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Tag: terror

‘It was face-to-face with terror’

It was a bloody day at Ekosodin, a host community of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), last Thursday. Seven persons were killed in a clash between indigenes of the community and students suspected to be cultists. The Edo State government has imposed a curfew on the area to restore peace. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports.

Ekosodin, a residential neighbourhood close to the main campus of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), is always lively. It is mostly populated by students. With the ongoing examination at the university, movement in and out of the community has been hectic.

Last Thursday, the peace of Ekosodin was shattered as guns boomed at 7pm. There was pandemonium. Residents ran for dear lives to escape being hit.

It was gathered that some suspected cult members and Ekosodin indigenes engaged in gun battle. When the dust settled three hours later, seven people including five students and two indigenes of the town had been killed.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the fight followed a misunderstanding between one Mr Lawrence, an indigene, and a graduating student with the nickname, London Boy, who was said to be a suspected cult member.

Lawrence, it was gathered, almost hit London Boy with his car on Edo Street in Ekosodin. It was learnt that London Boy and his friends were holding an “after-convocation party” on the street when Lawrence drove by.

London Boy was said to have accused Lawrence of reckless driving.

London Boy: “Old boy, you won jam me with your tokunbo car? Abi them send you come?

Lawrence : “Yes, I won jam you; you no sabi talk abi? Who you be for this Ekosodin sef? Here na your papa house? Na road side them for dey hold party?

According to an eyewitness, an infuriated London Boy slapped Lawrence, who retaliated, leading to an exchange of blows. CAMPUSLIFE learnt that passers-by tried to separate them.

The eyewitness said: “Mr Lawrence went to gather his fellow indigenes and went to disperse students at the party. London Boy and his gang went to Mr Lawrence’s house, but they did not meet him. His pregnant wife was beaten to a pulp.”

When Lawrence was informed, he was said to have mobilised more Ekosodin residents, who came out with cutlasses, guns, broken bottles and other sharp objects, chanting: “All cultists must leave Ekosodin”, “The cultists have crossed their boundaries”, “We are tired; they must go”.

Guns boomed for several hours. Students, who were caught in the crossfire, ran back to the campus. But, some Ekosodin indigenes blocked the access gates, leaving the fleeing students to run into the bush.

The armed indigenes, it was learnt, ransacked the students’ hostels in the community, searching for London Boy and his gang.

During the clash, petty thieves looted supermarkets in the community and students’ properties.

The first names of two of the dead students were given as Kpowe and Pedro. The identities of other victims could not be ascertained.

The university’s rear gate was barricaded till noon of Friday by the community. UNIBEN security officers forced the gate open but the indigenes overpowered them and shut it again. Students trekked to the Benin-Lagos Expressway, where they took buses to Ugbowo to access the campus through the main gate.

Following the fracas, the management cancelled all papers slated for Friday.

The Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof V.E. Omozuwa, went to Ekosodin with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof Lawrence Ezemonye, on Friday, to assess the situation. He pleaded with the students to remain calm and urged the community to embrace peace.

Omozuwa was booed by the angry students, who accused him of neglect, when he wanted to address them. He promptly left with Ezemonye

“The DSA is a wicked man; he has never visited us for once. All he does is to sit in his office and bark orders. I wonder why he was made the Dean, because the man is totally anti-student,” a student said.

Students relived their ordeal during the fracas. Timothy Osarogiuwa said: “The incident was a sad experience I don’t pray to witness it again. I thought the end has come. I was in a barbing saloon charging my phone when the fight started. I ran out in fear but when I got into my room, bullets hit the roof. I quickly called my roommates in school not to leave the campus. My phone rang continuously because my parents were calling to know my whereabouts. All through the night, my parents kept calling to know if I was safe.”

A final year Law student, who did not give his name, said: “I have stayed in Ekosodin for five years and this is the worst incident I have experienced. We used to witness cult clashes but this time around, it was community versus students. I was returning from school and when it happened. I saw people armed with guns, cutlasses and broken bottles. I ran back to the school gate. When I got there, I discovered that the gate, which I passed a few minutes ago, had been locked and barricaded by some indigenes. I hid myself in the bricks. I prayed to God not to let stray bullet hit me where I was hiding. It was face to face with terror.”

A student, Unity Obuse, who was in church when the fight started, said: “Students ran into the church for safety. When we heard gunshots, we stopped the service immediately.”

A grocery shop owner, who simply identified herself as Madam Iyabo, said: “I was attending to a customer when I heard gunshots. I locked up my shop and left the remaining goods outside. I slept in the shop till the next morning. When I opened the shop the next day, some of the goods I left outside had been carted away. But this does not bother me, because I am alive.”

