The Nigerian Army on Monday commended the Nigerian media for its objectivity in the coverage of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information, Col. John Agim, made the commendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.
Agim said that the media had played great role in disseminating accurate information to Nigerians on the successes recorded by the military on the operations against Boko Haram.
“I think that the Nigerian media has lived up to expectation in keeping Nigerians abreast on the military operations in the North-East.
“When we arrived Maiduguri we were surprised that there is peace everywhere, contrary to the belief in many areas.
“I think that the media has a lot of job to do in letting Nigerians and the whole world know that peace has returned here, because outside there many people do not know,” he said.
Ajim added that genuine investors would return to the state when they became aware of the restoration of peace to the troubled zone.
The commander, who led members of the Senior Course on Strategic Communication of the school on tour of the state, said the visit was aimed at getting first-hand information on the military operations in the state.
“The Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information is the one that drives the information sector of the Nigerian Army.
“For the course to achieve its aim we need to be on ground in one of the areas the army is carrying out operations to get first-hand information,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team also paid courtesy visits to Gov.Kashim Shettima and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai.
Troops from the 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Calabar, on Friday killed seven armed militants at Efut Esighi in Bakassi local government area of Cross River.
The Army Public Relations Officer, Capt. Kayode Owolabi, who disclosed this to journalists in Calabar, said the militants attacked the army post in Efut Esighi.
Owolabi linked the militants to one Benjamin Ene, who had been on the wanted list of security agents in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“The very determined troops from the 13 Brigade and Operation Delta Safe repelled an attack from armed militants at Efut Esighi in Bakassi local government area this morning,” NAN quoted the army spokesman as saying to journalists on Friday.
“The militants tried to attack the army post in Efut Esighi. Some of them were wearing Nigerian military camouflage.
“We recovered 250 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, rocket propelled gun launcher, GPMG belt links and various charms on their bodies. Other militants escaped with very serious gun shots injuries.
“There was no casualty on the side of the military. Our men were in full combatant during the attack.
“We have also destroyed their camps and shrines in the creeks.”
Suspected Boko Haram militants on Monday killed six people in an attack on a commercial convoy being escorted by the army in Borno State.
Boko Haram has killed more than 15,000 people and displaced 2.4 million across Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad during a seven-year insurgency aimed at creating a state based on a radical interpretation of Islamic law.
Nigerian army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said suspected Boko Haram members who were foraging for food ambushed troops escorting the commercial vehicles from Damboa to Maiduguri, a journey of around 50 miles (80 km).
“Unfortunately, five civilians lost their lives at the incident and another died on the way to the hospital. Three soldiers also sustained injuries,” the army spokesman told Reuters.
Boko Haram controlled a swathe of land in northeast Nigeria around the size of Belgium at the start of last year, but has been pushed out of most of that territory by the Nigerian army, aided by troops from neighbouring countries.
The militants have nevertheless continued to carry out suicide bombings in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Another set of 566 Boko Haram orphans and widows have again been released to Borno State by the military in Maiduguri, making it the fourth time the army have carried out such exercise.
Governor Kashim Shettima who received them on Friday explained that Borno State under his leadership will continue to cater for the children and families of the insurgents in order to break the Boko Haram cycle of violence as a way of securing the future of the state.
A breakdown of the number shows 355 breastfeeding children babies, 149 breastfeeding mothers and 62 under-aged evacuated by the Nigerian Army from camps operated by Boko Haram insurgents in different parts of Borno State.
The Nation gathered that a substantial percentage of the number is believed to be families of the insurgents saved after the military took over the camps during operations.
While handing over was done by the General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu at a rehabilitation and reintegration center newly opened by the Borno State Government in Maiduguri to give medical care, education and cater for the welfare of the families.
Shettima during his address said; “What is of importance we should all know, is that an average male member of the Boko Haram has one great wish and that wish is for his son or daughter to inherit his doctrine of violence. The insurgents seriously take to child bearing as a strategy of not only multiplying their numbers but also producing children they hope, will continue from where their fathers stop in violent killings as their own form of worship.
“The goal of Boko Haram fathers is that even if they are killed by our armed forces, they want to bequeath to us, a future of violence in Borno State, a future of violence in the northeast and a violent future for our country. Our ultimate aim in taking custody of families of insurgents is to cut the cycle of violence so as to secure the future of Borno State. Our aim is to give education to the children of the insurgents so that these children will grow to despise the values and doctrines their parents lived and preached.
