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Tag: bombing

  • Today at 1:33 PM Bombing unlimited

    At the rate at which the Boko Haram bombers are  carrying out their dastardly acts, it is difficult to know how many people have so far been killed in attacks in some states in northern parts of the country.

    Just when we were beginning to believe the dummy sold to us by the federal government about a possible ceasefire by the insurgents,it turned out that we were no where near the end of unending attacks in which many innocent persons have been killed, others injured and properties destroyed.

    Just last Friday, the terrorists struck again with a deadly triple explosion at the a central Mosque in Kano  midway into the Jumat prayers.  Not less than 120 persons  were reported dead  and numerous others injured. The casualty figure is said to be the highest in any single attack by the terrorists in the country.

    A similar attack  by the same sect was thankfully  averted in Maiduguri, Borno State after vigilante youths alerted the police about two Improvised Explosive Devices planted at the popular Custom market.

    As usual, President Goodluck Jonathan has offered his condolences over the attack and promised to ensure that the culprits are apprehended. While the family of those killed are mourning and the injured are battling to get treatment, life goes on in Kano and in other parts of the country until the terrorists strike again.

    Gradually, the terrorist attacks have become so regular in the county that the casualty figures no longer seem to mean much.

    Even for the media, Boko Harram attacks is no longer a major story. Readers according to feedbacks from marketing staff are tired of reading about the killings that newspapers cannot risk giving too much prominence to the repeated frequent attacks.

    So many unknown persons have been killed and injured in past incidents that it will probably take some prominent personalities  or officials  becoming victims  for everybody concerned to wake up to the reality of the killing field which the affected states have become.

    The Kano attack would have been more devastating if the Emir of Kano who was not in the country was killed in the incident, but every life matters and we cannot wait till a ‘VIP’ dies till an all out war is launched against the insurgents.

    Even the state governments of the victims have become overwhelmed of the situation that they have been unable to meet the medical needs of those injured, talk less of compensating families of those killed.

    I have no doubt that the federal government is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the country,  but more than ever before, we need more than assurances and promises that have not stemmed the wave of attacks.

    Too many people are being killed and injured in the senseless attacks while many others  are living in fear,  not sure when the next attack will be. Even for those of us who supposedly live far away from the targeted areas, only time will tell  if we will not become as endangered as those who are presently caught in the crossfire.

    Time is running out and an urgent solution must be found before we are all consumed. This is not the time for any blame game or name calling.

    The federal government should admit whatever error of judgement it could have made in tackling the the crisis before now and be open to options that can halt the endless killings.

    If the soldiers deployed to combat the insurgents are not as adequately armed as claimed, they need to be provided what they need to defend the country against the ceaseless onslaught of the terrorists. Their welfare and that of the their families have to be taken care of if they must risk their life at the battle front.

    It is a shame that our soldiers have to flee to Cameroon once in a while when they are confronted by superior firepower by the insurgents.

    The government needs all the support it can get from everyone concerned about the unity of this country irrespective of political, religious and tribal affiliations.

    The recent meeting of Christian and Muslim religious leaders in Abuja is timely.

    Hopefully,  some concrete decisions were taken at the meeting concerning the religious dimension of the insurgency and necessary steps would be taken over the matter.

    We are all in this together until a permanent solution is found. Divided we stand, united we will fall.

  • 13 killed in attack on Yobe mosques as three die in Kano bombing

    13 killed in attack on Yobe mosques as three die in Kano bombing

    Terrorists have unleashed an army of female suicide bombers in some part of the country.

    A female suicide bomber believed to be about 14 years old detonated explosives yesterday at the Kano State Polytechnic in the city that has been under attack by female bombers in the past one week, killing three people.

    Seven people were injured when the bomb she concealed in her hijab exploded.

    Thirteen people died in attacks on mosques in Potiskum, the commercial capital of Yobe State, on Tuesday evening.

    It was gathered that the teenage suicide bomber sneaked  into the midst of graduands, who were checking the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) deployment list pasted on the wall at the bus stop close to the school’s gate.

