The Nation Newspaper

Tag: borno

  • Food shortage: Borno begins IDPs’ headcount

    Borno State government has set up a high-powered committee to ascertain the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) registered across the camps.

    This followed complaints that IDPs were not adequately fed.

    The committee, headed by Deputy Governor Usman Mamman Durkwa and the lawmaker representing Monguno, Marte and Nganzai Federal Constituency, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, has begun work by visiting camps in the Maiduguri metropolis.

    Under the arrangement, Governor Kashim Shettima has directed that relief materials (food and non- food) will be distributed on a household or family basis at the camps, instead of on collective basis as done in the past.

    He was quoted as saying that “the Borno State government is not satisfied with the complaints that IDPs are not getting enough food to eat in camps despite the millions of naira the government spends to take care of them daily.”

    The Nation learnt that the Durkwa-led committee at the weekend visited some of the camps to start the census.

    At Gubio camp, only 2,027 IDPs were recorded, instead of the 6,000 IDPs figure in the record of the government.

    At Bakassi camp, which is believed to have accommodated over 10,000 IDPs, less than 1,000 IDPs, mostly children, were recorded by the committee.

    The Vice Chairman of the Bakassi camp, Mallam Wakil Bukar, who spoke on behalf of his chairman and the IDPs, said more than half of the IDPs did not live in the camp, as they were scattered around the major streets of Maiduguri engaging in begging and petty trading.

    He urged the committee to revisit the camp today (Sunday), promising to pass the information so that his colleagues would not miss the exercise.

    At the Arabic Teachers College (ATC) camp, only 4,026 IDPs were counted, with a few living outside the camp at the time of the visit. The original population is put at 9,000.

  • Boko Haram: Army clears seven Borno villages

    The Army says it has cleared seven more villages taken by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State, in its bid to end terrorism in the Northeast.

    The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, in a statement yesterday in Maiduguri, said: “As the clearance and rescue operations gain momentum, troops of 28 Task Force Brigade have cleared the enclaves of Boko Haram terrorists at Galtha Baba, Galtha Musa, Bulakurma, Shatimari, Chukruk, Bulangaje and Disa villages.

    “During the operation, one insurgent was captured.”

    He said three motorcycles, bags of grains, terrorists’ flags and uniforms were recovered.

    Usman listed other recovered items to include: suicide bomber’s hijab, a mobile phone, one Dane gun, as well as foodstuffs and cooking utensils.

    “The soldiers rescued 15 persons held hostage by the terrorists,” the acting Army spokesman said.

    He said unfortunately, two Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) overran an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), but the formation did not sustain casualty, as the damage to the AFVs was minimal.

    Usman said the captured terrorist was being interrogated and would soon be handed over to the relevant agencies for prosecution.

     

  • Civilian JTF, Army foil suicide attack in Borno

    Another suicide attack was on Saturday foiled by men of the civilian JTF and Troops on 7 Division Nigeria Army at Ummarati Village near on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    Ummarari community has been recently hit by suicide attack with the last one on a mosque more claiming more than ten worshippers were killed.

    In a statement signed by the army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the suicide bomber blew himself off while he was being prevented by some vigilant troops from wrecking havoc on the community.

    The statement read; “Troops of 7 Division Garrison Forward Operation Base (FOB), today averted yet another suicide bombing catastrophe on Ummarari community by suspected Boko Haram terrorist at about 7.00am this morning.

    “The suicide bomber was intercepted by the vigilant troops and the Civilian JTF while making attempt to enter the village to detonate his dangerous cargo on innocent persons in the Ummarari.

    “The suicide bomber detonated the strapped Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest on his body, thus killing himself instantly when he was forced to halt based on suspicion that he was carrying suicide bombing material.

    “Thankfully, there was no any other casualty other than the suspected suicide bomber. Troops along with the Civilian JTF at the village are now combing the surrounding area to forestall further attacks and clear the environment of likely remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating.”

  • ‘Corruption insanity’ killing our economy, says Shettima

    ‘Corruption insanity’ killing our economy, says Shettima

    Bornu State governor, Kashim Shettima has attributed the poor state of the nation’s economy to large scale corruption.

    Shettima spoke of at the second day of the first National Forum on the Economy organised by Vintage Press Limited held in Lagos on Friday.

    He said President Muhammed Buhari is working hard to address the “corruption insanity”, adding that the Panama paper’s revelation is a tip of the iceberg.