“The children will not be trained with any element of hate for their parents, they won’t even be told about the ways of their parents so that they don’t grow with deflated self-esteem. These children will be raised like every other child, they will be raised to love and not to hate like their parents wished for them. They will be trained to save lives and contribute to building and growing communities not to take lives and destroy communities like their parents would wish. This is why we are determined to take care of these children.
“I am speaking in English knowing that they don’t hear what I am saying because we don’t want them to have low self-esteem. We will train them to have big dreams and to pursue their dreams of becoming productive citizens. Some of these children will be future leaders, many will be doctors, Engineers, lawyers and some may even grow to join the military if they choose to. They will insha Allah, contribute to nation building and part of the future of Borno State. We must love and care for each other. We have witnessed so much hatred and violence. Our hearts have been too consumed by agony. We must use the remaining space in our hearts to love and to share love and brotherhood,” Shettima said
The Governor also explained that majority of the family members have been found to be innocent of the violence of the Boko Haram insurgents contrary to the wish of some members of the public who want the sins of insurgents meted on their families.
“There are some part of our citizens that may be raising eye brows whenever we are seen taking custody, loving and caring for families of members of the Boko Haram insurgents whether their widows or their children. I have seen some people criticise us on the social media but I think whoever criticizes what we are doing should be forgiven for making expression out of ignorance on the basis of what we are doing.
In our societies, a lot of women neither know what their husbands do nor do they have control over their husbands. Our security forces do thorough investigation in ensuring that anyone freed is proven innocent of violent activities. As for the children, there are innocent little souls who have got absolutely nothing to do with the sins of their fathers. They didn’t determine their parents, they were brought to life without any prior knowledge of the violence their parents perpetuate,” Shettima said
CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has addressed top United States (U.S.) defence officials and policy leaders on the efforts being made by the military in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.
Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that Buratai spoke at the Africa Center of the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, U.S.).
Usman said the presentation was titled: “Nigerian Army Challenges and Priorities in the Ongoing Operations against Boko Haram Terrorists and Other Threats to Peace and Security.”
He said the presentation at the centre was part of the Army chief’s programme on his official visit to the US.
Usman said Buratai emphasised the fact that the fight against terrorism was one that concerned the entire global community and not only the countries.
He said the chief of army staff talked about addressing the issues of insecurity in Nigeria at the strategic, tactical and operational levels as well as the challenges in tackling the threat of terrorism.
Usman said the Army chief applauded the strategic leadership provided by President Buhari in the reinvigorated fight against Boko Haram.
“Buratai enumerated the Presidential strategic directive of relocating the Military Command and Control Centre from Abuja to Maiduguri, which was followed by the directive of defeating the insurgents by the end of December 2015.
“He spoke about the involvement of neighbouring countries, as well as provision of necessary arms and logistics, assisted in the defeat of the terrorists.
“Buratai maintained his stand to undertake and sustain the current level of operations to ensure complete defeat of the Boko Haram terrorists.
“The aim is in ensuring the safety and freedom for all abducted persons and creation of favourable environment that would permit the return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their original home,’’ he said.
Buratai , Usman noted, also informed his audience of the Army’s commitment to developing capacity through local training and international collaboration in the provision for equipment, training support, equipment maintenance, intelligence and respect for human rights.
He said Buratai sought the support and understanding among all cooperating agencies and international partners for a collective action against Boko Haram terrorists.
Since he assumed leadership at the Nigerian Army 1 Division with headquarters in Kaduna, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade has been in the news for various reasons, most famously after the Nigerian Army soldiers under his command clashed with the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in December 2015. But is this all there is to the General? Assistant Editor, Seun Akioye met him at his divisional headquarters and he has this to share…
On Friday, August 12, 2016, members and executives of the Human Rights Relief Organisation led by its Executive Director, Mr. Sanni Muhammed Idris paid a visit to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade in Kaduna State Nigeria.
The visitors wore a businesslike look so also were the officers and men of the Division who had come to join in the meeting. And when Major General Oyebade walked into the room, he did in the prevailing mood of the gathering, that is businesslike. His entry was smooth and fast, almost noiseless. And as he went around the table shaking hands with the visitors, he did not betray any emotions.
