The Nation Newspaper

Tag: terrorists

  • Boko Haram, terrorists cannot disintegrate Nigeria, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that the activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram or any other international terrorists cannot disintegrate Nigeria.

    He spoke on Sunday when Christian faithfuls in Abuja paid him Easter homage at the Presidential Villa.

    Noting that the nation is going through some challenges, he said that there is hope and that Nigeria will overcome every one of them.

    The President also promised that his administration will do everything possible to continue to bring development to every part of the country.

    But he harped on the need for the three tiers of government to work collectively in order to solve every problem in the country.

    He said: “Easter is the most important ceremony in Christian faith. Without his resurrection, our faith would have been in vain. His resurrection gives us hope. You will have tribulations but there is hope for you. Today we are marking that resurrection.”

    “Yes, as nation, we are having tribulations but surely, Nigeria has hope. Surely, we will overcome these tribulations. Even those who think that this country will divide, those who think the country will be divided into North, South, East and West, no way. Boko Haram will not disintegrate this country.

    “Most of you are aware that when Nyanya was bombed, Nigerians from all religions and tribes participated in the evacuation of people who were injured even before security arrived. People donated more blood than is required.

    “That shows that no criminal group funded within or outside this country that can separate us. No criminal group will disintegrate this country. Boko Haram will come and go. We are working very hard, we are changing our approaches, God’s willing we will end Boko Haram,” Jonathan said.

    “To you my brethren, I thank all of you for your prayers and I promise that myself and those working with me will do our best to bring development to this country. We have challenges. We have issue of unemployment, not too long ago, there was this ugly development at the Immigration Service, because of the level of unemployment and partial employment.”

    “Some are doing jobs that do not meet their qualifications, they are partially employed. So when you talk of employment in Customs or Immigration, you will see everybody rushing there.”

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed, who led the delegation, presented an Easter card to President Jonathan.

    Speaking at the occasion, Senator Smart Adeyemi said: “We are happy to have a President who trusts in God. Nigeria will triumph over its challenges. Mr. President, you will succeed.”

    Among the delegation are the Primate of Anglican Church, Nicholas Okoh, Senator Phillip Aduda, Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria, and the Chief Imam of Central Mosque, Abuja.

    The first Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was not at the church service or at the homage visit.

  • Terrorists behind Benue killings

    Terrorists behind Benue killings

    Former Zamfara State Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi has said killings in Benue and adjoining Middle belt states are being carried out by terrorists.

    He urged security agents, particularly members of the Joint Military Task Force to be more vigilant if the nation must see the end of the activities terrorists.

    Shinkafi said: “reports from our intelligence and security unit confirms that those so called herdsmen are actually terrorists in disguise.

    “As a former executive governor, as a northerner, I can tell Nigerians and authoritatively so, that the herdsmen that we know are usually not more than two or three, tending to their cows with a long stick as their weapon.

    “Today, we are faced with the so-called Fulani herdsmen numbering from 5 to 30 at a time, armed with sophisticated weapons.

    We recommend that anytime the so-called herdsmen are more than two or three in number, the Joint Military Task Force should arrest them, search them and if guns or matchets are found on them, they should be treated as terrorists and dealt with decisively on the spot.

    “We have enough blood-shed and we want an end to it now,” Shinkafi said.

    Shinkafi, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Coalition for Jonathan and Sambo Presidency (NACOJSP) spoke in Abuja on saturday at the inauguration of states Chairmen and zonal councils the coalition.

  • Mark decries decimation of Nigerians

    Mark decries decimation of Nigerians

    Senate President David Mark Monday expressed worry over the unabating violent crime that has claimed numerous lives and properties across the country.

    He insisted that terrorists have not only degenerated to the level of beasts but have become insane.

    Mark who reacted to the latest attacks in parts of Benue state which claimed hundreds of lives and properties, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh in Abuja, wondered how some Nigerians have suddenly become so wicked and cruel to one another.

    He was quoted to have said that: “I cannot understand why people have resorted to killing each other at will without the slightest provocation.  This is not part of us. This is highly inhuman and unacceptable.”

