The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ceasefire

  • Ceasefire: No dialogue with Delta govt – Avengers

    Ceasefire: No dialogue with Delta govt – Avengers

    •Says insurgency would be protracted

    The militant group, New Delta Avengers, says it is not negotiating with the Delta State government directly or through groups purporting to represent it.

    Spokesperson for the group, Cpl Olleum Bellum, told The Nation that its High Command’s decision to call off Friday’s resumption of hostilities was borne out of respect for Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, and not because of a peace deal with the government

    The group said it is prepared for a protracted fight, if necessary, saying: “We are ready for as long as it takes; we have materials, equipment and men. We will dig in until the issues we raised are addressed.”

    Bellum said that only proper funding of a development agency, DESOPADEC, and meaningful projects in the oil producing areas would bring peace with the present administration in the state.

    “Our demands are unambiguous. What we ask is the same level of development (in the oil producing communities) as we are now seeing in the north. Did Governor Okowa come to execute a sectional agenda?

    “Now, to your question on whether the ceasefire is permanent, there is nothing in life that is permanent.  The ceasefire is not; only our issues are.”

    The militant group’s spokespersons reiterated the group’s position that the oil-bearing areas are being underdeveloped in favour of the governor’s section of the state.

    Asked on report that it was not disarming despite the ceasefire, he said, “Ultimately, our plan is to ensure that all oil royalties must go directly to producing communities.

    “This idea of the baboon working and monkeys in Asaba and everywhere chopping must stop. Do we expect this to happen overnight? No, we don’t that is why we are poised for a long and lengthy fight to achieve this.

    “We are aware that some persons are pacing left and right and claiming that they are representing the New Delta Avengers. They are doing this to extort money and patronages for themselves.

    “We were very clear in our open letter to Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, that our respect for him made us (to) change our mind on the planned attacks.

    “Now what we expect is for those who have called for peace to follow up our offer of peace and do the right thing. We do not trust the state government to do the right thing, but we cannot disobey our fathers.”

    Chief  Clark, who chairs the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, a negotiating team between the Niger Delta and federal government, had appealed to the New Avengers to shelve plan to commence its ‘Operation Cripple Delta Oil’, which would have commenced on Friday, June 30.

     

  • Oyegun calls for ceasefire as Saraki demands respect

    Oyegun calls for ceasefire as Saraki demands respect

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has called for ceasefire, in what he described as “the kind of abuse being used on one institution of government or the other, even among principal parties of these institutions”.
    Oyegun made the appeal yesterday after a closed door meeting between the leadership of the party and its Senate caucus.
    But Senate President Bukola Saraki demanded respect for the Senate and its leadership, saying some people should not ridicule the Senate just to further their selfish interests.
    Speaking with reporters shortly after the meeting, Odigie-Oyegun commended the legislature for what he described as the “degree of cooperation” it has been extending to the executive.
    Admitting “seeming differences under the surface”, the party chair urged the various arms of government to maintain some level of respect and civility for one another.
    “Once that is done, I can assure you and assure the nation that in the next couple of weeks, we will have a new level of amity, cohesion, cooperation and mutual respect between the different arms of government and the party; the executive, the National Assembly and the party.
    “We have assurance that the budget is going on and is going on very well. I might as well say it and I should have said it when we were inside; that the report I get, or the briefing I get from the minister of Budget is that the National Assembly has been very, very cooperative in the interactions between his ministry and also between the different ministries.
    “One appeal I have to make that it is necessary for all levels of government to maintain some level of respect and civility one to the other.
    “And my appeal is as we start now the process of reconstructing relationships and consultations, there should be what I will call a ceasefire in terms of the kind of abuse that is used all round on one institution of government or the other, even principal parties of these institutions,” Oyegun said.
    Saraki said the Senate was more concerned with fundamental issues that are more important to the people.
    According to him, the Senate would be focused on major issues and would not be distracted in its mission of providing time tested pieces of legislation for the people.
    He, however, harped on the need to respect democratic institutions, adding that people should not ridicule these institutions for selfish interests.
    Said he: “As I said yesterday, some of these issues that we have, I don’t believe they are more fundamental and important to our people than the issue of budget.
    “Despite all the noise you heard last week, we still passed an amendment to the INEC law that had been there for over six or seven years.
    “By this time next week, our committee on Petroleum will lay the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has never been done. We are focused on the major issues and we are not going to be distracted with that. And we are still going to do our work.
    “It’s unfortunate but the most important thing is that a lot of stakeholders must respect these institutions. These institutions are there now and they are going to be there after and we should not allow our selfish interest to enable us to try and ridicule the institutions. The institution is what we have and we must ensure that we respect that.”
    Saraki thanked the party chairman and his team for meeting with the senators, saying “it’s a good development because we are all part of one umbrella as a party”.
    He maintained that whether there are issues or not, regular consultations between the legislative arm of government and the party is important.
    Asked to comment on the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume for six months by the Senate, Saraki dismissed the question as “a distraction”.
    “Your question again is distracting from the issues. You have 108 senators here. And you have the National Chairman. Let us focus on national issues,” Saraki retorted.
    The Senate had on Wednesday, last week, suspended Ndume for urging it to investigate allegations of importation of a N298 million bullet proof Range Rover with fake Customs documents. The vehicle has since been seized by the Customs Service.
    Ndume had also drawn the attention of the Senate to the allegation of certificate forgery against Senator Dino Malaye (Kogi West), as reported by an online publication, Saharareporters.
    The senator representing Borno South was suspended for six months, ostensibly based on a report by the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
    His colleagues accused him of unnecessarily distracting the attention of the Senate on allegations based on “rumours” and for failing to investigate the allegations before raising them on the floor of the Senate.

