Widows of slain soldiers receive N12m compensation

By EVELYN USMAN
LAGOS — Emotions ran high, yesterday, at the 81 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos, as widows of military personnel killed by members of the Boko Haram sect last month in Maiduguiri, Borno State were presented a cheque of N1 million each.

The widows, numbering 12, majority of whom were between 20 and 30 years, including their children,  broke down in uncontrollable tears,

[caption id="attachment_411984" align="alignnone" width="412"] Widow of Captain E. I. Oshoga and son receieving a cheque from Major-General Umahi.[/caption]

Presenting the cheques, General Officer  Commanding, GOC, 81 Division, Major General Abel Umahi, said the compensation was from the Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, as part of  succor to cushion the effect of the loss on their next-of-kin.

Describing the moment as a solemn one, he said the deceased soldiers from the 174 Battalion died in active service so that majority of Nigerians could live in peace.

He said aside the N1 million compensation by the Borno State governor, the Nigerian Army had undertaken a number of things such as payment of benefits accrued to the deceased as well as taking responsibility of the deceased’s children academic pursuit, particularly those  below 18 years.

He assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to do all within its powers to comfort the bereaved families.

GOC warns  extended families

Advising the widows to use the money given to them wisely, Umahi, however,  cautioned extended families not to arm-twist the widows of their benefits.

“Widows and children of the fallen soldiers are targets of this gesture. It is meant for wives and children, not for extended family members. The money should be used to carter for the need of the wives and children of the deceased. It is not for burial because the Nigerian Army had taken care of all the burial responsibilities.”

He also warned that the beneficiaries should not be stampeded out of their respective barracks accommodation.

The slain soldiers are Captain A. I. Oshoga, N/13977 of 174 Battalion; Sergeant Sadiq Ominisi with  Force number 95NA/40/4750 of 174 Battalion; Corporal Olafimihan Akeem, 92 NA/33/1698 of 9 Brigade; Corporal Sabo Mijinwaya of 9 Brigade; Corporal  Moses Sylvester 97NA/44/3971 of 9 Brigade; Lance Corporal Umar is a 97NA/45/7655 of 9 Brigade; Lance Corporal Michael Ike  of 9 Brigade; Lance Corporal Nwabunwane Monday of 81 Division.

Others are Lance Corporal  Kabiru Mairiga of 81 Division Garrison; Lance Corporal Job of 81 Division Garrison; Private Ephraim Ebimine and Private Ndah Mohammed.

56 including 24 youths killed as Boko Haram assail Borno LG

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI
Atleast 57 people including 24 vigilante youths (Civilian JTF), 16 Shuwa Arab herdsmen and 17 civilians were killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in three different Local Government Areas of Monguno, Damboa and Nganzai in Borno state.

This ugly development is coming barely one week after the withdrawal of Joint Task Force ‘Operation Restore Order’ which was replaced by a Military Division. It was also observed that Governor Kashim Shettima on Saturday afternoon had a marathon meeting with security chiefs and traditional rulers in which the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi was in attendance.

Although, Journalists were prevented from the meeting, it was gathered that the meeting dwelled extensively on how to review the security challenges currently going on in villages, towns and Council areas of the state, in which, all the affected local government chairmen used the opportunity and briefed the governor on the recent Boko Haram attacks in their domain.

Our Correspondent authoritatively gathered that the incident has put fear in the minds of the Vigilante youths, specifically those in Maiduguri Metropolis, as the state capital has within the last one week witnessed a drastic reduction of vigilante youths from the streets of Maiduguri.

The incident in Monguno according to sources said, “the 24 vigilante youths numbering over 100 were on a mission to capture some Boko Haram terrorists in their camps around Kaleri, Shuwari, Maganari and Nannari villages before they were ambushed by the terrorists which led to the death of 24 vigilante youths, while about 36 were still missing.

“ infact, there was an initial arrangement with military troops that they will accompany the vigilante youths to the said Boko Haram camps in Monguno, and when the youths waited to see the arrival of military for some hours without response, they took liver to visit the area with a view to arrest the suspects, but unknowingly to them that the armed Boko Haram sects were disguised in Military Uniform with three captured patrol vehicles of the security agencies which lured the vigilante youths to conclude that it was the military troops that went to the camp ahead of them.

“So as they approached the camps, the terrorists opened fire and killed about 15 of the Civilian JTF, while the other nine who were spiritually charmed against gunshots were killed by using their vehicles in crushing them. But as I am talking to you now, about 36 of the volunteered youths were still missing, while we received an unconfirmed report that five of the vigilante youths who escaped the attack with broken legs and hands injuries were rescued by some good Samaritans and are in one of the villages close to the camps which they are receiving treatment by the villagers”. The source disclosed.

Another reliable source in Gajiram of Nganzai Council area which has a boarder with Monguno told our Correspondent that 17 people were killed out of over 50 by the terrorists after they mobilized themselves with the intention of assisting/rescuing the vigilante youths in the area.

A top politician and close associate to the state governor who did not want his name mentioned in print for security reasons confirmed the Monguno, Nganzai and Damboa coordinated attacks. He said, “there was a massive killing of vigilante youths who were on a volunteered mission to arrest Boko Haram terrorists in Nganzai and Monguno, presently, the Chairman of Nganzai, Comrade Ajimi Badu and that of Monguno, Alhaji Mohammed Nur Monguno as well as the Vice – Chairman of Damboa, Honourable Ali Garba have all rushed to Maiduguri (Saturday) to brief governor Kashim Shettima on the separate incidents”. He stated.

Although, all the affected Caretaker Chairmen were sighted at the Government House after the meeting, they all confirmed the incidents, but declared further comments on the number of casualties.

On the Damboa fresh attack, our Correspondent gathered that Boko Haram terrorists who reside in their camps between Kafa and Yajiwa villages of Kaga and Damboa Council areas on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest attacked Shuwa herdsmen in one of their communities and killed two, before they fled back to their camps.