    The incident happened at about 3:30 pm when the batch A NYSC members converged and were checking the list for their postings.

    An eyewitness account said 12 persons were killed and 15 injured, but Kano State Police Commissioner Aderenle Shinaba said three people died; seven were injured.

    ‘’ We are in very difficult times, a situation that is assuming a new dimension of suicide bombing in the state. This one that happened here at the Administrative Block of Kano State Polytechnic is frightening.

    ‘’ The incident, which occurred at about 3:30 pm, calls for vigilance on the part of every one of us because we have tried as much as possible for the deployment of police officers in every strategic location.

    ‘’ So, at these critical times, what is required is intelligence and vigilance on the part of everybody. Even when we have policemen everywhere, we require information as well as vigilance of everyone of us.

    ‘’A situation where somebody is carrying explosives, what business does such person have  where graduates assembled to check the placement of the Batch A NYSC deployment.?

    ‘’It is disheartening  to note that when you see somebody around, who is looking like a primary or secondary school pupil to disguise with her hijab in our midst without anybody taking note. We have been telling people about the issue of female teenage suicide bombers, which calls for the attention of the law enforcement agencies to be on the alert.

    ‘’Look, for hijab wearing female suicide bombers , sentiments and religion should not be the issue but we should face the reality of tackling it headlong so as to avoid future occurrence.’’

    Two suicide bombers on Tuesday launched coordinated attacks on two mosques in Potiskum.

    The attacks were targeted at worshippers  during the evening prayer around 7:30pm local time.

    They attacked the Alkali Kalli mosque, a few metres away from the  Emir of Fika’s palace and the Sakafa mosque, located  at the busy Potiskum central market.

    Despite security warnings that people should stay away from blast scenes, residents were milling around the two mosques yesterday to witness the destruction.

    Residents stormed the Potiskum General Hospital to identify the dead and the injured.

    The authorities declined to give the death toll, but hospital sources said 13 bodies were brought in from the separate attacks; 35 others affected by the explosions are receiving treatment at the Potiskum hospital.

    The source said victims with high degree of fracture would be referred to other hospitals.

    An official with   Isma Medical Initiatives, who was involved in the rescue operation, also said 13 people died and 35 were injured.

    “We were involved in the rescue operation from the beginning up to this time and I can confirm to you that 13 people were killed in the separate attacks while 35 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Many of those on admission will be referred to Either Nguru or neighbouring Azare for treatment,” he said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

    The  Emir of Fika, Alhaji Mohammadu Ibn Mohammadu Idris, who visited the scene, condemned the attacks, which he described as “callous and inhuman”. He called on residents to be “vigilant at all times in the fight against terrorism”.

    The royal father promised to take responsibility for  the  medical bills of those on admission at the Potiskum hospital.

    In a message from the lesser hajj, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, through his Special Adviser on Information and Press Affairs, Abdulfatahi Bego, express deep shock at the attacks.

    The message reads: “His Excellency Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, who is currently performing the Umrah (Lesser Hajj) in Saudi Arabia, is deeply shocked and outraged by the loss of lives and suffering caused by the attacks in Katarko and Potiskum in which about 17 people were killed and many more injured.

    “Governor Gaidam strongly condemns the attacks which are senseless, heinous and barbaric and totally unjustifiable.

    “The Governor’s thoughts and those of his administration are with the families of the victims at this time of great loss.

    “His Excellency Governor Gaidam has prayed Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant eternal repose to those killed and quick recovery to those who sustained various degrees of injury”

    He directed for free medical treatment of all victims affect in the blast, calling on the people to be ever more vigilante with the change of mode of attacks by the insurgents.

    “The Governor has also directed that free medical treatment be provided for all the injured until they are discharged from hospital.

    “Given the changing mode of attack by criminals and insurgents, the Governor has called on people across the state to remain ever more vigilant to happenings around their communities and to promptly report any suspicious persons or objects to security agents.

    “His Excellency Governor Gaidam has called for increased cooperation with security agents and more intensive prayers for Almighty Allah (SWT) to help restore peace in our state and the nation generally.