  • Niger Delta violence: INC urges ceasefire

    THE Ijaw National Congress (INC) is pleading for ceasefire in the Niger Delta in the wake of renewed attacks on oil installations by militants.

    The socio-cultural organization urged the military and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which has claimed responsibility for the attacks to suspend all hostilities for now to create room for dialogue.

    The INC in a statement yesterday in Warri, Delta State, said only dialogue could resolve the issues that gave rise to the current tension.

    It condemned the use of violence by the Avengers and the government in settling scores.

    It asked aggrieved youths and the military to “embrace peace and stop using Nigerian economy (oil and gas) as a theatre of war.”

    “We were e xpecting more meaningful consultations between the federal government and the Ijaw for the immediate resolution of the current crises unfortunately, we were greeted with a full military action which has led to un-intended consequences. Ijaw people are in the forest and the wounded unattended to, the situation is getting worse.”

     

  • MASSOB, IPOB announce ceasefire, chides Uwazuruike

    MASSOB, IPOB announce ceasefire, chides Uwazuruike

    •IPOB women give seven-day ultimatum for Kanu’s release 

    MOVEMENT for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have announced a temporary halt to their protests for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

    This is contained in a statement by Secretary of the Uchenna Madu-led MASSOB Ugwuoke Ibem Ugwuoke and IPOB’s spokesman Emma Powerful Ihejionueme.

    It reads: “A joint resolution of MASSOB/IPOB on the demonstration against the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is to halt the protest to pave the way for dialogue on Nnamdi Kanu’s release.

    “Our withdrawal from the major cities of Biafra land is not out of cowardice but to prove maturity and professionalism as decent self-determination groups. We give the Federal Government an ultimatum to prove its seriousness and sincerity on the dialogue.

    “We shall continue with our non-violent protest on Biafra. MASSOB and IPOB will never relent in the agitation for the actualisation of Biafra.

    “We condemn the stupidity and statement of Ralph Uwazuruike that IPOB and MASSOB introduced violence to the Biafra struggle. Uwazuruike is a drowning man, who is living in yesterday’s shadow; he has lost grip on Biafra issues because of his deviation, compromise and romance with the Federal Government and this has affected his personality and diminished his name. It has also unsteadied the group.

    “We warn Uwazuruike and his confused group to stop dragging MASSOB and IPOB into their shameless dance of visionless, missionless blind existence”.

    The women wing of IPOB has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to release Kanu.

    The women, who wore Biafra emblems and tops, engraved with Kanu’s portrait, vowed to take a more drastic action, if Kanu was not released.

