TheNewsGuru

Tag: soldiers

  • Three soldiers killed as Boko Haram’s IED explodes in Borno

    Three soldiers attached to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion of the Nigerian Army have reportedly died after troops ran into an Improvised Explosive Device planted by Boko Haram insurgents.

    According to a report by The Punch, the troops were on patrol along the Ngoshe-Pulka Road in Borno State when the IED exploded, killing the three soldiers and injuring two others.

    It was learnt that during the patrol, some Boko Haram terrorists, who reportedly came in scores, were also killed when they engaged troops in a gun battle.

    The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, could not yet be reached for comment.

    Usman had said in a statement on Tuesday that troops of the 82 Division Task Force Battalion attached to 26 Task Force Brigade carried out clearance operations in some villages.

    “They intercepted a Boko Haram terrorist, said to be a logistics supplier, at a crossing point around Daushe village,” he added.

    Also, the army spokesperson confirmed a clash between troops and Boko Haram insurgents in Dissa and Patawe areas, adding that six insurgents were shot dead.

    He said troops recovered AK 47 rifles, nine rounds of ammunition and 22 rounds of NATO ammunition.

    Military sources said on Thursday that the insurgents, who clashed with troops along Ngoshe and Pulka route, allegedly carted away four AK 47 rifles and one gun truck, among other weapons from the troops.

     

  • Soldiers ransack Agatu villages, kill pregnant woman, five others

    Following the killing of a soldier at the weekend, army ransacked six villages in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, killing six persons, including a pregnant woman.

    But the Brigade Commander of the 707 Special Force, Brig. Clement Apere, denied that soldiers attacked the people.

    “The operation we conducted in the area was carried out in a professional way,” he said.

    Among the sixe villages ransacked are— Olegadakolo, Ikpele, Otugologwu, Iwali, Okpanchenyi and Egba — were sacked by the soldiers.

    A resident at the Egba community, said a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet, adding that the six villages had been deserted.

    “Children and women have moved out of the affected villages, while many people have been arrested by the invading soldiers,” a resident of one of the villages, who pleaded anonymity said.

    The council’s sole administrator, Mr. Mike Inalegwu, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, also denied the killing of people in Agatu communities but admitted the invasion of military personnel.

    “There is no iota of truth in that, no one was killed, the military were only on the mission to recover their arms and ammunition,” he said.

    Speaking at a press conference, the commander, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Brig. Gen. Clement Apere, said only one person was arrested.

     

  • Soldiers beat RCCG Pastor to stupor for refusing to ‘frog jump’

    A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Abuja, Alex Ochienu, has narrated how he was beaten by two soldiers into coma for refusing to obey their order to do frog jumps.

    The cleric alleged that he was flogged by Cpl. M. Dankwa and his colleague whose name he did not know, until he collapsed and was rushed to the Gwarimpa General Hospital.

    The civil engineer said he was supervising construction works at Paradise Estate, Life Camp, Abuja when the soldiers invaded the site with officials of the Development Control Department and assaulted him and other workers.

    Accoromg to a report by Northern City News, Ochienu lost his phone during the incident which occurred on January 17, 2017 at 3pm.

    In Ochienu’s words: “The soldiers rushed into the site and ordered everyone to frog-jump; they flogged the workers and threatened to shoot us. I tried to explain to them that I was weak because I was fasting, but Dankwa was infuriated by my explanation.

    “He kicked me in the stomach; another soldier also joined in beating me till I collapsed. When they saw that I was almost lifeless, they left and I was rushed to the hospital by the workers.”

    The cleric said he learnt the soldiers apologised to the owners of the estate “for their mistake.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Ochienu plans to take legal action against the Development Control Department and the military for the assault.

    The Paradise Estate Project Manager, Tobias Tokbe, said he was not at the scene, but added that beside Ochienu, another worker, Bem Ali, was also brutalised by the soldiers without any reason.

    He said, “I was discussing with the development control officials at the project office when I saw some workers carrying somebody and they told me Ochienu was beaten by the soldiers that accompanied the development control officials to the site; I was livid.

    “I immediately called the development control director who said he didn’t authorise the soldiers to attack anyone. We asked the soldier why he beat up the engineer and he said Ochienu grabbed his jacket, which we know was a lie.”

    Tokbe said the riot policemen guarding the estate almost fought with the soldiers after the incident.

    When contacted, the Development Control Director, Muktar Galadima, said he was informed about the incident and “I said sorry, but I didn’t see the victim of the attack.”

  • Army recover corpses of 15 soldiers, officers declared missing in Borno

    The Nigerian Army said it had recovered corpses of “one officer and 15 soldiers’’ earlier declared “Missing in Action” during an operation to dislodge the Boko Haram insurgents from Gashigar Area in Borno on October 16, 2016.

