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Tag: ISWAP

  • Zulum meets Buhari as over 30,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters surrender

    Zulum meets Buhari as over 30,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters surrender

    Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has again updated President Muhammadu Buhari on latest security development in the state.

    Ater the closed door meeting with the president, on Thursday in Abuja, Zulum revealed that over 30,000 insurgents comprised of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have so far surrendered.

    According to him, following this development, the State is relatively peaceful as the security agencies have continued to take measures aimed at checking the activities of insurgents in the Northeast.

    The governor expressed optimism that the insurgency in the North-East would soon be a thing of the past.

    “I briefed Mr President on the status of Borno State as regards security as well as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and so far so good.

    “I have been witnessing gradual return of peace in Borno State and I came to brief Mr President on the ongoing massive defection of Boko Haram members. This time around, we have also started witnessing the defection of ISWAP members.

    “This is a welcome development and under a closed-door session we discussed a lot of issues and how the government of Borno State as well as the federal government will manage the ongoing surrender by the insurgents.

    “As at now we have received nothing less than 30,000, from beginning to date.’’

    The governor disclosed that the objective of engaging the insurgents through dialogue and mediation had started yielding fruitful results.

    He also lauded the Federal Government for the heavy military deployment to Southern Borno, and expressed the hope that Northern Borno would also witness similar deployment to restore peace and law in the state.

    “So far, so good, the objective has started yielding positive result. Apart from this also, in the Borno State, for example, as I told you last time, we had problems in the shores of the Lake Chad as well as in Southern Borno.

    “I’m pleased to inform you that there was a very heavy military deployment into the southern Borno.

    “And I hope such a deployment will also take place in northern Borno, with a view to clearing the ISWAP insurgents in the Lake Chad.

    “So, this has also yielded positive results.

    “And then on the relocation of the two local Government Areas that last time, I said were not occupied by human beings, we are also doing very well with the military to see how we can return back the population,’’ he added.

    The governor dismissed the assertion that the repentant insurgents were assured of any promissory notes before they surrendered.

    He, however, assured that those who surrendered willingly would be treated differently from those insurgents captured by the Nigerian troops in the battle fields.

    “We don’t make, or have any promissory notes, to defectors, honestly speaking. But you have to also understand one very important thing; there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered.

    “People should understand these two situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules and regulation.

    “There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that willingly surrendered. And I’m calling on all of you to give a very positive insight to this development.

    “Because, there’s nowhere in the whole world such kind of war ended with kinetic measures. There must be some certain political solutions.

    “And if there is peace in Northeast and Borno, there will be peace in Northern Nigeria. If there is peace in Northern Nigeria, there will be peace in southern Nigeria.

    “The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon.’’

  • BREAKING: FG uncovers 96 financiers of Boko Haram, ISWAP

    BREAKING: FG uncovers 96 financiers of Boko Haram, ISWAP

    The Federal Government has said the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has uncovered 96 financiers of terrorism, especially those backing Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who said this at a media briefing in Abuja, said the Unit also identified the involvement of about 123 companies and 33 Bureau de Change in the terror finance.

    He said the unit identified 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and seven co-conspirators while the analysis had resulted in the arrest of 45 suspects who wouldl soon face prosecution and seizure of assets.

    “Also, from its analysis of tax evasion and tax avoidance linked to corruption, NFIU has identified N3.909 trillion in VAT and N3,737 trillion in Withholding Tax due to the government.

    “NFIU has also sent 1,165 intelligence reports on cases of corruption, money laundering and other serious offences to 27 domestic agencies for investigation, prosecution and asset recovery,’’ he said.

    On terrorism financing, the minister said NFIU had intelligence exchanges on Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping and others with 19 countries.

    He said during the same period under review, the organisation returned fraudulently-obtained funds totaling, 103.722 billion dollars, 3,000 Pound Sterling; 7,695 Singapore dollars and 1,091 Euros to 11 countries of victims who came into the country.

    For its part, the minister said the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), in 2021, issued 125,000 Assets Declaration Forms, out of which 97,201 forms were returned.

    He said the figures represented a 48 per cent increase in the number of Assets Declaration forms issued and an 81 per cent increase in submission compliance when compared with the previous year.

    The minister said that as part of its reforms, the CCB was ready to deploy an Online Assets Declaration Portal that would allow for enhanced storage and retrieval of data.

    He said the portal would reduce delays caused by incomplete and incorrect declarations and errors among others.

    Mohammed said the Bureau in 2021, investigated several cases involving illicit enrichment, conflicts of interest, abuse of office and ethical breaches, resulting in the filing of more than 200 cases before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    The CCB handles, among others, issues of asset declaration by public officials as well as the verification of their assets.

  • Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists planning to establish camps in Taraba – Gov Ishaku

    Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists planning to establish camps in Taraba – Gov Ishaku

    Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has raised an alarm over plots by Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) to establish terrorist camps in his state.

    He threatened to dethrone any traditional ruler caught aiding or harbouring criminals and asked them not to allow non-indigenes with negative mindsets to settle in their domains.

    Governor Ishaku stated this on Thursday while signing the N149 billion 2022 budget of the state into law at the Executive Chamber of the Government House in Jalingo.

    “My delay of coming to sign the 2022 budget and address you is because of security challenges,” he said. “Boko Haram and ISWAP are trying to set up camps in this state and that is why we had an emergency meeting for over an hour before my coming.

    “It is very sad that the traditional rulers are bent on encouraging this insecurity. Let me warn that I will not, and I repeat, I will not tolerate it and will not waste time to remove any traditional ruler that misbehaves.

    “I am kind and soft, but can sometimes be decisive, being quiet and gentle does not make me a mere footstalk to be rubbished.”

    “I must add with emphasis that security is of great concern to all of us; being the quietest state in the North East has its implications.

    “I want to also talk to the traditional rulers, while we have warned them severally not to allow non-indigenes to settle in the state, their persistent refusal to abide by this warning is giving a lot of cause for concern to me,” the governor added.

    He insisted that the security of lives and property would be upheld firmly by his administration and no stone would be left unturned in doing so.

    According to Governor Ishaku, it is better to punish erring leaders than ignore such an action to lose the lives of thousands of people.

    He assured the people that the budget would make Taraba one of the top economies in not only the North East but in the country, adding that all sectors of the state would be reformed before the end of his tenure in 2023.

  • Nigeria’s 14.5m out-of-school kids, potential ISWAP, Boko Haram, Unknown gunmen steady recruits – University don

    Nigeria’s 14.5m out-of-school kids, potential ISWAP, Boko Haram, Unknown gunmen steady recruits – University don

    From Chuks Collins, Awka

    A university don, Prof Stanley Udedi has alerted the authorities that the daily burgeoning Nigeria’s out-of-school children which is presently standing at 14.5million are potentially handy recruits for the Boko Haram, ISWAP and the so-called Unknown Gunmen.

    Udedi who spoke as one of the guest lecturers at the Awards Ceremony, National Convention and launching of the N75million Youth Empowerment Scheme of the Mass Movement for Good Governance (MMG) in Awka, Anambra State, further disclosed that the school period the recruits lost would now be converted into the period of their arms training in the wild.

    C9nsidering their background, Prof Udedi who is from the Faculty of Biosciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University noted that no lecturers, professors or civil servants could be seen in these infamous groups as members. That their members were those who are unemployed, the jobless and street kids who have no money to feed family. “They can’t even get married, so because of that they were easily harvested by these groups and were even told they would go to heaven and that they would do this and that at the end of the day.”

    The don therefore asked those in leadership positions in the country, “People in leadership, what is your role. That they are responsible for all that is happening. Then, on the side of the people, because they have been so impoverished they take anything from government. When Governors pay salary they clap for him, as if that was with their personal inheritance. This is allocation and money that you collected from the state for executing budgeted and specified services/purposes.”

    Corruption, he lamented has greatly eroded and undermined good governance in Nigeria over the years. “It has affected quality and quantity of infrastructure and even emasculated the citizens of their rights and voice.

    “Little wonder we have moved from the rank of being the sixth(6th) happiest people in the world to the 155th position because of massive erosion of quality of life of citizens over the years.

    “It’s widely acknowledged that over the past five years that corruption has dealt heavy blow on virtually every Nigerian, including the perpetrators. The issue of insecurity was caused by corruption.

    “My paper is directed to the duty bearers and those in leadership positions. On the issue of non-accountability of our office holders, Prof … blamed it on the NGOs. I said it that the MMG has a lot of role to play, to ensure that all budget are tracked to get the executors on their toes. Budget tracking is their duty as they were trained specially by even the UNICEF to monitor and track budgets. To ensure the provisions were carried out as stated. I once followed one NGO on protest against the water bill that was coming to the State Assembly. We told them No on that. It now necessitated the Assembly into setting up a Committee that worked on the law and after discovered that the people said they don’t need the water law. So why are we pushing for a water law when the people have said they don’t need it. You as Government never gave the people water. Every citizen gave himself and households water one way or another through borehole or other means, so why are you now interested in putting a low around someone ‘s heritage. This is water you didn’t provide, built, dredge or maintained. So why making a law on it. We saw it as a way of bringing back the RUGA law through the back door.

