Borno Govt. Pledges Support For Military High Command In Maiduguri

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Borno Government said it was willing to provide logistic support toward the relocation of the Military High Command to Maiduguri.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Mustapha Zannah, stated this while receiving members of the Borno Correspondents’ Chapel on a solidarity visit at his office in Maiduguri.

Mr. Zannah said the state government was also willing to provide accommodation for the senior military officers expected in Maiduguri.

He commended the gallant efforts of the military for dislodging the Boko Haram insurgents from their hideout in Sambisa forest.

“The state government is ready to provide logistics and other support to ensure smooth relocation of the Military High Command to Maiduguri.

“We are also willing to provide accommodation to the senior officers coming,” Mr. Zannah said.

He expressed optimism that the relocation of the High Command to Maiduguri would further boost the military campaign against insurgency.

“We are hoping that the movement will help crush the insurgents and bring back hope to our people who have suffered great damage due to the insurgency,” he said.

The deputy governor also expressed happiness over the outcome of the recent G7 meeting where world leaders pledged support for Nigeria’s anti-insurgency war.

He also announced that the state government had contacted some private commercial airline operators toward reviving commercial flights at the Maiduguri International Airport following approval by the military to reopen the airport that was shut down in December 2013.

“We have made contact with some airline operators toward reviving flight operations at the airport,” he said.

Credit: NAN

Boko Haram: African Military Chiefs Meet In Abuja

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Chief of Defence staff of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic as well as heads of Intelligence and Security Agencies of the African countries met in Abuja today to discuss the successful operation of the modified version of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the fight against Boko Haram in the region. More photos from the meeting below…

Military Moves Command, Control Centre To Maiduguri

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Following President Muhammad Buhari’s directives to military to move its command centre to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital fight Boko Haram sect, the authorities of the Nigerian Army has heeded to the order and concluded arrangement for all Service Chiefs to move in tomorrow (Tuesday).

The establishment of the Command centre for ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’ was contained in a press statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman and made available to our Correspondent in Maiduguri on Monday.

“In compliance with Presidential pronouncement and the Chief of army Staff’s directive, a reconnaissance and advance team for the establishment of Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) for Operation Zaman Lafiya for the fight against terrorism and insurgency has moved to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

“The team, which is led by a Two -Star General, has already commenced work in earnest and it is comprised of elements of the officer of the Chief of Army Staff, all the relevant Army Headquarters Departments and other combat support components. The centre will serve as a forward command base for the Chief of Army Staff and other service chiefs.

“The centre is essentially an elaboration of an already existing Army Headquarters Command and Control arrangement. From now on, the fight against terrorism and insurgency would be monitored, coordinated and controlled from this centre.

“I wish to inform you also that its establishment would not create another layer of Command structure but would add impetus and renewed vigour to Operation Zaman Lafiya, all aimed at bringing terrorism and insurgency to an end.

“However, an alternate command centre is also being established in Yola, the Adamawa state capital of the north east”. Colonel Usman stated.

Credit: vanguardngr

Police Has The Least Corrupt Officers Of All Institutions In Nigeria – IG Of Police

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase has declared that the Nigerian Police, has the least corrupt officers of all the institutions in the country, even as the Police is determined to follow up any corrupt cases before it in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Speaking at the annual symposium during a Feast of Barracuda organised by the National Association of Seadogs, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase noted that the Police had made frantic efforts in tackling corruption even among the officers and had set in motion machinery to fish out corrupt officers in the force.

He said: “The IG said he is allergic to corruption and since then he has taken practical steps to deal with the issue of corruption, both the history of corruption and perception of corruption of the Nigeria Police Force.The IGP, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu said that the practical step to deal with corruption was to dismantle road blocks by Police and the establishment of Monitoring Teams to ensure compliance across the country.

“One of the first things he did was to set up the IGP’s Monitoring Teams. First of all the decision by the Police Management Team was to take out roadblocks across all our highways. It was not just to dismantle it, he set up the IGP Monitoring Team to ensure that these directives are enforced.”

“If you go across most of our highways now roadblocks have been reduced to the barest minimum, and anybody mounting roadblocks, does that at his risk.

“Presentations are also made where Commissioners of Police are invited to look at the situations across the country right from the condition of suspects in Police cells and they have a technical platform that enable them to monitor the behaviour and conduct of police officers on the road as they handle suspects.

On the issue of welfare of police and accommodation the IG met with the OC Works across the country and they concluded to have 6,000 affordable houses for officers across the country.

“The IG said bail is free! Help lines have been provided where you can supply information. You can call to inform that you went to this station and paid this amount and I can assure you, action will be taken. Bail is free, the monitoring teams are going round to practically deal with those avenues that can lead to corruption.

“The Nigeria Police has the capacity to investigate any corrupt case under the laws, either the Crminal Code law or the Penal Code law. The Police has the competence and the capacity to investigate corrupt cases.

“The Police management under Solomon Arase is doing everything possible to eliminate corruption and has taken practical steps leading to that.

“Once corruption cases are given to the police, the cases must be investigated. The Police is the least corrupt officers in every organisation because it has an in house way of dealing with the issue of organisation, trying officers, arresting officers who engage in corrupt practices.

“I think you can hardly find institutions that is like Police taking practical steps to deal with corruption, all I want to say by way of challenge is have confidence in the Police.”

In his own address, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. Paul Erokoro said that the fight against corruption in the country will not produce any good results with corrupt leaders on the saddle.

Erokoro declared that it should be made compulsory for every public officer in the country to declare his or her assets publicly as a way tackle corruption

Delivering a paper on ‘ A New Dawn in Nigeria: Practical steps to eliminate corruption’, Mr. Erokoro noted that everybody in the country had been part of of the corruption problem in the past and had remained part of the problem at the present time, stressing that hardly any public officer live with his salary.

He said that corruption in the country is pervasive and that a practical step to show that the country is serious to fight corruption is by the President to declare his assets publicly, then ensures that his Ministers follow suite as well as all public officers.

“We should lead by example and it involves people insisting that the President should declare his assets in public

He said that all high level officials ranging from, President, Ministers, Legislators, CBN Governors, Police and Customs Officers, Military Officers should declare their assets publicly and should also sign a statement granting permission to banks,moth local and foreign, real estate and investment houses to disclose any personal assets they hold.

He further suggested that there should be scrutiny of people’s income and withholding of aid by international donors if the country really is interested in fighting corruption.

He said that many attempts made to eliminate corruption in the country had been symbolic and half hazard as those in charge of waging corruption war were not committed.

He maintained that if the head of any organisation is clean, it will be difficult for those under him to be dirty and that the President should insist that every minister declares his assets publicly as well as outlaw opening of foreign accounts.

Four Soldiers Killed In Blast In Maiduguri

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Staff Reporter

At least four soldiers were killed in a blast that occurred at a checkpoint in Maiduguri, Borno state today June 4th. Eyewitnesses say a truck carrying firewood exploded near the gates of the Maimalari Barracks, killing the soldiers and injuring many others.

“At least four soldiers were killed and several injured,” one resident told AFP

Buhari Reacts To The Amnesty International Released Report On War Crimes

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President Buhari has reacted to the Amnesty International report released today which indicted Senior Top officers of committing war crimes. More tweets below…

Boko Haram: Buhari To Relocate To Maiduguri To “Lead The Fight”

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Staff Reporter

This was part of the decision the president reached with the the service chiefs during their meeting yesterday at the defence house in Abuja.

Buhari had in his inaugural speech directed that the command centre of the military’s fight against Boko Haram be relocated to Maiduguri, the hotbed of the insurgents, but sources who was privy to the meeting said Buhari’s decision to relocate the command centre was because he has made up his mind to also relocate to the terrorist ravaged city.

The Complex recalls that during his campaign, President Buhari at the Chatham House in London had vowed to “lead from the front” in the fight against Boko Haram if elected in the country’s forthcoming election.

According to our source, Buhari told the military chiefs that he will be in Maiduguri for six months if necessary, to coordinate the fight against the insurgents, but the service chiefs plead with him that six months is too long for the president and the command centre to be in Maiduguri.

The service chiefs tried to pressure the president into abandoning the idea, but he insisted on keeping to his campaign promise of leading the fight from the front, the source said.

After much pressure from the service chiefs, Buhari then agreed to reduce the period he will stay upon his relocation to Maiduguri, but insisted that he must move to Maiduguri at least for a few month.

Our source said the relocation may happen as soon as the president return from Germany where he is expected to attend the it this weekend.

Senior Members Of Military Must Be Investigated For War Crimes – Amnesty International

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Staff Reporter

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Press Release 3 June 2015

· horrific war crimes committed by Nigeria’s military including 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated, and tortured to death;
· senior military commanders, named by Amnesty International, must be investigated in relation to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity;
· new government needs to ensure the protection of civilians and bring to an end the culture of impunity within the Nigerian armed forces.

The Nigerian military, including senior military commanders, must be investigated for participating in, sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths of more than 8,000 people murdered, starved, suffocated, and tortured to death, according to a comprehensive report by Amnesty International.

Based on years of research and analysis of evidence – including leaked military reports and correspondence, as well as interviews with more than 400 victims, eyewitnesses and senior members of the Nigerian security forces – the organization outlines a range of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military in the course of the fight against Boko Haram in the north-east of the country.

The report, Stars on their shoulders. Blood on their hands: War crimes committed by the Nigerian military, reveals that, since March 2011, more than 7,000 young men and boys died in military detention and more than 1,200 people were unlawfully killed since February 2012.

Amnesty International provides compelling evidence of the need for an investigation into the individual and command responsibilities of soldiers, and mid-level and senior-level military commanders. The report outlines the roles and possible criminal responsibilities of those along the chain of command – up to the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff – and names nine senior Nigerian military figures who should be investigated for command and individual responsibility for the crimes committed.

“This sickening evidence exposes how thousands of young men and boys have been arbitrarily arrested and deliberately killed or left to die in detention in the most horrific conditions. It provides strong grounds for investigations into the possible criminal responsibility of members of the military, including those at the highest levels,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Whilst an urgent and impartial investigation of these war crimes is vital, this report is not just about the criminal responsibility of individuals. It is also about the responsibility of Nigeria’s leadership to act decisively to end the pervasive culture of impunity within the armed forces.”

Amnesty International is calling for Nigeria to ensure prompt, independent and effective investigations of the following military officers for potential individual or command responsibility for the war crimes of murder, torture and enforced disappearance detailed in this report:

* Major General John A.H. Ewansiha
* Major General Obida T Ethnan
* Major General Ahmadu Mohammed
* Brigadier General Austin O. Edokpayi
* Brigadier General Rufus O. Bamigboye

Amnesty International is further calling for Nigeria to ensure prompt, independent and effective investigations of the following high-level military commanders for their potential command responsibility for crimes committed by their subordinates. They would be responsible if they knew or if they should have known about the commission of the war crimes and failed to take adequate action to prevent them or to ensure the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice:

* General Azubuike Ihejirika - Chief of Army Staff, Sept 2010 – Jan 2014).
* Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim - Chief of Defence Staff, Oct 2012 – Jan 2014).
* Air Chief Marshal Badeh - Chief of Defence Staff, Jan 2014 – time of writing
* General Ken Minimah - Chief of Army Staff, Jan 2014 – time of writing

Mass deaths in custody

In their response to Boko Haram’s attacks in the north-east, the Nigerian military have arrested at least 20,000 young men and boys since 2009, some as young as nine years old. In most cases they were arbitrarily arrested, often based solely on the word of a single unidentified secret informant. Most were arrested in mass “screening” operations or “cordon-and-search” raids where security forces round up hundreds of men. Almost none of those detained have been brought to court and all have been held without the necessary safeguards against murder, torture and ill-treatment.

Detainees are held incommunicado in extremely overcrowded, unventilated cells without sanitary facilities and with little food or water. Many are subjected to torture and thousands have died from ill-treatment and as a result of dire detention conditions. One former detainee told Amnesty International: “All I know was that once you get detained by the soldiers and taken to Giwa [military barracks], your life is finished.”

A high-ranking military officer gave Amnesty International a list of 683 detainees who died in custody between October 2012 and February 2013. The organization also obtained evidence that in 2013, more than 4,700 bodies were brought to a mortuary from a detention facility in Giwa barracks. In June 2013 alone, more than 1,400 corpses were delivered to the mortuary from this facility.

A former detainee who spent four months in detention described how on arrival “The soldiers said: “Welcome to your die house. Welcome to your place of death”. Only 11 of the 122 men he was arrested with survived.

Starvation, dehydration and disease

Amnesty International researchers witnessed emaciated corpses in mortuaries, and one former Giwa detainee told the organization that around 300 people in his cell died after being denied water for two days. “Sometimes we drank people’s urine, but even the urine you at times could not get.”

The evidence gathered from former detainees and eyewitnesses is also corroborated by senior military sources. One senior military officer told Amnesty International that detention centres are not given sufficient money for food and that detainees in Giwa barracks were “deliberately starved.”