    “The Governor has also called on security agencies in the state to continue to do more to nip criminal and insurgent activities in the bud and reiterated his call on the federal government to provide advanced bomb detection and other stealth security equipment to help the security agents on the ground more effectively prevent attacks,” the statement read.

    President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday deplored the continuing terrorist assault on Kano and the heinous bombing of the Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies.

    In a statement, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said Dr. Jonathan “similarly deplores the attacks on two mosques in Potiskum, Yobe State yesterday.

    “President Jonathan condemns the repeated targeting of worshippers, and   innocent students who are the nation’s future by depraved terrorists.

    “He believes that the callous attacks on soft targets fully affirm that the terrorists’ are nothing but bloodthirsty adherents of a warped and retrogressive ideology.

    “No amount of intimidation and violence would stampede the government into abandoning its goal of giving education a new lease of life and opening up access to all young Nigerians who wish to improve themselves.

    “President Jonathan has therefore directed the Armed Forces, Police and other national security agencies to further enhance security around educational facilities in states prone to terrorist attacks.”

  • Man loses dad, wife, maid in Kano bombing as 30 die in Adamawa

    Man loses dad, wife, maid in Kano bombing as 30 die in Adamawa

    Five persons died yesterday in Kano when suspected insurgents  hurled explosives from the window of a school at a church building as worshippers were leaving after a mass.

    Eight others were injured in the attack on St. Charles Catholic Church on Zungeru Road in the ancient city.

    The dead, according to sources, include Mr. Ugochukwu Okoli (32), his wife, father and his maid. They were said to have gone for the mass for thanksgikving and were leaving after the service when they were hit by the explosives.

    Kano State Commissioner of Police Aderenle Shinaba, said the suspects had gone to a church on Zungeru Road, where they hid themselves at a primary school, close to the church and threw explosives at the unsuspecting  worshippers. He said no fewer than five people died and eight were injured. Three suspects were arrested.

    The police said in Abuja that five suspects were arrested in total.

    An sms message from police spokesman Frank Mba said two of the suspects were arrested in connection with the failed attack on the Isyaku Rabiu Mosque. Three were held in connection with the attack at St. Charles Church.

    The statement said: “All the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation at different police facilities in the state.

    “The police have stepped up patrols and surveillance in the city and other major cities across the nation. Police operatives are carrying out overt and covert operations nationwide, while special teams are carrying out sweeping raids in suspected terrorist hideouts.

    “Citizens are enjoined to remain vigilant and continue to support the security agencies during the operations.”

    The Catholic Bishop of Kano, Bishop John Namanza, said the community protected itself beyond imagination.

    Rev. Namanza described the attack as uncalled for, saying those who threw the bomb were unholy.

    Although the Bishop praised the security operatives for their response, he lamented that it was belated despite the early information passed to them that the church was a target.

    He called on security agents and the state government to strengthen security around the vicinity.

    Also yesterday, suspected terrorists attempted a suicide attack at Kofar Nasarawa in Kano. A woman bomber tried to lure some security men, who were stationed by the North West  gate with Sallah food but she blew up herself.

    The bomber, who arrived at the scene under the newly built flyover at about 12:30 pm, reportedly  made an attempt to deceive the security operatives that she brought sallah food for them, but the security men suspected foul play.

    The security men, it was learnt, took to their heels when they noticed that the woman was advancing towards them. They threatened to gun her down.

    However, luck ran out for the bomber, who secretly concealed the explosives under her hijab, when the bomb suddenly exploded and killed her.

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) condemned the blast.

    The religious body also expressed sadness at the “unfortunate” incident in Zaria, which led to the killing of some people, including the sons of a renowned Islamic scholar El-Zakzaky.

    CAN said it was saddened by the implication of the incident as it is capable of throwing the community into more crises.

    In a statement signed by CAN National President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the clergy urged the people to exercise restrain and live peacefully as the security is up the task of bringing perpetrators to book.

