.

    “For 2017/2018, the strategic focus of humanitarian partners is on integrated and coordinated life-saving assistance, strengthened protection of civilians, enhanced humanitarian access and durable solutions.’’

    It said that this would be put in focus especially for those returning home after the period of displacement.

    NAN

  • Fed Govt acquiring modern arms to fight Boko Haram, says Buratai

    Fed Govt acquiring modern arms to fight Boko Haram, says Buratai

    CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has affirmed that the Federal Government is acquiring and installing modern technologies in the fight against the Boko Haram.

    He said the development was made possible through government’s collaboration with the United States (U.S.), Israel, United Kingdom (UK), Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He added that these countries are also helping regarding capacity building for personnel of the Armed Forces.

    The Army Chief did not, however, disclose the categories of technologies that are being acquired to defeat insurgency in the Northeast.

    Lt.-Gen. Buratai spoke at the opening of a four-day international seminar on Managing Asymmetric Security Challenges in the 21st Century at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

    He announced that the Army under his leadership, in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, has substantially degraded Boko Haram.

    He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the needed resources to the Armed Forces in the fight against terror.

    According to Gen. Buratai, the armed forces would continue to invest in capacity building for its personnel to enable them update their skills and fine-tune their knowledge.

    Buratai said: “Let me observe that the array of participants in this seminar which cuts across members of the academia, military and other security actors both from within and outside Nigeria clearly shows the seriousness and concern we accord the issue of managing asymmetric security challenges in particular and world peace in general.

    “Let me at this point commend the Nigerian Army Resource Centre for taking this bold step to translate an idea earlier conceived by me into reality.”

    Buratai emphasised that achieving success in tackling the emerging global security threats remains a collective responsibility and urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the seminar to exchange ideas, information and knowledge.

    Minister of Defence Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, who was represented by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin, while opening the seminar, described it as timely.

    He noted that the army by hosting the seminar has demonstrated its growing understanding of the complexities of managing contemporary security challenges.

    “This is particularly against the backdrop of our recent experience in responding to the Boko Haram-led insurgency in the Northeast and the grievances induced militancy in the Niger Delta.

    “It is pertinent to say that managing these challenges revolve around the intricate interplay of hard and soft power,” the minister stated.

    Among the countries participating in the seminar are Bangladesh, Cameroun, India, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.).

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • FG acquire technologies to fight Boko Haram- Buratai

    FG acquire technologies to fight Boko Haram- Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai said on Tuesday that the Federal Government (FG) is currently into acquisition, installation and application of modern technologies in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the country.

    He said the development was made possible through the federal government collaboration with the United States of America, Isreal, United Kingdom, Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He added that these countries are also helping regarding capacity building for personnel of the Armed Forces.

    The Army Chief did not, however, disclose the categories of technologies that are being acquired to defeat insurgency in the Northeast of the country.

    Lt. General Buratai made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a Four-Day International Seminar on Managing Asymmetric Security Challenges in the 21st Century at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

    He also announced that the Nigerian Army under his leadership in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, has substantially degraded the Boko Haram terrorist group.
    He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the needed resources to the Armed Forces in the fight against terror.

    According to Gen. Buratai the armed forces would continue to invest in capacity building for its personnel to enable them update their skills and fine tune their knowledge particularly as the world is currently challenged by emerging security threats.

    Buratai said: “ Let me observe that the array of participants in this seminar which cuts across members of of the academia, military and other security actors both from within and outside Nigeria clearly shows the seriousness and concern we accord the issue of managing asymmetric security challenges in particular and world peace in general.

    “Let me at this point commend the Nigerian Army Resource Centre for taking this bold step to translate an idea earlier conceived by me into reality.

    Read: 45 Boko Haram members jailed

    “This forum is important as it will accord our nations the opportunity to re-think and re-strategize on the best approach from shared experiences to confront the challenges posed by asymmetric warfare in the 21st century as exemplified by insurgency, terrorism and other strategies used by adversaries to undermine constituted authorities”.

    Buratai emphasized that achieving success in tackling the emerging global security threats remains a collective responsibility, and urged participants to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the seminar to exchange ideas, information and knowledge.

