The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Shettima

  • Emergency rule: Troops kill 21 Boko Haram members

    Emergency rule: Troops kill 21 Boko Haram members

    No fewer than 21 members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect were killed yesterday by troops the Federal Government deployed in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    Ten of the training camps of the sects were also seized in the third day of military operation in the state.

    More significantly, the troops recovered anti-aircraft guns from some camps of the sect in northern and central districts of the state.

    The sect’s fighters had fired at one of the military jets involved in the operations in northern Borno, but the aircraft was not damaged as the pilot managed to steer it to safety.

    The fighter jet was one of the many deployed in northern Borno where troops have overrun many of the sect’s camps.

    Spokesman of the Defence Headquarters, Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed the sect’s attack on the troops yesterday.

    He said: “Indeed, they made attempts to bring down military aircraft in the northern part, but they did not succeed.

    “They fired at one of our aircraft involved in the operation in Northern Borno, but they failed. The aircraft was not damaged in any way.”

    Another source added: “Already reconnaissance was ongoing at the troubled spot where the aircraft was fired at. Our troops are on top of the situation. They (Boko Haram) are feeling the heat.

    Military sources in Abuja hinted of a failed bid by the fundamentalists to shoot down military jets in Borno.

    A military official, according to the BBC, said a plane had been hit by anti-aircraft fire but had managed to retur to base.

    Some members of the sect were also beating a retreat into the desert parts of Niger, Chad and Northern Mali with a view to linking up with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, sources said.

    One source said: “The troops deployed in Borno have so far recorded some mileage by regaining some parts of northern and central parts of the state.

    “But the focus is on the need to protect the entire state from the aggression of the insurgents. We are not taking things for granted at all.

    “So far, the deployment of troops has been smooth with some Boko Haram camps already taken over. Many deadly weapons were also impounded during the raid on these camps. More than 10 of such camps have been recovered by the troops.”

    Olukolade confirmed that the troops had overrun some Boko Haram camps. But he did not disclose the locations of the camps “for ‘security reasons”.

    His words: “Within a few hours of operation, our troops have overrun terrorist camps in northern and central Borno . “We have also discovered dangerous weapons in possession of Boko Haram in these camps or terrorist bases. Some of the weapons recovered are anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. What this recovery means is that they could have brought down any military aircraft.

    “Indeed, they made attempts to bring down military aircraft in the northern part but they did not succeed.

    “I deliberately did not mention the Boko Haram camps we have captured so that the sect will not go and mop up their armoury in other bases or cells which we are yet to take over.

    “All I can tell you is that we have intelligence report on their camps and the operation to rout the insurgents.”

    Some other sources said Boko Haram members were retreating to the desert parts of Niger, Chad and northern Mali to link up with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb.

    One of the sources said: “Intelligence reports have shown that Boko Haram members are retreating from their camps/cells into border parts of Niger, Chad and northern Mali .

    “The African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) has however been placed on the alert to ward off the retreating Boko Haram members.

    “There will also be collaboration between Nigeria and its neighbours on how to check the insurgents.”

    The soldiers yesterday continued their shelling of suspected camps of the sect, killing at least 21 people, a security official told AP.

    The fighting was in the Sambisa Forest Reserve, south of Maiduguri which soldiers previously raided in the hunt for terrorists.

    Soldiers started the attack on Sambisa Forest Reserve on Thursday, having previously converged in the area ahead of Tuesday’s declaration of state of emergency in Borno,Yobe and Adamawa by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    There was no independent confirmation of the assault or casualties.

    “We are not going to leave the forest until it’s over,” the official said, referring to the emergency rule.

    Reuters, in a separate report, quoted Brig-Gen. Olukolade as saying: “A number of insurgents have been killed. It is not just Sambisa; every camp is under attack. But we have not done the mopping up operations on the ground to determine the number killed.”

    Mobile phone service returned yesterday morning to parts of the three states after being cut on Thursday. The security official told the AP that the service cut came on the orders of the Federal Government and security forces as soldiers moved into the northeast to begin operations. The official said service would likely be shut off again.

  • Gov Shettima’s apocalyptic warning

    Gov Shettima’s apocalyptic warning

    Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, is a very worried man. As governor of the state worst affected by the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, he has had cause to repeatedly issue shrill warnings on the mindless killings going on in the Northeast. On Wednesday, while receiving the 32-member Senate Joint Committee on the April 16 Massacre in Baga, he once again made an impassioned plea to the federal government to re-examine its strategies for combating terrorism. The plea comes against the background of the horrendous waste of lives in Baga and Bama in Borno State, and in Alakyo Village, Nasarawa State, where about 30 policemen were reportedly ambushed and murdered by a cult militia group called the Ombatse Militia. Hundreds of lives were lost in Baga, and some 47, according to official estimates, were lost in Bama. The killings took place in the space of about three weeks, and they show no sign of letting up.