Faith Ogbebor and Grace Eromosele, who are students of Agriculture, alleged that they were robbed by some armed men during the fight.

When our correspondent visited Ekosodin last Monday, the lively community was a ghost town. A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on the area. Many students have left their hostels to squat with friends on campus.

November 27, 2014
How to win terror war, by lawyers

With the reported annexation of some parts of the country by Boko Haram, many, including lawyers, are urging the government to up its ante in the fight against the insurgents. They scored the government low in its approach, saying that the Goodluck Jonathan administration has failed in its constitutional responsibility of providing security for the people. Eric Ikhilae reports.

From the inception of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, many have skeptical about its commitment to ending the insurgency ravaging the Northeast.

The scepticism was stoked mainly, not by government’s inaction when the insecurity was at its infancy between late 2010 and 2011, but the utterances and body language of those in government.

President Jonathan once told a bewildered nation that he was unwilling to confront the insurgents forcefully, but would rather court them because he is the President of all Nigerians, including Boko Haram members.

Despite some recent half-hearted military operations, that have seen the country’s military losing some grounds to the insurgents, there seems not to be a major shift in the position of the government, going by its handling of issues surrounding the Boko Haram menace.

This position is, again, supported by the claim by an Australian, Dr Stephen Davis, who gave a picture of the internal workings of the sect. Rev Davis, an Australian, went a step further to reveal that the sect allegedly enjoys the patronage of some prominent personalities, including a former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff.

As would be expected of every government, committed to its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of the people, on whose behalf it wields powers, many had expected the government to act on the information provided by Davis.

Everyone was however, disappointed when the Presidency released pictorial evidence a few days later, to the effect that one of those named by Davis as major supporters of the deadly sect, has been hobnobbing with President Jonathan to the extent of accompanying him on a recent state visit to neighbouring Chad Republic.

President Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, denied that the ex-governor was part of the government’s delegation to Chad and presented the government’s side of the story.

However, Abati’s denial was yet to sink in when reports came in last week, that the same Sheriff stormed Maiduguri, Borno State capital, under the protection of about 200 soldiers provided by the Federal Government, shortly after he had allegedly, at the instance of the Nigerian government, helped broker a peace meeting between the Presidency and representatives of the sect in Mali.

The outcome of this meeting, it was said, informed the President’s reported assertion that activities of the insurgents will be over by October.

Observers however, doubt this. They wonder whether the President sees the about- five-year-old insurgency merely as a game which he assigns a terminal date.

They argued that by allowing the Boko Haram crisis to fester, to the extent that the sect was annexing some parts of the country, the government has failed in its primary constitutional responsibility of providing security for the people.

The 1999 Constitution, in Chapter 2, Section 14 (2)(b) states that: “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Section 20 went further to state that: “The state shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air, land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria.”

Aside, the government has not made any meaningful effort to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claims by Davis. It has also chosen to hide behind the fingers in relation to the recent embarrassing arrest of some Nigerians in South Africa with about $9.3m cash allegedly meant for arms purchase.

Many argue that the government’s handling of the revelation by Davis and the cloudy nature of the “South Africa deal” support the general suspicion of the state being complicit in the allegation that the Boko Haram crisis has been politicised and that the need to end the security problem has taken a back seat in the face of government’s seeming commitment to the “2015 project.”

Lawyers, including Femi Falana (SAN), Dr. Uthman Abdulazeez, Festus Keyamo, Abayomi Omoyinmi and a group, Advocacy for Societal Rights Advancement and Development Initiative (ASRADI) are of the view that the government has not adequately discharged its constitutional responsibility to the people by the way it has handled the security challenge.

Aside putting a lie to the denial by Sheriff concerning his alleged link with the Boko Haram sect, Falana reminded the government of its many failings. He argued that it was incumbent on the government to investigate the information provided by Davis rather than court those named as the sect’s sponsors.

He reminded the government that prior to the revelation by Davis, a Presidential panel headed by Ambassador Usman Galtimari, set up by President Jonathan sometime in 2012, to investigate the genesis of the insurgency in the Northeast, had among others, “traced the origin of private militias in Borno State in particular, of which Boko Haram is an offshoot, to politicians, who set them up in the run-up to the 2003 general elections.

“The militias were allegedly armed and used extensively as political thugs. After the elections and having achieved their primary purpose, the politicians left the militias to their fate since they could not continue funding and keeping them employed. With no visible means of sustenance, some of the militias gravitated towards religious extremism, the type offered by Mohammed Yusuf (the murdered founder of Boko Haram).”

The panel, in its report, recommended that “the Federal Government should direct the security agencies to beam their light on some politicians who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram and bring them to justice.”

