Cameroon Troops Kills 27 Boko Haram Militants in Border Clashes

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon's army has killed 27 members of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram near a northern town, state radio said on Wednesday, in a sign of growing cross-border activity by the militants.

The Boko Haram fighters crossed the border into Cameroon earlier this week, after attacking a military base and police station in Nigeria and apparently sending some 480 Nigerian troops retreating across the frontier.

"Cameroon soldiers have killed 27 Boko Haram elements during an attack in a locality near Fotokol in the far-north," state radio CRTV said, adding that the deaths occurred on Monday and Tuesday. There was no word on any Cameroonian casualties.

A Cameroonian soldier in the region said the militants had been pushed back into Nigeria, with calm returning to the area on Wednesday.

In recent weeks, Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve out a de facto Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks in Cameroon, leading the central African country to increase deployments along its jungle border.

But Cameroon has not always been successful in fending off Boko Haram raids. President Paul Biya dismissed two senior army officers last month
following attacks in which at least seven people were killed and the wife of the vice prime minister was kidnapped.

Reuters

Boko Haram: Military Uncovers New Tricks Exploited By Terrorists

There are strong indications that terrorists are currently employing new tricks to beat security checks.
Among such moves is the recruitment of physically-challenged people to carry out their dastardly acts in some parts of the country.

The recruitment of these set of persons, as gathered, was to allow easy access into states like Lagos.
This came as the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obaniko, yesterday in Lagos, described Boko Haram sect’s declaration of Gwoza town in Borno state as an Islamic caliphate, as a ‘temporary madness’ that would
soon disappear, saying there would never be another republic within Nigeria.

Military sources hinted that following intelligence report on the use of people with disabilities by the Boko Haram sect, screening of physically challenged persons, particular those using tricycles had begun.

The disclosure as gathered, followed the confessional statement of the physically challenged man arrested recently at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos,
with combustive substance.

A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity however assured that the Military was on top of the situation.

NigerianEye

Nigerian Troops Back From 'Tactical Manoeuvre' To Cameroon, Deployed To Another Counterterrorism Operation

Residents of Mubi confirmed that Nigerian troops numbering up to 480, were seen on arrival from Maroua, most of them looking haggard and wearing tattered clothing.

They were ferried back to Nigeria by military trucks, according to witnesses.
The soldiers supposedly fled a Boko Haram rampage in the border town of Gamboru when they came under superior firepower, but the Defence Headquarters in Abuja said on Monday the troops were “charging through the borders in a tactical manoeuvre”.

Spokesman for the DHQ, Major General Chris Olukolade also confirmed yesterday that the troops were back but declined to state their location.
“Yes they are in the country but I will not confirm their location,” he said.

On Monday, Cameroonian army spokesman Lt Col Didier Badjek said the Nigerian soldiers who crossed the
border were disarmed and accommodated at a school in Maroua.

Nigerian military authorities said later that following talks with Cameroon military “the issues have been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria.”

In Mubi, witnesses said the soldiers were conveyed back yesterday in batches by military trucks, but it was not clear whether the trucks transported them all the way from Maroua.
“At first, residents panicked before but they soon discovered they were Nigerian soldiers,” a resident told Daily Trust.

Another resident told the BBC Hausa of how they saw the returnee soldiers: “As we came out of our homes in the morning, we just saw the Nigerian soldiers, who were said to have crossed over to Cameroon, all over the place, and looking for where to get food.
“Some of them were holding their weapons, while others don’t have weapons. But their number would likely
reach 400.”
He added: “If you see them, you must pity them, because as someone who works for the army, but due to the condition they found themselves, they had to run away.”

Defence Headquarters said the troops who returned from Cameroon were addressed by the General Officer Commanding the 3 Division, Major
General Zaruwa, “as they embark on another mission in the counter-terrorism campaign.”
“All the soldiers are in high spirit with all their weapons and equipment intact,” the DHQ added.

DailyTrust

DHQ Extenuates Purported 'Defection' Of Nigerian Troops To Cameroon

The Nigerian troops that were found in Cameroun was as a result of a sustained battle between the troops and the terrorists around the borders with Cameroun which saw the Nigerian troops charging through the borders in a tactical maneuver.

Eventually they found themselves on Camerounian soil. Being allies the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission.

Following necessary discussions between Nigerian and Cameroonian military authorities, the issues have been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria.

The reference to the incidence as a defection is therefore not appropriate considering the discussion between the two countries’ military leadership and the series of contacts with the soldiers who have confirmed that they are safe.

Meanwhile, troops are repelling a group of terrorists who are trying to enter the country through Gamborou Ngala. A group of them who fizzled into the town are being pursued.

DHQ

Boko Haram Crisis: Hundreds Of Nigerian Troops 'Flee Into Cameroon' - BBC

Some 480 Nigerian soldiers have fled into Cameroon following fierce fighting with Boko Haram militants, Cameroon's army has said.
Army spokesman Lt Col Didier Badjek said the soldiers had been disarmed and were now being accommodated in schools.

Clashes are said to be continuing in the border town of Gamboru Ngala.
Boko Haram on Sunday released a video in which it said it had established an Islamic state in the towns and villages it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

The group's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
Last week, a group of soldiers refused to follow orders to go and fight Boko Haram, saying the militants were
better equipped.
Insurgents also seized one of Nigeria's two main police training academies, which is near the town of Gwoza, captured earlier this month.
Thousands have fled recent fighting - these people are now living in a school.
The Nigerian soldiers are currently in the Cameroonian town of Maroua, about 80km (50 miles) from the Nigerian border, Lt Col Badjek told the BBC.

Thousands of civilians are also said to have fled across the border.
In May, some 300 people were killed in an attack on Gamboru Ngala, which left much of the town in ruins.
It is near Gwoza, the largest town under control of Boko Haram. In the most recent census, in 2006, it had a population of more than 265,000 people.
In the 52-minute video released on Sunday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said Gwoza was now "part of
the Islamic state".

He did not specify whether his groups now had any links to the Islamic State (IS) group, which has seized much of northern Iraq in recent months, prompting the US to respond with air strikes.
There is no evidence for such links but in July, Mr Shekau congratulated IS on its territorial gains.

Source:
BBC

Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Kill 13 In Fresh Violence In Wukari

Suspected Fulani herdsmen yesterday killed 13 people and destroyed more than 50 houses in fresh attacks on Wukari villages in Taraba state, BBC Hausa Radio reported.

Similar attack from gunmen on Bishu village of Wukari local government a day earlier also claimed the lives of
six people, the BBC report said.
Mr Zondu Huku, leader of the Jikun Youth Association said there were about 50-suspected Fulani herdsmen who stormed Muba village, dominated by Jukun ethnic group, at around 7am yesterday and killed seven people instantly.

