The Nation Newspaper

Tag: terror

  • West Africa terror threat has grown, says Canadian diplomat

    West Africa terror threat has grown, says Canadian diplomat

    A Canadian diplomat, who was held captive by al-Qaida terrorists in the Sahara Desert for 130 days, Robert Fowler, said Canada’s promised boost to defence should include commitments to combatting the growing Islamic terrorism threat in Africa — a threat he sayid isn’t getting the attention it deserves.

    Fowler said it would take “a very large and serious effort to eradicate” the groups that have taken root in West Africa’s Sahel region — particularly Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali — and that U.S. military officials said they are fighting to gain access to the western coast, which would increase their ability to attack North America.

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    “There’s nothing we can say that will dissuade those people from doing what they’re doing — I certainly learned that in the sand,” he told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired yesterday on The West Block.

    “They are deeply, absolutely committed and are evidently prepared to die in that commitment. So, it would take a very large and serious effort to eradicate them, because they won’t be convinced not to do it.”

  • Lukarawa terror alert

    Lukarawa terror alert

    The alert by Defence Headquarters (DHQ) of a new terror group, the Lukarawa in Sokoto and Kebbi states would seem a fresh dimension to the metastasising insecurity in the country.

    The news must have unsettled Nigerians, especially the northwest that has been battling the festering challenge of banditry. In the last couple of years, banditry manifesting in kidnapping for ransom, despoliation of villages and senseless killings has left that region a ghost of its former self. This has in turn, taken a huge toll on agricultural production as farmers refuse to go to farms for fear for their lives.

    So, the emergence of another terror group in that region carries with it all the trappings of a canary in the coal mine. But is the terror group really ‘new’ in the security trajectory of the northwest region? That is perhaps, one issue this column seeks to explore.

    DHQ spokesman, Edward Buba who announced the emergence of the ‘new’ terror group, said Lukarawa is linked to Islamic State (ISIS) and its members crossed into Nigeria from Niger Republic. He said when the terror group first settled in Sokoto and Kebbi states, the locals accommodated them and did not report to security agencies until they started to cause havoc.

    According to him, this is the first time the Sahelian jihadists are making incursions into our country taking advantage of gaps in cooperation between Nigeria and Niger, the difficult terrain and under-governed areas to spread their ideology. The ideology they are propagating was not disclosed but the military said the group emerged last year after the coup in Niger that led to the breakdown of cooperation between that country and Nigeria.

    The key issues raised by the military are that Lukarawa is a new terror group that emerged after last year’s coup in Niger Republic; they are just making their first incursion into Nigeria and the communities accommodated them without informing the security agencies. Its corollary is that the security agencies had no prior information on their presence before the last coup in Niger Republic.

    All these seek to place culpability for the emergency and current threat posed by the Lukarawa terror group on the shoulders of the local communities in Sokoto and Kebbi states. That may well be.

    While a peep into  accounts of people from those areas show some similarities with the military narrative on how the terror group settled in the villages, there exist remarkable differences in terms of their time of settlement, the knowledge of their presence the security agencies had and why the locals allowed them in the first place.

    A study conducted in 2021 indicated that the Lukarawa group was initially invited from Mali by local leaders in Gudu and Tangaza local governments of Sokoto State in 2017 to address the growing banditry incursions from Zamfara State. 

    Another 2022 study by Murtala Rufa’i,  James Barnett and  Abdulaziz  Abdulaziz showed that Lukarawa rejected the title of Boko Haram, rather preferring to be called Mujahdeen or Ansaru, the franchiseof Al-Qaeda. It started by protecting the locals in its strongholds, attacking military formations and civilians considered to be informants to the military.

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    The study also revealed that when local leaders in Gudu and Tangaza LGAs of Sokoto State invited the Lukarawa group in 2017 to address banditry incursions from Zamfara, they solicited for cash, cows, logistics and weapons to help the group protect them and even recruited youths to join them. The report said they are Malians who speak Arabic and Fulfulde.

    A resident of Tangaza LGA, Mallam Bello Tangaza corroborated the invitation of the group by locals for protection about six years ago after being assailed by banditry manifesting in kidnapping and cattle rustling as security agencies could not offer much help.

    According to him, those initially invited were 10 well-armed men because of their track record as a vigilante group. He said after the police failed to rescue some of their kidnapped community leaders, the group moved in and rescued them together with rustled cows and sheep.

    But things went awry when the group went beyond their mandate to enforce, collect levies and indulge in other illegal activities. They preached some weird ideology, checked people’s phones and broke memory cards they found to contain music. They also flogged people who played or downloaded music from their phones. The community leaders who initially invited them got tired of their excesses and sought their quick exit. When community and religious leaders got tired of their excesses, they provided valuable information to the authorities.

