The Nation Newspaper

Tag: borno

  • Boko Haram: Troops kill 50, lose two soldiers to reclaim Borno town Damboa

    Boko Haram: Troops kill 50, lose two soldiers to reclaim Borno town Damboa

    Troops moved swiftly at the weekend to regain Borno State town Dambowa from Boko Haram insurgents.

    In the process, troops killed 50 insurgents and lost two soldiers.

    The troops survived five ambushes to reclaim the town which had been held by the insurgents for about one month.

    The Special Forces and more troops have been deployed in Gwoza where more than 150 people had been killed by the insurgents, it was gathered.

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki has said that the government had blocked all the source of fund for Boko Baram, thereby making it difficult for the sect to get funding for its nefarious activities.

    The Defence Headquarters has also said neither soldiers nor their wives could reject deployment to Gwoza and the Sambisa Forest.

    The protest in Maiduguri on Saturday by wives of some soldiers was being regarded as “indiscipline.”

    According to a top military source, who gave insights into how Damboa was reclaimed, said: “The troops survived five deadly ambushes by the insurgents to recapture Damboa, Delwa, Mustafari, Manga, Wanga and secure all routes leading to these places.

    “We have completed the mop up operation in Damboa and environs. So far, the troops succeeded in killing 50 insurgents and lost two of their colleagues.

    “Many arms and ammunition were also recovered from the insurgents including vehicles and  anti – aircraft RPG.

    “We are doing our best to restore normal life and business activities to these areas. The target is to clear the areas completely of insurgents and ward off further threats.”

    On Gwoza where over 150 had been killed, the highly-placed source added: “Special Forces have been sent to the  Emirate, including surrounding hill tops.

    “We will dislodge the insurgents from the town within the next one week. “The reality is that the insurgents had been taking advantage of the terrain in Gwoza to abduct, maim and kill innocent ones. The battle of Gwoza is expected to cover a lot of air strikes.”

    There were indications yesterday that the Defence Headquarters has said that soldiers or their wives cannot reject posting to either Gwoza or Sambisa Forest.

    Another military source said: “The soldiers or their wives cannot turn down deployment to Gwoza or Sambisa Forest or anywhere there is a security challenge.

    “We are going to engage in massive deployment of troops to these places and other flashpoints in the country. Contrary to insinuations, our troops are well-kitted because we know that curtailing insurgency requires being sufficiently armed.

    “What the wives of some of the soldiers did in Maiduguri at the weekend was strange to military ethics and orientation. Right from the time of enlistment, it is made clear that no soldier can reject posting.

    “The so-called protest amounted to indiscipline in the Armed Forces., we will not condone such.

    “Maybe some of the wives of these soldiers need more orientation and enlightenment. We will not hesitate to guide them accordingly.

    The source added: “There is no Army General that has not paid his or her dues by serving in frontline zones or managing security challenges. All our Generals are tested.”

    The National Security Adviser(NSA) said the nation’s educational system will be overhauled in the light of the security challenges facing the country.

    He said the recent abduction of Chibok girls had compelled the government  to place the protection of schools high on national security agenda.

    Dasuki made the submissions in a paper at the Nigeria Security Summit at Harvard University, Cambridge, in the United States.

    He said: “When we started to deal with the Boko Haram threat, our laws were not so clear on a number of fundamentals. Through the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013, significant progress has been made.

    “It has allowed us to not only define terrorism, but block avenues of financing for their activities while putting in place structures to deal with our current threats. This has included the establishment of a Counter terrorism Centre and, working with key stakeholders, we have developed a National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST).

    Dasuki said the nation’s educational system will be overhauled to serve our current security and economic interests.

    He said: “Further to this, the threat that we face has drawn our attention to the need to overhaul our educational system. We are struggling with an educational system that does not currently serve our security, political and economic interests and as we revisit our national security policy, education has remained a top priority.

    While we grapple with education reform to ensure the right kind of education is available for all, the recent abduction of girls from their school in Chibok has compelled us to place the protection of schools high on our national security agenda.