    Governor Shettima does not believe the root cause of the mayhem is being addressed. He thinks a revolutionary ferment is being engendered, with terrible consequences for the country. His prognosis is quite worrying. According to him, “Underneath the mayhem of Boko Haram, beneath the madness lies the underlying cause which is extreme poverty and destitution which have permeated all spectrums of our society.” He adds apocalyptically: “Only and until we address some of these issues, believe me, the future is very bleak for all of us as the current crisis is just an appetizer of things to come. Very soon the youths of this country will be chasing us away…The most important thing in Nigeria is all about the last election and the next election, that is the only thing that is agitating our minds. How we can perpetuate ourselves in power, how much we can steal, how many mansions we can buy in Florida, Dubai and London, these are the things agitating the minds of the elite of this country, including you and I.”

    Given the anomie in the Northeast, which is almost spiralling out of control, and both the unconvincing response from the presidency and the intensification of the insurgency by Boko Haram extremists, it is clear the governor is not being hysterical. The country, it seems, has reached a point where the extremists are not deterred by security agents’ heavy-handedness or reprisal attacks, nor, sadly, ready to yield to well-meaning appeals to lay down their weapons and enter into dialogue with the government. It is of course worrisome that for now the sect is simply not eager to negotiate or embrace amnesty. It is also true that it harbours in its ranks malcontents from neighbouring countries. And it is also probably true that the sect is motivated by a mixed cocktail of economic and sectarian causes, thereby complicating the crisis.

    But the real nightmare is that Nigeria has become eerily and retrogressively like Afghanistan. Nigeria is no longer dealing with a fairly discernible gang of misguided religious extremists like the Maitatsine sect, which banded together in enclaves and was susceptible to effective conventional and counterinsurgency warfare tactics. It is also not dealing with fighters who are squeamish about sacrificing their lives, or who have lofty views, any sensible view at all, of country and its democratic principles. Nigeria is in fact now dealing with bitter, vengeful and relentless fighters completely devoted to their causes, no matter how misguided the rest of the country think those causes are. The sect’s impenetrable stoicism and their absolute inurement to pain and death have made it harder to find a solution.

    Unfortunately, the administrative effort to tackle the restiveness in the Northeast, though it is frenzied, has not been matched by appreciable brilliance or deep thinking. This was what prompted Governor Shettima to make his apocalyptic predictions about the prospect of ending the conflict quickly. Yet, the longer the conflict continues, the more the danger of a revolution, as the governor warned. There is not much hope the amnesty panel will make clear headway, and there is little on the ground to indicate the government’s counterinsurgency tactics will yield fruit soon. The most practical option the government should consider is how to reorganise the security forces to make them both more effective and capable of regaining the confidence and respect of the local populace who find themselves between the devil and the blue sea. And to cap the rejuvenation and reorganisation of the security agencies, Nigeria’s political leaders, especially President Goodluck Jonathan, must imbibe the right attitude to the crisis and make the right utterances in order to rally the country behind them and behind the new initiatives required to deal with a menace threatening to consume everyone

  • Jonathan, Shettima and Borno mass killings

    Jonathan, Shettima and Borno mass killings

    A pall of death on Monday descended over Baga town in Kukawa local government area of Borno State as the military Joint Task Force (JTF) combating terrorism in the north-eastern part of Nigeria clashed with suspected members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Some residents of the town claimed an estimated 185 people, mainly women and children, were killed in the clash, and a market, and scores of houses and shops were said to have been torched. One soldier was also reportedly killed. There is, so far, no explanation for why the death toll in just one clash was so high while only one soldier was killed. The disproportionate toll may explain why many speculated it was mass killings deliberately orchestrated by the JTF.

    The JTF itself has not given a definitive account of the clash or of the death toll. But it claims that the figures were exaggerated. Officials of the Borno State government have also suggested that while the clash and killings were deeply troubling and the scale of destruction deplorable, it was too early to give a precise figure of the dead and wounded. The compilation was still ongoing, they said. But the early release of the unsubstantiated figure of 185 dead created such a panic that even the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, rushed out a press statement condemning the high death toll and advising that authorities had a responsibility to safeguard human rights even in the thick of the anti-terror war.

    For once, since the counterinsurgency operations by the JTF began in the Northeast, President Goodluck Jonathan has taken the salutary step of ordering a probe of the clash to establish whether there was indeed a slaughter of such proportions and whether the military rules of engagement were adhered to. This sensible step contrasted with the defiant and insensitive statement made by the president in the same Northeast early March when he warned ominously that he was no longer willing to hear of or tolerate the killing of even one security agent. That regrettable statement was widely interpreted at the time to offer security forces an unrestricted licence for human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings. Hopefully the probe will establish what went wrong, or whether, as a state official said, the locals exaggerated the death toll to curry sympathy and favour.