But the herders in the area have distanced themselves from the atrocity, describing it as “baseless” and without evidence.
Speaking via telephone, Huku said “At around 7am, there is a Jikun village called Muba, which came under the attack of Fulani, totaling 50. They came with heavy weapons and killed seven people.
“One person is still missing; although we don’t know whether is also dead or he is still alive. We are now preparing to go for the funeral of the seven slain people in the village.”

But while reacting to the allegation against them, a Fulani herder, Malam Audu Ali said “this accusation of an attack is baseless. We are not aware of it.
“They are the ones who possess weapons. They have guns, and that is why they chased us out of our homes
in Wukari. We don’t have weapons. It may even be that the attackers came from amongst themselves, because
we are unaware of anything like that.”

When he was told of the Jikun people’s recognition of the attackers as Fulani herders, Malam Ali replied that “if they are insisting that Fulani are the ones who did that (attack) on the village, let them show it, let them come up with any evidence. This is just a mere allegation.”

DailyTrust

Ebola Outbreak Impinges On Nigeria’s Economy, May Lose N542bn In 6 Months

There are indications that the Ebola virus disease is affecting several sectors of the Nigerian economy, as the nation risks losing over $3.5 billion (N542.5 billion) to the epidemic by December, if nothing is done to contain the spread.

Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr Bismarck Rewane, who stated this in the firm’s latest report, said the fear of the disease had affected economic
activities significantly.

This was even as experts in the maritime sector raised concern that containers volume had dropped slowly, as ships reduced to 16 this month from 26 in July, indicating 38.4 per cent drop.

The report said the sectors that would be impacted the most in Nigeria are aviation, hospitality and tourism, trade, medical and agriculture.
The report, which analysed the contributions of the sectors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), noted that Nigeria might lose about $2 billion in the first quarter of the outbreak and about $3.5 billion in the second quarter, although the chance of the outbreak going into a second quarter is very slim.
The August 2014 edition of Financial Derivatives Company’s report on the Nigerian economy illustrated the immediate and potential aggregate economic impact of the outbreak of
the Ebola disease in Nigeria.

In the same vein, global rating agency, Moody, also announced that the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria could lead to disruptions in some sectors of the economy, with negative financial
consequences.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak is adjudged the worst to date, affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.
On August 8, World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the latest Ebola epidemic to be an “international public health emergency,” which has the effect of mobilising global resources to combat it.

Source:
Tribune

Boko Haram Retreats From Magadali Town, Borno State

Boko Haram Islamic insurgents have reportedly withdrawn from Madagali town of Borno State, after holding siege to the town for 24 hours, Daily Trust gathered.

Chairman of Madagali Local Government Area, James Waltharda, said the civilian casualty has been minimal so far but that many residents have been scattered across the state.
He added that five churches were burnt down by the Insurgents in Sabongari and Hembla settlements.
“The insurgents spent the night in Madagali, but military operatives are there now, because I spoke with them. I have not heard of any encounter between soldiers and the assailants, so I can say there is peace. But people will not return to their homes until they are certain that the insurgents have left completely. Our people have left the town for Michika and Shuwa and even in those towns, people are running”, he said.

A security operative who spoke to Daily Trust said the insurgents withdrew to their camps in Gwoza and Limankara in Borno State, few kilometers away from Madagali yesterday morning.
It was gathered that after hoisting their flags at the military base located at the secretariat of Madagali North Development Area, the insurgents patrolled streets in the town throughout the night.

Another source told Daily Trust that the siege on Madagali might not be permanent as the insurgent were
there in pursuit of troops from the Nigerian Army who had launched a failed offensive in the early hours of
Saturday in an attempt to reclaim Limankara and Gwoza.

A resident, Ibrahim Madagali, said the insurgents killed three civilians and that the assailants told some trapped
residents that they did not intend to attack residents as their targets were security agents.
“How could we trust them after they killed many people in Gwoza and other places, so we quickly left and are currently in Michika and we intend to move further because the people hosting me here are planning to run
to Mubi due to rumour of imminent attack”, Ibrahim said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, DSP Michael Haa, said security has been restored in the
area. He said he was not aware of any casualty suffered during the attack.

Source:
DailyTrust

DHQ Refutes Boko Haram's Claim of Gwoza Being Part of Its 'Islamic Caliphate', Says Sect’s Claim 'Empty'

The Defence Headquarters on Sunday dismissed as empty, claims by the leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau that the sect had seized Gwoza from the Nigerian government.

In a statement forwarded to our Correspondent, Defence spokesman, Major Gen. Chris Olukolade insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country remained intact.

The statement said: “The claim is empty. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact. Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime.
“Appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits are still ongoing”

Source:
The Nation

Nigeria Police Confirms 35 Officers Missing Aftermath of Boko Haram Attack on Police Academy

Nigeria Police authorities confirmed that following the deadly attack by suspected Boko Haram fighters on the Mobile Police Training School, Gwoza, last week, 35 of its officers were still missing.

The police, however, noted that search and rescue efforts had led to the recovery of scores of policemen, adding that the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, had ordered the tightening of security in police
formations across the country to prevent future attacks.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, in this regard, said, “Following the attack launched by insurgents on the Gwoza Training camp of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba has since ordered the tightening of security around all police facilities in the country in addition to efforts made to further protect the lives of all people in Nigeria and their properties.

“It will be recalled that a ferocious attack earlier launched on the Training camp by insurgents on 7th August, 2014 was repelled by the Police.
“On 20th August, 2014, the attackers launched a fresh offensive that lasted for several hours where the policemen on duty engaged them in a fierce battle.

“The search and rescue party launched immediately has located and brought to safety all Police officers in the Training College at the time of attack.
“So far, thirty-five policemen who are still missing from the facility as a result of the latest attack are being searched for with very promising prospect of locating them.

“While enjoining all citizens to remain calm and join hands with the security forces in the collective fight against insurgency, the IGP restates his determination to work closely with other security agencies to stem the tide of terrorism in the country.”

Vanguard

Breaking News: Boko Haram Leader - Shekau Formerly Proclaims ‘Islamic Caliphate’ in Nigeria

KANO ( AFP) – Boko Haram’s leader said he has created an Islamic caliphate in a northeast Nigeria town seized by the insurgents earlier this month, in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday.

“Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,” Abubakar Shekau said in the 52-minute video.

He declared that Gwoza, in Borno state, now has “nothing to do with Nigeria”.
“By the grace of Allah we will not leave the town. We have come to stay,” said Shekau, who has been designated a global terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by the UN Security Council.
The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) earlier this month confirmed reports that Gwoza was under Insurgent's control.

Boko Haram is also believed to be in control of other areas near Gwoza in southern Borno, as well as large
swathes of territory in northern Borno and at least one town in neighbouring Yobe state.

Mapping the precise areas which have fallen into Islamist hands is nearly impossible.
There are few humanitarian workers on the ground in the northeast, travel is dangerous and the region, which
has been under a state of emergency since May of last year, has poor mobile phone coverage.