    “Working with traditional institutions, community based organizations and the police, local governments must be proactive in building community resilience and good governance.

    “It is time we leverage on our democratic processes to increase access to decision making for a majority of our citizens. Inclusive, non-discriminatory and participatory governance is more likely to detect discontent before it erupts.

    “The goal of politics must be to lift our people out of poverty and provide them with the enabling environment to compete favorably.

    “This may not eliminate the possibility of misguided individuals or groups rising up against the nation, but will address some of the underlying factors leading to recruitment into groups prone to violent extremism.

    “We must also address environmental pressure from climate change that results in increased competition for limited natural resources, leading to increased herdsmen, farmer conflicts, inter-ethnic and communal clashes.

    “The youth bulge is both a challenge and an opportunity which the federal government has recognized and initiated programs to increase job opportunities.

    “Insurgents seek to force fundamental changes on society, operating with impunity; they violate all decent human values in an effort to draw a commensurate response from authorities.

    Terrorists win when states respond to their attacks in ways that are incompatible with their values.

    The NSA assured that Nigeria will abide by international practices in curtailing the prevalent insurgency.

    He said the Armed Forces had been undergoing a series of training on human rights.

  • Boko Haram takes over Yobe military camps

    Boko Haram takes over Yobe military camps

    Some military camps in Buni Yadi, Buni Gari and Goniri in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State have been allegedly occupied by Boko Haram insurgents, residents said.

    The bombing of the Katarko Bridge by the insurgents has also temporarily cut-off both vehicular and human movement  between Buni Yadi and Damaturu, the state capital.

    Investigation gathered by The Nation revelas that  daring travellers to the danger zone now have to break their journeys at Katarko and cross over River Katarko to join a waiting vehicle to Buni Yadi or Buni Gari and vice versa.

    Adamu Saleh(not real name) who rode on a bicycle to Damaturu told The Nation that Boko Haram insurgents now move freely in the area brandishing their guns and weapons.

    He also informed that the insurgents are now occupying locations that were previously manned by military in the areas.

    “I am just coming from Buni Yadi. I came with my bicycle all the way to this place. I did not use any bush path. I followed the main road.

    “We are facing a very terrible situation. There is no single security in our area. The same in Buni Gari and Goniri. In fact the boys (yaara in Hausa referring to Boko Haram) taken over the military camps in the areas.

    A top security source who craved anonymity said, “it is not a secret any longer that our forces are no longer in Buni Yadi, Buni Gari and Goniri. We only have our troops at Katarko.

    Katarko is 22km from Damaturu and 34km from Buni Yadi.

    Residents of Gujba and Gulani are calling on the Yobe State Government to as a matter of urgency reconstruct the  bridge blown off by the insurgents.

    Meanwhile, it was gathered that officials of the state Ministry of Works who were on a damage assessment of the bridge narrowly escaped death in the hands of the insurgents who opened fire on them.

     

  • Yobe, Borno celebrate Sallah amid tight security

    Yobe, Borno celebrate Sallah amid tight security

    Despite the apprehension of a possible attack by Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe states, the Ed-el-Fitri celebration was successfully held yesterday in both states.

    But there was a restriction of vehicles and commercial tricycles to the praying grounds to ensure that insurgents did not use them to perpetrate evils.

    Worshippers trekked to the praying grounds from far and near.

    In Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Governor Kashim Shettima was among thousands of worshippers who converged on the popular Ramat Square for the two raka’at prayers to mark the end of the Ramadan fast.

    The governor was accompanied by members of the State Executive Council (Exco) and other dignitaries.

    After the prayers, Shettima felicitated with the Muslim ummah for marking a hitch-free Sallah.

    But the governor regretted that insurgency had paralysed most activities in the state, leading to the restriction of movement during the festive period.

    He prayed for God’s intervention.

    Shettima sympathised with the internally displaced people (IDPs), noting that they had “become slaves in their country”.

    The governor hailed security agencies for working to end senseless killings in the land.

    He praised the residents for their loyalty, commitment, assistance to security agencies and constituted authority since the Boko Haram insurgency broke out.

