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Tag: buratai

  • Security: Osun gov, Oyetola meets Buratai

    Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun has urged the Chief of Army Staff , Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, to speed up action on the joint security team to combat rising security challenge in the state.

    A statement issued in Osogbo by Mr Adeniyi Adeshina, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, said Oyetola made the plea when he met with Buratai in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Osun government had announced that a joint security team of policemen, soldiers and operatives in other security agencies would be set up to patrol the highways and dark spots.

    According to Adeshina, the governor told the Chief of Army Staff that his visit was a follow up to the letter of request sent to him to support the security efforts in the state.

    He also said that the governor commended Buratai for the efforts of the military whose engineers were constructing a bridge across River Osun to connect Ede with Kuta and other communities in the state.

    Oyetola, according to the statement, said the South West governors have also resolved to organise a security summit .

    He said the summit was to prepare a joint plan to combat the rising crime in the geopolitical zone, especially on the Ibadan-Akure road where bandits had launched attacks on travellers.

    The statement quoted Buratai as assuring the governor that he would make all the efforts to support the security efforts in Osun.

    He reiterated that the army had always supported the police in ensuring internal security.

  • Boko Haram: We need N1bn to produce war vehicles – Buratai

    Boko Haram: We need N1bn to produce war vehicles – Buratai

    The Nigerian Army is sourcing for N1billion to boost capacity of its vehicle manufacturing company to produce more combat vehicles to counter terrorists and other insurgents, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has said.

    Nigeria has recently been bedeviled by different forms of insurgencies; Boko Haram, kidnapping, armed banditry, armed robbery and cattle rustling. But demonstration of locally made bullet proof ballistic vest, NA Armoured Light Tactical Vehicle and mine sweeper produced by the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company (NAVMC) showed that the military will soon be better equipped to stem the challenge.

    Addressing the closing ceremony of the Nigerian Army Combat Arms Training Week on Saturday at the shooting range of Nigerian Army Infantry Corp, Jaji, Buratai noted that Nigerian Army new inventions and acquisitions are force multipliers, hence the fund will improve the equipping and capacity of the Army.

    “The innovations by the Nigerian Army in the areas of equipment production, localizing and bringing back vehicles and equipment that are hitherto abandoned, is another major achievement that we recorded.

    “You have been promised by the group managing director of NAVMC that in the next three to four months, we should have brand new vehicles originally produced by the Nigerian Army for use in the Army and the general public that may find it useful, especially the paramilitary agencies. This we believe will transform the Nigerian Army and Nigerian industrial companies, when we start mass production.

    “We are already sourcing for the sum of N1billion to support the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company. We a have a number of investments in the Army that have been generating huge amount of money and we will take a loan from there to support Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company to realize our dream of producing indigenous armoured fighting vehicles and to continue to maintain our existing equipment.

    “Military equipment are never obsolete, with maintenance culture of the military globally, vehicles and equipment of the Second World War are still useful in other parts of the world. The firepower demonstration today is the last activity of the combined Combat Arms Training Week (CATWEEK) and the Chief of Army Staff 1st Quarter Conference.

    “This Conference has brought us together to assess what we have so far achieved in the the first quarter of 2019,” the COAS added.

    The Acting Governor of Kaduna state, Arch. Barnabas Bala Bantex commended the military and the police on their efforts to ensure peace in the state. ‘The Nigerian Army and Police have helped to keep Nigeria and Kaduna safe. They have helped in combating terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity.”

    Bantex, who admitted to enjoying the show of force and display of prototype vehicles and fire power, added that with what he saw, “the Nigerian Army is in better position and capable of containing all forms of threat both from within and outside our territory.”

  • Muslim cleric tasks Nigerians on attitudinal change

    Muslim cleric tasks Nigerians on attitudinal change

    The Amir of the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness (MICA) Malam Wale Abiru says there is need for attitudinal change for the peace and progress of the nation.

    According to NAN, Abiru said this on Monday at a symposium organised by the movement “Transforming the World from Within”, at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.