    They warned that Nigeria was sliding towards a dangerous part with the detention of Kanu, as they protested around the Ariaria International market junction on the Enugu-Port Harcourt road in Aba.

    “IPOB women are giving a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu. It is either they release him or face our wrath. In Igboland, when women protest, it means the matter is serious. We decided to hold this protest to appeal to the Federal Government to release him.

    “We can’t understand why the government is still detaining Kanu since he has been granted bail. IPOB sees this as part of the plot in the neglect of Ndigbo. This is another proof that Ndigbo are not wanted in Nigeria, if a freedom fighter like Kanu can be detained indefinitely.”

    The protest caused a gridlock on the road.

  • Why govt fell for ‘ceasefire’, by official

    Why govt fell for ‘ceasefire’, by official

    It was widely celebrated by excited government officials as the magic pill that will end the Boko Haram insurgency and bring back the over 200 abducted girls.

    But the “ceasefire” between the Federal Government and the deadly sect has turned out a huge scam.

    The girls are not back and Boko Haram continues its killing spree.

    A government official yesterday gave an insight into how the government “fell” for the “phantom ceasfire”.

    The Federal Government accepted the ‘ceasefire’ because of the involvement of Chadian President, Idris Derby with the tacit support of the United States and France, the official told The Nation yesterday.

    President Goodluck Jonathan and top security chiefs will today brief the Council of State on the new approach to confront the insurgents.

    Now the government has realised that it was “hasty” in announcing the ceasefire negotiations.

    According to the source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the media, the President last Tuesday agreed with National Security Council members that the insurgents holding the Northeast to ransom be confronted headlong.

    The source said the President will brief the Council of State today – in line with the Third Schedule Part 1, Section 6(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

    The Section says: “The Council of State shall have power to advise the President whenever requested to do so on the maintenance of public order within the Federation or any part thereof and on such matters as the President may direct.”

    The source said: “At the security council meeting last Tuesday, the President said the military should resume the offensive to clear the insurgents from all the towns and villages they had been attacking.

    “We do not have the luxury of time; we have reached a point that we have to resume the offensive. We may have to use force to mow down everything. We do not have the luxury of time.

    “I know we can win the battle against the insurgents. We will reach a point where we have to draw the line because we are not supported by anybody.

    “So far, I can confidently tell you that up to Madagali in Adamawa State was cleared as at weekend.”

    Pressed to clarify, the source said: “This directive will not amount to a violation of ceasefire because those we are negotiating have even described those killing our people in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe as ‘criminal elements.’

    The source also gave on insight into how the Federal Government got entangled in the “bogus ceasefire” which the leader of Jama’atul Ahlul Sunnah Lida’awati Wal Jahad, Imam Abubakar Shekau disowned on Friday in a video.

    The source said: “You know the government said it would explore all venues (including negotiation) to bring the insurgency to an end and ensure the return of the abducted Chibok school girls.

    “The genesis of the negotiation in Chad was that Boko Haram wrote two letters to Chadian President Idris Derby for ceasefire negotiation. On the basis of the offer, President Goodluck Jonathan went to Chad. That was the only reason he went.

    “We were interested in the peace offer; we could not second guess whether it would work or not because this is the first time a foreign Head of State will be involved in such.

    “We did not subject the ceasefire offer to scrutiny because of the involvement of President Derby. The Chadian President spoke with the Nigerian Government, he also spoke with the United States which also sought some clarifications from its Embassy in Nigeria.

    “If the ceasefire negotiation process was not credible, the Americans would have told us that it was not so.

    “You will recall that at a point, President Barack Obama asked both sides to respect the ceasefire. What was on everybody’s mind was to secure the release of the Chibok girls.”

    The source added: “The mistake we made was to announce the ceasefire before we completed the process. But with a foreign President and other nations involved, it was difficult to fault it. If we had rejected the ceasefire offer from Chad, the same powers will say we were not interested in the release of the Chibok girls.

    “The ceasefire appears bogus but we are not losing hope. There are issues around Ahmadu Danladi coordinating the ceasefire in Chad.