Sources in Damboa told our Correspondent that “we suspects that the Boko Haram terrorists who are hiding in their camps in Sambisa thought that the Shuwa herdsmen who also lived close to their camps are informants to military forces which led to the military raid in some of their camps before they fled to another camps without being arrested”.

However, it was gathered that the aggrieved Shuwa Arab herdsmen later mobilized on horses to revenge the killing of their two people, but unfortunately, when they approached the terrorists’ camps on the following day, the terrorists succeeded in killing 14 of them, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.

Owing to lack of telecommunication services in Borno for the past three months, the Military authorities and Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of going to press. End.

Boko haram: We took sect leader Abubakar Shekau for granted – Senator Ndume

By Bilesanmi Olalekan

Senator Muhammed Ndume - Borno South - was the Minority Leader in the House of  Reps as an ANPP lawmaker before he moved to the PDP and then became a senator.  His political career took a twist when he was accused of sponsoring the Boko Haram Islamist group.

In this interview, he hails the onslaught against Boko Haram by the military forces but says the insurgency by the sect festered after government took it for granted that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau died during a raid on his hideout in 2012.

Ndume warns that same mistake should not be made in the wake of the current claim that the sect leader has been killed. The senator also speaks on some other national issues.

Where were you and what was your reaction when you heard that the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, was dead?

First of all, I was not very sure since his body was not shown and there was no categorical statement from the military that he was dead, like the American military told the world about the late Osama bin Laden, they were categorical.  I was not around when the announcement concerning Shekau’s death was made. However it is not the death of Shekau that concerns me, it is the problems that relate to the insurgency that concern me.

I hope the death of Shekau means the death of Boko Haram insurgency and the security challenges that we are facing in the North- east. But the death of a sect leader like this does not usually bring  insurgency to an end. Government must take action in order to make sure that the Boko Haram insurgency comes to a total end. Mind you, we  in the North-east are in the fore front of the whole crisis.

We are in the centre of the crisis. We know how it feels. I was home last week, I went round my constituency, saw the two most affected communities, Dambua and Dangoza. It was a pathetic sight to behold. Towns that were very vibrant and lively have suddenly become ghost towns. It is either the people have run away or have been killed. What you see are children here and there. You can hardly get somebody above 30 living around. Though I think it is getting better now especially with the emergency rule because normalcy is beginning to set in.

You were part of the Presidential Committee raised to dialogue with Boko Haram at a time and, suddenly, you found yourself in the web of the sect-government crisis, leading to your arrest and arraignment in court.  Any regret that you wanted to assist the government in the first place?

No, I didn’t regret it at all. Though I feel bad about the whole thing and that is why I said before the interview that I would not want to talk about it and I will appreciate if we don’t go beyond that because security issues are not something you politicise, trivialise, tribalise. It is a calamity and I have always said instances of this nature should be looked into collectively, not looking for scapegoats, but solutions to the problems.

But when government sees problems and they begin to look for scapegoats, then you are not finding solution to the problems. And you know for now it will be subjudice talking much about it because it is still in court. As a leader and someone who is from the affected area, I think when you have serious issues like the one we are having now, you don’t trivialise, tribalise or give it a religious colouration.

It is like cancer, it will just keep on spreading and, before you know it, it is  beyond control. Initially, government was trivialising the matter until they saw that it was going beyond them, so I was happy that they brought in the military. And that is why results are coming out now. People, I mean civilians, are themselves volunteering information because they have seen that government has shown seriousness.

[caption id="attachment_214934" align="alignnone" width="412"] Sen. Ndume[/caption]

Youths are now arresting Boko Haram members. I know some boys, all the way from Borno, went to Lagos to arrest a suspected Boko Haram member. In those days, nobody talked about it. But they have all seen that government is damn serious about fighting the insurgency, and that is why they also are showing support for the the government action and we are all seeing results.

But it is not time to relent on what they are doing until they finally get to the end of the problem. In 2009, when Boko Haram was crushed, everybody thought it was over, saying Shekau was dead even though some had contrary views, only for him to resurface in 2011 and unleashed very serious damage on government. All of us must support government because it is a national issue, it is not a religious issue because it has never been. When they now go about attacking mosques, would you now say that is religious?

Talking about government showing seriousness, some have said the emergency rule was late in coming?

That is true. The emergency rule had been in some local government areas in the states affected prior to the main emergency. Government was not as serious as it is now in tackling the issue. It has even gone further in creating a garrison in that area in order to effectively tackle the issue. This is something that would have been done long time ago.

If it were done then, we would have gone very far. But as the saying goes, it is better late than never. And I think we have paid the price for it. Of course, the action is effective. But it is not perfect as we all know. I am more concerned about the civilian JTF, that is, the youths who are giving out information leading to the arrest of the sect members, I think they (government) should use this opportunity to organise them because, at the moment, they are just there, there is no structure; government should take advantage of this opportunity and organise these youths. There is no support whatsoever aside the cover the JTF gives them. After the menace of the Boko Haram, what do you do with them? The soldiers would go back to their barracks, where would the youths go ?

The child marriage controversy

That is not true. There was nothing of such.

How about your colleagues that….

You had better talk to my colleagues then. You are talking to me. You want to hear from me? So, listen. I Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume didn’t vote on marriageable age. And nobody in the chamber that day did. On the  issue of marriageable age, nobody did. What happened was that Section 29, Subsection 4 or thereabouts of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, says that if you want to renounce your citizenship, you must be 18 years of age or you must be of marriageable age.

The committee was saying that the clause should be removed and those that are in support of the clause to be expunged should vote yes while those against it should vote no. That was what happened. The issue of age and marriage didn’t arise at all. We all voted according to our conscience. Then Senator Yerima raised an issue that expunging it would affect Islamic legal system which didn’t specify age bracket in marriage.

