The Borno State capital, Maiduguri came under fresh attack by insurgents on Sunday morning .
The terrorists attempted to enter the town from Zambia road around NNPC mega station
There was heavy exchange of fire and artillery shelling by military.
Tag: Maiduguri
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‘Our Girls, Our People’; Maiduguri must not fall; Mumu media? 2015: Cut political salaries 75%.
The Chibok Girls kidnap tragedy pales in relation to 10,000+ dead and millions injured, disorientated, destitute, displaced by a demonic Boko Haram and its recent murderous attack on Baga with between 150 and 2000 dead and now Monguno. We have serious issues in spite of our irresponsible unimaginably petty maxi-media mania and foolish frenzy for tiny political trivia. It is an insult of unimaginable proportions to question primary and secondary leaving qualifications, ‘certificates or equivalent’ for a presidential candidate from any party. Those entry qualifications were set up specifically to exclude the obviously uneducated and ensure that LGA councillors meet the minimum educational needs.
The daily list of Boko Haram and Fulani and ‘so-called ‘political’ deaths are not just numbers but a tally of individual children, women, men with work, dreams, aspirations, possessions and responsibilities. Once again Maiduguri fails to fall due to efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Is this renewed Boko Haram offensive against a State Capital not sufficient to concentrate our minds on serious issues and not political and media-hyped phantom matters? The media should also grow up, take a stand and choose issues and not be misled to champion carefully choreographed political intrigue. The media must not be ‘mumu’ and does not have to attend every single press conference or lick up every piece of political vomitus vomited by political pariah. Political pettiness alienates more voters than it wins.
Let us take Maiduguri seriously and study it! Just last week soldiers were every 5 metres on roads in Maiduguri for the Presidential political visit. That same strategy could defeat Boko Haram. The question therefore is ‘has the government deployed sufficient troops and equipment to contain Boko Haram?’ How can Boko Haram attack Maiduguri repeatedly with impunity? During the presidential visit Boko Haram seeking to get to Maiduguri had to settle for an attack on a village 5 kilometres from Maiduguri. This confirms that the Nigerian Armed Forces are up to the task. Why has the protection been reduced, just because the President, like Elvis, has ’left the building’?
Nigerians do not need to be reminded that Maiduguri is an important place of history and a large multi-million citizen city. Nigeria cannot afford to lose Maiduguri. The loss of a city the size of Maiduguri in 2015 will be at the cost of a bloodbath that will turn the River Maiduguri red with the blood of many thousands who will also turn on each other, ethnically and religiously and gender-wise, during any mass frantic exodus. Then there will be another bloodbath for the recapture that has to follow for there will be a recapture to ‘save face’ of any incoming government. A bloodbath is not a word only. A bloodbath can best be visualised as trailer-loads of dead bodies and severed limbs heading from mass graves dug by contractor-rented earthmovers while tanker loads of blood, 33,000 litres or the blood of 6,600 people each, are washed from the sand toward the river to turn the river red. We prefer money over life so add the cost of rebuilding the bombed city. Maiduguri must not fall.
With the elections two ’V’s appear – Violence and Voting. Violence is increasing in spite of the ‘Anti-Violence Accord’, AVA. Organisers of the Anti- Violence Accord expected all political parties to take AVA to their cohorts at states, LGAs and 16,400 wards. Presidential candidates will not directly perpetrate violence but leave that to henchmen in the side streets of state towns and capitals. We have failed to re-educate the urchin, area boy, okada driver, NURTW vehicle driver and conductor, so violence will be perpetrated unabated, no matter how many AVAs are signed in Abuja. Some taxis have easy identification but most danfos are unmarked and for rent for violence. We must all get our Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC and persuade friends, young and old, and young adults over 18 to ‘GET INVOLVED POLITICALLY’ and get their cards and ‘PLAN TO VOTE’.
The Nigerian voter needs to evolve a VOTERS PROTECTION CODE OF CONDUCT to defeat anti-democracy forces seeking to undercount, over-count, cancel votes or unleashing violence.