Disease – including possible outbreaks of cholera – was rife. A police officer posted at a detention facility known as the “Rest House” in Potiskum told Amnesty International how more than 500 corpses were buried in and around the camp. “They don’t take them to the hospital if they are sick or to the mortuary if they die,” he said.

Overcrowding and suffocation

Conditions of detention in Giwa barracks and detention centres in Damaturu were so overcrowded that hundreds of detainees were packed into small cells where they had to take turns sleeping or even sitting on the floor. At its peak, Giwa barracks – which was not built as a detention facility – was accommodating more than 2,000 detainees at one time.

“Hundreds have been killed in detention either (by soldiers) shooting them or by suffocation,” a military officer told Amnesty International, describing the situation in Sector Alpha detention centre (known as ‘Guantanamo’). Amnesty International has confirmed that on a single day, 19 June 2013, 47 detainees died there as a result of suffocation.

Fumigation

In order to combat the spread of disease and stifle the stench, cells were regularly fumigated with chemicals. Fumigation may have led to the deaths of many detainees in their poorly ventilated cells. One military official based at Giwa barracks told Amnesty International: “Many Boko Haram suspects died as a result of fumigation. They fumigated with the chemicals you use for killing mosquitoes. It is something very powerful. It is very dangerous.”

Torture

Amnesty International has received consistent reports as well as video evidence of torture by the military during and after arrest. Former detainees and senior military sources described how detainees were regularly tortured to death, hung on poles over fires, tossed into deep pits or interrogated using electric batons. These findings are consistent with widespread patterns of torture and ill-treatment documented by Amnesty International over a number of years, most recently in the 2014 report, ‘Welcome to hell fire’: Torture in Nigeria.

Extrajudicial executions

More than 1,200 people have been unlawfully killed by the military and associated militias in north-east Nigeria. The worst case documented by Amnesty International took place on 14 March 2014 when the military killed more than 640 detainees who had fled Giwa barracks after Boko Haram attacked.

Many of these killings appear to be reprisals following attacks by Boko Haram. A senior military official told Amnesty International that such killings were common. Soldiers “go to the nearest place and kill all the youths… People killed may be innocent and not armed,” he said.

In a so-called “mop up” operation following a Boko Haram attack in Baga on 16 April 2013, a senior military official told Amnesty International how the military “transferred their aggression on the community”. At least 185 people were killed.

Detainees were also routinely killed. One military officer based in Giwa Barracks told Amnesty International that since the end of 2014, very few suspects were even taken into custody but were immediately killed instead. This was confirmed by several human rights defenders and witnesses.

High level military commanders knew of the crimes

The highest levels of Nigeria’s military command, including the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, were regularly informed of operations conducted in north-east Nigeria.

Evidence shows that senior military leaders knew, or should have known, about the nature and scale of the crimes being committed. Internal military documents show that they were updated on the high rates of deaths among detainees through daily field reports, letters and assessment reports sent by field commanders to Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and Army Headquarters.

Amnesty International has seen numerous requests and reminders sent from commanders in the field to DHQ warning of the rise in the number of deaths in custody, the dangers of fumigation and requesting a transfer of detainees. In addition, reports by teams sent by DHQ to assess military facilities and “authenticate data”, highlight death rates and warn that overcrowding was causing serious health problems and could lead to “an epidemic”.

Amnesty International has verified this knowledge and failure to act from a number of sources, including interviews with senior military officers. One military source told Amnesty International: “People at the top saw it but refused to do anything about it.”

Need for action

“Despite being informed of the death rates and conditions of detention, Nigerian military officials consistently failed to take meaningful action. Those in charge of detention facilities, as well as their commanders at army and defence headquarters, must be investigated,” said Salil Shetty.

“For years the Nigerian authorities have downplayed accusations of human rights abuses by the military. But they cannot dismiss their own internal military documents. They cannot ignore testimonies from witnesses and high-ranking military whistle blowers. And they cannot deny the existence of emaciated and mutilated bodies piled on mortuary slabs and dumped in mass graves.”

“We call on newly-elected President Buhari to end the culture of impunity that has blighted Nigeria and for the African Union and international community to encourage and support these efforts. As a matter of urgency, the President must launch an immediate and impartial investigation into the crimes detailed in Amnesty International’s report and hold all those responsible to account, no matter their rank or position. Only then can there be justice for the dead and their relatives.”

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

LONDON – stefan.simanowitz@amnesty.org
+ 44 (0) 20 7413 5729 or 07778 472126 press@amnesty.org

ABUJA – susanna.flood@amnesty.org
+ 234 (0) 7035801786 or + 44 (0) 7904398319

The report and media materials can be downloaded here: https://amnesty.box.com/s/qun9fvq425qw9szmcjal7oysxdo62g8i

AV materials (11 and 5 minute video, B-roll, and images) can be downloaded here:
https://adam.amnesty.org/assetbank/action/search?attribute_603=report+on+military+abuses

Background

Between 2013 and 2015, Amnesty International delegates conducted six field investigations in north-east Nigeria and one in northern Cameroon.

This report is based on 412 interviews with victims, their relatives, eyewitnesses, human rights activists, doctors, journalists, lawyers and military sources. Amnesty International also analysed more than 90 videos and numerous photographs.

Amnesty International repeatedly shared findings with the Nigerian authorities. The organization has held dozens of meetings with government authorities and has written 57 letters to the federal and state authorities, sharing research findings, raising concerns about ongoing violations and requesting information and specific action, such as investigations.

Government responses are reflected in relevant sections of this report.

Amnesty International has also shared the findings of this research and relevant evidence, with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The organization has also submitted to the ICC a list of names of military officers who should be investigated for their possible role in the crimes under international law and serious human rights violations documented in this report.

This report follows on from other Amnesty International reports published about human rights violations committed in the context of the conflict in north-east Nigeria. The most recent of these, published on 14 April, ‘Our job is to shoot, slaughter and kill’: Boko Haram’s reign of terror in north east Nigeria”
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr44/1360/2015/en/

Buhari’s First Speech As Military Head Of State In 1983

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In pursuance of the primary objective of saving our great nation from total collapse, I, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the Nigerian army have, after due consultation amongst the services of the armed forces, been formally invested with the authority of the Head of the Federal Military Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is with humility and a deep sense of responsibility that I accept this challenge and call to national duty.

As you must have heard in the previous announcement, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979) has been suspended, except those sections of it which are exempted in the constitution. The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and the crisis of confidence now afflicting our nation.

Consequently, the Nigerian armed forces have constituted themselves into a Federal Military Government comprising of a Supreme Military Council, a National Council of States, a Federal Executive Council at the centre and State Executive Councils to be presided over by military governors in each of the states of the federation. Members of these councils will be announced soon.

The last Federal Military Government drew up a programme with the aim of handing over political power to the civilians in 1979. This programme as you all know, was implemented to the letter. The 1979 constitution was promulgated.

However, little did the military realise that the political leadership of the second republic will circumvent most of the checks and balances in the constitution and bring the present state of general insecurity. The premium on political power became so exceedingly high that political contestants regarded victory at elections as a matter of life and death struggle and were determined to capture or retain power by all means. It is true that there is a worldwide economic recession.

However, in the case of Nigeria, its impact was aggravated by mismanagement. We believe the appropriate government agencies have good advice but the leadership disregarded their advice. The situation could have been avoided if the legislators were alive to their constitutional responsibilities. Instead, the legislators were preoccupied with determining their salary scales, fringe benefit and unnecessary foreign travels, et al, which took no account of the state of the economy and the welfare of the people they represented.

As a result of our inability to cultivate financial discipline and prudent management of the economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects with attendant domestic pressure and soaring external debts, thus aggravating the propensity of the outgoing civilian administration to mismanage our financial resources. Nigeria was already condemned perpetually with the twin problem of heavy budget deficits and weak balance of payments position, with the prospect of building a virile and viable economy.

The last general election was anything but free and fair. The only political parties that could complain of election rigging are those parties that lacked the resources to rig. There is ample evidence that rigging and thuggery were relative to the resources available to the parties. This conclusively proved to us that the parties have not developed confidence in the presidential system of government on which the nation invested so much material and human resources. While corruption and indiscipline have been associated with our state of under-development, these two evils in our body politics have attained unprecedented height in the past few years. The corrupt, inept and insensitive leadership in the last four years has been the source of immorality and impropriety in our society.

Since what happens in any society is largely a reflection of the leadership of that society, we deplore corruption in all its facets. This government will not tolerate kick-backs, inflation of contracts and over-invoicing of imports etc. Nor will it condone forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling. Arson has been used to cover up fraudulent acts in public institutions. I am referring to the fire incidents that gutted the P&T buildings in Lagos, the Anambra State Broadcasting Corporation, the Republic Building at Marina, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Capital Development Authority Accounts at Abuja and the NET Building. Most of these fire incidents occurred at a time when Nigerians were being apprehensive of the frequency of fraud scandals and the government incapacity to deal with them. Corruption has become so pervasive and intractable that a whole ministry has been created to stem it.

Fellow Nigerians, this indeed is the moment of truth. My colleagues and I – the Supreme Military Council, must be frank enough to acknowledge the fact that at the moment, an accurate picture of the financial position is yet to be determined. We have no doubt that the situation is bad enough. In spite of all this, every effort will be made to ensure that the difficult and degrading conditions under which we are living are eliminated.

Let no one however be deceived that workers who have not received their salaries in the past eight or so months will receive such salaries within today or tomorrow or that hospitals which have been without drugs for months will be provided with enough immediately. We are determined that with the help of God we shall do our best to settle genuine payments to which government is committed, including backlog of workers’ salaries after scrutiny.

We are confident and we assure you that even in the face of the global recession, and the seemingly gloomy financial future, given prudent management of Nigeria’s existing financial resources and our determination to substantially reduce and eventually nail down rises in budgetary deficits and weak balance of payments position. The Federal Military Government will reappraise policies with a view to paying greater attention to the following areas: The economy will be given a new impetus and better sense of direction. Corrupt officials and their agents will be brought to book.

In view of the drought that affected most parts of the country, the federal government will, with the available resources, import food stuffs to supplement the shortfalls suffered in the last harvest.

Our foreign policy will both be dynamic and realistic. Africa will of course continue to be the centre piece of our foreign policy. The morale and combat readiness of the armed forces will be given high priority. Officers and men with high personal and professional integrity will have nothing to fear.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other holders of judiciary appointments within the federation can continue in their appointments and the judiciary shall continue to function under existing laws subject to such exceptions as may be decreed from time to time by the Federal Military Government. All holders of appointments in the civil service, the police and the National Security Organisation shall continue to exercise their functions in the normal way subject to changes that may be introduced by the Federal Military Government.

All those chairmen and members of statutory corporations, parastatals and other executive departments are hereby relieved of their appointments with immediate effect.

The Federal Military Government will maintain and strengthen existing diplomatic relations with other states and with international organisations and institutions such as the Organisation of African Unity, the United Nations and its organs, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, ECOWAS and the Commonwealth etc. The Federal Military Government will honour and respect all treaties and obligations entered into by the previous government and we hope that such nations and bodies will reciprocate this gesture by respecting our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Fellow Nigerians, finally, we have dutifully intervened to save this nation from imminent collapse. We therefore expect all Nigerians, including those who participated directly or indirectly in bringing the nation to this present predicament, to cooperate with us. This generation of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together. May God bless us all. Good morning.

Credit: premiumtimesng

Nigerian Army, Britain Map Out 20-Year Development Plan

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the British Army, is working on a 20-year development plan with a view to improving its service.

This was disclosed yesterday at a two-day seminar in Abuja by the director of Military Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Letam Wiwa, who is the chairman of the committee handling the development strategy.

According to Wiwa, the seminar was the offshoot of the series of meetings held by the committee over the development plan for the Nigerian Army, especially considering the current security challenges facing the country.

“ The aim, among other things, is to enhance the state of combat readiness and general national development in line with the development agenda of the federal government,” he said.

Jonathan Inaugurates Defence Radio 107.7FM

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday inaugurated the Armed Forces Radio, known as “Defence Radio 107.7 FM’’, with a call on Nigerians to appreciate the commitment and sacrifices of the armed forces.

The president said that the society had not shown much support to security personnel, adding that the trend should stop.

According to him, the radio station will help to enhance the operations of the military.

“Other nations even bring foreign media to cover some of their operations and things are exaggerated as if they even work harder than we do.

“So, today that we are launching your radio station will be a turning point, where some of our operations will be properly covered and Nigerians will know.

“If Nigerians know what you are doing and what you are passing through, Nigerians will remain grateful.

“And I use this opportunity to call on all Nigerians, both our senior citizens and ordinary citizens to appreciate the commitment and the sacrifices of our armed forces.

“We wouldn’t have been sleeping if these people are not working.

“I always feel a bit worried and sometimes angry when I read in the papers negative comments about our armed forces and the police.

“Ours is a society that sometimes doesn’t appreciate the commitment of individuals, the suffering of individuals.

“These people fight and some of them pay the supreme price, leaving widows and young children as orphans.’’