So, where the issue of marriage came in, I don’t know. That was why the Senate president was even saying no, we had taken a decision on that already but, for me, I am really surprised that we are wasting  energy on this when we should be talking about lack of electricity, unemployment. I have a daughter that is 25 years old now, she will marry at the time she is ready to .

I married my first wife at the age of 19 when she was in the university. When I was to marry my second wife, she was about graduating from the university at the age of 22. I don’t think we should waste much energy discussing this. After all, do you marry without consent? If you have a daughter that you brought up, would anybody marry her out for you? Or are you going to marry out your daughter when she is not ready for marriage?

There is no light, there is security challenge, the schools are shut and here we are talking about marriage. This is one of my concerns for this country. I am even worried now talking about it with you because I know very soon, they will start abusing Ndume on the pages of newspapers and in the social media. I saw my name and picture on the pages of newspapers on the day we voted on the citizenship issue as if we killed somebody.

But it is proven that early marriage brings about diseases like vesico vagina fistula, VVF.

That is a lie. That is happening because we don’t have a good health care system; otherwise when you see pregnancy that may be injurious to the child and mother, you perform CS on the woman. Why don’t we insist that we should have good health care system? Why don’t we insist that parents should be more responsible?  I will not marry out my daughter under 18.Please let us talk about serious issues.

The jumbo package members of the National Assembly collect is said to be adding to the high cost of governance in this country and as explained by Obi Ezekwezili, a former minister, recently, that about N1trillion has been spent on you people in the last 10 years.

Let me say that the cost of governance in Nigeria is prohibitive. Out of the national budget, you spend about 75% on recurrent expenditure. Is that not too much? However, you don’t isolate the National Assembly. It was only in the last three years that the budget of the National Assembly shot up. So, since the last three to four years now, the budget has always been N150b which includes the running cost, salaries of members of the National Assembly, legislative aides, National Assembly Commission, National Assembly staff, National Assembly capital and recurrent.

Take N150billion in this year’s budget as against the budget of N4.9trillion, what percentage does that give you? And out of that, go and check the salaries, allowances and emoluments that go the members of the National Assembly, not National Assembly as a whole and check out the figures. Go to the Presidency, each of the ministries, look at their spending, then you can now talk, but you don’t just want to make news for news sake.

If you take the N3.2
trillion which is the recurrent expenditure of this year’s budget and take N150 billion and divide it, you now say it is the National Assembly that is responsible for the high cost of governance in this country? Let me tell you, even the budget loopholes or leakages  are more than what the National Assembly is taking. Agreed that the cost of governance is high, it is not because of what the National Assembly is being paid.

If National Assembly members are taking jumbo pay and milking the country as they are saying, go and see former members of the assembly, are they not supposed to be rich Nigerians?  When have they taken the money to? Are they not supposed to be building structures that would make them richer even after leaving the assembly?

Go and look at them especially those that didn’t return, go and see the type of life they are living; that is when you will know whether they are taking jumbo pay or not. And then go and look at a retired director and see the life he is living after retirement. Go and see even this minister that is talking, she was minister just a few years back and see her standard of living now and compare it with our former senate presidents.

Go and take the statistics of the office of minister for education while she was there, the personal emoluments she was spending in the office as a minister and compare it to what was being paid to a senator that period. I don’t want to join issues with anybody but this issue of looking for scapegoat syndrome that is common with us should be stopped. The President said that they are going to sacrifice 30% of their salaries, did it work?

Have they implemented it? We in the assembly, out of the allowances, we said we are going to cut off 30% across board and we did. But that has not been done in the executive arm. The budget quagmire we found ourselves in was because members of the appropriation cut off personnel cost of some of the ministries which nearly turned this country upside down. You people are talking about those who just for traveling expenses, they are spending billions of naira, no one is talking about that.

The matter came up as a result of petition. A member of the executive spent about N2billion on travels only. If you give me N2billion today, I will not play politics again, if you say you are giving me and not that I should give my people, that it is mine, I am done. It is just that we are the most endangered species in all of this but we are ready to take the bashing. We are the symbol of democracy. But truly the cost of governance in this country should be looked into so that about 75% should go into capital while the balance can go to personnel and recurrent.

Objectively, is your party, the PDP, in crises?

Yes, but that does not mean there are no gains. However, democracy, not PDP, has not given the much desired dividends we deserve. Blame is not only on the doorsteps of the PDP. It is a collective responsibility. Just because the PDP is on the driver’s seat does not mean the passengers are less guilty. Yes, the PDP government has been running this country for the past 13 years, but not independently, it runs the country interdependently. The opposition is there. Nigerians are there. It is supposed to be a collective thing.

So, on the assessment of our democracy in the last 13 years ,I will say we are yet to get to where we are supposed to be. But we can’t put the blame squarely on the door steps of the PDP because you can’t have a bad leader if you don’t have a bad followership. Leadership is supposed to be for the people, by the people; if it is not working well, you don’t just look at the head, you look at the whole body.

There is controversy as to which region should be elected in 2015. The North insists it is their turn while the South-south is saying the President must be given a second term. You are a northerner. What is your take?

Let me be honest with you. I feel bad when we begin to tribalise an important issue like this. We are in democracy which is about elections. We are copying the presidential system and, in the presidential system like the American that we are copying, in America today, are they talking about north or east? south or west? There was a Nigerian mayor in Ohio or Columbus. There was one again in Russia. But here, is it possible for you, Ola, to leave Lagos and go to Borno to win election? But let me tell you, in 1979 to1983, the Secretary to the State Government in Borno State was a Yoruba man.

The Chief Judge in Borno in 1979 to 1983 was Justice Kalu Anya. He is from South-east. But, today, all that is gone. This is how this country is supposed to be, it does not matter where you come from. The important thing is to have a good President. The region he comes from, to me , does not matter. It is a President that can deliver, not where he or she comes from.