1. Nigerians of all ages have the right and responsibility to electronically record events at all voting booths and collating centres. To do this on voting day everyone should keep their fully charged phones on at least audio recording and video if possible and concealed for safety if necessary. This is to adequately record sudden anti-democracy events like violent attacks, cheating and other.
2. Useful recorded audio and video material should be immediately uploaded to previously identified local and international monitoring and collating websites, blogs and media houses to quickly expose fraudulent and violent events.
3.Voters must use their numbers to all remain to protect their vote through collation and announcement and have their own PARALLEL COLLATION TEAMS.
When I started work the naira was better than N1:$1, today it falls pathologically through the psychological floor of N200:$1 to N208, toilet paper, perpetually pauperising salaried and struggling Nigerians, and plunging millions more below $1 a day. Nobody cares. Politicians of all parties at all levels must introduce 75% cuts in political Salaries and Perks, SAP, from January 2015. Ridiculously high political salaries and corruption, not falling oil prices, helped precipitate Nigeria’s financial crisis. Political salaries and transparent non-government party funding and the collapsing economy should be major election issues driven by an intelligent media.
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Troops launch battle to retake Monguno
Following continued ground battle and air strikes, troops killed 53 more Boko Haram insurgents on Monday in Konduga and Maiduguri parts of Borno State.
The figure came from the battle between troops and the insurgents from Sunday night till the early hours of Monday.
A security source, who spoke in confidence at 9pm, said: “Continuing coordinated ground and air mop up activities by military personnel in the aftermath of diversionary terrorists attacks on Maiduguri and Konduga have led to the destruction of dozens of more terrorists.
“At least 53 more insurgents lost their lives as troops in pursuit of the insurgents engaged those that fled and their additional reinforcements in the outskirts of Konduga and Maiduguri in a battle Sunday night/early Monday morning.
“Health and emergency workers are having hectic challenges in evacuating terribly mangled corpses of the terrorists for mass burial.”
A tweet by the Defence Headquarters confirmed the fresh mileage gained by troops.
The DHQ tweeted: “More casualties inflicted on terrorists as troops battled fleeing ones and reinforcement at outskirts of Maiduguri, Konduga.
“Substantial amounts of heavy weapons have been captured, as more terrorists died in the fight which lasted till early Monday
“Our forces also recorded some casualty. Meanwhile, ground troops are in charge and Airforce patrol still ongoing.”
A military source however gave insights into why Boko Haram embarked on ore-emotive attacks on Monguno, Konduga and Maiduguri.
He also hinted of a likely sabotage of troops by some locals in the affected parts.
The source said: “The suicidal attempt on Maiduguri and Konduga might have been staged to divert troops’ attention from their goal of commencing the “once and for all” battle against the terrorists by members of the Multinational Joint Task Force from Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad planned for early this week.
“There are fears that saboteurs among local sympathisers in one of the affected communities might have betrayed the troops, especially concerning the plans to annihilate terrorists to pave way for the success and peaceful conducts of forthcoming elections in every part of the country.”
Coordinated ground and air mop up activities by military personnel in the aftermath of diversionary terrorists attacks on Maiduguri and Konduga in Borno led to the destruction of dozens of more terrorists.
This information is contained in a statement issued by Defence Headquarters on Monday in Abuja.
The statement disclosed that substantial number of heavy weapons had been captured, in addition to the number of terrorists that died in the night fighting until Monday morning.
It added Nigerian forces also recorded some casualty “but troops and Air Force patrol are still ongoing.’’
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Maiduguri attack: Shettima commends military, calls for calm
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has condemned the coordinated attacks by Boko Haram on Maiduguri and Monguno towns.
Shettima also praised the Nigerian soldiers for saving the state capital from the insurgents attacks.
The governor who spoke to journalists in Maiduguri on Sunday after the attack called on the people of Borno and Maiduguri to remain, while pledging to redouble his efforts and commitment to supporting the security agents in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
Shettima expressed his pain over the attack on Monguno, and the military formation in the area, stressing that the attack must have resulted in the loss of lives and caused several pains on the people in addition to destruction of property.