Idris and his men had come to encourage and appreciate the GOC and the Division for helping to fight Boko Haram insurgency and providing security in the region especially in the last one year. He also made specific mention of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and the fatal clash with the men and officers of the Division, which has led to a Judicial Panel of Enquiry. The group later presented awards to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Burutai and to Oyebade which he dedicated to his men.
The GOC is not one to call a spade by another name. He told his visitors his mandate and that of his men is to provide security for Nigerians and the army would not stand idle while extremists take the country down. He was proud of the support his command had received from “millions of Nigerians” as his men served under all conditions to restore peace to his Area Of Responsibility (AOR).
“We shy away from joining issues with those who make irresponsible comments, but what is clear is that we cannot afford to have any extremist religious or criminal gang anywhere in Nigeria. We stand firm and strong, we will not be shaken,” he said.
Such strong and confident word is to be expected from a General who has paid his dues through the ranks of officer’s cadre since he joined the army in 1985.
Oyebade’s military decorations have come on leaps and bounds. Granted Presidential Commission as a combat infantry officer in June 1985, coincidentally by President Buhari, he has since been appointed Commander 1 Division Garrison and also 82 Division Garrison.
He was Commander, 9 Brigade Lagos, Deputy Commandant/Director of Studies National Defence College.
The awards have poured in. He won the Chief of Army Staff Prize for best research paper on Land operations at National Defence College in 2010. Also the Chief of Army staff Commendation Award in 2016 for professionalism in conduct of operations in 1 Division Area of Responsibility.
But the clash with the Islamic sect would not go away just yet. It has been the cause of a judicial panel of enquiry. Oyebade avoided the temptation of speaking on an issue still under judicial enquiry, but he would not allow certain impressions go unchallenged. So is he sorry for the loss of life in that encounter?
“I don’t want to comment so much on that, but I will tell you squarely, there is nothing to be sorry about. It is like saying you are sorry for ridden our country of insurgents and terrorists. But I am sorry in the sense that those who want to destabilize our country have found a foothold. I can’t be sorry for ensuring that the national security of this country is intact.
“The government in the course of time will also make its position known, it is not about General Oyebade or 1Division. It
Oyebade with COAS Burutai
is about the national security of this country, it is about the millions of people of this country to live peacefully, the job that we do is to ensure there is peace and stability in Nigeria. We do that with our sister service, the Navy and Air force, the Police, Department of State Security and other critical stakeholders and state governors.
“Whatever we do is under the direction of the Federal government, there is nothing personal about it, it could be anybody tomorrow and they will still do what they had to do as they have been ordered to do to ensure the security and stability of the country, he said.”
But he is painfully aware too the negative backlash the incident has caused his Division and the blames have been piled squarely at his doorsteps. There may be genuine misinformed commentators who yearn for understanding, but Oyebade also pointed a finger at some fifth columnists who are committed to bringing down the army and undermining national security.
“We also know that there are some people who don’t like our faces or what we do who quickly go to the media to make allegations. We can’t start responding to all sorts of allegations, but I can tell you even within the military, we have very strong laws that guard our actions. Nothing we do that we don’t have authorization to do within the framework of military assistance to civil power.”
If I can ask God for one thing…
This is perhaps not the most fun time to be appointed the GOC of the Premier Division of the Nigerian Army, which has the largest AOR spanning about 267,000 square kilometres and consisting of a sizeable proportion of Nigeria. Oyebade probably resumed to a hail of bullets from retreating Boko Haram insurgents from the North East to the West and the rampaging cattle rustlers who had unleashed maximum terror in the region.
But he was prepared for it.” The military is such that for each appointment you hold, you get trained for it, you develop the mindset and the professionalism to be able to address the challenges. GOC 1 Division is not something I found very tough because the army has adequately prepared me to get to this level, If I don’t have the capability, the confidence and the level of professionalism, I won’t be appointed to this office,” the General said without blinking an eye.
The General was lavish in his praise of his men, after all what is a General without his “very competent staff and officers” and together “ we have been able to forge ahead strongly and efficiently to discharge our duties exemplary and we have received commendations from all over, state governors, chief of army staff, from all quarters.”
The work of the soldiers is tough and life threatening, often it is the duty of Generals like Oyebade to send their men into harm’s way. When such orders are given, it was a hope that all the men would return, many times they don’t.
“In the course of our work, we have lost hundreds of our men, but we have also saved millions of Nigerians, Last week, we paid the supreme price when 12 of my men were killed, including an officer who just passed out of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) less than a year ago. You have heard how three others were killed in Nembe.