    “Now am invited to the University of Maiduguri as part of the accreditation inspection team, but I sincerely declined because what would I go to do there? WAm afraid for my life. They ugly trend of insecurity is affecting all citizens one way or another”, he pointed out.

    Another guest lecturer, Prof Nkechi Ikediugwu who is the Dean Faculty of Education of Nnamdi Azikiwe University blamed Godfatherism, Corruption, Greed and avariciousness as well as get-rich quick syndrome as key factors affecting good governance in the country.

    She insisted that the trend must change. That youths should be encouraged into leadership early and be made to adopt positive precept as a way of life.

    The National chairman of MMG, Hon Peter Eriobu said the movement was geared towards youth involvement in government and to help eliminate poverty from the citizenry.

    That it’s reason they were partnering citizens and corporate organizations to assist, “…as we insist on holding leaders accountable”.

  • JUST IN: Army confirms Maiduguri explosion, fingers Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists

    JUST IN: Army confirms Maiduguri explosion, fingers Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists

    The Nigerian Army on Saturday said there was no need to panic after explosions rocked some communities in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    In a statement signed by spokesperson Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the army described the attack as a “security breach by suspected Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists who made futile attempt to maintain potency early this morning, 4 December 2021, with explosions in the outskirt of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.”

    The explosions reportedly hit Gomari community and 1,000 Housing Estate in Maiduguri but no deaths were reported.

    “This unfortunate incident has caused some level of damage and apprehension in residential areas. Although, no life was lost, sadly a minor sustained injury,” the army said.

    “Ground troops in conjunction with the Air Component of OPHK responded swiftly and dominated the area with ground and air interdictions that successfully neutralized the threats and infiltration attempt by the terrorists.

    “The general public are urged not to panic as troops are on ground and aggressively dominating the city to effectively take out any perceived threat.

    “The good people of Maiduguri are equally enjoined to go about their normal socio economic activities and provide actionable information on the movement of these criminal elements.”

    Saturday’s attack comes a day after seven soldiers were reportedly killed by ISWAP jihadists near a base at Rann, close to the Cameroonian border.

    In February, at least 17 people were killed and 43 others injured when ISWAP fighters fired multiple rockets on Maiduguri.

    The terrorists have also blown up electricity towers on several occasions, plunging the city into darkness for months.

    On February 23, 2019, a soldier was killed and 20 others wounded when Boko Haram launched 13 rocket attacks on Maiduguri hours before voting began in Nigeria’s presidential election.

    Over 40,000 people have been killed since the Boko Haram insurgency began 12 years ago and more than two million are displaced from their homes.

  • Heavy casualty as troops pound Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Yobe

    Heavy casualty as troops pound Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Yobe

    The Nigerian Army says the troops of of Sector 2 Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have again inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in a fierce battle at Buni Yadi in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a a statement on Wednesday, said the feat was achieved on Tuesday.

    Nwachukwu said the terrorists, who frantically attempted to gain access into Buni Yadi, met stiff resistance from troops of 27 Task Force Brigade and Nigerian Army Special Forces School, supported by the Nigerian Air Component.

    He added that personnel of the Nigerian Police also supported the troops who gallantly fought and overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower.

    According to him, the ferocious battle forced the criminals to withdraw in different directions having suffered heavy losses.

    “Several gun trucks with their occupants were taken out by the troops. Preliminary battle damage assessment revealed the precision with which Air and Land troops engaged the terrorists destroying their gun trucks.

    “Exploitation is still ongoing by troops to take out fleeing remnants of the terrorists,” he said.

    Nwachukwu said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, had commended the troops for the operational exploit.

    “He also charged them to sustain the current operational tempo to deny the criminals freedom of action,” he said.

  • ISWAP, Boko Haram terrorists planning to establish permanent camps in our state, Niger Government raises alarm

    ISWAP, Boko Haram terrorists planning to establish permanent camps in our state, Niger Government raises alarm

    Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram terrorists are planning to establish a camp in Niger State, authorities have said.

    The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ahmed Matane, raised the alarm on Tuesday while briefing reporters in Minna, the state capital.

    He decried the escalated rate of attacks by bandits on innocent residents in recent weeks, saying they were now collaborating with insurgents to worsen the security situation in the state.

    Matane lamented that the insurgents – who have carried out attacks that have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the North East over the years – were suspected to be present already in two local government areas of the state.

    He was worried that the state was in such a situation despite the effort of the government to protect its citizens, including spending a sum of N5 billion to combat the security challenges in Niger.

    Intelligence reports, according to the SSG, reveal that bandits have begun to align with insurgents to indoctrinate residents in some communities of Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) to imbibe strict Islamic ideology and ban women from going to schools.