    “CAN commiserates with Islamic scholar El-Zakzaky over the loss of his sons, appealing to him to take solace in God. CAN says the demise of the scholar’s sons is most unfortunate and regrettable, particularly at a time when the energy and wise counsel of all in the society is needed to tame insecurity.

    “CAN appealed to Nigerians to live peacefully irrespective of religious, ethnic and political difference in the quest for new national re birth.

    CAN reiterates its earlier call for Nigerians to give useful information to security agents as they try their best to tackle the insurgency.”

    Pastor Oritsejafor described the blast as barbaric and inhuman. While commiserating with families of the deceased, he called on Nigerians to be security conscious.

    Thirty people were killed in attacks at the weekend on communities in Hong local government area of Adamawa State.

    Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram fighters attacked Zar Mubeng and Lubeng villages.

    The village head of Zar community, Wing Commander, Dauda Daniel (rtd), is still missing in the aftermath of the attacks.

    The attacks led to the death of nine people in Zar, the source said.

    Some relatives of the community leader said he is yet to be found. There are concerns that he might have been abducted by the gunmen.

    The worst-affected community is Mubeng where it was gathered that 20 people were killed.

    The number of those killed in Lube could not be ascertained yet, said one of the villagers who fled the community as a result of the attacks.

    The eye witness, who identified himself as Lazarus, said most of the people in his community scampered to safety before the rampaging gunmen got there.

    The Adamawa State police could not speak on the development. Haa Micheal, the spokesman, has just been appointed.

    Micheal said he is only privy to a rumoured attack in the Hong area but didn’t have details of the attack.

    Last night, Garkida town in Gombi Local Government Area of the state was under attack by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members.

    Sources speaking from the town on telephone said they heard heavy gunfire and cries of helpless residents.

    They also noticed that many houses were on fire.

  • Mark, Ekweremadu: bombing won’t solve our problems

    Mark, Ekweremadu: bombing won’t solve our problems

    Senate President David Mark yesterday urged those killing innocent Nigerians to stop it.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, the Senate president noted that no matter the disputes among Nigerians, killings should not be seen as the solution.

    Also yesterday, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu condemned the bomb attacks.

    Mark said violence or killings, rather than solve any problem, aggravated and complicated them.

    Mark said the incessant killings and destruction of property would only worsen Nigeria’s economic and socio-political conditions.

    He urged the perpetrators to reason and embrace dialogue.

    Mark said: “This resort to bestiality without human feeling any more is what cannot be contemplated or tolerated in a descent society. There are a lot of channels, including the law courts or the National Assembly, for any aggrieved person or group of persons to seek redress.

    “Resort to killings is inhuman, barbaric and reprehensible. Let us meet at a common ground to solve this problem. Life is too precious to be wasted. I also know that no religion anywhere in the world preaches violence or killing of people.”

    The Senate president urged the security agencies not to be deterred by the development but to work harder in the war against terrorism.

    He condoled with the bereaved families and advised Nigerians to be more vigilant.

    Ekweremadu described the bombings as a double tragedy aimed at the soul of the nation.

    A statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, quoted Ekweremadu to have expressed a deep sense of loss over the mass killing and destruction of property by the perpetrators.

    The deputy Senate president also expressed solidarity with former Head of State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, and the Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, over the bombings.

    He noted that those behind the attacks were “unrepentant agents of Satan and desperate schemers bent on throwing the nation into chaos and bloodshed”.

    Ekweremadu said: “This is another desperation to aggravate and exploit the nation’s faulty lines. They have attacked churches to set Christians at war with their Muslim brethren, but without success. They unleashed terror on the mosques to set the country aflame, but that too did not work. Thus, the unsuccessful attacks on major opposition and religious leaders were yet another heinous plot to get at the soul of this nation.”

    The deputy Senate president called for caution and restraint among politicians to avoid heating up the polity.

  • Bombing ‘desecrates Islam’

    Bombing ‘desecrates Islam’

    Northern delegates to the National Conference have said Wednesday’s twin bomb blasts in Kaduna targeted former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and Islamic scholar Sheik Dahiru Bauchi.