Jonathan said that instead of commending and encouraging members of the Armed Forces, Nigerians criticise them.

According to him, it is normal for the society to criticise, but it should show some level of respect for members of their security team.

Jonathan urged Nigerians to encourage the armed forces to do better.

He expressed gratitude to the military for establishing the radio station, saying it would enhance professionalism of officers and men.

“So today I am quite pleased that we are commissioning the radio station.

“I believe very sincerely, that with this radio station, ?especially when all the infrastructure is put in place, that the whole country will be covered.

“To help enhance the operations of the armed forces, to help to inform Nigerians about the activities of the armed forces and to make many more Nigerians to appreciate the activities of the armed forces.’’

Jonathan said that the neglect of the military in terms of hardware acquisition and relevant training in the past had compounded the security infrastructure.

This, he said, also affected the precision of military response to challenges.

The president, however, said that recent purchases of military hardware and support to the armed forces had reasonably changed the tide.

“These have indeed reversed the trend allowing for effective governance, peace and security in areas hitherto held by terrorists and other misguided elements.’’

Earler, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, said that the station was created to create a balance in the reportage of military activities in the country.

“The motivation for the establishment of the armed forces radio station was borne out of the increasing importance of the role of the media in military operations as well as recent experiences of the Nigerian Military in the war against terrorists in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.

“The media as the watchdog of the society plays a very important role in shaping public opinion for or against any activity of government and its agencies, including the conduct of military operations.

“When employed positively, the media acts as a force multiplier for ongoing military operations.

“Objective media coverage of military operations not only encourages public awareness and support for the military during operations, it has the added benefit of keeping the families and friends of service men abreast of activities of troops no matter where they are deployed.

“This is invaluable in maintaining the morale of troops.’’

Badeh described as unfair and irresponsible some reportage of events in the North East.

According to him, terrorist acts are celebrated more than anything else which undermines the cohesiveness of the military.

He said that at a point, morale was so low that most troops lost the will to fight.

“Acts of cowardice by troops who fled from battle based on fabricated reasons were celebrated as virtue by certain media organisations.

“It got so bad that troops began to question why they would lay down their lives for a country and citizens that don’t appreciate their sacrifices.’’

The CDS solicited for more support from members of the public and thanked those who assisted in the establishment of the radio station.

Badeh assured that their efforts would not be in vain. (NAN)

Nigerian Army Retires 34 Generals

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A total of 34 infantry generals were pulled out of service on Friday at the Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State.

NAN reports that the officers comprised 20 Majors-General and 14 Brigadiers-General, who retired between 2005 and 2015.

In a valedictory speech, retired Major General Joseph Shoboiki, former Director, Training, Nigerian Army, expressed appreciation for the gesture and pledged that the retired officers would remain committed to the service of Nigeria.

Shoboiki admonished the serving military personnel to remain focused and resolute, and exhibit total loyalty to the constituted authorities.

“Your loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria can best be given through vigilance and security consciousness.

“You must continue to demonstrate total commitment to your duty of defending our dear country.

“These values are essential if you must continue to uphold and discharge assigned constitutional responsibilities and sustain our nascent democracy,” he said.

He expressed conviction that the Nigerian military would overcome the current security challenges in the country.

NAN reports that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General, Kenneth Minima was represented at the event by the General Officer Commanding(GOC), 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Osuji.

He urged the retired generals to continue to support the military, saying that their departure would not create any vacuum as they were not retired on the same date.

Oby Ezekwesili, BBOG Replies Gen Olukolade, Debunks Claim Of Engaging In Hate Campaign Against Military

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili and other key members of the Bring Back Our Girls Group have responded to the letter by Defence Spokesperson, Gen Chris Olukolade in which he accused them of engaging in hate campaign against him and the military.

In its response dated May 19th, the group stressed that it was only demanding the military to find the missing Chibok girls and is in no way engaging in any hate campaign against them. The group stated that no single individual determines the direction of the group as their decisions is based on a collective ideology. The letter reads in part…see it after below…

“We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 14 May 2015 and noted your concerns about our advocacy movement #BringBackOurGirls which has since April 30, 2014 been advocating for rescue of the 219 #ChibokGirls abducted 400 days ago at their school on April 14, 2014. We especially noted the following four key messages in your letter to our Movement. We wish to respond to the four key issues raised in your letter as follows: Our #BringBackOurGirls movement is a Citizens- led movement with open membership of all citizens who choose to identify with the cause of our 219 #ChibokGirls. No one individual or group of persons within the Movement can determine the direction or position of our Movement on the issues we advocate.

This is because, the basis of all our decisions is Collectivism. Moreover, both our Movement and our members are guided by a set of Core Values of Hope, Unity, Motivation, Affability, Nationalism, Integrity, Transparency, Empathy, Equity, Discipline and Sacrifice (HUMANITEEDS) in our advocacy. In our public and private communication, we are also guided by our rule of highest respect for adherence to the sanctity of facts or empirical evidence rather than anecdotes. Our communications- statements, briefs, member representations – all pass through one of the strongest internal quality control process to ensure accuracy in our messages.

Therefore, we wish to strongly assure you that #BringBackOurGirls has never and will never be susceptible to the kind of influence of any one or group of individual(s) engaging in a “hate campaign against you or our military”. Such act would contradict our Core Values and our strictly empirical advocacy for the Government and military to deliver on their duty. Thus, our singularity of purpose remains the rescue of our #ChibokGirls and all other abducted victims of the North East terrorist scourge. We shall continue to be civil and professional in our advocacy as we have widely been acclaimed to be since it commenced more than a year ago.

As a Citizens’ movement, #BringBackOurGirls is a demand for accountability from especially our Federal Government which has the constitutional duty for security of all citizens. In shaping our demand, we rely on publicly available news from your Directorate as well as all known credible media platforms. In furtherance of our civic duty to be eternally vigilant we launched our Accountability Tools for rigorously monitoring, organizing and analyzing all news reports on the counter insurgency war in order to draw out key issues on which we could engage as citizens with our Government to help improve the prospects of success of the military efforts.

As earlier stated be reassured that all our statements and posts on social media conveying the results of our Monitoring/Accountability Initiatives have to undergo stringent quality control processes. It is after these that they are released with utmost sense of responsibility and a readiness to defend our position with evidence. We therefore stand by all our analyses and assessments as conveyed in our statements. This explains why, so far, we have never had to recant, deny, or apologize for any statements we have made in the more than one year of our advocacy. Nevertheless, we are open to receiving any specific instances or episodes of factual inaccuracy resulting from our monitoring, analysis, assessment, questions, scrutiny and statements.

We also recall our meeting of the 6th May 2014 with you and the Chief of Defense Staff team at the Defense Head Quarters. We had at that meeting agreed that the military will act in ways consistent with civil-military relations and democratic accountability by hosting us to a regular meetings to discuss the progress of your rescue mission for our girls and more broadly, the prosecution of the counter-insurgency war. It is regrettable that subsequently following that agreement, none of such meetings ever happened again and that instead, our attempt to participate in your National Information Center briefings was frustrated and then prohibited.”the letter read.

PHOTOS: Nigerian Soldiers Undergo Special Training In Russia

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Some Nigerian soldiers are currently in Russia to receive special training in the fight against Boko Haram. Meanwhile check out some of the power machinery our military is using to tackle Boko Haram members. More photos below…

Photo Credit: Beegeaglesblog

579 Soldiers Court Martialed In Lagos, Abuja

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The acting director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman today revealed to journalists in Abuja that 579 soldiers have been court-martialed in special military courts in Lagos and Abuja for offences ranging from insubordination, disobedience, acts of cowardice, refusal to carry out military duties, and indiscipline, amongst others.

According to Sani, the essence of the court martial is to emphasize discipline within the military.

“There are currently two separate court-martials going on at the army headquarters garrison and 81 division, Nigerian army with a view to ensuring quick dispensation of justice, discipline and professionalism. The essence of this trial is to emphasise on discipline, professionalism and order. Anybody who runs foul of the law and the authorities determine that the gravity of the offence cannot be tried summarily will go for the court martial.” The soldiers are facing trial for alleged offences ranging from insubordination to disobedience to lawful orders, acts of cowardice, refusal to carry out military duties, and indiscipline, among others”he said.

Photos: Fake Soldier & Suspected Boko Haram Member Arrested In Bauchi

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian Army have arrested a fake soldier and a suspected member of Boko Haram sect, identified as Aliyu Hussaini (pictured above). According to the Army, Aliyu is an Impostor who has been parading himself as a Brigadier General in the Nigerian Army and was fraudulently collecting money from people.

A statement by the Nigerian Army says Aliyu Hussaini is a sponsor and also a member of the Boko Haram Terrorist organisation. He was arrested alongside an accomplice, one Ibrahim Mohammed who is also known as Yuram. See his pictured below…

The two suspects were arrested at New GRA behind the Deputy Governor’s House in Bauchi Metropolis, and the following items were recovered from them: two Nokia, a Samsung hand set and a Techno handset, one MTN sim card and a Peugeot 406 vehicle with registration number AU 222 BWR (Abuja).

Soldiers Catch Boko Haram Commander Dressed Like A Woman

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A military patrol in Yola arrested this Boko Haram kingpin disguised as a woman. He is reported to have confessed during interrogation that about 30 members of his cell are already in Yola and he was on the way to reunite with them so they could start their operation. When will this nonsense stop?

Breaking: Suicide Bomber Attacks Garkida Killing 9, Several Others Injured

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A suicide bomber attacked a rural market in northeast Nigeria on Tuesday, killing eight people and wounding at least 14, witnesses said. They blamed Boko Haram extremists.

“Most of the bodies are mutilated, heads and other parts removed,” said vendor Lami Aboki. State legislator Jerry Kundisi said the blast killed nine people, including the bomber, and injured 14.

Cattle trader Abubakar Musa said the explosion happened near the sheep market. He told The Associated Press that he counted nine bodies at the scene.

But some including merchant Abubakar Garba said the bomb appeared to have been planted on the dirt road between the sheep market and vegetable stalls. The attack in Garkida, a rural town 165 kilometers (100 miles) north of the Adamawa state capital, Yola, was among a slew of attacks that have occurred since multinational forces broke up Boko Haram’s so-called Islamic caliphate by driving the insurgents out of all northeastern towns.

How Boko Haram Prepares Girls For Suicide Mission

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A 36 year old Meriam, rescued from the horrors of Sambisa forest has narrated her ordeals of how Boko Haram members prepared little girls for suicidal missions. In an interview with New York Times, Meriam said while she was being held hostage by the sect members, she saw how little girls were brainwashed into thinking that they will be forgiven after they carry out the bomb attacks.

“The Boko Haram would recite the prayer for the dead. Then they would put on the hijab, covering the suicide belt. After they had prepared, “They said, ‘God will forgive us. Then, they would enter the vehicles, and they would send the women away.”she said. She also said during the interview that she had seen some of the Chibok girls captured in April last year at a hospital in Gwoza.

Many of the women who were rescued and interviewed recalled how they got pregnant by the sect members who turned them into sex slaves. Some of them had contracted the deadly HIV/AIDS virus from the sect members.

“They married me,” said another rescued woman, 25 year old Hamsatu who is pregnant for one of the sect members. She said she was four months pregnant, that the father was a Boko Haram member and that she had been forced to have sex with other militants who took control of her town.

“They chose the ones they wanted to marry,” added Hamsatu, whose full name was not used to protect her identity. “If anybody shouts, they said they would shoot them.”

“When they came, they would select the one they wanted to sleep with,” she said. “They said, ‘If you do not marry us, we will slaughter you.’.

Yana, one of the women who was interviewed said the sect members had “parked” her – a word many women have used to describe their imprisonment – with about 50 other women in a house in Bama, Borno State’s second city, with a population of several hundred thousand. Bama was occupied by Boko Haram last September.

Inside the house, “If they want to have an affair with a woman, they will just take her to a private place, so that the others won’t see,” said Yana in a singsong voice. She could not recall her age; a relief worker at the camp here said she had been raped so often by Boko Haram that she was “psychologically affected.”

Fanna, a delicate 12-year-old who had arrived at the camp here three days before, crouched on the floor, clasping her knees, and insisted in her thin child’s voice that Boko Haram had not touched her.

“The sect leaders make a very conscious effort to impregnate the women,” said the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima. “Some of them, I was told, even pray before mating, offering supplications for God to make the products of what they are doing become children that will inherit their ideology.”

“It’s like they wanted to have their own siblings, to take over from them,” added Abba Mohammed Bashir Shuwa, a senior state official in Maiduguri.

A relief official at the camp who is working closely with the abused women echoed that thought. “We are going to have another set of Boko Haram,” said the official, Hadiza Waziri. “Most of these women now, they don’t want these pregnancies. You cannot love the child.”

Buhari Slams Military For Hiring Foreign Mercenaries To Fight Boko Haram

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

President-elect Buhari has berated the military for enlisting foreign mercenaries to fight Boko Haram.
According to Vanguard, he spoke in Kaduna while hosting the National Executive Council of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF.

