The Nation Newspaper

Tag: terrorists

  • Injured soldier plans to fight Boko Haram after treatment

    Injured soldier plans to fight Boko Haram after treatment

    Private Samuel Ernest, who is recuperating from an injury at the 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital, Maiduguri, says he go back to the frontline to continue the fight against Boko Haram terrorists.

    “After my treatment, if I am fit enough, I will go back to the bush — frontline, in order to continue the operation against the Boko Haram terrorists.

    “I am feeling better now, I can now use crochets and put my feet down,’’ Ernest told newsmen at a get-together organised for wounded soldiers to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.

    He said he was proud of Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai and the army high command that identified with the injured during the occasion.

    “I feel happy celebrating the Sallah, the chief of army staff came to the hospital to see how we are faring and how we are being taken care of,’’ Ernest, who sustained injury six months ago said.

    Similarly, Private Titus Okon, who is also recuperating from injury on one of his laps after he was shot by the Boko Haram terrorists on May 21, expressed gratitude to God that he was getting better.

    “I am strong enough, I am very grateful to the chief of army staff who is here to celebrate with us,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the soldiers later took to the dancing floor to celebrate the occasion.

    This was after the representative of the chief of army staff, Maj.-Gen. David Ahmadu, Chief of Training and Operations, assured them that the army was committed to their welfare.

    At Mafa, Staff Sgt. Saleh Jerico of the 112 Task Force Battalion, expressed gratitude to God that there were fewer threats to troops now than in previous years.

    “Compared to two or three years ago, nobody could come here. We give glory to God for his intervention.

    “Peace is being restored to Borno and entire North East. Our earnest prayer is that God should sustain the peace.

    “It is great for us — the troops — to witness the 2017 Sallah celebration,’’ Jerico said after he took part in a lunch organised by the chief of army staff for troops.

    Also, Lance Cpl. Adamu Ali of the same battalion noted that Eid-el-Kabir celebration in Mafa in 2017 was better than 2016 in terms of security and peace.

    “In 2016, here in Mafa, we were being ambushed by the terrorists, but there is nothing as such this year, we thank God for that.

    “I wish my family happy Sallah. As they celebrate at home, we are also celebrating here in the frontline in Mafa.

    “It is not my will to stay away from them, it is the nature of the job,’’ Ali said and expressed readiness to continue with the ongoing clearance operation.(NAN)

  • Our main thrust is to decapitate all terrorists’ factions, says Buratai

    Our main thrust is to decapitate all terrorists’ factions, says Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, declared yesterday  the main thrust of the military operations in the North East now is the decapitation of all the remaining terrorists’ factions.

    “With this feat achieved, the relevance of Boko Haram factional leader Ahmed  Shekau is no longer of any consequence,” the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General  Sani Usman, quoted Buratai as saying in a statement.

    The army chief spoke as the 40-day ultimatum he gave the military to find Shekau dead or alive expired.

    He nevertheless expressed satisfaction with the zeal and determination of troops to capture Shekau, in line with his directive which is yet to be achieved.

    The army chief, on July 21, gave the Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, 40 days to capture the terrorists’ leader.

    The deadline expired on August 30.

    However,he commended the Theatre Commander, Operations Lafiya Dole, and the troops for neutralizing five top commanders of the Boko Haram terrorists recently.

    He noted that the five key leaders of the insurgents recently eliminated by the troops “were the closest associates and right hand men of the terrorists’ group leader – Shekau.”

    He added: ”Within the same period, 82 of the Boko Haram terrorists were eliminated.

    “Therefore, the commander of the Theatre Command  was very close to achieving the directive.

    “The Theatre Commander has asked for the extension of the deadline and it was granted.

    “Given deadlines and extensions are strategic means of focusing troops’ efforts in the theatre,” Buratai said.

    He urged the people of the North East and indeed Nigerians to be more confident of the Nigerian troops and go about their normal activities.

     

  • Osinbajo to #BBOG: More Chibok girls to return soon

    Osinbajo to #BBOG: More Chibok girls to return soon

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has assured members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy that more or all of the Chibok school girls will be rescued soon.

    The acting President also informed the group that he has been meeting with security chiefs daily and making contacts with hostage negotiators across the world.

    Osinbajo who was represented by his Special Adviser on political matters Babafemi Ojudu made the revelation Tuesday in Abuja, while addressing members of the #BBOG.

    He added that the reason why the public is not being made aware of the negotiations being made is for security reasons.