Has this president delivered?

I told you that I don’t want to talk about personalities but issues or ideas. It is weak minds that discuss personalities. As I said, you can’t have a bad President until you have a bad followership. Is Jonathan running this country alone? So please let us refrain from discussing personalities, let us talk about issues that will move our country forward. If Obama dies today, America will be up and running.

I have said it several times, government should be like a rail track and, once the train is on the track, unless something happens, you cannot suddenly stop. But Nigeria is being run like a bicycle now. You know bicycle depends on the person riding it. If you ride it fast, it will be fast and if you choose to be slow, slow shall it move, if you stop, it will stop too. That is how we are running it. We should build strong institutions not personalities. Once the policies are right which of course will determine the speed of the train, that is all we need, not personalities.

At the time you defected to the PDP, it was barely three months to the general elections of 2011.  How did you win the election on a different platform and even to a higher level-Senate?

It was just the work of God. I am a very lucky person. I am from a poor background. My father didn’t go to school and my late mother was barely educated before she was married to my father. I don’t have anybody that is rich in my family. I went into politics without any godfather. My god father presently and all along from the beginning is God. If I have a political god father, I would not be going through the travails I am going through now. But I believe that God allowed it to be so because of a purpose which I don’t know and I pray it is positive.

There is no magic. My guiding principle in life is, ‘Don’t  ever forget where you are coming from if you want to know where you are going’. I know that I am from, so I always relate with the poor and up till now the poor identify with me. And incidentally, the poor are the majority and the poor are the ones that decide one’s fate and the voice of the people, they say, is the voice of God.

That was how I emerged. An individual in our politics that time, that was our sitting governor, thought he could play God, but the same God came out to say no. Although we cannot see Him but He is always there and it was through Him that I emerged victorious. I went to PDP, even my being in PDP is God’s choice. I won the election decisively. There was no election petition against me. As a matter of fact, I have never gone to court in my life until they said I sponsored Boko Haram. I have never gone to court even on a civil issue. But God must have put me through all these for a purpose and I hope it is a positive one.

Civilian JTF vs Boko Haram: Concern, hope in embattled restive city

MAIDUGURI  (AFP) - Gripping a machete he claimed was stained with blood, a 24-year-old civilian manned a checkpoint in one of Nigeria's most dangerous cities, looking for members of a violent Islamist group.

Vigilante groups have emerged with the encouragement of the military in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the original home base of Boko Haram Islamists, and their arrival has been both welcomed and fraught with potential trouble.

[caption id="attachment_406641" align="alignnone" width="412"] A female vigilante frisks two women passengers of a motorized rickshaw on July 19, 2013 in Maiduguri, where Boko Haram has carried out most of its deadly attacks.[/caption]

The city has been devastated by insurgent attacks and military raids that are estimated to have claimed hundreds of civilian lives.

An unregulated, untrained and crudely armed civilian force may prove to be the last thing the city's imperilled residents need. Civilian gangs have in the past served as political enforcers around the country.

In early July, an example of the risks occurred when vigilantes burned a politician's home in Maiduguri, accusing him of links to Boko Haram.

But some have voiced support for the new Maiduguri militia, including the military, which has described the vigilantes as a useful new tool in the battle against Boko Haram.

"We have cleansed the city of Boko Haram vampires," said Abubakar Mallam, head of the so-called "Civilian JTF", a name that nods to the military's Joint Task Force (JTF).

The vigilantes' claims that all Boko Haram members have been chased from Maiduguri is likely an exaggeration.

Boko Haram, which says it wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, was founded in Maiduguri more than a decade ago and its fighters have been embedded among the population.

However, a military offensive launched in May and the formation of the vigilante groups have coincided with a decline in attacks within the city and in Islamist strongholds across the northeast.

The violence has by no means ended though, particularly in more remote areas of the region.

At least three schools have been attacked in northeastern Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram members, and at the weekend, a vigilante raid and reprisal attack by Boko Haram members left at least 20 people dead in the village of Dawashe.

Members of the Civilian JTF said their month-old campaign has yielded results because they have a key advantage over the regular security forces.

"We know them. They lived among us," Dauda Bukar, a vigilante in the Umarari area of Maiduguri, told AFP.

Aside from machetes, the civilian guardsmen were seen carrying axes, clubs and bows and arrows while patrolling the streets of the dusty city, where the desert climate often brings an unbearable afternoon heat.

They have claimed raids on houses where alleged Boko Haram members live, arresting insurgents before handing them over to the military.

Members have also claimed to have carried out summary executions.

-- Anything for peace --

Vigilante leaders say the force was formed following a gruesome June 11 attack by presumed Boko Haram members in Maiduguri's Hausari neighbourhood.

The Islamists arrived disguised as a funeral procession. They stopped, opened the coffin, pulled out kalashnikovs and began firing indiscriminately on civilians, killing 15 people.

Military officials said they were trying to both document and train the militia and were even seeking to coordinate operations.

"We support, we commend and we appreciate the efforts of the... Civilian JTF," military spokesman in Maiduguri Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa told AFP.

A state government official who requested anonymity acknowledged that a vigilante group in a conflict-scarred city would invariably "commit some rights violations", but that so far its emergence had been positive.

"The Civilian JTF may bark and hurl abusive language at people (but) Boko Haram shoot, bomb and slaughter their victims," the official said.

He also insisted that the ruling party in Borno state, of which Maiduguri is the capital, has deliberately avoided collaborating with the force to guard against accusations that the fighters have a political agenda.

Maiduguri residents have for months been caught between waves of brutal Boko Haram attacks and the heavy-handed tactics used by the military.

The insurgents' alleged crimes have included suicide blasts, gun raids and abductions, while the military has been accused of arbitrary killings, razing homes and torture.

There is evidence that both sides have committed crimes against humanity, according to Human Rights Watch, which has estimated that 3,600 people have died in the conflict since 2009.

