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Tag: War

  • Is Nigeria not at war? – By Pius Mordi

    Is Nigeria not at war? – By Pius Mordi

    When Pope Leo XIV gave his inaugural sermon during the Mass to formally commence his pontificate, it was so gratifying he re-echoed the message his predecessor, Pope Francis, had always harped on throughout his headship of the Catholic Church.

    Addressing the “powerful people of the world,” he said the bloodletting in conflict zones in the world was unacceptable and called for “lasting peace”, admonishing that there should be “no more war”.

    Thankfully, President Bola Tinubu was among the distinguished audience and powerful people of the world the Pontiff addressed. But the problem is how Pope Leo Leo XIV’s message was received by Tinubu.

    Despite the bloodletting and massive killings going on in virtually all parts of Nigeria, the federal government sees the killings as an act of banditry.

    The perpetrators have been given several names that downgrade the unchecked attacks and massacres. Bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and herders-farmers conflict are some of the nomenclatures given to the killings.

    But the casualty figures are more than what is being recorded in actual war zones. This illustrates the ferocity, impunity and massacres going on in Nigeria. When military outposts and barracks are attacked, overrun and soldiers brazenly killed, what is the fate of ordinary civilians? Of course, they are routinely massacred, their lands, homes and farms occupied. How is it different from what is happening in war zones?Yet, the federal government insists on not calling it what it truly is – war!

    What has been going on in Nigeria since the advent of the Boko Haram insurgency is outright war. The Oxford Dictionary says war is the state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.

    According to the United Nations perception of what constitutes war, it is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organized groups.

    While the UN has a set of rules and conventions that govern wars and failure to observe those rules classified under humanitarian laws lead to charges of crime against humanity even while the conflict is still on, the armed groups fighting federal forces observe no rules. It is what led to charges of crime against humanity against Benjamin Netanyahu and some elements in the Israeli military in the ongoing war against Hamas. It is why the world is outraged by the bestial killing Russia’s Vladimir Putin is carrying out in Ukraine.

    However, contrary to the UN rules of engagement in wars, what is going on in Nigeria has no rules and nobody is held to account. All the elements of war, intense war against a well armed and organized enemy, are there in the Nigerian situation. In fact, more people, mainly defenceless civilians, are killed in Nigeria than in actual war zones. Even the military is almost overwhelmed by the multiple fronts they have to fight and defend simultaneously.

    Our young soldiers and commanders are being regularly killed as their barracks are attacked and sometimes overrun. Its all down to the fact that the military hierarchy deploy their men to the theatres of conflict without their being conditioned as men going to real war.

    The gallant but inadequately equipped soldiers are deployed to confront the insurgents without back ups and reinforcements. When overwhelmed, as has been happening lately with greater frequency, they are hopelessly lost. It is the cost of pretending that the situation in Nigeria is a routine internal conflict.
    It is not and the people have been saying that for years.

    After sustained attacks and loss of some towns and villages, Babagana Zulum, Borno State governor, had to make an SOS appeal to the federal government not to let Marte town fall to terrorist insurgents. The appeal was informed by the advance of the well-oiled insurgents that had been overrunning some communities. Marte town, Zulum explained, was resettled about four years ago, but unfortunately, by the second week of May, it was ransacked and the people displaced again.

    “About 20,000 people left Marte for Dikwa. This huge number is a threat, as allowing them to stay in the camp may make most of the younger ones become vulnerable to recruitment by the insurgents”, the governor warned.

    In December 2020, the Catholic Bishop of Gboko, Bishop William Avenya, testifying at a US congressional hearing, alerted the world to what he said is the “genocide” of Christians in his area. “The mass slaughter of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, by every standard, meets the criteria for a calculated genocide from the definition of the Genocide Convention,” Bishop William Avenya told the hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan congressional commission, on “Conflict and Killings in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.”

    Five years after Bishop Avenya’s testimony, the situation has exacerbated with the killings spreading to the rest of the southern part of the country hitherto thought to be relatively safe. Civilians across Nigeria continue to face intense violence and near-daily attacks and kidnapping by armed groups. Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have continued to launch attacks in their stronghold regions of Yobe and Borno states and beyond.