Experts have described Boko Haram’s gains in recent weeks as unprecedented, saying the group was closer than ever to achieving its goal of carving out a strict Islamic state across northern Nigeria.

Source:

Vanguard

Parents Of Abducted Chibok Girls Give Up Hope, Ready To 'Sacrifice' Daughters To End Terrorism

Parents of the abducted Chibok School girls have told President Jonathan and the Nigerian Army to go ahead and end Boko Haram, even if it endangers the lives of the girls.

They said they are ready to turn their daughters into sacrificial lambs, if it will end insurgency and the terror that Boko Haram has being carrying out.

Four months after the captivity of their daughters, the parents are now ready for the military to invade the Sambisa forest no matter the outcome.

Chairman of the Chibok community in Abuja, Hosea Tsambido, stated that he had been in contact with the parents who had given up hope of their daughters returning alive and are only asking that the government return with their bodies so that they can be given proper burial.

He stated this in Abuja during the protest by members of the #BringBackOurGirls the movement to mark 130 days after over 200 girls were abducted from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok.

Tsambido stated that the Chibok culture requires parents and family members of missing persons to bury their loved ones, if they have been missing for over four months, adding that after three to four months the families must perform the burial ritual and assume that the persons are dead to enable them move on with their lives.

His words: “Culturally in our area, when our child or a person is missing for three to four months and you do not hear anything about the person, we will arrange for the burial ceremony and to take it as if the person is dead and we will perform the burial ritual and forget about the person and try to forge ahead with life.
“Now the parents are saying that it is better for them to bring the girls back, even if it means the corpses so that they will bury them properly.
“Let the girls be the sacrificial lambs, that is what they told me. I spoke with them last night on the issue and
their opinion is that the army should go into Sambisa.

If some of the girls are saved, die or abscond, so be it than all this trauma that the parents are going through
right now.
“They are saying that let the government go into the forest and bring back the corpses of the children so that they can bury them properly.

The leader of the BBOG movement, Oby Ezekwesili, has asked the government to tell the group and Nigerians what is being done to rescue the girls after 130 days.
Her words: “This is 130 days after they were abducted and we are no where closer as to knowing the fate of those girls and having any information on their rescue.
“The challenge that we have is the fact that we are told that a rescue operation is going on but when you connect the dots in the statements that are made, it leaves you within the logical frame without any precise sense of a rescue operation because in the case of abduction, what we know around the world is that people try to rescue through a military operation or they try to rescue through negotiation and and they try to sometimes have a mix of those two options.

“Each time that we have listened to statements from government, including from the President, it has seemed to dismiss any of these options and so that leaves us asking, what exactly is going on 130 days since these girls were abducted.

The Nation

Nigeria Police Seek Military Protection Aftermath of Boko Haram Attack on Gwoza Police Academy

Sequel to the recent attack on one of Nigeria's foremost police training institutions, the Police Academy, Gwoza, Borno State by Boko Haram on Wednesday, the Nigeria Police has reached out to the military to protect its facilities in the North.

It was learnt that the military would deploy soldiers to guard police barracks, primary and secondary schools, as well as its training colleges.

A senior security official, who pleaded anonymity, confided in our correspondent that Wednesday’s attack on the police college was seen in security circles as the beginning of the sect’s campaign against police
formations.

Boko Haram had carried out sustained attacks on military barracks in different parts of Borno State since the beginning of its insurgency.
The source said, “We know the sect is targeting the Police and other security formations. We have put our men on the alert. We are seeking the assistance of the military and other security agencies to ensure security of our facilities.”

The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the plan to work with the military. However, he insisted that, far from being helpless, the police had strengthened security around its various training colleges and institutions to forestall further attacks by the sect.
Ojukwu said further developments would determine if its training institutions would be shut to prevent
planned attacks. The police spokesperson, however, refused to dwell on the strategies that the Police would deploy, citing “security reasons.”
Rather, he said the Police was collaborating with other security forces to provide adequate protection for police formations in the North-East and other parts of the country.

He said, “We are not contemplating closing training colleges for now. It is the situation on ground that would determine what we will do. We have already improved the security around our training institutions nationwide and we are working with the military and other security agencies to protect all our facilities.”

Also, Ojukwu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said he did not have details of the attack on the Police Academy in Gworza, Borno State.
He said, “We are in touch with the commissioners of police in the neighbouring states and there are plans to clear the academy of all insurgents. We are working with the military on that. As soon as there are updates, I will let you know.”

Speaking on the attack on the police formation, a security expert, Ben Okezie, said security forces had to do more to battle insurgents.
He said, “We can’t say we are winning this war now because each time the group relaxes, it is to reinforce
and stage deadlier attacks that can shake the nation. I don’t think the Police are still training their personnel in the school. Otherwise, the place would have been better protected with riot policemen who would give Boko Haram a serious fight.”

But another security consultant, Max Gbanite, said it is difficult to predict the outcome of asymmetrical warfare. He noted that the government had begun to understand how to fight the war by signing a multi-national joint agreement with neighbouring countries to combat the insurgents.
He said, “The government has begun to understand how the war would be fought but, unfortunately, the
insurgents won’t wait for them to purchase sophisticated weapons. The group has divided the nation and conspired to make the Army look bad by dressing in military uniforms and doing terrible things. We can’t win the war through threats.”

NigerianEye

Boko Haram Seize Madagali Local Govt. in Adamawa State; 100 Police Academy Trainees Still Missing After Gwoza Attack

Heavily armed insurgents belonging to the Nigerian Islamist sect, Boko Haram, in the early hours of today invaded the secretariat of the Madagali local government area in Adamawa State. The insurgents dislodged Nigerian soldiers who were guarding the facility and surrounding areas.

A security source reported that hundreds of the militants arrived at the local government headquarters led by armored vehicles they had earlier seized from Nigerian troops in Gwoza, Borno State. The source added that the Islamist fighters were also armed with shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and anti-aircraft mortar guns mounted on pickup vans.

They reportedly had it easy overwhelming Nigerian soldiers in the area who retreated quickly in the face of the militants’ heavy gunfire.

The militants promptly hoisted their flag and seized the administrative headquarters of Madagali local
government area.

The local government area now joins a list of towns in Nigeria’s violence plagued northeast that are under the
control of the extremist militants who have declared Western education as the source of moral decadence
and corruption in Nigeria. The towns captured by Boko Haram fighters include Gwoza in Borno State and Buni Yadi in Yobe State.

Meanwhile, more than 100 trainee police officers remain missing days after Boko Haram fighters sacked the Mobile Police Training Academy in Gwoza last Wednesday.

Source:
SR

Boko Haram: DSS Raises Alarm Over Possibility of Female Suicide Bombers Disguised As Catholic Reverend Sisters

The Department of State Service (DSS), has raised alarm over the possibility of Boko Haram terrorists, using a female suicide bomber disguised as a Catholic Reverend Sister to attack a church.