“It is not an easy task doing these things, but that is our job, some people may not like what we do because they have some axe to grind, whether with the government of the day or the army, but we do what we have to do the other option is to have a Somalia or Sudan in our hands. If it gets to that place, it is the same military or police that will be asked to restore stability,” the General said.
So how does he feel, when his men die in the course of duty? The General was silent, but just for a fraction of a minute, recovered himself and said: “When I went to Minna to commiserate with the families of my men who were killed in their efforts to recover am arms cache in Bosso LG, I had the responsibility to talk to the wives and the women generally, they were angry which is expected, I had to talk to them, to let them understand that I feel their pain because of the losses, it is painful.
“I told the women that if God asks me to ask for a wish, I would ask God to give me the power to give life and use the power to bring them back to life so these women will stop crying, but God doesn’t give such powers,” he said resigning himself to mortality.
General Oyebade is also not one to sit and mourn forever, his belief in the mandate of the military to provide security and secure lives is so overwhelming and infections. The military, he said, will not be shaken or shift ground to criminal gangs holding the country hostage. He is so averse to any group becoming a threat to national security, “They will have the army to deal with,” he said.
He has strong words for agitators who instead of following the constitutional means already provided resort to violent agitations. “If you want to carry placards, it is fine, go to the National Assembly, put in your petition, there is nothing wrong with clamor, there is nothing wrong with agitations if you do it within the framework of the laws provided, we will give you protection, but if it is against the law we will stop you.
“For us to stand by is that millions of lives will be lost, so what is the essence of the military, no military will condone that, no government will condone that, that is what we want our people to understand, there will always be conflict as long as there are human beings, you can sit down to resolve it or you can blow each other, when you fight you still come back to the table.”
We work with civilians
Oyebade and his men on the round table at the 1 Division Headquarters in Kaduna believe that civil/ military relationship is important for sustained security and unity. To this end, the Division has embarked on various programmes that will give the army a human face and win the trust of the people.
“We take civil /military relations very seriously and I said the support we get from the people is as a result of what we do. We go the extra mile in reaching out with medical outreaches to support government, we provide water in some communities that have no drinking water, we are still doing more, the people are happy,” he said to a general approval of his men.
Recently, prompted by a report in The Nation about the plight of the people of the Unguwar Kanti village, west of Rigasa, Oyebade drafted his men to the scene and donated a borehole to the community. It was perhaps one of the finest moments for this general as he rent his heart to the people he serves.
Oyebade told the people: “I read recently in The Nation Newspaper, about your community. According to the report, your major problem is lack of portable drinking water. I told myself that my heart will not be at peace until I give you water. So, I asked one of my officers to locate this place, so that I can give you borehole.
The Army is not just about fighting wars, we also assist the civil populace, because the Army under the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai is very friendly with the civil populace.”
Such unusual acts have endeared him to the populace in his AOR and helped foster peace, while the General was shy in giving himself the credit he deserves he said he was happy life has returned to normalcy in his AOR.
“We work day and night to bring stability but the job that we do is not a reality TV show, the way we know we are doing well is that to a large extent, economic activities are going on and the people are doing their businesses.
“ Go on the street and find out, to a large extent, the whole of the Northwest is stable and our operations run all over, operation against kidnapping and cattle rustling is going on. We have arrested so many terrorists who have infiltrated from the Northeast to the Northwest and we provide aide to civil power. The government and Chief of Army Staff have given us the support to succeed,” he said.
Only a strong woman can marry a soldier
Behind every soldier is a strong woman and Mrs. Edeoghene Oyebade is one of them, being the wife of a top military officer has its different shades, but mental strength is pertinent. “Any woman who is not strong cannot marry a military man. When I was a junior officer as a Major and I was in Liberia for two and half years and I came home only once. That once I spent one and half weeks, imagine your wife not seeing you for two years and your children are still behaving normally, you have to doff your hat to the woman of the house,” Oyebade said of his wife.
The woman also regarded him as her hero, describing him as a father, brother and friend. “If I come back to the world, I will marry him all over again,” she told The Nation.
The General has a counsel for Nigerians. “Nigerian people must support the government of the day, if you want the government to succeed you must support it. Let’s go the constitutional way, if you have any clamour, meet your representatives. Nobody and I emphasize that strongly can resort to the use of violence and go scot-free in this country, it will not happen.”
Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said that the military authority lack the power to declare civilians as wanted persons.