Falana noted that “owing to the connection of Alhaji Sheriff (the ex-governor) with the Presidency, the security agencies have failed to implement the directives of the Federal Government, which were handed down since May 2012.”

He threatened to sue, should the security agencies continue to ignore the directive to investigate those behind the insurgents. Falana promised to apply to the Federal High Court for a writ of mandamus (a compelling order) to force the security agencies investigate and prosecute the indicted sponsors of terrorism in the country.

Abdulazeez is of the opinion that aside the fact that the government has failed in its responsibility of providing adequate security to the people by the manner it has handled the insurgency problem, the people too have been docile in demanding that the government stands up to its responsibilities.

“This issue, to me, is less legal than social. The government owes it a duty to secure the people’s lives and property. If it fails in this regard, it is left for the people to demand action from the government.

“As I see it, I think the people need to be more assertive. We need to demand that the government performs its roles and meets its responsibilities to the people. It is left for us to ask, because this group of political leaders today, led by the President, does not care about the wellbeing of the people. It is so unfortunate,” he said.

On the failed South African deal, the lawyer faulted the government’s position and argued that beyond violating the South African laws, the movement of such volume of cash out of this country equally violated Nigeria’s extant laws on money laundering Act and foreign exchange transactions.

Keyamo said government’s reaction to the embarrassment in South Africa “is not only ludicrous, it is laughable, untenable and a story only fit to be told to the marines.”

He argued that the discovery in South Africa was an indication of how public funds are being smuggled out of the country on a regular basis under the guise of security matters and with the active connivance of security agencies.

“Little wonder, then, that the insurgency, rather than waning, is gathering momentum because certain persons, somewhere, are feeding fat on the situation whilst innocent lives and limbs are being wasted,” he said.

He wondered why the South African government was not informed beforehand if indeed, the matter involved security issues like the purchase of arms by a foreign government like Nigeria.

“How could the South African government be sure that the arms were purchased legitimately by the Nigerian government and not by insurgents if they were not officially informed beforehand?

“The truth is, any transaction the world over that is done by cash, in a huge volume like this and in this manner can only point to one thing: It is an illegal transaction or a transaction for an illegal purpose that is meant to be untraceable.

“This was a covert, illegal operation that went horribly wrong. The position of the Federal Government is a cock-and-bull story meant to be shoved down the throat of Nigerians, but some of us are not fools,” Keyamo said.

Omoyinmi said the commitment that the presidency has demonstrated in ending the current security problem is nothing to write home about. He added that very unfortunately, is the fact that election and re-election are top of the agenda for the presidency, thereby losing its focus on genuine efforts in combating the insecurity in the northern part of the country.

“The government should ensure that its military are well equipped with all types of ammunition needed for this fight. It must take control of Nigerian towns sharing border with countries in the northeast. The military must work in collaboration with security personnel in those countries with equal understanding that the insurgency is not only a threat to Nigeria, but to their countries as well.

“It is a basic Nigeria constitutional provision that lives and property of every citizen must be adequately protected. The government seems to have succumbed to the fact that they are not prepared and cannot ultimately win this war and that they may have been overwhelmed due to their lack of sincerity, hence their propaganda, which is also lacking in transparency and truth.

ASRADI, why faulting government’s position on the South African issue, said anything short of a transparent public inquiry would not be acceptable to Nigerians.

It asked: “What proof is there that those involved in this transaction are not working for Boko Haram?”

All said, it is no doubt a fact that every responsible government is required to place premium on the security of its people, as against other considerations, particularly a future election when today is yet unsecured.

September 23, 2014
Jonathan to attend anti- terror meeting in Kenya

President Goodluck Jonathan will travel to Nairobi Monday to participate in a meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council scheduled to hold in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the Nairobi meeting is a follow-up to talks by President Jonathan and other African leaders at Pretoria, South Africa in May this year on joint action against terrorism.

The meeting on Monday will receive and consider the report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Terrorism and Violent Extremism in Africa.

“Deliberations at the Nairobi Summit and the adoption of the African Chairperson’s Report by President Jonathan, President Uhuru Kenyatta and other participating Heads of State are expected lead to more collaborative actions by Nigeria and other African countries to rid the continent of acts of terrorism and violent extremism,” It stated

The President, who will be accompanied to the Nairobi Summit by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and other advisers and aides will return to Abuja at the conclusion of the meeting on Tuesday.

August 31, 2014
Little girls as weapons of terror?

On January 27, 2002, Palestinian anti-Israeli occupation activist, WafaIdriss, became the first female suicide bomber of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when she boldly walked into a shopping district on Jerusalem’s Jaffa Road and blew herself up in the heart of the City.