    His words, “I have been asked by the acting President to welcome the group, the acting President would have received the group personally but he had to receive the President of Ghana.

    “I’ve been asked to assure you of the support of the government in your agitation for the return of all the girls that are still being held by terrorists in the north east.

    “On the issue of the Police women being held and the girls, the acting President has been meeting on a daily basis with the security chiefs, making contacts with negotiators across the world who have helped in the past to help in the negotiation for the release of others, we have not for any moment forgotten the girls who could be any of our children.

    “In the last two weeks, the acting President has helped coordinate the efforts at freeing the kidnapped boys in Lagos, he called on the deputy governors of Ondo and Delta states and other security operatives to leave their jobs and go and search for the pupils and when they were rescued, he was the first person to be called.

    “He said that the fact that we are not coming out to say what is being done is strategic and for security reasons negotiations are going on, efforts are being made and intelligence being gathered very soon more of the girls if not all will be brought back to their parents safely.”

    Leader of the #BBOG and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili urged the Federal Government to send a high powered delegation to the parents of the remaining Chibok girls to assure them that the FG is not sleeping.

    She said, “We want our government to spare no effort in immediately securing the release of the remaining Chibok girls, we want all the 113 girls to be brought back.

    “We need the Federal Government to immediately send a high powered delegation to the parents of the remaining Chibok girls, it is not right that their daughters are still with Boko Haram 1205 days after they were abducted and nothing has been done concerning their own state of distraught. When the 82 girls were rescued, it presented the opportunity for the Federal government to engage with those whose children are not back, it is time to go and visit them and the visit must be a high powered delegation visit to assure them that the Federal Government (FG) is not sleeping on the will concerning their own daughters.

    “We must end the empathy deficit approach in our country, we must learn to stay with those who face tragic circumstances, managing the tragedy on the state of our Chibok girls parents is an important way for the government to signal citizens that it cared about the dignity of the human life.

    “We ask the government to immediately provide accurate data and details of the missing police women and the lecturers and staff of the University of Maiduguri and any other one that is known to be abducted or killed in the cause of that mission, we want it immediately, the nation cannot be in the dark when thugs happen to citizens.

    “We ask that the FG would immediately invite the families of the victims pf the police abduction as well as the University of Maiduguri abduction, the Federal Government must invite them and have a meeting with them in order to give them insider details that it may not be able to share with the public, that is the way that government properly constituted behave, it’s not enough to say you are doing something, it’s important to demonstrate that you actually care about.

    “We want the FG to set up the structured system of public reporting on the specific abduction issues, of reporting progress made, the government cannot treat citizens as if they have no right to know, we have the constitutional right to know, we ask that the structured system be for the overall counter insurgency efforts. Let there be no falsehood or manipulation of the war, let there be truth.”

     

  • Police confirms death of 12 people in a suicide bomb attack in Borno

    Police confirms death of 12 people in a suicide bomb attack in Borno

    The Borno State Police Command has confirmed that five Boko Haram terrorists have killed 12 persons in a multiple suicide bomb attack at Kofa community in Dalori on Sunday.

    Kofa community is located about eight kilometres away from Maiduguri along Maiduguri/ Konduga road.

    DSP Victor Isuku, the spokesperson of the command, in a statement issued on Monday and made available to newsman in Maiduguri said , “at about 2030hrs, five female suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Device(IED),  strapped to their bodies in Kofa community.”

    He explained that the first suicide bomber detonated her explosive laddened body  near a mosque, killing seven persons while the  second detonated in a house killing five persons.

    “Two other suicide bombers detonated within the same vicinity, killing themselves only.

    “A total of seventeen persons, including the five suicide bombers died, while eleven persons sustained injuries and were rushed to UMTH.”

    Isuku added that  EOD team of the Nigeria Police Force  were mobilized to the scene and normalcy has since been restored.

  • Troops kill terrorists in Maiduguri

    Troops of the 3rd Battalion, with members of the Civilian JTF, at the weekend killed some Boko Haram insurgents at Jarawa Village in Kala Balge Local Government of Borno State.

    According to the Director of Public Relations, Army, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the operations were carried out by the 22 Brigade of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    Gen. Usman in a statement, said: “Following confirmed information about the convergence of suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Jarawa village, troops of 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade of Operation Lafiya Dole, in conjunction with some civilian JTF, carried out a successful clearance operation along that axis.

    “At about a Kilometre to Jarawa village, the troops entered the insurgent’s ambush, which they successfully cleared after a gunfire. They followed it up with a hot pursuit of fleeing insurgents into the nearby forest.