    The government has even refused to designate Boko Haram a terrorist organisation, the least classification the group deserved well before now. Former President Muhammadu Buhari rather, preferred to send combat troops after the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and designate the group a terrorist organisation.

    By all definitions and parameters, Nigeria is engaged in an existential war with Boko Haram, ISWAP and other Islamist groups seeking to overthrow the Nigerian state. With religious chants while carrying out their monstrous killings, they wreak havoc on civilians, kidnapping, looting and destroying communities.
    President Tinubu has to discard all pretentions and trying to be politically correct by laying the groundwork for effectively the evil forces seeking to kill the country.

    Until the federal government desists from giving the armed groups fanciful names and acknowledge that Nigeria is dealing with an existential war, the battle for the survival of the country may not not be won.

  • WAR! US set to negotiate with all Syrian groups — Biden

    WAR! US set to negotiate with all Syrian groups — Biden

    President Joe Biden on Sunday said the United States would engage with “all Syrian groups” over the political transition after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

    “We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign” Syria “with a new constitution.”

    Biden also said fallen al-Assad should be held responsible for his rule over Syria now that his government has been toppled.

    Asked what should happen to the deposed president, who reportedly has fled to Moscow, Biden told reporters that “Assad should be held accountable.”

    He called al-Assad’s fall from power a “moment of historic opportunity” for Syria.

    “The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice,” Biden said, speaking from the White House. “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria.”

    Assad’s reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning rebel offensive that broke long-frozen frontlines in the country’s civil war.

    Early Sunday, they announced they had entered Damascus and that Assad had fled, prompting celebrations around the country and a ransacking of Assad’s luxurious home.

  • WAR: Trump will give Natanyahu a free ride-Former CIA Director

    WAR: Trump will give Natanyahu a free ride-Former CIA Director

    Ex-CIA director and US defence secretary Leon Panetta, Donald Trump would offer Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “blank cheque” in the Middle East once he takes office, potentially paving the door for a full-scale conflict between Israel and Iran.

    He said that Israel would receive his approval for every action taken by the president-elect, who defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to win the presidency this week and will return to office in January

    “With regards to the Middle East, I think he’s basically going to give Netanyahu a blank check,” he said via the Guardian, UK.”

    Whatever you do, whatever you want to do, whoever you want to go after, you have my blessing.’ I mean, he basically said that [before the election].”

    Since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel last year, Netanyahu has presided over attacks on Iran and its assets as part of an expanding conflict.

    During the US election campaign, he reportedly spoke with the US president-elect.

  • Get ready for war with Israel- Iranian leader tells military

    Get ready for war with Israel- Iranian leader tells military

    Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has instructed the military to prepare for a potential war with Israel while advising efforts to avoid conflict, according to four Iranian officials.

    The order comes amid escalating tensions and fears of retaliation from Israel after Iranian allies in Gaza and Lebanon suffered heavy losses.

    The officials, speaking to Network Times on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Khamenei has directed military commanders to devise multiple strategies in response to a possible Israeli attack.

    They emphasised that Iran’s response would depend on the scale of Israel’s aggression. If Israeli strikes target critical infrastructure such as nuclear facilities, energy hubs or result in high casualties, Iran has vowed to retaliate decisively.

    Options under consideration include launching up to 1,000 ballistic missiles, mobilising proxy militant groups across the region, and disrupting energy shipments through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

    Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, reiterated during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, that any response would be “proportionate and calculated.”

    Iran has also issued warnings to regional neighbours, stating that any support for Israel would make them targets. Araghchi claimed on Tuesday, during a press briefing in Kuwait, that Arab allies had assured Iran they would not permit Israeli jets to use their airspace or refuel at their bases.

    Hostilities between Iran and Israel have escalated in recent months. Earlier this year, the two nations exchanged fire following an Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy in Syria. This month, Iran responded with a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles after Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah.

    With tensions now at their peak, Iran has launched a diplomatic push to engage the United States through back channels, urging it to restrain Israel. Iranian leaders are also working to strengthen alliances with regional powers and are consulting with key allies, including Russia, China, and Turkey, to prevent war.

    This development comes just days after China’s President Xi Jinping, an ally of Iran, ordered the military to enhance its war preparedness and boost combat capabilities, signaling a heightened focus on strategic deterrence amid rising tensions with the West.