    Clearly, the JTF counterinsurgency operations are not being conducted with the skilfulness and restraint such operations call for. Whether the death toll is as high as initial reports suggest or not, the alarm raised by the early accounts of the Baga clash should serve as a wake-up call for both the Jonathan presidency and the military authorities. It is time everyone in government realised that the Boko Haram crisis is a domestic problem threatening the peace, development and unity of the entire country. Consequently, the death of security agents, innocent civilians, Boko Haram fundamentalists and any other victim should be regarded as a tragedy that diminishes all of us. No death is more regrettable than the other. While efforts are being intensified to pacify the sect and restore the affected region to normality, the JTF has a responsibility as a disciplined force to ensure scrupulous adherence of its men to the rules of engagement. It is unacceptable and undisciplined to embark on revenge missions whenever an officer is killed in combat.

    The response of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State to the Baga killings has been heartwarming. He recognises his obligations to the troops fighting the insurgency, and has made statements showing his state appreciates their sacrifice. But he also clearly gives indication of the anguish he feels seeing the scale of destruction and killings everywhere a clash has taken place in his state. He probably gets more accurate but disturbing information than he has cared to release to the public. And by announcing his readiness to rebuild the destroyed and obviously traumatised fishing town of Baga, he has admirably discharged a part of his obligations as a responsible governor. Hopefully, Mr Jonathan will learn from Alhaji Shettima’s evenhandedness and dispassion.

     

  • Ekweremadu, governors hail Super Eagles’ victory

    Ekweremadu, governors hail Super Eagles’ victory

    The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the Super Eagles on their emergence as the new champions of Africa.

    Nigeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 to win the competition for the third time in a tension soaked final on Sunday in Johannesburg.

    In a congratulatory message in Abuja, Ekweremadu described the Super Eagles’ lifting of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in South Africa as “a new dawn in Nigerian football.’’

    He noted that the emergence of the Super Eagles as the champions of Africa was especially symbolic as Nigeria was marking its 100 years of existence as a nation.

    Ekweremadu urged all Nigerians to imbibe the patriotism, commitment, faith, and zeal demonstrated by the Eagles despite being written off early in the competition.

    “Winning the trophy on the threshold of our centenary is symbolic and I urge Nigerians to emulate the team’s spirit, patriotism and unity.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Nigeria won the trophy for the first time when it hosted the tournament in 1980 and the second time in 1994 in Tunisia.

    Also Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun hailed the victory of the Super Eagles over the Stallions of Burkina Faso, describing it as instructive.

    This is contained in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, on Monday.

    Amosun described the success of the Nigerian team as “great”, especially coming at a time when many people had written the team off.

    “It shows that as a nation we can always achieve our dreams if we are dedicated, committed and unwavering in the face of daunting challenges,” the governor said.

    Amosun recalled that the Eagles went to the championship as ”an underdog”, but the ”can do it” spirit in an average Nigerian kept motivating them at every stage until they won the trophy.

    “Our dream of a great and united nation is always within our reach and attainment if we are committed and regard our challenges as mere stepping stones to the much-desired destination,” Amosun noted.

    The governor congratulated the Eagles and Nigerians for the AFCON success and the restoration of Nigeria’s glory in Africa football.

    He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the mental and physical development of the youth in the state so that they could continue to win more laurels for the state and Nigeria in general.

    In Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno congratulated the Super Eagles for their victory in South Africa.

    Shettima said this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communications, Isa Gusau, in Maiduguri.

    “I wish to congratulate the Super Eagles, their coaches and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their victory at the AFCON finals.

    “I also wish to congratulate the President and all Nigerians on the victory,” he said.

    Shettima said the victory was a good omen for Nigeria.

     

  • Governor’s wife pays fines to free 40 prisoners in Borno

    Governor’s wife pays fines to free 40 prisoners in Borno

    Forty inmates of the Maiduguri Maximum Security Prison regained their freedom on Wednesday after the wife of Borno governor, Mrs Kashim Shettima, paid about N600,000 fined them by the courts.

    The convicts had the fine option or serve their jail terms.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the money was paid through her pet project- the Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya Children (SWOT).

    Speaking at the event, the SWOT Secretary, Mallam Abdulsalam Mohammed, said that Shettima was deeply touched by the plight of the inmates.

    “She was deeply touched by the plight of the inmates who are mostly young men.

    “Hence, she decided to pay the fine option so that they can regain their freedom.”

    Mohammed said the gesture was part of Nigeria’s 52 anniversary celebration.

    He also presented 50 bags of 50 kg rice to other inmates as part of the celebration.

    Mohammed said the foundation was established to provide support to the less privileged and vulnerable

    members of the society.

    Alhaji Yusuf Garba, the Deputy Controller of Prison in charge of the facility, thanked Shettima for the gesture and urged the freed inmates to be of good behaviour. (NAN)