    In Yobe State, Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu and top government functionaries prayed at the town’s mosque and Islamic centre.

    Chief Imam Hudu Mohammed led the prayers.

    The cleric urged Muslims to use the lessons of Ramadan to live peacefully with one another.

    He also advised them not to relent in prayers for peace to be restored in the state and the country.

    Mohammed urged Muslims to always show love and forgiveness, among other attributes, which would ensure peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of the world.

    Our reporter, who monitored the celebration in the two states, said there was heavy surveillance among security operatives to avoid any security breach.

  • Monarch, 15 others killed in Borno

    Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members yesterday invaded Garubula village, Biu local Government area of Borno State, killing the District Head, Alhaji Ibrahim Dawi, and 11 others.

    Two people suspected to be members of vigilante youth a.k.a as civilian JTF, were last night dragged from their houses to a river bank in Gamboru Ngala border town with Cameroon Republic and killed them.

    Two people suspected to be a motorist and a passenger, were ambushed and shot dead along Maiduguri – Gamboru Ngala road.The Maiduguri – Gamboru Ngala road came under attack on Tuesday by terrorists with the blowing of the the bridge linking the town with Cameroon Republic.

    Speaking with the BBC Hausa service programme monitored in Maidugurji, Senator Ahmed Zanna (Borno Central) confirmed the killing of the two members of the Civilian JTF.

  • Chibok girls… 100 days of sorrow, tears and deaths

    Chibok girls… 100 days of sorrow, tears and deaths

    Today marks 100 days since over 200 schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State. About 57 of them escaped and re-united with their families. Close to 200 are still with the insurgents. About a dozen parents of the girls have since died, writes YUSUF ALLI.

    When Boko Haram beat security agencies twice to their wits on April 14, the sect did not know that it will be plunging the nation to an unimaginable anguish. The dreaded insurgents had wanted to make a symbolic history with the abduction of 232 girls from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State to sound a warning to the military and the international community, especially the United States and the United Nations, that it had become entrenched. But to distract the attention of security agencies from the abduction venture in Chibok, the sect struck at dawn at El-Rufai Bus Stop in Nyanya (first Nyanya blast) killing over 71 people. Thereafter in the night, the belligerents sneaked into Chibok to seize 232 girls, who were about completing their final examinations.

    Their mode of operation, which was strange to the nation, initially created doubts on their abduction. Even when the BringBackOurGirls campaign was launched out of sheer patriotism on April 30(16 days after abduction) by concerned Nigerians,  including ex-Vice President of the World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili,  inborn fighter Hadiza Bala Usman, law-compliant Maryam Uwais and others of like minds, it was branded a gathering of crass opportunists. At a point the doubt assumed a dramatic dimension when the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan held a one-man court at the Presidential Villa leading to a welter of  sudden tears and the coinage of a cliché, “Chai, Chai, there is God oh! Still undone, the police hounded the campaigners until reprieve came from the court upholding their right to protest or hold a sit out, a fake group emerged and fizzled out within a twinkle of an eye.

    The global acceptance of the BringBackOurGirls campaign by quintessential leaders, such as  President Barack Obama, First Lady Michel Obama, the United Nations and other world leaders jolted the Presidency into action. The hash tags of “BringBackOurGirls” became an instant global costume which people voluntarily wear till date. The international colour put the Presidency under pressure forcing it to look for a safe option of a panel to ascertain if and how the girls were abducted.

    For a while, the Presidency lived under the illusion that there was no abduction until the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee, headed by the no-nonsense Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (rtd) cleared the air on June 20 that the sect really struck and seized 276 girls.

    Sabo said: “Mr. President, the Committee here wishes to lay to rest any residual doubt whether or not any student was abducted at Chibok. There was mass abduction on the night of 14th April, 2014.

    “During the siege on the school, 119 students escaped from the school premises, before the insurgents took away their classmates. A total number of 276 students were, thus, abducted.