    “First, there was no communication intercept between him and the sect leaders. Secondly, he referred to them as Boko Haram instead of Jama’atul Ahlul Sunnah Lida’awati Wal Jahad; and thirdly he called Shekau by name instead of referring to him as Imam. He probably did not have any serious link with the sect.”

    Asked of the status of the ceasefire, the source simply said: “Supposedly ongoing with Chadian officials.”

    The source, however, said it was not the first time some volunteers would approach the government on how to address the insurgency and secure the release of the Chibok girls.

    The source added: “Just last week, a governor brought somebody who can help free the girls. They said we should go and meet somewhere for the sect to bring the Chibok girls.

    “The offers come differently but this is the first one that involved a foreign Head of State.”

  • APC urges probe of Fed Govt, Boko Haram ceasefire deal

    APC urges probe of Fed Govt, Boko Haram ceasefire deal

    All Progressives Congress (APC) has canvassed the need for an independent probe of the circumstances surrounding the alleged “fake ceasefire deal” announced by the Federal Government on October 17.

    The party’s call came after the sect’s leadership’s labelled the man with whom the deal was negotiated as an impostor.

    APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Lagos yesterday, said Nigerians would like to know how the President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration “got swindled by an impostor, who the major players were and what the government plans to do to address what has now become a monumental national and international embarrassment.”

    The party said the president owed the citizens an explanation on “an unprecedented global faux pas”, adding that “engaging in cheap damage control by insisting on the genuineness of the deal will only amount to taking Nigerians for a ride’’.

    APC said the saddest part of the deal was that it gave false hopes to the parents of the 218 school girls, who remain in Boko Haram’s captivity, that their children’s release was imminent, especially as the government even announced a specific date for the release of the girls.

    The party added: ‘’Now, the parents and indeed all Nigerians have been victimised for the umpteenth time by the same government that has failed in its main reason for existence – the security and welfare of the citizenry.’’

    It also recalled its earlier warning to the administration not to use the girls as pawns on its political chess board.

    The APC wondered “whether the government sought to buy time and gain political mileage by knowingly negotiating with a man, who has no authority to do so on behalf of the Boko Haram, as claimed by the sect’s leadership, in which case the government will be guilty of political fraud”.

    It also queried whether the government was not competent enough to know who to negotiate with, saying the development reinforced  “the perception” of the government “as being blatantly incompetent”.

    The statement also reads: ‘’The ceasefire deal with Boko Haram was announced at the highest level of the military and supported by the political authority on October 17. Now that it has been described as a fluke, there is every indication that the Jonathan Administration was swindled by someone masquerading as a Boko Haram negotiator, while the administration itself went ahead to fool Nigerians as well as the international community. Whatever happens, the sole responsibility falls on the administration.

    ‘’Following the gleeful announcement of the deal and despite the doubts surrounding it, our party deliberately refrained from commenting on it and even wished it was real so that our long-suffering people can get some respite from the devilish terror group that has dispatched thousands into their early graves, maimed even many more and ruined the economic and social life of a large chunk of the society.

    ‘’When Boko Haram continued to carry out deadly attacks and annex territories, despite the so-called ceasefire, we waited for the government to tell Nigerians what was happening, but there was no convincing explanation. When the date announced for the release of the girls passed, we waited for the government to tell Nigerians what the problem was, but all we got from the easily excitable and trifling presidential spokesmen was platitude

    ‘’Now that the deal is said to be a fluke and everything points to that, the Jonathan administration must be contrite enough to own up to its gaffe, if indeed it is one, or its contrived deceit, and also face the possible consequences from a stupefied citizenry. It cannot and must not just be another forgotten instance in a series of gaffes by a serial bumbling government’’.

  • Beyond the ceasefire deal with Boko Haram

    The world would have received the news of the truce signed between the federal government and the Boko Haram insurgents with cautious elation.  This certainly would bring a new lease of life especially to residents of the North-east, the area hardest hit by the activities of the blood thirsty sect.   The group had dislocated the normal life of the entire north-eastern Nigeria turning it into a killing field for the past five years.  The mindless butchery by the group gave it global headlines and made some western countries to call for the designation of the group as a terrorist organization.   However, the federal government in its wisdom resisted such branding at the time giving as reason that it would make every Nigerian be labelled and singled out for unnecessary security checks outside the country.  Now the spectre of the group has grown beyond what the government could blunt or degrade as they have already claimed territories and hoisted their jihadist flags collecting revenues from the locals.