    The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.- Gen. Lucky Irabor, disclosed this at a weekly review of Operation Rescue Final at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, on Wednesday.

    “The corpses were recovered along Kamadugou River line area in Maiduguri.

    “Among the recovered corpses was that of Lt.-Col. K Yusuf, the former Commanding Officer (CO) of 223 Tank Battalion.

    “They have since been buried in Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery with full military honours,’’ Irabor said.

     

    NAN

  • Boko Haram attacks military base in Damaturu, kills captain, 5 Soldiers

     

    Boko Haram insurgents group has attacked a military location in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital on Saturday, killing five soldiers and a Captain in the process.

    According to a report by Daily Post, Soldiers in Damaturu confirmed the development on Sunday, saying they lost the officers after Boko Haram militants attacked the 27 Task Force Brigade located in Buni Yadi, one of the Boko Haram strongholds in that part of the state.

    The attack on Saturday evening was second since the Nigerian military claimed it has displaced the Boko Haram insurgents at Camp Zairo, said to be the Boko Haram last stronghold.

    Recall that since the claim by the Nigerian military over the destruction of Camp Zairo in the Sambisa Forest, Boko Haram militants have made several attacks particularly in Borno, probably to send a massage that, they a very much on ground.

    While confirming the attack which occurred on Saturday at a military location in Buni Yadi, the spokesman of the 27 Task Force Brigade, Lt. George Okupe in a text message to newsmen said the attack was successfully repelled by the troops.

    According to Lt. Okupe “Buni Yadi came under attack at about 6:15 pm, but troops have successfully repelled the attack. We cannot confirm casualty figure now but things are under control. Details will be made available to you as soon as we are done with all necessary clearance.”

    However, soldiers, who claimed they lost an officer and men in the attack told newsmen that, there is no need to hide what has happened; “The attack was a surprise one, and anyone can be taken unawares. The insurgents came from the eastern side of the brigade in large numbers and launched superior fire power on the military formation before they were repelled,” The Soldiers said.

    The casualty on the side of Boko Haram is yet to be disclosed, but another military source disclosed that the insurgents also suffered heavy casualty in the attack as many dead bodies were seen scattered in the bush.

    Buni Yadi, the headquarters of Gujba Local Government was taken over by the insurgents for almost a year before it was recaptured by the military in May 2015. However, earlier reports from the area suggested that, men with automatic weapons had been seen in large number since the military claimed victory over the Boko Haram militants in Sambisa Forest, where it claimed it recovered the Boko Haram’s leader’s Holy Book and Flag.

     

  • Nigeria to deploy 800 soldiers to Darfur for Peacekeeping

     

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday said Nigeria would deploy 800 soldiers to the United Nations Mission (UNAMID) in Dafur.

    Buratai made the disclosure at the Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Centre during the graduation of 755 soldiers and 45 officers that participated in the pre-deployment training in Jaji, Kaduna State.

    The army chief, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Maj.-Gen. Adeniyi Oyebade, said Nigeria would continue to deploy quality peacekeepers as part of its contribution to global peace and security.

    He tasked the personnel to discharge their duties in consonance with the UNAMID mandate at all times.

    Buratai said the rule of engagement in the UNAMID gives them the opportunity to exhibit utmost professionalism in the discharge of their responsibility.

    “I caution you to avoid any ugly incident that could tarnish the professional image of the Nigerian Army in particular and Nigeria in general.”

    He noted that Nigeria and the United Nations have high respect for human rights and protection of civilians in armed conflicts.

    ” Maintain zero tolerance policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; the Nigerian Army and indeed the Nigerian Government will also not tolerate the contravention of these policies,” Buratai said

    Earlier, the Commandant of the centre, Brig.-Gen. Adamu Dauda said the mandate of the institution was to provide quality training for troops earmarked for Peace Support Operation.

    Dauda tasked the personnel to be good ambassadors of the Nigerian Army and the country in general.

     

    NAN

  • The shame of a nation – Fani-Kayode

    I just watched a very sad and disturbing video of our soldiers on the war front begging their President and Commander in Chief to provide them with food and water.

    They did this through footage which was shot on their cell phone cameras and released as a short video on social media.

    They were desperate, angry and very loud and some of them were shedding tears about their deep frustration and sorry plight.

    We saw the lifeless bodies of at least two of them who had apparantly died, not of bullet wounds, but of exhaustion, starvation and lack of water.