    But the threat was downplayed. This enabled the group to re-group and re-emerge in 2021, aligning with bandits and Fulani communities. That was perhaps, when their escapades assumed monstrous and lethal proportions.

    It is not clear at what point the community leaders sought the assistance of security agencies to quit the group from their area. But one thing not in doubt is that the security agencies had knowledge of the presence of the group, even if they misread their motive or underestimated their capacities.

    A local government information officer in Tangaza, Bala Ibrahim Gidan-Madi had then also confirmed that a former commissioner of police in the state, Murtala Mani had visited the communities as part of efforts to beef up security.

    When the matter was first reported by the media, then spokesperson of Sokoto State police command, Cordelia Nwawe had said they were not bandits but herders from Mali with their wives and children, cattle, cows and donkey.

    “They came to same area annually from Mali in search of water for their cattle…they went back since Tuesday, November 27, 2018 and no attack on any person or damage to farm crop was recorded”, she had said. The police enjoined Sokoto and its environs not to panic but to go about their lawful duties without fear or apprehension.

    Just before last week’s alert by the DHQ, Sokoto State government raised alarm on the presence of the terror group in five LGAs of the state. Spokesman of the state police command, Ahmed Rufai gave further insight on how long the terror group had stayed in the area when he said, “they have been in those areas for some years now.  They are armed with weapons and part of their agenda is to impose their own kind of religious practice on the people”.

    There are clear issues in the attestations and copious evidence provided by the locals and the police authorities. The first is that the Lukarawa group was initially invited by local leaders to help them fight back the menace of banditry. But the group soon turned a verity of Frankenstein monster.  Second, the group came from Mali and may have crossed in from Niger because the later shares boarders with Nigeria. They are largely Malians.

    Again, they are not ‘new’ in the northwest as their presence dates as far back as 2018. They had in the past, reportedly mounted attacks against military formations even if in isolated and feeble circumstances. The state government and the police had clear evidence of their presence but may have been handicapped in confronting them just as was the case with banditry.

    So, it was not entirely correct for the military to lay the blame for the incursions of the Lukarawa group solely on the locals who took resort to self-help due to the inability of security agencies to protect them. Assuming without conceding the locals failed to report their presence to security agencies, it smacks of intelligence failure for the terror group to operate for that long without notice.

    The coup in Niger, leading to breakdown in cooperation may have a hand in the spread of the terror group. But it was not the major factor. There has been evidence of Lukarawa presence in Sokoto and Kebbi states for some years before that coup.

    At any rate, with the diplomatic faceoff between Nigeria and Niger and threat of military action by ECOWAS against the latter, one had expected strict manning of the borders to prevent infiltration of the enemy. But that did not appear to have happened given the excuses by the military on Lukarawa exploiting the difficult terrain and under-governed areas after the coup to spread terror.

    What seems to have emerged from all this, is that security agencies were either handicapped in confronting the Lukarawa terror group or they underestimated their capacities for evil.  Ironically, we seem to be repeating the same mistakes that led to the escalation of Boko Haram insurgency.

    It has been argued with varying degrees of persuasion that had the early activities of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf been promptly checked, this country would have been saved the enormous toll in human and material capital expended on that unending war. But, was there any prospect of security agencies meaningfully engaging the Lukarawa group invited to protect the locals against the menace of bandits then? That is the dialectical poser.

  • Reinvigorating anti-terror war (2)

    Reinvigorating anti-terror war (2)

    “The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.” … Sun Tzu…A Chinese Military General, Strategist, Philosopher and Writer.

    In last week’s edition, I started a discussion titled “Reinvigorating anti-terror war (1)”, wherein I reflected on the worsening state of insecurity in Nigeria. I also promised to continue with Part- 2 in which I will continue to share insight, and also proffer some ways forward.

    KEY DRIVERS OF INSECURITY AND TERRORISM

     As terrorism and other forms of criminality are gaining critical mass in Nigeria worsening the state of insecurity, it is important that we dimension the key drivers of the evils. 

    Some key drivers of insecurity include drug trafficking, the proliferation of arms, porous borders, bad politics, lack of education, unemployment, the widened gap between social strata, socio-economic well-being and corruption, etc.

    The inflow of drugs and illicit arms due to porous borders (land, air, and sea) has been exemplified and evidenced by the daily interception of illicit arms, drugs, and illegal immigrants by security agents, which is a testament to the seriousness of our predicament.