    The Boko Haram has been portrayed to be better armed and equipped over and above the scale of equipment holding of the Nigerian Armed Forces. We have found this a justification for the failure and inability of the armed forces to contain the miscreants who fought with greater conviction and commitment.   How they acquired their weapons and brought them into the country with the ubiquitous security networks across the nooks and crannies of the country beats one’s imagination.  Footages of the arsenal and weaponry of the group showed heavy armaments that could not have come in concealed sacks that could pass unnoticed by the security agents and intelligence community.   We should therefore be asking fundamental questions about the competence of the security and intelligence community in gathering critical intelligence for the safety and security of the country.

    There has been some scepticism about the ceasefire and truce knowing that the sect has acquired a notoriety of a trans-border terrorist group.  Their support and revenue bases are traceable to both internal and external sources possibly from disgruntled politicians and Al Qaeda in the Maghreb.   This therefore means that any serious negotiation can only be carried out if we tear the façade and unveil those behind the sect with the aim of knowing and settling whatever be their grievances; otherwise, the whole thing would be exercise in futility.

    The manner of government negotiation and acceptance of the ceasefire and truce appears hazy and suspect.   First, there was no clear cut and articulated framework to deal with the crises.   The government appears caught in the web of domestic and global campaigns against its jelly-footed method in fighting the insurgency.  This truce with the insurgents therefore appears like a desperate and calculated political move with 2015 in view.  This is because some groups are already tying their electoral support to the release of the Chibok girls and an end to insurgency in the North-east.

    As if  the move of the government in this truce business  was not an issue of concern enough, the speed with which the Defence Headquarters directed immediate compliance with the ceasefire and truce calls to question any serious interest on the part of the military to prosecute the campaign against the insurgents.  It was like a heavy weight boxing champion dazed and drunk from the punches of a challenger and waiting for the knell only for his manager to throw in the towel to save him from further punishment.  The manner the military has tried to tackle the insurgency has thrown up a critical question about the professionalism of our Armed Forces.  The Boko Haram as a local insurgency should not have been above the capacity of our armed forces but we saw a military that was lacking in the will and appetite to fight perhaps due to poor training and equipment.

    Why would professional armed forces employ the use of armed local vigilante to fight alongside its officers and men in internal security operations of low intensity conflict?  If the military had limited the role of the vigilante group or what they referred to as the “Civilian Joint Task Force” (Civilian JTF) to intelligence gathering, it would have been understandable as acceptable global practice.   But to allow them carry arms openly and fight alongside the regular army would appear to offend basic and elementary rule of the International Humanitarian Law.   This is in addition to making them gain adequate knowledge of military style of operation in warfare, which at the end of the conflict would have created a veritable reserve force inimical to the safety of life and property.  The military could not have been able to bring them under command and control without basic military training and so to such armed civilians, everything is permissible in conflict; including extra judicial killings and war crimes.

    Another issue that agitates ones mind is the timing of the ceasefire and truce.   It came only when we were told that the military had received supplies and now better prepared to give the terrorist a bloody nose.   Ceasefire without disabling their capacity to take on the state is just incubation for a more vicious campaign in no distant time.  It is hoped that somebody somewhere is not trying to shield the group from total decimation and give them the opportunity to rearm, regroup, and reorganize to launch a fresh offensive.

    There have been about three schools of thoughts with their theories on how to contain the menace of the group.  One is that the government should dialogue with the sect and pacify them.  The other is that a full scale military action should be brought to bear on the sect.   The last is of the view that the carrot and stick approach should be employed; which of course is a combination of the first two.  The pacifists who feel that dialogue is the best option would want to carry their drums to the market at the announcement of ceasefire and truce.   Indeed, they may have their strong point because from all indications and evidence on the ground, victory on the military front appears too remote and almost unrealizable.