The bomb killed Idris, an Israeli citizen, and wounded approximately ninety people. Since then, Martyrs Brigade in Palestine has conducted series of successful bombing martyrdom operations with young females against Israel.

Though the first case of female suicide bombing date back to the 1980s, and since then female martyrs have taken the initiative from the male folk, they have successfully executed suicide bombings in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Sudan among others. Female predatory martyrs can bedaring: they have assassinated an ex-prime minister of India, ripped apart markets in Jerusalem and brought Moscow to its knees. They have sunk many, across the globe, beneath a tidal wave of grief.

Islamic Jihadists in Nigeria have joined the global terror trend. It is an increasingly disquieting and disturbing twist to the war against terror. Boko Haram has adopted the Palestinian model of Jihadism in its recruitment of teenagers and little girls as suicide bombers in crowded places. According to the information gleaned from the media, the latest move by the extremist sect to rain terror on Nigeria prompted the leaders of Boko Haram to recruit and train teenage girls for suicide missions in parts of northern Nigeria.This in itself will prove to be another tough battle for the Nigerian security operatives– one that’s much more difficult to combat.

These girls have drifted from the naiveté and demureness of their age group to the savagery of rebels. The perplexing rise of homicide-bombersis attributable to a culture of the glorification of martyrdoms in terrorist groups. Radical mothers are encouraged to compel their children to enlist in the struggle against the enemies of the nation of Islam and die as martyrs for the name of Allah. But it appears they are definitely not the leaders in their organisations, but serve as mere pawns and sacrificial lambs.

These terrorist organisations use girls (adult and children alike) because theyare quite easier to work with in terms of planning and low cost. In relation to their low social status in some societies, they are considered expendable, willing casualty of the latest Jihadi trend. More so, women are emotional and easier to indoctrinate. When a human bomb mission is accomplished, it attracts higher shock value and more media coverage if it involves a female martyr.They have earned the dubious distinction of appearing more newsworthy than their male counterparts. But stressing these unique capabilities, women make up to 65 percent of all assassinations among groups that use female suicide terrorists. As a motivating factor, suicide-homicideis perceived as a way to achieve equal social status with men.

Nigerian security agents should be on top of their game – not just the clichéd on top of the situation – as this gender of suicide bombers sometimes disguise with faux pregnancies and breast implants, fitted with explosive devices which are nearly impossible to detect at security checkpoints since traditional female garb, such as the hijab, are used to conceal them. The threat female suicide bombers pose is another dimension to the evolving tactics of terrorist groups, the most daunting yet for our security operatives.The dexterity and knack of the sect has proved challengingand light years ahead of security operative’s effort to stop them.

The arrestof a 10-year-old female suicide bomber in Katsina State by security forces and recent suicide bombings by teenage girls has heightened fears that the abducted Chibok girls are being indoctrinated and conscripted to carry out terrorist attacks. Some years down the road, we will have a much bigger problem on our hands with the radicalisation of these children. The recruitment of little girls as suicide bombers raises the all-important question of parenting, such as: Who are their parents? How were they conscripted into terrorism? Were they fully aware that they were going to be martyrs in the process of killing others?

There is the apprehension also that if the abducted Chibok girls could be forcefully converted to Islam by Abubakar Shekau as explicitly revealed in his video, there’s nothing stopping him from using them as pawns to detonate bombs in public places. Some analysts believe there is a nexus between the new trend of deploying female teens as suicide bombers by Boko Haram and the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls from Borno State.

It is only a matter of time before the lid blows open. Recent intelligence reports reveal that some of these bombers who had carried out terrorist attacks might have been unaware that they were being strapped with deadly explosives. This writer will not pander to the conjecture that the bombers were beggars who were banished to the outskirts of Kano when the state government rid the state of street beggars. Such insinuation wrapped up in propaganda as ‘intelligence report’ might just be another ploy by the PDP led government at the centre to indict and witch-hunt the APC Kano government. The possibility that the female suicide bombers might be the indoctrinated and brainwashed wives and children of slain or arrested members of the Islamic sect who intend to take revenge on behalf of their husbands (or loved ones) is a probable presumption. We can’t rule out the possibility as well, thatsome of these martyrs may be entirely new recruits from neighbouring countries.

We aren’t worried just because females have taken to the front lines in the festering Boko Haram insurgency but it is the use of teens and little girls that makes the trend disturbing. The 10-year-old girl strapped with explosives in Katsina but fortunately intercepted by eagle-eyed security operatives, barely knew how lethal the explosives she was wearing below her hijab was.The narrative might be the same for the others who have become Jihad’s cheapest weapon.