    TERRORISM FINANCING

    The issue of terror financing is crucial to enable terrorism and insecurity which is a deeply rooted issue with international dimensions and ramifications. We are seeing how proactive and forward-thinking Countries are effectively dealing with these issues. Indeed, in Nigeria, there are laws and regulations in place to guard against evil financing of terrorism. But over the past 13 years; lack of political will, poor execution, inefficient and ineffective law enforcement, prosecution, and adjudication (which also has to do with our judiciary) have hampered a turnaround of the situation.

     Some law enforcement agencies like the DSS take years to secure convictions on issues of terrorism due to the nature of our judicial systems, which leaves much to be desired. Therefore, there is a lack of consequences for criminality and terrorism, which would have served as a deterrent. There is an ongoing prosecution by the DSS of an alleged collaborator in terrorism financing. Two days ago, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede stated that over N7Billion suspected terrorism finance has been traced to a religious sect in Nigeria, but the EFCC Chairman expressed his concern about how a Court has stopped the Commission from proceeding with the necessary actions for prosecution. Such bottlenecks, deliberate or not, are major inhibitors of the fight against insecurity and terrorism and must be stopped immediately. Moreover, more needs to be done with regard to investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of the financiers of terrorism and their collaborators. Unless there are convictions and consequences for acts of terrorism, security, and economic sabotage; the war against insecurity will remain ineffective.

     There is a need for more firm and impactful action in the financial services sector to ensure that they are not in any way used as platforms and pipelines for the financing of all elements of insecurity and terrorism. There should be sincere zero tolerance and consequences for aiding and abetting criminality in this Country. It is only when there are consequences that we can win this war.

    RESOURCES AVAILABILITY AND OPTIMIZATION

    We need to be honest with ourselves with regard to the capacity of our Armed forces in terms of man and material resources i.e. number of personnel (i.e. boots on the ground), kits, equipment, weaponry, technological capabilities, operational capacities, etc. These are critical success factors for the Armed Forces from time immemorial. Therefore, an armed force that is hamstrung with resources and logistics challenges will not be effective in combating crime, terrorism, and the attendant insecurity.

    While I commend the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP’s) initiative of creating special intervention squads within the meager number of personnel he has to manage the escalation of insecurity challenges, I add my voice to the advocacy for adequate resourcing of our armed forces because they are all in dire need to support that they resource they require. The Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces are struggling with their man and material resources and do not have enough resources to contain and fight internal security. The Forces are seriously undermanned, with a lack of proper kitting and tooling, lack of proper and up-to-date equipment and technologies, and logistics support to enable them to function effectively. This situation must be reversed immediately. The Nigerian Armed Forces currently struggle to fend for themselves, most times they have to procure their kits (uniforms, boots, berets, etc.) from their own pocket money to perform their duties. A situation whereby bandits and terrorists and bandits carry AK49 will loads of other arms and ammunition against the AK45 used by the Nigerian Armed Forces is pathetic.

    The truth is that the personnel of the Armed Forces are over-stretched at the moment and unless the President and the National Assembly take drastic actions, the forces will soon be ineffective and helpless – that’s the reality.

     The gallant armed forces face dangers daily, risking their lives and that of their families. I get goose pimples when I see videos of our gallant armed forces, vigilantes, and other citizens risking their lives as they take on the terrorists who have superior firepower and yet they keep soldiering and struggling day-in and day-out despite the challenges including depleting resources and meager welfare provisions. This should not be the case.

    OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND ERROR BOMBINGS

    The overall operational framework can only be properly executed if the requisite man and material resources are provided for a timely and optimal way to deal with the situation. 

    In most cases, the response times to threats or to prevent a threat from becoming an active danger, or to quell actively dangerous situations are very poor due to a lack of adequate resources, the morale of the offers and men of the armed forces, lack of discipline and consequence for misconduct or negligence and wrong postings, i.e. “round pegs in square holes”. The cost of recruitment error, or posting incompetent officers to man positions and locations based on parochial interest is very costly and damaging which leads to disasters like error bombing of innocent citizens and wrong targets which is becoming too frequent and must be stopped forthwith.

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     Another issue is the urgent need for value re-orientation of the Armed Forces. For example, in some cases, the response times to issues are either slow, nonchalant even sometimes dismissive until the damage has occurred and lives and properties are lost. There should be zero tolerance for acts of nonchalance, negligence, and total disregard for imminent dangers.

    WELFARE AND MENTAL HEALTH

    The welfare and well-being of the armed forces are also paramount in keeping the officers physically, mentally, and psychologically fit to continue risking their lives for their Country.