    “The troops were able to neutralise a large number of terrorists, including the notorious Abu Nazir and Amir in Jarawa. Weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, a double barrel gun, one primed heavy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and three motorcycles were recovered.

    “Nine kidnapped children undergoing training at the terrorists’ training camp were also rescued and are being given preliminary humanitarian assistance in preparation to handing them over to the Kala Balge Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp management committee.”

  • Soldiers kill nine terrorists, rescue 998 captives

    Soldiers kill nine terrorists, rescue 998 captives

    Soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast have killed nine terrorists at Ndufu, Borno State.

    The soldiers were on a clear out operation in villages around Ngala when they encountered the terrorists.

    Also cleared were Muktu and Muzuri, as well as nearby communities.

    The troops rescued 998 people from the captivity of the terrorists and destroyed their Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making factory.

    One hundred and twenty five people were rescued at Ndufu, 802 at Muktu and 71 persons at Muzuri.

    The troops also vaccinated all children under the age of five with Polio vaccinations.

    In addition, the troops recovered 1 AK-47 Rifle with registration number 565231515, an AK-47 Rifle Magazine, two Boko Haram terrorists flags, four Motorcycles, two Solar Panels, two already prepared IEDs, Detonating cords and other explosive making components.

  • Fall of Sambisa: Borno declares Dec. 22 public holiday

    Fall of Sambisa: Borno declares Dec. 22 public holiday

    The Borno Government has declared Dec. 22 of every year as Public Holiday to celebrate the defeat of the Boko Haram terrorists by the Nigerian military.

    Gov.Kashim Shettima disclosed this at the opening of the 2017 Small Arms Championship in Sambisa forest in Borno on Monday.

    “The Borno Government will from this year begin to declare Dec. 22 as Sambisa Memorial Day.

    “This day will be marked as Public Holiday in Borno for the purpose of celebrating the strength and the victory of our Armed Forces,” Shettima said.

    He explained that the day would also be used for remembering victims of the Boko Haram terrorism and the families they had left behind.

    He said that the day would also be used to remember members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and volunteers who lost their lives in the fight against the insurgents.

    “The Borno government will do everything possible to ensure that the patriotism of our heroes is supremely preserved and not taken for granted,” the governor said.

    He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for chasing away the Boko Haram terrorists from their Sambisa stronghold.

    “Based on Buhari’s announcement, the Sambisa forest became deceased or dead at about 1.35 p.m. on Dec.22, 2016.

    “Three months after its demise, today marks the official funeral of the Sambisa forest. I am proud to have witnessed this funeral and I congratulate all of us for being witnesses to the triumph of good over evil,” he said.

    Shettima said that the state government was also working on plans to set up a museum to be named Sambisa to document all materials related to the military fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa.

    “The fall of Sambisa is both symbolic and memorable and that is why as a government, we are taking steps to preserve the history behind the fall of Sambisa.

    “And to spectacularly document the roles played by everyone from the Commander-In Chief, our service commanders and soldiers.

    “Very soon, the state government will respectively request for partnership with the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Federal Ministry of Information  to construct a museum that will be named Sambisa Fall and International Research Centre,” he said.

    Shettima said that the center would be used for the purpose of documenting all due classified information on the fight against Boko Haram.

    “The centre will also help to preserve valuable materials recovered by the military in relation to the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and to document history of the crisis from the days of Taliban to the Boko Haram terrorism.

    “Importantly, our aim is to document responses by successive political and military leadership and the eventual fall of Sambisa forest under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    ” We hope that such a museum will become a global custodian of information and valuable materials on issues relating to the Boko Haram and the role played by the Nigerian military and the multi national forces.

    “We will propose that the museum should have a hall of fame for fallen heroes which will bear names and pictures of notable officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

    “Also, the hall of fame will bear the names of the paramilitary, the Civilian JTF and the hunters who paid supreme price in helping to free us from Boko Haram terrorists,” the governor said.(NAN)

  • Never again will terrorists seize any part of Nigeria – Buhari

    Never again will terrorists seize any part of Nigeria – Buhari

    Never again will terrorists take over and occupy any part of Nigeria’s territory, President Muhammadu Buhari vowed in Sambisa Forest on Monday.

    The President made the vow when he declared the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship (NASAC), opened.

    Represented by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Buhari noted that holding the championship in the forest was an affirmation that government was “resolved to stamp out all activities and operations of the Boko Haram insurgents from our territory.”