    Some people have even tried to draw parallel between the negotiations and trade off the American government had with the Al Qaeda terrorist group to exchange the release of one American serviceman with five of its members detained at Guantanamo Bay.   The truth is that the reality in one clime cannot be imported into another, lock-stock-and-barrel.    The first issue is that there is no Al Qaeda cell in America as an organized group; but here we are with a terrorist group nesting and rooted deeply in our own soil.   The second point is that the American intelligence community and security forces are up to their responsibilities, which they discharge with utmost ruthlessness.   In our situation, we have intelligence community that is completely clueless and security forces whose competence and professionalism has been called to question on all fronts.

    Would this ceasefire and truce between the federal government and the Boko Haram bring an end to insecurity in Nigeria?   I am not a pessimist but one is worried that the ceasefire will not signal the end of insecurity in Nigeria.  This is because the Boko Haram is just a small fraction of the general insecurity in the entire country.     In nearly all the other parts of Nigeria, you equally have vicious bloody campaign by different ethnic militias and criminal groups.   In the South-east, people go to sleep with two eyes open because of the activities of kidnappers and armed robbers.  This has affected the investment climate of that region without a doubt.   The same is true of the South-south and Niger Delta region where if you asked some able-bodied young men what they do for a living, they would tell you without hesitation that they are “kidnappers.”

    Some of them are known to pay protection fees to the security agents who give them vital information to escape arrest.  In the South-west, the story is not different as armed robbery and criminality of all kinds are commonplace.   This is happening in a country with a bloated Police Force and other intelligence agencies.   What purpose are they serving if they cannot gather intelligence to contain the activities of these men of the underworld?  If we feel concern for the soul of our nation, it is time for us to take a hard look at the activities of the police and other security agencies in relation to security of life and property in the country.   Recall the notorious case of Lawrence Anini in the defunct   Bendel State.  It opened our eyes to the fact that any crime that cannot be cracked by the Police or the security agents has a police or security connection or link behind it.

    While one is not in any way opposed to dialogue or truce with the Boko Haram, the government should be seen to be calling the shot on all fronts, which sadly appears not to be the case now.  If there is indeed truce and ceasefire with the Boko Haram without first eliminating and degrading their capacity to make or initiate fire to unleash mayhem on the people, then the whole exercise should be called off as bad sale.

    If we are serious about tackling insecurity then we should not ignore the army of unemployed youths who remain veritable source and feeder to the criminal networks.   Insecurity in Nigeria goes beyond truce and ceasefire with Boko Haram.  Our government should stop the insurgency in the North-east as well as all parts of Nigeria.   We should not look for political capital from the release of the Chibok girls.   The government is duty bound to bring back our girls and if that is achieved today, it is not a great feat.

    • Kebonkwu Esq writes from Abuja
  • Ceasefire announcement ‘hasty’

    Ceasefire announcement ‘hasty’

    Walks were on yesterday in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, between a Federal Government team and Boko Haram representatives.

    But the shape of the talks, those in the teams and the venue were shrouded in secrecy.

    Chadian President Idris Derby is believed to be involved but top diplomatic sources  could only confirm that they were talking. They had no knowledge of the extent.

    The Chadian talks are a follow-up to the initial decision in Saudi Arabia last week after which hope was raised on the release of the abducted 219 Chibok schoolgirls.

    Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh announced a ceasefire.

    But attacks by suspected sect members followed last Friday’s announcement. Further clashes initiated by the sect’s fighters also occurred.

    Besides, the military is said to be probing the reported abduction of no fewer than 40 women in Madagali, Adamawa State.

    “I sense Nigeria rushed to announce the deal with electoral-political calculations in mind,” said Mark Schroeder, vice president of Africa Analysis at the Stratfor consultancy.

    “Getting a victory with the schoolgirls and a short-term truce with Boko Haram could be positive for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign,” he said.

    The announcement of the truce came a day before a rally of the president’s supporters in Abuja, although he has yet to announce his candidacy.

    Some residents of Northeast, which has borne the brunt of the insurgency, also saw political calculations behind the announcement and doubted the talks in N’Djamena would lead to a lasting peace.