He said; “Our armed forces gallantly repelled attacks on parts of Borno State today. We must commend their patriotic efforts. We are very much in touch with leaders of security forces and we will continue to afford them all the support they need as we have always done from our first day in office till date.
“So long as we have the resources, we will continue to regard the efforts to reclaim peace, our number one area of commitments. I want to reassure the good people of Borno State that we will never abdicate from our responsibility as those they entrusted with leadership.
“I was supposed to be in Abuja this morning for an important engagement but I have canceled all engagements outside Borno State. We will remain behind with our people through thick and thin as we have been doing as a matter of constitutional and moral covenant.
“I condole with families, friends and associates of any innocent citizen that might have lost loved ones as a result of the unfortunate incident in parts of the State. I commiserate with those that might have suffered injuries and lost property.
“I assure the people of Borno State that we are very committed to our duty as their leaders. We have never forgotten about the situation of things in Borno, not for one second.
“My heart bleeds whenever I remember the deaths, the injuries, the lost communities and the displaced persons of Borno. I know the burden of leadership on my shoulders as Governor of the State and I know my responsibilities within the limits of my constitutional powers, influences and resources. I have been deploying all, within my limits as Governor and I will continue to do, including making continued efforts to get more influences that are beyond me.
“I urge the good people of Borno State to remain optimistic and vigilant. We should open our eyes wide to take note of any strange person and movement in the our midst which we should promptly report to authorities without causing panic. Parents and guardians should kindly watch over their children to monitor where they go and who they move around with or bring home. School authorities should take proper control of pupils. Residents should cooperate with armed forces and always regard them as partners that put their lives on the line so we all can be alive,” Gov. Shettima said.
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Restore power to Maiduguri, residents cry out
Some residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capityal, on New Year’s Day appealed to the Federal Government to re-connect power supply to the city, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN recalls that electricity supply was cut in June, 2014, after a suspected insurgents attack on a power station in Damboa, headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area.
A cross section of residents interviewed by NAN in Maiduguri, expressed reservation over the delay by the government in restoring power supply to the city.
Alhaji Mohammed Zarami, a businessman, said that the lack of electricity in the city had caused severe damages to social and economic life of citizens.
“It is sad that we have had to stay for this long without electricity supply in Maiduguri.
“It is even sadder with the current improvement in power supply in the country where some states enjoy uninterrupted supply for days,’’ Zarami said.
He said the situation had forced some residents to rely on power generating sets for power supply.
“Most residents depend on power generating sets for power supply daily, but those who cannot afford the high cost of maintaining the sets end up sleeping in darkness,” Zarami said.
Alhaji Bukar Bulama, an artisan, who spoke in the same vein, said that the situation had forced many artisans to look for something else to do for their survival.
“The prolonged power cut has negatively affected the economy of the state.
“Many artisans have been forced out of business as they cannot afford to power their system daily.”
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Army frees 42 Boko Haram suspects in Maiduguri
Forty two Boko Haram suspects were yesterday freed by the army authorities of 7 Division Army in Maiduguri and handed over to Governor Kashim Shettima.
The army also gave each of the freed suspect N100,000 to resettle themselves.
Three of the released suspects are Chad, Burkina Faso and Cameroon nationals. They will be repatriated immediately by the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) to their countries.
Presenting the freed suspects yesterday at the Government House in Maiduguri, the Deputy Director Army Public Relations Officer, Col. Sani Usman, said the suspects were arrested but have been found to have nothing to do with Boko Haram.
He said: “Out of the 42 cleared suspects by the military this month, three are from the neighboring countries of Burkina Faso, Chad and Cameroon.”
Col. Usman urged residents to keep giving information on how to end insurgency.
The Nation gathered that the released suspects include students, traders, carpenters, drivers and panel beaters as well as three elderly persons. The remaining 29 fall between the ages of 18 and 30.
Shettima, receiving them, announced that some of them would be immediately engaged in their various areas of trade.
“An idle mind, they say, is the devils workshop. Therefore, we cannot allow you people to be idle. From your introduction, some of you are drivers, others are tailors some students. All the drivers would be immediately engaged by the state government and the tailors too will be useful for our free uniform for school children.
