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Tag: boko haram

  • Army pursues Boko Haram insurgents after botched Maiduguri attack

    The Nigerian Army said its troops had been in pursuit of Boko Haram insurgents after repelling insurgents’ attack at Moloi area of Maiduguri.

    Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri.

    Nicholas said that the troops had successfully repelled the attack while ground troops and the Nigerian Air Force were on hot pursuit, interdicting the fleeing terrorists now in disarray.

    Nicholas disclosed that the insurgents used Improvised Explosive Device and gun trucks to attack a military post at Moloi area, an outskirt of Maiduguri.

    He said the insurgents tried to infiltrate the town to steal food stuffs.

    “No loss of lives to own troops and normalcy has since been restored.

    The commander disclosed that the insurgents set two vehicles ablaze and torched thatched houses at the outskirts of the city gate in their retreat.

     

    (NAN)

  • ‘Buhari gave Boko Haram €3m for release of Chibok girls’

    Federal Government paid €3m for the release of some Chibok schoolgirls who were in Boko Haram custody, according to Wall Street Journal.

    In 2014, Boko Haram insurgents had kidnapped 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state.

    Of the 276, 163 are now free: 57 fled in the early days after their abduction, three escaped later, and a Swiss-coached mediation secured 103.

    Twenty-one of the 103 were freed on October 13, 2016, while the remaining 82 were freed on May 6 this year.

    In a detailed report on the incident, WSJ said while €1m was paid for the 21 first freed, additional €2m accompanied the five Boko Haram commanders that were exchanged with the next batch: the 82 girls.

    TheCable had earlier reported how the €2m were reportedly paid.

    Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have links with the sect, and Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer, were said to be key mediators involved in both deals.

    After months of talks involving Salkida and Mustapha, a breakthrough was finally reached when in late 2016, both parties agreed on a plan concerning the girls’ freedom.

    WSJ said: “The plan called for two exchanges. In the first one, Boko Haram would free 20 Chibok hostages in exchange for €1m.

    “If both sides were satisfied with the outcome, the rest of the girls who wanted to come home would be swapped in the second exchange in return for €2 and five imprisoned Boko Haram commanders.”

    “As Mustapha worked through the details and tried to maintain the confidence of both sides, the Nigerian government began the delicate process of finding prisoners Shekau would deem acceptable.

  • [VIDEO] $1BN to fight technically-defeated Boko Haram… When will the war against terrorism be over?

  • Osinbajo joins recant train, says ‘$1bn ECA fund not for B’Haram war alone’

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, said the $1bn that state governors asked the Federal Government to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account was not meant for the fight against insurgency alone.

    He said the sum was meant for all security challenges being experienced in all the states of the federation.

    Osinbajo gave the clarification at the opening of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Secretaries to State Governments’ retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, had, at a meeting of the National Economic Council last Wednesday, announced that the governors had asked the Federal Government to withdraw $1bn from the ECA to fight insurgency.

    The decision had attracted criticisms from groups and individuals, including the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    But Osinbajo explained that the state governors resolved to approve the money for national security after a national security summit organised by the NEC about two months ago.

    He explained that the summit considered various security challenges across the country, including kidnapping, small arms trafficking, terrorists’ activities of Boko Haram in the North-East, clashes between herdsmen and farmers as well as cattle rustling.

    The Vice-President added, “It was on account of the security summit that the governors at the Governors’ Forum subsequently decided that they would vote a certain sum of money, which has become somewhat controversial, the $1bn, to assist the security architecture of the country.

    “It was to assist all of the issues in the states, including policing in the states, community policing, all of the different security challenges that we have.

    “It was after the security summit that the Governors’ Forum met across party lines, again I must add, in order to approve and to accept that this is what was needed to be done to shore up our security architecture.”

    Osinbajo’s explanation was however in contrast with the statement made by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the NEC’s meeting.

    Obaseki was clear in his presentation that the $1bn was approved for the fight against insurgency.

    Meanwhile, the Vice-President has observed that there would be no visible progress if relevant state government agencies do not work with the Federal Government to achieve the country’s developmental objectives.

    He said the role of the Secretaries to State Governments “is clearly central to cascading the action points and conclusions of the MDAs in their states.”

    Osinbajo noted that all policies of the Federal Government in agriculture were programmes of the states since the land belongs to the states.

    “So, the agricultural policy of the federation is actually the agricultural policy of all of the states,” he stated, pointing out that the Federal Government controlled no land outside of Abuja.

    He said greater engagements between the SGF’s office and the SSGs would lead to better understanding of the management of the Ecological Funds and the National Emergency Management Agency, both of which are hosted by the office of the SGF.

  • $1bn ECA: FG replies Fayose; says funds not only for fight against Boko Haram

    The Federal Government has replied Governor Ayodele Fayose and other critics of the recently approved $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account that the fund was not meant solely for the fight against Boko Haram in the troubled northern part of the country as widely speculated.