    According to him, the economy of his state was brought down by Boko Haram with over  20000 men, women, kids killed.

    He said millions were displaced, along with destruction worth $6billion.

    “30 percent of the houses were destroyed in the state including schools, primary health centres, infrastructure, including  water supply  and electricity.

    He called for more investment in education, noting that it is vital because the few that are rich cannot be protected by the many that are poor.

  • Police arrest fleeing Boko haram member in Ogun

    The Ogun state Police Command have arrested 22 years old Umaru Muktar, a fleeing member of the Boko haram terrorist sect.

    Muktar who hails from Gonge in Maiduguri, Borno state, was arrested at Kara – Mowe area of Ogun state near Lagos last February 25 following a tip – off.

    Parading the suspect on Monday after at the Headquarters of the Federal Special Anti – Robbery Squad(FSARS) at Magbon – Abeokuta, Ogun state, the Commissioner of Police, AbdulMajid Ali, said the suspect had confessed to be being a member of Boko haram sect.

    Ali added that Police investigation had also revealed that Muktar fled Maiduguri two and half years ago into Ogun and was initiated into the muderous Boko haram organisation by one Mustapha.

    According to him,  exchange of intelligence between the Command and its counterparts in Borno state coupled with support of members of the Hausa community in Kara, Ogun state, helped in the identification and arrest of Muktar.

    Muktar who spoke through an interpreter said he knew few Boko haram members in Borno state before fleeing the state when the security agencies stepped – up man – hunt for the sect.

    He, however, declined to disclose if he had participated in any of the sect’s savage attacks on churches, mosques, markets or motor  – parks when reporters enquired from him.

  • NYSC to re-open orientation camps in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe – DG

    NYSC to re-open orientation camps in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe – DG

    The National Youth Service Corps will re-open orientation camps in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states before the end of 2016, the Director-General (DG), Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has said.

    Olawumi told newsmen on Thursday in Katsina that the decision followed the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency in the north eastern part of the country.

    ‘’Since the insurgency has been reduced drastically, we are resuming orientation in Gombe state beginning with this batch ‘A’ of 2016.

    ‘’Adamawa state will resume with the next batch, while Borno and Yobe orientation camps will be re-opened before the end of the year,’’ he said.

    Olawumi said that the states had some of the best facilities for orientation in the country, but had to be closed down due to insecurity.

    He advised corps members to discharge their duties at their places of primary assignment diligently.

    The DG called on state governments to ensure prompt payment of allowances to corps members to boost their morale for effective service delivery.

  • Borno’s black Saturday: 11 yrs after

    Let me from the start make it clear that I am writing this feature from a dual position. First as a writer and then as the Chairman of the Committee of the Affected Victims of the February 18, 2006 sectarian riot whose memories rather than abate are in the upward trend even after over a decade of the unfortunate incident. This is more so when the event is strongly perceived as the fore runner of the current Boko Haram insurgency now ravaging the North East of the country.  February 18,2016 marked the eleventh year of the Borno Black Saturday, the day the sanctity of man was defiled, veil of peace torn asunder and the Borno philosophy of “Home of Peace and Hospitality” shattered to “Home of Pieces and Hostility”.

    The day will not just go. The memories are always there. They are memories of sadness, memories of misgivings, memories of injustice, memories of man’s inhumanity to man and memories of promise made and promise broken.

    February 18, 2006 will not just go. It was the day Borno State of Nigeria re-enacted or replayed the “Sharpeville Massacre” of the notorious regime of apartheid South Africa. It was the day a very dark cloud of smoke accompanied by dead silence hung over the city of Maiduguri. It was the smoke of the burning of bodies of our innocent brothers, sisters, children, husbands, wives, churches, homes, stores, cars and other valuables. It was the day when in a twinkling of an eye Maiduguri recorded unprecedented numbers of orphans, widows, widowers and refugees in various parts of Maiduguri with no place to lay their heads and nothing to eat. The day was indeed a reminder of what Shakespeare called the “architecture of ruins”.

    It was a black Saturday indeed, especially for the Christian community of Maiduguri metropolis and the entire Christian community in Borno State and indeed for men of conscience. The black Saturday will not just go because the blood of the innocent souls that perished has constituted a nightmare to the authors, sponsors and mentors of this bloody carnival and the murderers who murdered the innocent sleep “will sleep no more.”