    “The essence of the symposium is the struggle from within and what we are trying to do is to let people understand the fact that you need to change yourself from within.

    “If you don’t change from within, you cannot transform the society, our hope is that people should look inwards and begin to deal with themselves.

    “Deal with the challenges that they have personally and then transform that into the society as a whole.

    “We are hoping that the Muslim community will begin to effect changes within the environment for the good of the society,” he said.

    The Former Amir of MICA, Mrs Ghaneeyyah Sulaiman-Olokodana said the symposium was targeted at effecting changes not to Muslims alone but to the entire society.

    “One of the essence of the MICA symposium is to initiate discuss with regards to topical issues that affects not just the Muslims but the society at large.

    “Today’s topic is centered on Muslim identity in terms of personal, spiritual and business development because as people of faith we know that Islam does not just address our spirituality alone.

    “It also talks about how we can develop the society knowing fully that economic development is key,” she said.

    The Director of Project, Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Mr Jubri Abdullahi, a guest speaker who spoke on The Nexus: Islam, Business and You, said three things cannot be separated- business, individual and environment.

    “There is no distinction between the business, the individual and the environment for which he has to perform his day to day activities.

    “Because he has to be useful not only to the nation, to the community, but to every other person that is around him.

    “That is what Islam upholds, that when you do business, you respect everybody around you and you are ethical about it,” he added.

  • Army still searching for Chibok girls – Buratai

    Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, on Monday said the search for the remaining abducted Chibok girls was still on.

    He however said activities of Boko Haram have been confined to Lake Chad region and fringes of Sambisa forest.

    Buratai spoke while delivering the maiden lecture of the Centre for Contemporary Security Affairs at the Igbinedion University, Okada headquarters of Ovia North East local government area.

    He stated that complex security challenges like the Boko Haram activities required political and security solutions that ensure that democracies rebound stronger after a crisis.

    Buratai said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has fulfilled the pledge to support the by donating the sum of $100 million.

    The Army Chief said the current political leadership has demonstrated strong political will, purposeful direction and resourcing that galvanised the nation against the common enemy.

    He informed the gathering that adequate resources were provided to re-kit, procure more arms and ammunition, vehicles and other logistics required to prosecute the campaign against insurgency.

    According to him: “Military leadership invariably draws inspiration from the political leadership and this allows it develop military strategic objectives that are to be achieved

    “One of the silent but radical changes in the operations was changing the orientation and mind-set of troops from a defensive to an offensive posture. We also created the Theatre Command to coordinate the activities of the divisions involved in the operations.

    “Socio-economic activities and free movement of people and goods have resumed in many areas.

    “Significant improvements can be attributed to the systematic campaign led by the NA in conjunction with other Services and elements of national power

    “Success recorded so far is an indication that for Nigeria’s democracy to be consolidated, the military must not only play its part but must also fulfill the constitutional roles assigned to them.”

    He assured the Army under his leadership would partner with the institution to build officers’ intellectual capacity.

    Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, said the centre when operational would carry out research that interrogates emerging security challenges of local and global concern.

    Prof. Ezemonye noted the strategy was to create a Faculty that provides knowledge based interventions for effective enforcement response, being a rich blend of academic researchers in security affairs and practitioners from the military and allied agencies.

  • Harbin Kunama: Can Buratai Make Another Difference?

    Harbin Kunama: Can Buratai Make Another Difference?

    By Justice Abayomi

    It is quite heartbreaking to know the absurdity that every geopolitical zone in Nigeria, with the exception of the Southwest has its peculiar insecurity challenges. In the South-South, it is militancy; violent secessionists have their abode in the Southeast; farmers/herders crises are rooted in the North central; Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast; while the rave of the moment, armed banditry, cattle rustling, kidnappings and killings is the latest nightmare of people in the Northwest.