    “The government just wants to (win) 2015 elections at all costs,” said Joel Peter, who runs a barber’s shop in Maiduguri, the city at the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “Only the government is ready for ceasefire, not Boko Haram. Government is tired of insurgency and it hasn’t been winning the war … but Boko Haram aren’t tired,” he said, adding: “For the Chibok girls, let’s wait and see.”

    A senior Chadian diplomatic source who requested for anonymity said Jonathan made the announcement to show he had obtained a result but a deal had not yet been finalised.

    “Our feeling is that they acted precipitously. They should have waited until they at least had some of the girls. I don’t know anyone in the country who actually knows where they are,” the diplomat said.

    The fact that the announced ceasefire has been broken does not mean that there was no deal in the works, he said, because it may take time to get the message down Boko Haram’s fragmented chain of command.

    It is still not clear which faction of this decentralised insurgent movement was involved in the talks, nor whether it is the one holding the girls, but the Chadian diplomat said the Nigerian government has accepted it as representing Boko Haram.

    As the nation awaits the outcome of the negotiation, troops were placed on red alert in some flashpoints in the Northeast.

    It was also learnt that the military was still trying to verify alleged abduction of yet another batch of 40 girls in Madagali, Adamawa State.

    The United States (U.S.) government has said that its military advisers were not yet involved in the negotiation for the release of the Chibok girls.

    A source said the ceasefire does not mean withdrawal of troops.

    The source said troops had been placed on “Red Alert” in Konduga, Maiduguri, Damboa, Biu, Shaffa, Madagali, Michika, Mubi, Benisheik axis and some parts of Yobe, including Damaturu.

    “Troops will not attack the insurgents but they will also not be flippant or gullible to allow the insurgents to overrun them.

    “The military authorities ordered the troops not to be vulnerable. The insurgents have adopted the same strategy as they are still holding on to Gwoza, Bama, Madagali, Abadam, and some occupied towns and villages.

    “We hope the ceasefire will be able to address disengagement from these seized towns and villages.”

    There were unconfirmed reports last night of the abduction of 40 women in Madagali.

    A military source said: “We have not got any signal on the abduction; we are trying to verify the claim.

    “What is being circulated came from those whose villages were attacked. We have to find out the truth or otherwise.”

    A Presidency source said: “We have not heard any hints from the two parties in Chad but we are positive.

    “Since the talks had been restrictive, it is difficult to say categorically the mileage President Deby of Chad had gained.”

    The Deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, Marie Harf, said at a briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday on whether or not US military advisers in Nigeria have any role in the negotiations: “They have not. They have not. I don’t have a prediction going forward, but they have not up until this point.”

    The women were said to have been abducted at Waga Mongoro District of Madagali Local Government Area.

    The insurgents reportedly invaded the area, forcing residents to flee to safe places in the bush and mountain tops. Many trekked to nearby local government headquarters.

    Reports said that the insurgents invaded the district which borders Gwoza in Borno State, burning down houses.

    The insurgents were also said to have used the abducted women as shields during attacks by troops.

    Fleeing residents said the insurgents razed some villages and carted away food items, animals and household utensils.

    Two residents who escaped the attack to Yola told reporters that they passed through the bush to avoid being killed.

    A man who gave his name as Titus said the insurgents stormed the town in the wee hours of Tuesday through the road leading to Sambisa forest and escaped through the same route.

    He said when they came into the town, they rounded up the girls, put them in trucks along with food stuff, house hold items and domestic animals.

    He said: “When they struck, we heard them chanting anti-government slogans to the effect that they were not party to any ceasefire agreement, adding that the government was on a mission to deceive the people.”

    But the chairman of Madagali Local Government, James Abawu Watharda, could neither confirm nor deny the report. He said he had lost contact with the people while staying in Yola.

  • Boko Haram defies ceasefire

    Boko Haram defies ceasefire

    Kills 15 in Borno, Adamawa

    Barely 24 hours after a reported ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram, the sect struck yesterday by attacking two communities in Borno and Adamawa states.