     I completely agree with the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa who recently called for the increase in the Salaries and welfare of the Military whereby he revealed that he and other soldiers are paid N1,200 per day on operations. I am sure the same situation goes to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies. This leaves much to be desired considering the hazardous and risky situation that the armed forces are operating in, especially those in combat. I urge Mr. President to immediately look into this very important topic so that reasonable provisions will be made for our armed forces wherever they are

     The mental health of officers, especially those in combat or those who return from various operations suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) should be given the desired attention. PTSD is a major mental issue that has adverse consequences on the mental health of the armed forces soldier with dire impacts within the rank and file and the larger civilian society. The rate at which soldiers and policemen turn their guns against their colleagues, spouses, or the larger society is an indication of a clear and present danger that needs to be addressed by providing psychological, counseling, and other emotional and mental support for those who have dedicated their lives to protecting Nigeria.

     CORRUPTION

    Anticorruption Strategy and Value-Reorientation: Beyond mantra to action through realistic, practical, and pragmatic plans and actions with the requisite strategy, management, and execution to rid Nigeria of the cankerworm of corruption. It is so bad that we hear of allegations of government officials, public officers, politicians, traditional rulers, businessmen and women collaborating with bandits, illegal miners, kidnappers, and terrorists. This is the tragedy we face especially when all we hear is that the enablers of terrorism are known, yet we haven’t seen concrete actions taken against them.

     I conclusion, I urge Mr. President on whose table the bucks tops, that with robust strategy, and with decisive and effective execution – Nigeria shall overcome.

  • Terror in the sky

    Terror in the sky

    It is not the best of time to fly. Any traveller who had ever flown in the night would readily admit that they dread flying at that hour. If they can help it, they would not fly at night. Indeed, flying at night coud be risky; it is the time of day that visibility is poor, even on land. Ask any driver.

     As many know, flying is all about visibility – the pilot’s ability to see and assure his passengers that they are in safe hands. With a country with poor Instrumant Landing System (ILS), one can imagine the enormous risk passengers face flying at night. This is talkng about commercial flights.

    For military flights, the risk is greater. Going on night time sorties is not a tea party. It is a deadly mission in which anything can happen. Visibility also matters.  The pilot’s senses must be extra sharp. His eyes and ears must pick up things and fast. There is no room for negligence as he works with the military control room which guides and directs him and his crew.

    The fighter pilot’s aim is to get the target whether standing, sitting, or moving. From the air and with the guidance of his commanders on the ground who are monitoring him, he makes a reconnaissance to the enemy’s territory. It is a mission of life and death. Everything usually happens in a split second during such operations. If the pilot gets his bearings right and hits the target, he earns plaudits,  but if he misses his way and falls into the enemy’s hands, he becomes a prisoner of war.

    It is scary to be a fighter pilot. There is nothing worse than to be captured by the enemy. But once in a while, the fighter pilot hits the wrong target, letting all hell loose. When that target is not only a civilian but women and children, it makes things worse. The killing of scores of people in a community in Kaduna State on Sunday night by an army pilot is a classical case of a military mission gone wrong.

    Acting on intelligence, the pilot flew towards Tudun Biri in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna where some bandits were said to have massed. But it was not a gathering of bandits or terrorists, which the government has been waging kinetic and non-kinetic war against in the past 14 years. It was a gathering of Muslim faithful celebrating Maulud (Birthday of Prophet Muhammed).

    Sure of the intelligence he received, the fighter pilot bombed the gathering, killing over 85 persons, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Where did the army get the intelligence upon which it ordered the attack? I shuddered as I watched the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Chris Musa, and Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, on television explaining what happened.

    The generals were pained and humbled by what happened and it showed in their demeanour. They did not give excuses for the mission, but were full of apologies. What has happened has happened, they said, promising that it would not recur. The generals are left to clear the mess caused by this accidental bombing as heads of the defence and army units, and they have tried as much as they can to do so. “We are sorry”, they said.

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    It is good that they apologised, but it would be better for them to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again. The President has ordered a probe into the tragedy. The public awaits the outcome. More important would be the internal house-cleaning investigation by the army. This exercise which will be undertaking by a board of enquiry should be thorough and unsparing of officers found culpable in this incident.

    Military men are too well trained not to know the difference between a gathering of faithful and a mass of bandits. It was this wrong profiling of the target that led to this tragedy. As humans, we are prone to mistakes, but as people trained in the art and act of war, military men cannot afford to make mistakes that would cost the innocent their lives.