    And in the last four years, Nigerians in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states in the Northwest have been major victims. What has tainted the conscience of leaders is the glaring failure of the political class in the various states to tackle these security threats. They have allowed these violent criminality to gain currency and stabilized into the monster it is today. The leaders preferred to make political capital out of the daisy insecurity situation; but reality now stares everyone in the face.

    This much could be inferred by the recent desperate wailing of Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, who plainly begged President Muhammadu Buhari to impose a state of emergency on his state because of the insecurity. Likewise, his Katsina state Governor-colleague, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, also moaned that, “Today, reports I received from security agencies are all about threats of kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry. It is now a daily occurrence as no day passes without a case recorded.
    It is not even rustling of cows, but now kidnapping of people.”

    Masari further paints the gory scenario in these words; “Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, they kill their victims.” It is painful and touchy, to say the least.

    But unfortunately, at various times, the onus of taming the crises has always fallen on the shoulders of the Nigerian Army. The truth which has failed to prick the conscience of these political leaders in the affected states is their obvious slack, which reverses the gains the Nigerian Army makes each time the FGN permits the intervention of soldiers.

    The Army’s Operation Sharan Daji in the same Northwest, in 2016 , effectively tackled the menace of armed banditry and cattle rustling. But the gains were sooner reversed by the ineptitude and indifference of the state governors towards securing the lives and properties of their people.

    Perhaps, some Nigerians may not be adequately informed about the severity of the scourge of armed banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping, killings and cattle rustling which have cumulatively sapped the human and economic lives of the people. A recent report by a security analyst paints the picture dreadfully.

    Quoting local sources, in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara state alone, there are an estimated 5,000 armed bandits domiciled in the area and terrorizing the people. Now, if a single Local government area could harbor such stunning number of bandits, a census of their population in the entire state and added with the bandits in Katsina and Sokoto states would reveal staggering and appalling figures.

    It implies that the scale of violence visited on hapless, innocent citizens is significantly high. It necessitated the launch of Operation Harbin Kunama III, commencing from April 1 – 30 June 2019. But the fundamental question is; with the horrible insecurity situation, does the COAS and henchman of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai and his troops stand a chance of repossessing Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states from the jaws of armed and violent criminal gangs as done before? No doubt, Gen. Buratai is one exceptional Army General who doesn’t fail in any assignment,

    The gallant Nigerian soldiers have never faltered in such national assignments in the past because they assume it a challenge to their ego and pride in the nation. Incontestable records indicates that Nigerian troops have always triumphed against enemies’ of the state and the people.

    Soldiers have not only decimated and defeated Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast; but they have frustrated and curtailed the capacity of fleeing remnants of terrorists from regrouping and executing co-ordinated attacks on local communities. Terrorists have been restricted to a few obscure areas in the region, where they sneak to commit atrocious acts on the populace.

    And Operation Python Dance I & II in the Southeast finally buried the ghosts of armed criminal gangs who operated as armed robbers, kidnappers and violent secession agitators. Peace and security has returned to the Southeast and law abiding citizens are no longer freely molested, harassed, intimidated and gruesomely murdered by armed gangs.

    Soldiers replicated similar feat in the South-South where bitter militancy disrupted the economic life- wire of Nigeria. Several special military interventions like “Operation Crocodile Smile,” have berthed the desired respite in the once restive oil-rich region. And the multiplication of several militant sects have been unable to break the resolve of soldiers and the security architecture erected by the Army in the region.

    The violent farmers/herders skirmishes in the North Central part of the country have been served the same dosage by soldiers. Respite has descended on communities in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, with launch of several operations like “Operation Whirl Stroke,” Harbin Kunama I & II. Therefore, the war on armed bandits in the Northwest is not an exemption. And Gen. Buratai and his troops are prepared to go the extra mile to dislodge the armed criminal gangs domiciled in the forests and caves of the affected states.

    At the official launch of Operation Harbin Kunama III at the 1 Brigade Complex Headquarters, Gusau on April 1, 2019, Gen. Buratai’s speech indicated a deep understanding of the security threats, manifest in the menace of armed banditry, killings, kidnappings and destructions to properties.

