Tag Archives: dhq

Boko Haram Now Disguising As Menial Workers, DHQ Alerts Nigerians

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Defence Headquarters, Tuesday,warned Nigerians to to be wary of people entering their communities as menial workers, saying it was a new strategy employed by the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists to get at their targets.

In a statement, by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar,its Director of Information, the Defence Headquarters insisted that the terrorists, in their desperation to get at their targets, have resorted to disguising as menial workers.

The statement read: ”The Defence Headquarters wishes to alert members of the public of another antic being employed by the escaping Boko Haram terrorists that were smoked out of Sambisa forest by the combined efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“Available information indicates that some fleeing Boko Haram terrorists are now disguising as menial workers to melt into communities and towns with a view to organising terrorists attack against our innocent citizens. The unfortunate recent incidents in Madagali and Maiduguri are instructive.

“The Defence Headquarters therefore advises citizens to be on the alert and be wary of these tricks of the defeated terrorists who are hell-bent on remaining relevant inspite of their lost battle.

“This sensitisation becomes necessary now to create security awareness to our citizens to be conscious of some strange faces that could take menial jobs in their communities or towns, especially now that festivities are around the corner. ”

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http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/boko-haram-now-disguising-menial-workers-dhq-alerts-nigerians/

DHQ Considers Recall Of South African Mercenaries Over Boko Haram’s Resurgence

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Rattled by the recent killings of the Commanding Officer of the 272 Special Task Force Task Battalion, Lt. Col. Muhammad Abu-Ali and six soldiers by members of Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) is mulling over whether to reach out to President Muhammadu Buhari on the urgent need to recall the South African mercenaries recruited by former President Goodluck Jonathan to help finish off the terror group.

Sources, who spoke from both the presidency and DHQ yesterday in Abuja, said some army chiefs have decided to impress it on the president that the sophisticated weapons the South African mercenaries possess could help in “finishing off members of Boko Haram” that has witnessed a resurgence in the war between the terrorists and Nigerian troops.

It was gathered that members of Boko Haram might have experienced a boost, especially after they received a huge payout from the presidency for the release of 21 Chibok girls recently.

In the last few weeks, there has been an upsurge of suicide bombings linked to Boko Haram. The terror group has also killed several Nigerian troops fighting in the North-east, including Abu-Ali and his men, who were given a national burial at the military cemetery, Abuja on Monday.

Read More: thisdaylive

Military will end attacks by herdsmen soon – DHQ

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The Nigerian military has assured that it would soon combat Fulani herdsmen unleashing terror on the citizens across the nation.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, while speaking on the successes recorded by the military in crushing Boko Haram insurgents, said it has become necessary to end the activities of the herdsmen and other criminal gangs nationwide.

Olonishakin, who was represented by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Abubakar Rabe, addressed journalists in Kaduna at the weekend.

He said the military would soon put a stop to the deadly activities of the herdsmen who have ravaged many communities and destroyed lives and property.

According to him: “We are coming up with Operation Accord. It is an operation initiated by the Defence Headquarters to tackle the activities of herdsmen. I believe as soon as it becomes operational this issue of incessant clashes between herdsmen and communities will be a thing of the past.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens wherever they are.”

Explaining the successes recorded by the military against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, Olonishakin said: “Boko Haram is gone and gone forever. The armed forces have done everything possible to dislodge them and they are 100 per cent contained.

“Our countrymen and women have testified to what we have done. It now remains the total commitment and mobilisation to ensure that the interests of criminal groups are not protected. What they want is just for them to be noticed and when they do anything they should be heard.”

The defence chief added: “There is no country in the world that contains insurgency within a time span of seven years like Nigeria. Mali had to send their military chief to come to learn from us on what we have done to contain the activities of the Boko Haram group.”

We’ll Reduce Boko Haram To Nothing Despite Leadership Change – DHQ

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that the military was not in the least bit perturbed about the latest change of leadership in Boko Haram.

 

Wednesday, the BBC reported that Islamic State had named a new leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, for Boko Haram. Al-Barnawi, who was once the spokesman for the insurgent group, has replaced Abubakar Shekau. According to BBC, al-Barnawi was featured in the latest issue of an ISIS magazine. The magazine made no reference to Shekau. But DHQ spokesman, Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said wednesday that the military was not interested in what happens in what he described as “nearly dead” Boko Haram terrorists, including a change of leadership or alliance with ISIS.

 

Abubakar said that the military was singularly focused on the complete destruction of the terror group, irrespective of leadership and administrative changes. He said: “The leadership change in Boko Haram, as purportedly stated, does not in any way bother us, as the group is nearly dead in Nigeria and other countries within the Lake Chad Basin. “So whether there is a change in leadership or not, we are sure of total annihilation of the group. “Our focus is to clear them from their hideouts which we have been doing through the ongoing Operation Crackdown and Operation Gama Aiki with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

 

“It’s (leadership change) not anything to us and we will continue to reduce them to nothing.”

 

Abubakar said the military has been capturing members of the terror sect on “a daily basis, so the change is not anything to us”. He said the military was certain that Boko Haram was “in disarray and collapsing”. “So they are trying to behave like a dying person who will hold on to any thing in his desperation to stay alive. People should not take them seriously, as they no longer pose a threat. We dismiss this change of leadership as child’s play,” he added.

 

Shekau was last seen in a Boko Haram propaganda video in March 2015, one of many footages released in his years of leading a brutal campaign against Nigeria. In one of the videos, Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS, which was originally based in Syria and Iraq. ISIS has several offshoots now in other countries, including Libya. Al-Barnawi, who has been named as Boko Haram’s new leader, is something of a mystery. When he appeared in a Boko Haram video in January 2015 as the group’s spokesman, he wore a turban and his face was blurred out and it was filmed as a sit-down studio interview.