This warning was given by Deputy Director, Public Relations, DSS, Ms Marilyn Ogar, who said that the
timely information is to prevent such terrorists disguising themselves in order to gain entrance to tomorrow’s Sunday services.

According to Ms Ogar, some unidentified persons had on August 20, 2014, about 0400 hours, broken into a tailoring shop located at No.55 Odutola Street, Sabon Gari, Kano, and stole about 13 pieces of Catholic Church Reverend Sisters’ regalia.

She said that with the recent trend of female suicide bombings in the country, the theft of these regalia heightens concerns about the possibility of terrorist elements using same to perpetrate acts of terror.

Consequently, she added that the Department of State Service wishes to draw the attention of the public to this development and to call on all citizens to be more circumspect and exercise greater vigilance with users of such peculiar attires.
"We therefore enjoin all to continue to cooperate with law enforcement agencies through the provision of
useful information on suspicious activities within their immediate environment".

"This Service will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders as we strive to keep our country safe", she assured.

Source:
ThisDay

Gunmen Kill 3 Policemen At Checkpoint In Bauchi

Unknown gunmen have killed three Policemen at check point after Tilden Fulani Village in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The Bauchi State Police command Public Relations Officer DSP Haruna Mohammed said "I am yet to get
details of the attack, but as soon as I do so, I will let you know please." THISDAY gathered from security sources and Toro local Government Officials that the incident occurred Thursday in the night between 10:30pm to 11:30pm.

Our correspondent gathered that the slain Policemen were killed at their regular check point in the area. Our
source explained that on the fateful night," five Policemen went out for duty, unfortunately it was rainy, three of them remained at check point in their vehicle and two of them went to eat in the town; before they came back the Gunmen attacked and killed all the three policemen and took away the rifle of one of them, their corpses were evacuated to Hospital in Bauchi".

Source:
ThisDay

Boko Haram On The Brink Of Creating A Caliphate In Northern Nigeria

Daring advances by Boko Haram suggests the Islamic Sect may be on the brink of achieving its goal of creating an Islamic Caliphate in northern Nigeria. Analysts are however of the view that comparisons to the Iraq crisis are premature and the military can reverse the group’s gains.

The conflict in the Islamists’ northeastern stronghold remains in flux even as witnesses, security sources and experts report that the insurgents have seized several areas and towns since April.

Precisely mapping the areas captured by the extremists— who are blamed for more than 10,000 deaths since their uprising began in 2009 — is near impossible.

The northeast, under a state of emergency since May last 2013, has poor mobile phone coverage, travel is
dangerous and the military has restricted the flow of information.

The United Nations has confirmed reports that the towns of Damboa and Gwoza in Borno State were under
rebel control earlier this month, although Damboa may have since been retaken.
On Thursday, witnesses and an official in Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state said that town had also been seized.

Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at the South Africa-based crisis management group Red 24, described Boko Haram’s shift from guerrilla-style hit-and-run tactics as “a significant evolution” and predicted the trend would continue.

Virginia Comolli of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London added that the group was “in control” of northern Borno, which is consistent with residents’ accounts.
She said that the group had captured and held territory before but “now we are looking at a more extended area”.
“They have a real shot of achieving their goal” of creating a strict Islamic state in the north, she added.

Military Weakness -
While the rebels have grown stronger, secured powerful new weapons and refreshed their ranks with new conscripts, military failures are largely to blame for the worsening crisis, multiple sources said.
“For whatever reason, our soldiers, who are capable of defeating Boko Haram terrorists, were starved of the
necessary weapons,” said a senior security source in Borno’s capital Maiduguri.
He noted that Boko Haram had taken over larges swathes of northern Borno before May last year.

When the state of emergency was declared, the military launched a massive offensive which temporarily flushed the rebels from their strongholds. But said the security source, top brass failed to sustain the pressure.

Boko Haram “would have been completely crushed had the tempo of the offensive been sustained”, he told AFP.
“I assure you it will not take much effort to crush them if provided with the needed weapons,” he added.
Lack of arms for troops has become a flashpoint issue, and soldiers this week refused to deploy to Gwoza without better weapons in an apparent mutiny.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer and top economy and some observers have put the defence budget at roughly $6 billion (4.5 billion euros) per year.
If troops are chronically ill-equipped, corruption and inefficiency are the likely causes, rather than a lack of
resources, experts say.

Most agree that force alone cannot end the five-year conflict and must be coupled with major economic
development in the desperately poor northeast.

Not ‘Islamic State’ -
In a July video, Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau voiced support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of
the Islamic State (IS) extremists who have captured parts of Iraq and Syria and claimed the grisly execution
of US journalist James Foley.
The mention of Baghdadi was unusual for Shekau, who in videos often appears completely detached from current events.

Jacob Zenn, an analyst at the US-based Jamestown Foundation, said there were similarities between IS and Boko Haram, notably their shocking levels of brutality.
Boko Haram has among other crimes massacred thousands of defenceless civilians, opened fire on students sleeping in their dorms, kidnapped hundreds of children, including more than 200 schoolgirls from the
town of Chibok in April.

But while the United States has described IS as “beyond anything” it has seen in terms of funding, weaponry and strategic sophistication, Boko Haram is largely made up of poor, uneducated youths with almost no tactical training. Though the group is thought to have ties to outside jihadi groups but the extent of those links is not clear.

Boko Haram “has not reached that level of sophistication”, Comolli told AFP, referring to IS, but said Shekau’s mention of Baghdadi was noteworthy.
Boko Haram, she said, is “watching what is going on”.

Vanguard Newspaper

Defence HQ Encourage Nigerians To Report Deserters, Malingerers To Security Agencies

Nigerian military hierarchy have started going after soldiers deserting from the Armed Forces.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said that the Nigerian military would ensure the arrest of all deserters from the Army because deserting is a grave crime in the military.

Olukolade made this assertion while speaking on issues involving the on-going counter terrorism operation at
Nigeria News Info, monitored by our correspondent.

He called on members of the public to ensure that deserters were reported to the military authorities for prompt action. According to him, any soldier found roaming about without being on leave or an authorised pass would
most likely be a deserter and should be reported to the appropriate authorities.

The Defence Spokesman urged Nigerians to avoid the temptation of
glorifying soldiers for displaying cowardice, involvement in inglorious conducts.

The military spokesman emphasized that the authorities would go after and arrest any deserter no matter how long it would take them to have him.
“In any case indeed, there are deserters, yes there are deserters definitely, and the deserters are being arrested.
“In fact, we call on the public, if you see a deserter, bring him, it is a crime.
“If you see somebody who ought to be in the front and he is roaming around, he is not on leave, he is not on a legitimate pass, there is every likelihood, he is a deserter.
“And in any case even deserters are supposed to be reported to security agencies and arrested; it is a crime
to be a deserter; if you are a deserter, that is the worst form of military service.
“And I think it is time the public knew some things that should not be glorified about the soldier; if a soldier is a mutineer, if a soldier is a deserter, when a soldier demonstrate cowardice, such a person is not doing anything glorious. Such a person is a disgrace and is actually operating in the realm of crime; and there is no heroism whatsoever in it.”