    These innocents should not die in vain. They died while serving God. They deserve a monument at the spot they were killed to serve as a reminder to us that it should never, ever happen again. May they find rest in God’s bosom.

  • AGF Fagbemi: trial of detained terror suspects resumes in two weeks

    AGF Fagbemi: trial of detained terror suspects resumes in two weeks

    • ‘N45b illicit proceeds seized since 2021’

    The Federal Government plans to resume the prosecution of detained terror suspects, including Boko Haram members, in two weeks, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has said.

    Fagbemi said plans were in top gear to ensure a seamless process that will involve the combination of normal physical court trial process with virtual sittings.

    The AGF spoke in Abuja yesterday at the opening of the 40th Technical Commission and Plenary Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), an agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Fagbemi said: “Efforts are on to resume the trial of those categories of people. And I think, in the next two weeks, it will be a deferent story. We are conscious of that issue.

    “Facilities are being put in place. Apart from the regular physical mode of trial, we are working on ways to ensure that virtual trial can also be conducted. This is intended to prevent delays. The government is not shying away from its responsibility of providing funds for this purpose. The idea is to ensure that we deploy adequate facilities to achieve this.”

    Fagbemi, who assured the people that the Federal Government was committed to aiding the fight against money laundering, terror financing and related crimes, said the country has, since 2021, seized N45 billion illicit proceeds.

    He said: “Building on the changes to our legislative frameworks, we have also invested significant resources across the institutions primarily responsible for protecting our financial system from the highest risk predicate offences identified, corruption, drug trafficking, fraud and terrorist financing. In 2022, we increased the budgets for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency by almost 95 per cent.

    “We now have over 1,500 officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting money laundering across these three agencies alone. These sustained investments have seen increased numbers of investigations, prosecutions and convictions consistently since 2021 with 5,118 investigations, 1,509 prosecutions and almost 500 convictions secured, resulting in over 45 billion naira of illicit proceeds seized.

    “We have also made progress in tackling the financing of terrorism. I am particularly pleased that we have identified and designated a number of individuals and entities linked to terrorist activity and seized funds linked to them.”

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    Director-General of GIABA, Edwin Harris Jr., noted that the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and other forms of transnational crimes urgently requires coordination and cooperation with oneness of purpose in protecting the economies of ECOWAS  member-states and prevent other adverse activities to the security of the sub-region.

    Harris Jr promised that GIABA will continue to work with members and partners in delivering on its mandate in a more meaningful way, using the collective expertise and shared vision of member-states in strengthening their AML/CFT regimes.

    He said his agency plans to equally engage in enhanced advocacy to political leaders on the urgency of demonstrating political will that trickle down at operational and policy levels, for a more effective and robust fight against transnational crimes.

    The Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, Jeremy Weil, hailed GIABA for the progress of its Effectiveness Improvement Action Plan (EIAP), and gave tips on how to improve on its activities.

    One of such, Weil noted, was for GIABA to continue to enhance the coordination and delivery of technical assistance and training. He also urged GIABA to continue building institutional capacity, in particular by filling vacancies in the Evaluation and Compliance Directorate which will be a critical unit in the next round.

    President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Toray, assured the his organisation will continue to provide the requisite assistance to enable GIABA and member-states to accelerate their compliance with international standards on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism and proliferation of arms.

    Tora, represented by his Senior Technical Assistant and former Finance Minister of the Republic of The Gambia, Mambury Njie, said states of the sub-region must do all within their powers to tame money laundering and related crimes in West Africa.

    He added: “As a region, we cannot afford to relax as money laundering, terrorism financing and other organised crimes threaten regional peace and sustainable development. The general low level of effectiveness achieved by member-states in their current round of mutual evaluation is concerning and has adverse implications for the regional integration agenda.”

  • Fed Govt to Nigerians: shun terror alert fear

    Fed Govt to Nigerians: shun terror alert fear

    Following travel advisory by the United States, the Federal Government yesterday said there is no cause for panic by Nigerians.

    It also said it will ensure the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and visitors.

    It said security and intelligence agencies have been constantly at work, foiling threats, and neutralizing bandits.

    It said the Nigerian Air Force has been busy with successful airstrikes against criminals and terrorists in the Northeast and Northwest.

    It allayed fears that the crisis in Niger Republic might fuel terrorism in Nigeria.

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation,  Alh. Mohammed Idris, who spoke at a session with journalists, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was determined to secure the country.

    The interactive session was attended by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr. Tunde Rahman;  the Director-General, National Orientation Agency(NOA), Alh. Lanre Issa-Onilu; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Tope Ajayi and the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alh. Ali. M. Ali.