    “As of today, 57 of the abducted students have been reunited with their families after escaping along the zig-zag transport route taken by the insurgents, or by bolting to safety when the insurgents laid-by for a rest. Sadly, 219 students remain unaccounted for.

    The findings of the panel have set the tone for a national solution to the Chibok girls palaver. Today the nation is searching for 219 girls.

    The controversy was finally laid to rest by the leader of Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau on May 5, when he released a demoralising video saying: “I abducted your girls.”God instructed me to sell them, they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.”

    Since the abduction of the girls, it emerged yesterday, about a dozen of their parents have died.

     

    What govt has done so far

     

    On Sunday, the Federal Government released a document on what it has done to rescue the girls. The document reads in part: “Nigeria has the will, the resources and the strategies to win this fight. It will take time, but we are committed to this course. It is worth noting that we have already achieved some important successes:

    •The Government has procured new equipment and technology towards strengthening the capability and support for the military and security forces, a recent delivery of such military equipment included highly sophisticated fighter helicopters with in-built night vision technology. We are developing an advantage in weapons and reconnaissance capabilities. So far, two (2) divisions of the Nigerian army are focused on the fight with troops on the ground.

    •The Government has captured some senior-level Boko Haram commanders who are used as spies and treasury officials. These arrests have yielded valuable intelligence and have unearthed armouries which have been retrieved.

    •In mid-July alone, Government forces apprehended three top-level Boko Haram targets:

    • Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, one of the alleged masterminds of the April 14 bombing of the Nyanya (Abuja) bus station that killed about 100 civilians, was arrested by Nigerian officials after securing his extradition from Sudan. Ogwuche is also accused of leading recruitment efforts for Boko Haram from his base in Sudan. Nigerian Intelligence officials have long been monitoring Nigerian extremists training with Islamist groups in both Somalia and Sudan, where al-Qaeda has a strong presence. Ogwuche is now in Nigerian custody and will face prosecution.

    •Boko Haram chief of intelligence was picked up and is now helping investigation.

    •Mohammed Zakari, a Boko Haram leader known as the “Chief Butcher” was captured during the Nigerian forces raid on Balmo Forest, during which they expelled Boko Haram insurgents from the area, effectively denying the terrorists a notorious haven and launch point for attacks.

    • The Federal Government is cooperating with and empowering local populations across Nigeria in the battle against Boko Haram. Recent examples of the security forces’ successes resulting from this Government-citizen collaboration include:

    •A recent Boko Haram threat against the Abuja transportation system was uncovered; the public was alerted and casualties were avoided.

    •Following a tip-off, Nigerian police uncovered and prevented a bomb attack near a school in the north eastern city of Gombe.

    •The Federal Government recognizes that soft power is crucial in the battle against Boko Haram; force alone will not defeat the insurgency. As a result, the Jonathan Administration is implementing a comprehensive programme of assistance to support, protect, and empower local communities, with a special focus on the most vulnerable areas of the country. Initiative includes:

    • The Safe Schools Initiative has been developed to safeguard our school children in states under emergency rule by strengthening the security of educational facilities. These measures include providing perimeter fences, housing for teachers, community policing and school guards, alarm systems, and communication equipment.

    • The Safe Schools Initiative is a collective effort. The Federal Government’s spending has been matched dollar for dollar by the private sector and now totals $20 million.  The Federal Government’s goal is to create a fund of $100 million to support this programme and we have already received pledges of support from the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other donors.

    •The Federal Government has launched a Presidential Committee on Victims Support tagged “Nigeria Terrorism Victims Support Foundation” which is  essentially targeting to raise $1 billion from a Public-Private Partnership in funding.  This Presidential Initiative will mobilize resources and administer appropriate support to victims of insurgency and Boko Haram terror activities across the country. The Committee is Chaired by highly respected retired General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, an accomplished business man, philanthropist and patriot who had supported similar public causes with resounding transparency and enormous goodwill in the past.

    •Similarly, over the long term, the Federal Government is developing a comprehensive economic empowerment plan for the region — the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE).

     

    After 100 days: What next?