    He reminded Nigerians of the time-tested philosophy of Africans being their brothers’ keeper at all times, saying “we are still one people created by the same God.  Neither religion nor politics or ethnicity should put asunder to our cherished peace and unity.”

    He tasked security operatives to collaborate with one another in order to work out a synergy for result-oriented approach towards ending the killings.

    He sympathized with the government and people of Benue State over the incessant attacks and called for proactive approach in order to avoid a repeat occurrence.

    Specifically, Mark requested the National Emergency Management Agency (NAMA) to help its Benue State counterpart to provide relief materials to the victims now taking refuge in various camps across the state.

    He pleaded with his Benue state kinsmen to maintain peace and order as both the state and Federal Governments have resolved to halt the trend “so that we can all be at peace and make progress.”

  • Wanted: A war cabinet    

    Wanted: A war cabinet    

    It was a catalogue of deaths and destruction last week when the Boko Haram terrorists went on a killing-spree in the three Nigeria’s northeast states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno. The attacks started on Tuesday at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, where no fewer than 43 students were killed. From there, they moved to Shuwa, in Magadali Local Government Area of Adamawa state where a teachers’ college, a secondary school and a Catholic covent were attacked. By Saturday, it was the turn of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where a twin-bomb explosion tore through the heart of the city, killing more than 50 people. Mainok, a village about 50 kilometers from Maiduguri, also had a taste of the orgy of violence and blood-letting.

    The attack on the Government College, Buni Yadi, bore the full imprimatur of a similar one on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the College of Agriculture, Guijba, in the same state. In that attack, more than 50 students of the school met their untimely death. The terrorists attacked the college at midnight when most of the students were deeply asleep. That also, was not without precedence. In June 2013, the terrorists killed eight pupils and a teacher during an attack on Government Secondary School, Damaturu, capital of Yobe State. They also killed 29 pupils at Government Secondary School, Mamudo, also in the state.

    On Saturday, April 13, 2013, an unspecified number of students of Monguno Secondary School, in Monguno Local Government of Borno State, were killed as they returned home on foot and bicycles from the centres where they wrote the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). Before that daylight massacre, six secondary school teachers, including a principal, were also hacked down by the terrorists in the same local government area.

    It is sad that our so-called security forces have always been caught napping each time these marauders come calling. In the killings of the school children who were accosted on their way from their examination centres in April 2013, no security agent was sighted at the scene of the slaughtering until more than three hours later. The same scenario has played out again and again. It was the same story at the School of Agriculture, Gujba. In the recent incident at FGC, Buni Yadi, the killers did not only have the luxury of time to carry out their devilish act, they also proved that they were out to destroy the hopes of tomorrow by separating the girls from the boys. While they mowed down the boys, they simply drove the girls away from school and advised them to go and get married instead of wasting their time at school. That is true to their name Boko Haram, which means “education is bad.”

    What is more sickening in all these, especially in last week’s incident, is the fact that the security agents who were stationed within the proximity of the schools left their checkpoints shortly before the terrorists came calling. Now, the security agents are running helter-skelter to unravel those who might have been complicit in the attacks among the local populace. Talk of medicine after death. By the way, why is it that these security agents, with the hordes of intelligence officers in their midst, have never for once nipped these attacks in the bud while the so-called rag-tag terrorists are daily giving them a bloody nose?

    There must be something wrong somewhere. It is either a failure of intelligence or non-intelligence at all, as the case may be (if I am permitted to put it that way). It is obvious that some people are aiding and abetting these criminals within the local population and among the security agents as well. For how long will the blood of our children be spilled like rotten milk on the altar of greed, selfishness and vaulting ambition of our overfed politicians both in uniform and babaringa? Every time, you hear about a fleet of vehicles consisting of more than 10 or 15 attacking a particular location. Why is it impossible for the security forces to pick them as they move along? I am quite aware that because of the dry season, almost everywhere in the affected areas is motorable at this time, but if the security forces are doing their work well, these terrorists should still be spotted.

