Outside Forces Behind Insurgency in Nigeria - David Mark

The Senate President, David Mark, has disclosed that the war against terror in Nigeria has persisted partly because the major perpetrators of terror in the country, Boko Haram sect, has wider networks beyond the nation and also enjoys tremendous support by forces outside the country.

He nonetheless assured that notwithstanding this, the Federal Government is doing everything within its capacity to ensure that it wins the battle against the insurgents.

Mark spoke at the weekend in Abuja when he hosted the American ambassador in Nigeria, James Entwistle.

The Senate President particularly assured the envoy that the Federal Government has not forgotten the kidnapped Chibok school girls who were kidnapped last April by the Boko Haram sect, promising that in no distant time, the girls will regain freedom.

Mark specifically pointed out that Boko Haram is not only a threat to Nigeria but poses a great danger to human existence.

He assured that the nation’s security operatives were doing their utmost to bring the situation under control but would welcome support and assistance from the international community to end the activities of the insurgents.

This was also as the duo pledged Nigeria and the United States of America’s commitment to strengthen strategies to tackle the threat of terrorism confronting Nigeria with a view to bringing the activates of the insurgents to an end.

“The United States of America is a strategic ally to us (Nigeria). We count on your support and military assistance always especially in this battle against the terrorists”, Senator Mark told the Ambassador.

While responding, the American envoy pledged the continued support and assistance of the American government to end terrorism in Nigeria.

Entwistle however cautioned that in the war against insurgents, the security operatives should be mindful of human rights in order not to cause more damage than arresting the situation.

Courtesy:
National Mirror

Terror Attacks Timed to Frustrate Jonathan's Administration — FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared that there is a disturbing nexus between major terror attacks in the country and the development landmarks of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

A pattern, the government said, has emerged whereby almost always when there is need to collectively celebrate an important landmark recorded by it, appears to be the time when the insurgents find pleasure in attacking and making their statement of terror.
Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, made this claim in Lagos during an interview.
Maku lamented that what had been happening in the past two years was that terrorism had taken the front pages and deprived the country of news of development and social issues.
He said it was becoming very disturbing that “anytime the current administration had cause to celebrate an achievement, bombs explode to distract  Nigerians and portray the government in bad light.
“I can tell you”, he continued, “that almost every milestone recorded by this government is accompanied by bomb blasts,” pointing at the World Economic Forum which was preceded by bomb attacks in Abuja, and the widely acclaimed Ekiti State governorship election victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,” as examples.
The Minister said “immediately we announced the re-basing of our economy and it was now confirmed that Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa, there were bombs at Chibok.

Immediately they learnt we were going to hold the World Economic Forum, WEF, there were bombs in Abuja and its environs to make sure that Nigeria does not get the economic benefits of hosting the World Economic Forum and to discourage the world from coming here so as to make the attack the center point of international and local media…
“We also noticed that immediately after our victory in Ekiti, the bombs started raining again.”
He then concluded that, “there is a correlation between the exposure of development efforts in the media and the  insecurity in the northern part of the country.

Labaran Maku
“That is why most times I have continued to insist that the media should have a change of strategy , I wouldn’t say change of attitude. Because, as you know, with terrorism, once its takes hold, it takes very long for it to be dealt with. Because the terrorists themselves are looking for the opportunity to be exposed, to sell their ideology,  to use the media to frighten the society, to give themselves some invincible image, so they keep doing those strikes mainly because they want those headlines to be celebrated, they want the society to be afraid,” he said.
He again lamented that terrorism has exploited the liberal tendencies of democracy and  free press  to sell its own ideology to the world, and “I believe frankly that the media should, side by side, while reporting incidence of terror attacks, where they unfortunately occur, focus on development and deepening of our democracy. That is the only way we can defeat them.”

Courtesy:
Vanguard Newspaper

Nigeria Police Warn of Possible Terrorist Attacks on Abuja

ABUJA (AFP) – Nigerian police warned on Saturday of a new wave terrorist attacks on the capital Abuja,
where more than 100 people have been killed in bombings since April.
Officers claimed they had “credible intelligence reports” of suicide attacks being planned on the city’s transport system, with terrorists also plotting
to detonate improvised explosive devices concealed in luggage, bags and cans.