    They said the action violated Islam because it happened in the holy month of Ramadan.

    In a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the Northern Delegates’ Forum, Anthony Sani, the delegates described the explosion as heinous and condemnable.

    The statement dismissed insinuations that Boko Haram was the formation of some Northern leaders to make the country ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan because of his religion and region.

    It noted that members of the insurgent group had never hidden their desire to bring the North under its ridiculous brand of Islam and divide the country along religious lines.

    The delegates warned that “Nigerians should not make the mistake of allowing insurgency to redefine our togetherness”.

    The statement added: “The twin bombs, which exploded in Kaduna during the month of Ramadan yesterday (Wednesday) ostensibly targeted at General Buhari and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, are heinous and condemnable.

    “The bombs are condemnable, not only because of the loss of lives and because of those injured but also (because) the bombs desecrate the religion of Islam, which forbids such actions against sacred inviolability of the individual. Worse still, (it happened) during the month of Ramadan.

  • Canada, Spain condemn bombing

    Canada, Spain condemn bombing

    The Canadian and Spanish governments have condemned Wednesday’s bombing in Kaduna.

    The opposition party’s candidate in the 2011 presidential election, Gen. Muhammad Buhari, narrowly escaped death as the bombers targeted his convoy.

    In separate statements, both countries called for justice against the perpetrators of the bombing.

    The Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deepak Obhrai said: “Canada condemns in the strongest terms the two terrorists attacks in Nigeria, Kaduna region, which killed 82 innocent victims.

    “These cowardly acts took place on one of the most important nights of Ramadan. Reports are that one of the bombs targeted a former Nigerian leader, General Buhari. They also followed on the heels of Boko Haram’s brutal destruction of Damboa and recent attacks on Chibok, the hometown of the kidnapped girls.”

  • I ordered bombing of Lagos fuel depot, says Shekau

    I ordered bombing of Lagos fuel depot, says Shekau

    Sect: we did it in Abuja

    Police ‘studying video’

    Arewa rejects terror

    Lagosians got yesterday perhaps the first hint of Boko Haram’s imprint in the city.

    Abubakar Shekau, leader of the violent Islamist sect, claimed responsibility for the explosion in Apapa – one of the key homes of businesses with national and international relevance, including the port.

    It also owned up to the bombing in Abuja, in the 16-minute video given to the French news agency AFP.

    Shekau said his group was responsible for a bombing in the capital Abuja and an attack at the fuel depot in Lagos on June 25.

    The Lagos attack was described by government officials as an industrial accident, but an AFP investigation revealed it was a deliberate explosion.

    “I ordered (the bomber) who went and detonated it,” Shekau said. “You said it was an accidental blaze. You can hide before the people, but not before Allah.”

    “We were the ones who detonated the bomb in filthy Abuja” that killed at least 22 people, the leader of Boko Haram added.

    In the same recording, Shekau voices support for the extremist militant group ISIS, which has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

    “My brethren… may Allah protect you,” Shekau said in the video, listing ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

    He also mocked the “Bring back our girls” campaign, calling for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, on April 15. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the abductions, showing some of the girls in a video as they recited part of the Holy Quran.

    Shekau released his video as Malala Yousafzai, the teenage Pakistani schoolgirl who became an education campaigner after she was shot by militants, spoke in Abuja where she met the missing girls’ relatives.

    “Thank you so much for telling the world that this is happening here,” Yousafzai said. “We need to raise our voices for them so that they can be released and be free as well as other girls in Nigeria who also need full protection and security.”

    Police spokesman Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said last night on telephone:   “We are studying the video. It will go through information technology and forensic analyses in order to confirm the motion picture. It is only after that we would take an evidence-based stand.”

    A state government official declined to speak on the development, saying only security agents could comment on it.

    The Arewa community in Lagos has said it will neither aid nor tolerate terrorist activities in Lagos.

    In a statement yesterday by the Chairman, Council of Arewa Chiefs and the leader of the Hausa in Lagos, Alhaji Sani Kabir, the group assured that “ the Arewa community will neither hide nor aid terrorists in any way”.