“For the students, I am going to assist you to go back and complete your studies. Others will also be taken care of appropriately,” Shettima said.
He warned them not to take vengeance against the military for detaining them, urging them not to engage in anti-social activities.
His words: “I urge all of you here today in this chambers released to me by the military not to engage in any anti-social activities. You should always exhibit good behaviours while you go about your normal activities in your respective towns and communities in this state.”
The governor thanked the army for their commitment to the fight against the insurgency and their show of transparency by releasing the suspects.
One of the suspects, a University of Maiduguri Chemistry Department student, who spoke on behalf of the suspects thanked Shettima for his gesture towards them.
“May God continue to bless you by having another second term in next year’s general elections. I will complete my education with the cash donation of N100, 000 from the military and another N100, 000 from our governor, who worked round the clock for our release today before all of you in this Government House Chamber.
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Maiduguri must not fall
•President Jonathan must show that he is capable of defending the country
For those who reside far away from the epicentre of slaughter and human flight, the surge of the insurgent group Boko Haram still carries the air of another man’s battle. Nigerians, especially those who live down south, only see video clips of the ghastly images as well as still pictures. There are also narratives of plunder, deaths, rape and kidnap.
But the past few weeks have given greater potency to the story. They have been advancing from town to town, making mincemeat of residents and travellers. Above all, they have beaten our soldiers who seem to demonstrate little answer or imagination against these organised marauders in the name of Islam.
It has seemed that as a nation we are dazed, frozen into inaction at times and tokenism of feeble counter-action. But in sum, we have shown ourselves below the task of defending our citizens and territory against the militants who are growing in armour, men and confidence.
As at press time, major towns and locations have fallen into the savage hands of Boko Haram. We have mentioned such places as Buni, Damboa, Gwoza, Madagali, Marte, Dikwa, Ngala, Michika as already fallen. The past few days were characterised by intense battles for the key town of Bama. Conflicting media reports have befogged the status of the town as to whether it is in Nigerian hands or the so-called caliphate.
Territories in Adamawa,Borno and Yobe states tremble. The three states are beleaguered. Some Nigerians no longer know the state of our defence as any place seems within the capture of the insurgents. The leader is hoisting flags all over its conquered territories. The fear now is Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The reasons for the fear are palpable. The governor, Kashim Shettima, was reported to have said that a third of his state has been captured by the militants. Some other indigenes are less sanguine as some have claimed that two-thirds have fallen.
The other point is the leaflets that the insurgents have spread in the city of Maiduguri, warning of their imminent invasion. Such ominous literature shows a high level of confidence and clinical propaganda acumen.
The third point is the rally of the youths. Recently they paid a visit to the palace of the Shehu of Borno and promised that they would fight to the death to defend the throne against the rapine of the zealots.
The fourth concern is that our military has not shown exemplary firepower in earlier battles. The government has not inspired us with confidence that Maiduguri will not fall. This is a clear and present danger.
Maiduguri should not be allowed to fall. If it falls, the implications are huge. It is the capital of the state, and it is the seat of government. It also has the concentration of the state’s population. It is the commercial nerve centre of the state, and the northeast’s big dwelling. If it falls, all its gifts and virtues will belong to the insurgents.
It will mean, to all intents and purposes, that all of Borno State will be a rogue caliphate under Shekau. If Maiduguri falls, there will be no Nigerian government in the state. We shall have 36 states only in name until we get it back.
If Maiduguri falls, it will enrich a growing militancy with more resources. It is well-armed now, with Borno State in its hands, its armoury will increase. It can run rampant in the state, molest its citizens and slaughter at will. It could mount a vast concentration camp of perceived upstarts, Christians, nubile girls and other resisters.
The citizens will be more facile to radicalisation. Because they are under the gun, the insurgents will happily recruit many youths into its army.
With that assurance, we cannot guarantee that it will not rumble into Yobe and Adamawa states and bring them into the ambit of its counterfeit caliphate. By then, the country under the eyes of President Jonathan would have shrunken significantly.