    It is rather superfluous that while the brigandage and blood-letting that have been going on in the northeast of the country in the last four or five years (2009 – 2014) continue to spiral out of control, up till this moment, no single person has either been fingered or arrested on account of being the sponsor of this brazen terrorism against our fatherland. The other day, a former governor of one of the states in the Northeast was allegedly arrested in Cameroun by a Camerounian security officer who said he was convinced that the former governor is one of the financiers of the Boko Haram insurgency. The former governor was arrested on his way to see the governor of Northern Cameroun.

    Although the former governor in question was later released by an order from the Vice-President of Cameroun, after he quickly reached out to people, he is strongly suspected to have played a role in the rise of Boko Haram in the first instance and so, it will be difficult to isolate him from the unrelenting assault of the criminal gangs on the country. There is also this belief that this former governor may not be a Nigerian as he is said to hail from neighbouring Chad Republic, where he currently operates an airline and maintains a mansion. After his tenure as governor many years back, it was to Chad that he went to cool off and observe developments in Nigeria from the sideline until his recent visit to the country which sparked off a wave of violence in his native state.

    By now, I believe the security agencies should have the list of suspects who are collaborating with these terrorists in one way or another to wreak havoc on unsuspecting Nigerians, but, perhaps, because of political expediency, nobody wants to touch them. That is why some people think that if the President announces today that he will not be contesting the 2015 presidential election, the whole Boko Haram brouhaha will die a natural death. Since the President has an inalienable right to contest as President a second time as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution in use in the country, if he wishes, the onus is on the security agencies to do their work properly and contain this avoidable carnage that has continued to cast a dark spot on the image of the country. The only way out of this quagmire in which the country has been enmeshed all this while is the urgent need for the President to form a war cabinet.

    In the first instance, the troops which were deployed to the theatre of war in the Northeast went there purely for peacekeeping operation. Now the whole scenario has snowballed into a real war situation. Therefore, the strategy must change. A senior cabinet minister must coordinate the ‘war’. As things are now, it may be impossible for the National Security Adviser, NSA, the only person who probably performs the role of coordinating the military interventions in the Northeast, to summon any of the head of the services to a meeting – I mean summoning someone like the Chief of Army Staff or the Chief of Air Staff that are both involved in managing the crisis to a meeting – not to talk of the Chief of Defence Staff. They will just ignore him because the NSA is more or less a Staff Officer to the President. That is why there is need to quickly put a war cabinet in place.

    The war cabinet, as envisaged, will consist of seasoned Generals, both serving and retired, as well as some respectable and responsible civilians, whose duty will be to take care of the political angle to this festering crisis. It is time to end this genocide!

  • FG convicts 40 Boko Haram members – Adoke

    FG convicts 40 Boko Haram members – Adoke

    The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, on Monday said that more than 40 Boko Haram members had been convicted for terrorism-related crimes.

    Adoke made this known at the opening of an International seminar on the Observance of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Internal Security Operations in Abuja.

    The seminar declared opened by President Goodluck Jonathan was co-hosted by the Office Attorney-General and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

    Adoke said the considerable efforts of government had been made possible through the prosecution of members of the sect under the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011 as amended in 2013.

    The attorney-general commended the roles of members of the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies in containing terrorism and other related crises in the country.

    He said the seminar was to sensitise the participants, particularly members of the armed forces, to comply with relevant human rights and international humanitarian laws and norms during internal security operations.

    Adoke noted that the military had been effective in maintaining law and order and restoring normalcy to many crises areas in the country.

    He said the intervention sometimes attracts negative reactions from affected communities on accounts of loss of lives and alleged use of excessive force.

    Adoke recalled the incidence in Odi, Bayelsa, and Zaki Biam, Benue, both in 2001, where damages were awarded against Nigeria in billions of Naira by the International Criminal Court (ICC)

    “Allegations of human rights abuses and non-adherence to applicable rules of engagement leveled against those involved in quelling crises coupled with adverse reports from human rights advocates have tended to put the country on the spotlight in the international community.