    Others included the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Charles Ebuebu and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace.

    But the Minister  said travel advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic.

    He said: “We understand the concerns raised by the United States government in their recent travel advisory, but believe that it is imperative that we do not generalize isolated incidents across the entire hospitality industry.

    “ What we have seen is that such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have severe adverse economic impact, not to talk of what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment.

    “We have consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of all visitors to our country. We have implemented comprehensive security measures, both at the Federal and State levels, to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests.

    “These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition and deployment of additional platforms, training and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment.”

    Idris said security and intelligence agencies are constantly at work, foiling threats, and neutralizing bandits and terrorists.

    He listed the gains recorded by the agencies in the last one week, including successful airstrikes.

    He added: “The Nigeria government is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and visitors to our country and will continue to work towards maintaining a secure and hospitable environment for tourists and business travelers and the likes.

    “ Our security agencies have been very busy, doing their best to keep us all safe. I will highlight just a few of those successes in recent days: In various parts of Kaduna State, seven bandits were neutralized, in various operations between the 1st and 3rd of November.

        ”In Kano State, on November 3, a joint operation by troops of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services carried out a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideout in Gezawa Local Government Area, successfully averting an imminent attack on Kano by insurgents. The operation recovered AK 47 Rifles, AK 47 Rifle Magazines, a Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), RPG Bombs, Hand Grenades, Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-making materials, among others.

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    “In  Katsina, two NYSC members abducted by bandits were successfully rescued. In the North-East and North-West of the country, the Nigerian Air Force has been very busy, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno States.

    “The Air Force has also recently taken delivery of 4 new aircraft, to strengthen the fight against banditry and terrorism. In our maritime environment, on October 25, the Eastern and Central Naval Commands flagged off a Joint Sea Exercise, Exercise SEA GUARDIAN 2023.

    “I have taken some time to outline some of these efforts to make the point that our security and intelligence agencies are constantly at work, foiling threats, and neutralizing those who seek to undermine the security of the country. And for this reason, they deserve the full support of all Nigerians, the media included. Please pay attention to what they’re doing, and give amplified coverage to their successes and gains.

    “The bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, pirates and so on are waging not only a physical battle but also a psychological one.

    Idris dismissed insinuations that the political crisis in Niger Republic could fuel terrorism in the country.

    He said the President was balancing the needs of ECOWAS with the nation.

    On security yacht, he said: “It’s not as if the Yacht was bought for the comfort of the president but something that was procured for the Navy.

    “It is true that delivery has taken place since June. It is not as if the President is just putting in the request now. You can see what has happened in the National Assembly. The money put there has been taken out to the student loan arrangement. 

    “This government is very sensitive, it is always responding to the yearnings of all Nigerians and therefore whenever there is any commentary or any observation about any government policy, it will continue to respond appropriately for the benefit of all Nigerians.

    “But I want to plead with the media that this is just one aspect…there are so many things out there in the budget…there are provisions for food security, additional funding for security forces so Nigerians can be safe. 

    On post oil subsidy removal economic interventions, he said: “President Tinubu and the Administration have been taking all necessary measures to alleviate the pains being felt, and to cushion the impact of these foundational reforms being pursued. These interventions are designed to serve as palliatives in the short and medium-term, while we wait to reap the long-term benefits of the reforms,” he said.

  • Slippery military, spidery terror

    SIR: The abduction of dozens of girls from a government technical school in Yobe State few days ago appears to confirm that a conspiracy of the people in government at state and federal levels, pretentious religious leaders and military command sympathizers of the doctrine and goals of the jihadist group will prolong sorrow, tears and blood for long.

    Is it not strange that the abduction of secondary school girls in Chibok, some years ago, is repeated so easily with the Yobe State government and the military singing different tunes while the parents of the children and Nigerians wail in lamentation of what has become of their nation, Nigeria?

    The Yobe government claimed it relied on the military statement  Friday,  February  23,  that more than 40 of the about 110 pupils were rescued only to find out that it was false.  The governor had to go to the concerned parents to apologize for the claimed misinformation, within 24 hours, signaling a depressive disconnection between state bureaucracy and security architecture.

    Indeed, the serial death of Shekau, the Boko Haram chief terrorist, proclaimed by the military since the Jonathan era, and the current military bounty placed on Shekau wanted dead or alive, indicates unprofessional and strange military propaganda, not different from political party propaganda. This is tragic for integrity of Nigerian military with international reputation for discipline.

