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Tag: boko haram

  • Buratai relocate to North-East, prepares Nigeria Army for final onslaught against Boko Haram

    Buratai relocate to North-East, prepares Nigeria Army for final onslaught against Boko Haram

    Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Turkur Buratai has relocated fully to the North East as the Nigerian army gets ready in final onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists.

    Buratai will be overseeing and directing the overall operation in the theatre and other Nigerian Army operations across the country from the North East.

    A statement in the Nigerian Army’s website early Saturday said while addressing troops of Special Super Camp Ngamdu in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State on 9 April 2020, Buratai had said that he would be with them in the nooks and crannies of the theatre.

    The Army said the COAS had been on operational tour to troops’ locations in the North East Theatre of Operation since Saturday, 4th of April, 2020.

    During the tour, he was at the Army Super Camp 1 at Mulai and the Special Forces Super Camp 12 at Chabbol near Maiduguri on Wednesday, 8 April, 2020 where he interacted with the officers and addressed the troops respectively.

    Buratai was also at the Forward Operations Base at Alau Dam, and also personally led the troops on patrol round Mairimari and Maigilari Forests.

    “The Nigerian Army wishes to reassure Nigerians that it is highly committed to protecting all law abiding citizens and defending our territorial integrity.

    “Members of the public are requested to note that there is no any form of insecurity that cannot be surmounted, and the Boko Haram/ISWAP’s terrorism will also end in the nearest future,” the statement said.

  • Idris Derby: When orange is a new black

    Idris Derby: When orange is a new black

    By David Onmeje

    Celebration of fantasies over anything foreign has deeply influenced the psyche of Nigerians. It is in the character of every Nigerian to even abominably bow to anything and everything foreign, no matter how fake. And many are still pleasurably ignorant that the original or initial religious Boko Haram insurgency has been decapitated and eclipsed.

    The scanty traces of insurgency in the country and the infiltration of ISWAP terrorists into Nigeria is deliberately festered for a different motive. What is energizing rebels and criminals in the Lake Chad Basin enclaves is economic terrorism because of its rich oil and gas resources. The naturally endowed Lake Chad Basin area is largely shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and to a large extent, Cameroonian republics.

    For clarity, in a March 2020 well researched article published in the Journal of Politics and Religion, titled “Untold Story of Boko Haram Insurgency: The Lake Chad Oil and Gas Connection,” authored by Mr. J. Tochukwu Omenma, the author opinionated that “Oil as an important natural resource will continue to shape international conflict, and since the beginning of oil exploration in the Lake Chad basin, oil products have been a key element of the riparian states’ national interest and contestation. The “greed-and-grievance” theory explains this configuration of forces behind the insurgency in the Lake Chad region.”

    There have been some funny hallucinations in Nigeria, the last few days. It about the Chadian President Idriss Deby, who reportedly led his country’s Military in an operation against Boko Haram called, “Operation Boma’s Wrath” on April 4th 2020. The Chadian forces onslaught extinguished terrorists in the battle at Kelkoua, bank of the Lake Chad. Scores of Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized and two Boko Haram command posts in Chadian territory were dismantled.

    This should only be commendable to the extent one discerns Chad’s repentant posture in supporting terrorism. President Deby deluded himself by erroneously thinking he could keep enjoying the criminal alliance with Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents eternally.

    The only appropriate description of President Deby’s action is “revolt is the chamber of terrorists.” Deby was disappointed that his partners in crime betrayed him when the Boko Haram militants again attacked a military base in Boma on March 23, 2020, killing 98 Chadian soldiers. It happened earlier at Diffa region. He was incensed and ordered the vengeance operation to appease his soul. These are tricks crafty leaders like President Deby play with the lives of the people.

    So, the onslaught killed, dislodged and captured Boko Haram terrorists’ major bunker of armoury in Chad territory. It is good news that some Boko Haram terrorists escaped into the Nigerian, Nigerien and Cameroonian territories. Its cheering revelation that terrorists have no abode in Nigeria because of the superior might of Nigerian troops. It intimated Nigerians that terrorists empowered to torment the country are harboured by neighbouring countries.

    In justifying the queerness of some Nigerians, a joint military operation by Nigerian troops under the auspices of the Multi- National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) through combined air and artillery bombardments strikes also dislodged fleeing terrorists from Chad which wanted to take shelter at the Tumbun Fulani area in Borno state and Lake Chad Islands in Nigerian territory.