     

  • SAD! Cult related war claims 11 Lives in Anambra.

    SAD! Cult related war claims 11 Lives in Anambra.

    Cult war claimed eight lives late afternoon today(Sunday) as a group of suspected armed cultists engaged each other in a supremacy gun battle at Nibo, Awka South Council of Anambra state.

    It was yet to be ascertained what triggered the tragedy as at the time of filing the report.

    Most eye witnesses who managed to talk to journalists claimed they were still traumatized by the brazen indiscriminate target shootings and killings.

    Nibo, a suburb of the capital city of Awka, according to a witness who declined to give his name, was said to be celebrating an annual Onwa Asaa festival, a time meant for joy and unity for Nibo indigenes, friends and well-wishers.

    The armed men reportedly stormed eating joint scene of the shootings in a black Lexus sports utility vehicle.

    Jumping out in a commando style they instantly opened fire all over in multiple directions, killing many people in the vicinity instantly.

    The witness described what he saw -“It was like a war zone..

    “The gunmen came out from their vehicle, shooting everywhere. People were running in all directions for their lives, screaming and crying.

    “It was indeed chaotic.”

    “The festivals, meant to bring people together, have been marred by violence and bloodshed.

    “We are devastated. How can someone do this to us during our celebration? It’s heartbreaking,” said a resident.

    The community is demanding justice for the victims and their families.

    “We urge the government to take immediate action,” said a community leader, adding, “We cannot continue to live in fear. We need peace and security.”

    The police and other security agencies have been deployed to the area to investigate the incident.

    Reacting to the incident, the state police command said it was a cult-related clash.

    The police reaction contained in a statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, reads:

    SUSPECTED CULT-RELATED CLASH IN NIBO: CP ITAM ORDERS DEPLOYMENT OF ADDITIONAL OPERATIVES IN THE AREA

    A press statement from the State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga while reassuring citizens of their protection called on witnesses to volunteer information for necessary action

    The statement read in part, “the Command is aware of a suspected cult-related clash today 20/10/2024 in Nibo, Awka South LG and the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam have ordered immediate deployment of additional operatives to the area for necessary action.

    “Preliminary reports of the incidents are still sketchy as the Command calls on the witnesses of this incident to volunteer information that will help to identify the perpetrators for possible arrest.

    “Be assured that information sent in this regard shall be treated with utmost confidentiality.

    “You can call the Command Control Room at *07039194332* or the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at *08039334002*

    While the ugly incident at Nibo claimed eight lives, said to be a clash of rival cult groups three others were also killed in Nodu Village of Okpuno community, another surburb of the northern border of Awka, on Sunday also.

  • Hezbollah says will escalate war with Israel after Hamas leader killed

    Hezbollah says will escalate war with Israel after Hamas leader killed

    Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group said on Friday it was moving to a new and escalating phase in its war against Israel.

    In the same position Iran said “the spirit of resistance will be strengthened” after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

    Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war, was killed during an operation  by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, a pivotal event in the year-long conflict.

    Western leaders said his death offered an opportunity for the conflict to end, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war would go on until the hostages seized by Hamas militants were returned.

    “Today, we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement after Sinwar’s death was confirmed on Thursday.

    “To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war.

    “We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home, .”

    Sinwar, who was named as Hamas’ overall leader following the assassination of political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, was believed to have been hiding in the warren of tunnels Hamas has built under Gaza over the past two decades.

    He was killed during a gun battle in southern Gaza on Wednesday by Israeli troops who were initially unaware that they had caught their country’s number one enemy, Israeli officials said.

    The military released drone video of what it said was Sinwar, sitting on an armchair and covered in dust inside a destroyed building.

    Hamas has not made any comment itself, but sources within the group have said the indications they have seen suggest Sinwar was indeed killed by Israeli troops.

    In the face of Western hopes of a ceasefire, Sinwar’s death could dial up hostilities in the Middle East where the prospect of an even wider conflict has grown.

    Israel launched a ground campaign in Lebanon this month and is now planning a response to an Oct. 1 missile attack carried out by Iran, ally of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

    But the demise of the man who planned the attack last year in which fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel and captured more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, could also help push forward stalled efforts to end the war in which Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

    U.S. President Joe Biden, who spoke to Netanyahu by phone to congratulate him, said Sinwar’s death provided a chance for the conflict in Gaza to finally end and for Israeli hostages to be brought home.