When the over 200 girls were abducted from Chibok, the nation was benumbed. The argument was, and still is, the Federal Government could get these girls out through either negotiation or some other sleight of hand. If Maiduguri falls, the story of the Chibok girls will be a footnote in a vast concentration camp of hundreds of thousands under the spell of a charismatic brute. The story is potentially a disaster.
President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in the region, and issued a suite of rhetoric that was only fiery in words but short on action. The matter is getting so serious now that the president as commander-in-chief must show that he is capable of defending the country according to the oath of office.
If he cannot, it is high time he stepped down. His first assignment is to defend his country. If he fails in this primary task, he has failed to justify holding that position.
This is no time to apportion blame from the presidency. This is the same Nigerian army that has, over the decades, served as the symbol of the African pride. Our soldiers have acquitted themselves competently in Liberia and other areas of the West African sub-region. We have led in discipline, strategy and tactics. We have also served in other places in Africa, and the African Union as well as the United Nations have come to regard our army as indispensable in the pacification of the continent.
For that same army to squelch under an apparently ragtag force remains unthinkable even as we are harassed by the day. Trillions of Naira have been expended on defence in the past few years, and should translate into a formidable force that should make a quick work of the militants. We have not seen that yet.
It is on that score that we reiterate the need for the president to act as commander-in-chief. To do that he has not only to restore all lost territories but the lost pride of the Nigerian Army. Never again should we accept a situation where a neighbouring Cameroun would do with dispatch what our soldiers cannot dare.
We reiterate that Maiduguri should not be allowed to fall because the consequences are serious.
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Maiduguri Airport’s closure and the people’s right to know
The Nigerian civil war was not a good period for most of the country’s nationals residing abroad, especially those in the countries that were sympathetic to the Biafrian cause. Even in some other countries that adopted siddon look attitude towards the unfolding events in Nigeria, the Nigerians among them were not all that comfortable. Reason: the Biafrian propaganda of genocide against the Igbo or eastern Nigeria arrested the emotions and sentiments of the outside world.
Before anyone could shout Jack Robinson, innocent Nigerians resident abroad were labelled cannibals. They became unsafe not because they were guilty but because the Biafrian Propaganda machinery was effectively marshaled in both electronic and print media outside
the country. Biafrian news broadcast on television was always accompanied with Gen. Odumegwu Ojukwu’s picture. For example, as an undergraduate at the prestigious Ghana International School of Jounalism, I saw hell together with my fellow Nigerian students. Unfortunately, we stayed at the International Students Hostel in Accra, which harboured about 50 foreign students from different parts of the world.
Among the students in the International Hostel, studying at various tertiary institutions in Accra, were Biafrian students who along with their colleague friends succeeded in polluting the minds of most of our co-students in the hostel against other Nigerians in the hostel. Before long, Nigerians in the hostel became persona non grata. We were threatened to the point that the matter got the attention of the Nigeria High commissioner in Ghana, Mr. Victor Adegoroye, who had to intervene on several occasions to save our neck from the terror or propaganda war of our Biafrian brothers who felt, rightly or wrongly, that whatever the iniquity or stand of the federal military government in the ongoing war, Nigerians abroad must bear the brunt.
In short, whether we like it or not, in the Nigerian civil war, Biafrian won the propaganda war. The federal military government relied on its military strength to do the magic, but before the die was cast, the Biafrian propaganda had earned the recognition of nations like Tanzania and Ivory Coast. In addition, Britain, the traditional supplier of arms to Nigeria, blocked the source and every other thing appeared to be conspiring against Nigeria who though was winning the war
on the battlefield, was losing the propaganda war of Biafra based on effective information management. This placed Nigeria at a serious disadvantage as she was now compelled to embark on a sudden journey to tell the world Nigeria’s side of the story. Unfortunately, that was done too late.