Please follow the writer on twitter, @tilevbare.

August 6, 2014
Cleric seeks unity against terror

The General Overseer of Shiloh Word Chapel (aka Faith Nations), Prophet Ikechukwu Samuel, has urged Nigerians to unite against the Boko Haram terror ravaging the nation.

Samuel, who spoke with reporters in Abuja ahead of the forthcoming third anniversary of the church, appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect to have a change of heart and stop bloodshed to avoid the wrath of God.

He said: “If members of Boko Haram want to release the Chibok girls, it is a change of heart that will make them do so.

“Let Nigerians pray because this country is a nation with faith. Every citizen of Nigeria has faith; let us use our own faith, irrespective of our religious beliefs to ask our God to change their hearts.”

He added: “Boko Haram insurgents are still in the dark because they will still do more and we will keep exchanging. Yet, it will not solve the problem.

“Let our leaders and every citizen show love. Releasing people in places of evil will in turn increase the problem. It is not the solution; we should kneel down and pray for a change of heart.”

The church, he assured, has been raising a generation that will change the nation.

August 3, 2014
FG nets N58.7b to support terror victims

•Danjuma,Dangote, Adenuga, Elumelu, Tinubu, others donate billions

Victims of terror attacks in the country have a N57.790billion kitty for their rehabilitation.

The amount was amassed on Thursday night in Abuja by the Federal Government and key players in the private sector under the Terror Victims Support Fund.

It is about N10billion in excess of the N50billion targeted by the initiators of the fund.

An elated President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed ”immense appreciation of the kindness of all persons who responded enthusiastically” to his appeal for collective action by contributing generously to the fund.

N20billion of the donation came from the Federal Government while key players in the oil sector gave N17 billion.

Other high profile donor were:the banking sector- N15 billion; Mr. Tony Elumelu, N2.5 billion; General T.Y. Danjuma, N1.6billion; and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Jim Ovia, Wale Tinubu, Mike Adenuga,all of whom donated N1billion each.

From the 36 states and the FCT came N3.7billion; Arthur Eze and Mohammed Indimi, N800million each;and Mrs. Folorunsho Alakijia, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, Abdul Samad Rabiu, N500million each.

Presidedent Jonathan speaking at the occasion bemoaned the terror unleashed on Nigeria by Boko Haram for the umpteenth time ,but declared that the defeat of the sect was imminent.

He vowed to personally lead Nigerians to victory over the terrorists.

He told the audience comprising key players in the polity and the economy that he often wonders why Nigerians make themselves available to be used as suicide bombers.

“I never for once thought that I would, in my life time, hear of Nigerians strapping bombs to themselves and blowing up innocent people. We would have sworn that it is impossible! Ten years ago, no Nigerian would have imagined it. We thought it was something that could only happen in other countries,” he said.

“But here we are today witnessing this sordid phenomenon. Even women, who are not known for violence, are now involved.We will defeat terror and I will lead Nigerians to achieve this.”

He said the setting up of the fund should not be seen as an acceptance of terrorism as a way of life in the country.

”No! Never! Rather, this is just one of the short-term measures in our overall strategy against the enemies of peace and progress,” he said and spoke of government’s determination not to allow evil to overcome good in the country.

He also said he found it unbelievable to think that “some twisted minds” could kidnap innocent school girls and keep them in captivity for months.

Government,he added,was now caught between demonstrating military might and endangering their lives or undermining the sovereignty of Nigeria by succumbing to the blackmail of the terrorists on their own terms.

All options, he said, were still opened to bring the girls back home safely.

He said: “We will come out of this tougher and better nation. In these trying times, we have seen Muslims and Christians, Northerners and Southerners, men and women, and Nigerians from all walks of life rise up in unison to condemn the terrorists.

“By bombing mosques and churches, they have shown to us that they are enemies to all. By killing Muslims and Christians, they have demonstrated to every Nigerian that their evil agenda does not discriminate. Unintentionally, they are motivating millions of Nigerians to see them as common enemy whose only purpose is to steal, to kill and to destroy.”

Chairman of the Fund Committee and former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma said : “All too often, the victims of terror are soon forgotten. The majority are the soft targets the terrorists prefer but unable to fend for themselves. The funds being collected are not for combating terror or fighting terrorists organizations but for supporting victims of terrorists attacks.”

The President said yesterday that he was overwhelmed by the “expression of support, cooperation and solidarity by Nigerians and friends of Nigeria from all walks of life” at the launch

He said this showed that the public ”is genuinely concerned about the threat of terrorism to our common humanity and stands ready to support worthy causes and pro-people policies.”