Most of the northeast, including Maiduguri, has been under a state of emergency since May 14 while the military has pursued a campaign against the Islamists.

One community leader said anything, even an illegal civilian militia, was welcomed if it helped restore peace.

"For now, we have to bear with them," said Husseini Hala, who heads Maiduguri's lawyers union. "Compared to what the insurgents are doing, their own (abuses) are insignificant."

CAN in America wants Boko Haram designated as terrorist organisation

Washington - The members of the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) on Thursday embarked on a rally in U.S. to demand that the Boko Haram group in the country be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).

The members, who were led by the Chairman of the association, Pastor James Fadele, and its Executive Director, Mr Laolu Akande embarked on the rally outside the White House in Washington.

 The group wondered why the U.S. State Department had refused to pronounce the entire Boko Haram as a terrorist group instead of referring only to its leader.

Earlier at a news conference held at the National Press Club, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, also faulted the U.S. government over its delay to classify the group as terrorist body.

Oritsejafor added that in addition to non-recognition of the plight of Nigerians, the U.S. has not offered  humanitarian assistance to victims of Boko Haram.

``America’s ambivalence over the terrorist challenges in Nigeria is a stunning betrayal. After 911, Nigeria was amongst nations that cooperated with global efforts on tracing terrorist financing to the point that a designated foreign financier was uncovered running a cereal factory in Northern Nigeria.

``FTO designation will kick off the tracking of terror-financing and arms shipments in Nigeria and elsewhere.

``It is now one year since I testified before the U.S. Congress and still the U.S. has not designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organisation even though it has killed citizens of over a dozen of countries and attacked American citizens too.

``Every week I get a text message that a church has been burnt or that a Pastor has just been murdered or that Christians were randomly rounded up on a roadside and summarily executed.

``Last week at my inauguration, one seat was conspicuously empty that of Rev Faye Musa Pama, CAN secretary in the Borno State Chapter.

``He was assassinated in his home in the presence of his kids. His kids pleaded for his life but still he was killed,’’ the CAN leader said.

Oritsejafor,however, pleaded with rich churches in the country to come to the aid of victims of Boko Haram insurgency as well as in supporting CAN financially.

Contributing, Akande called on the U.S. State Department to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation to give the issue the international attention it deserves. (NAN)

Girl, policeman killed in fresh Bauchi attack

KANO (AFP) - A girl and a policeman died in an attack in Bauchi Monday which the army blamed on the Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram.

The attack at the home of a Muslim cleric in Darazo, Bauchi state, was the first attributed to the extremist separatists since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"The gunmen came on motorcycles and headed straight to the home of the cleric and opened fire indiscriminately, killing a girl and a policeman living in the area," local resident Baffale Sanusi told AFP by telephone.

A military source confirmed the deaths and said two more people were wounded in the attack which took place at the time of Muslim evening prayers.

"We have received reports of shootings in Darazo this evening and we have mobilised troops from nearby military to the town to deal with the situation," a senior military source in Bauchi told AFP.

"We strongly suspect Boko Haram gunmen are behind the shootings," the source said.

Another local resident, Umar Mato, said the streets were deserted after the attack as soldiers "laid siege on the town looking for the gunmen".

Roughly translated, Boko Haram means "Western education is sin," and the insurgents have been blamed for previous raids on schools, with some analysts suggesting the group has selected shocking targets to generate attention.

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

Planned assembly of the nation in Uyo: Confab on insecurity (2)

By John Amoda
THE Vanguard of Monday May 13, 2013 carries a story titled, "Terrorist may over-run Nigeria". In it, the Senate President, David Mark "warned ... that unless everybody comes together to tackle the security challenges, the perpetrators might over run the country…

The Senate President who expressed grave concern over the continued killings and wanton destruction of property in the country argued that foreigners who might be accused of being sponsors of members of Boko Haram sect currently terrorizing some parts of the country could not succeed if Nigerians were not involved internally as willing tools for the deadly act".

In the Sunday Vanguard May 12, 2013, Lt Colonel Sagir Musa wrote on the "Proliferation of small arms and light weapons" and observed that arms trafficking "is increasingly and dangerously becoming a transnational organised crime in Nigeria with Boko Haram's insurgency, re-emerging Niger Delta crises and escalating kidnapping, communal crises and armed robbery in the South East providing impetus for arms trafficking". Daily reports of the deadly uses to which these arms are put provide gory headlines in the newspapers.

This past month of June began with the Vanguard Saturday news carrying the story headlined: "Herdsmen massacre 17, several hundreds flee homes in Benue". The following is from the story: "Despite efforts by security agencies to stem the recurrent invasions of parts of Benue State by armed Fulani herdsmen, no fewer than 17 persons have been killed in Akough Village in Guma Local Government Area of the State by suspected Fulani mercenaries.

The herdsmen razed Akough market, where some persons were also killed. Saturday Vanguard gathered from eyewitness that the armed attackers stormed the village three days ago at the early hours of the day, burning down houses and huts, leaving several persons dead, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The development has forced several hundreds of people to flee their homes for fear of being attacked in another onslaught".

The Sunday Vanguard of June 30 2013 confirms the routines of Fulani Herdsmen campaign of terror. The story titled "How Fulani insurgents raided Plateau" reads as follows:  "More light has been shed on how suspected Fulani insurgents who raided some village in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday engaged members of the Special Task Force, STF, maintaining security in the state in cross-fire for over two hours. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the apparently well-armed attackers in a show of power took on soldiers of the STF who moved to the area following a distress call, but lost 20 men in the process.

It was learnt that the assailants having had a field day at Maguma where they killed eight people and were taking the onslaught to Karkishi when the STF members halted their advance". The front page of Monday Vanguard of June 1, 2013 carries news of Boko Haram war against the JTF.