    But Nigerians never gave a thought to the brilliant and proactive actions of Nigerian troops. Some newspapers still credited the action of Nigerian troops to Chadian forces. And so, what resonated in the country was rather the bemused celebration of President Deby for the “wonderful feat”, just to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Military. One cannot scoff at the idiocy of some Nigerians enough.

    Sometimes, it’s difficult to comprehend Nigerians. The Chadian Military’s strike, dislodgement and destruction of the armory bunker of Boko Haram terrorists is at best, an action expressive of a deal gone awry between Chad and Boko Haramists and their ISWAP counterparts. But compatriots failed to discern this simple insight.

    Some shallow-minded fellows never reminisced that the Nigerian Military had consistently complained about the tacit support Nigeria’s neighbours who extend assistance to Boko Haram terrorists, especially Chad. The insurgents armoury bunker attacked by the Chadian forces in her territory was neither assembled in a day nor in a hurry. It has been there and provided a convenient environment for Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists to stockpile weapons, raise and train foot soldiers, in spite of the presence of MNJTF.

    It is one of the many secure spots in Chad and other neighbouring countries Boko Haram retire for protection and replenishment each time they launch attacks on Nigerian territories. This is not hidden and Chad particularly has refused to heed to pleas to cooperate with Nigerian forces and MNJTF.

    It is therefore, surprising that instead of Nigerians to deeply assess the sudden reaction by Chad, they are senselessly celebrating the fantasy of the action Chadian forces led by President Deby. Suddenly, almost every Nigerian has forgotten that Chad has been a major impediment in Nigeria’s absolute success in her counter-terrorism expeditions.

    Under the Jonathan Presidency, President Deby allegedly collected $20 million to assist Nigeria fight Boko Haram. But thereafter, Chad embarked on actions which were supportive of terrorists and emboldened insurgents against Nigeria. And similarly, it is an established fact that under the Buhari Presidency, once Boko Haram terrorists chased from Nigeria in the heat of field combats with Nigerian troops, they cross into Chadian territory, where they are shielded to escape and recuperate to plot fresh attacks on Nigeria.

    In the past, Chad had variously frustrated and sabotaged regional cooperation in the war against terrorism ostensibly because of its secret agreements with Boko Haram insurgents. Chad vacillates allegiance between Boko Haram and alliance to the mandate of MNJTF.

    For instance, in 2014, Chad pulled out hundreds of its troops stationed in Niger to assist in the regional collaborative fight against Boko Haram. Chad acted in this resentful manner after President Donald Trump included the country on its revised travel ban list, as one of the countries suspected of aiding and abating terrorism. President Trump was explicit that Chad reneged to “adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information.”

    In January 2020, Chad again, withdrew its troops from Nigeria operating under the MNJTF. Thereafter, Boko Haram strikes in Nigeria accentuated. Anonymous Chadian military sources claimed its forces had completed its mission in Nigeria. Chad and her tricky engagements with neighbouring countries in the fight against terrorism is so glaring.

    It is no news that Chad is famous for its refusal to fund MNJTF as agreed by the member-nations. And it condescends to the level of even consenting to hundreds of cattle rustled in Nigeria by terrorists from ransacked communities to find their way into Chadian markets unmolested. It has remained one of the main sources of funding of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.

    And despite Chad’s US secured computerized gadgets, installed at all Chadian borders with neighbouring countries, Nigeria inclusive and backed up by a 24-hour security surveillance and checks at all border-crossing points by Chad’s security forces, Boko Haram still freely ferries weapons through the country into Nigeria. Chad has not denied that it is one of the countries from which Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists receive smuggled weapons.

    Terrorists smuggled heavy military weapons from some countries in Europe to Boko Haram in Nigeria transit through several countries, including Chad. Chad has neither denied or raised an eyebrow against this act clearly because of a deal and understanding it has reached with terrorists. The silent voice in the deal between Chad and Boko Haram seems to say, “allow us use your country, to transport weapons to Nigeria and we will not strike your country.”

    Therefore, it is absolutely senseless and smacks of infantilism for President Deby and his partisan promoters in Nigeria to make a bazaar over his revolting against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists partners for betraying Chad by striking the country’s military base and killing soldiers. Like earlier stated, the Boko Haram armoury bunker destroyed in the “operation Boma’s Wrath,” was not erected in a day. How come Chadian intelligence never knew of it and reacted until the satanic souls rose against them?