     

    The question on the many lips of Nigerians is: Will the girls ever be found? The nation had been at the crossroads since April on how to rescue the girls from  Boko Haram Gulag. There had been issues revolving around the capability of the military to confront the sect and set the girls free. Contrary to insinuations, there had been reports indicating that the military has the wherewhittal to tackle Boko Haram. The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said: “We want our girls back, I can tell you our military can do it, but where they are held, do we go with force? Nobody should say Nigerian military does not know what it is doing. We can’t kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back. So we are working. The President has empowered us to do the work and no one should castigate the military. The good news for parents of the girls is that we know where they are but we cannot tell you. We cannot come and tell you the military’s

    secret. Just leave us alone to do our work. We are working to get the girls back. The fight against insurgency is quite different from a full scale war. If we are fighting an external war, Boko Haram would have been begging us to withdraw. Nigerian military had proved its worth in the civil war, Liberia and Sierra-Leone wars and in the process returned democracy to those countries”.

    In spite of the assurance of Badeh, the situation got to  a point that offers came from the US, Britain, France, Sri-Lanka and others. But these international forces have also realized that the terrain is actually difficult. But the international community is not giving up. The French President hosted a meeting of Presidents of Chad, Cameroon, Niger Republic and Benin Republic in Paris in order to create a strong regional cooperation against terrorism.  This is already yielding results with Cameroon coming hard on Boko Haram which had always used its territory as a base.

     

    Why military is yet to

    invade Sambisa Forest

     

    For tactical reasons and to minimise collateral damage, the military has restricted the battle to free the girls to Frontline Areas comprising mostly of the precincts of Sambisa Forest. The battle of Sambisa edges had yielded some dividends like arrest of Boko Haram contacts/ links, discovery of transit routes of the sect, and attacks which have left more than 500 members of the sect dead. Speaking with State House correspondents, shortly after a National Security Council (NSC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Director of State Security (SSS), Ita Ekpeyong said:  “The issue of Chibok girls, government is making efforts.

    “We know where they are but we don’t want to endanger their lives, that is the truth, we want to take it ?gradually and release them at the appropriate time. We know where they are, you can go to bed with that.”

    But Nigerians are unconvinced; they want the military to take the fight to Sambisa Forest. Leading the pack is a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, who shocked President Goodluck Jonathan, in a post-inauguration address as the Chairman of the Victims Support Fund. He told the President and the audience at the Presidential Villa that “Mr. President, we won’t go to Sambisa Forest. As the Commander-in-Chief, you should take the lead and we will follow.” The message was succinct but frank as a wake up call that the President should do more to curtail Boko Haram.

     

    Options available to

    the Presidency

     

    There are three options available to the presidency to rescue the girls. These are outright launching of full-scale war against Boko Haram by taking the battle to Sambisa Forest; swapping of detained Boko Haram members for the abducted girls and amicable settlement involving payment of ransom. The international community and military hierarchy are opposed to payment of ransom and Nigerians are also sharply divided on which path to tread. A source in the presidency said: “The government has continuously restated its position and willingness to dialogue with the sect.  To demonstrate this fact, it set up the Turaki Committee, which went round the country especially the North East with a view to eliciting a discussion with members of the sect.  It would however not subject the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls to prisoner swap.

    “Although it has remained committed to dialogue, it will explore only the best options possible and available to it with a view to achieving the release of the girls and stopping insurgency in its track.

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Waziri Tambuwal, however last week said: “If negotiation is what would bring back for example Chibok girls, for goodness sake, let us negotiate with them.”

     

    Will the girls be rescued before the next 100 days?

     

    Will the girls ever be rescued? No one has the answer other than the Commander-In-Chief whom Nigerians will now hold accountable. At a meeting with 51 of the abducted girls and some parents at the Presidential Villa yesterday,   President Goodluck Jonathan offered the nation a ray of hope.

    He said: “Anyone who gives you the impression that we are aloof and that we are not doing what we are supposed to do to get the girls out is not being truthful.