The military has never been so incapacitated like now. It is a shame that the Military cannot secure 14 out of the 774 local governments in the country.
“What is more worrisome is the fact that Nigeria’s military has to rely on South African mercenaries before it could gain recent success in the war against Boko Haram. This situation is shameful and unacceptable.
“My administration will concentrate on three major areas on assumption of office, that is insecurity, the economy/unemployment and corruption. We will ensure we nip insecurity in the bud.”

US Forces Kill ISIS Commander And Capture Wife

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

US special forces have killed an Islamic State commander, Abu Sayyaf and taken his wife prisoner in a secretive operation in Syria ordered by President Barack Obama. The wife, Umm Sayyaf becomes the first US-held detainee in the war against ISIS.
US Defence Secretary, Ashton Carter confirmed on Saturday that Obama ordered the elite troops to raid at a location in eastern Syria and ‘capture’ an ISIS figure. Carter said Abu Sayyaf’s wife was also targeted.
A White House statement indicated that the Iraqi government contributed to the operation.
Bernadette Meehan, the National Security Council spokeswoman said Umm Sayyaf is in ‘a military detention in Iraq’
Meehan also in a separate statement said the operation freed a young Yadizi woman whom Abu Sayyaf and Umm Sayyaf kept as a slave.
The administration is portraying the overall operation as a success,
“The operation represents another significant blow to ISIS and its a reminder that the United States will never waver in denying safe haven to terrorists who threaten our citizens, and those of our friends and allies”, Carter said in a statement.
Meehan indicated that US was unsure of what to do with the captured detainee, Umm Sayyaf.
“We are working to determine an ultimate disposition for the detainee that best supports the national security of the United States and of our allies and partners, consistent with domestic and international law. We will follow our usual practice with respect to giving the ICRC notification and access to the detainee”, Meehan said referring to International

60 Killed As Troops Clash With Boko Haram Fighters In Borno

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Staff Reporter

At least 60 people were feared dead in a clash between troops of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army and the militant group Boko Haram around Kayamula village, few kilometres from 21 Armoured Brigade (Giwa Barracks) on Wednesday in Maiduguri. Most of those killed are suspected to be members of the terror group.

Kayamula village of Konduga local government area of the state is about 20km drive from Maiduguri which has suffered series of deadly attacks by terrorists in the past.

“35 members of the terrorists including women suicide bombers were killed by troops, while 27 residents near Kayamula and Alau Dam villages were slaughtered by insurgents after they were repelled and chased away by troops,” Vanguard quoted a reliable source to have said.

A mass burial was held for the slain residents. Mallam Abba Alau who participated in the mass burial said, “we were able to bury our 27 people who were slaughtered by terrorists while fleeing but ran into our community and wrecked havoc before heading towards Sambisa Forest on Wednesday night”.

Vanguard quoted another source to have said, “no fewer than three security operatives were killed, with others injured when some women suicide bombers who disguised as fleeing residents of Bale village near Kayamula detonated their explosives near troops during operation.

“Also, another dependable source told our Correspondent that the imposition of 24 hours curfew on Maiduguri and its environs by troops on Thursday morning was to allow security operatives trail and apprehend scores of suicide bombers, mostly women terrorists who sneaked into Maiduguri to cause havoc on residents.

“The curfew was declared because during the operation, many insurgents found at the scene of the attack had Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) tied to their bodies, and that security agencies suspected that some of them might have sneaked into Maiduguri city and nobody wants to take chances,” the source stated.

Youths, Mothers Protest The Alleged Killings In Plateau State By Military (SEE PHOTOS)

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Staff Reporter

United Plateau youth came out in their numbers to protest the alleged recent incessant killings in Plateau state by men of the Nigerian army. The youths and mothers sat and occupied the express road of old Air Port, causing heavy traffic jam for hours. See photos:

Shekau Reportedly Flees Nigeria…

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Staff Reporter

As the military deploys its special force units to track the fleeing leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, there are strong indications that the terror kingpin may have fled Nigeria through the help of Islamic State (ISIS) groups operating in East and North Africa.

Saturday Sun gathered that with the recent loss of his group’s caliphate headquarters, Gwoza to the Nigerian troops and the invasion of Sambisa forest by a detachment of the nation’s special force units deployed from their base in Makurdi, Benue State, the Boko Haram leader saw his capture as imminent.
According to dependable military intelligence sources, Shekau had to send emissaries to ISIS affiliates with strongholds in East and North Africa to pave the way for his escape to their region from where he intends to coordinate his group’s activities or ultimately relocate to ISIS headquarters in the Middle East.

One of the sources revealed that

“having discovered that he was being tracked through his Thuraya satellite phone, Shekau recently dropped the line and handset totally to evade capture. But the last satellite image of him and other intelligence pieced together by forces on the battle frontline show his desperation to escape from the country to parts of East Africa or North Africa where ISIS is having some footholds.”

The source, a red neck military chief further told Saturday Sun that

“as part of moves being made by Shekau, he now relocates with fewer guards and limited number of lieutenants knowing his movement schedule. This is to frustrate intelligence gathering efforts by security forces and avoid attracting the focus of satellite image capturing technology deployed by some foreign super powers and shared with the Nigerian security forces.”

It was gathered that as part of his bid to escape the heat of ongoing military operations in the Northeast Nigeria, Shekau has in the last few weeks changed his look and physical appearance dramatically.

“A recent intelligence from one of our foreign partners shows the Boko Haramleader clean shaven which totally alters his look. That heightens our curiosity about his motive, before we got other evidence that pointed to the fact that he was trying to cross the border”, the source added.

As earlier exclusively by Saturday Sun, Shekau had stayed in crisis-ridden Northern Mali to coordinate the training and operations of the militant group before they were flushed out of there by a joint French and African forces, including Nigerian troops. He thereafter crossed the porous borders to join his foot soldiers in Borno State.

“He may not find it easy to return to Mali this time round but we suspect he may be targeting East Africa or parts of North Africa such as Libya and Egypt where some islamist groups are causing instability now”, a senior military chief involved in the prosecution of the war against the militant group told Saturday Sun, adding that he cannot categorically say whether Shekau had indeed escaped or still in the country.

“On whether he has successfully escaped from Nigeria, I have no such information but at the same time I cannot rule that out because of his level of desperation to flee and his links with some other groups within the region and even beyond”, the source stressed, adding: “What we strongly believe at this moment is that he is still within our reach or that of our neighbours; especially Niger and Chad. He may find it difficult to move beyond these borders and may end up returning to one of our remote villages in the North-East to hide.”

The source also stated that Shekau had told some of his close lieutenants that he would rather die from gunshot from his guards than being killed by the Nigerian troops whom he regards as “infidels.”

“One of his captured commanders once disclosed that Shekau had given instructions to his personal guards to shoot him dead in the face of a confrontation with our troops who he calls infidels. He believes that makes him a martyr”, the source added.

When contacted on the information that Shekau had fled the country between the last week of March and the first two weeks of April, the acting Director of Public Relations, Nigeria Army, Colonel Sani Usman said,

“We have an ongoing war against terrorists in this country and we are determined by all means and what it takes to eliminate, capture all terrorists and destroy all their known camps.
“If in the process, any of their leaders is captured, so be it because the whole war is not about an individual. We are also determined to arrest all of them dead or alive.”

Seven More Terrorists’ Camps Destroyed In Sambisa – Maj.-Gen. Olukolade

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Defence Headquarters said seven additional terrorists’ camps had been destroyed on Tuesday as more insurgents died in the ongoing onslaught to flush them out of Sambisa forest.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade.

Olukolade also said that additional 25 women and children were rescued during the operations.

He said the troops captured the camps having scaled series of land mines in continuation of the assault on the forest bases of the terrorists.

He listed the camps to include the four notorious Alafa camps as well as those in Rogo Fulani, Laraga and others used as training camps in the forest.

”Various weapons including Rocket Propelled Grenades, Anti-Aircraft Guns and a number of vehicles were either captured or destroyed during the operation.

”Four soldiers were wounded and have been evacuated for treatment,” the defence spokesman said.

He added that the operations were continuing with troops demonstrating high morale and fighting spirit as they searched the forests for terrorists, arms and hostages.(NAN)

My Security Officials Must Obey Traffic Laws – Buhari

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has instructed police and military security personnel attached to him to respect traffic regulations during his movements.

In a statement released by his media team in Abuja, General Buhari said law abiding would be the guiding philosophy of his administration,.

“Without leadership by example, the ordinary citizens would become copycats of the lawlessness of their leaders.”

The President-elect explained that the “arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for the rights and convenience of fellow citizens would have no place in his government.”

According to him, for leaders to inspire respect, they must obey the laws of country, adding that when leaders treat the country’s laws with contempt, they might send the wrong message to the citizens.

General Buhari lamented a situation where fellow citizens are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the “arrogant lawlessness of the leaders.”

He said in a democracy, leaders should not inflict inconveniences and other unbearable ordeals on the citizens for their own comfort.

The President-elect advised his military and police security personnel to be in tune with his philosophy of “bringing the rule of law in the conduct of leaders during their movements on public roads.”

Is This The End Of Boko Haram? – Reuters

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

MALKOHI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Boko Haram is fracturing as shortages of weapons and fuel foment tensions between its foot soldiers and leaders, women rescued from the Islamist jihadi fighters by Nigerian troops told Reuters.

The group abducted an estimated 2,000 women and girls last year as it sought to carve out an Islamic state in the northeast of Africa’s biggest economy. The army has freed nearly 700 in the past week as it advances on Boko Haram’s last stronghold in the vast Sambisa forest.

The militants began complaining to their captives about lacking guns and ammunition last month, two of the women said, and many were reduced to carrying sticks while some of their vehicles were
either broken down or lacked gasoline.

A 45-year old mother of two, Aisha Abbas, who was taken from Dikwa in April, said the fighters all had guns at first but recently, only some carried them.

Even the wife of their captors’ leader, Adam Bitri, openly criticized him and subsequently fled, two of the women said, with one describing Bitri as short and fat with a beard.

Of 275 freed captives brought to a government-run camp for internally displaced people in the Malkohi hamlet on the outskirts of Adamawa state capital, Yola, only 61 were over 18, and many small children hobbled around visibly malnourished.

The women said they were kept inside, occasionally brought food and sometimes beaten severely. The children were left to run around or do errands for Boko Haram while those of the fighters were trained to shoot guns.

“One evening in April, Boko Haram followers stood before us and said ‘Our leaders don’t want to give us enough fuel and guns and now the soldiers are encroaching on us in Sambisa. We will leave you.’” one of the women, 18-year old Binta Ibrahim from northern Adamawa state said.

“They threatened us but after they went we were happy and prayed the soldiers would come and save us.”

CRUSHED

The women said once the militants spotted two helicopters circling at noon on the day of their rescue, they began trying to sell the women for up to 2,000 naira (about $10) each. Towards evening, as the army approached, the captives refused to flee with Boko Haram fighters, who began stoning them but then ran away.

“We heard bullets flying around … we lay on the floor. Some of the women were crushed (by army vehicles) and others wounded by bullets. Eighteen were killed. We counted them, they included infants,” Salamatu Mohamed from the Damboa area in Borno said. The defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Mohamed said she gave birth while in captivity and had trouble feeding her newborn as there was not enough food.

Boko Haram seemed almost unstoppable and fast becoming a regional threat after it gained control of an area larger than Belgium last year and increased cross-border attacks on Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Its six-year-old insurgency has killed thousands and forced 1.5 million people from their homes and the group caused a global outcry when it abducted over 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok.

The women said the men frequently threatened to sell them or bring them to Boko Haram’s elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau, deep in the forest. Nigeria has claimed to have killed him several times. Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade told Reuters the man was not a priority target.

Hanatu Musa, a 22-year old mother kidnapped in June from Gwoza in Borno state, quoted the fighters as saying their leader had deceived them into fighting and killing in the name of religion.

While the Nigerian army, which launched its counter-attack in January, is confident it has the group cornered in the Sambisa nature reserve, a final push to clear them from the area has been curtailed by landmines.
None of the women interviewed had seen any of the Chibok girls, but Abbas said fighters who travelled from a camp in Sambisa where they were held to source food would describe the situation.

“They said the Chibok girls were married off this year. Some sold to slavery, then others (militants) each married two or four of the girls,” Abbas said.

Source: Yahoo! News

Boko Haram Fracturing, Say Rescued Hostages

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Staff Reporter

There are very strong indications that the insurgent group Boko Haram is fracturing as shortages of weapons and fuel have caused tension among the soldiers and the leaders.

One of the released victims told Reuters Agency that the fighters are saying that their leaders have deceived them into fighting in the name of religion.

According to some of the rescued women, the group abducted an estimated 2,000 women and girls in 2014 as it tried to create an Islamic state.

So far the army has freed nearly 700 in the past one week.