“Now the way people are presenting this attitude, makes it look as if they want to feel heroic; you desert your unit, you go about telling lies of what is happening in the front; so that you would look gallant. Such a person should be reported and if possible arrested and presented to the authorities. If it takes 20 years, a deserter is a deserter, we will get him."

Olukolade who also spoke on the issue of the attack on the former General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, Major General Ahmed Mohammed, said that some of the soldiers were facing trials as a result of the incident.
He said that the military authorities would speak on it at the conclusion of the trial.

Source:
Punch Newspaper

Nigeria Police Promotes, Redeploys Officers: DCP Ojukwu Replaces ACP Frank Mba As PRO

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has appointed DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu as the new Force Public Relations Officer to replace ACP Frank Mba who has been redeployed to Lagos State Command as an Area Commander, Area J, Ajah.

ACP Mba was the Force Public Relations Officer from February 2012 to August, 2014.
Until his new assignment, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu was the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of
Criminal Investigations Department at Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja.

The new spokesman is stepping into a familiar terrain, having distinguished himself as the Force PRO from
December 2008 to October 2010.
He holds B.Sc degree in Psychology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and M.Sc in Psychology from the
University of Lagos. He is a member of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Chairman Association of
Nigerian Authors, Abuja, President of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association, Abuja.

ACP Mba while handing over the baton, thanked the IGP for the new assignment given to him and urged the media and the public to extend maximum cooperation to the new spokesman.
Responding, the new Force PRO promised to work to increase the tempo of good relationship between the Police and the public in line with the policy thrust of the Nigeria Police Force.

He called on members of the public and the media to grant the same level of goodwill and cooperation necessary for his success in office. The new Force PRO harped on the slogan “The Police is your helper and friend.”

Also the Police Service Commission, in continuation of its resolve at repositioning the Nigeria Police Force for optimal productivity has approved the deployment of AIG Bala A. Hassan, formerly AIG from Zone 10, Sokoto to the Force Headquarters as the new Force Secretary.
He takes over from Dan’Azumi Job Doma who was recently elevated to the rank of Deputy Inspector –General of Police. The deployment is with effect from 19th August, 2014.

The appointment of the Force Secretary follows Tuesday’s promotion of 19 new Assistant Inspectors General of Police by the Commission. They are CP Ambrose O. Aisibor, formerly CP Kwara state, CP
Adebayo Ajileye, one time CP Legal, Umaru Abubakar Manko, formerly CP Lagos state, CP Joel Kayode Theophilus, formerly CP Jigawa state, CP Wilfred Eje Obute, and CP Felix Osita Uyanna.
Others are CP A. J. Abakasanga, CP Jubril Olawale Adeniji, CP Ibrahim M. Maishanu, CP Godfrey E. Okeke,
CP Chintua Amajor-Onu, formerly CP Homicide, CP Lawal Tanko, CP Usman Akila Gwarry, CP Kalafite Helen Adeyemi, CP Yahaya Garba Ardo.

Also promoted are CP Irimiya F. Yerima, formerly Commandant Police College, Ikeja, CP Olufemi A. Adenaike, formerly CP Kaduna, CP Mbu Joseph Mbu, formerly CP in charge Rivers and FCT and Patrick Dey Dokumor, formerly CP in charge Federal SARS.

Disclosing that all the appointments are with effect from 20th August, 2014, the PSC said the promotions became necessary to fill the vacancies created by recent retirements/promotions in the Force and to re-invigorate and reposition Zonal and other Commands headed by AIGS, to help tackle the country’s current security challenges.

The promotion of the new AIG’s assigning of positions to the new Deputy Inspectors General with DIG Dan’azumi Job Doma appointed DIG 2i/c to the IGP.
DIG Solomon Arase is the DIG in charge Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), DIG Hilary Opara is the DIG in charge Administration and Finance, DIG Sotonye Wakama is the DIG in charge of Operations, DIG
Mamman Tsafe is the DIG in charge Works and Logistics.

Others are DIG Christopher Katso, DIG in charge of ICT (InfoTech), DIG Salihu Argungu, DIG in charge of Training while DIG David Omojola is DIG in charge Research and Planning.

Source:
Vanguard

Boko Haram: 'Mutinous' Soldiers Set For Court Martial; Insurgents Overrun Police Training School Near Gwoza

Mutinous soldiers of newly created 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri have been relocated to another division for trial, it was learnt yesterday.

The military is said to have taken the step to avoid the trial constituting a distraction to the Division in its fight against the Boko
Haram insurgency and to avoid “spiral effect” on the morale of other soldiers.

A source revealed that Buni Yadi in Yobe State is constantly exposed to attacks from Boko Haram because of the “thin presence” of troops in the area as a result of manpower challenge. The troops deployed in the area are only on patrol duties.
Although the military is silent on the number of the affected soldiers, the figure is said to be between 18
and 50.

Some of the soldiers were fingered in the alleged shots fired at a car carrying the former General Officer Commanding the 7 Division in Maiduguri, Borno State, Maj.-Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed while others were said to have violated the Army Act on issues bordering on redeployment to flashpoints in parts of Borno State.

A military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The mutinous soldiers have been taken away from Maiduguri to some Divisions where court martial had been ongoing.
According to him, “We do not want the trial to distract the focus of the 7 Division in curtailing Boko Haram. It can evoke emotion and generate more reactions. Already, you can see the wives of soldiers protesting against deployment of their spouses to flashpoints.” The source was however not forthcoming on the location of the court martial.

Another source cited security reasons for the shifting of the trial from Maiduguri to other divisions.
The source said: “Actually, based on security reasons, it will not be safe to put the soldiers on trial in Maiduguri.
They do not want it to have contagious effects.
“And the good thing about court martial is that its jurisdiction covers all parts of the country. The soldiers can be tried anywhere.”

On a related note, it was learnt that the Police Training Academy near Gwoza in Borno State had been overrun by Boko Haram insurgents.

A witness was quoted by the BBC as saying that he heard shots after the insurgents arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles.

A police spokesman confirmed the attack and a senior security source said it had not been possible to
establish communication with the academy since Wednesday, the BBC reported.

The Liman Kara College is near Gwoza town, which has been seized by Boko Haram since the beginning of this month.

The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of
Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns such as Damboa and Gwoza.

Attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have not succeeded so far – and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.

Residents of Liman Kara, which is about 15km from Gwoza, told the BBC Hausa service that police recruits
were seen running from the college after the attack began at dawn on Wednesday. He said he was unable to confirm if there were casualties as he had joined other residents and fled the town to nearby hills.