    The U.S. wants to kick-start talks on a proposal to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, calling Sinwar the “chief obstacle” to ending the war.

    “That obstacle has obviously been removed. Can’t predict that that means whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but it does remove what has been in recent months the chief obstacle to getting one,” he said.

    In recent weeks, Sinwar had refused to negotiate at all, Miller said.

    Iran indicated no sign the killing would shift its support.

    “The spirit of resistance will be strengthened” following the death of Sinwar, its mission to the United Nations said.

    Hezbollah was also defiant, announcing “the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel”.

    The Israeli military said on Friday it had also killed Muhammad Hassin Ramal, Hezbollah’s commander of the Tayibe area in southern Lebanon.

    Families of Israeli hostages said that while the killing of Sinwar was a significant achievement, it would not be complete while hostages are still in Gaza.

  • WAR against oil theft: Why Nigerians must support CNS Ogalla -Agbese

    WAR against oil theft: Why Nigerians must support CNS Ogalla -Agbese

    The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon, Philip Agbese, has hailed the Nigerian Navy’s efforts in combating oil theft, citing significant progress under Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla’s leadership.

    Recall that the federal lawmaker raised a motion to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue last year, which caused the Speaker, House of Representatives, RT. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas to set up a probe panel.

    But Agbese, while responding to questions shortly after Thursday’s plenary, on his opinion about his Bills and motions in the House, particularly on the oil theft, said the Navy’s Operation Delta Sanity launched in January 2024, has yielded remarkable successes.

    Agbese said Ogalla’s leadership has had far-reaching implications on the economy, adding that increased revenue from recovered oil and reduced losses has bolstered Nigeria’s fiscal balance and enabled investments in critical sectors.

    He said the Navy’s intensified efforts have led to the recovery of over 62,000 barrels of crude oil and nearly a million litres of illegally refined products, disrupting the operations of oil thieves and bolstering Nigeria’s oil production.

    Under Ogalla’s strategic guidance, he noted, the Navy has adopted a multi-faceted approach to combat oil theft, including aggressive surveillance and patrols, the dismantling of illegal refining sites, and the arrest of suspects.

    The Navy’s collaboration with international partners, he said, has also strengthened its ability to combat maritime crime.

    Furthermore, Agbese said the launch of non-kinetic offensives, such as community engagement and educational outreaches, has helped to win the support of local communities and prevent oil theft.

    “The impact of Ogalla’s leadership is evident in the numbers. Nigeria’s crude oil production has risen from 1.08 million barrels per day in July 2023 to an average of 1.38 million barrels per day in January and February 2024,” he said.

    “Additionally, military operations have stalled oil theft estimated at N1,558,665,080 in the South-South region. The Nigerian Navy’s renewed commitment under Ogalla’s leadership has sent a strong message to oil thieves and saboteurs: Nigeria will no longer tolerate the theft of its resources.

    “Recall that during Ogalla’s presentation at the sectorial debate organised by the House of Representatives, he elaborated on the progress so far. He, however, requested that the National Assembly intervene in enhancing surveillance to cover the backwaters, creeks, and other areas behind the coastline.

    “I’m proud of what he has achieved since then. The Navy last month announced the extension of Operation Delta Sanity for an additional ninety days. This is a sign that Ogalla is not satisfied yet”, Agbese added.

    Agbese urged stakeholders to support the Navy’s efforts, commending Vice Admiral Ogalla and the Nigerian Navy for their dedication to national security.

    The success of Operation Delta Sanity, he added, demonstrates Ogalla’s commitment to protecting the nation’s resources, paving the way for a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria.

    He concluded: “As we continue to make progress in this fight, I am confident that Nigeria will emerge stronger and more prosperous. I commend Vice Admiral Ogalla and the Nigerian Navy for their tireless efforts and dedication to our nation’s security.”

  • Impending political war as Soludo reportedly seals APGA office

    Impending political war as Soludo reportedly seals APGA office

    Impending political war as the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has allegedly deployed heavily armed security operatives including soldiers, mobile policemen and state government agents to seal off the head office of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Edozie Njoku in Awka.