    “The sad events that occurred in Odi in Bayelsa in 2001 and Zaki Biam in Benue, also in 2001 led to the award of damages against the Federal Government.

    “The court awarded N37 billion against the Federal Government in respect of Odi incident and N42 billion for the Zaki Biam incident, which was later negotiated to eight billion naira.

    “The unpleasant consequences of the extra-judicial killing of Mallam Yusuf Mohammed, leader of the Boko Haram sect in Borno in 2009, still reverberate in the polity despite the N100 million compensation that the courts ordered government to pay to the deceased’s family.

    “The point being made is that government can ill-afford to bear these huge financial liabilities in the face of increasing responsibilities and dwindling resources,’’ he said.

    Adoke also made reference to the criticism that trailed the deployment of troops to the trouble North-East states and the Baga incidence in Borno.

    He said the civil disturbances in the central, Kaduna, Plateau, the militancy in the Niger Delta, and the terrorist activities of the Boko Haram had been under preliminary analysis by the ICC.

    “The prosecutor’s report of Aug. 5, 2013, established that the Boko Haram sect was carrying out crimes against humanity as prescribed under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the ICC, particularly murder and persecution.

    “The prosecutor has since proceeded to the admissibility stage of determining whether Nigeria is `willing and able’ to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes,’’ he said

    Adoke, therefore, declared that government would continue to take steps necessary at discharging its primary responsibilities of ensuring the security and welfare of the people.

    He charged members of the armed forces and other security agencies to ensure that they discharge their duties within the confine of the laws and norms.

    “As Attorney General, I am particularly concerned about the way and manner members of the armed forces discharge their responsibilities within the context of our current security challenges.

    “I wish to reaffirm government’s determination to hold members of the armed forces as well as other security forces to the highest professional and ethical standards.

    “They must adhere strictly to applicable rules of engagements and eschew act of impunity.

    “I am pleased to observe that relevant human rights and international humanitarian law norms are mainstreamed in your curriculum and training manuals.

    “I, therefore, wish to caution that any member of the armed forces found wanting in the observance of applicable rules of engagement during internal security operations would be held accountable.

    “Military authorities should, therefore, ensure their officers and men are appropriately sensitised to ensure compliance,’’ he said.

    The attorney general enjoined the military high command to take steps to further institutionalise the norms of civil engagement in all their operations to avoid unpleasant consequences. (NAN)

  • Oritsejafor: treat kidnappers as armed robbers, terrorists

    The Federal Government came under fire yesterday over the high rate of kidnapping in the country.

    The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) accused the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government of incompetence in handling a situation it described as criminal.

    CAN President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said: “Nigeria may be in for an even worse situation than it is with the terrorists’ activities.”

    He advised the Federal Government to treat kidnappers as armed robbers and terrorists to stop the menace.

    A statement issued in Abuja by the Special Assistant, Media and Public Affairs to the CAN president, Kenny Ashaka, said: “The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, received with dismay, the news of the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, His Grace, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey and his wife, Beatrice, who has been released.

    “He appealed to the kidnappers of the Archbishop to release him unconditionally and unharmed as a means of atoning for the sacrilege they have committed.

    “Pastor Oritsejafor observes that the action or crime of forcefully taking away or holding somebody as a prisoner, usually for ransom, has become a showy display, a kind of publicity stunt in ways that explain the insecurity in the country.

    “Given the ferocious and violent manner these kidnappings are carried out, the CAN president is worried that if the crime of kidnapping is not matched with equally harsh or severe punishments, in circumstances where kidnappers shoot and kill people before forcefully abducting the victims, Pastor Oritsejafor calls on the Federal Government to treat kidnappers as armed robbers and terrorists by invoking laws to stop crimes and criminality.”

    In the statement, the CAN president wishes the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, a fruitful and beneficial retirement.

    Pastor Oritsejafor congratulated the new Prelate, Most Rev. Samuel Uche, saying as he stepped into the shoes of his predecessor, he should strive to be a source of inspiration to Christians “and in particular to us in the CAN family.”