    The planned expenditure was made public by Abdulaziz Yari, the chairman of Governors Forum, who said all the state governors had agreed to release the money to the federal government.

    Yari said although President Buhari and several administration officials, including military chiefs, had proclaimed victory in the eight-year-long battle against insurgency, a substantial amount of budget was still required to tackle pockets of terrorists around the northeast.

    However, Governor Fayose had initially alleged that approval of the fund from the ECA was solely to fund President Buhari’s 2019 presidential ambition as against being used to fight Boko Haram.

    While acknowledging the viciousness and urgency of the dreaded sect, Fayose said the ECA had already been overdrawn with barely $2 billion left in it.

    He also argued that other states across the country require attention for economic situations that are nearly as severe as those afflicting the people of northeast.

    The governor also said the timing and the circumstances surrounding the $1 billion indicate that Buhari intended to warehouse it for his reelection bid in 2019, saying he was never a part of the discussion to earmark it.

    The planned withdrawal has also been a subject of political bickering between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    While the opposition party alleged attempted fraud on the part of the administration, the ruling party said all governors, including 11 from PDP, approved the fund.

    However, in a direct response to the several questions regarding the controversial $1 billion on Tuesday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the money was not meant for Boko Haram war alone.

    “It was on account of the security summit that the governors at the Governors’ Forum subsequently decided that they would vote a certain sum of money, which has become somewhat controversial, the $1bn, to assist the security architecture of the country.

    “It was to assist all of the issues in the states, including policing in the states, community policing, all of the different security challenges that we have,” Osinbajo said at the ongoing retreat of secretaries to the government at state and federal levels in Abuja.

    This is the first time the administration would be explaining that the money is not intended for anti-Boko Haram efforts alone.

  • Another 1 billion dollars to fight which Boko Haram? – Godwin Etakibuebu

    By Godwin Etakibuebu

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, while briefing journalists at the Presidential Villa on Thursday 14, 2017, told Nigerians that the National Economic Council [NEC] has approved One Billion US Dollars, to be taken from the Excess Crude Account, to the President to enable him fight the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East. This is how he presented the matter.

    “The governors of Nigeria through their chairman announced at the NEC meeting that the governors had given permission to the Federal Government to spend the sum of US$1 billion in the fight of insurgency”. He went further to explain which of the many accounts of the federation the money is being drawn from and the specifics of its utilisation.

    “This money is supposed to be taken from the Excess Crude Account.” Explaining further, he said, “We expect that the amount will include but not be limited to purchase of equipment, procuring intelligence, logistics and all what is required to ensure that we finally put to an end the scourge of insurgency.” There are issues arising from this revelation.

    One of the issues, and which is germane, is the legality of the National Economic Council; though a creation of the Nigerian Constitution, in carrying out appropriation of fund for the usage of the Federal Government without going through the National Assembly [which is so invested by law with such powers and functions]. If the NEC is not legally backed by law to carry out functions relating to appropriation, what it therefore approved to the President can only remain a function in futility and nullity.

    It is not in my place to delve into full details of the argument in this work as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; the spokesperson for the 8th Senate, is already challenging NEC action. “Only the NASS [National Assembly] can appropriate funds for the Federal Government. Recall that when President Jonathan wanted funds to fight Boko Haram, he approached the NASS,” Senator Abaribe was quoted as saying.

    By approving or “given permission to the federal Government to spend the sum of US$1 billion in the fight of insurgency” [using the exact words of the governors’ spokesperson] the Nigerian Governors Forum [NGF]; a very powerful and influential Association not known to the Nigerian Constitution, has gone deeper into its usual malfeasance, mostly in usurping the functions and powers of the National Assembly.

    Another issue arising from the “abnormal appropriation” of US$1 Billion to the President is the reason why the money is approved. According to the Governors, it is to enable the President prosecute the war against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East. This is where the matter becomes more interesting.

    Which Boko Haram war are we still fighting in the North-East that the governors are “appropriating” money for? Nigerians need an answer to this question because facts about this Boko Haram war as given to us by the President is that we have won the war. Maybe we need to review the report-card of the “last battle” of the war on Boko Haram insurgency presented to us by the President towards the ending of December 2016.

    The Nigerian Army [NA] hosted the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to a Guards Brigade Regimental Dinner on the night of Friday, December 29, 2016, and on that particular occasion, something significantly in the annals of Nigerian history happened. The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor, handed over to the President “spoils of war” captured from the last battle of the long war waged against Boko Haram in the North-East.

    The two “spoils of war” handed over to the President that night were the “Flag of Boko Haram and the personal Koran of Abubakar Shekau” [the notorious leader of the insurgents]; a man that defied death in the hands of the Nigerian Military many times, even till date. These two items were captured at the “last battle in Sambisa forest”, so claimed the military and that appropriately brought the war against Boko Haram to a conclusive end. This must have prompted the President to announce the “technical defeat of Boko Haram”. Let us listen to the President at that moment of ecstasy in victory.