    Nigerians must know it is a battle between two criminals – Chad and Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists. Nigerians celebrating President Deby just to deride President Buhari and the Nigerian military have missed the drift and failed to decode the underlying conspiracies against their country. It is the fundamental problem of some Nigerians.

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai and Nigerian troops have demonstrated in actions these past years their mettle. A combination of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists are not beyond their capacity to handle.

    The COAS is leading the counter-terrorism combats effectively and he has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is capable of quenching the fire of terrorism in Nigeria. Nigeria has never had a pact with the rebels; but it is open secret that President Deby struck a deal with them, except that it has gone sour now.

    Deby needs to clear his name in the kingdom of Lucifer and apologize to his compatriots for sacrificing them. Leading the battle at Boma personally was rather Deby’s symbolic purging of a haunting guilt. Nigeria is not a place for him to come and fart after playing such odious roles to terrorists, rebels, killers, murderers and rapists.

    Had the likes of Chad not denied Nigeria and her military, the necessary cooperation in the fight against terrorism, Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism would have been blighted a long time ago, not only in Nigeria but from the West African sub-region. President Deby should stop playing the gods, because the “rich also cry.” His day of reckoning is finally here!

    President Deby cannot connive and cooperate with Boko Haram for ages to torment and massively murder Nigerians only to step out angrily to avenge betrayal of his country by the sect and expect sane people to eulogize him. It is childish antics and fraudulent playing to the gallery. The Nigerians hailing the actions of the Chadian President urgently needs to have their brains examined.

    Onmeje wrote this piece from the United Kingdom.

  • Fake activists, promoters of fake news are worse than Boko Haram- CAFA

    The Citizens Against Fake Activists (CAFA) believes fake activists and promoters of falsehood are worse menace to the country than even Boko Haram terrorists.

    According to CAFA, these self-acclaimed human rights activists are only interested in their pockets and this desperation led them into blackmailing the Nigerian military to promote the agenda of their paymasters.

    CAFA made this revelation in a statement on Friday through Director Communications and Publicity, Comrade Ibrahim Kabiru Dallah.

    Dallah pointed out the recent alliance and hype accorded Chadian troops as a typical example of these activists’ dubious endeavours, who all the years kept mute when they faulted and never accorded the Nigerian military similar adulation.

    CAFA added that they are instead quick to criticise the Nigerian troops, alleging right abuses each time there is a successful onslaught against the terrorists.

    The Citizens against Fake Activists, however, warned Nigerians to be wary of the likes of Aisha Yesufu, Omoyele Sowore, Deji Adeyanju and Ahmad Salkida affiliated with international NGOs to escalate falsehood, especially against the military.

    As the Army intensifies effort to flush out the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, the group therefore appealed to authorities to “nip the problem of fake news in the bud by leveraging on the international movement against the ugly phenomenon to arrest the ugly practice that is threatening the security of the country”.

  • Boko Haram targets army location, many killed

    Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East have engaged some Boko Haram terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the Nigerian Army location at 3 Battalion in the Gamboru area of Borno State, during which scores of the fighters were shot dead.

    The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, stated on Wednesday that the Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province assassins came to the military location with seven gun trucks on Monday but met a stiff resistance from the troops.

    Brig. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, Director, Defence Media Operations, said in a statement that the troops seized three gun trucks, two anti-aircraft guns, two AK-47 rifles and one rocket propelled grenade tube from the insurgents.

    Onyeuko said, “Troops of 3 Battalion and Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 in Gamboru on a targeted patrol had yet another fierce encounter with some Boko Haram and ISWAP marauders in a convoy of seven gun trucks and many motorcycles approaching the battalion’s location at about 6pm on Tuesday.

    “Consequently, the criminals were overpowered and pursued up to the Wurge area. No soldier lost his life, and no military equipment was seized during the encounter.”

    Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said there was no rift between the Nigerian and Chadian armed forces as being insinuated in some quarters based on the Chadian troops’ battles with the Boko Haram insurgents.

    While answering questions from newsmen in Abuja, Enenche denied that there was rivalry between Nigeria and Chad or any other country in the Lake Chad basin.

    He said, “The Nigerian component of the Multi-National Joint Task Force together with other members from the Lake Chad Basin Commission has been involved in clearance operation around the Lake Chad Basin.