    It also condemned the activities of the Boko Haram sect, saying they do not represent the teachings of Islam.

    “Nigeria is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our recent history perpetrated by terrorists disguising as a religious group.

    “We have enjoyed peace in Lagos and for that reason, we are sensitising our people on the need to maintain peace and to be security conscious.

    “We have also directed all our Imams to consistently intensify the message of peace among the community. We have also directed that people should not be allowed to sleep in mosques and other places designated for worship” the statement said.

    The group also said that its leadership had instructed its members against sleeping or camping under the bridge or indiscriminate parking of vehicles along major highways.

    It urged its members in Lagos to participate in the proposed registration of residents.

    “We believe that these measures will further strengthen the bond of friendship among other ethnic groups in Lagos,” it said.

    Some suspected Boko Haram men at the weekend bombed a bridge linking Maiduguri with Biu and Damboa using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

    A large portion of the Madafuma Bridge was damaged, thereby making it impossible to link Maiduguri from Biu, Garkida, Numam and parts of Taraba.

    A resident, Mallam Musa Yakubu, said the incident took place on Saturday at about 2am. “We heard a loud bang and when we gathered in Madafuma village we found out that the bridge linking us with Biu Local Government Area and MA Dara Girau had been blown off.  Motorists heading for Maiduguri from Biu especially long vehicles, had no option than to turn back to Gombe. Small vehicles managed to pass through the remaining thin portion which has not been affected by the blast.”

     

  • Bombing menace

    Bombing menace

    • Recent Kano and Jos examples expand what was thought to be a shrinking circle of violence

    Under no circumstance would this paper have contemplated that the country could ever succumb to the inexorable devastations of bombings and other evils of the Boko Haram religious sect. Our position stems from the fact that the sect has continued its exploits as if the government in place is incapable of doing anything to quell its heinous acts. Yet, the government proclaims to be doing something; but one obvious fact is that its effort has yielded no effective result.

    We have our reasons for arriving at this conclusion: Very recently, the Nyanya motor park in Abuja was bombed by the sect, leaving hundreds of people dead. Less than 24 hours after this gory incident, over 270 school girls were abducted by the sect in Chibok, Borno State. Barely weeks after these destabilising acts, Kano State was last Sunday bombed; and this sad event was spontaneously followed 24 hours after by the latest Jos, Plateau State bombings, which left over 118 people dead in twin blasts at a market in the central Nigerian city. The casualty figures, sadly, were those of victims recovered from the scene of the explosions. By the time the search through the blazing debris would have been concluded by the rescue squad, the figures would probably be higher.

    The Jos twin bomb blasts that hit the popular Jos Terminus Market that is also known as New Abuja Market is one too many. In typical suicide bombing style, the first bomber reportedly came in a Fiat bus that was parked at the market’s central business area. The second blast, purportedly concealed in a Siena bus, reportedly occurred about 100 metres away from the first one. The government must be interested in knowing those responsible for the Jos incidents, especially in view of the fact that the city has been at peace for some time despite its local crises, and also because no one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombings.

    The earlier Kano blast which killed four persons occurred in Sabon Gari area. Coincidentally too, the two states’ bombings occurred in areas inhabited by predominantly Christians. Both states have enjoyed relative peace since last year when major bombings last happened in their jurisdictions.

    We are concerned that the incessant bombings in the northern part of the country are not ebbing but are indeed escalating despite the presence of experts from United States, Britain, France and Israel that are in the country to rescue the abducted school girls and to help, through technical support, in quelling the Boko Haram insurgency. This is understandable in view of the fact that such mission could take reasonable period before its dividend would be felt.

    However, President Goodluck Jonathan in his response to the last Jos bomb blasts, boldly declared that his administration will not succumb to the “… atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilisation.” But the official efforts so far on ground have not pointed in that direction as the government has seemingly proved incapable of reaching a denouement on the insurgency.