    The Borno attacks left no fewer than 15 people dead. In Adamawa State, houses were burnt in Sina Village in Michika Area. Some villagers were feared killed but it was difficult to ascertain the actual toll.

    A security source informed that over 10 Boko Haram fighters in Hilux vehicles unleashed terror on Abadam at the weekend, shooting everyone in sight.

    Abadam is located on the verge of Nigeria-Niger border in the northern parts of Borno State.

    The source also disclosed that the community was completely sacked by the insurgents.

    Another source informed that the father of an unnamed prominent politician was among those killed in the attack.

    In Dzur village near Shaffa in Hawul Local Government, it was gathered that eight people died when the insurgents sacked it.

    Residents fled into the bush following sporadic gunshot by the insurgents.

    “Boko Haram fighters have our village, Dzur. They invaded the area, shooting and burning houses. They slaughtered eight people.

    “Many people in Shaffa have run into the bush according to the report I got from my people who fled into the bush,” the resident stated.

    Shaffa had its dose of attack when Boko Haram killed at least 18 people, including a pastor.

    The attacks have fuelled skepticism among residents over the commitment of the sect members to the ceasefire announced by the Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

    Some residents of Borno and Yobe, who spoke with The Nation, noted that they have heard such announcements in the past without any meaningful results.

    “What we want to see on the ground is practical ceasefire, which has to come with immediate restoration of peace in the troubled areas.

    “My town, Buni Yadi, is still under the control of Boko Haram, so how can I trust such a statement?

    “How are we even sure that it is the real Boko Haram that government has reached an agreement with.? I would have loved it if it is true but no one can explain what is happening,” Babagana, a resident of Buni Yadi, now residing in Damaturu, said.

    Head, Mass Communication department at the University of Maiduguri, Dr Mohammed Gujbawu, said it was a welcome development “if it is a genuine one.”

    He noted that nothing can be compared to peace.

    “We’ve seen war and we are desperately in need of peace. We welcome the ceasefire if it is a genuine one,” he said

    Gwoza, Damboa,  Bama, Gambouru, Ngala, Banki, Wulgo, Dikwa, Kirenoa, Marte in Borno State and Buni Yadi, Gulani, Goniri, Buni Gari and other dozen villages in Yobe State are under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

    According to a source, the insurgents allegedly struck in Sina Village in Michika Area village at about 2pm shooting sporadically and setting some houses ablaze.

    The source said: “The insurgents came in hundreds to attack our people. They shot at many people and burnt many houses in the village.

    “It is difficult to say exactly those killed and the injured because we are still taking stock. Many villagers scampered to safety to avoid falling to the rampaging insurgents.

    “The villagers were caught unawares because they were all hopeful that the ceasefire will work.”

    A community leader in Michika, Dr. Caleb Filli, confirmed the attack on Sina Village.

    He said: “The gunmen invaded the village in the afternoon and attacked people. We appeal to the Federal Government to ensure that the ceasefire agreement covers the withdrawal of Boko Haram fighters from the areas they are presently occupying.

    “Many of our people are already displaced. The ceasefire will not be meaningful unless it paves way for residents to return to their homes.”

  • Gaza conflict: Long-term ceasefire agreed

    Gaza conflict: Long-term ceasefire agreed

    Egypt has brokered an agreement on a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, senior Palestinian officials have said.

    Hamas negotiator Moussa Abu Marzouk said the deal to end seven weeks of fighting that has left more than 2,200 people dead would be announced shortly.

    The Palestinians said Israel had agreed to ease its blockade of Gaza to allow in aid supplies and building materials.

    There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government.

    The apparent breakthrough came as both sides continued to trade fire and even yesterday morning Israeli jets still bombed two high-rise buildings in Gaza City.

    The strikes flattened the Basha Tower, containing flats and offices, and severely damaged the Italian Complex, comprising homes, shops and offices.

    Twenty people were injured in the attack on the Italian Complex, and two others were killed in Israeli strikes elsewhere in Gaza, medics said.

    In Israel, 10 people were hurt when a rocket fired by militants in Gaza hit a house in the southern town of Ashkelon, police said. Another rocket was intercepted in the Tel Aviv area, to the north.