    “This is the fallout of the recent offensive actions of the armed forces of Nigeria in the North-East Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “There is no disagreement between the Nigerian and Chadian troops and joint operations are ongoing.

    “The combined effort of troops of the land component, maritime component and air component has resulted in the neutralisation of scores of the Boko Haram terrorists and ISWAP elements.”

     

  • Fake videos on B’Haram in circulation to distort relationship between Buhari, Derby – Chadian Embassy

    Fake videos on B’Haram in circulation to distort relationship between Buhari, Derby – Chadian Embassy

    Republic of Chad has warned Nigerians to be wary of misleading videos and images being circulated about the recent routing of Boko Haram by its forces.

    The embassy in a statement on Wednesday said the videos were of dubious origins.

    It also said some dated as far back as 2015.

    The embassy said the videos and images have been circulated “to wrongly attribute to his Excellency Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad, completely distorted remarks, taken out of its context and alleging inaction or non-participation of the Nigerian army in the fight against Boko Haram.

    “The Embassy of Chad strongly rejects and denounces this regrettable misinformation which only aims at deteriorating the excellent relations that exist between Their Excellencies President Idriss Deby Itno and His Brother and Counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as the cooperation and exemplary and dynamic interaction established between defence and security forces of both sister and neighbouring countries countries, bound by history, geography, culture and blood”.

    Deby who has relocated from Ndjamena to Baga Sola in the Lac Region said Nigeria provided ‘fairly substantial equipment’, in support of the six-day Operation Anger of Bohoma.

    Read the Embassy’s full statement:

  • ISWAP Confirms Nigerian Army Killing of Its Top Commander

    The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram has confirmed the killing of one of its top commanders, Muhammad bin Mallam Fow, who went with the nom de guerre, Abu al-Kukhtar al-Ansari.

    A biography published for al-Ansari in the Issue 228 of the digital terrorist propaganda newsletter, al-Naba, that was distributed on April 2, 2020 and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group confirmed his death at the hands of government troops.

    The ISWAP propaganda newsletter confirmed that the Nigerian Army killed al-Ansari when the terrorists undertook a failed revenge attack on Damaturu, which the they launched in retaliation for the killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu ai-Muhajir, ISIS leaders that were earlier taken out by US forces.

    In addition to sundry crimes, the publication confirmed that al-Ansari masterminded attacks on Damaturu, Geidam, Garanda and Mallam Fatori in his capacity as the emir of Security Work Battalion.

    While the mainstream media had been skeptical of the report by the Nigerian Army that it had neutralized a senior Boko Haram commander, al-Ansari, and scores of other terrorists during the attack on Damaturu, the obituary verified that he was killed when he tried to fire an RPG round to destroy an armoured tank.

    The deceased terrorist also ran ISWAP’s indoctrination programmes in addition to managing the terror group’s intelligence network that identify and arrest those that are planning to embrace the offer of surrender from the Nigerian Military.

    His death four months after he was appointed Commander of ISWAP’s Security Work Battalion shows that the Nigerian Army regularly neutralize occupants of the position.

  • Boko Haram: Why Nigeria Does Not Need Deby’s Fraudulent Approach

    Boko Haram: Why Nigeria Does Not Need Deby’s Fraudulent Approach

    By Ajibola Adeojo

    If recent reports of the success recorded by Chadian troops against the Boko Haram terrorists are anything to go by, then it would be taken that the Chadian forces used a new approach that had never been seen before.

    Codenamed “Operation Boma Wrath,” Chadian troops were said to have launched an attack on the terrorists, following an attack on their military base on March 23 by Boko Haram in which 98 Chadian troops were killed.

    The revenge attack was adjudged a success because the Chadian troops killed many of the insurgents, destroyed five of their bases and many of their bunkers where its top commanders were hiding and recovered thousands of weapons from them.

    Few of the surviving insurgents were said to have ran to Nigerian territories to escape been killed.

    But if the Chadians had this offensive strategy against the Boko Haram terrorists who have been taking refuge in their territories for several years why are they unleashing it only now?

    The answer is not farfetched. Chad did not use any new approach in military warfare.

    That it decided to come out against the insurgents now has more to do with the relationship between the Chadian president, Idriss Deby Itno and the insurgents.

    Long before now, Chad had been engulfed in internal crisis for many years and many of its rebels frequently found themselves in Northern Nigeria.