    He listed some of the communities visited by the insurgents to include Koki, Madaka, Kurebe, Kusare, and Chukuba, where residents were assured of protection but asked to embark on civil disobedience and reject western education.

    “These people (Boko Haram) often go to communities to communicate with them (residents) and assure them that they will not harm them, and join them during Friday congregational prayer to preach to them on the need to forsake western education and embark on civil disobedience,” Matane told reporters in his office at the Government House in Minna.

    “These are some of the attributes of Boko Haram that are perpetrated in the North East and the Sambisa Forest axis.”

    He added that ISWAP fighters were also making an attempt to establish a permanent camp at Babana Forest around the Kaiji National Park in Borgu LGA.

    The insurgents, the SSG explained, tried to contact the state government through a video in which they claimed not to be criminals, but messengers sent by God to establish an Islamic caliphate in the area.

    He stated that the insurgents, said to be spotted in communities bordering Nigeria and Benin Republic, have started going around to indoctrinate the people.

    “ISWAP is trying to establish a camp at National Park at Babana in Borgu Local government Area of Niger State,” Matane said.

    “They also made a video claiming that they are not kidnappers, but engaging in religious activities. They have assured us that they are ‘God sent’ to establish an Islamic caliphate. Despite their rapprochement, we are not negotiating with them.”

    According to him, Munya, Rafi, Shiroro, Mashegu, and Mariga LGAs are the epic centre of kidnappings and banditry while parts of Lapai LGA have begun to experience such security challenges.

  • BREAKING: ISWAP attacks Damboa LGA in Borno, set houses ablaze

    BREAKING: ISWAP attacks Damboa LGA in Borno, set houses ablaze

    Six days after the attack that killed a general and three other officers of the Nigerian Army in Chibok/Askira Uba in southern Borno, Damboa, another neighbouring Local Government Area is presently under severe attack by terrorists of Islamic State West Africa Province.

    This attack is the third one in a month in Damboa.

     

    Though details are sketchy, information available as of the time of filing this report shows that the insurgents came to the town early around 5:30 am Friday morning and are currently setting houses and public property on fire.

     

    No reports of human casualty yet but Damboa is one of the few towns that refused to be displaced by the insurgency despite its closeness to Sambisa and being a target of several attacks by the ISWAP terrorists.

     

     

    Details soon…

     

  • Borno attack: How ISWAP targeted, killed Gen Zirkusu – Senator Ndume

    Borno attack: How ISWAP targeted, killed Gen Zirkusu – Senator Ndume

    The Senator representing, Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has disclosed the reason the Islamic State West Africa Province killed Brigadier General Zirkusu in Saturday’s attack.

    The military officer was killed alongside three others during an attack on a military base in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

    Ndume said the general was killed because he was a major obstacle to ISWAP operations in the area. He also disclosed that he died after a bomb-ladened car rammed into his vehicle.

    He said, “They know that the general was the major obstacle to their operation. They laid an ambush and rammed a bomb-ladened car into his vehicle.

    “The military is aware and the air force is providing surveillance in the area. It was a revenge mission. The army has been taking out key ISWAP commanders and they have their revenge.”

    According to Ndume, who is the Chairman of, Senate Committee on Army, the attack was a revenge mission for the Army neutralising some ISWAP commanders.

    He added that the terrorists were regrouping for a fresh attack, however, the military is aware and are taking steps to stop it.

    “They (ISWAP terrorists) are also regrouping around Borno North, that’s Lake Chad axis, planning to launch a fresh attack. The military is aware and the Air Force is conducting surveillance in the area right now.”

  • Military deploys 9 fighter jets to Borno as terrorists kill General, others

    Military deploys 9 fighter jets to Borno as terrorists kill General, others

    At least nine attack aircraft of the Nigerian military have been deployed to Borno State after the Islamic State’s West Africa Province terrorist sect killed a Brigadier-General and some soldiers in an ambush in the state.

    The Nigerian Army confirmed the attack and slaying of the army general and troops of Operation Hadin Kai on Saturday evening.

    While stating that “several” terrorists have been killed in the ongoing shootout between the military And ISWAP, the army confirmed that “Sadly, a gallant senior officer Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu and three soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice in a very rare display of gallantry as they provided reinforcement in a counteroffensive against the terrorists, and successfully defended the location. The family of the senior officer and soldiers have been contacted.”

    The troops came under attack in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The army said the troops were being supported by” the Air Component of OPHK have deployed five A – Jet, two A-29, two Dragon combat with which they destroyed nine Gun Trucks and One APC.”

    The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a press statement on Saturday, said “Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya deeply commiserates with the families and relations of the fallen heroes.

    He has also directed that the troops continue in the ferocious counteroffensive and hot pursuit to eliminate the remnant of the fleeing terrorists.”