    “Our commitment is not just to get the girls out; it is also to rout Boko Haram completely from Nigeria. But we are very, very mindful of the safety of the girls. We want to return them all alive to their parents. If they are killed in any rescue effort, then we have achieved nothing.

    “Our duty now is to take all relevant steps to recover our girls alive and our primary interest is getting them out as safely as possible. I will not want to say much, but we are doing everything humanly possible to get the girls out.

    “This not the time for talking much. This is the time for action. We will get to the time that we will tell stories. We will get to the time that we will celebrate and I assure you that, by God’s grace, that time will come soon.”

    This is a bond the President has entered into. Will he walk the talk? Nigerians leave Jonathan to history.

     

  • Scores  killed in fresh Boko Haram attack on Borno community

    Scores  killed in fresh Boko Haram attack on Borno community

    Maiduguri— Boko Haram gunmen returned to Damboa, Borno State, before dawn yesterday, killing scores of residents and setting    homes ablaze in a  fresh assault on the town.

    They threw  explosives into residential homes and shot dead civilians who tried to surrender.

    Residents  said yesterday  they were ‘piling up corpses.’

    Half the town ,about 85 kilometers from the state capital, Maiduguri,was   up in flames, according to spokesman for the  Nigerian Vigilante Group otherwise called Civilian JTF, Abbas Gava.

    The town’s  main market, the home of the local government chairman and the area’s top cleric were similarly  set ablaze.

    Well-armed  terrorists  extremists attacked as residents as they were  preparing for the  Fajr  dawn prayers and the civilian defence fighters could only resist with clubs and homemade shotguns, he said.

    “They killed many people. Women and children fled into the bush,” said an official with the Damboa  Local Government, who requested anonymity.

    “Those who could not flee surrendered and were killed by the insurgents,” he added.

    ”Most houses in the town have been burnt. Only a few still remain,” said resident Ahmed Buba. “The destruction is massive… This is the worst attack by Boko Haram on Damboa.”

    “We were defenceless because all the security personnel, including soldiers and policemen, have withdrawn,” Buba told AFP.

    He could not say how many people were killed.

    ”We have to go through the rubble to see how many people died.”

    Those who escaped  from  the overnight raid fled to the state capital Maiduguri and sought shelter in the palace of the area’s top cleric, Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, also known as the Shehu of Borno.

    The survivors “lodged a complaint with the Shehu because there are no security forces in Damboa,” the official said.

    Damboa has been besieged for two weeks, since the  July 4 attack by  Boko Haram terrorists on the  new tank battalion base set up on  outskirts of the town.

    The Defence Headquarters said that attack was  repelled  with 50 insurgents killed.

    Six soldiers including a colonel also died in the July 4 attack.

    But locals said the soldiers were driven from the base and that terrorists twice have ambushed military convoys trying to reach it in the past week.

    The militants had cut off access to the town from the south on Monday when they blew up a bridge further south. Damboa is on the main road south from Maiduguri.

  • 27 killed in Boko Haram attack

    No fewer than 27 people were killed when some suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Sabon Gari village in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    Sources said the attack took place at 6pm on Tuesday. Seven others also died in an attempt to bury their dead yesterday morning when the terrorists regrouped and opened fire on residents at the Sabon Gari cemetery.

    Fleeing residents said many people were injured during the attack.

    A relative of one of the deceased, Mallam Iliyasu Ibrahim, said his cousin was among those killed on Tuesday.

    Ibrahim said two of his sisters were missing.

    Police spokesman Gideon Jubrin could not be reached but a top security source said:” More than 20 people were killed on Tuesday and Wednesday twin attacks on Sabon Gari village by suspected terrorists.”

     

  • Police arrest Boko Haram ‘chief butcher’

    The police authorities Tuesday said they arrested a Boko Haram “chief butcher”, Mohammed Zakari along Darazo-Baasrika road in Bauchi State.

    A statement by the Force spokesman, Frank Mba said the 30-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday while fleeing security bombardment at the Balmo forest in Bauchi.

    “The suspect, who hails from Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government Area, Bauchi State is the self-styled “chief butcher” of the insurgent group at the Balmo Forest Camp and is linked with the recent slaughter of seven (7) people, including women and children.