    Addressing a gathering of journalists amidst party faithfuls at the gate of the sealed office, the Vice National Chairman (South East), Engr Tony Uche Ezekwelu expressed shock that state governor could lock out officers and members of the party that produced him.

    Ezekwelu lamented that change of party leaders and control is not in anyway a death sentence but a rejigging of party structure for effective performance and political alertness.

    He described the act of sealing the party office as politically motivated, especially when other adjoining/adjacent offices including the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo, the office of the governor’s wife was affected.

    According to the party chief, the state government agents, the soldiers and policemen stormed the APGA state headquarters located on Road One of Udoka Housing Estate to carry out the action in the early hours of Tuesday, August 27,2024.

    Reacting vide a telephone interview from his Abuja national office, Chief Edozie Njoku, confirmed having received information and reports about the sealing of the party’s head office by Anambra state government officials.

    He said he would consult immediately with the National Secretariat of the party on the matter and would take appropriate necessary action immediately.

    Hear him, “It is true, I got the information this morning (Tuesday) that the party office was sealed by a government agency.

    “So, I am consulting with the National Secretariat. It is after the consultation that we will decide on the action we take.

    ” I need to know the true facts on the ground, and my Secretaries are making calls; once we have the true picture, we can have a proper and accurate reaction.”

    This sealing of the office antic was a sequel to the manipulation of the state independent electoral commission (ANSIEC) which drove away the new leadership of the new Edozie Njoku-led APGA from a top level all-party/Stakeholders interactive meeting in Awka about a week ago.

    These scheming and manipulations made political watchers assume that the governor do not have genuine intention for the planned September 28,2024 Council poll in the state.

    However, Mr. Christian Aburime, Press Secretary to the Governor when contacted, claimed to be oblivious of the incidence.

    He referred journalists to the Special Adviser (SA) on Political Matters, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu.

  • WAR: No plans to react to Israel’s insignificant attack – Iran

    WAR: No plans to react to Israel’s insignificant attack – Iran

    Hossein Amir- Abdullahi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, has described the Israel’s retaliation as child’s play, saying it’s not worth their fight.

    According to Amir-Abdullahi, Iran could decide to attack Israel’s cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, its economic ports and other places of interest.

    He spoke with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, on Friday on the sidelines of the United Nations Security Council in the United States, US.

    The foreign minister said Iran was not planning to respond unless Israel launched a significant attack.

    He said: “We could have hit Haifa and Tel Aviv.

    “We could have also targeted all the economic ports of Israel.

    “But our red lines were civilians.

    “We only had a military purpose.

    “As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, then we are not going to have any new reactions.

    “If Israel takes decisive action against my country, this is proven to us.

    “Our response will be immediate and to the maximum and will cause them to regret it.”

    He also likened the weapons used in attacking his country to children’s toys.

    Amir-abdollahian’s remark is coming amid reports of Israel carrying out a retaliatory attack on Iran.

    Last weekend, Iran shot a barrage of drones and missiles towards Israel in retaliation for the April 1 attack in Damascus, Syria that killed some of its generals.

    However, the Iranian Foreign Minister didn’t confirm that Israel was behind the recent attack on Iran.

    “What happened last night was not a strike.

    “They were more like toys that our children play with – not drones,” he said.

  • War: Israel’s cabinet meet for third time to deliberate retaliation mode on Iran

    War: Israel’s cabinet meet for third time to deliberate retaliation mode on Iran

    Israelis cabinet  will meet for the third time in three days as deliberations on a response to Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel is ongoing.

    The cabinet meeting is being held amid international pressure to avoid further escalating the Middle East conflicts.

    Herzi Halevi the Israeli military chief of staff has constantly vowed that Saturday night’s 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran on Israeli territory “will be met with a response,” but gave no details.

    While the attack caused no deaths and little damage, it has increased fears that violence rooted in the Gaza war is spreading to other countries, with the risk of an open war between long-time foes Iran and Israel.

    Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus, which occurred on April 1 and was attributed to Israel.

    President Joe Biden had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekend that the United States, Israel’s main protector, would not participate in an Israeli counter-strike.

    Together with European allies, Washington instead strove on Tuesday to toughen economic and political sanctions against Iran in an attempt to dissuade Israel from violent retaliation.