The Islamist Boko Haram sect claimed responsibility for killing 75 people in the bombing of the main bus station at Nyanya, on the outskirt of Abuja, on April 14.
A car bomb at the same spot two weeks later killed 19 and left 80 others injured, while 21 people were killed on June 25 at a crowded Abuja shopping centre in other attacks blamed on the sect.
“The terrorists have perfected a plot to carry out attacks on the Abuja transport sector,” the police said in a statement on Saturday.
It urged people to be vigilant, and said that security forces were working to “deal with the threat”.
The Nigerian government has been under intense international pressure since the abduction of 276 girls by Boko Haram from a secondary school in Chibok in the north of the country in April.

Parents and local leaders have accused the military of doing almost nothing to secure the release of the hostages. Fifty-seven of the girls escaped within days of the night-time raid on the school in Borno state but local officials have said that 219 are still being held.

Courtesy:
TheNews

Security Agencies Want To Set Us Up, Say BringBackOurGirls Campaigners

The BringBackOurGirls campaigners yesterday alleged that security agencies, who accused them of being on “franchise”, planned to set them up.
They said the “plot” might be the climax of incessant harassment and intimidation of the group in the last
two months.
They however said in spite of threats from security agencies, they would not give up the agitation for the rescue of the 219 Chibok girls, who were snatched off their dormitory on April 15.
The group, in a statement in Abuja by two of its coordinators, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Mrs. Hadiza Bala
Usman, asked the military and security agencies to take action against terrorists who have abducted the girls instead of hounding its members.

The statement said: “For over two months, security agencies have harassed and sought to intimidate our movement incessantly. The latest was the statement yesterday accredited to the Deputy Director of Department of State Security, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, who described the #BringBackOurGirls campaign as a
franchise.
“She made the comment in Abuja while responding to questions from journalists at the press briefing of the National Information Centre (NIC).
“This is a dangerous and unprecedented attack because as is well known in security circles, the term ‘franchise’ is used to refer to inter-related terrorist cells. She is reported to have said that if indeed our movement was a protest group, it would not need to force members to register and wear tags.
“Mrs. Ogar also affirmed security forces know about all the activities of the group. We know that they have a bank account,” she said.
“We know that they visit prominent individuals to solicit funds; we know that they have split themselves into
groups; we know that they want to simulate a protest march in Abuja to make it look like they went to Chibok.”
“There is a clear attempt to smear our work with a link of our work with Chibok and Sambisa forest. It is clear
from these comments that the security agencies are setting up the movement for a crackdown based on trumped up accusations.
“Our activities are open and our meetings are in a public space, the Unity Fountain. There is no compulsion to membership and our symbols, such as the red t-shirts, fez caps and pins are donated voluntarily by members.
“We are motivated by empathy and the need to search and rescue these girls. We are shocked that all we get from our security agencies is harassment, vilification, innuendoes and threats. This must stop.
“Security agencies have the responsibility to protect rather than intimidate citizens trying to do a good turn.

“It will be recalled that on 8th May, the Director of Defence Information of the Defence Headquarters had alleged that we distorted the report of what was for us constructive engagement with them two days previously. He claimed that we were trying to pitch public opinion against the armed forces and to project the Nigerian military in bad light and further heat up the polity.”

Courtesy:
The Nation Newspaper

Nigerian Government Investigating Politicians Linked With Boko Haram

THE Federal Government has said the Nigerian security forces, during their raid in terrorists’ forest in Bauchi, discovered some materials that linked some politicians and a prominent political party to terrorists’ activities.
The national coordinator of National Information Centre (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, made this known on Wednesday, during a routine briefing on the current security situation in the country.

Omeri, however, vowed that the Federal Government would reveal the names of the politicians and the party involved, stressing the it would not condone involvement of politicians in security issues. He said: “after the last successful operations carried out by security forces to dislodge terrorists from their forest base in Darazo Local Government Area, end of the Balmo forest, some politicians are currently being investigated, following their link with activities in the forest.
“The politicians are being interrogated, following the recovery of some sensitive registration cards and other materials of a prominent political party that were found in the possession of some of the suspects arrested.
“Investigation is still ongoing to further unravel the identity of others that may have been involved and as soon as it is completed, we shall reveal the names of the culprits and the political party.”
Omeri, however, said the government would not condone the involvement of politicians in security matters.

Also the spokesperson of the Department of State Security (DSS), Marylin Ogar, has referred to the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ protest as a franchise. Ogar said, “If it was not a franchise or an ordinary movement seeking to put more pressure on government and security operations to release this girls, there would be no need for the group to have tags,” insisting that “for them to have tags and be properly registered, we also know that they have a bank account.
“We know that they want to go to Asokoro extension and simulate some force movement where they will have foreign media and say they are matching into Sambisa and Chibok.”