    We saw and heard others as they were slowly dying and we heard their heavy panting and deep groans. We also heard and saw the anger, aggression, loud lamentations and startling complaints from the troops, one of whom had the courage to film the whole thing.

    He and at least three of his colleagues appealed to those of us that were watching the video on social media to let the President know what they are going through. It was very moving and even the most hardened heart would have melted whilst watching that video.

    This was a heart-breaking and pathetic scene. These young soldiers had just won a major battle on the war front and they had just recovered numerous towns and villages from Boko Haram yet they were not even given water to quench their thirst or food to fill their stomachs after what was obviously a hard fight. How could things have got so bad?

    This is the sort of thing that leads to mutiny and rebellion in the military and once that starts no-one is safe and no-one can stop it.

    I urge the Chief of Army Staff and indeed our President to do something about this problem quickly and ease the suffering and pain of our servicemen and women at the warfront and indeed when they come home.

    In a country with a civilised government members of the Armed Forces that are prepared to sacrifice their lives just to keep our borders secure and the rest of us safe are cherished and honored. Their salaries are paid promptly and regularly and they are not starved of water and food whilst on the warfront and whilst fighting a battle. The sorry plight of our gallant warriors in todays Nigeria is indeed the shame of the nation.

    Instead of meeting the needs of our soldiers we are told that the military authorities are sending them to Argentina to learn about cattle-rearing and that they are preparing to set up cattle ranches in every state of the Federation.

    One wonders why? What purpose does this serve? Is there a hidden agenda? Is it an attempt to smuggle in the rejected Grazing Reserve Bill through the back door? What on earth has cattle-rearing and setting up cattle ranches for itinerant and vagrant herdsmen got to do with soldiering? I guess one does not have to dig too deep to find the answers.

    These are indeed interesting times and those that seek to utterly demoralise, destroy, demystify and demean the essence, ethos, confidence and very fabric of our Armed Forces and our military men have gone far.

    Instead of equipping them to fight on the war front and providing them with the necessary provisions on the battle field they are turning them into cattle-rearers, herdsmen and farmers.
    What a tragedy!

    Yet for our country the picture is even more bleak than that. It is not just the military that are going through hell but the people, both high and low, as well.

    That is what drove Mr. Edwin Dico Okugbo to write the following words out of what can only be described as frustration and anger. He wrote,

    “Buhari is not fighting against corruption. He is stealing the nation blind. 2015 and 2016 budgets have already been embezzled and they are already moving to 2017. Everyone around him has been exposed already as crooks. Which corruption is he fighting? He is only fighting his enemies to consoldate political power. He is the worst thing that has ever happened to Nigeria. A big scam!”

    Harsh words indeed yet there can be little doubt that Mr. Okugbo reflects the thinking of many.

    The bitter truth is that there is unprecedented hardship and suffering in the land. There is also injustice, wickedness, persecution, abuse of power, mass murder, corruption, impunity, religious and ethnic marginalisation, sectarian butchery and conflict, state-sponsored genocide, extra-judicial killings and massive and debilitating poverty. Few are feeling the joy and love of Christmas this season. Yet sadly this is precisely what the Nigerian people wanted.

    At the risk of our liberty, lives and reputation some of us warned them about the dangers of voting for the great evil of Buhari and his APC.

    There is nothing that is happening today that I did not accurately predict would happen if Buhari was given power.

    People laughed me to scorn, insulted me, threatened me, made mockery of me and said that I was wrong but I have been proved right.

    You see the problem is that most Nigerians do not know the history of their nation and neither can they possibly comprehend the obsessive, narcissistic and sociopathic nature and disposition of most of their leaders.

    Most of our people are incapable of any form of logical reasoning or analytical deduction that is truly detached from or devoid of emotion and irrational thinking.

    Worse of all they do not understand the prophetic or what is known as “revelation knowledge”.

    Knowledge means nothing to them and, simply put, they worship and rever money and power and nothing else.

    Most Nigerians will do anything, including selling their own heritage, glory and divinely ordained destiny, to have or achieve that money and power or to appease those that possess and wield it.

    Consequently if a rich man, a powerful politician or a key government official defecates in his pants at a party or a public function the average Nigerian will continue to celebrate him there and then and tell him and the entire world that he smells like roses or like the finest and most expensive perfume in the world. That is how depraved some of us are.

    We have a terrible aversion to truth and we are very comfortable with living with suffering, wickedness and injustice.

    In fact the greater the injustice, violence, persecution and wickedness that the state metes out to others the more comfortable and the happier we are.

    We actually enjoy it and secretly rejoice when those around us and our compatriots suffer pain, death, humiliation, shame, hardship, destruction, injustice and persecution. It is a strange and self-destructive disposition and a devious form of sado-masochism.