The news reads as follows: "Maiduguri- Joint Task Force, JTF, weekend killed no fewer than 50 suspected terrorists in Zabarmen Ward of Jere Local Government Area of Borno State". In the same issue of Vanguard, Dayo Johnson reports from Akure: "At least 30 gun men in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday June 30, 2013) stormed the Olukuta Medium Security Prison in Akure, Ondo State Capital and set free about 175 inmates, mainly those standing trial for robbery".

The catalogue of armed violence operations by insurgents and armed gangs confirms the routines of armed violence in the Nigerian society on the one hand, and the ongoing civil war campaigns by the JTF against a Boko Haram insurgency on the other hand. Society in Nigeria characterized by such widespread use of lethal violence by armed gangs is unsecured by prevailing order of central authority.

And the Nigeria Police Force and the internal security agencies have been challenged by the problems of societal lawlessness and disorders. The Army has had to make control and management of this crisis of societal disorder its primary and present responsibility. The Army has found itself called upon to man the Special Task Forces, STF, and the Joint Task Force, JTF and the strain from the burden of these dual responsibilities have become alarming.

The Chief of Army Staff called the attention of the public to this fact on May 8, 2013 in Abeokuta as thus reported in the May 9, 2013 Vanguard issue: "Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday lamented that the increasing wave of socio-political and ethno-religious violence recorded in different parts of the country was draining the resources of the Nigerian Army.

The Army boss said: 'No doubt, you are aware of the increasing wave of socio-political and ethno-religious crisis threatening the nation's security lately. This has assumed a high dimension, witnessing spates of bombings and attacks on Key Points, KPs; Vulneratile Points, VPs and other strategic areas of interest in the country. This has left serious demands on Nigeria Army resources.

We also know that funding is fundamental to containing these security challenges. Success in this pursuit therefore calls for prudent and efficient management and application of available funds". Much more than efficient management of available funds will be required for the STF's  response to the security situation of the Nigerian society whose condition of anarchy is deliberately albeit for now, uncordinately engineered.

And herein lies the seriousness of Nigeria's societal security condition; that is, the ever-present possibility that that which is now uncoordinated can with change of the leadership of the agents of this condition of disorder lead them to unite and to effect the overthrow of the Federal Government. This is presently the case with the neighbouring Central African Republic where SELEKA, a coalition of five insurgent groups are presently the rulers of that country.

There is, therefore, need for the scope of the societal crisis to be appreciated and the dynamics of its development and expansion to be determined. For both tasks a root-cause analysis of the structure of the Nigerian society is required. It is the appreciation of the failures of the structure of the Nigeria society that has been the underlining raison d'etre for the call for a conference on the condition of the society and for the consequences of this condition to be adequately addressed".

 

Three Boko Haram suspects killed in failed mosque attack

*They were not sect members —JTF
*50 sect members arrested in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA

MAIDUGURI — Three suspected Boko Haram members who allegedly came from Bama council area, Saturday evening, and stormed the El-Amin Daggash Mosque in Government Reserved Area in Maiduguri, Borno State with the intention of killing Islamic cleric, Modu Mustapha, while preaching during Tafsir (Ramadan preaching), were lynched by angry mob.

Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists came in a Golf Saloon car and one tricycle armed with AK47 rifles and a pistol before they met their untimely death.

A source told our correspondent that the incident happened at about 4pm, when the Tafsir programme was going on. The source said someone sighted one of the terrorists with a pistol sitting among the congregation, and alerted others who apprehended him.

[caption id="attachment_391326" align="alignnone" width="412"] Officers of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) patrolling in Maiduguri in a sweeping offensive against Boko Haram militants.
AFP PHOTO/[/caption]

It was gathered that immediately the suspect was nabbed, a mob swooped on him and beat him to death, while the other two suspects who were also inside the mosque were arrested in the process of attempting to escape. They were equally beaten to death some few metres away from the mosque.

However, The Joint Task Force (JTF) ‘Operation Restore Order’ in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has said it was not a Boko Haram attack, saying it was an error of judgment by a policeman on duty who pursued someone who allegedly stole a Keke Napep and a bag of rice and drove off towards the mosque.

A statement by the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, said: “The incident was not a terrorist attack as insinuated, rather, it was an error of judgment by a policeman on duty that pursued someone who allegedly stole a tricycle and a bag of rice and drove off. The policeman was in mufti, wore Police reflective jacket, pursued the alleged thief and fired two gun shots.”

BOKO HARAM: Amnesty committee under fire

By Clifford  Ndujihe, Dapo Akinrefon & Luka Binniyat
LAGOS — The Presidential Committee on the Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts in Northern Nigeria, came under severe criticisms, yesterday, from across the country following denial by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau that the sect had entered into a cease-fire agreement with the Federal Government.

The Committee came under attack on a day the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Restore Order II in Borno State, said that it has succeeded in killing a top commander of Boko Haram sect, Bulabulin Nganaram, who was on the wanted list of the JTF with a N10m bounty. The sect commander who was killed in a shootout with the taskforce was said to be responsible for the killing of a teacher and three students of Sanda Karami Secondary School, Ruwan Zafi Maiduguri.



Chairman of the Committee and Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, had on a Hausa service programme of Radio France International monitored in Kano, July 8, that the Federal Government has secured a ceasefire deal with the sect which had claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks that have led to deaths of about 4000 people since 2009. The Presidency corroborated Alhaji Turaki’s announcement which it claimed had Shekau’s consent.

Imam Marwana, a member of the sect said to belong to Shekau’s camp reportedly confirmed the truce deal and begged Nigerians to forgive them “over the number of people killed in the country. I appeal to those who lost their loved ones to our activities to forgive us and on our side, we have forgiven all those who committed atrocities against us.”