     

  • Terrorists’ attacks affect cost of governance, says Adoke

    Terrorists’ attacks affect cost of governance, says Adoke

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), yesterday said terrorists’ attacks have been affecting the cost of governance.

    He also said the interventions of the courts have saved the nation’s democracy and constitutional evolution.

    He, however, warned politicians against abuse of freedom of expression to incite violence in the country.

    Adoke made the submissions in an address at the 2013 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the International Conference Centre in Calabar.

    In the address, which was released to reporters in Abuja, the AGF urged Nigerians to support the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said: “In Nigeria, the challenges of nationhood are more pronounced in the areas of security, fostering of national unity and democratic consolidation.

    “The threat of global terrorism, hitherto considered an alien phenomenon, has unfortunately found a place in our nation.

    “Media reports of terrorists’ attacks on innocent citizens, members of the armed forces and police and our critical infrastructure have continued to weigh heavily on the cost of governance and the ability of the citizenry to carry out their social and economic activities with grave consequences for the nation.

    “In its determined effort to combat the insurgency; government has had to impose a state of emergency on three states in the Northeast geopolitical zone, (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe).”

    The AGF also said the interventions of the courts have saved the nation’s democracy and constitutional evolution.

    He said: “There is no doubt that any society, which desires to bring about social justice and development, will ultimately address the functionality and centrality of law. In my respectful view, social justice and a developmental perspective to the nation’s legal system require that the rule of law must be sacrosanct.

    “This fundamental concept entails that rights (including economic rights) are protected and that arbitrary powers of the state are curbed by the prescription of rules and codes that regulate and sanction.

    “By the same token, in a constitutional democracy like Nigeria, the rule of law connotes not only that the judiciary is independent, but also that judicial orders and judgments of courts are obeyed and enforced. This is more so when only the courts of law are mandated to state with finality the position of the law as it governs the affairs of the society and the nation.

    “Amidst the controversies that attend political rivalries and contests within and outside political parties; in the course of evolving sustainable constitutional principles for our democracy and in the face of security challenges, the courts have dispensed justice according to the law and our constitutional evolution has benefited immensely from their interventions.

    “As we prepare to celebrate 100 years of nationhood, we must continue to have faith in the ability of the law to regulate our conduct both in public and private spheres and serve as a mechanism for resolving disputes.”

    The minister cautioned politicians against inflammatory remarks, which could lead to violence nationwide.

    Adoke added: “Democracy and liberalism that it engenders in the political space have also brought about its own challenges, especially to the unity and corporate existence of our nation.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Soldiers raid terrorists’ hideout

    A suspected hideout of insurgents at Gidan Igwai area in Sokoto was raided yesterday by officers and men of the 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sokoto.

    The Brigade spokesman, Captain Yahaya Musa, confirmed the raid to newsmen.

    According to him: “The operation was conducted as part of the ongoing efforts to rid Sokoto State of the fleeing insurgents from volatile areas like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, among others.”

    Musa explained the operation followed tip-offs from some good Samaritans in the city and its environs.

    He maintained that it was part of the routine operations of the army to cleanse Nigeria of insurgency and other criminal activities.

    According to him: “Sokoto is peaceful, but unfortunately insurgents from other parts of the country are fast making it a safe haven and we are battle-ready to dislodge them.

    “The operation by the army would be sustained and intensified just like our sister security organisations are also doing theirs, nationwide.

    “I cannot, however, confirm any fatalities as at now but scores of arrests had been made whose details would be made available later”.

    Musa commended residents for their support and cooperation, urging them to sustain the trend.

     

  • Terrorists attack India embassy in Afghanistan

    Terrorists attack India embassy in Afghanistan

    Insurgents attacked the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern capital yesterday, killing nine people and reinforcing fears that a bloody regional power struggle will be played out in the country once most foreign troops leave.

    Twenty-three people were wounded when checkpoint guards stopped three attackers in a car as they approached the consulate in Jalalabad city, the office of the governor of Nangarhar province, Gul Agha Sherzai, said in a statement.