August 2, 2014
Council of State seeks December end to terror

The National Council of State (NCS) brainstormed yesterday on how to end terror attacks in the country before December.

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu addressed reporters at the end of the meeting at the Aso Villa.

He was accompanied by Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Sullivan Chime (Enugu) and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.)

The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, was attended by Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar and Chief Enerst Shonekan, all former leaders.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari were not at the emergency meeting. Senate President David Mark was also absent.

Also in attendance were: former Chief Justices Muhammed Uwais and Alfa Belgore.

Other governors at the meeting included Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu).

Also present were: Seriake Dickso (Bayelsa), Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Willy Obiano (Anambra) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abubakar Yari (Zamfara), Ibrahim Shettima (Borno) and Adamawa State Acting Governor Umaru Fintri.

Aliyu said the council resolved that all hands must be on deck to end insurgency by December.

According to him, efforts will be made to ensure that the predictions that Nigeria will cease to exist as a united body by 2015 will remain a wishful thinking.

The governor said the council noted that leaders, particularly politicians, were the only threats to the country and its democracy. A committee to address the issue of indigenes was set up.

Aliyu said: “…You may recall that in some states, they even give contract appointment to some people who are not from their states.

“In some states, there are some discriminatory school fees. If you’re not a so-called indigene, you pay higher than the indigenes. In fact, the very concept of indigeneship came to the fore.

“Those are some of the issues that the committee will look into. But more fundamental is the issue of the buck stopping with the leadership. In fact, it came to the fore that if there is any threat to either the state or democracy, probably the threat is coming from politicians and from leaders of the country. We must understand the boundaries of leadership and the responsibilities that are involved. Leadership is not about beauty contest. In leadership, you must take difficult decisions and really go about implementing them.

“So, all the things came to the fore at the meeting. Subsequently, each of us made it a deliberate resolution to all bi-partisan or non-partisan to support the President to make sure that we get rid of insurgency, suggesting that it be done before December.”

Akpabio said the council resolved that all the moves in some states to register non-indigenes or their deportation should be stopped immediately.

The governor said the committee would identify discriminatory practices in some states in order to end to them.

He said: “Whether we need to go to the National Assembly or not, then we will go to National Assembly. Maybe we need to do so through policies at federal, state or local government levels, just to make sure that the country is totally united and all those discriminatory practices are brought to an end so that Nigerians can truly feel free and safe to work in any part of the country without hindrance.”

According to him, the committee comprises six governors, one from each of the the geo-political zones of the country.

Akpabio said: “We have the governors of Niger, Sokoto, Enugu, Gombe, Akwa Ibom and Ondo states. The governors were selected from each zone of the country to sit together, invite people to make contributions and then look at all practices in this country that we may term discriminatory.

“One of such was the idea of some people in some states complaining that they are unable to get certificate of occupancy to build mosques or churches.

“Another thing that looked very mundane, that because of the religion you belong, on your death, you are expected to be taken somewhere else to be buried because they don’t have cemetery provided for people of certain religions. Such things do not augur well for the country.”

Dasuki said: “Last week, there was a security council meeting and you were told, after that meeting, of our concern. This was what led to the Council of State being summoned. In particular, we were very troubled. This idea of registering people and the counter thing. There was a group that came out in the North and said that all Southerners should leave.

“And then, there were comments that followed that. Then, there was a statement issued by MASSOB that all Southerners should also leave the North.

“The danger, as we saw it, will only lead to when one misguided person will feel that all these things are too much for him, and he goes home. That is the beginning of the divisions of this country.

“Those of us who were around will remember very well that that was how the civil war started. We saw the danger. We said there is need for everybody to be sensitised on this.”

He added: “It looks very innocent now to say: ‘I have security concerns. I can register anybody who is not from here.’ But you don’t think that you have some people on the other side. What will you feel if they have the same concerns and decide to register everybody who is not from there? That is not the way the framers of the constitution envisaged that the constitution should be operated.

“That is why this meeting was held. I’m very happy that there was a lot of commitment. The governors, who are the main operators, who are the leaders at that level, are committed that this issue is resolved. There is a lot of commitment and support across party lines by those who attended.”

The NSA said the council discussed the attacks on General Muhammadu Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.

According to him, the government was not responsible for the attacks.

Dasuki said: “We said something about the attacks on Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi . There was a threat as far back as February, issued by Shekau (Boko Haram leader) calling them infidels by name and position. They said those eminent Nigerians were in trouble and they were going to see.

“Well, the government was not responsible. If you say that the government was responsible in the case of General Buhari, why don’t you say the same in the case of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi?”