    For example just to spite President Goodluck Jonathan and his Niger Delta people and get him out of power the Nigerian people brought Buhari upon themselves. Can there be a greater example of an entire people cutting their nose to spite their face?

    This was made all the worse by the fact that Jonathan enjoyed massive support in the south east which has come to be the whipping boy of the Nigerian state. The thinking was that if the Igbo wanted Jonathan then he had to be stopped at all costs.

    Consequently a radical, angry, vengeful, bitter and divisive Buhari who was viewed and often described by his supporters as the nations “Mahdi” and “messiah” became their choice.

    They chose him over the gentle, soft-spoken, forgiving, accommodating and humble Jonathan who was maliciously depicted as a clueless, corrupt and incompetent villain.

    This was a grave error. I say that because the former was malignant and the latter was benign. The former was malevolent and the latter was benevolent.

    It was rather like the time that the Jews chose our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ over the armed robber and murderer Barabas for crucifixion.

    It was like choosing night over day. It was like choosing s demon over an angel. It was like choosing evil over good.

    For the mess we are in today and the disaster and impending doom that our nation is facing I blame those in the core north who introduced religion into our politics and who wanted power back at all costs, those in the Middle Belt who supported them in that quest for reasons best known to themselves and those in the south west that have come to be known as the “Jagaban Yorubas” that supported the diabolical and occultic concept of “chanji”.

    I also blame a small but notable and identifiable section of the media who sold their heritage for a mess of pottage and who have opted to remain silent and, in some cases even openly encourage and support, the evil that has been visited upon us as our nation goes to the dogs.

    All these groups and individuals have betrayed the Nigerian people. They have destroyed their destinies, enslaved their children, impoverished their lives, shamed their loved ones, dishonored their forefathers, divided their nation, shattered their dreams and set our country back by at least 50 years.

    The truth is that by the time this is all over we may not even have a country left.

    Those that voted for this mess and put us in it should enjoy their “change” and live with the consequences of their stupid choice.

    Do you know the number of families that cannot even afford to buy turkeys this Christmas? Do you know the number of people that will not get presents or be given Christmas gifts by their parents, siblings, spouses and loved ones this season?

    Do you know the number of children that will silently shed tears this Christmas and that will secretly wish that they had never been born Nigerians? It has never been this bad in our entire history and it really is so sad.

    Those that put us in this terrible mess deserve no mercy and no pity. They certainly do not deserve a second mandate in 2019. As for the Nigerian people they have finally got the leadership that they deserve.

    Our nation needs repentance and prayer. May God forgive and deliver us from His tool of judgement.

    Permit me to conclude this contribution with the following observations.

    I was right when I wrote both in 2008 and 2012 that Barack Obama would divide America and the entire world and that by the time he finished his tenure the American people would reject his legacy.

    I was right when I wrote about what the outcome of the war in Syria would be and how the Americans were making a big mistake by supporting the terrorists, jihadists and Islamic fundamentalists and trying to remove Bashar Al Assad.

    I was right when I wrote that the Americans and the Europeans were making a huge mistake by removing and killing Muammar Ghadaffi of Libya.

    I was right when I wrote that Europe was making a mistake by allowing in the Syrian refugees who I described at the time as a Trojan horse.

    I was right when I wrote about the damage that Buhari would do to our land if he was given a mandate to lead the Nigerian people.

    I was right when I wrote about the damage that Ali Modu Sheriff would do the opposition Peoples Democratic Party if he was given the position of National Chairman.

    I was right when I wrote that Donald J. Trump would win the presidential primaries of the American Republican Party to become their presidential candidate and when I wrote that he would go on to win the presidential election against Hilary Clinton.

    I was also right when I wrote that Nana Akufo-Addo would win the presidential election in Ghana.

    All these things came to me by revelation knowledge and by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by logical deduction or any power of my own.

    Now let me share another prophetic word with you today by saying the following. For President Muhmmadu Buhari, like the biblical King Belshassar of Babylon, the writing is on the wall. And Like Belshassar he has been weighed and found wanting.

    Soon he will be gone and the Lord will raise a new leader: a biblical Cyrus with the heart of David, who will heal, unite and prosper our land.

    This new leader will be a blessing to our people. He will remove our shame, restore our peace, return our joy, rebuild our walls, encourage and strengthen our Church and men and women of God, re-establish our sacred alters, resurrect and re-invoke our covenant with the Living God, defend our borders, jealously guard our people and bring glory and honor to our nation.

    Thus sayest the Lord and so it shall be. The vision is for an appointed time. Though it tarry, it shall not prove false. God bless you and merry Christmas.