Courtesy:
Tribune

Boko Haram Insists on Prisoners-for-Girls Swap, NCS Assures Chibok Girls Will Be Freed Soon

A man claiming to be a member of Boko Haram has maintained that the federal government must release its members detained in numerous facilities nationwide before the terrorist group releases the 219 Chibok schoolgirls it has held in captivity for almost three months.

Speaking on the BBC World Service, the man whose voice was disguised in order to conceal his identity, said he was a teacher or scholar in the sect and joined the group in 2004. He told the BBC that the girls were in “a state of amnesty”, healthy and eating well, adding that the Christians who refused to convert to Islam were not forced to do so as it is anti-Islamic.
The Boko Haram member maintained that the girls were taken for a specific reason and reiterated the condition
for their release, adding that the girls would be released once the federal government met the terrorist group’s
demands for a prisoner exchange deal.
“Today, if the government releases our members, tomorrow or the next day, we promise you can see all of them. As our leader Abubakar Shekau promised to the media, if the government releases our members, we will release them.”

On the condition of the girls, the Boko Haram teacher said: “I am telling a fact, they are in a state of amnesty, they don’t have a problem. Some of them have belief in Islam, some of them said they will not convert to Islam, but we did not differentiate. We are not forcing them or putting them under any pressure.
“Those who agreed to convert to Islam have been converted and those who refused we left them, we said stay. There is no forced conversion in Islam. Allah commands us to treat everyone equally. We are not differentiating them; we treat all of them equally.
“They all are healthy. They are feeding well. If you see them now, you will see that they don’t have any problem.”
He added that under the Islamic faith the killing of women and children was unacceptable except they are
the aggressors, but pointed out that some of them might get caught in the crossfire in the event of bombings or attacks.
“Under Islam, killing women and children is not acceptable. But if they are fighting you, then you must fight them. But if they don’t attack you, you leave them. Killing children and women is not accepted at all. We only go after those who give information to our enemy… But if we bomb somewhere or make arrest somewhere, it will affect them but killing women and children is not accepted,” he said.

Despite the revelations made by the Boko Haram “teacher” the Council of State, which met yesterday reiterated the position of the federal government that the abducted schoolgirls would soon regain their freedom, urging the public to be patient as the government works to wipe out terrorism.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, said the security of the nation topped the agenda, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) were briefed on the steps that were being taken to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
He said military authorities also confirmed that efforts were being made and very soon there would be good news.
“It was also heartwarming to note that the issue is not whether we can rescue the girls, but the issue is how can we can rescue them in a way that we can ensure their safety so that we don't end up in the attempt to rescue them we endanger their lives.
“What also came out is the need for Nigerians to be patient because terrorism is a new challenge in Nigeria
and it is not something that goes away immediately and we have to be meticulous in our approach and
make sure that we take the best steps forward to reduce and minimise the possible loss of lives in an attempt to curb the insurgents.
“We are very satisfied the security agents know very well where the girls are located and they are on top of the situation.

Courtesy:

ThisDay Newspaper

#BringBackOurGirls: Group Petition ICC To Serve Nigerian Govt. For Criminal Negligence, Decries Interagency Rivalry

The BringBackOurGirls group have petitioned the ICC to serve the Nigerian government for criminal negligence over its inability to rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok on April 14, 2014.

A member of the group, Dino Melaye, who stated this yesterday, said the ICC negligence would serve the government after he wrote them on 14 grounds of criminal negligence by the federal government in the bid to rescue the Chibok girls.
He said: “With the help of two professors and a Swedish lawyer, we were able to put together a 14-count charge of criminal negligence and within this week, the federal government will be served. We
are hoping that with the help of the ICC
and the international community, our
government will be forced to expedite the action on the rescue of the schoolgirls.

“I have won some cases against the
police in a bid to ensure the continued
gathering of this sit-out and I believe that with the ICC coming in now, we will
achieve great results.”
The group also noted with dismay the
rivalry between the chief of army staff
and his air force counterpart in the rescue mission of the girls and that it was affecting the security mission in Borno State. It emphasised the need for
harmony in the effort.
The group further expressed displeasure
over the lack of results in the rescue
mission and the security situation in the
country, and noted that they would keep
on protesting until the girls were brought back safe and alive.