Denying the cease-fire, weekend, Shekau, who endorsed the attack and killing of a teacher and 29 secondary school students at Mamudo, Yobe State penultimate week, said: “Let me assure you that we will not enter into any truce with these infidels. We will not enter into any truce with the Nigerian government. We believe in the massacre inflicted on the secondary school in Mamudo and Damaturu and other schools. We earlier warned that we were going to burn all schools. They are schools purposely built to fight Islam.”

Reacting to this alleged denial by Shekau, however, a source in the committee said the authenticity of the statement credited to Shekau was in doubt, since it could not be verified. The source added that the committee had never claimed it spoke with the sect leader himself and that unlike in the past, the sect leader never came out to disown the spokesman, who negotiated on behalf of the group.

Govt must be transparent – Onyema

Meanwhile, reacting to the confusion yesterday, the National Chairman, Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), Allen Onyema, who is coordinating the amnesty programme for Niger-Delta ex-militants, argued that the government has to be more transparent and tell Nigerians those it reached agreement with as was done in the Niger-Delta in the case of militants.

His words: “If it is true that the presidential committee had any contact with real Boko Haram and they have accepted cease-fire, that is welcome but they must be sure of what they are saying. It will be very embarrassing for the Federal Government if the impasse continues after the cease-fire. They need to let the country know those who had signed the cease-fire.

“When Chris Ekiyor took over as the leader of the Ijaw Youth Council, he went round the camps and got the militants to accept non-violence. We knew who and who were in the cease-fire agreement. Kingsley Kuku, Godwin Abbe, Tony Anenih and others paid visits to the militants and it was televised. It was made open. We know the ex-militants. Who are the Boko Haram leaders and members that the committee spoke with? Who and who agreed to cease-fire? I want the government to be transparent so that the country will be free. I don’t like what is happening in the North. A bigger and peaceful Nigeria is better for us.”

The whole thing is confusing—Balarabe Musa

On his part, former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said the ceasefire agreement between the Islamic sect and Federal Government had become confusing based on Shekau’s denial.

He said: “We are not having what we expect, that is the ceasefire, because the reports are conflicting. There is this report from the chairman of the committee that agreement has been signed and Shekau was involved and now Shekau is saying he is not a party to the signing of any agreement. There is also this report that there are two factions of Boko Haram; there is one led by Shekau, which appears to be the original but there is also a more militant faction led by a group. And so, the whole thing is confusing. We don’t know whether or not there is an agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram leading to a ceasefire.”

Boko Haram has infiltrated Jonathan’s govt—Afenifere

On its part, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, said that it was obvious that Boko Haram had infiltrated the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Afenifere’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, told Vanguard on phone: “I think we should take Turaki, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Boko Haram to task now because we saw him on television that they have signed a ceasefire with Boko Haram and he even said something so offensive that Boko Haram has promised not to attack during the Ramadan. Assuming it was true, it was okay for Boko Haram to go and attack people on Christmas Day but they cannot attack during Ramadan and for a minister of the Federal Government of Nigeria to be party to such an agreement, then it is quite discomforting.

“Now that Shekau has denied that agreement, we need to ask which Boko Haram Turaki was claiming and it shows clearly that may also be a confirmation of the statement credited to the president some time ago that Boko Haram had infiltrated his government. It shows that there may be sympathizers of Boko Haram in government who are trying to tailor it to that direction.”

Boko Haram should embrace peace—Gani Adams

Speaking on the issue, National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Otunba Gani Adams sued for a truce and advised Boko Haram to dialogue with the government.

“I will advise them to observe ceasefire because the international community does not accept terrorism any longer. There is no way you start a terrorism cause and end well. My advice to them is that they should not start a battle they cannot win. For the purpose of peace and tranquillity, they should ensure they embrace peace so that we can move forward,” he enjoined.

Govt should disband Amnesty Committee — Northern CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of the 19 Northern states and the  Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also yesterday said that the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has been vindicated after being rebuked by some northerners for expressing doubt over the reported ceasefire deal reached between the Islamist terrorists group, Boko Haram, and the government last Monday.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Northern CAN, Mr. Sunday Oibe, speaking with newsman, yesterday said:  “The pronouncement by Mr. Shekau, the real leader of Boko Haram, has come to vindicate CAN and our national leader, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. He was called many names when he said that he did not have confidence in the questionable announcement of a ceasefire between the Federal Government and Boko Haram.

“Today Boko Haram’s number one man has come to speak with scorn and contempt against the ceasefire agreement. If you meet some of the committee members personally, some will confess to you in private that they have never met any foot soldier of  Boko Haram, not to talk of any one near its leadership

“We in Northern CAN believe that the Amnesty committee is useless and has failed. It lied to Nigerians about this ceasefire just to fool President Goodluck Jonathan to extend its tenure so they can grab more money. All those giving President Jonathan this unwise advice are either doing it for self-serving reasons, or are trying to deceive him into a blunder that will not only destroy him politically, but jeopardise the corporate existence of Nigeria.

“We want to advise our Christian brothers in vulnerable places to be extra-vigilant, including other non-Christians who may be target of the demonic antics of Boko Haram. Northern CAN is calling for the immediate disbandment of the amnesty committee. All monies that would be squandered on the committee should be put into supporting the Joint Task Force and vulnerable communities in affected states. Enough of this jamboree with scarce public funds. Enough of hypocrisy.

“Finally, there can be no amnesty for  unrepentant murderers and insurgents without reconciliation with the victims. As Christians, forgiveness comes very naturally as taught us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but there must be show of  genuine repentance. Therefore, the amnesty committee, even in its composition, was in the first place an insult to Nigerian Christians. And now, see how it has failed”, he said.

Turaki's ceasefire claim false, says Arewa youth leader

Also reacting to the denial of any ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram sect, Arewa Youth Forum leader, Gambo Gujungu said that they were aware that the claim by the government minister was false and asked him to apologise and resign.

The group called on the Federal Government to disband the Amnesty Panel and stop wasting taxpayers’ money for something that would not yield any positive result.