    “I was told by the Chief of Army Staff that the camp fell at about 1.35 pm on Friday and that the terrorists are on the run and lo longer have a place to hide. The capture of the camp marked the official crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa forest”.

    With these words, the President declared with finality that Boke Haram had been “technically defeated”, and this has remained the message the President and all his men have taken round the world – total defeat of Boko Haram. Whatever the interpretation and meaning of “technical defeat”, as pronounced by the President, became a non-issue to the world community.

    Yet, it is not that people did not know that defeat of Boko Haram as announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces was a fallacy. Yes, they knew that it was a big deceit, but they were unable to comprehend the reason why the President would be too economical with the truth on the Boko Haram issue. The Nigerian people however chose to wait; knowing fully that time would reveal the truth.

    Could it be that the President’s war commanders told him lies about the capture of a “Zero Camp, in Sambisa forest” that brought the war to an end? If that was what happened, couldn’t President Buhari; a tested and proved man of war, a refined soldier of repute, not have known the truth about fake report and rejected the so-called “final victory” there and then when it was presented to him? Or could it be that it was the President himself, in conspiracy with his war commanders that decided on telling us what he told us about “a non-existing victory?”

    The reason for this evaluation is not far-fetched because information coming out of the North-East speaks of ongoing brutal war by Boko Haram against the Nigerian State, which remains just as fierce as the day the President made the announcement of “victory”. The Sambisa forest, said to have been cleared of Boko Haram [where the captured flag and Koran in the last battle of the war was recorded] by the Nigerian military remains a major theatre of war, as ferocious as ever still.

    For the records, Boko Haram invaded some communities in Borno State a few days ago, killed some soldiers and carted away military equipment. This forced the new Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas, to issue stern warning to officers of 22 Brigade in Dikwa and 112 Task-Force Battalion in Mafa that “I cannot tolerate loss of men and equipment to Boko Haram anymore”. That warning did not sound like “official crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa forest”; the President’s language in December, 2016.

    Yes, there is an ongoing battle between the Nigerian-State and the Boko Haram but this is unofficial because the official version of the situation is the one we got from the President since December, last year – end of hostilities because the enemy has been defeated. Until the President tells us otherwise, we shall always stick to the official version – defeat of Boko Haram.

    In view of this, which Boko Haram would the President need a whopping sum of US$1 Billion to fight again, having defeated same on the night of Friday, December 29, 2016, according to his own statement?

    It is either the US$1 Billion is on transit to the “land of stealing” [which is very usual in Nigeria], which of course, we must resist by all legal means, or the war against Boko Haram never ended when somebody told us that it [Boko Haram] has been defeated. Whichever way, somebody somewhere is telling us lies about the destination of the money or the end of Boko Haram war.

    And it is only President Muhammadu Buhari that can tell us the exact truth. Sir, have we defeated Boko Haram or not? If we did according to your pronouncement of December 2016, where are you taking our US$1 Billion to?

    Godwin Etakibuebu, a veteran journalist, wrote from Lagos.

  • No civilian killed in Boko Haram attack on WFP’s convoy – Army

    The Nigerian Army on Monday denied the killings of civilians in an attack coordinated by the Boko Haram insurgents against the World Food Programme (WFP’s) trucks on Saturday.

    Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, gave the clarification in a Short Service Message (SMS) to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

    Nicholas said that the troops escorting the trucks had killed six insurgents and recovered weapons.

    He explained that there were no civilian casualties in the attack, adding that he was at Dikwa when the incident occurred.

    “There was an ambush but the soldiers killed six Boko Haram insurgents and recovered weapons. No civilian was killed.

    “I was in Dikwa that Saturday and this happened while I was within,” Nicholas said.

    However, the Wold Food Programme (WFP) on Sunday said a driver of its hired truck and three other persons were killed in an attack at Ngala in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno.

    Adedeji Ademigbuji, the Communication Associate of the WFP, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri that a convoy of the WFP’s hired trucks conveying food items were attacked by gunmen 35 kilometres South-West of Ngala on Saturday.

    He disclosed that the convoy escorted by the military were conveying foodstuff for distribution to the vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the area.

    He said that a driver of the hired truck, his assistant and two other persons were killed in the attack.

    “WFP confirmed that a convoy escorted by the Nigerian Military including WFP hired trucks were subject of attack by armed groups, 35 km southwest of Ngala in Borno, on Dec. 16.

    “Four people, including the driver of a WFP hired truck and his assistant, were killed in the incident.

    “WFP is working with the authorities to determine the whereabouts of the trucks,” Ademigbuji said.