August 1, 2014
Fed Govt committed to terror victims’ assistance, says Jonathan

•Targets over $500 Million income for Victims Support Fund

President Goodluck Jonathan has said he expects members of the organised private sector (OPS) and friends of the country to donate generously to the Victims’ Support Fund to be launched today in Abuja.

The fund will provide more relief and succour to those affected by terrorism and insurgency.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Jonathan spoke during separate audiences with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Kamalesh Sharma and the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin.

Jonathan hoped that about $500 million will be raised through the fund in the next 12-month to alleviate the suffering and deprivation of Nigerians living in states affected by the terrorist attacks.

The President said his administration was committed to helping the victims of insurgency and terrorism rebuild their lives and communities.

He said the fund, to be managed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), will also be deployed to rebuild destroyed schools and create a safer environment for education in the affected states.

Jonathan welcomed the pledges of support from the Commonwealth and UNFPA, made by Mr. Sharma and Prof. Osotimehin.

The President stressed that his administration appreciated the solidarity of the international community as Nigeria grapples with terrorism and insurgency.

He said: “We continue to work very hard to deal with the problem. It is a major challenge, and we welcome all the assistance we can get.”

He also assured Sharma that Nigeria remained committed to the goals of the Commonwealth and would continue to support efforts to reform and strengthen the organisation for the benefit of member-countries and their people.

Sharma told Jonathan that he was in Abuja to express the Commonwealth’s solidarity for Nigeria to overcome insurgency and terrorism.

The Commonwealth chief said the organisation was also exploring ways to assist Nigeria in the fight against insurgency.

Prof. Osotimehin said UNFPA was working with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its civil society partners to support the families and girls in the states affected by insurgency.

He hoped the United Nations (UN) would evolve a comprehensive programme to support the humanitarian crisis terrorism and insurgency had caused in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

July 31, 2014
Danjuma to Jonathan: lead us as C-in-C to Sambisa

Chairman of the Victims Support Fund Committee, General Theophilus Danjuma has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to lead the onslaught to the Sambisa forest where the Boko Haram insurgents are said to be operating from.
Danjuma who spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja by President Jonathan said the war against terror was taking too long to win and must be won urgently by the Federal Government.
“One thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa forest. The commander-in-chief will lead and we will follow the commander-in-chief. But seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately. It is taking too long.
“I called it civil war when it began; people say it is insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having an upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike. They are even holding positions and displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President; we must do so immediately,” Danjuma said.
While inaugurating the Committee, President Jonathan admitted that his administration owes Nigerians victory over Boko Haram.
Stressing that evil will never prevail over good, Dr. Jonathan said no effort would be spared by his government to bring the individuals responsible for crimes against humanity to justice.
But he called for the support of all Nigerians for the security agencies in the war against terror.
He said: “We owe Nigerians nothing but victory over terror. The life of every Nigerian is precious and we will continue to work round the clock to put an end to this insurgency.”
“I call on all Nigerians to stand together in support of our security agencies against terrorism. They are working night and day under difficult circumstances. It is unfortunate that when our security personnel prevent 1000 attacks, it is the one attack that succeeds that makes headline news and tends to portray our security agencies as not doing enough. It is part of the realities we have to deal with.”
“The menace of terrorism has emerged as one of the most complex and challenging problems confronting governments in different parts of the world. Terrorists aim to cause social dislocation, spread fear and panic among the populace and disrupt government activities. But they never win. They have not won in the Middle East, in the USA, in China, in Columbia, in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Kenya, etc. And they will not win in Nigeria. And, with the support of all Nigerians, we would ensure they do not win in Nigeria. Good must prevail over evil.”
The President spoke about how it began “on December 25, 2009, when a 23-year-old Nigerian attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, on his way from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, United States”.
“Although his plan failed and the lives of 289 passengers were saved, it was one incident that finally confirmed that a few Nigerians had finally embraced terrorism as a way of life. Now we could no longer deny that terror has arrived our country with its ugly claws deployed!”
He added: “The year 2009 appears to be a tragic turning point. Boko Haram, an assemblage of heartless individuals, took it upon itself to bring evil upon our country. They have in their mission, turned women to widows and reduced children to orphans.
“They have killed and maimed and struck fear into law-abiding citizens. They have destroyed villages, attacked property and terminated people’s livelihoods without a care in the world. They have engaged our security agencies in a meaningless warfare that has wasted unimaginable human and material resources.”
“The reality today is that, we are confronted with individuals whose minds have been so twisted and tutored to believe they are doing God a service.”
“For those who take pleasure in seeing innocent human beings in pains, to see limbs being shattered and blood flowing in all direction after terror attacks, we say, you shall have no hiding place. Nigerians will expose you. The people of conscience around the world have rejected you.”
Jonathan praised the countries backing Nigeria to fight the insurgency and this country’s neighbours for their co-operation.
He said: “This has given us more fillip and we are confident that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. It is now just a matter of time. Our war against terrorism is gathering momentum. When you read about bombing incidents in the mass media, they may come across to those not directly affected as mere statistics. As the old proverb says, when you carry another man’s coffin, it looks like an ordinary log of wood.”
“But to us, fathers and mothers, and the families of the victims, they are not just numbers. They are human beings – sons and daughters, uncles, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and indeed, fathers and mothers! They are Nigerians!! They are individuals with dreams and aspirations, noble Nigerians who love their country.”
According to him, the Victims Support Fund Committee will help to mobilise collective efforts and resources in support of the victims.
He urged Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and cooperate bodies, to give generously to the Fund.
The committee is to
•identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities;
•develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising;
•ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities;
•assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case;
•manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate;
•address related challenges as may be appropriate; and
•advise the Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities.
Giving the vote of thanks, National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, assured the committee that the Federal Government would win the war against terror.
He said: “Sir, you gave me a very difficult task after Gen. Danjuma’s statement. The only thing I will do is thank them for agreeing to serve and assure them that we will win the war.”
“But there are some very hard choices that would have to be made. We have to been more concern about the lives of a few versus the condition of a few million. The decision has to be made soon. This is not the first time we have been challenged by very senior Nigerians about the need to end this.

