Boko Haram 'has no problem' moving to central Nigeria as offensive strangles northern stronghold

Offensive has scored Some successes, but intelligence warns insurgents fleeing to Taraba state.

The Boko Haram terror group has waged a seven-year-long insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria, killing thousands of people. The conflict, which first erupted in 2009, has also spilled over into neighbouring countries, sparking a grave humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad basin region, where 2.6 million people are currently displaced.

In addition to its own military operation Lafiya Dole against the insurgents, Nigeria is now leading a regional offensive – consisting of 8,700 troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin – to tackle Boko Haram.

The offensive has scored some successes, such as the recapture of key territories and the release of thousands of civilians held captive by the group.

The Nigerian security forces are also succeeding in foiling most of the attacks planned by Boko Haram, renowned for kidnapping civilians and forcing them to carry out suicide-bombing missions.

However, an unwanted consequence of the military offensive in Nigeria's north-east is the possible relocation of the militants to other states in the country.

Earlier this week, Shehu Saulawa, Taraba state director for Nigeria's state security service said the terrorists were fleeing into the central-eastern state, seeking a shelter from the military offensive. Saulawa added security operatives had trapped and arrested some of the terrorists.

Root causes of terrorism

Although Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari declared a technical victory over the fight against the insurgents in December 2105, Boko Haram still carries out attacks, with security experts warning that underlying issues such as disenfranchisement, poverty and strong links with Islamic State (Isis) would continue to pose major threats to stability in the region.

David Otto, counterterrorism expert at UK-based TGS Intelligence Consultants, believes "a soft dialogue strategy" is necessary to end the crisis.

"Boko Haram will have no problems penetrating the central-south, although it could be more difficult to find a complex hiding place like in the Sambisa Forest," he said, referring to Boko Haram's last known stronghold.

"On one hand, the military offensive shows a mounting pressure from the government and security services, and on the other hand it spreads the movement beyond the confined zone of north-east, making it more difficult to deal with the group strategically.

"The window of opportunity and dialogue that led to the release of the 21 Chibok girls should be extended to include a dialogue for disengagement," Otto, who is also a senior adviser for Global Risk International, continued. "The security system in place is insufficient to stop a spill-over to the central. These groups know the terrain and also understand the weaknesses of the security architecture."

In September, Nigeria launched an "inter-ministerial taskforce" to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the northeast of the country, where 65,000 people are at risk of famine.

"Nigeria has been providing food support, reintegrated healthcare, shelter, psycho-social support, and access to water and sanitation amenities for those in need. We are also engaging highly respected community and religious leaders to discourage vulnerable youth from being radicalised," Buhari said.

SOURCE:ibtimes.co.uk

Boko Haram would not exist if I was President – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that the Boko Haram insurgency would not be a challenge to the country if he was President of Nigeria.

Abubakar said this in Yola yesterday at the distribution of relief materials to over 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at American University of Nigeria (AUN) drawn from all over IDPs camps across Adamawa State.

The distribution was part of programmes lined up to commemorate Atiku’s 70th birthday celebrations.

The relief materials were also distributed at Saint Theresa Catholic Church and the Jamatu Nasrul Islam Headquarters in Yola.

According to Atiku: “If you recall, while we are in office in 2002, such a small uprising ,very similar to this Boko Haram, reared their head in Yobe State. We smashed it immediately.

“We never heard anything about it again, until we left government.

“So I think it requires a steadfast leadership, a leadership that is decisive.”

Atiku stated that he would have used all at his disposal to ensure that Boko Haram did not strike in any part of North-Eastern Nigeria and other places in the country.

Atiku regretted that Boko Haram took over seven of the 21 local government area of Adamawa, adding that what he did to prevent Boko Haram from completely over running Adamawa State is between him and Almighty God.

The Turaki Adamawa stated that the Adamawa Peace Initiative was put together to ensure peaceful coexistence of Adamawa State and its people.

In her remark, President of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) Margie Ensign lauded the philanthropic efforts of Atiku Abubakr for sustaining Adamawa Peace Initiative for almost five years since creation.

“Nobody ever assisted us within the period under review, in providing succour to the vulnerable like Atiku did,” she said.

SOURCE|: DAILYPOSTNG

Nigerian soldiers, police sexually abuse Boko Haram victims, Human Rights Watch says

Nigerian soldiers and policemen have raped and sexually abused women and girls fleeing the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

Forty-three cases of "sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation", were documented in July, HRW said.

The women and girls were housed at seven camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency began. That insurgency has displaced more than two million people and killed some 15,000 in Nigeria's northeast.

An army spokesman declined to comment and referred the matter to the defense ministry. A spokesman for the department could not be reached by phone and did not respond to a text message. A spokesman for the Nigerian police could not be reached on his mobile phone.

The rights group said it was also told of abuse carried out by camp leaders and members of security groups set up to help the military fight the insurgents.

Four people told HRW they were drugged and raped. Thirty-seven said they had been coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.

A 17-year-old girl said she was raped by a policeman who approached her in a camp.

"One day he demanded to have sex with me. I refused but he forced me," she said, adding that it happened once. She said he threatened to shoot and kill her when she discovered that she was pregnant.

Another girl - a 16-year-old who fled an attack on Baga, near Lake Chad, last year - said she was drugged and raped in May 2015 by a community security group member in charge of distributing aid in the camp.

Boko Haram, which controlled a swathe of land in the northeast around the size of Belgium early last year, has largely been pushed back to its base in the northeast's vast Sambisa forest in the last few months.