    “The suspect, who investigation reveals, was tutored in the art of insurgency at Gombe Forest under the leadership of a fleeing insurgent, one Abba Taura and moved to Balmo Forest only three months ago, is discovered to have actively participated in the April attack against Customs officers at Kari Town, along Maiduguri Road, Bauchi State.

    “Findings as well as disclosures from the suspect will assist the law enforcement agencies in tracking down some other members of the terror cell”, the statement added.

    The police have called on residents in the affected areas in the state to be on the look out for any suspicious or strange character fleeing from Balmo Forest.

    The Force also called for the understanding and support of members of the public in the counter terrorism campaign embarked upon by the security agencies.

  • ‘Jonathan actively engaged in efforts to rescue Chibok girls’

    ‘Jonathan actively engaged in efforts to rescue Chibok girls’

    President Goodluck Jonathan will not put the lives of schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno, at risk by publicly revealing details of efforts to rescue them to satisfy his critics.

    Presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, who made the remark in Abuja yesterday, added that Nigeria was aggressively confronting the threat of the terrorist group.

    In a letter to Washington Post, Abati described an opinion article published by the newspaper on July 3 on the issue as incorrect.

    The presidential spokesman said Jonathan had been actively engaged in efforts to rescue the more than 200 girls abducted in April by Boko Haram.

    He debunked the claim that “Jonathan has a do-nothing” attitude toward rescuing the girls.

    “This is not different from what was written about President Obama’s decision not to disclose his efforts to seize and arrest the alleged ringleader of the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.’’

    Four Americans were killed in the Benghazi attack.

    Abati added that the president was engaged in international intelligence-sharing involving West Africa, Europe and the United States, and he had also launched Counter Terrorism Centre in Nigeria.

    “He has been working intensely on the very challenging situation posed by Boko Haram since assuming office, including declaring a state of emergency in May 2013 in the three most affected northern states.’’

  • Replicate Ekiti template in Borno

    Nigerians may have misgivings about President Jonathan’s strategy for fighting Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of terrorism in our land, but not even the most virulent critics of his administration will fail to acknowledge his success in his war against electoral violence and other electoral malpractices in Nigeria. He has been very consistent in this endeavour and his commitment has paid off. This is why I think in spite of the gloom that has enveloped our nation, following the continued incarceration of about 200 girls by Boko Haram insurgents, their  mindless violence  and  the atrocities perpetrated  by those described as Fulani  herdsmen against innocent Nigerians, we can still spare a moment to join the president, his vice and other PDP heavy weights who have been clinking glasses in Abuja to celebrate  this great feat. I think we should not allow the election of Ayo Fayose, one time impeached governor of Ekiti who still have criminal cases to answer in court, to diminish the president’s achievement. I think we owe our nation a duty to  let the president know that those of us who share his passion for free and fair elections are more than those against him.

    It is however ironic  that the  president’s victory has been achieved through the efforts of our security forces  who in spite of their great sacrifices have come under intense criticism for their  prosecution of the Boko Haram insurgency.  But their celebrated success in Ekiti which followed earlier ones in Ondo and Edo, has clearly shown that with sufficient motivation, our security forces can also deliver on their primary mandate which is security of lives and property of Nigerians.  Success, they say, have many fathers. Even the Inspector General of Police (IGP) whose voice has been subdued for some time by Boko Haram insurgents, who freely kill his ill-equipped men and routinely sack their police stations without resistance, is now celebrating. As if the police have suddenly become INEC, he now says the police was in Ekiti “to showcase that it is possible for Nigerian security agencies to conduct a peaceful, free, fair and credible election”.