  • Boko Haram has killed more Muslims than Christians – Ex minister

    Alhaji Sarafa Tunji, a former Secretary to Ogun State Government and Minister of Mines and Steel Development has faulted the claims in some quarters that Islam is a religion of violence.

    Sarafa, the new Baba Adinni of Yorubaland insisted that more Muslims have bee killed by the Boko Haram insurgents and other terrorists than Christians.

    Countering the notion that all terrorists are Muslims, the former minister told Vanguard that, “In fact, Muslims are more victims of Boko Haram than people of other religions. So, the challenge that we have in contemporary times, even across the world, is intra-religious conflicts.

    “In many countries, you usually have the Sunni fighting the Shi’ites. The conflict in Syria is intra-religious. Talk of Iraq and Iran, the problem you have there is more of intra-religious conflict.

    “The practice of Islam is anchored on three legs: the Qur’an, the Hadeeth and the Fiqh. Islam is knowledge driven and the knowledge is based on the Qur’an, the Hadeeth and the Fiqh but we have a situation whereby some of these things are bastardised.

    “In promoting religious harmony, you have to unite the Muslim Ummah because, sometimes, intra-religious conflicts can be worse than inter-religious conflicts. A good example is the Boko Haram insurgency in which, unknown to some Nigerians, many Muslims have been killed.”

  • Army capture 220 Boko Haram insurgents in North-East

    The Nigerian Army on Friday said its troops had captured 220 Boko Haram insurgents in various clearance operations in the northeast region.

    Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Nwachukwu said that troops captured 167 insurgents after raiding their enclaves in Lake Chad Basin while 53 others were captured in northern parts of Borno State.

    He disclosed that troops also extricated 67 women and 173 children, who were family members of the insurgents.

    Nwachukwu said that the troops have intensified offensive to clear remnants of the insurgents in the region, noting that the operation has yielded positive results.

    “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have intensified offensive on Boko Haram enclaves in the Island around Lake Chad.

    “The offensive which commenced about two weeks ago with coordinated air and artillery bombardments on Boko Haram enclaves is yielding positive results, as several insurgents have been killed while 167 fleeing insurgents have been captured by troops.

    “Troops also extricated and profiled 67 women and 173 children who revealed during profiling exercise that they are family members of the insurgents who fled the troops’ offensive,” he said.

    Nwachukwu explained that arrangements were ongoing to handover the women and children to authorities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, after completing preliminary investigations.

    According to him, troops in the past two months conducted long range fighting patrols and ambushes.

    He disclosed that the troops cleared the insurgents’ hideouts at Saada and Juwei villages in the fringes of northern Borno.

    “During the operations troops intercepted and arrested 53 fleeing insurgents who have been profiled and are currently helping with investigations.

    “Fifteen insurgents have also willingly renounced the sect and surrendered, dismissing it as futile struggle”.

    Nwachukwu further sympathised with families of troops and civilians, who died in the encounters and the callous suicide bombing attacks by the terrorists.

    He reiterated the commitments of the military to crush Boko Haram insurgency and fast track restoration of peace in the northeast.

    The army spokesperson called on the people in the region to be vigilant and to cooperate with the security agencies and provide useful information on suspicious persons, to enable the military win the war against the insurgents. (NAN)

  • APC’s $1b for fight against Boko Haram questionable – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the $1 billion approved for the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist in the North East by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government is questionable.
    The PDP in a statement on Friday by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan wondered why the APC-led government had to recourse to the National Economic Council (NEC), “avoiding the direct constitutional appropriation channel of the National Assembly for funding of items already provided for in the federal budget.”
    The party said the government has something it was hiding, adding that “the federal government must be held accountable and stopped from any move to fritter away our national savings.”
    The PDP also vowed to ensure that the APC does not continue to “play with the intelligence of Nigerians” who he said were only waiting for 2019 to vote out the APC.
    “The PDP supports the fight against insurgency. We hold our officers and men confronting the terrorists and securing our territorial integrity in high esteem, but we are concerned about the manipulative tendencies connected with the approvals as well as the veracity of claimed purpose of the fund.
    “Nigerians would recall that the APC-led federal government had claimed that it has since defeated the insurgents. If it would take a billion dollar from a nation’s savings to kill what they long claimed dead, then we challenge APC government to come clean and tell Nigerians the whole truth.
    “The era of lies and propaganda is long gone and Nigerians now know the truth. The federal government must be held accountable and stopped from any move to fritter away our national savings.
    “We therefore call on the National Assembly to interrogate this proposed disbursement and subject it to a thorough but rapid interrogation.
    “By accepting the $1bn for fighting insurgency, the APC-led federal government has admitted that it lied when it announced that it has defeated the insurgents. They should therefore apologize to Nigerians for giving them a false sense of security, resulting in their vulnerability to attacks by terrorists,” the party said.