    I am amazed at the linear thinking process of governments since 2001 when Boko Haram insurgency started waxing strong.  Worse still is that two military generals who prosecuted the Nigerian civil war, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari would believe they could fight guerrilla war with conventional weapons, instead of adopting strategies to identify and deal decisively with the sabotaging  moles in the military and deploying public enlightenment campaigns, through the numerous and largely idle government broadcast media, to counter the religious misinformation that jihadists will go to heaven by committing mass murders.

    What with the suspected several millions of dollars that has been doled out to rescue the Chibok girls of 2014, dozens still remaining held back as possible prey for extortion.  University of Maiduguri’s kidnapped lecturers were released recently by Boko Haram after hefty ransom was allegedly dished out.  With the Boko Haram splinter group of al Barnawi fingered as being responsible for the kidnap of the Dapchi girls, Nigerians should be prepared for a mushrooming of rogue terrorist groupings encouraged by ransom payments.

    It is instructive that federal government has set up a panel over Dapchi kidnap. To what extent will a largely military panel expose and deal with moles and suspected conspirators and apportion blames to genuine culprits?

     

    • Soni Ehi Asuelimen,

    soniasuelimen@yahoo.com

  • Taraba’s season of terror

    Taraba’s season of terror

    Since Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku warned of an imminent armed attack on the state, the residents residents have been living in fear.

    The people of Taraba State are living in fear following a notice that an insurgents attack on the state was imminent. Exacerbating this fear was the unconfirmed report that an arms-filled chopper had on January 20 landed at night in Jibu area of Wukari. Jibu, a rural settlement  near River Benue, is believed to be a hub where firearms are being ferried to Banteje, a town on Wukari-Jalingo Road.

    The state governor, Darius Ishaku said the alleged arms and ammunition might be meant for the militia group threatening to attack the state.

    “We are on notice that in 10 days, we (Taraba) shall be attacked. I have alerted all security agencies. We are waiting.

    “A helicopter has dropped arms and ammunition in the night without its mission established. It is not a time to keep quiet; we are living in fear,” Governor Darius Ishaku cried out.

    Ten hours after the governor’s alarm, Fulani herdsmen struck at night at Ngutwsen village in  Gassol Local Government Area of the state. Four residents were killed in the attack. Among the dead were a couple named Mr. Shiriga Vaawombo and his wife, Ngunan.

    A cursory look at the bodies showed that after being shot, the assailants proceeded  to cut them brutally in the head, neck and back with machetes to ensure they had no chance of surviving.

    Some journalists including The Nation correspondent, braved their way to the attacked community on Friday, in the company of Governor Ishaku’s media aide, Bala Dan Abu, a senior assistant to the governor on Revenue Mobilisation, Jerry Tyolanga and three policemen.

    The village  was deserted. Residents were hiding in the bush to flee to Sabon Gida, where survivors are now taking refuge. No policeman was sighted in the area.

    On seeing the journalists and the policemen, the hiding villagers came out and hurriedly dug two graves and interred the bodies without coffins.

    Simon Tsavwua, 45, a brother to one of the victims, who survived the attack, said the attackers, numbering over 20, were speaking in Fulfude (Fulani language). They wielded automatic rifles, double-edged machetes and torchlights.

    Sources said the attack at Ngutwsem village might be a prelude to the impending assault the insurgents threatened.

    Perhaps, this is the worst season of all times for Taraba. The state has been terribly devastated by herdsmen hostilities. It has come under several attacks by the marauding Fulani herdsmen. Over 100 residents have been killed and pricey properties destroyed. Yet there seems to be no end in the horizon, as the killer-herdsmen are defying all efforts by the authorities. You will no longer envy Taraba people of over 70 heterogeneous ethnic groups, their vast tourism potentials and mineral endowments. All is being destroyed; lives, food, everything is being wasted. Now, hunger looms in the state which used to pride itself as an exporter of the fattest tubers of yam, cassava and maize, as farmlands are being deserted. A negative multiplier effect is being felt in the way the Wukari and Chanchanji yam markets are becoming dried up of food produce.

    In January, rampaging herdsmen gruesomely massacred 68 people in Lau, a fertile land where business mogul Aliko Dangote has cited a sugar firm. The herdsmen, mostly hired mercenaries, invaded at night  and set several homes ablaze, before  disappearing into the darkness like guerrilla fighters. In the morning, 68 bodies littered the area. The bodies, recovered by the police and soldiers, were given hurried mass burial by aggrieved youths amid fear of fresh raids by the herdsmen.

    While Benue State buried no fewer than 73 in brown boxes, Taraba buried 68, mostly children, women and elderly persons, in shallow graves without coffins. But a week after the mass burials, 30 persons were killed in renewed separate attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the state.