    The Ekiti success was the result of meticulous planning by the presidency, the Minister of State for Defence, Musliu Obanikoro, and the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, the 35,000-strong security team which according to The Punch report was made up of “officers of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps,” was properly kitted and well motivated. Giving credence to this was no other officer than the Ekiti Police Commissioner, Felix Uyana  who confirmed that besides “200 counter-terrorist officers, two DIGs, AIGs, sniffer dogs, horses and two aircrafts, that were  hovering to monitor, there were no fewer than 12,000 police men”. The welfare of the team was also a priority of those who put them together. Punch also confirmed this when it told us that “the security men had occupied most of the hotels in the state a few days to the election.” Except those drafted for election, police hardly have enough to transport themselves to follow up investigations.

    Besides motivation, the strategy was unassailable. First, the 35,000 security team shut down the state for three days. Apparently taking a cue from Senator Arise’s boast on Channel Television programme a few days to the election  about his party’s readiness to  match APC ‘rice for rice and money for money’, the special team supervised distribution of PDP rice, Okada and other items as well as APC’s last minute distribution of its own rice.

    Precisely because of the value the president attached to the Ekiti battle, the highly motivated security team was more than enthusiastic in executing their well scripted brief. They harassed and threatened Governor Fayemi. They disallowed Oshiomhole’s helicopter from taking off from Benin. Amaechi’s chartered aircraft managed to land in Akure but he was stopped on his way to Ekiti by gun-wielding security men who advised him to go back and face his own demons in Port Harcourt.

    And to ensure the president’s brief was carried out to the letter, his PDP point man for the election Chris Uba, the Minister for Police Affairs,  Adesiyan and his counterpart in defence, Musliu Obanikoro were on ground to supervise their men who went around with their sniffer dogs arresting APC members who, as Showumi, a PDP mobiliser from Ogun State alleged on a channel Television program, ‘carried millions in their pockets’ to induce voters.  The Ekiti experiment was such a success that the IG has now said its template will be adopted for the Osun governorship election in August.

    This is where I disagree with the IG. I think instead of rendering the 35,000-strong winning team idle until August, it can be put into a more productive use now. The Ekiti template can be replicated in Borno State today. We must not forget our abducted Chibok girls have been in captivity for almost 80 days. Neither the government nor the Americans we had hoped would help have an idea of where the girls are or their travails that some experts say may lead to loss of memory or permanent anger against themselves and the society that has let them down.

    Besides we all share a collective sense of guilt, of pains, and shame, for letting our children and their grieving parents down for so long. We also know the president is no less troubled. If we needed any evidence, the president provided that when last Friday in an Op Ed article in Washington Post told the American audience and their lawmakers that his “government and our security and intelligence services have spared no resources, have not stopped and will not stop until the girls are returned home and the thugs who took them are brought to justice.”

    I think the president who added that he was however “deeply concerned that his silence as he works to accomplish the task at hand is being misunderstood by partisan critics” now has a joker in the 35,000-strong winning team to shame his virulent critics who never see anything good in his administration.. Having made the president and the nation proud, Adesiyan and Obanikoro, who are yet to visit any part of the north-east in their capacities as ministers of defence and police affairs will wipe away our tears if they are directed to lead their 35,000-strong security team to Chibok without delay. They will put an end to weekly harvest of deaths in Chibok local government which has experienced no peace since April 14.

    Only last Sunday, Kautikari, Kwada and Nguragila villages near Chibok were sacked while scores of security men as well worshippers who were locked up in their churches before being sprayed with bullets, lost their lives.

    At a press briefing on Monday, the irrepressible Doyin Okupe, was a subdued man. Unable to look up, he kept on talking to himself: “we don’t know what they want…these people killing innocent people…” Two days ago, Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information revealed that one Babuji Ya’ari a member of Youth Vigilante Group also known as civilian JTF has been arrested for being the coordinator of deadly attacks in Maiduguri since 2011 along with a woman. Hafsat Bako another member   who was said to have admitted they paid N10, 000 to their members.

    I am sure Okupe as a successful PDP stalwart may not comprehend why educated men mortgage their future or a Borno woman risk her life for tN10, 000. But his brief is brief. Prevail on his principal who understands the politics of stomach infrastructure. With N18b (the figure credited to PDP strong man in the west), in two months pacification of Borno will be completed. It took less than that in Ekiti where teacher as stomach warriors got only N10, 000.