    Two attackers leapt from the car and a gunfight broke out, while the third detonated explosives. No Indian officials were killed, though the blast badly damaged a mosque and dozens of homes and small shops nearby.

    India condemned the attack and, without naming any country or group, blamed outside forces.

    “This attack has once again highlighted that the main threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability stems from terrorism and the terror machine that continues to operate from beyond its borders,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

    Arch-rivals India and Pakistan have long vied for power and influence in Afghanistan. Many see their struggle intensifying after the departure of most international forces by the end of next year.

    Afghans fear the void left by the NATO-led foreign forces could lead to yet another round of bloody external interference in the impoverished and violence-racked country.

    Afghan President Hamid Karzai is seen as close to India and strongly opposed to the Taliban, who some say is supported by elements of the Pakistani state, in particular its powerful intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

    The Taliban, which spearheads armed opposition to Karzai’s Western-backed government, denied responsibility for Saturday’s attack on the Indian mission close to Pakistan’s border.

    Attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul – there were two during 2008 and 2009 that together killed more than 50 people – led to accusations by Karzai that Pakistan was attempting to compromise India-Afghanistan relations. He gave no evidence for his assertion, and Pakistan denied it was true.

    Earlier yesterday, India’s Mail Today reported that New Delhi’s ambassador to Kabul was recently warned that the ISI had paid the Haqqani insurgent network – which is allied with the Taliban – to assassinate him.

    “It was a specific alert. A team of security officials was sent to Afghanistan for a security review and it has made some recommendations. Clearly the aim is to pin down our top diplomat so we back off from our work,” a senior official told the daily.

    Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin declined to comment on the report, which was sourced to Indian officials who had seen communication intercepts.

    A Pakistani security official dubbed the report “nonsense”. “Why would we do such a thing when we are trying to improve economic ties with India?” he said.

     

  • Fed Govt’s battle against terrorists, oil thieves

    Fed Govt’s battle against terrorists, oil thieves

    It is evident that the wave of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria has gone down considerably in recent times but the citizens, particularly those in the northern part, still worry if it is “peace at last’’.

    In the words of Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS): “Nigeria is winning the war against terrorism. When I remark that we are winning the war on terrorism, I recall the statement of a Chinese General, Sunzu, which says `if you know yourself, if you know the enemy; then, you can fight a thousand wars.

    “Winning the war starts from in-house, I am aware of the improved capacity of the units, improved capacity of the officers and men, and this is what gives me the confidence that we will excel.

    “And as for the operation itself, the nature of insurgency is such that you will continue to have occasional setbacks because you are dealing with people who disguise themselves as civilians,’’ he said.

    Ihejirika said the military had made tremendous achievements in efforts to make the country safe, adding, however, that a lot still had to be done.

    Expatiating further on the military operation, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, said efforts to promote the country’s security must necessarily include strategies aimed at ensuring that neighbouring nations were also safe to forestall any spillovers.

    Speaking at the ongoing Ministerial Platform in Abuja to showcase the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the last two years, she said as part of efforts to ensure the security of neighbouring countries, about 5,000 Nigerian soldiers were serving in various UN peace keeping missions in Africa and other continents.

    “The Armed Forces of Nigeria are participating in nine United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions within and outside Africa. About 5,000 officers and men, including military hardware, were deployed to various missions in the period under review.

    “In November 2012, 186 personnel were deployed to Guinea Bissau as part of the ECOWAS military intervention force to restore normalcy to the troubled West African country.

    “Nigeria still remains an active player in both regional and world peace efforts,” she added.

    Mrs. Obada said Nigeria deployed a reinforced infantry battalion to Mali on January 17, following the UN Security Council Resolution 2085, which approved the formation of the Africa-led International Support Mission in Mali.

    She said the ministry had carried out repairs and upgrade of the Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) in Darfur, Sudan, while carrying out pre-deployment training for soldiers at the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji.

    The ministry, she added, had also acquired Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) for the country’s troops in Dafur and Liberia, while producing national cost data for peace support operations.