    Buhari said: “This championship is a showcase of the clear effect and degradation of the Boko Haram terrorist group with the destruction of Camp Zairo in the heart of the famous Sambisa forest.

    “I can say categorically that never again will Boko Haram occupy any of our land.

    “I want use this opportunity to congratulate the Nigerian Army for this achievement and reiterate at this point by noting that it is a case of professional training that brought the Nigerian Army to this length.”

    Buhari restated that through the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (PCNI), government would reconstruct facilities and structures destroyed by the terrorists so that the people of the region could enjoy the dividends of democracy.

    Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the championship was held at the forest to consolidate on the gains achieved by troops in the North East so far.

    “This championship is therefore held here at the heart of the Sambisa forest as part of Nigerian Army’s plans to effectively dominate all hostile territories in the North East”, Buratai said.

    NASAC was held seven years ago at Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in Kaduna state.

    According to Buratai, the championship could not be held since then due to numerous operational engagements by the army.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government has named the newly established Nigerian Army shooting range at the Sambisa forest after the late Lt.-Col. Abu Ali.

    Ali, who was the commander of an army formation at Mallam Fatori in Borno east, died in a battle on Nov. 4, 2016 when Boko Haram terrorists attempted to invade and take the town.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that the army routed the terrorists and took over Sambisa on Dec. 23, 2016 at about 1.35pm after it overran Camp Zairo, their last strong hold in the forest. (NAN)

  • One officer, three soldiers killed chase of terrorists

    One officer, three soldiers killed chase of terrorists

    One officer and three soldiers have died after troops from the Nigerian Army on Operation Lafiya Dole chased fleeing Boko Haram terrorists to five villages in northern Borno.

    The terrorists had earlier attempted to infiltrate Magumeri village but were repelled by a strong force from the Nigerian Army. The Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman later accused the villagers of conniving   with the terrorists.

    According to him, after  hot pursuit and mop up  the troops were able to neutralize an unconfirmed number of Boko Haram terrorists  and recovered one  Gun truck, two Anti-Aircraft Guns, two Extra Barrels,   two Rocket Propelled Grenade Bombs, 31 pieces of Nitrogen 57mm Bombs, one  roll of Nitrogen cable and a  60mm Mortar bomb.

    Others are:  Assorted General Purpose Machine Gun and Anti-Aircraft ammunition and their links, 3 spare vehicle tyres with rims, one  vulcanising machine, one  Qlink Motorcycle,  foodstuffs and  three Boko Haram terrorist sown camouflage.

    Meanwhile troops of 22 Brigade Nigerian Army during a fighting patrol cleared Boko Haram out of Gujari village, Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. This followed information about the convergence of the terrorists at area aiming to launch attack on some of the nearby communities.

    The Army spokesman said during the operation, the troops killed two Boko Haram terrorists while an unspecified number escaped with gunshot wounds into thick forest.

    At the location however, the troops discovered and destroyed a tailoring shed while they also recovered one Rocket Propelled Grenade Bomb, three DaneGuns, one  Double Barrel Pump Action Gun, two Bandoliers, 23 Empty cases of Shilka Gun Ammunition, two Initiation water container and one Motorcycle battery among other items.

  • Bello demolishes suspected kidnappers’ hideouts

    Bello demolishes suspected kidnappers’ hideouts

    Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello Wednesday stormed Okene in the Central Senatorial district of the state, demolishing buildings used by suspected kidnappers, terrorists and armed robbers in perpetrating their crimes.

    Accompanied by the state commissioner of police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu and other security chiefs in the state, the governor ordered the pulling down of two structures, with more buildings earmarked to go.

    The building of a suspected kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Tijanni Bakare was the first to be pulled down at Oyunkoko ward in Okene LG.

    The enforcement team also demolished the Ahlul-Sunnah Mosque in Inike, which was reportedly hijacked in 2015 by members of the Boko Haram terrorist group and suspected to be serving as operational base for their nefarious activities.

    Speaking at the demolition exercise, Governor Bello vowed to implement the Anti-kidnapping, Robbery and Terrorism law in the state to the letter.

    He warned those that are in the habit of harbouring criminals to repent or have their structures pulled down forthwith.

    CP Inalegwu said it would no longer be business as usual for criminals operating in any part of the state.

    “This is a strong message to kidnappers and hoodlums that they must change their ways. They should work hard and earn a decent living.

    “We want to make Kogi safe so that anyone living here or travelling through Kogi will not have fear of being kidnapped”, he said.