    He said; “… the menace of banditry activities has continued to persist in some parts of the North West region and along the border areas. The unwholesome and dastardly acts of these bandits have adversely affected the socio-economic activities in these areas with attendant effect on human and economic security. It has also led to deaths and maiming of innocent people with the attendant wanton destruction of properties.”

    He added; “Harbin Kunama III is planned to mitigate the current threats to security in Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States. Specifically, the exercise is designed to decisively eliminate all forms of banditry activities with a view to ensuring lasting peace in the affected areas. I wish to assure the good people of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States that the NA will carry out its constitutional mandate professionally and within the ambit of the law while adhering to the ROE(rules of engagement)”

    Again, soldiers have stepped out on the podium and into the battlefields to war with another sinister security threats. They deserve support and cooperation from leaders and the natives, especially on information gathering.

    All must know that the general elections have come and gone and it behooves on all political actors, covert or overt to support the Army in order to remedy permanently the scourge of armed banditry and killings in the Northwest. These politicians must allow the Army to do its job professionally and efficiently. No one should meddle into the exercise. Surely, the sponsors of the killings have known now that the game is up for good.

    Abayomi is convener, global human rights project, Rome.

  • It’s wrong to say election was militarised – Buratai, Chief of Army Staff

    The Nigerian Army has been in the eye of the storm over the conduct of soldiers deployed to provide security during the 2019 elections.

    The soldiers have been roundly accused in several quarters of committing infractions, including partisan interference in the electoral process, that seriously undermined the credibility and sanctity of the elections. In fact, in the estimation of many observers, both Federal Government and the Army stand condemned over the undue militarisation of the electoral process.

    But it is an accusation that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in this interview with pressmen, dismisses in its entirety.

    THE military was accused of aiding in election malpractices like snatching of ballot boxes. Your reaction? Militarisation has to be defined. What do you mean by militarisation? How exactly did the military take part in the elections? Generalisation is not the best. People just use the word militarisation without defining it. Was the so-called militarisation everywhere across the country? Why are people making so much noise about it? They are giving the impression that the military was involved in the entire process in the whole country. It is just probably a definition they only restricted to Lagos or where? ..Niger-Delta mostly People cannot just use the word militarisation in general terms to say the security agencies were involved. Who are the people involved? What does the Constitution say about the role of the military? We have the constitutional provision. We have made it very clear; we are not part of these elections, we are only supporting the police. Anything we do there is helping the police who are representing the civil authority in law enforcement and it is very clear that we have been called out to support the civil authority. That does not mean militarisation. And once we go out there, we are performing police role, it is not a military role, we are supporting the police essentially; that is very clear.

    The military was called out to come and support the police. So, they are just using the military in order to justify their failures, to justify their inadequacies, to justify their inability to rig because the security forces provided the needed security to prevent massive rigging, ballot box-snatching and so on. But strictly, the use of the word, militarisation is misplaced, it is wrong. We were there to perform our responsibilities based on the invitation to support the police which is legitimate. There is no way you will say that the election was militarised; it is misuse of the term. If really the election was militarised, I tell you, nobody would take the law into his hands the way they did brazenly and deliberately did, even attacking our men, killing our personnel.

    An officer was killed, policemen were killed so if we were to take drastic steps to really show we were involved, it would have been worse than this. We were able to maintain law and order; we were able to conduct ourselves within the rules of engagement which is legitimate. So there is a deliberate misconception or misinterpretation of the role of the military in order to malign the military and discredit it despite the stupendous efforts we have made to ensure security in support of the civil authority. And you know very well if the security agencies, including the military, had not come out to support the elections in providing security, the level of insecurity, the level of killings, arson, ballot box-snatching and so on, would have been worse than what was experienced. So many of the stakeholders, both at home and abroad, have commended the military for remaining neutral, impartial and conducting themselves professionally; but a few elements who felt they were not given the chance to rig and to disturb on a massive scale the election process, are the ones shouting that the whole process was militarised. The military was not there to support any political party; we were there to provide adequate security as requested, in support of the electoral process. That was essentially what we did.