Falana who made this clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos in reaction to the three persons, Ahmed Bolori,a social worker; Aisha Wakil, a lawyer and human rights activist and Ahmed Salkida, a journalist declared wanted on Sunday by the military over alleged link with Boko Haram.
He said the military should stop further harassment of the three civilians.
He advised “since journalists and other civilians in combat operations are entitled to full legal protection under the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, the Nigerian Army should be directed by the Chief of Army Staff to stop any further harassment of the “wanted” persons.
“As a matter of urgency, the National Human Rights Commission should make it clear to the members of the armed forces that we are no longer under military dictatorship when the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people were violated with impunity.
By declaring the three persons wanted without any legal authority the army has usurped the statutory powers of both the Police and the SSS adding, “in the process it has breached the fundamental rights of the ‘suspects’ to personal liberty, dignity of the person and fair hearing guaranteed by the Constitution.
“In addition, the freedom of movement of Mrs Wakil and Mr. Bolori whose passports have been illegally impounded has also been violated by the army. Even under the defunct military dictatorship in Nigeria the arrest and detention of journalists as well as the closure of media houses by security operatives were declared illegal by several courts. Indeed, on several occasions, the ruling military oligarchy was ordered to pay monetary damages for the breach of the human rights of journalists and very many other citizens”.
He stated for instance “the Punch newspaper was awarded reparation of N22 million over the 1994 closure of its business premises and detention of its editor, Mr. Bola Bolawole by the combined team of armed soldiers and mobile policemen under the Sani Abacha junta.
“In Civil Liberties Organisation v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 75 some journalists who reported s phantom coup plot against the Abacha junta were tried before a Special Military Tribunal. They were convicted and jailed for being accessories after the fact of treason.
“The complainant dragged the federal government to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. As the federal military government had no defence to the allegations of mistrial the African Commission held that the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the convicts violated Article 7 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Similar trials of civilians by military courts in Mauritania and Sudan have been vitiated by the Commission on the ground that they failed to meet the independence test”, he stated.
Falana recalled that on Sunday, August 14, 2016, the proscribed Boko Haram terrorist sect had released a video showing some of the abducted Chibok girls. Shortly thereafter, the Nigerian Army declared three persons wanted over alleged links with the terrorist organisation and for concealing information from the federal government on the whereabout of the girls who were kidnapped on April 14, 2014.
Although Mrs Wakil reported herself to the army soon after the announcement, she was released and asked to await further instructions. She and Mr. Bolori have since been admitted to administrative bail by the army after meeting some conditions including the submission of their international passports. Thus, the planned pilgrimage to Mecca by the duo has been aborted by the army without any legal basis.
In justifying the decision to declare the three persons wanted the Nigerian army spokesperson, Colonel Sani Usman, stated that “there is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram Terrorist sect and have contacts with them. They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them…We rely on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists or terrorist activities.”
He also recalled that Salkida, in his reaction to the serious allegations of withholding information and maintaining contacts with the terrorist stated via his Twitter that the video in question was sent to him before the girls’ abductors uploaded it on Youtube.
Notwithstanding the gravity of the allegations of maintaining contacts with a terrorist movement and concealing information from the federal government, Falana contended that the decision of the Nigerian army to declare the “suspects” wanted is ultra vires, illegal and unconstitutional in every material particular.
“Since the wanted persons are not serving military personnel who are subject to service law they cannot be investigated or tried under the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 LFN, 2004. Furthermore, under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended the army has not been authorized to perform any duty whatsoever.
”In other words, the powers of arrest, investigation and prosecution under the Act have been vested in the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service. In the circumstances, the Nigerian Army ought to have made available to either the Police or the SSS any evidence or information concerning the alleged links of the three persons to the terrorist body”, he stated.
The Edo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) on Monday graduated 193 officers who were trained in the act of arm handling.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Benin on Monday, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Walter Akubuiroh, said the training became part of effort to improve efficiency and the protection of lives and properties in the country.
He said the officers were trained in collaboration with the Fourth Brigade Command of the Nigeria Army.
The commandant said they were also trained in field graft and foot drill.
The commandant reiterated the need for the government and all other sister agencies to continue to encourage training of personnel in diverse drills, needed to enhance their capabilities in their day to day discharge of duties.
Akubuiroh said that the need to extend such trainings to other agencies is not far-fetched from the fact that internal insecurity is at this time, a matter of concern in the country.