    The extermination of Boko Haram lies more on the sincerity of purpose deployed by the government and its topmost officials. At the moment, this utmost good faith could not be seen in view of our security agencies’ shoddy handling of the critical challenge posed by these criminals. On the part of the populace, we demand unalloyed civic vigilance. The government can only complement this by embarking on mass enlightenment campaigns that could educate the public about clues – which is what to look out for and to promptly alert the necessary authorities so as to forestall future recurrence of avoidable bombings in the states. The government needs not be reminded that the sustained Boko Haram bombings are detrimental to the country’s progress.

  • Bombing Babangida

    Twenty seven years after Dele Giwa was bombed at breakfast, it is fascinating that a new book seeks to reinforce the weight of public suspicion that Gen (retd) Ibrahim Babangida, the former military ruler who was in power at the time, probably had a hand in the macabre murder of the colourful journalist. Perhaps the devastating beauty of the 360-page volume, entitled Honour for Sale, derives from the fact that it is signposted as “An Insider Account of the Murder of Dele Giwa,” making it the first version of events written from close quarters unambiguously pointing an accusing finger at the Babangida administration.

    The author, Major (retd) Debo Basorun, has a faultless qualification for the documentation, having served in the Babangida regime under the title of Press and Public Affairs Officer (Military Press Secretary) to the Military President of Nigeria between 1985 and 1988. His effort, therefore, can be considered as a testimony by a member of a charmed circle, who should know what he is talking about. Indeed, Basorun drops a bomb in the prologue to his autobiographical book, saying, “It is a laborious attempt at documenting over twenty-one years of a kaleidoscopic but exciting career – a gaudy reminder of the sweet days at the pinnacle of power and how a miscalculation on the part of the powers-that-be led me to uncover the truth that, in concert with his Intelligence Chief, Colonel Haliru Akilu, Babangida has not come clean with the Nigerian people – nay the world – concerning the duo’s roles in the mindless assassination of a foremost Nigerian journalist of his time, Dele Giwa.”

    In addition, Basorun states in explicit terms, “I am hopefully looking forward to the day when General Ibrahim Babangida, Colonel Haliru Akilu and myself would be brought before the people’s court to answer all we know pertaining to the cruel murder of a most illustrious Nigerian, Dele Giwa.” Clearly, this is the statement of a willing prosecution witness. The question is: With the release of this explosive book and its accusatory contents, wouldn’t it be appropriate to reopen the Giwa murder case?

    Unfortunately, such a possibility would appear complicated, particularly in the light of certain precedents. It is instructive that quite early in the tragedy, efforts to obtain justice by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Giwa’s enthusiastic lawyer, were dampened by the mysterious stance of the journalist’s colleagues and co-founders of Newswatch magazine who disowned the legal activist in a November 5, 1986 edition; this was under one month of Giwa’s killing on October 19. Similarly enlightening is the fact that in 2001, Babangida rigidly refused to appear before the Human Rights Violations Commission, popularly known as the Oputa Panel, concerning the Giwa murder. Remarkably, Babangida betrayed desperation for silence by going to court. With Col (retd) Akilu of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) in his regime and Lt. Col. (retd) A.K Togun who was the Deputy Director of the State Security Service (SSS), he obtained an order barring the commission from summoning them to appear before it. It is apt to contemplate why they were so unwilling to face the public on the controversial matter, considering that the forum provided a golden opportunity for their exculpation. An astounding travesty of justice followed with the reported comment by the commission’s chairman to the effect that while it had powers to issue arrest warrants for the trio, it decided against such a move “in the over-all interest of national reconciliation.”

    Against this background of serial difficulties in the path of justice, it will surely require reimagination on the part of the justice system to resurrect the Giwa case. However, it would be a huge discredit to the country’s treatment of crime and punishment if Basorun’s momentous insights are trivialised by those officially positioned to act on such “revelations.” There is no doubt that Basorun’s bold account brings fresh dimensions to the unpleasant incident, and deserves to be investigated. If the book’s contents are ultimately swept under the carpet for convenience, it would amount to an official endorsement of impunity and send a dangerous signal that murder might not necessarily be a punishable transgression. It is the kind of dismisiveness that continues to encourage killers. In this connection, it is disturbing that so far no suspect has been formally charged with Giwa’s murder, a situation that Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), one of the high-profile symbols of social conscience who witnessed the book presentation, described as “the institutional failure of the state.”