    The black Saturday refused to go and is raising more questions than answers, especially to erstwhile Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who was on ground and indeed a living witness to this dastardly act on the fateful day and pledged to compensate the innocent victims of this unprovoked attack but swallowed his words. He prevaricated with the lame excuse that he was waiting for federal government’s financial assistance until he left office.

    Talking of the dark clouds of silence that hung on Maiduguri on the black Saturday reminds one of the visit of Pope Benedict VI in May (2006) to Auschwitz. This place (Auschwitz) was a concentration camp in Poland during the Second World War where millions of Jews were gassed to death by the Nazis. In an emotion laden speech, Pope Benedict declared: “To speak in this place of horror, in this place where unprecedented mass crimes were committed against God and man is always impossible . . . in a place like this, words fail, in the end, there can only be a dead silence, a silence which is itself a heartfelt cry to God: why Lord did you remain silent? How could you tolerate all this? How many questions arise in this place! Constantly, the question comes up: where was God in those days? Why was He silent? How could He permit this endless slaughter, this triumph of evil”.

    February 18, 2006 means  different things to different people. To many outside Borno State, it was a normal day that started well and ended well. But to the people of Borno State, especially the inhabitants of Maiduguri, the state capital, it was a day of comedy to some. It was a day of tragedy to some; it was a day of triumph to some; it was a day of misfortunes to some; to some, it was day of defeat and to some, it was a day heaven came crumbling. To the victims of February 18, 2006 who were mostly Christians, it was a day of baptism by fire and a day the Satan was let loose, ran amok and wreak havoc.

    This day, a group of insignificant elements with deep rooted prejudices against the Christendom and acting on strict directives of their alleged devilish inspired sponsors or mentors unleashed on innocent souls an unprecedented holocaust. And before the shout of Jack Robinson, Maiduguri was neck deep in inferno, bloodletting, man’s inhumanity to man, terrorism, looting, arson and to say the least barbarism. It was a grand design conspiracy carefully thought, carefully planned, carefully mapped out, carefully directed and meticulously executed. The action was spontaneous and exact in all the areas affected.

    Apart from the incalculable damage to property and other valuables, the gruesome murder of innocent souls occurred in many residential compounds.

    There were conflicting figures on the number of causalities and extent of destruction. For example, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State Chapter, 56 churches were destroyed, while residences, shops/restaurants, hotels and offices, numbering about 100 were razed and about 100 souls perished.

    But, according to the chairman of the state government high powered committee of inquiry into the incident, Ambassador Ahmad Baba Jidda, the Secretary to the Borno State Government, “35 residences were destroyed, 52 churches were burnt down, 14 shops raised and vandalized, seven hotels were also raised and three offices, including a library was destroyed”.

    The committee also said:”21 persons were confirmed killed, 61 others sustained various injuries and were treated and discharged, 254 suspects were arrested during the mayhem, out of which 176 were released on bail and 76 have cases to answer”. According to Ambassador Jidda, 16 memoranda were received from individuals and organizations. The Jidda committee put the cost of the property destroyed at N1, 446,145,735.00.

     

    Delivering a paper at the EYN Church on February 18, 2007 at Wulari, Maiduguri, as the guest speaker at the one-year memorial service on February 18, 2006 sectarian riot, Reverend   Dr.   Mathew   Man-Oso   Ndagoso   regretted   the insensitivity of former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to the plight of the victims of the unfortunate incident. He noted that it was sad to note that after the governor had pledged several times to compensate the victims, he went back on his words. The reverend warned on the consequences of the repeat of February 18 episode.

    Today, after over a decade and in spite of passionate appeals from well- meaning Nigerians, including traditional rulers, clerics and statesmen, to the authority for compensation to the victims, the dark cloud of silence that hung over Maiduguri Black Saturday subsists and will not go as it awaits justice and fair play.

     

    • Victor Izekor, a public affairs commentator, writes from Maiduguri at victorizekor@gmail.com
  • Borno to resettle 50,000 IDPs in five councils

    Borno to resettle 50,000 IDPs in five councils

    Borno State government said yesterday that it would resettle 50,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their communities this month.

    Two hundred thousand IDPs from 23 of the 27 councils are staying in 22 camps in Maiduguri after the communities were attacked by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.

    The Executive Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Malam Satomi Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that “we are returning IDPs from communities in five local governments to their homes in liberated areas.

    “The communities are in Monguno, Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Mafa and Dikwa councils.”

    He said IDPs’ movement would begin next week.