A security official who craved anonymity told the BBC that the militants had “entered the school” but said he could not confirm they were in control of the college as it had not been possible to contact it.

A similar attack on the college was repelled by officers undergoing training there two weeks ago.
BBC Hausa’s Mahmud Lalo said the Liman Kara academy is one of only two riot police training colleges in Nigeria and the militants are likely to find weapons there.

Several hundred militants were reportedly involved in the raid on the college, which there were reportedly more than 290 police trainees at the time.

Source:
The Nation

Arise Nigerians, Unite Against Insecurity, Terrorism and Insurgency!

Written by: Don Okereke

Agreed Nigeria has never been the most peaceful country in the world but the current spate of insecurity, terrorism and insurgency is unprecedented in the annals of this country. What started like a child's play has metamorphosed into one of the world's deadliest terrorist organizations. Prior to now, the concept of suicide bombing was alien to Nigeria, now it is becoming voguish even to females (mothers and potential mothers!) One is amazed how Nigeria snowballed to this ignoble position within a short period of time.

Britain 'To Send Tornado Reconnaissance Jets to Nigeria' To Find Abducted Chibok Girls

The RAF is sending three warplanes to help locate the Nigerian schoolgirls taken by an Islamist terror group, it has been reported.

Four months ago Boko Haram, which is fighting to reinstate a medieval Islamic caliphate in religiously mixed Nigeria, abducted more than 200 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok and they remain missing.

Four MASSOB Members Feared Dead As Commanders Battle Uwazuruike

Four people were feared dead yesterday and scores injured when the commanders of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) ‘toppled’ the embattled leader of the group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and took over the national headquarters of the movement at Okwe in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State.

Lebanese Businessman Kidnapped By Gunmen in Ibadan

THE General Manager of Black Horse Industries Limited, Mr. S. Sakalawi, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The Lebanese was seized and whisked away by three gunmen, who stormed the factory premises located along Old Lagos Road, Podo area of Ibadan at about 9:30p.m last Tuesday, according to reliable sources.

United States Donates High Tech Bomb Disposal Robot, Equipments to Nigeria Police

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, has donated a bomb disposal robot and other equipment to the Nigerian Police and assured that his country would continue to support it in the war against insurgency in the country.

British Extremists Fighting For 'The Islamic State' (ISIS) Are The 'Most Vicious and Vociferous' - Expert Says

British extremists are among the "most vicious and vociferous fighters" in Islamic State (Isis) ranks in Syria and Iraq, a jihadism expert has said.
Sunni Muslims from the UK are taking part in the conflicts "in every way", according to Shiraz Maher from King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation.

Mutiny Attracts Death Sentence, Chief of Army Staff Warns Soldiers

THE Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, on Tuesday, warned  that any soldier or officer convicted of mutiny would be court marshalled and sentenced to death.

Boko Haram: Nigerian Soldiers 'Mutiny Over Insufficient Weapons'

A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Islamist Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC.

The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.

A defence ministry spokesman said the incident was being investigated.

Boko Haram Suspect Arrested Near Lagos Airport Confesses He Was Sent To Bomb Murtala Mohammed Int'l Airport

The Boko Haram suspect who was arrested at National Airport Management Authority (NAMA) annex in Lagos yesterday, confessed last night that he was sent along with other Boko Haram members to Lagos to bomb various parts of the city.

The physically challenged 22-year-old suspect who was caught with canisters around his neck, in his confession, told security operatives that his two other colleagues were assigned the task of bombing Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), as well as the densely populated Lagos Island and Apapa areas of the megacity.

A Security source, who spoke exclusively to THISDAY, said the suspect (name withheld) had confessed that he alongside several others were recruited from Niger Republic and were trained extensively before their deployment.

The suspect said the plot to bomb Lagos would not be simultaneously done, a clear deviation from the planned simultaneous attacks last year March, when the sect tried to bomb various designated places across the state at the same time.

According to him, the attempt by the
physically-challenged suspect was the first attempt to bomb Lagos after the twin bomb blasts in Apapa two months ago that claimed no fewer than five persons including the suicide bomber.

A security official, who spoke to THISDAY on the strict condition of anonymity, said the attempt would have been successful but for the inability of the explosives to detonate when they were supposed to.

He said: “He was caught because when he tried to set off the explosives, there was a hitch. He ran back to an obscure place to check it out and fix it.

His suspicious movement and the frustration evident on his face aroused the suspicion of security operatives attached to NAMA.”
Also speaking, another source from the state security department said already, investigations had kicked off in full gear to round up other suspects who were said to have been deployed to wreak havoc in the state.

The suspect was arrested at the NAMA annex facility, known as CENTREX, about 300 meters from the international terminal of the airport, opposite the airport cathedral.

THISDAY learnt that the suspect was making frantic phone calls, and looked frustrated and restless. His mannerism and slovenly conduct aroused the suspicion of security personnel who were watching him and subsequently arrested him.

He was taken to the MMIA police station at Beesam junction. Shortly after his arrest, the police had initially pleaded for more time to undertake the investigation to confirm the identity and mission of the suspect.

The police also said that the suspected explosive device found on the suspect would be examined and confirmed later, adding that it would be hasty to describe it as an explosive.

A police officer, however, described the device found on the suspect as locally made explosives.

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, Supo Atobatele, said the suspect was within the vicinity of the airport making phone calls along the Airport Road when the agency’s security personnel accosted him.

He said his incoherent explanation aroused further suspicion, especially with the suspicious looking canisters on his person.
“The attention of NAMA has been drawn to insinuations that a suspected suicide bomber was arrested at one of the agency’s facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday.

“The basic truth however is that the said suspect was on the ground making phone calls along the Airport Road close to CENTREX, an annex office of NAMA when the agency’s security personnel accosted him.

“His incoherent explanation exposed him to the security personnel who later found on him some devices suspected to be explosives. He was subsequently handed over to the Airport Police Command for further investigation.

“The Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, in reaction, commended the security personnel for their vigilance and prompt arrest of the suspect,” Atobatele said in a statement.

The suspect who wore brown shorts and a white T-shirt was prevented from speaking to reporters about his mission to the airport.
But another policeman told THISDAY that the suspect was not willing to talk initially, having concealed his age but later said that his father was from Kano while his mother was from Cameroon and that he lived in Nasarawa quarters in Kano.

Yet, another senior security official with one of the aviation agencies told THISDAY that enquiries had revealed that the suspect was from Niger Republic, arrived Lagos on Sunday
and was asking people for the location of the airport before he was arrested.
The official alleged that the suspect was on a mission and was sent by somebody, dismissing the initial statement from the police that he was a lunatic.