Gen. Buhari To Probe Service Chiefs

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A top military source said at the weekend that the incoming administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari, was planning to institute a comprehensive probe during which some service chiefs, past and present, would be summoned to defend their tenure, especially how defence budget was spent under their watch. This emerged as the military have arrested suspected supplier of food and fuel to Boko Haram as well as rescuing 260 women and children in Chalawa, Adamawa State.

Also, some group of women and children earlier rescued from Sambisa Forest narrated their ordeal yesterday in the hands of Boko Haram. The source said the incoming administration was considering setting up a truth and reconciliation committee on the six-year old terror war which erupted in 2009.

It was also gathered that some former service chiefs and military commanders that held strategic operational and command positions, might appear or be asked to appear before the panel, whenever it is constituted, to give account of what they did and knew about the fight against insurgency. The source said the move might not be in bad faith, but to put the records straight for posterity. He added that Buhari believed that more information on the Boko Haram insurgency should be provided for Nigerians and the international community.

Buhari Plans ‘Mass Retirement’ Of Corrupt Military Leaders

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

One of the first major actions to be taken by President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on assumption of office is a massive shake-up of the military, TheCable understands.

There will be a “mass retirement” of senior officers who are believed to have corruptly enriched themselves or “who abandoned professionalism for politics”, sources in the know of the plan told TheCable.

Already, a small group has been set up quietly to work out the modalities for the shake-up and scout possible replacements for those to be weeded out.

Most likely to be affected are officers who allegedly mismanaged funds meant for military operations, those who colluded with crude oil thieves and those who engaged in political activities in
breach of their professional duties.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his congratulatory letter to Buhari after the March 28 election, had urged the president-elect to reform the military, saying “so much harm [had been] done to many national institutions including the military, which proudly nurtured you and me”.

Obasanjo, on assuming office in 1999, retired all officers who had held political appointments — an action thought to have helped prevent a possible coup after several military interventions in the nation’s history.

Buhari is a retired major-general who had commanded all the divisions in the Nigerian army before becoming head of state in 1983 after a coup. He was retired in August 1985 following his ouster his chief of army staff, Ibrahim Babangida, now a retired general.

An insider in Buhari’s circle told TheCable: “The military has been politicised and bastardised in the last few years. Corruption has reached unprecedented levels with the oil theft in the Niger Delta and haphazard anti-terror war.

“Nobody can say sincerely that the leadership of the military has lived up to expectations. We need a professional military. We cannot be relying on neighbouring countries to be bailing us out of our internal issues. Buhari will transform the military to an institution of pride for all Nigerians again.”

TheCable could not ascertain the extent of the planned purge, apart from the expected change of service chiefs and division commanders.

But the primary aim of the planned changes, the source added, is to rid the military of “greedy and unprofessional officers”.

The military has come under scrutiny in recent years over its seeming failure to curb terror and oil theft as well as corruption in the top hierarchy.

In the north-east operations against Boko Haram, there were reports that monies meant for the allowances of troops were being diverted to private pockets.

Instead of the monthly allowance of N30,000, the troops were reportedly getting N15,000 with no satisfactory official explanation on what happened to the balance.

The troops were also allegedly being given only three sachets of “pure water” per day in the desert heat and lacked sleeping kits.

Their food supplies for the day were allegedly brought at once in the morning, a situation that saw them eating cold lunch and sour dinner.

Many troops were also battle-weary and suffering psychological trauma but did not get the necessary support from the authorities, leading to several cases of mutiny which resulted in death sentences for soldiers found guilty of refusing to fight.

At some stage last year, troops fired shots at the commander of the 7th division in Maiduguri, Borno state, Ahmed Mohammed, a major general, who narrowly escaped death in the hands of the frustrated soldiers.

He was immediately transferred from the division, which was created by President Goodluck Jonathan specifically to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

These deficiencies, compounded by the perceived superior firepower of the Boko Haram militants, were largely held responsible for the prolonged war against terror which only came to live when the February 14 presidential election was postponed by six weeks.

Also, Daily Trust newspaper reported last year that the army top brass had shared part of a land meant for barracks in the Asokoro District of Abuja, a further evidence of the rot in the military.

It said the 439 beneficiaries of the landgrab included spouses, relations, friends, associates and companies owned by senior army officials.

Kenneth Minimah, a lieutenant general and chief of army staff, and his predecessor Azubuike Ihejirika, a retired general, were allocated 2035.41sqm and 3909.35sqm of land respectively, the newspaper reported.

Those who got allocations along with their wives included two former chiefs of defence staff, Oluseyi Petinrin, a retired air chief marshal, and Ibrahim Ola Sa’ad, a retired admiral.

Former chief of air staff, Mohammed Dikko Umar, a retired air marshal, also got his share, while Ihejirika’s wife, Gift, got Plot 4882 which is 2385.59sqm.

One other beneficiary named “Oke Ihejirika” was given 1,583.59sqm, in addition to three more ‘Ihejirikas’ who were listed as Goodok Oil and Gas’s directors: Ihejirika Okechukwu, Ihejirika Chika and Ihejirika Goodluck. The company got 7476.95sqm of land.

Daily Trust came under attack from soldiers after its report, with soldiers seizing copies of the newspaper and detaining its distribution vans.

Military authorities defended the action, maintaining then that the operation was based on a tip-off that terrorists wanted to use newspaper vehicles to transport explosive materials.

Norwegian Defense Chief Regrets Illegal Weapon Sales To Paramilitary Forces in Nigeria

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Norwegian Defense Chief Haakon Bruun-Hansen admitted on Thursday that military officials had done a poor job of selling several surplus vessels in 2012 and 2013, and he apologized for that at a parliamentary inquiry. The vessels wound up under the control of paramilitary forces in Nigeria, and a former military employee has been charged with corruption.

“The fact that the vessels have landed in Nigeria under Nigerian flag reflects a breakdown in our systems, and I apologize for that,” Bruun-Hansen said during a hearing before the Parliament’s disciplinary committee. He was not defense chief at the time of the sales, but took responsibility for what’s become a military scandal that extended into his tenure. Norwegian regulations prohibit the sales or export of material or services to private buyers who may arm the vessels and offer them for use in areas of conflict, and those regulations were violated.

News bureau NTB reported that Bruun-Hansen admitted that military officials did not carry out a thorough check of the company, CAS Global, that bought six missile torpedo boats (MTBs) and the support vessel KMN Horten three years ago.

The vessels were sold after they’d been stripped of weapons, rebuilt and repainted so that they could be classified as civilian vessels. Representatives for CAS Global had also declared that the vessels would sail under British flag and British jurisdiction, and with European crews. Norway’s Foreign Ministry, which is responsible for controlling exports of military material, then cleared the sale. The Horten at one point was reported to be part of a transaction involving anti-piracy efforts off Somalia.

Both the defense and foreign ministries were under political leadership of the former left-center government at the time, headed by Labour Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg who is now secretary general of NATO. Current Foreign Minister Børge Brende, also testifying at Thursday’s hearing, said that much remains unclear about the sale and export of the vessels, and Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that Brende had notified the state prosecutor(Riksadvokaten) about possible criminal violations.

Dagbladet’s revelations
The so-called “Nigerian boats” scandal emerged after a series of reports in newspaperDagbladet, and several members of the parliamentary committee noted on Thursday that a simple Internet search would have revealed that CAS Global only had a postbox address. Defense department officials nonetheless received the Nigerians who represented CAS Global and wanted to inspect the vessels that were up for sale.

“Does this mean that anybody can buy these boats, as long as they sign a declaration?” asked Erik Skutle, a Member of Parliament for the Conservatives. “Even terrorists? How on earth could this happen?”

Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that Bruun-Hansen and the head of the defense department’s logistics organization (FLO), Petter Jansen, tried to answer the many questions that arose after Dagbladet revealed how the Norwegian equipment landed in the hands of owners described as Nigerian warlords. Another former Norwegian Coast Guard vessel, theKV Titran, was also sold through a brokerage company in a transaction that both Jansen and Bruun-Hansen also admitted did not comply with regulations. It was sold on to a South African weapons trader, Nautic Africa, which in turn sold it to another Nigerian company.

Corruption charges
Norwegian and British police made three arrests in January in connection with the sales. A former FLO employee who was responsible for sales has since been charged with corruption and Jansen, his boss, admitted that his own follow-up of the case had also been deficient. He claimed he since has made many changes in the FLO as a result of the scandal.

Harald Sunde, who served as defense chief when the sales were conducted, also apologized on Thursday and said he was disappointed over all the mistakes made in connection with the vessel sales. He blamed a difficult reorganization of FLO at the time for the breakdown. Now both prosecutors and Norwegian police are investigating and more charges may be filed.

Helge Thorheim, a Member of Parliament for the Progress Party, told NTB that he thinks the defense department was under pressure from the Defense Ministry to sell the vessels, to raise money at a time of tight budgets. “But it’s very difficult to get to the bottom of this case,” Thorheim told NRK.

Source – www.newsinenglish.no

Atiku Commends Military On Rescue Of 293 Girls And Women

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) Atiku Abubakar has expressed elation at the news of the rescue of nearly 300 girls and women from the Sambisa forest by the troops of the Nigerian military.

The former Vice President said in a statement by his media office in Abuja on Wednesday that it is unacceptable that hundreds of women, girls and boys have been abducted by the insurgent group, Boko Haram over the last couple of months.

“While we rejoice in the rescue of the women and girls yesterday, we urge that our military continues steadfastly in the operations until all abducted Nigerians have been rescued and territories recaptured,” Atiku said.

The Turaki Adamawa expressed his unwavering support to Nigeria’s military forces in its ongoing mission to restore peace and sovereignty.

More Troops, Equipment Deployed To Sambisa – Army Chief

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant Kenneth Minimah has said that more troops and equipment have been deployed to Sambisa forest to enhance military operations there and flush out the terrorists from their last stronghold.

Speaking to journalists during the commissioning of the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Medical Centre in Jaji Kaduna State on Monday, General Minimah insisted that the military has neither retreated nor stopped the onslaught against the Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest or other parts of the north east.

In considering the future and long term perceptions of the critical role the Nigerian Army would play in contemporary local and international peacekeeping operations and the need to carter for the well-being of its troops, the Federal Republic of Germany through its Technical Assistance Group in Nigeria, constructed and equipped the medical centre, meant to cater for the immediate health needs of the troops.

The Army Chief expressed optimism that the facility will enhance the status of the Peacekeeping Centre as a centre of excellence. He, therefore, called on the personnel to make judicious use of the medical facility.

On his part, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zenner explained that the decision by his country to donate the medical centre to the Nigerian Army was due to the bilateral relations between Germany and Nigeria, especially in the areas of military support. He commended the Nigerian government for conducting a peaceful and credible elections which he said was the best ever in the history of the nation’s electoral process.

While calling on the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari to consolidate on the democratic success, the German Ambassador gave the assurance of his country’s readiness to continue to partner with Nigeria to further develop its economy and democracy.

Beware! Boko Haram Sympathizers Are Fabricating Stories To Encourage Them – Nigerian Military

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Press statement by the Defence Headquarters

The reports by some media outfits claiming that terrorists are now in control of Mafa in Borno State are false. The truth is that an attempt by a group of fleeing terrorists who strayed towards the town and engaged in their typical suicide attack was duly repelled by troops. Similarly, the claim by some media organisations that terrorists chased out troops and took over Marte cannot be verified as troops were busy elsewhere during the said attack.

However, all efforts to track the terrorists who were reported to have attacked the town have not indicated their presence as claimed. Surveillance activities are however ongoing although there has been no indication of the large number of terrorists as being claimed in some reports attributed to anonymous sources. The terrorist are certainly no longer capable of that level of coordinated action by thousands of terrorists as reported.

Also, troops have not retreated from Sambisa forest as claimed by same sources. Rather, the operation is progressing and gaining increasing momentum towards clearing all terrorists hideouts in the forest.

It is noteworthy that it is becoming common for stories of attacks on some remote settlements to be fabricated and attributed to anonymous or unidentifiable source in remote places. This is apparently the work of terrorists sympathisers or propagandists.

Military operations to eliminate all terrorists hideouts are going on well and the terrorists are being seriously decimated. They will continue to be pursued and prevented from constituting danger to civilian population in their desperation for survival, suicide or publicity.

The media is advised to ignore fabrication being churned out by some terrorists sympathizers trying to encourage the terrorists who are in disarray. The truth is that the operation to decimate them from Nigerian territories is progressing well. The military will not be dissuaded by the resurgence of false reports on the operations. The progress will be prosecuted as necessary.

South Africa Finally Deploys Army To End Xenophobic Attacks; Foreigners Say They Were ‘Hunted Like Dogs

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Staff Reporter

NEARLY four months after the first attacks on foreign nationals, South Africa is deploying its army to end the wave of attacks on foreigners.

Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the troops would be deployed to Alexandra township, north of the main city Johannesburg, and in some areas of Durban.

“We are deploying because it is an emergency. The army will support police officers, who will take the lead in containing the violence, she said.