    It is intriguing that Basorun, for all his emphatically implicating allegations against Babangida on the Giwa murder issue, fails rather disappointingly to provide an answer to the crucial question as to why the journalist was killed. This central subject of the motive for his peculiar murder by mail bomb has unsurprisingly spawned a rich collection of conspiracy theories, which Basorun’s book does little to clarify. Evidently, the knot is at the heart of the puzzle, and untying it would yield useful clues on the identity of the killers.

    Perhaps the enduring mystery bears testimony to the uninspiring state of investigative journalism in the country, which is ironic because Giwa had a reputation for that aspect of reporting. It amounts to a grave dishonour to his remembrance that there has been no serious journalistic attempt to unravel the circumstances of his cruel death at age 39. No whodunnit yet, regrettably.

    In the final analysis, Basorun has written a social service book not only because it is in a general sense focused on the underbelly of society, but also because it particularly illuminates to a significant degree the intricate expressions of “intrigue and treachery, clannishness and base humanity” characteristic of some of the military characters who abused power in the country.

    However, it would appear unfair to be judgemental based on Basorun’s book, despite its persuasive confidence. It is precisely this necessary margin of doubt that the accused should exploit in order to redeem their soiled image. As Babangida particularly, who is 72, advances in age, he should take advantage of the window to wash his hands clean, specifically in connection with Giwa’s blood. Giwa’s killing was a crime against humanity. Let no guilty party be under the illusion that strategic quiet will calm the storm.

    One curious dimension to this tale is the place of conscience in human affairs. It is inevitable to reflect on the possibility that Giwa’s murderers might be troubled in their souls, but that is not enough. On the other hand, supposing the killers here are monsters with repressed conscience? Possibly the high point of the book launch on November 22 at Freedom Park, (Old Prison Yard), Broad Street, Lagos, was the moment Basorun made his remarks with emotional sobs. His most poignant line was expression of regret on account of his association with what he termed “a government known for evil.” He ends the book on a revealing and deeply frightful note, saying, “I will count on all well meaning citizens of the country not to be deterred if Babangida eventually succeeds in snuffing the life out of me.”

  • Bombing: Grand design to push north into deeper crisis – JNI

    The Muslim umbrella body in the north, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) on Tuesday raised an alarm of what it called a grand design to push the entire north into deeper crises and by extension the Nigerian federation.

    Reacting to Monday’s multiple bomb explosion in Kano in which several people died, the JNI in a statement signed by its secretary General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu Abubakar, wondered why the killing of innocent people have continued unabated especially in the north.

    The body said that the repeated acts of bombings call for concerted introspection, as they point to the fact that there is the urgent need for proactive and effective ways of addressing these precarious security upheavals presently being witnessed in the country.

    The statement made available to The Nation reads: “Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) once again under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General, received with bewilderment the news of the orchestrated multiple bomb blasts which were reported to have occurred yesterday night, at Sabon Gari, Kano, Kano State resulting in collateral damages and many lives lost.

    “We strongly condemn the inhuman and ungodly act in its totality as it is reprehensible, and we equally call for calm and restrain. As it has always been our prayers, whatsoever is the intent/motive of the perpetrators of these contemptible acts, they will never succeed insha’Allah.

    “JNI is perplexed that this act of unleashing terror on human lives continued unabated, despite visible number of uncountable security check-points mounted all through Northern Nigeria. More worrisome is the fact that this beastly act of terror comes just 24 hours after unleashing same on fishermen and traders in Kaka and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State, which also claimed many innocent lives and loss of many properties worth millions of naira.”

    “These repeated acts call for concerted introspection, as they again point to the fact that there is the urgent need for proactive and effective ways of addressing these precarious security upheavals presently being witnessed in the country.