July 17, 2014
We must unite against terror

Quite often, we behold flames diffusing into the skies; the heat from the furnace melts the human alloy we have in this place. Terrified eyewitnesses and displaced victims cry and murmur. Dead bodies and body parts litter the landscape. Souls of men are shattered beyond the horizon. These are products of bomb blast ravaging the nation like a plague.

Lives of hundreds of people have been sacrificed. The Boko Haram phenomenon has now perforated our once peaceful coexistence.

Located in a serene environment and beautiful and peaceful part of the world, peace is supposed to live in Nigeria. Beyond its shores of responsibility, Nigeria consoles sobbing hearts of its sister nations and helping them in their troubled times. We never had a premonition of perilous times here. If we had known, we would have taken our time to build bulwark against the wind of terrorism that was about to hit the nation.

Terrorism was far ahead of us. We watched movies and read news about most of the troubling times of other sovereign nations; we read about suicide bombers in the Middle East, we thought it could not happen here. We were baffled beyond comprehension when it happened. Why would someone decide to embark on a suicide mission to deprive others of their lives? Was it for psychological, religious, political or personal reasons? Was it a metaphysical force or something borne out of a fanatical belief? These and many more questions are in the lips of every citizen.

From the outset, we thought the terrorists’ attempts had a political appendage but when one could not bear the possible error of that thought, it was claimed to be religious. Here we are, yet to discover the purpose of the series of attacks. Islamic leaders have dismissed people linking Islam with terrorism.

We are mystified, groping in the dark. Abubakar Shekau, who claims to be Muslim (surely, he is not one), has brought terrorism to our door step, killing, maiming and bombing innocent people.

Nigerians, what has gone wrong? Are we going to let this continue? Should we allow the Nigerian community, once known for its superb hospitality, into hostility? What has happened to the peaceful and friendly people of the North? What has happened to the ever populous community? Have they been taken over by merciless criminals? Peace has deserted the land known for its simplicity?

The government has failed us. They have raped us of our academic and financial grandeur and have given us a very wide margin of the impression that we are fools. No power supply, no water and free education. Schools are now for those who can afford them. The cost of living has increased but the standard has declined. Let us not to talk about ever cunning oil subsidy thieves. This crass maladministration may have fuelled the embers of national disunity and terrorism we are witnessing. Must we then fail our conscience because of these? No! Our sanity is hedged on that.

Martin Amis once said: “Bullets cannot be recalled, they cannot be un-invented but they can be taken out of the gun.” We say no to violence and terrorism. Rise up my fellow compatriots; we must build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.

Alexander the Great said: “Upon the conduct of each part depends the fate of all.” Our conducts should signal that: “There is no to division between us”. Let us reason together and not to dominate. Let us not seek our way but let us find a common way. The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain. Long live Nigeria.

Come 2015, we shall witness a nation with greater wings to fly above terrorism and insecurity. Our girls will be brought back and our political leaders, with constructive patriotism, will paint the Nigerian flag more greenish. Let us pledge to defend our country’s unity and uphold her honor and glory. Together we can end terrorism and sustain unity.

Ezekiel, 300-Level Pharmacy, UNIBEN

July 3, 2014