Tension has been high in the township since the killing of Malawian Emmanuel Sithole at the weekend, an attack that was captured in dramatic pictures at the weekend and which shocked the world.

Four men Tuesday appeared in court under heavy security, charged with Sithole’s killing.

Violence early this month saw at least seven people, the majority of them African nationals, raising tensions with other African countries several notches.

The latest round of attacks is widely linked to South African Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini who in comments at the end of March said foreign nationals must pack their bags and leave.

In a meeting hastily called on Monday and attended by an estimated 6,000 people, the monarch defended his view that his comments were misconstrued.

He condemned attacks on foreign nationals and said that immigrants must be protected, irrespective of their nationalities.

He was speaking stadium in the eastern port city of Durban, where the most recent attacks have concentrated.

“It may be a belated effort to demonstrate especially to other governments in Africa and people in South Africa that they are willing to make the hard decision to try and get to grips with what is happening,” Roland Henwood, a politics lecturer at University of Pretoria, told Bloomberg news service by phone.

Hunted like dogs

The deployment of the military comes as foreigners fleeing the xenophobic violence told AFP Tuesday of how they escaped marauding death mobs and vowed never to return to the country where they had sought a new life.

Holding her one-year-old daughter in her arms, Malawian Agnes Salanje said she “faced death” during the wave of anti-immigrant violence that has claimed at least seven lives.

“We could have been killed as these South Africans hunted for foreigners, going from door to door,” Salanje, who was a domestic worker in the Indian Ocean port city of Durban, told AFP.

Nearly 400 Malawian refugees arrived overnight in the city of Blantyre in the south of the country, where they were met by government ministers and officials.

The attacks on foreigners have sparked a wave of anger and protests against South Africa across the rest of the continent.

Salanje, who was paid $200 a month, said she escaped the attackers after being “tipped off by a good neighbour and we ran to a mosque to seek shelter.”

“I will not go back. It is better to be poor than be hunted like dogs because you are a foreigner,” she said.

“I lost everything. I only managed to grab a few clothes for myself and my baby Linda.”

Foreigners are often the focus of resentment among poor South Africans who face a chronic jobs shortage.

Chisomo Makiyi, 23, who worked at a clothes manufacturing factory in Durban, is still puzzled why they were attacked.

Be killed or go home

“Had I not run away to safety, I would not be here,” she said.

“I just don’t know why all of a sudden they start hating foreigners and giving them two choices—be killed or go home.”

Makiyi pledged to never return to South Africa despite “the good pay of $280 (a month) which back home would be a dream.”

On average, civil servants in Malawi get $100 per month while labourers receive only $50.

“My life is more important than a good salary,” she said. “I am better off being poor and without a good job than be killed in a foreign land.”

Meanwhile the United States on Monday condemned the xenophobic violence, calling on all South Africa’s leaders to take a stand against it.

“We have joined the South African government and civil society leaders in strongly condemning the violence against foreigners that’s been taking place,” said State Department acting spokeswoman Marie Harf.

She said the US was “deeply concerned” about the loss of lives and the impact on communities.

Source – Mgafrica.com

20 Killed In Fresh Attacks By Borno Haram In Borno

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

20 people have been reported killed after suspected Boko Haram members stormed Dile village near Askira Uba in Borno state at about 2am yesterday April 9th. Residents of the village said the sect members, dressed with turbans on their heads and in quasi-military uniform, arrived their village chanting Allahu Akbar, meaning Allah is Great followed by sporadic shooting and burning of houses.

Nigeria’s Defence Chief Rules Out Military Takeover

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, has ruled out the possibility of a military takeover as Nigeria transits from the current administration to another, saying the era of military rule in the country is gone.

He spoke while receiving members of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 general elections. “The era of military rule is gone forever in this country. In fact if there was military rule I am not sure if I could have been here,” Mr. Badeh, an air chief marshal, said. “We are the armed forces of Nigeria and not that of any political party and will be subordinate to the constituted authorities.”

He said the military leadership is a product of democratic governance and would not embark on activities that could jeopardize Nigeria’s electoral process. “I remember when we asked for more time to embark on what we are doing but there was a lot of misgiving. But we are happy that we are able to ensure that some exercise their choice of who to govern them. Even though we did not achieve 100 per cent, but we are able to secure the major ones,” he said.

Read More: premiumtimesng

Al Jazeera Journalists Arrested By Nigerian Military For Loitering

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Two journalists working for the global news network, Al jazeera, Ahmed Idris and Mustafa Andy, were on Wednesday arrested by the Nigerian military in Maiduguri, Borno State for loitering in areas where combat operations were being carried out.

According to a statement issued by the Defence Headquarters, the journalists were moving around “restricted areas” in Yobe and Borno States without protection, accreditation or clearance.

The military stated that the Al jazeera staffers, who were monitored by intelligence operatives, were eventually restrained to their hotel rooms in Maiduguri following increased suspicion that their activities were focused on interfering with ongoing military operations in those areas.

Read More: dailypost

2015 Elections: Obasanjo Uncovers Plot To Hand Over To Military

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Staff Reporter

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday warned against any military intervention in the affairs of the country for whatever reason.

Reacting to rumour that this Saturday’s presidential election might result in confusion and consequently lead to military take over, Obasanjo said such an action would undermine the integrity of Nigeria among the comity of nations.

He spoke when the South-West women of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) led by the wife of the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Hajia Aisha Buhari, paid him a courtesy visit at his Abeokuta Hilltop residence.

Obasanjo, who said he was happy that Nigeria had gone beyond the rumour of Interim National Government (ING) and that he hoped the country would also “survive the rumour of handing over to the military”, said the intentional community, especially the African Union (AU), would not accommodate or recognise any government that emerges outside the constitution of the country.

According to him, Nigeria has all it takes to dictate the pace for other countries in Africa, adding that Nigerians should blame themselves for where “it is today.”

Boko Haram: Military Not Afraid To Take Over Gamboru Security

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian military has disputed comments attributed to unnamed officials Chadian military officers the former were “afraid” to take over the security of Gamboru in Borno State.

This follows its recent liberation by troops from Chad. “There are lots of false information and irresponsible comments being attributed to some foreign sources, which we want to avoid,” read a statement from the Nigerian Defense Headquarters. “Responding to purely because we want to believe such is coming from responsible officers or officials of that country.”

The Nigerian Defense Headquarters said responding to such claims could cause unnecessary distraction in the counter terrorists operations. “We will not respond for now.”

Credit: CAJ News

NEMA Plans Massive Relief On Recaptured Towns

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sani Sidi, has approved a massive relief operation to bolster previous interventions in the three states worst affected by insurgency. These are Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Northeast zonal coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar, said his organisation noted the gains recorded by the military in liberating communities under occupation of insurgents in the North-East geopolitical zone.

The agency was waiting for the military to declare the communities free of terrorists before embarking massive rehabilitation and reconstruction plans for the areas. “As soon as the security of communities has been declared safe by the military, we will ensure that the people are resettled accordingly by providing adequate humanitarian services in collaboration with other stakeholders,” Kanar said.

The zonal coordinator added that ongoing relief operations would be a continuous process as camps would receive weekly relief material from the agency.

Credit: CAJ News

Last Fight ? Boko Haram Set To Engage Military In Gwoza, Asks Women, Children To Leave Town

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Terrorists, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, currently being dislodged from a number of their earlier seized towns by the multinational joint task forces, have regrouped in Gwoza, Borno State where they prepare to confront the troops.

The sect had asked women and children to leave owing to their plan to engage the military in a gun battle, one of the fleeing woman said in an interview with BBC Hausa Wednesday.

“On the day they entered, they told women and children to exit the town because they wanted to confront the military, the women and children went out of the town. Somebody carried us into the bush, but the vigilante stopped us, asking us where we were coming from.

We explained to them that we were from Gwoza and narrated to them what happened.“They (Boko
Haram) met the slain old people reciting Holy Qur’an in front of a cleric’s house. They told the cleric that the study in front of that house has come to an end and ordered them to follow them to where they would further their studies eternally.“Soon after the Asr prayer they tied the aged people and began to pick guns, telling them that ‘you are in our hands today, your end has come.’ They took them to a new abattoir nearby and killed them”, she narrated.

Military Has Destroyed Boko Haram Structure – Chief of Air Force

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Nigerian Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, has told the Senate Committee on Air Force that military operations in the North east has totally destroyed Boko Haram stronghold by damaging its command and control in the area.

Amosu stated this when he appeared before the committee for the 2015 budget defence.

Amosu commended the collaborative efforts of the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun, Benin Republic and Niger in the fight against the insurgents in the North East.

According to him, the bilateral cooperation between Nigerian soldiers and those countries gave the nation’s security forces a lot of boost because they had blocked the terrorists from escaping to the neighbouring countries.

His words: “On the 15th of February, we were in Lagos to harmonize equipment with the ammunition system. It was very clear that we were commencing a major offensive, which was very quick for me to release information that we are going to storm the North East, that we are going to storm the Sambisa Forest.

“Since the 15th, if you notice, there has not been any major offensive from the Boko Haram terrorists. It is very clear that by our efforts, we have been able to disrupt their communication lines. The command and control is substantially damaged.

“Again, their ability to plan is not there. We have also been able to destroy their training stations. So, the issue of regeneration is out of it. We are lucky again to have our neighbours who have agreed to work with us.

“That has given us huge comfort because when they cannot run away to the neighbouring countries, we are sure that we are going to contain them here, and it will be easy to take them down. So far, we are happy and satisfied with what is going on.

“And I am happy to announce to you that we are getting a lot of cooperation from the citizens. We are getting valuable intelligence from the citizens. We just want to encourage them to keep it up because this is our country and we have no other country to go to.

“These are people coming from outside the country to attempt to destabilize our country.

“I want to use this opportunity to acknowledge fully the support of Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Nigerian Military Gets Two Boeing 747 Jets Loaded With Weapons

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian military took delivery of two Boeing 747 jets fully loaded with ammunition that arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last week .

The first and second jets, which arrived around 4pm and 6pm respectively, had various forms of sophisticated weapons meant for military operations in the North-East, according to reliable sources at the airport.

Our correspondent sighted the jets on the tarmac at the airport on Thursday but was denied access to even get close to them by officials guarding those who were offloading the cargoes.

It was learnt that the Federal Government’s intensive campaign against insurgents in the North-East would be boosted with the arrival of the ammunition.

A security official at the airport, who pleaded not to be named as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that “the ammunition in these massive cargo jets show how determined the government is to considerably halt the activities of Boko Haram within the six weeks which it requested from INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission).

“We don’t often see the arrival of heavy ammo like this in this airport. This one shows there is trouble for insurgents in the North-East.”

Asked of the registration of the foreign cargo jets that brought in the heavy ammo and where the aircraft came from, our source at the NAIA said, “I cannot tell where the ammunitions were from but they are being offloaded and moved to town one after the other.

“The cargo jets are Boeing 747 planes and one of them has LW Italia written on it. I cannot tell you details because this is a classified operation and officials of this airport cannot even get close to see clearly other details of the airplanes. As you can see, this massive cargo plane can carry so many items than many other cargo jets.”

It was also gathered that the offloading of the jets started since Wednesday and stretched till monday.

Nigerien, Nigerian Armies Row Over ‘Coward Claim’

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian military has accused Niger’s Defence Ministry of aiding Boko Haram activities in the country by supplying the terror group with mercenaries.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, described soldiers from the neighbouring country as looters who collaborate with terrorists “as a way of surviving the poverty in their country.”

The military spokesperson was reacting to a comment credited to Niger’s Defence Ministry, suggesting that Nigeria’s troops are cowards.

In one of the tweets, Olukolade said, “Welcome our friends from Niger. No way for your infamous looting here. How the poor country compensates its soldiers and claim they don’t run. Our soldiers have been defending our people and nation’s wealth from mercenaries supplied to Boko Haram by those who boast that they don’t run.”

Olukolade criticised the comment made in a statement signed by Niger’s Defence Minister, Mahamadou Karidjo, which said, “Our soldiers are not like Nigerians. They don’t run.”

Olukolade said, Nigerian soldiers are “brave” and “patriotic”, adding that it was unacceptable for a foreign government to accuse them of running away from duty.

Olukolade’s tweets read, “Our soldiers have remained professional and sacrificial in protecting their fellow Nigerians, preserving the nation’s assets despite these jeering, insults and ill wishes from within or without Nigeria, the Nigerian soldier has not and will not be deterred.

“He remains the gallant, brave and patriotic Nigerian soldier. Although these battles continue and others are now joining him, never mind, very soon, it will be victory for Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Military remains a great asset and the envy of other nations.

“The Nigerien Defence Ministry’s irresponsible comment is noted. It is sad a few partisan elements join the poor country to insult our troops.

“We don’t cross our boundaries. It is unacceptable for any foreign government to say our soldiers run. This is your Motherland! Defend her!

Source – Punch Ng

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning #NewsBits

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. The Nigerian military has reacted to an alleged statement by the Nigerien army that soldiers on the Nigerian side run from attack. Reacting in a series of tweets on Thursday, Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, insisted that Nigerian soldiers were resolute and firm, accusing the army from Niger of aiding Boko Haram, and referring to them as looters who try to survive poverty through questionable deals with Boko Haram.

2. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been accused of setting aside N5bn each for the 36 states of the federation in an effort to recover lost grounds and win the rescheduled general elections slated for March 28 and April 11, 2014. The total reserved for this project in the 36 states, according to report amounts to N180 billion.

3. Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has defended Gen. Muhammadu Buhari over the certificate saga, saying that at the time General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) joined the military, it was not possible for anyone to join Nigerian Army without a qualification equivalent to a school certificate. He advised politicians to talk on real campaign issues instead of trivial issues.

4. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation has said that if elected, Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will strengthen the Nigerian Army. The campaign organization said it welcomes the reassurance of the Nigerian armed forces to be committed to its professional roles instead of being cajoled into politics.

5. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has announced that it has arrested Abdul-Aziz Nyako, the son of impeached Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako. THis was disclosed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren. He said Mr. Nyako was picked up arrested in Gombe..

6. Report says Special Forces of the Nigerian military supported by the Nigerian Air force, Thursday night moved deep into the Sambisa Forests and have already destroyed at least 6 camps belonging to the insurgents.

7. The Deputy Governor of Borno state, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, on Friday said that two teenagers were behind the Thursday’s bomb attack on Biu Main Market. While condemning the incident, he confirmed that eight people were killed by the explosion and 20 others were injured.

8. The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday drew the attention of the Nigerian Army to a banner placed on the fence of the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu’s house. The party said the two banners , with the inscription, ’’ This is not Sambisa Forest , wrong posting’’ was a message to the military, that Tinubu’s house must not be mistaken for the Sambisa forest.

9. In less than a week of his abduction, men of the Special Task Force have rescued Pa Dariye Defwan, father of the former Governor of Plateau state, Chief Joshua Dariye. Report says he was rescued in Qua’an Pan local government area of the state.

10. A grade A friendly match has been fixed between the Nigerian Senior National Team, Super Eagles and the Senior National Team of Bolivia to hold in Uyo on Thursday, 26th March. The Nigeria Football Federation and its FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon confirmed the scheduled match.

Source – Daily post Ng

US Still Considering Military Option Against Russia: Analyst

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The United States is still considering the military option against Russia over Ukraine, according to an analyst in Belgrade, Serbia.

Joaquin Flores, geostrategist and director at Center for Syncretic Studies, made the remarks in a phone interview with Press TV on Sunday while commenting on US President Barack Obama’s claim that Washington is not seeking a military confrontation with Russia over the Ukraine crisis. “I’ve been very clear that it would not be effective to engage in a military conflict with Russia on this issue,” Obama said during his visit to India on Sunday.

Flores said, “At first this might sound like a positive development.” But “it must be understood in context,” he added. “Peeling back the layers of doublespeak and hypocrisy, we find that since the coup that the US launched in Ukraine about a year ago, it has been the US that has spearheaded the present military conflict there today.”

“It has been the US that has been funding and supporting the various extremist elements…in Ukraine,” he added.

Read More: Press Tv

Number Of Deaths In Baga Were 150 People And Not 2000 As Reported – Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Defence authorities have faulted the claim that over 2,000 people were killed in the Boko Haram attack on Baga, the headquarters of the Multi-National Joint Task Force on January 3.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said this during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday. He said that 150 people including a large number of members of the Boko Haram sect were killed in the confrontation.

Olukolade explained that many of the residents of Baga and the nearby communities had fled the area because of incessant attacks on their towns by the Boko Haram sect.

He added that many of the residents of the community were able to flee the area while the battle between the soldiers and the insurgents lasted.

Olukolade said that the figures being reported and attributed to eyewitnesses were exaggerated.

“…It is however necessary to inform Nigerians in the interim that the exercise so far has not corroborated the report on the casualty rate which was put at 2,000.

“From all available evidences, the number of people who lost their lives during that attack has so far not exceeded about 150 in the interim. This figure includes many of the terrorists who were bearing arms and got killed in the course of their attack and battle with troops.

“It should be noted that Baga and the neighbouring towns have been under a series of attacks and harassment by the terrorists. In the course of this, many residents have left, leaving the population in the town almost seriously depleted. Many were also able to escape while the terrorists’ battle with troops lasted.

“The figure given by sources who claim to be eyewitnesses must be an extremely exaggerated estimate. Unfortunately, this figure is now being bandied about in a section of the media as if it has been authenticated. It cannot be true,” he said

We Lost 14 Soldiers In The Boko Haram Attack On Baga Town – Defense Headquarters

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigerian Defense Headquarters has released a statement saying a total of 14 soldiers died during gun battle between members of terror group Boko Haram in Baga, Borno state over the weekend.

The statement released yesterday January 11th by Gen Chris Olukolade below…

“A total of 14 soldiers were killed in action during the attack, while over 30 who were wounded are now receiving medical attention. Most of those declared missing in action have also rejoined their unit in the ongoing reorganisation for further operations. Although several of the terrorists died in the course of the attack and efforts at repelling the assailants, the actual figure of civilian casualties is yet to be creditably determined as is being propagated in certain quarters.

The Nigerian military has not given up on Baga and other localities where terrorists’ activities are now prevalent. Appropriate plans, men and resources are presently being mobilised to address the situation.

The Nigerian component of the Multinational Joint Task Force which retreated from its Baga Headquarters last weekend and more of the troops are regrouping for necessary debriefing and briefing for subsequent missions. It is necessary to reassure Nigerians that the Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies are capable of flushing out the terrorists from Baga and all parts of the nation’s territory where their activities are prevalent. No portion of Nigeria’s territory has been or will be conceded to terrorists. The use of all available resources within the armed forces will continue to be maximised to sustain the tempo of the counter-terrorism campaign towards containing and eradicating terrorism in the nation’s territory. The support and understanding of all partners and neighbouring countries will however continue to be utilised where available and relevant in the conduct of the mission and in line with existing agreement and understanding.”

How APC Screened Buhari And Educational Qualification For Presidential Contest By Tunji Abayomi

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In view of so much interest shown in the non-presentation of the Certificates of Buhari, APC Presidential candidate to INEC, much interest has been shown in determining whether he has met the Constitution’s education qualification. As a member of the APC screening Committee, i can affirm unequivocally that Gen. Buhari met the education qualification prescribed by the constitution.

General M. Buhari joined the Nigerian Army in 1962, attended military training before proceeding to Officers Cadets Training at Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, UK. In 1963 he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and appointed Platoon Commander 2nd Infantry Battalion, Abeokuta. During this same period he attended the Platoon Commander’s Course at the Nigerian Military College, Kaduna.He later also attended Mechanical Transport Officers Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School,Borden, UK. General Buhari attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India in 1973 and from 1979 to 1980 as a Colonel, he attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Still the question remains, has General Buhari without presenting especially his school certificate or its equivalent met the education precondition set for Presidential Candidates in the Constitution?

To begin with, the Constitution does not prescribe the presentation or show of any Certificate to qualify for election to the office of President. Under section 131(d) of our Military Constitution, a person shall be qualified for election to the office of President if “he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.” While a Certificate may unequivocably show that a contestant has been educated up to at least School Certificate level, his education without a Certificate may show, again unequivocably that he has been educated up to the equivalent of School Certificate level. For example, assuming A is the best all A student in Ajuwa Grammar School, Okeagbe, Akoko. Now on the very day before the commencement of the West African School Certificate, he sexually harrassed the daughter of the English teacher as a result of which he was dismissed, will A be said not to have met the education qualification of section 131(d) of the Constitution?

In my view A has not only been educated up to at least School Certificate level he would also be deemed to have been educated to its equivalent. This position finds support in section 131(d) which neither prescribed a pass which is required for certification nor a fail which denies it. The interest of the Constitution is with the level of the education of the candidate howsoever acquired, not the certificate he aquires ipso facto.

The APC screening Committee was made up of several eminent highly educated and enlightened men and one Woman.They came to the conclusion after putting APC presidential aspirants through a most rigorous test that all the APC aspirants met the constitutional qualifications including education qualification to contest for election to the office of President. They confirm this by awarding them a certificate. The qualification set by the Constitution for contest is the level of education not its certificate. While a certificate may irrevocably prove that the education qualification has been met, it could in the same manner prove rebut ably only that it has been met. Where for example a Certificate has been purchased for example in “oluwole” as it has happened in several instances, a candidate though in possession of a certificate cannot be said to have met the education qualification of the Constitution because he has not been educated not to talk of up to school certificate level.

With reference to General Buhari having regard to his unimpeachable military training, an irrefutable presumption was properly made by the APC screening Committee that he met the education qualification set by the Constitution. Those who contest this or who intend to contest that he met the education qualification of section 131(d) have the burden to disprove the irrefutable presumption not General Buhari.

Tunji Abayomi

Credit:saharareporters.com

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning #NewsBits

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Staff Reporter

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. Death toll from the Bomb blast that occurred on Monday at the Dukku motor park in Gombe now stands at 19. This is according to police confirmation. The Police further confirmed that 25 others sustained injuries during the exploration.

2. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ask the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to declare publicly names of those who donated N21 billion to its campaign funds as well as the source of such money. Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Senator Lawal Shuaibu argued that it is mandatory and in line with the Electoral Act for persons donating money to campaign funds to disclosed the source of such funds.

3. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has tagged General Muhammadu Buhari as a ‘semi- illiterate,’ asking Nigerians not to vote for him come 2015. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo spoke against Buhari’s presidential aspiration when he hosted leaders of the party in the diaspora at the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

4. The Lagos state government has once again advised Lagosians to watch out and be wary of what they do, eat and drink during this Christmas celebrations. The statement government asked Lagosians to call the Ebola Help line or the Local Government nearest to them in case of any suspected case during the season.
This advise was given by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris.

5. An expert in explosives and weapons, Mr Biedomo Iguniwei, yesterday, argued that the collapsed building of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, was caused by a high energy infrasonic weapon.
While testifying before the Coroner’s court, he said he drew the conclusion after a careful investigation was carried on the building as directed by the church.

6. The South West chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Makunjola Ogundipe has argued that the zone has benefited from the President Goodluck Jonathan administration than any other administration. Ogundipe spoke in Lagos yesterday at the launch the Goodluck Lagos Grasroot Project, GLGP.

7. The Kaduna branch of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday announced that Senator Caleb Zagi, who represented Southern Kaduna Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011 on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has now joined its fold and has officially dumped the PDP.

8. Report says the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has named its former National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali as President Jonathan’s campaign Director-General for the 2015 election.

9. The Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has faulted the present government under President Goodluck Jonathan’s watch, saying one of its major failures was its inability to tackle corruption. Osinbajo stated this during a Twitter chat tagged #AskProfOsinbajo on Monday.

10. A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has instituted a N100bn libel suit against an acclaimed Australian hostage negotiator, Stephen Davies, for alleging that he is one of the sponsors of the Boko Haram insurgent group. Ihejirika filed the suit before a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja.

Why We Can’t Defeat Boko Haram –Army Chief Writes President Jonathan

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Staff Reporter

In a desperate letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark leaked to SR by an insider, a Commanding Officer stationed in Nigeria’s northeast has detailed several troubling issues that are plaguing the troops combating Islamist terror group Boko Haram in the region.

The officer stated that massive corruption, lack of resources and troops motivation has militated against the quest for a successful campaign to end Boko Haram’s deadly reign of terror in the land.

The top military officer’s expose which he claims would lead to a threat to his life forewarns that if his pleas continue to be ignored by President Goodluck Jonathan, both the Nigerian Army and the country will soon crumble under the insurgency.

His clear warning: “If all issues raised in this letter are not urgently addressed, the Nigerian Army will soon be history and by implication there will be no country called Nigeria,” the officer gravely states. “No country without a strong army will survive.”

Below is the full text of the Commanding Officer’s letter addressed to President Jonathan:

PLEASE MR PRESIDENT SAVE THE MILITARY AND NIGERIA FROM COLLAPSING
1. Sir, I am constrain to write you this letter which I consider it a matter of more than great importance for me to inform you and put to record issues that are happening in the North East (Operation Zaman Lafiya). I choose this medium to write you this open letter because I have written similar letter but no action was taking which I believe some forces have blocked it are now after my life. Sir I have served in 7 Division as staff officer and presently I am the commanding officer of 103Bn in the field. My combined wealth of experience as a staff officer and now commanding officer are the disturbing fact that necessitated me to write you this letter. While as a staff officer, I was among those who believed that the commanders in the field are not doing well. But presently, as a commander in the field, I found out that it is not the fault of any commander that the defeat of the so called BOKO HARAM (BH) has not been achieved.

2. First and foremost sir, the Nigerian Army is poorly equipped in the North East, if all the battalions are well-equipped as required; it will not take the Army more than two weeks to flush out the BH. Presently there are four units in my location here in KONDUGA including 21 Armoured Brigade HQ. If all the units are provided with all their requirements, we can advance and flush out BH out of North East. Mr. President sir, the Nigerian Army is well-trained and capable of defending our nation. It has demonstrated the capacity to even successfully enforce peace in other nations. Why not in our own country Nigeria?