However, spokesman for the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, called on the Federal Government to continue the process of dialogue with the sect members, noting that the process of ending terrorism the world over has never been easy.

Sani said: “We would advise that whatever it takes, the Federal Government should continue the process of dialogue. As dialogue progresses, those opposed to ending the crisis would join.

“We do not want the denial by Shekau to discourage the government from continuing dialogue with the group. Overcoming terrorism is not easy,” he noted.

Sani, however, regretted that government went public with the announcement of a ceasefire when the terms of the agreement had not been sorted out by the two parties, thereby bungling the entire process.

“The Amnesty Committee should have wrapped up all the issues under the terms of a ceasefire before making any announcement,” Sani said.

Attempts to reach the Minister proved abortive last night as he neither responded to calls placed to his mobile phone nor text messages sent to the same phone.

JTF kills Boko Haram top commander

Meanwhile, the taskforce in a statement signed by its spokesman, Lt Col Musa said: “The Joint Task Force (JTF) between 3-8 July, 2013 dislodged Boko Haram Terrorists from their main enclave in Bulabulin Nganaram, Aljajeri and Faluja areas of Maiduguri metropolis.

“During the encounter, some terrorists were killed in the fire fight including the main Amir of Bulabulin Nganaram (who was on the wanted list of the JTF with a N10m bounty). He was responsible for the killing of a teacher and three students of Sanda Karami Secondary School, Ruwan Zafi Maiduguri."

We supported Yobe school massacre - Shekau

KANO - The head of Boko Haram Islamists said he supported a July 6 attack on a school that killed 42 people, but did not claim responsibility for the massacre, in a video obtained by AFP Saturday.

"We fully support the attack on this Western education school in Mamudo," in northern Yobe state, Abubakar Shekau said in the 10-minute video speech.

The mostly Hausa language message shows Shekau, designated a global terrorist by the United States, kneeling on mat with a Kalashnikov resting on his left shoulder.

He speaks in English for several seconds towards the end of the video, something he has not done in recent public messages.

The early morning gun and bomb attack at a boarding school in the Mamudo district of Yobe saw assailants round up students and staff in a dormitory before throwing explosives inside and opening fire, according to witnesses.

Almost all of those killed were students. It was the third school attack in recent weeks and the second in Yobe.

On June 16, gunmen opened fire on a secondary school in Damaturu, Yobe's capital, killing seven students and two teachers.

Shekau voiced similar support the Damaturu attack, describing all "Western education schools" as a "plot against Islam".

He however stopped short of claiming to have ordered the killings.

"We don't attack students," he said in the video that was delivered to AFP in a manner consistent with previous statements from the Islamist leader.

Roughly translated, Boko Haram means "Western education is sin," and the insurgents have been blamed for previous raids on schools, with some analysts suggesting the group has selected shocking targets to generate attention.

Yobe state was one of three areas placed under a state of emergency in May ahead of a sweeping military offensive against Boko Haram.

The military has claimed significant gains in the two-month-old offensive, but such boasts have been difficult to verify and Boko Haram attacks have continued in some places.

Shekau, in the message, also denied reports that the Islamist extremists had entered into ceasefire negotiations with the government.

This week, a federal cabinet minister and head of a panel tasked with talking to the insurgents claimed he was negotiating with a legitimate Shekau deputy and that a ceasefire deal was at hand.

"The claim that we have entered into a truce with the government of Nigeria is not true," the wanted Islamist leader said.

Nigeria's Minister for Special Duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki told journalists that he was negotiating with Shekau's "second in command", and reports of a looming ceasefire filled the front pages of Nigeria's newspapers.

"We don't know Kabiru Turaki. We have never spoken with him. He is lying," Shekau said.

Nigeria's government and military have regularly been accused of spreading false information regarding the insurgency.

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria and Shekau restated the demand for a nation governed by sharia (Islamic law) in his latest message.

Last month the United States placed a $7.0 million (5.3 million euros) bounty on Shekau.

He is believed to be the leader of Boko Haram's hardline Islamist faction, but most analysts believe the group is made up of various camps.

The insurgency has cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by the security services.

Nigeria's is Africa's most populous country and top oil producer, where acute poverty remains rampant despite the massive oil wealth.

Local and Western analysts have long argued that improving living conditions in the mainly Muslim north is key to curbing the insurgency.

I am innocent, says Kabiru Sokoto

Abuja - Kabiru Umar, a terrorist suspect, accused of masterminding the bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, on Dec. 25, 2011, opened his defence at the Federal High Court on Monday in Abuja.

Giving evidence, Umar, alias ``Kabiru Sokoto’’, who assumed the status of a witness, said the police and the State Security Service (SSS) extracted statement from him.

[caption id="attachment_244238" align="alignnone" width="412"] Kabiru Abubakar Dikko, alias Kabiru Sokoto[/caption]

``I am aware of the charges brought against me; but, My Lord, I was tortured and mistreated several times to confess.

``All through the period of the investigation, I could not confess to the offence because I did not commit any offence.

``One of the operatives of the SSS asked me whether I knew one Habib Bama and I said no.

``He said to me that Bama was the actual mastermind of the bombings in Madalla.

``I was afraid of being killed, that was why I ran away from the custody the first time; I am innocent,’’ he said.

However, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Chioma Nwiegbu, prayed the court to adjourn the matter to July 9 for cross examination of the witness.

Umar was arraigned on April 19 in connection with the Christmas Day bombing.

He is alleged to have had information about the bombing but failed to inform law enforcement agents.

The suspect is also charged with being a member of a terrorist group, known as Boko Haram,between 2007 and 2012 at Mabira in Sokoto, Sokoto State.

He was also allegedly found to have facilitated the execution of a terrorist act within the period.

According to the charge, the suspect committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004.

The two-count charge attracts life sentence, but the accused has pleaded not guilty. (NAN)