    Driven by hunger but with guns and other weapons at their disposal, they wreaked havoc on several Nigerian communities, seized their food supplies and extended their heinous criminal activities to highway robberies. They were known as Kwanta Kwanta due to the language they deployed in their operations.

    With the advent of the Boko Haram, especially with the killing of Mohammed Yusuf, top commanders of the sect that were seeking revenge against the Nigerian State were mopped in by the Chadian rebels and in no time the latter surrendered to the command of the Boko Haram because it had more resources and an identifiable structure.

    Chad therefore became an important operational base of the terrorists with the knowledge of the Chadian goverment.

    The Chadian President had used this relationship to his advantage to demand financial support from Nigeria before.

    But the relationship between Boko Haram and Deby went sour in recent times mainly because the Boko Haram were no longer economically useful since nobody was paying to have them kept at bay as was the practice during its early days and secondly, they were becoming a nuisance to their host communities.

    The recent killing of the Chadian troops by Boko Haram broke the proverbial back of the camel and the Chadian government had to turn its gun on the terrorists.

    The swift manner the exercise was carried out however raised the questions about the approach used which saw the Chadian troops waking up one day to round up the terrorists in a singular attack.

    Some say this is because the attack was led by the Chadian President himself and would want Nigeria to emulate that.

    Those advancing this line of thought forget that about the same time that the Boko Haram attacked the Chadian troops killing 98 of them, the theater commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi was also ambushed by the insurgents and would have been killed if not for the deployment of superior military strategy that gave the insurgents a bloody nose.

    It is recorded that the Boko Haram suffered so much in that attack that they abandoned a large cache of their weapons and fled.

    But days after the Nigerian soldiers outmanouvered the insurgents routing them out in their numbers, only a little media attention was given to it unlike the Chadian episode.

    The truth is, apart from needless propaganda, Nigeria has fared far better in military operations than the tiny African country, hence has nothing to learn from Chad.

    Even judging by the two incidents, it is clear which side gave a good account of itself as far as responding to attacks is concerned.

    While Chad was humiliated by the killing of 98 of its finest fighters, said to be the equivalent of its strike force, Nigeria lost only two soldiers in the ambush before reconnoitering to take on the insurgents and blowing them away.

    It is obvious that the Chadian military strategy and approach to counter insurgency differs from that of Nigeria in many respects and it would be a great disservice to Nigeria for anybody to suggest that Nigeria should adopt the Chadian approach in its fight against the insurgents.

    One, there is not even a clearly laid out strategy that has cast Chad as having an upper hand in the fight against insurgency.

    In the history of warfare, before any strategy could be said to be superior, it must have produced the same results over and over again.

    This is not the case with the Chadians as what we have seen is a one off tit-for-tat mission that managed to succeed..

    But the danger in playing the defensive or counter offensive like Chad has done in an asymmetric warfare like the one involving Boko Haram is that the insurgents are allowed to make their pick of targets before they are replied.

    This could be counterintuitive as the insurgents while taking the time to plan and launch attacks would not always assemble in a place waiting to to be struck.

    Another thing is that allowing the terrorists to converge at a particular place before taking on them.would be at a great cost to the civilian population along their camps who would be made to bear the brunt of their sustenance and the many humiliations that come with it.

    The fact of the matter is that Nigeria is far ahead of Chad and other countries in the fight against insurgency.

    Nigeria has been the leader on many counter insurgency operations across the continent including the multinational joint task force currently fighting the Boko Haram.

    The Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has been leading the fight from the front since he was so appointed in June 2015.

    He has personally participated in drills and other military exercises with fighting troops, talked and interacted with them directly and led operations in the theatres of war.

    His presence at many operations has served to inspire troops and boosted their confidence in the battle field.

    Apart from that, the Chief of Army Staff has been able to win the war by adopting tactics and strategies that suits particular geographical locations which he is quite familiar with.

    Troops confidence has further been boosted with the keen interest he has shown in the improved welfare of soldiers and instilling in them a high sense of patriotism.

    Chad on the other has had a pact with the insurgents which went sour and were driven by rage of betrayal by an estranged accomplice.

    Nigeria however is driven by patriotism and the need to save humanity from catastrophe and disorder.

    The two countries are not in the same category.

    Nigeria is doing well in the fight against insurgency and has nothing to learn from a one off operation.

    Adeojo, a security analyst wrote this article from Ibadan.