Aid workers and soldiers have gained access to the group's former northeastern strongholds, revealing famine-like conditions which UNICEF says could kill 75,000 children over the next year if they do not receive aid.

Nigerian lawmakers in early October said they would investigate the use of government funds intended to assist displaced people, amid claims that money had been diverted.

SOURCE: Theglobeandmail

Aisha vows to work closely with Buhari, says ‘all I want is for my husband to succeed’

Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has declared that her interests lie in the success of her husband’s government, despite controversies.

Aisha made this known on Thursday at Beneshiek, headquarters of Kaga Local Government Area, LGA, of Borno state at the flag off of nutritional foods and household utensils to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs who recently returned to their communities.

Recall that Mrs. Buhari had in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service alleged that her husband’s administration had been hijacked, adding that she would not campaign for his re-election in 2019 if he does not rejig his cabinet.

But Buhari had during a joint Press conference he had with the German Chancellor, Angela Markel at his three-day visit to Berlin, responded to a question regarding his wife’s remark, saying his wife belongs in his kitchen, living room and the other room.

The comment by Buhari that his wife belongs in his kitchen had sparked controversies across the country.

However, in what appeared like a response to the heat generated by her interview and apparently her first public reaction, Aisha said, “What I am after in particular is the success of my husband’s administration and he can’t do it alone, except with the help of the governors, their wives and all members of our progressive party.”

While citing an example with herself going forward, Aisha advised wives of political leaders, governors, legislators, local government chairmen and counselors to work closely with their husbands for the well-being of the people.

“I am happy that the flag off of the food distribution took place. It is in fulfillment of my husband’s campaign promise to resettle displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency and rescue all citizen abducted or held by Boko Haram including the Chibok girls.

“We thank almighty Allah that we have started fulfilling some of the campaign promises that we made. This is the essence of leadership; you make a promise and then fulfilled it.

“We thank my dear husband who makes sure peace is returned to the northeast states,” the president’s wife added.

SOURCE: Dailypostngr

It's Another Year Of GOD's GRACE!

Today is my birthday!!!

I am celebrating my life. I’m alive amidst life challenge, I am STRONGER and WISER. Here I am, cake waiting to be cut, another year around the sun. Cheers!!!

And these I ask for...

LORD, I ask for PROSPERITY so that all my needs might be met.

LORD, I ask for PEACE that I might not be burdened nor threatened by the storms and vicissitudes of life.

LORD, I ask for POWER that I might overcome any and every challenge of life(human, Physical, even spiritual).

LORD, I ask for FAVOR that I might dwell in serenity with men and the world.

LORD, I ask for GOOD HEALTH that I may live long and healthy enough so I can fulfill every of your plan and purpose for me.

LORD, I ask for  ANOINTING that I might serve YOUR purpose  efficiently and effectively in this cruel world.

LORD, I ask  for WISDOM and INSIGHT to be above and beyond human imagination.

LORD, I ask for ALL that will make me a GOOD WIFE to my husband, A GOOD MOTHER to my children and a BETTER PERSON in LIFE. 

LORD, do not let your presence leave me even when I try to SWERVE away from you. 

It has not always been an easy year. I’ve taken leaps of faith and risks, and still, I am here, living. So, I thank you LORD.

I want to have a little fun and be a little lazy. 

Senate Asks Buhari to reintroduce toll booths

Alarmed at the frightening level of decay witnessed on the na­tion’s highways, the Nigeri­an Senate on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reintroduce toll gates to enable government rehabilitate the roads.

It would be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo abolished toll gate fees collection on the nation’s highways about 12 years ago.

Obasanjo, who said that toll gates had outlived its usefulness, had on December 30, 2003 dis­banded them across the country with effect from January 1st, 2004.

He pointed out that the scheme was imposing un­necessary financial bur­den on the federal govern­ment and Nigerians who were also overburdened by other demands.

Consequently, the up­per chamber yesterday mandated its Commit­tee on Works to carefully study the toll gate policy together with other rel­evant stakeholders on ef­fective and efficient ways to carry out the policy aimed at producing a ho­listic package to generate funds for roads mainte­nance.

In December 2015, the Senate passed a motion calling on President Mu­hammadu Buhari to rein­troduce toll gates across the country in order to reduce the burdens on the roads. After waiting for ten months without any re­sponse from the President in respect of their demand, the red chamber renewed its move yesterday when it passed the resolution.

The resolution was se­quel to a motion moved by Senator Suleiman Nazif on the need for the re-estab­lishment of toll gates on our federal highways.

SOURCE: Thebreakingtmes

Army arrests 2 officers, 28 others for colluding with Boko Haram

Over 30 persons are now being investigated in the ongoing investigation of suspected Boko Haram saboteurs and collaborators in the fight against insurgency in the North East.

This follows the arrest of nine more persons over the last 24 hours. Army Spokesman, Sani Usman, had said in a statement yesterday.

Those arrested include two serving army officers, two sol­diers, two policemen bringing the total number of collaborators and saboteurs so far under inves­tigation to 30.

He said that more suspects are expected to be arrested and would be prosecuted on the basis of evi­dence available and their levels of involvement.

He said, “Please be informed that the ongoing investigation on suspected Boko Haram terrorists saboteurs and collaborators in the fight against terrorism and insur­gency has led to the arrest of nine more over the last 24 hours, there­by bringing the number to 32.

“This comprise of two officers, two soldiers, two policemen and 26 civilians.

“Many more suspects would be arrested and prosecuted based on evidences against them and the level of culpability.”

SOURCE: Breakingtimes