    The SEMA boss noted that the exercise would involve 10,000 IDPs from Gwoza, 8,000 from Monguno, 9,000 from Mafa and 500 from Askira, among others.

    He added that the government considered relocating the IDPs from Damboa Local Government.

    “We are engaged in the formalities next week,” Ahmed said. He said the government ordered food items for the IDPs, so they could begin a new life.

    “Government is buying food items for the IDPs because there was no farming in the last few years. They need food to survive when they return home.

    “We plan to provide foodstuff to last them at least two months before they settle down to start economic activities.”

  • Borno: 7000 residents return after two years in exile

    About 7, 000 residents of Gomboru Ngala in Borno State have returned home after two years in exile, according to the Local Government Chairmnan, Hon. Abdulrahman Abdulkarim.
    Hon Abdulrahman Abdulkarim who disclosed this to journalists on Saturday in Maiduguri narrated that he was in Gomboru Ngala three days ago where he met with the over 7, 000 civilians to distribute relief materials to them and Fotokol town in Cameron.
    While describing the situation in the town as pathethic, the local government boss however commended the brotherliness of the people whom he said are now sharing houses because of the destruction.
    “Although almost all our homes are burnt but they agreed to share houses with their neighbors and they are ready to protect themselves from any attack, ”
    “We jointly provided relief materials to them with according to the size of the families. Each of the families was given a bag of rice, grain, oil and cooking condiments to start their life.
    ”We need paramilitary to secure our borders so that whoever wants to go in will be screened at the border. Our people are ready to support the security agencies. In fact the military are already on ground and are doing good job there.
    ” We have more 7000 people that have returned as at last Thursday. So more people are still coming. In fact they are eager to come back to come, ” Hon. Abdulrahman disclosed.
    Boko Haram insurgents invaded the border town of Gomboru Ngala between Nigerian and Cameron about two years ago, where hundreds of civilians were killed and over 50,000 residents were forced out of their homes either to Cameroon or Maiduguri and Adamawa state.
    It will be recalled that the Nigerian troops reclaimed Gomboru Ngala five months ago from the militants after the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Buratai led top generals and security outfit to raise the Nigerian flag at the border town.

  • Military kills 90 insurgents in Borno

    Military kills 90 insurgents in Borno

    The troops of the Operation Lafiaya Dole said they  intercepted three suspected suicide bombers attempting to enter Maiduguri the Borno state capital Friday along Maiduguri/Mafa checkpoint.

    The  Deputy Theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole Major General Lucky Irabor  told newsmen at the operation media centre in Maiduguri the troops at the checkpoint sight two female suicide bombers and a male suicide bomber trying to infiltrate Maiduguri along Maiduguri-Mafa road, where one of the female suicide bomber detonated her own killing herself and one other female bomber, while the male suicide bomber was gunned down by the troops of the Nigerian Army while trying to run into their midst.

    He also informed that  63 Boko Haram terrorists  were killed from Monday 18th January 2016 to  Friday 22nd 2016 at  various places within the theater of operation, adding that many AK47 riffles, ammunition, Anti Aircraft Gun, RPG, GMPG, explosives, vehicles, motorcycles among others were recovered from the operations.

    “Our troops conducted a fighting patrol at Afe, Kudiye, Souma, Dikwa Mijigeta, Mida villages of Borno state. During the operation our troops come in contact with Boko Haram terrorist at  Kudiye and Mijigete where 370 hostages were rescued and brought to IDP camp in Dikwa and 3 rifles and 41 motorcycles were destroyed,” he said.

    Maj. Gen. Irabor also stated that troops have cleared some Boko Haram hideouts in Wala, Tirkopytir and Durubajuwe in Gwoza local government area, where they recovered GMPG, locally made Dane gun and a grinding machine were recovered.

    He maintained that troops also came in contact with Boko Haram terrorist in Huyum in Askira/uba local government area, adding that  “the terrorists sighting troops abandoned their families behind which including  five women and 12 children and are currently undergoing interrogation.

    According to him, the Nigerian Air force provides closed air support and surveillance to the ground troops in all the encounters with the terrorists.

    He commended the efforts of the troops and renewed call for the troops and the public to be more vigilant and security conscious at all times, especially at checkpoints, worship centre, markets, motor parks and schools.

    He also called on the general public to continue to provide useful information to security agencies of any suspicious person within their environment so as to help ride the state and the region of all criminal elements.