“I don’t think that the suspect is a lunatic. If the police say that he is a lunatic let them prove that he is one.
“From my own assessment, the suspect was on a mission; he was sent by somebody, but the police have not given us more information.
I went to see him and the young man spoke both in English and in Hausa. The police said they should be given time to investigate the suspected devices, so let me give them time,” the official said.

Source:
ThisDay Newspaper

Convicted Boko Haram Terrorist - Kabiru Sokoto Promises To Name Sect's Sponsors If Granted Presidential Pardon

Barring any last minute change of plans, Convicted Boko Haram terrorist, Kabiru Umar aka Kabiru Sokoto, according to reports is set to start unveiling names and organisations of alleged sponsors of the dreaded Islamic sect.

Boko Haram Kills 10, Raze Homes, Military Camp and Police Station In Fresh Attack

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed 10 people who had fled their homes to escape repeated attacks by the insurgents, after hunting them down in a nearby village, witnesses said on Monday.

Nigeria's Economy At Risk Due To Stigmatization and Discrimination From Ebola –LCCI

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, has expressed fear that Nigeria’s economy may be at risk going by the stigmatisation the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, has put on the country. It also said that the current international isolation and unwarranted discrimination against the Nigerians travelling abroad might impact the economy of the country negatively.

The LCCI in a statement yesterday by the President, Alhaji Remi Bello, urged the business community to support the current efforts by governments aimed at controlling the spread of the deadly disease in the country. “There is currently the risk of international
isolation, stigmatisation and unwarranted discriminatory practices against the citizens travelling
outside our shores. This has grave consequences for the economy and the citizens,” Bello said. The chamber
has commended the governments on the measures taken so far to contain the spread of the disease.

Although it regretted the outbreak of EVD in the country, saying the incident was avoidable but for the failure of the country's system which could not stop the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, the carrier of the virus, from gaining entry into the country.

"Nevertheless, we note with satisfaction the measures taken so far by the federal and state governments to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease in the
country,” the chamber stated.

Bello, therefore, appealed to the private sector and the citizenry to also, in demonstration of their support for nationwide initiatives being undertaking to curb the spread of the disease, comply with protective measures as advised by the health authorities.

“We urge the business community and the entire citizenry to support the current efforts at containment of the disease. Given the way it came to Nigeria, current scope of the spread and the containment strategies, we are confident that before long, the situation would be fully brought under control.

“We urge all citizens to comply with protective measures as advised by the health authorities with regard to body contacts, general hygiene and making prompt reports of suspected cases,” he said. According to him, as the containment measures progress, the imperative of discretion in information management needs to be underscored just as care should be taken not to escalate the Ebola crisis beyond the reality of its occurrence. He noted that the Ebola hype had created a disproportionate panic, anxiety and scare, projecting the country as endemic Ebola zone.

Source:

Nigeria's First Lady - Mrs Patience Jonathan Donates Relief Materials To Boko Haram Victims

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has donated three truck loads of relief materials to displaced victims of Boko Haram in Borno and Gombe states. The Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, who represented Mrs Jonathan, visited several camps of displaced people on Saturday.

Boko Haram Will End When Federal Govt.Wants - Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers Governor

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the weekend said the war against Boko Haram insurgents will not stop unless the Federal Government is ready to tackle it sincerely.

Chadian Soldiers 'Rescue 85 Nigerians Abducted By Boko Haram'

Reports are emerging of the rescue by Chadian troops of some 85 Nigerian villagers abducted earlier this week by suspected Boko Haram militants.

A Nigerian security official told AFP that they had intercepted a convoy of buses transporting gunmen and the villagers in a routine security check.

Neither the Nigerian or Chadian militaries have confirmed the reports.

Boko Haram is accused of kidnapping hundreds of people in the north-east of Nigeria, and neighbouring Cameroon.

The group, which wants to create an Islamic state in the region, sparked international outcry when they abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April in Nigeria's remote down of Chibok in Borno state.

Speedboat Escape
Dozens of men, women and children were seized from the remote fishing village of Doron Bag by boat across Lake Chad on Sunday.

Eyewitnesses said 26 people were killed in the raid.

A senior Nigerian security official told the Agence France-Presse news agency on Saturday that 85 people abducted in the attack were had been found by Chadian troops.

Nigeria imposed a state of emergency in Borno state last year to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency
"The convoy being led by six Boko Haram gunmen was stopped on the Chadian part of the border along Lake Chad for routine checks and the huge number of people in the convoy raised suspicion," the unnamed official said.

The six suspects were giving conflicting information on the hostages and their destination, he added.

Another official with the National Human Rights Commission in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, said some militants had escaped on speedboats when they saw the convoy being stopped.

He said the rescued villagers, totalling 65 men and 22 women, were still in Chadian custody but that 30 people were still being held by the militants.

News of the raid on Doron Bag took days to emerge, due to the remote region's poor communication links.

The militants burned down some of the houses in the village, and took mainly women and some boys and girls, a village elder told the BBC.

Other survivors said young men were also taken possibly to be turned into Boko Haram fighters.

A state of emergency was declared in Borno and two other north-eastern states last year to help the military crush the insurgency but the militants have stepped up attacks since then.

The schoolgirls abducted in April are thought to be held in the vast Sambisa forest, along Nigeria's border with Cameroon.

The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.

BBC

EBOLA Outbreak: Cameroon Shuts Its Border With Nigeria, Suspends Flights From Nigeria

Following the fears of spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through international air and seaports,
including border land outposts of Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) in the Northeast sub-region of country, Cameroon has closed its borders with Nigeria and suspended all flights to and from Nigeria.

Cameroon Orders Its Military Not To Share Intelligence on Boko Haram With Nigeria

CAMEROON has instructed its armed forces not to share information on terrorist group Boko Haram with their Nigerian counterparts after indications that intelligence was finding its way into the hands of the insurgents.

Nigeria and Cameroon share a long and porous border, which Boko Haram has exploited in its campaign of terror, mounting cross-border raids and evading security forces. Of late, however, Cameroon has stepped up its fight against the terrorists, making it more difficult for its territory to be used as a base.

Unlike as is the case with Nigeria, Boko Haram does not have a political following within Cameroon and as such has not managed to infiltrate its military. Similarly, the Cameroonian military has not been infiltrated like the Nigerian Army, in which officers regularly pass information on to the terrorists who then lay ambushes for soldiers.

Aware of the dangers working with the Nigerian military authorities poses, Cameroon’s minister of territorial administration and decentralisation, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, has directed all army commanders to withhold crucial information about the insurgents from Nigeria. In a circular with Decree number G/D/MINATD, tiled Strong Message, he made it clear to the commander of Cameroon's Rapid Intervention Brigade, that the country did not want the grave security situation in Nigeria to spill over into Cameroon.

He charged the Cameroonian forces to be vigilant along the border to prevent any further spillover of Boko Haram's violence into the country. According to the minister, the Cameroonian president, Paul Biya, had charged all the units to ensure that activities of the insurgents were not allowed to get into the country.