    Indeed, it has been a season of fear, blood and tears. The people are mourning. Governor Ishaku said they are sad and angry because they are not protected in the land.

    Some leaders have been visiting Taraba to offer their condolences. Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State and the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, who were in Jalingo to commiserate with Governor Ishaku and the people of Taraba, accused the All Progressives Congress APC-led government of failing completely in its “basic and most important constitutional responsibility”, that of protecting life and property.

    They appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy troops and resources to the Northeastern states to end the insurgency plaguing the region. Secondus also urged the National Assembly to quickly investigate the alleged arms-loaded helicopter landing in Taraba at night.

    Ishaku called for restructuring, to enable governors have the police under them, otherwise he said, he is only a toothless bulldog who relies on the federal government for help when faced with security challenges.

    The governor lamented that his pain, as a governor, is in the fact that he had promised, at his inauguration on May 29, 2015, to develop the state if the people could give him peace. “Unfortunately, I have provided development but peace has been elusive. We, governors, were sworn to protect lives and property. We are given the powers as ‘security chief officer of the state’, however, we have the crown without the cap.

    “Some states that are unfortunate like us in the Northeast have received a lot of our share of the failure to protect lives and property of citizens. If I have the police under me, I will not have any security trouble in my state at all, because I will outwit crime. I am a governor with a crown without a sword, how can I fight and keep control of my power, since I rely on the federal might for help? How can you be the security chief officer of your state when you don’t control the power that goes with the army and the police? It makes you a naked guard.

    “We rely on people who, when you give them instructions, they tell you to wait until they get clearance from above. Before that clearance comes from Abuja, you have lost hundreds of lives. This is absolutely absurd and disappointing, particularly when you meet people like me who want to work with zeal.

    “How do you develop when there is no peace? You can’t do anything. Even when you provide development, it would be destroyed.”

  • Show of terror

    IN every police division, you are likely to find the legend : ‘’Police is your friend’’ boldly written and placed conspicuosly at the front desk. It is to tell you that you do not have anything to fear when you see a police officer. Unfortunately, not many officers live up to this credo. Instead of being the people’s friend, the police have become their foe. Nigerians merely tolerate their police because they do not have any other law enforcement agency to run to in case of trouble. At the least provocation, the police will descend on those they are expected to protect, beating them black and blue. Being a kid will not even save you from their wrath. Ask the  pupils of Top-Teez Nursery and Primary School, Ojodu in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. On January 26, some policemen from the Ojodu Abiodun Division stormed the school to arrest a five-year-old pupil, David. In order to get  David, they allegedly assaulted the receptionist and the Headteacher, Mrs Ayodeji Orojo, who came out to see what was happening. Nobody is saying the police should not do their job, but they must do it with decency.  What is the point in storming a school to arrest a pupil without first meeting with the headteacher, who could have facilitated the boy’s release,  if need be? Can a minor be arrested and detained as the police did to David before releasing him on bail to his mother, who allegedly coughed out N19,000 for him? Is bail no longer free? The police need to be extra careful in the discharge of their duty to avoid clashing frequently with the public. Just the other day, this same Ojodu Abiodun Police Division was attacked by angry residents. It is  high time Ogun State Police Commissioner Ahmad Iliyasu stepped in to ascertain what is happening at this division before the unthinkable happens.

  • No cause for alarm over terror alert, says Fed Govt

    No cause for alarm over terror alert, says Fed Govt

    Nigerians were advised yesterday not to panic over that alert of a likely terror attack on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and elsewhere.

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser Segun Adeyemi: “There is no cause for alarm despite the latest travel advisories by some Western countries.

    ”We know that the terrorists, who have been massively degraded and put on the run have been looking for soft targets to attack.

    “This is the nature of terrorism all over the world, as can be seen in recent attacks in the UK, France and Egypt, among others.

    ”That is why the Nigerian security agencies have continued to be on the alert, even if their efforts have been largely unobtrusive so as not to disrupt the daily activities of the citizenry.

    ”Such efforts are routinely stepped up during religious festivals.”

    Mohamned said the Federal Government would continue to take adequate measures to protect the lifes and property of citizens and non-citizens alike.

    He stressed that the military remained unrelenting in ensuring that the terrorists neither regroup nor regained the capacity to carry out organised attacks.

    He said the Federal Government’s sensitisation campaign on security, with the punchline ”if you see something, say something”, would be stepped up on national radio and television.

    The Minister advised the citizens to be security conscious and to report suspicious people and objects to the security agencies.