    So to say that the process was militarised is a misplaced use of word; it is unfortunate. Over the years, from our historical experiences, the outcomes or results of elections have been the major cause of instability in our polity. They have led to a lot of killings, arson, you name it: in Kaduna, Zangon-Kataf, Modakeke and so many other places. So historically, if you look at it, we had those unfortunate incidents because they were allowed to go out of control. We had so many underlying factors; even in the First Republic, we saw the underlying factors that led to the civil war; it is the same outcome of elections that led to that, characterised by so many malpractices. So government doesn’t want the same thing to happen and that was why the military was called in to support the police. There is no way we would be partisan; the country’s stability, the country’s peace is our watchword, it is very, very fundamental. Some people just chose to blame different entities and bodies for their failures.

    On the allegation that the soldiers caught snatching ballot boxes are fake “Yes, that is another dimension because as I said, those people that did not want the election to go smoothly, created their own local militia, gave them military and police uniforms to be moving out here and there to misbehave, snatch ballot boxes, to disrupt the electoral process and so on. So anyone that sees them will automatically say it is the military and that is completely at variance with our code of conduct, with our ethics and the way we train our officers and men to ensure they behave professionally; that is very clear. We arrested several of them and you must have seen our press releases with pictures of the fake soldiers, fake policemen, fake security operatives and so on. So once you see this, it is not the Army that created those ones and gave them uniforms; so instead of them to admit their shortcomings and misconduct, they are covering their heinous activities/crimes under the guise of militarisation. It is so painful, so terrible that they don’t have conscience and continue to blame the military for their own mischievous actions. This is where the Press needs to be objective, look at it critically. The Army cannot go and dress fake people or criminals to go and act on their behalf. We have seen the thugs, the militias; so where does the military come in?

    These are very clear. So we have to be reasonable and objective; we are paid by the state to ensure that we defend our country and prevent breakdown of law and order for us to progress; there is no other way. It is very important.

  • Be wary of Boko Haram propaganda, Buratai admonishes troops

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai,has urged troops prosecuting the counter terrorism operation in the North-East to be wary of Boko Haram’s increasing misinformation propaganda.

    In a Christmas and New Year Message to the troops on Tuesday, Buratai said that it was evident that the terrorists had been defeated.

    “Thus, they have now resorted to employing propaganda in order to demoralise you by spreading false messages of strength and invincibility.

    “It is pertinent for troops to understand that Boko Haram Terrorists are nothing but a band of criminals.

    “Therefore, you must all brace up to clear and flush out their remnants.

    “We have superior training, fire power and experience. We have a history of successes on the battlefield both at home and abroad, ” the army chief said.

    He also urged them to reflect their superior training, fire power and experiences and bring them to bear in the ongoing operations.

    Buratai thanked them for the good job they had done in 2018, but added that they must look to make greater progress in 2019.

    He commended the troops for their gallantry, efforts and sacrifices.

    “I congratulate you for your bravery, doggedness and loyalty in these endeavours,’’ he said.

    The army chief urged them to maintain the momentum and remain steadfast, professional and responsive in carrying out their constitutional roles.

    He said on his part, he would continue to ensure that their welfare and that of their family were given utmost priority.

    On the 2019 elections, Buratai admonished officers and soldiers to remain apolitical and dedicated to their assigned roles.

    “Let me use this medium to reassure you of the Federal Government’s commitment to your welfare with the requisite support for us to perform our duties.

    “Also, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, has pledged his total support to the Armed Forces to bring all ongoing operations to logical conclusion.’’

    He urged them to use the festive season which heralds peace and merriment for sober reflection and introspection.

    “I enjoin us all to continue to pray to the Almighty God for the repose of the souls of our fallen comrades and for peace in our nation.

    “We will not renege on our promise to cater for the wellbeing of the families of our brave fallen heroes,’’ he said.