    The minister stressed that the importance of the armed forces’ training could never be over-emphasised, adding that this explained the rationale behind sustained efforts to professionalise, train and re-train the soldiers.

    Obada said the military had always been fighting for the country’s unity, peace and oneness.

    “The Army is doing its very best as our officers and men are among the very best in the world; there is no doubt about it because they are well-trained and they are on top of their work,” she said.

    As part of efforts to curb oil theft and protect oil installations, the minister said the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta was instrumental to the destruction of 3,778 illegal refineries in the area in the last one year.

    Mrs. Obada noted that there had been enhanced protection of oil and gas facilities through the increase of air and ground patrols of pipeline networks to deter vandals from carrying out their destructive activities.

    “While criminality in the industry has not been completely eliminated, efforts of the JTF had reduced the level of crude oil theft drastically within the period under review.

    “One hundred and twenty barges, 878 Cotonou boats, 161 tanker trucks, 178 illegal fuel dumps and 5,238 surface tanks were destroyed by the JTF,” she said.

    Moreover, the minister said within the last one year, the task force also destroyed some militant camps at Oron in Akwa Ibom, as well as Ikang and Ferukpakame in Cross River.

    Troops, she said, were deployed to mount surveillance on the most critical oil platforms on a 24-hour basis to enhance their security.

    In the area of internal security, the minister said following President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in three northern states, “Operation BOYANA’’ was launched to curtail the excesses of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    She said the operation had been successful, as the insurgents were dislodged from their strongholds.

    Obada said the restoration of normalcy and the operations of the JTF had made Maiduguri and its environs unbearable for the miscreants.

    She highlighted some successes achieved in the military operation as the destruction of some Identified Improvised Explosives (IEDS) and their production factories as well as the recovery of large caches of arms, ammunition and explosives.

    The minister said the JTF had also monitored and controlled the influx of illegal immigrants into Borno State, while facilitating the repatriation of some aliens.

    As part of efforts to promote staff welfare and set the pace for other ministries to follow, the defence ministry had also placed 25, 000 HIV-positive personnel and civilians on retroviral therapy in the last one year.

    She said the intervention was carried out under the Ministry of Defence HIV and AIDS Programme.

    Mrs. Obada said Nigeria had also strengthened its relations with Japan in the area of defence.

    Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN) said 75 terrorism cases were treated in the last two years.

    He said 16 of the cases had been concluded with eight convictions, while 35 cases were struck out.

    “During the period under review, a total number of 75 cases of terrorism and Boko Haram insurgency were received and prosecuted.

    “Sixteen of the cases have been concluded with eight convictions, while 35 were struck out.

    “A good number of the terrorism cases were struck out because the accused persons escaped during attacks on prisons in Bauchi and Maiduguri,” he added.

    Also speaking on the same platform, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, whose ministry oversees the Ministerial Platform, said that the ministry had been able to spur other ministries to attain the development goals of the Jonathan-administration.

    He stressed that the ministry’s efforts to redefine the national information framework had strengthened the governance process in Nigeria.

    He said the ministry, in consultation with important stakeholders, had in the last two years redesigned the nation’s information strategy, with a view to involving the people in the governance process.

    Maku said the Ministerial Platform and the National Good Governance Tour (NGGT) were products of the new approach to information dissemination about governance in the country.

    “In the last two years, we have redefined the mandate of the Ministry of Information. It is to lead the management of the image and reputation of the people and government of Nigeria through a professional and dynamic public information system that facilitates access by citizens and the global community to credible and timely information about Nigeria.

    “The ministerial platform, this is the second edition, has shown clearly that in this country, we can do things differently; and by designing this platform, I believe that we have started something that will be difficult to be stopped by any government in the future.

    “Now, companies are saying that they will like to advertise on the platform because they want to reach audiences and because of the level of participation.

    “We will consider the proposal in the next edition of the ministerial platform; we will introduce private sector adverts,” he said.

    Observers laud the defence and information ministries for their feats in the nation-building efforts but they urge them to strive harder in efforts to transform Nigeria into one of the developed countries of the world.