3. The fact about NE operation is that we are poorly equipped, understaffed, high corruption from Army Headquarters down to battalion level. Commanders see it as opportunity to make money. My predecessor has complained of the same problem. Instead of ASA addressing the issue raised by him, the army authorities decided to Court Martialled him. All the units in NE are understaffed, but on payroll their strength are complete just to collect more allowances than what each unit is supposed to. The commanders see it as a personal money making venture rather than taking care of men and equipment. This ugly trend led to loss of many officers and soldiers and thereby having adverse effect on the moral (sic) of troops. Majority of soldiers in the operation area wear mufti (civil cloths) under their military uniforms in case there is an attack and the troops cannot withstand the BH, they found it easy to disguise as civilians to enable them escape. This is not the traditional practice in the NA. Though it is lack of adequate equipment and poor administration from the higher authority that resulted to this ugly trend by our troops

4. Sir, another bad and unprofessional act is that soldiers don’t take to orders from their superior officers because they have lost confidence/trust from them. The case of former General Officer Commanding 7 Division Major General A. Mohammed is enough evidence to show that all is not well in the Nigerian Army. It will interest you to note that worse cases has been recorded before that of the former GOC and more are still happening, but nobody is ready to investigate the root cause of problems facing the troops in the field.

5. This brings me to a recent occurrence which is my main purpose of writing this letter. As I mentioned earlier, due to the failure of the authority to address issues that I made mentioned, when a unit is attacked and overran by the BH not because the soldiers are unable to fight, but lack of weapons, ammunitions and communications equipment, the soldiers on many occasions will ran away, and a commander cannot stand and fight alone as a result of this. Presently seventy percent of commanders in the NE are facing Court Martial due to the reasons mentioned. We the commanding officers are very worried over this development. This is because we many soon find our self as victims of this maladministration from our higher authorities.

6. There is no sincerity in this operation; this is because the present acting GOC has never visited any location outside Maiduguri town not to talk of principal staff officers in Army Headquarters or even the COAS. But we keep on hearing all sorts of lies that Generals are leading the fight against BH. These are facts that can be confirmed from officers and soldiers in this operation including those in the 7 Division Headquarters. The GOC is so afraid that even with the Divisional Headquarters; he doesn’t go out and always locked himself inside his office. Infact it is a common knowledge among officers and soldiers in this operation that the acting GOC is here to make his money and earn his promotion to the detriment of the operation. The completion of his mansion at No 8 Gwamna Road in Kaduna which the GOC ignorantly disclosed that when he completed it, will be among the best houses in Kaduna, has turned to be a subject of discussion among troops.

7. The former 21 Armored Brigade commander is facing Court Martial today because the acting GOC does not want to see him and his garrision in Maiduguri town simply because of the huge monthly allocations from the Borno State government to the brigade garrision. He wanted to be collecting his money by using 7 Div Garrison, but in reality 7 Div Garrision does not have troops to claim such money. It is worthy to note that the GOC received 33,000litres of AGO and PMS each, 600 bags of rice monthly from Borno State government. All these items are diverted for his personal use.

8. Recently the newly appointed 21 Brigade commander lead 3 units to flush out the BH, that operation was successful, almost 300 BH were killed, weapons and vehicles were recovered from them, in the process the troops exhausted their ammunitions from the Div, the GOC simply replied that there was no ammunition this made all the troops to withdraw back to KONDUGA.

9. Presently more than 3000 officers and soldiers are either killed in action, deserted, captured as POW or on AWOL. But due to lack of proper administration the army directed that their salary should be stopped. This affect the families of those that are either genuinely killed in action or captured as Prisoners of War. It has also affected some of the troops that are still participating in this operation.

10. Mr. President sir, if all issues raised in this letter are not urgently address, the Nigerian Army will soon be history and by implication there will be no country called Nigeria. No country without strong army will survive. I decided to write you this letter because the life of officers and soldiers trusted in my care are no longer save. My life is also at the stake because the NA authority as usual will say I have communicated directly to you as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and may sanction me. As a citizen of this country and a commander in the operational area, with all the points I have mentioned in this letter, it is clearly that the Military authorities have failed the country, as such they should be held liable for their misdeeds.

I have consulted seasonal constitutional lawyers if writing you this letter will be an offence, but they said it is my constitutional right to inform the C in C about what is happening in the NE and within the military which if not address will affect the survival of Nigeria.

Goodluck Jonathan’s Military, Local Militias And The Security Of Nigeria By Rotimi Fasan

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Staff Reporter

The United State’s government once more showed its disdain for the Goodluck Jonathan administration and by extension our so-called fight against terror by its last week insistence that it would not sell fighter helicopters to Nigeria. The US government spokesperson was reacting to the claim by the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Ade Adefuye, that the US had refused to sell fighter aircraft to Nigeria.

The refusal of US followed on the heels of its earlier accusation of human rights violation against Nigeria in its fight against the Northern insurgents. It should come to many Nigerians and others around the world as an irony that the US that had deployed experts to assist Nigeria in tracking down the insurgents keeping the kidnapped girls of Chibok captive would turn around to say it would not sell us fighter aircraft that could strengthen our effort.

The US is doing this after it had made it clear that its assistance to Nigeria in the face of terror would be purely technical, without deployment of ground troops. Even then, units of American soldiers were reportedly seen on ground in parts of the North shortly after the US and other Western countries showed their readiness to support our fight against the marauders up the North East several months back.

There is surely more to the cold shoulder from America than the Nigerian government is willing to acknowledge. Nigeria continues to pretend that its relationship with America is as warm as ever even when America’s body language tells everyone that is far from being the case. America has, if any, very little respect for Nigeria’s military hierarchy. That disdain might really be for the Jonathan administration as a whole. It may not have used as many words but America does see members of this administration as corrupt destroyers of the Nigerian state and is only being careful, it would seem, not to be viewed as being directly against Nigeria in this period of grave insecurity in the land.

Otherwise, it is clear Obama wants no truck with Jonathan whose deluded supporters never cease to compare him and other American leaders with. And to rub home the fact that America would rather dine with the devil than with the Jonathan administration, it has advised the latter to look for sellers elsewhere in its business of buying fighter choppers. In refusing to sell military hardware to Nigeria, America says it has not stopped us from buying elsewhere.

It simply does not want our patronage- finish! So we can take our tainted money that even South Africa with its brutal record of human rights violation under apartheid is not keen on taking, returning it to us after initially seizing it- America is telling us to take our corrupt blood money elsewhere. The blood here, for me, could only be that of ill-equipped soldiers sent to the battle front by thieving desk-bound Generals turned contractors and their civilian counterparts.

Now America has washed its hands off our case, its Western allies would follow suit, with or without America’s prompting. Canada has been saying more or less the same thing as America. The UK government with its siddon-look posture is saying nothing different. Where does this leave or take us? Nowhere but the firm embrace of China, our good old friend in the days of Sani Abacha. Without being told in such clear terms, we are back to our pariah status of the mid-1990s. This may not be too bad for a president like Goodluck Jonathan who is determined to follow Abacha’s transformational script to retain power in February 2015.

With nowhere to turn in the West, we must with our own hand carry our luggage of trouble- eleru gberu e. That’s what we are being told. The question that immediately follows is how ready or able are we to carry our security luggage. Are we able to do this with our ill-equipped, demoralised and deserting soldiers that take to their heels at merely sniffing the approach of the insurgents?

These soldiers have been losing territories and retreating in very unseemly way. Even our most senior soldier, the Chairman of the Joint Military Chiefs, Alex Badeh’s town, was taken over by insurgents. Mubi was overrun by the hordes from Sambisa forest and was only retaken by local militias. Which brings me to the role of militias in the ongoing war against terror.

Without any doubt, these groups of Nigerians have been leading the battle against terror groups of armed robbers, pipe line vandals, and more dangerous bands like those from Sambisa forest that have taken over and renamed many towns in the North East. The local militias with their crude weaponry of bows and arrows, and dane guns have been succeeding where our so-called national soldiers have been failing.

Coming from the same background as most of the bastards now terrorising the North East, their knowledge of their terrain of operation appears to be standing them in good stead.

It is the logic that makes it possible for these militias to succeed where so-called professional soldiers have failed that informed the call for state police- better knowledge of their community. But as usual the unitarists masquerading as patriotic federalists in Abuja, the very same people that created groups like those from Sambisa forest for very selfish ends, would be the first to croak about the possible abuse of local police.

But without admitting it, the Nigerian state has for long privatised the security of the country to the extent that many of these local militias have been enlisted in its security operations and have moved from being mere neigbourhood watch to carrying out actual policing duties. Militias led by Frederick Fasehun, Gani Adams and Asari Dokubo, among others, have been employed in these roles. What then is the pretence by the Nigerian state that these militias have no role to play?

As the situation of the North East is increasingly showing, the safety of Nigerians in our different communities may in the end be in the hands of these militias. They have been doing a lot for Nigerians, sustaining the security of life and property where people can no longer rely on the state.

Indeed the state has failed serially in protecting Nigerians in many parts of this country. The number of people left destitute in the North East, to take an immediate example among many, has increased exponentially since the latest surge in insurgent activities. Their saviours are the militias who are only different from the rest of our conventional security personnel for their lack of uniforms.

But as Fela told us all, uniform na cloth and na tailor dey sew am. The time might be right on us to get the militias properly equipped and into uniform.

First published on www.vanguardngr.com

Articles on www.omojuwa.com are solely authors opinion

Sanusi Backs Vigilantes, Doubts Military in Boko Haram Fight

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Staff Reporter

Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has voiced support for vigilantes fighting Boko Haram, urging others to form civilian militias and questioning the competence of the military.

He said, “people should be sensitised on the importance of being on the alert. And they should prepare, they should acquire what they will defend themselves with,” Sanusi said during Friday prayers at the central mosque in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north”, adding that, “those that are endowed as hunters and vigilantes should apply this endowment given to them by Allah as an avenue of earning divine reward in defending their nation.”

He further said, “We should not wait for soldiers to come, before they come the carnage will have been done…,”Some of them drop their guns and flee.”

While Sanusi’s comments were similar to those made by President Goodluck Jonathan’s critics, they may feed added resentment towards the government because the emir of Kano is expected to stay above the political fray.

Credit: Yahoo News/ AFP

Gen.Yakubu Gowon, Part Of Nigeria’s History – Otunba Daniel

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Staff Reporter

Nigeria’s former leader, His Excellency, Gen. (Dr.) Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has being described as an integral part of Nigeria’s political history whose towering sense of patriotism and nationalism is simply outstanding.

Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in his goodwill message on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the reputable elder statesman said Dr. Gowon’s place in the nation’s history is not in contest as it is replete with awesome records of achievements both in and outside power. “From his early life which reflected an all-round school boy who excelled both in academics and sports, Dr. Gowon’s fine military career capped by his ascent to the exalted position as the Head of State at a very ‘tender’ age of 31 was a story of a rare personality on who leadership was trusted upon at a crucial period in a nation’s history”.

“Navigating the country through the dark days of civil war, his philosophy of ‘No victor, no vanquished’ and the subsequent rehabilitation, reconciliation and reconstruction project revealed a personality with unflinching commitment to the unity of the country”.
“It is on record that the unprecedented developmental projects executed during his regime marked the golden era of our national life. Dr. Gowon is indeed a phenomenon”.

According to Otunba Daniel, “rising form the ashes of the civil war, Dr. Gowon was able to put the nation together and rallied political leaders to achieve the much wanted unity in the country”

His deep humanism, Otunba Daniel said, reflects in his involvement in the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme as well as the HIV Programme. It was also in fulfilment of his unflinching commitment to a peaceful and united Nigeria, free of disease and poverty, where every citizen has an opportunity for self expression and the realization of their full potentials that he founded the Yakubu Gowon Centre to work on issues in Nigeria such as good governance as well as infectious disease control including HIV/AIDS, guinea worm, and malaria.
His ‘elder statesman’ role in African politics also underscores his phenomenal posture in and beyond the continent” making him one of the greatest and most celebrated Nigerians of all times.

Ayo Giwa
Chief Press Secretary to OGD

Governor Ahmed Charges Military On Politics

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Staff Reporter

Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has charged the military to insulate itself from political manipulation and resist temptation to descend into the political arena as this could truncate the country’s nascent democracy.

He gave the advice when participants of course 23 of the National Defence College, Abuja on Geo-Strategic Study tour of Kwara State paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Ilorin.

“Let me commend the Nigerian military for its appreciable role in nation building, especially by protecting Nigeria from external aggression and internal unrest.

“While it is true that the country is going through very difficult times, especially in parts of the country caught in the grip of insurgency, the military must continue to live up to its reputation as one of Africa’s best”, he said.

The Governor added that it was incumbent on all Nigerians to support the officers and men of the armed forces for keeping the country and its people safe.