     

  • Boko Haram: Buhari, Buratai, others express worry over AI’s indicting reports

    Indications emerged that the recent report by Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria indicting the military in the killings of several of its men and civilians has been a major source of worry to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai .

    The military has since rejected AI’s report on attacks.

    The army accused the rights group of planning to destabilise Nigeria by claiming that 3,641 deaths were recorded in herders/farmers clashes. It called for its expulsion.

    But the organisation insisted on the integrity of tis reports and dismissed the army’s position as “empty threats”.

    President Muhammadu Buhari joined the fray. His opinion – AI’s operations seem to be dampening the military’s morale.

    In a statement yesterday, Army spokesman Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said AI’s attempt to destabilise the nation was noted through fabrication of fictitious allegations of alleged human rights abuses against security forces.

    Gen. Usman also alleged that AI had engaged in clandestine sponsorship of dissident groups to protest against the leadership of the military against who unfounded allegations were reportedly leveled.

    A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Enough is Enough, and BudgIT) have recently called for the probing of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) over the funding of the war against terrorism and other crimes in the country.

    The CSOs alleged that the army had not made commensurate achievement in the fight in line with the huge fund the Federal Government allocated to it.

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, explained that some of the allocated funds had no cash backing yet and, therefore, not at the disposal of the military.

    Gen. Usman said the local branch of AI, which was hitherto well-respected, had deviated from the core values, principles and objectives of the original parent body in the United Kingdom.

    The military spokesman said: “They have tried over the years, using Boko Haram terrorists’ conflicts, Islamic Movement in Nigeria, some activists and now herders-farmers conflicts.

    “The NGO is at the verge of releasing yet another concocted report against the military, ostensibly against the Nigerian Army.

    “Consequently, Nigerians should be wary of Amnesty International (Nigeria) because its goals are to destabilise Nigeria and to dismember it.

    “The Nigerian Army has no option than to call for the closure of Amnesty International offices in Nigeria, if such recklessness continues.”

    AI dismissed the military’s threat to seal its offices in the country.

    The body said there was nothing to worry over on the military’s verdict that its activities were subversive.

    AI was responding to the army’s reaction to its report on the death toll recorded in the farmers/herders’ clashes in the last three years.

    AI Nigeria Chairman Auwal Rafsanjani said nobody could stop the organisation from documenting and monitoring human rights violations, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere.

    Speaking yesterday at the unveiling of its report “Harvest of death: three years of bloody clashes between herders and farmers”, Rafsanjani said: “Our response to the threat of the military; just like they have threatened to shut down UNICEF activities in the Northeast, I think that rather than this unnecessary hostility on issues that affect all of us as human beings, we will rather advice the military to look at the recommendations that we have provided. Threatening to shut down the operations of AI Nigeria is not the solution to the continued violence, conflicts and criminality we are seeing in Nigeria.

    “We are not a threat, we are rather partners in progress, addressing the lapses of human rights violations but to come and be threatening things that you cannot even stop is a waste of time; nobody can stop AI from documenting and monitoring human rights violations, whether in Nigeria or outside the country, so this is not a threat that really worries us, it is just an empty threat.”

    AI’s Country Director Osai Ojigho said the organisation want the government to live up to its responsibilities, so that if anyone commits a crime, he is arrested and dealth with.

    Ojigho stated that the report showed how the government’s inaction fuelled impunity, resulting in attacks and reprisal attacks, with no fewer than 3,641 people killed between January 2016 and October 2018, 57 per cent of them in 2018 alone.

    She said AI visited 56 communities in Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba and Zamfara states affected by these clashes and conducted 262 interviews, including remotely with members of communities in Nasarawa and Plateau states.

    Her words: “This report documents the violent clashes between members of farmer communities and members of herder communities in parts of Nigeria, particularly in the northern parts of the country, over access to resources: water and pasture. It also documents the failure of the Nigerian government in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of protection of lives and property by refusing to investigate, arrest and prosecute perpetrators of attacks.