I have gone to this length in order to demonstrate the importance of information management
and the right of the people to know what is happening, particularly when such affect them directly or indirectly. To deny the people the right to know what is happening around them is to give room for various interpretations and conclusions that are at variance with the good intention of the government. This brings us to the recent happenings in Borno State, which are causing ripples and building up possible conflict between the people and the Borno State Government on one hand and the Federal Government on the other. Because of absence of due clarification on the issues involved or mismanagement of same, gossips, aspersion, innuendos or outright misrepresentation of facts now characterise the issues.
A story on Page 8 of the Daily Trust on June 28, 2014 titled Federal Government Shuts Down Maiduguri Airport, reads: The Federal Government yesterday shut down the Maiduguri International Airport, few hours to a scheduled airlift of 300 Muslim pilgrims who were on
their way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj. Also, a character aircraft that brought the wife of Borno State Governor, Hajjiya Nana Shettima, which was expected to take back Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and a member of the House of Reps, Hon. Peter Biye and some Borno elders back to Abuja, was also forced to take-off empty.
Our correspondents gathered from various sources that the airport was ‘abruptly closed’ following ‘orders from above’. Speaking to our correspondent last night, Senator Ndume said what transpired at the Maiduguri Airport was an insult on the Nigerian Senate, stressing that
Nigeria was drifting to a state of lawlessness. ‘If they are talking about security, why did they allow the aircraft to land in the first place?
“When I realised that many soldiers had taken over the airport, I had to call the Chairman Senate Committee on Air force, who in turn spoke with the Chief of Air Staff. At the end of the day, I found that the order was from the Chief of Army staff,” Ndume said.
On the other hand, the Managing Director of Skynet Travel and Tours, Grema Terab, said their customers were subjected to psychological trauma. “We have completed arrangement with Max Air for the airlift of our clients from Maiduguri Airport. In fact, our passengers had been screened and we had completed all the necessary papers when a report reached us that the Airport was closed. As I am talking to you, our clients are now on their way to Kano by road so that they would be airlifted from Mallam Aminu Kano Airport,” he said.
Similarly, on its Page 6 on July 15, 2014, the Daily Trust wrote in a story title Federal Government Reopens Maiduguri Airport for Sheriff: The Federal Government yesterday reopened the Maiduguri International Airport which was closed on June 27, for former governor Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State to land in Maiduguri with his personal aircraft. Sheriff said he was dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but that he would make a formal declaration after the month of Ramadan and has nothing to do with the APC.
The airport was abruptly closed when 276 pilgrims had been screened by relevant agencies at the departure terminal and were awaiting a Max Air chartered aircraft to convey them to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj. “As a result of the closure, the pilgrims had to travel to Kano by road, even as on the same day, a chartered flight that brought wife of the Borno State Governor. Hajiya Nana Shettima, was forced to take off to Abuja empty even though Senator Ali Ndume was waiting to board it.
Top military authorities announced that the airport was closed for security reasons. It was however reopened yesterday and Sherriff’s private jet with registration number 5NBMH landed at about 1:32 pm… Dozens of soldiers led by the Garrison commander of the 7 Division of
the Nigeria Army in Maiduguri, Col. D.R Hassan, gave cover to the former governor, whose motorcade drove through the Airport Road, Bulumkutu, Damboa road and arrived at his private residence along Barracks road.
Our correspondents report that the plane that brought the former governor took off from the Airport at 2:22 pm and credible sources said it would return today (Tuesday) to take Sheriff back to Abuja, after which the Airport will be closed until September 29…
Meanwhile, Governor Shettima left Maiduguri by road yester to attend to his younger brother who had multiple fractures after an accident. Shettima was confined to Maiduguri since the closure of the airport and as well as withdrawal of soldiers from both the Government House and his convoy. Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to Shettima on Communications, confirmed the development. The plane that brought Sheriff actually came back the following day to take him back to Abuja.
In its reaction, the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NCSIA) cautioned the Federal Government to avoid using Nigeri Security apparatus for persecution. In a press statement signed by the Acting Director of Publicity, Muhammad Qasim, NCSIA said the same airport was suddenly shut against Muslim pilgrims taking their flight to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, despite an earlier clearance to use the airport.