    The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali who was represented by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Olonisakin, while declaring the seminar opened, described the seminar as timely, noting that the army by hosting the seminar has demonstrated its growing understanding of the complexities of managing contemporary security challenges.

    “This is particularly against the backdrop of our recent experience in responding to the Boko Haram terrorist led insurgency in the northeast and the grievances induced militancy in the Niger Delta.

    “It is pertinent to say that managing these challenges revolve around the intricate interplay of hard and soft power”, the Minister stated.

    Among the countries participating in the seminar are Bangladesh, Cameroun, India, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, United Kigdom and the United States of America.

    Read Also: 400 Boko Haram fighters surrender

  • Sen. Gaya calls for patience with Buhari

    Sen. Gaya calls for patience with Buhari

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, has urged Nigerians to be patient with the present administration as it works towards entrenching good governance.

    He made the call while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly on Sunday at St. Petersburg, Russia.

    Gaya, who is the Vice President of the IPU, Africa, urged Nigerians to engage in constructive criticism of government policies rather than castigating the leadership.

    While admitting that Nigerians had a right to hold their leaders accountable, he said it was imperative to do so with caution.

    “Nigerians need to be patient with our leaders.

    “When you have a leader, you pray hard for them because if you keep on castigating your leader, you will only end up frustrating them or hurrying to take bad decisions.

    “So, I urge Nigerians to support the present government and President Muhammadu Buhari, make constructive criticisms and offer advice on the way forward,” he said.

    On the theme of the 137th IPU, “Promoting Cultural Pluralism and Peace through Inter-Faith and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue’’, Gaya said it was apt in view of increasing level of conflicts around the world.

    He said that there could not have been a better time when people were resorting to violence in expressing their grievances.

    He said that Nigeria was not insulated from the trend as there were increasing agitations in different sections of the country.

    The parliamentarian, however, called for dialogue across board.

    “Generally, in any governance in a country where there are crisis or people are oppressed, dialogue is the easiest and best solution.

    “This is because unless people open up and express their grievances, there may be no solution and violence is never the answer to any problem.

    “Whatever peace cannot give, violence will not give. So it is better to discuss with the people and come up with solutions.

    “That is why in Nigeria’s government, most of the time falls back to dialogue.

    “For instance, the Biafra and Niger Delta issues were partially resolved on dialogue.

    “It is only the issue of Boko Haram that we were not able to resolve with dialogue and you can see the casualty figure,’’ he said.

    The chairman commended the Buhari-led government for its effort in keeping the country one in spite of the daunting challenges.

    On causes of agitations, the lawmaker said that there was a need to do more to carry every section of the country along.

    He said; “the issue of marginalization, for instance, is not peculiar to any section of the country but we in the National Assembly will continue to champion the course of dialogue.

    “This 137th IPU assembly is timely as those of us who are able to attend will carry home the language of dialogue.

    “On restructuring, particularly the issue of devolution of power, during the Constitution review, we looked at areas that are less controversial and we agreed on them.

    “We in the parliament are prepared for restructuring but let us first understand ourselves.

    “If the issue of devolution of power comes up again, we will open up and speak with the interest of Nigerians at heart.’’

    Gaya said that more needed to be done to get every region to be on the same page before proceeding with the process.

    According to him, times have changed and it will take continuous dialogue to get everybody on the same page.

    “Nigeria was united under only three regions; people were not complaining at that time. Our leaders were honest and dedicated.

    “Nigerians were committed to being Nigerians but these days, it is different. However, we are prepared for dialogue,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Three NDLEA operatives killed in Kogi

    Three NDLEA operatives killed in Kogi

    Three operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been shot dead by gunmen in Okene.

    The Commandant of the NDLEA in Kogi, Alhaji Idris Bello, told reporters on Sunday in Lokoja that the three operatives were gunned down while on patrol.

    He said that they were killed at about 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 by the gunmen, “who emerged from nowhere’’.

    Bello said that gunmen came on foot and that the incident occurred close to the main gate of the Federal College of Education, Okene.

    He identified the operatives killed as Nicholas Onwumere, Ebun Peters and Abdulrahman Musa.

    The commandant explained that the NDLEA officers were on duty alongside their three other colleagues when the gunmen struck.

    Bello said that the officers died on the spot, while the three other colleagues escaped unhurt.