 

Unlike former leader, Shekau, his delivery in the Hausa language was considered and softly spoken.
Shekau was often filmed in the open, surrounded by fighters, loudly proclaiming his threats, victories and giving rambling ideological lectures. However, al-Barnawi pulled no punches, warning that towns which resisted Boko Haram in its mission to create an Islamic state would be flattened.

 

He also spoke of being against democracy and foreign education. In his most recent magazine interview, he again objected to the name Boko Haram, by which local people call the group, as it means “Western education is forbidden” in Hausa. He maintained ISIS was still strong in the region and promised to continue fighting West African governments.

 

But as the identity of the head of Boko Haram was revealed, the Nigerian Army said yesterday that its troops with the assistance of civilian vigilantes, on routine checks, identified and arrested a high profile member of the sect. Army spokesman, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said in statement: “On Tuesday, 2nd August 2016, at about 8.30 a.m., troops of Operation Lafiya Dole with the assistance of vigilantes, on routine checks, identified and arrested a high profile suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Mohammed Mohammed Zauro, at Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State.

 

Preliminary investigation shows that the suspected terrorist kingpin was arrested as he was trying to flee to Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, from Sambisa forest. “The troops recovered a Gionee brand of mobile phone handset and a fake SAIE/JIBWIS identification card to perfect his escape and the sum of N7,900.” Usman said the troops also intercepted another suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Lawal Aboi, along Damboa-Bale Road.

 

“According to him, he was on his way to voluntarily surrender to the troops in Damboa because he was tired of fighting for no just cause. Both suspects are being further interrogated,” the army spokesman said.

Terrorists Now Disguise As Vigilantes And Hunters- DHQ

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ, has alerted members of the public that the Boko Haram terrorists in the North Eastern part of the country now disguise as vigilantes popularly known as the Civilian JTF and hunters to carry out their activities.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, stated on Monday that following the coordinated military offensive against the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest, the fleeing felons now disguise as vigilantes or hunters to evade easy detection.

Abubakar said that the terrorists, “after being smoked out of Sambisa forest, in their desperation to wreak havoc on innocent Nigerians and to remain relevant, devised a new tactics of dressing like vigilantes or hunters to deceive unsuspecting members of the public of their true identity”.

He noted the case of Kuda-Kaya village in Madagali community of Adamawa State where a group of Boko Haram terrorists, dressed like vigilantes, opened fire on elated people during a ceremony readily comes to mind.

In response to this, the Defence spokesman advised the general public to be wary of unsubscribed services or presence of vigilantes or hunters in their neighbourhood in order not to ignorantly harbour killer gang in their midst.

“Members of the public are also advised to be security conscious, at all times, and report promptly to security agencies of any suspicious persons or group of persons in their community or raise alarm, where necessary,” he said.

Credit: Thisday

DHQ Establishes Camp For Repentant Boko Haram Members

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday announced the establishment of a rehabilitation camp for repentant Boko Haram members under an exercise known as Operation Safe Corridor.
Defence spokesman, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, said in a statement yesterday that the camp’s establishment was in furtherance of government’s efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate surrendered and repentant Boko Haram members.

“The main focus of Operation Safe Corridor is geared towards rehabilitating and reintegrating the repentant and the surrendering Boko Haram members back into normal life in the society,” General Abubakar said.
He added: “The repentant terrorists in the camp will be taken through various vocational trainings so that they can be useful to themselves and be empowered to contribute meaningfully to the economic growth of their fatherland.”
Abubakar said the Defence Headquarters appealed to militants who are still carrying arms against their fellow citizens to repent and benefit from the numerous opportunities offered by the camp.
He added that the military’s final onslaught against the remnants of the Boko Haram group would continue unabated until they are completely neutralized.
“The reluctant Boko Haram members should therefore see wisdom in surrendering now, thereby saving themselves from the imminent calamity that is about to fall on them in the event of the military mop-up if they continue in their unwholesome acts,” he said

Credit: DailyTrust

DHQ Warns Against Circulation Of Fake National ID Cards

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The Nigerian military authorities have issued a red alert against the prevailing incidences of unauthorised reproduction of the national identity cards by some unscrupulous elements in society.

A statement signed by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar said, “In view of the prevailing racketeering, the Defence Headquarters hereby warns members of the public to be mindful of getting their national identification from sources other than the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).”

It expressed concern “that such acts of illegal reproduction of the national ID cards could engender a serious security breach in the ongoing counter-insurgency operation in the northeast.

“The public is also warned that the approved national ID card, which is a chip-based card, has over eighteen security features some of which are not visible to the naked eyes distinguishing it from any of its kind and can only be issued by the NIMC.

Read More: dailytimes

DHQ Queries Boko Haram Shooting, Drowning Of 150 In Yobe

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The Nigerian army has dismissed a report of a Boko Haram attack in which about 150 people were said to have been shot and drowned in Yobe.

“The stories going round the media of the alleged massacre and drowning of over a hundred civilians in Kukuwa-Gari cannot be substantiated,” the army said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses said those who died drowned while fleeing gunmen who attacked Kukuwa-Gari village in Yobe state.

The statement which was released yesterday in a twitter post via its handle @HQNigeriaArmy said, “Following reports and distressed calls about suspected movements and planned attacks by Boko Haram terrorists around Damasak.

” The Nigerian Air Force conducted air surveillance and armed reconnaissance, while the Nigerian army troops have been reinforced…”

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