He said “Now that we are having internal security issues in the country which are religious extremism, vandals and insurgency, we know the impact it is having in our economy.
“Why we are calling on other Paramilitary agencies and the government to approve enough training exercises, as the military cannot single handedly secure the country.
“We have the manpower to support the Nigerian Army who has done marvelously well in this trying times.
“But assistance can also be given to them by officers who have received this kind of trainings especially in internal security.”
He said nine officers and other 184 men went through three weeks of training in arms drill, foot drills and field craft respectively at the fourth brigade command of the Nigerian Army.
He also said that the NSCDC have been collaborating with the Nigerian Army in training officers in Edo State since 2011.
He said this collaboration have groomed officers that have contributed their quota to securing the state, by driving away vandals, who he said, are on the run, for fear of the officers and men of the NSCDC.
Akubuiroh advised newly trained officers to know that the training they have received, is expected to enhance their level of discipline and interpersonal performance in the discharge of their duties.
“The Nigerian Army who has trained you is satisfied with the job they do, their job gives them motivation and this makes them resilient and always respond to the call of duty. I urge you to adhere to their principles.” he said.
The Comptroller of the Immigration Service, David Adih, represented by Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mrs. Agwai advised that arms handling requires discipline and right temperament to bear.
She also said that officers with arms must learn to be cautious and patient and must not handle it with levity but caution.
A civil society group under the aegis of Stand Up Nigeria (SUN), has asked journalist, Ahmed Salkida who has close link with Boko Haram to stop using his contact with the sect to seek cheap popularity.
Salkida and two others, Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil also known as Mama Boko Haram were declared wanted by Nigerian army in connection with the missing Chibok girls on Sunday.
Bolori and Wakil (AKA Mama Boko Haram) have since reported to the Nigerian Army in an effort to clear their names from been linked with Boko Haram.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, SUN’s Executive Director of Communication, Arubi Justina, said the use of close links with Boko Haram by the above named persons to seek popularity was condemnable.
“Such antics must be condemned by professional bodies which any of the trio is claiming affiliation to,” she said.
According to her, even if the trio had genuinely started out as professional journalist, negotiators, activists or any other occupation, they have since crossed the threshold of professionalism to become terrorists’ sympathizers who revel in supporting killers.
She stated that Salkida has overstepped his journalistic boundaries, saying if he has no affiliation with the insurgents, he would have as a matter of national security divulge the information available to him to security agencies.
According to her, these wanted persons were behind the series of Boko Haram negotiation scams that cost Nigerians billions of naira under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She said: “Since they were declared wanted, these Boko Haram collaborators have taken to the media in their usual fashion in attempts to create public outrage against the military in the hope that this could be used to blackmail their way out having to give accounts for their relationship with the world’s most despicable terror group. They have immediately embarked on a media campaign to the effect that they are ready to appear before the army; that they have contributed and made so much sacrifice towards containing Boko Haram or securing the release of the girls; or that they are being persecuted.
“Similarly, their fellow members in the intellectual wing of Boko Haram had desperately tried to paint the trio as victims; paint Salkida as a journalists being vilified for his doggedness and the other two as genuine negotiators.
“Stand Up Nigeria therefore call on Nigerians, human rights activist, journalists and online community to shun any extension of solidarity to the trio of wanted Boko Haram sympathizers. Salkida, Wakili and Bolori have at different times confessed to knowing more than the ordinarily in terms of her association with Boko Haram.”
She urged the Nigerian Army not to be distracted from their conventional military business, saying they are trying to use negative media to blackmail the Army and the Federal Government in a ploy that is as despicable as their association with Boko Haram.
Troops of 35 Battalion, 1 Brigade Nigerian Army, on Friday killed a suspected cattle rustler on Tsambe-Fafare Road, Jibia local government area of Katsina State.
A statement issued by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col.Sani Usman, on Saturday said the troops were in a joint patrol with Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ((NSCDC), Katsina State, under operation “SHARAN DAJI.”
He said the operation followed intelligence reports that three gunmen were sighted on motorcycles in the area.
Usman said the troops swung into action and pursued the suspected armed bandits towards Dumburu forest in Zamfara.
“The troops killed one of the suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits, while the other two escaped with gunshot wounds,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the army spokesman as saying in the statement.
Items recovered by the troops included an AK-47 rifle with registration number 1985PS6288, additional AK-47 rifle magazine and three rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.