    He said that the gunmen collected the rifles of the dead officers and vanished.

    Bello said that other security agencies in the state had been contacted on the development, saying that efforts were being made to track down the killers.

    The Kogi Government had in August established a Forward Operation Base in Okene in partnership with the Nigerian Army to check kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.

    However, the initiative has yet to yield the desired result, according to observers.

    Analysts suggest that the latest killing may be the handiwork of the jihadist Boko Haram group, which has been striking at soft targets in northern Nigeria, having been degraded substantially by the Nigerian armed forces.

    Kogi, regarded as the spiritual headquarters of the jihadist movement, has witnessed bloody attacks by Boko Haram in recent years.

  • 45 Boko Haram members jailed in Niger

    45 Boko Haram members jailed in Niger

    At least 45 members of the Boko Haram have been sentenced to between three and 31 years in jail for terrorism.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kainji, Niger State, on Friday handed down the verdicts at the conclusion of the first phase of the trial during which 575 Boko Haram suspects were arraigned.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said 468 other suspects who had no case to answer were discharged and acquitted by the court.

    34 cases were struck out while 28 suspects were remanded for trial in Abuja and Minna.

    The court ordered that the 468 discharged persons should undergo deradicalization and rehabilitation programmes before they are handed over to their respective state governments.

    The trial commenced with the formal remand of 1,669 suspects for a period of 90 days, with the court ordering that they be arraigned within the specified period or released unconditionally.

    The court adjourned the trial of other suspects to January 2018.

  • Minister lauds Armed Forces for defeating Boko Haram

    Minister lauds Armed Forces for defeating Boko Haram

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali Thursday commended personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces for the sacrifice they made to ensure the return of peace in the northeast of the country.

    According to him the armed forces laboured day and night under very harsh conditions with some paying the supreme price to bring the deadly activities of the Boko Haram insurgents to an end.

    He said it was therefore incumbent on Nigerians to appreciate and support the gallantry and sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces by supporting their welfare especially the fallen heroes.

    The Minister spoke with reporters in Abuja to herald the activities lined up for the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.

    Dan-Ali noted that the relative peace being enjoyed in the northeast was as a result of the sacrifices of men and women of the Armed forces.

    He said: “They have laboured day and night under very harsh conditions. Some have paid the supreme price , others have been permanently incapacitated, while others are missing in action,”he said, why appealing to the public for assistance for the fallen heroes.

    “On our part, the Federal Government and the Ministry of Defence under my watch will continue to be proactive in attending to their welfare needs.”

    He  said the event would afford Nigerians and foreign nationals working in the country the opportunity to support the families of fallen heroes with donations and other welfare assistance.

    “The ministry is assessing a proposal to make informed decisions that will enhance the welfare of our veterans. The Military Pension Board had continued to deliver on regular pensions for military retirees,”he said.

    The minister warned that the ministry would not tolerate sharp practices in pension administration process, adding that the military health insurance scheme was extended to the retirees and their families.

    “The health insurance scheme has continued to impact positively on the health status of our veterans and their families,”he said.

    Activities lined up for the event include:launch of the Emblem by President Muhammadu Buhari on Oct. 25 at the National Cenotaph, religious services and laying of wreath.

  • Boko Haram: Many IDPs not ready to return home – Norwegian agency

    Boko Haram: Many IDPs not ready to return home – Norwegian agency

    The vast majority of almost two million Nigerians driven from their homes by Boko Haram insurgency cannot return due to lack of security, an aid agency said on Wednesday.

    About 1.8 million people have been displaced in Nigeria by Boko Haram insurgency, which has left at least 20,000 dead and shows little sign of ending as it drags into its ninth year.

    The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a report that 86 percent of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were not ready to return home in the immediate future.

    Insecurity is cited by 84 percent of them as the main reason for wanting to stay put, it said.

    “Only about six in 10 people said they wanted to return to their villages at some point, but could not do so now,” the NRC  said.

    Many of the displaced people said they have tried to return home, only to be forced to flee back to safer camps and cities because of continued attacks by Boko Haram and general insecurity.

    “While the end game is for communities to return home, the unfortunate truth is that pushing people back now will have harmful consequences,” Reuters quoted NRC secretary general, Jan Egeland, as saying in a statement.