“Apart from denying the pilgrims the use of the facilities, the Muslims are subjected to physical and psychological trauma as a result of their grilling by the Nigerian security apparatus. The pilgrims were subsequently forced to embark on agonizing travel by road to Kano,” the statement said.
The NSCIA warned the federal government that it is perilous to use the security establishment to persecute Nigerians, and that a situation in which religious profiling is camouflaged as part of security measures does not bode well for the country. The council urged the federal government to exercise caution in the discriminatory use of military and aviation facilities in order to protect the political neutrality of the national establishment.
“It is our belief that the federal government has enough powers constitutionally guaranteed to tackle its perceived enemies rather than denying Nigerians the use of public facilities under the guise of fighting insecurity,” the statement said.
The council also called on the military authorities to protect and safeguard the credibility of the profession by not being partisan.
No doubt, the Federal Government or the Military authorities reserve the right to take any action provided it is in the best interest of the nation, more so when it borders on security. However, much as such action is taken in good faith and in the overall interest of the nation, there is also the need for the people to know when there is a change in such decision or policy and why. Where information gap is allowed instead, it give room to various interpretations of government’s decision or policy with the government in some instances boxed into the corner notwithstanding its good intention.
For example, people will like to know why the Maiduguri Airport that was closed for security reasons was suddenly opened for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s private plane to land and take off with the same airport still closed to other users. In addition, people will also like to know why soldiers who were reportedly withdrawn from Government House, Maiduguri as well as from the convoy of the state governor, Kashim Shettima, was equally reported to have given cover to Senator Sheriff when he arrived in Maiduguri on the faithful day. These are cobwebs that need to be cleared to ward off unnecessary gossips and for the good name of the Federal Government.
In any case, no one would expect the federal government, the father of all, to rub Peter to pay Paul.
•Izekor wrote in from Maiduguri
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Why access to Maiduguri airport was restricted-DHQ
The Defence Headquarters yesterday said access to Maiduguri International Airport was restricted on Friday for security reasons.
It denied shutting the airport against intending pilgrims to the lesser hajj.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in a clarification on the inability of 278 pilgrims and Senator Ali Ndume to use the airport to exit Maiduguri said the restriction of the facility was on account of use by the armed forces.
He said religious or political meanings should not be read into security issues.
He said that assessment of the military operations in the Northeast indicated that “a sudden massive air lift could not be permitted.”
“Apparently, the implications of such massive airlift and traffic from the facility in the light of present security situation were not appreciated early enough by those planning the exercise to enable proper security procedure be installed for the important exercise,” Olukolade said, adding that the DHQ took remedial steps for the 286 pilgrims going for lesser Hajj (Umrah).
His words:”An alternative arrangement was, however, worked out in concert with the relevant authorities in the state, to enable the movement proceed.
“This process has continued smoothly despite the inconveniencies which will be ameliorated as the exercise progress. The sensitivity of the situation in the country calls for due caution and conscious effort to avoid yielding to the pressure from those who are apparently sympathetic to those working frantically to undermine the nation’s security.
“The public is, therefore, requested to ignore all insinuations inferring religious or political connotations from the security measures put in place in Maiduguri airport. The intention has never been to jeopardise the airlifting of pilgrims as has been wrongly portrayed.”
The Defence Headquarters appeals to the media not to yield itself to the pressure of those seeking to make political or economic capital out of the security situation by insinuating a religious or political connotation to every effort.
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Chibok: Mother of abducted girl dies
Mary Paul Lalai, mother of one of the abducted teenagers of Chibok in Borno State has been confirmed dead.The confirmation was made by the member representing Chibok constituency in the State House of Assembly, Aimu Fona.He told The Nation that it was not the father of the two girls that died but one of his two wives, who on hearing the shocking news of the abduction of her daughter, collapsed and died of heart attack.The late Mary had since been buried according to Christian rites at the Mbulabam Village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.Left to mourn is her husband who is still hoping for the release of two of his daughters held at the Sambisa bunkers of the Boko Haram.There had been speculations that the father of the teenagers had died from heart attack after two of his daughters from his two wives were kidnapped over a month ago.