    “The report shows how government’s inaction fuels impunity, resulting in attacks and reprisal attacks, with at least 3,641 people killed between January 2016 and October 2018, 57 per cent of them in 2018 alone.

    “AI visited 56 communities in Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba and Zamfara states affected by the clashes and conducted 262 interviews, including remotely with members of communities in Nasarawa and Ptateau states.”

  • Boko Haram: CSOs write Buhari, insist Buratai must account for spending on Lafiya Dole, Crocodile Smile

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough is Enough (EiE), and BudgIT have sent a jointFreedom of Information request to Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, requesting him to use his good offices and leadership position to “urgently provide information on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 budget implementation reports of the Nigerian Army, including the amounts released (financial implications) and expended in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for the various operations the Army carried out.”

    The groups also urged Mr Buratai to furnish them with “the amounts released (financial implications) and expended in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for: Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Safe Haven, Operation Python Dance, Operation Ruwan Wuta, Operation Delta Safe, Operation Mesa, Operation Harbin Kunama, Operation Awatse, Operation Tsera Teku and Operation Crocodile Smile.”

    In the FOI request sent last week and signed by Bamisope Adeyanju of SERAP, Seun Akinyemi of EiE and Atiku Samuel ofBudgIT, the groups said: “Transparency of the budget process and its implementation is an essential condition to achieve good governance. The reports, if provided and published, will shed light on military spending and put to rest once and for allthe perceived lack of transparency and accountability in the spending of military budgets, which has been a subject of intense public debate and concern.”

    The groups said: “If the requested information is not provided within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter,our organizations shall take all appropriate legal action under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request.”

    According to the groups: “several billions of naira allocated to the military to defend the country and protect its people have neither contributed to improving the ability of Nigerian soldiers to fight Boko Haram and other armed groups nor provided the much-needed security especially for Nigerians in the North-east of the country.”

    The FOI request read in part: “The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act. The information requested for, apart from not being exempted from disclosure under the FOI Act, would serve the national interest, public welfare, public interest and peace, human rights, good governance, transparency and accountability.”

    “By virtue of Section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, we are entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on 2015, 2016 and 2017 budget implementation reports of the Nigerian Army, and the amounts released (financial implications) and expended in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for the various operations listed, which have yielded no tangible result.”

    “Also, by virtue of Section 4(a) of the FOI Act, when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution or agency, the public official, institution or agency to whom the application is directed is under a binding legal obligation to provide the applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received.”

  • Boko Haram: Newly promoted officers to be deployed to North East – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Thursday hinted that some of the newly promoted senior officers will be moved to the North East to strengthen the ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

    Buratai gave the hint on Thursday in Abuja, after he decorated the 29 newly promoted Major Generals and some of the Brigadier Generals with their new ranks.

    “Some of you that have been promoted and decorated today; we are only waiting for today and by tomorrow, I expect you to pick your bags and start heading towards the North East.

    “Some of you have no option than to move in straight there – North East.

    “The posting is already out,’’ he said; and directed the Military Secretary to read it to the affected officers.

    Buratai, therefore, appealed to the wives of the officers due to deployed to the theatre of operation to keep the home front well while their husbands would be there.

    He described the promotion as well deserved; adding that that it was a journey they begun several years and had culminated current enviable ranks of major generals and brigadier generals.

    “The promotion is strictly on merit, there was no any influence from outside.

    “We must ensure that we get the right people at the right time.

    “You must be committed; your loyalty should remain unshakable,’’ he added and charged the officers to be responsive and professional in the discharge of their duties.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Army Council on Monday approved the promotion of 231 senior officers to the next ranks.

    The breakdown shows that 29 Brigadier-Generals were elevated to Major-Generals, 95 Colonels to Brigadier-Generals, 106 Lieutenant Colonels to Colonels and one Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

    The army had the promotion was to re-energise the beneficiaries toward the discharge of their tasks and responsibilities.