  • Troops recover cache of ammunition from fleeing Boko Haram

    Troops of the 3 Battalion and the Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 in Gamboru in Borno State, on Tuesday, encountered Boko Haram fighters in a convoy of seven gun trucks and several motorcycles.

    A statement by the Acting Director Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, disclosed that the terrorists succumbed to the fire power of the troops and took to their heels.

    According to the statement, three Gun Trucks, two Anti Aircraft Guns, Two AK 47 Rifles, one HK 21 Rifle and one Rocket Propelled Grenade, were abandoned by the fleeing insurgents.

    The statement read “in continuation with the ongoing robust/aggressive operations in the North East Theatre of Operation, the gallant troops of 3 Battalion/Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 Gamboru in Borno State on targeted patrol had yet another fierce encounter with some Boko Haram/ISWAP marauders in a convoy of seven gun trucks and many motorcycles approaching the Battalion’s location at about 1800 hours on the 7th of April 2020.

    “Consequently, the criminals were over powered after which they took to their heals. They were aggressively pursued up to Wurge axis by the gallant troops/the Quick Response Force.

    “The fierce firefight led to the death of two terrorists an unconfirmed number were wounded. Additionally, Three (3) Gun Trucks, Two (2) Anti Aircraft Guns, Two (2) AK 47 Rifles, One (1) HK 21 Rifle and One Rocket Propelled Grenade Tube were abondoned by the terrorists and recovered by the troops.

    “Other items recovered are – Multi Links, ten 1.5 MM Ammunition, two Magazines and a Bluetooth Speaker with Boko Haram Terrorists’ victory song.”

    It added that, “no soldier lost his life or wounded, and no equipment was lost during the battle.

    “It would be recalled that just yesterday the 6th of April 2020, combined troops of 403 Special Forces Brigade Baga and Niger Republic troops assisted by the Air Task Force Operation LAFIYA DOLE decisively pounded some Boko Haram/ISWAP Criminals at Kure village along Tumbun Rago and Tumbun Fulani general areas of Borno State leading to the death of One (1) terrorist and the recovery of One (1) AK 47 Rifle, a Gun Truck, Anti Aircraft and Light Machine Guns among others.

    “Members of the public are again requested to continue to cooperate and support the military and other security agencies with credible information in order to speed up the final defeat of terrorism/terrorists in Nigeria.”

  • Much Ado about Derby, Chadian Rebels And Boko Haram

    By Evang Sunday Attah

    Last week, Chadian soldiers, angered by an offensive on their men by the terrorist Boko Haram group, launched an onslaught on the insurgents and almost totally annihilated the remnants of the Boko Haram from their territory.

    This is good given the bestiality of the insurgents, their recidivism and enormity of terror on innocent citizens.

    Since the Chadian expedition, the Nigerian social media space urged on by a particular online publication that had made it a duty not to see anything good about the Nigerian armed forces, began to sing the praises of the Chadian troops to the extent of giving the impression that the Chadians have done what Nigerians have not done in the fight against insurgency.

    This was also worsened by comments credited to the Chadian president, Idris Derby, that gave the impression that Nigerian troops are not playing their part on the war effectively.

    But a pertinent question to ask is, how did neighbouring Chad come to have such a high population of the insurgents in the first place when it started in Nigeria?

    For anybody that has followed reports of the war against insurgency in Nigeria, they are two simple reasons Chad surged with the influx of the insurgents.

    One, the insurgents are renegades of the terrorists who fled Nigerian territories and crossed over to the Chadian side after been mauled by Nigerian troops in the renewed wave of operations since Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai took over the command of the Nigerian army.

    Since 2015, the insurgents have been wiped out and their bases destroyed and it became difficult for them to operate in Nigeria and many of them ran to countries that share borders with Nigeria including Chad.

    The second reason in that due to the proximity of Chad to Nigeria and shared affinity with many communities in Nigeria, many Chadian citizens and rebels who had nothing to do had joined the ranks of the Boko Haram and found a safe haven to operate during the previous administration.

    But with the renewed onslaught on the terrorists after the appointment of the current Chief of Army Staff, many of them decided to relocate to their country as they could no longer continue with the acts of banditry and for fear of being killed by Nigerian soldiers.

    Nigerian troops in the last four years have done much more than the social media space is willing to admit in terms of defeating insurgency in the landscape.

    For more than four years since the coming of the current administration, the terrorists have not found it easy operating on the Nigerian side the way they were used to.