Mr Sadi's letter read: “As you are aware of the security situation in the country and the impending turmoil/danger coming from our neighbour, Nigeria, you must keep all important information regarding the Islamic sect under your control without sharing all the information with Nigerians. We do not want the situation from our neighbouring country to spill over to our country. Information from our Western friends portrays Nigeria negatively.”

Already, Cameroon's chief of defence staff has relocated to the north of the country as the war against Boko Haram is intensified. Ahmed Ogbole-Ode, Nigeria's foreign ministry spokesman, said he was not aware of that Cameroon was not cooperating with Nigeria in the campaign against terrorism and that it had ordered its security personnel not to work with the country.

Mr Ogbole-Ode added: “I am not aware of the content of the letter, in fact, I’m hearing it from you for the first time. I cannot comment on the level of cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria unless I get the necessary information from our mission in Yaounde.”

In another development, Chadian troops have rescued most of the 100 people recently kidnapped by Boko Haram following a successful military operation. On August 10, the terrorist group kidnapped 100 people in Doron Baga in the Kukawa area near the border with Chad but they were stopped as they crossed the Chadian border by local soldiers who engaged them in a gun battle, setting free most of the captives.

NigerianWatch

Boko Haram: Nigerian Military Clears Terrorists’ Camps in Counter Offensive

Troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in a dawn raid operation on Friday cleared a terrorists’ camp in Buduram, north of Doron Baga, where terrorists were massing up and reorganizing to carry out a reprisal attack after being routed in Doron Baga in a previous encounter last Sunday.

The defence headquarters made this disclosure in a statement on its website Saturday.
The statement said, “seventeen terrorists died in the raid operation while some who escaped into neighbouring islands in the Lake Chad Peninsula are still being pursued”.

Meanwhile, the defence headquarters say calm has been restored in Doron Baga after the Sunday attack by terrorists who infiltrated the community with some of them disguising as women in hijab.

Five of the terrorist died in the counter offensive to defend Doron Baga by troops of the MNJTF.

Many of the inhabitants of the community who had fled into nearby bushes for safety are now returning, the statement said.

Premium Times

Boko Haram - Immigration Detains Germany-Based Nigerian Suspected To Be On Wanted List

A GERMAN-based Nigerian, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, whose name rhymes with that of a terrorist on the federal government's wanted list has been allegedly brutalized by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) attached to the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Ahmed's Elder brother, Mr. Adam Abdullahi told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that Ahmed who came to Nigeria during the last Ramadan holiday was going back to Germany when he was allegedly arrested at the airport and mistaken for the wanted terrorist.

Abdullahi said the 32-year-old Kwara State-born indegin claimed that three NIS officers assaulted him physically adding that one of them hit his head with a rod and left him with a deep cut.

He said all effort to secure Ibrahim's release and claim of innocence were futile as one of the officers simply identified as Alaje insisted on transferring the suspect to the NIS headquarters in Abuja.

Abdullahi also said the intervention of a lawmaker from the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Egberongbe Mufutau who represents Apapa Constituency 1, could not secure the release of the suspect.

"Ahmed called us on Saturday night after we had seen him off that his passport has been seized by immigration officers who claimed that his name was on the list of persons wanted by the federal government. We ran back to the airport and were told by Alaje and Umar who were on duty that the case must be taken to Abuja for clearance. They asked us to return on Monday with a return ticket for our brother and one immigration officer who will accompany him.

"He was made to sleep on the floor of one of the offices and was told that he would need clearance from the presidency to leave the country as his name tallies with that of a terrorist on the wanted list of the Nigerian government.

"But by Sunday night he called again to say he was being beaten by the NIS officers on duty. We went back to the airport only to meet him in the cell. His cloth was soaked in blood while his head was bandaged. He said one of the officers hit him with a rod.

"Ahmed was later taken to Abuja on Tuesday where he was detained. His mobile phone and other valuables were confiscated. Right now he is in Abuja awaiting his bail," said Abdullahi.

An NIS officer at the airport who craved anonymity confirmed the incident and said Ahmed's name appeared on the suspect index of the Service with the instruction 'refer to the comptroller of immigration'. But he said they needed to take the suspect to a detention cell because it was already late.

"The suspect refused to go into the cell. We had to apply minimum force to subdue him," he said.

Source:
allafrica.com

Boko Haram: Soldiers Intercept Convoy of Youth Moving From Borno to Abuja

The Nigerian military on Thursday said it had intercepted about 51 youth moving from Maiduguri, Borno State, to Abuja.

This was disclosed via an unsigned statement on its website.
The military said the convoy was intercepted around 3 a.m. along Babale, Plateau State on Wednesday.

The youth, travelling in three 18-seater transit buses, were led by a woman, it said.
It added that officers of the Special Task Force were currently trying to unravel the motive of the youth movement.

The statement also disclosed that during an interrogation, the youth claimed they were being conveyed to Abuja on the order of a Borno State Government official, to meet their relatives for assistance in an economic empowerment programme. It also said the youth had made contradictory statements regarding sponsorship of their mission to Abuja.

The military, however, added that efforts to reach the official, to verify the claims, were not responded, adding that the issue was being investigated to ascertain the genuine mission of the young people.

It said the investigation had become necessary in the light of the security situation and the suspicious claims by the youth.

Source:
Premium Times

Boko Haram Now Confined To Fringes of North-East Nigeria - Pres. Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan says his government has reduced the Boko Haram insurgency in the country to the Northeast alone, down from about 12 States.

President Jonathan said this on Thursday in remarks made by a special adviser, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

Okupe was reacting to the comments made by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who had criticized the government during a lecture marking the 50th birthday of former Governor Timpriye Sylva.

Okupe said Mr. Jonathan did not lie to Nigerians concerning the insurgency, stressing that terrorism is a global phenomenon which has only recently plagued the country.

"At its peak, it ravaged some 12 States in the North including Abuja. Today, because of the courage, resilience and capability of our armed forces and security agencies, we have pushed them to the fringes of the North Eastern parts of the country.”

He admitted that there are still obvious challenges but that the government is giving them the best attention and considerations possible.

"Recently, Foreign Allies including Britain, USA, France, Israel, China and Australia have arrived Nigeria soil and are co-operating with our military to resolve especially the issue of the kidnap of the Chibok girls,” Okupe said.

"These are the best global players and they have been with us for about six weeks. If the releasing of the girls was a tea-party, definitely, it should have been over by now. We have said it before and we will say it again, “yes, we know where the girls are but our approach at releasing them must be carefully weighed against their overall safety.

"It is a matter of national disgrace and shame that highly placed, and highly net worth individuals in the country will continue to politicise the nation’s misfortunes and challenges not minding the deleterious and untoward demoralising effects this attitude have on our military especially, the widows and innocent children of our military heroes who die daily on the fields, defending their country”.

SR