    Boko Haram terrorists under fire from Nigerian troops, run to take shelter in neighbouring African countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroun which they found less dangerous.
    This has at several times frustrated the efforts of the Nigerian troops due to the diplomatic issues involved.
    There was a time the insurgents came under intense fire from the Nigerian side that they had to blow up the bridge linking the communities on the border to make it impossible for Nigerian troops to cross over and continue the onslaught.

    It would also interest people to know that the Nigerian government had in the past, tried to work out various arrangement for military cooperation with other African countries but these have collapsed due to lack of trust and inadequate synergy for the joint effort.
    At a point, the other countries quietly withdrew from the joint exercise leaving Nigerian troops to prosecute the war. But Nigeria was able to up the game and degraded the terrorists to the point where they could no longer launch attacks on Nigerian communities at will.
    The fight became so successful that Nigeria no longer needed to wait for inspiration from other countries but trudged on till it began to win the respect of other nations.
    In no time, Nigeria took back its leadership position in the fight and other nations began to watch keenly and copy from its strategy.
    The success Nigeria recorded within the period, encouraged the other countries to begin to reconsider their positions on the war and began to once again mobilise troops for the fight.

    It is within this period that Nigerian troops took the fight to the theatres of war and were able to penetrate the base of the insurgents at Sambisa Forest, took out a great number of them and destroyed their armoury and established a base at Camp Zero.
    Nigerian soldiers also went after the insurgents and retook military bases they had seized in towns like Bama, Monguno and Gwoza.

    Troops were also able to recapture territories captured by the terrorists which they severed from other parts of Nigeria and hoisted their flags.
    The 14 local government that came under the authority of the insurgents were recaptured and liberated.
    Internal security improved as many roads that were declared impassable due to the activities of insurgents were liberated and open for use.

    The barricading of major roads by organizations and in worship centers in state capitals and other places was also reduced as people no longer fear conducting business within their premises.
    Nigerian troops also put a stop to the penetration of the hinterlands by terrorists who were going as far as Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and even to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with their bloody campaigns.
    Currently, Nigerian troops have put the terrorists in disarray.
    They have made it impossible for them launch any attack on communities as they constantly repel them whenever they attempt to do so by destroying their bases and sending them fleeing in all directions.

    This was the case in Biu, Michika, Maiduguri Garkida and other places where the insurgents had attempted to launch attacks in recent times.
    So while we should commend the Chadian troops for how well it has performed in its latest effort to rid the sub region of terrorists, the Nigerian troops should be commended for setting the pace.

    It takes more than one onslaught for the war on terrorism to be brought to an end hence the recent attack by the Chadian troops only comes as complementary to the efforts of Nigerian soldiers.
    Many of our soldiers have died in this fight. Many are in various hospitals with various degrees of injury.
    The least we could do to appreciate them is to commend them.
    We should not extend the kind of cynicism Nigerians display whenever their national team is playing another country and seems to be losing to issues of security.
    We should learn to stand by our own to the very end.

    Attah wrote from Abuja.

  • Boko Haram: God has revealed himself to Idriss Derby, French counterparts to severe relationship with terrorists

    The National Inter- Faith and Religious Organisations for Peace (NIFROP) believes God finally revealed himself to Chadian President Idriss Derby and his French counterparts to prevail against Boko Haram terrorists.

    The now repented Derby was guilty of turning blind eyes to the terrorism around the Lake Chad Basin, especially knowing the Nigerian troops can’t trespass its shores.

    Under the leadership of Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai, the gallant troops repeatedly decimated the Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters, with the remainder fleeing to neighbouring nations where it found solace.

    But in a surprise turn of events, Derby backed by his French allies, recently led an onslaught on the Islamic fighters and NIFROP traced this to a supernatural encounter with God.

    In a statement signed by Chairman Board of Trustees, Arch-Bishop Julius Ediwe on Monday, NIFROP disclosed that “Boko Haram terrorists would have become history by now if Nigeria’s neighbours go beyond paying lip service”.

    NIFROP urged Niger and Cameroon to sustain the momentum and cooperate with Nigeria to separately but simultaneously launch similar operations in their territories.

    The religious group, however, advised authorities to investigate sources of the weapons seized from the Chadian military operation against Boko Haram.

    On its part, NIFROP assured the Nigerian troops of its total support, spiritually and physically as they edge closer towards victory over the terrorists.