Courtesy:
Leadership Newspaper

ECOWAS Step Up Cooperation To Tackle Terrorist Threat

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called on its members to step up their security co-operation in order to tackle terrorism.
In a statement released Thursday (July 3rd) in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS members expressed deep concern at
the recent deterioration of the security situation in the Malian region of Kidal, as well as the bloody and recurring attacks carried out by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria.

They vowed to strengthen the co-ordination between their security forces to fight against terrorism.
This statement echoed an appeal made a few days earlier by the ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Salamatou Suleiman, who spoke of "the need for synergy of action to eliminate crime across our shared area".
"Governance and security are central to the regional strategy, which aims to make security a regional public
good and an essential service for citizens, as well as a vital component of sustainable development," she said
on June 25th.
ECOWAS forces have been on alert since the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram nearly two
months ago.
The incident sparked an unprecedented level of international mobilisation against the terrorist organisation.

"Boko Haram fighters are taking advantage of the porous borders of the north-east to escape the army
and take refuge in neighbouring countries," Malian counterterrorism expert Modibo Diarra noted.
"The problem is being taken very seriously by ECOWAS, which has declared open war against terrorism," he told Magharebia.
"The fifteen member nations said they were willing to establish a high-level partnership with central African
states to combat terrorism effectively," he explained.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan confirmed that the problem was not Nigerian but regional.
ECOWAS has asked the UN Security Council to consider "targeted sanctions against the armed groups or individuals who impede the peace process". The council responded by officially declaring Boko Haram a terrorist organisation.

A recent international summit in Paris aimed to adopt a "battle plan" against Boko Haram, which it described as
a "terrorist sect" and a "major threat" to the region. The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, summed it up by saying: "We are here to declare war on Boko Haram."
The leaders agreed on a number of measures, including "co-ordination of intelligence, information-sharing,
centralised management of resources, border surveillance, military presence around Lake Chad and a capacity to intervene in the event of danger", French President Francois Hollande said.
Boko Haram "is equipped with heavy weapons, a capacity to use them thanks to training provided when Mali was under terrorist occupation, and also financing", Hollande explained.
Jidou Ould Sidi, a journalist who specialises in security matters, said: "The threat is real and the region's
governments appear to have measured its scale."

Heads of state in the region are determined to strengthen their defence and security systems, and "diligently implement the United Nations and ECOWAS strategies for the Sahel", he noted.
It will take time, he cautioned.
"The security, intelligence and legal capacities of these countries are still weak," Ould Sidi said.

Courtesy:
Magharebia

Chibok Community Seeks United Nations’ Support, Implores FG To Negotiate With Sect

Members of the Chibok community have appealed for the support of the United Nations in tackling the spate of insecurity in their community.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the National Chairman of Kibaku Area Development Association, Dr Pogu Bitrus, said that the appeal to the international organisation became necessary going by total neglect by the Federal Government in providing adequate security to the community after over 200 girls were abducted.

“The inability or unwillingness of the Federal Government to provide adequate security to the Chibok community following the abduction of the girls leaves us with no option than to call on the United Nations to use its apparatus to come to our aid and protect us from the imminent annihilation as a people”, he said

Dr Pogu said that 81 days after the abduction, seven parents of the abducted girls had died, while over 229 persons have been killed after the attack on Government Girls Secondary School Chibok.

To prevent further attacks on their community and the north eastern part of the country, the group has also called for a negotiation between the Federal Government and members of the Islamic sect.

Courtesy:
Channels TV

Nigerian Troops Arrest Three Suspected Female Terrorists in Adamawa

Soldiers have arrested three suspected female terrorists who have been secretly recruiting ladies into the female wing of the terrorists group, Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters said in a statement. 

The statement, issued in Abuja on Friday, was signed by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu for the Director of Defence Information.

It said their arrest was an aftermath of a failed suicide bombing attempt on a military facility by a female terrorist, who blew herself up in Gombe recently.

It said the suspects, Hafsat  Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar, were intercepted  while traveling to Madagali  in Adamawa from where “they were to transit to the forest to reunite with their cohorts.

“Investigations revealed that the suspects, led by Hafsat, have the mission to recruit members into the female wing of the terrorist group as well as conduct espionage for the group.

“Hafsat’s link with the terrorists group had been a subject of investigation since 2012 when security agents on a man-hunt for one Usman Bako, her husband, who was identified as a terrorist, stormed their residence in Jimeta,” it said.

The statement said that the man-hunt resulted in the discovery of an AK- 47 rifle and two loaded magazines

It added that Bako later died in an encounter with troops in Sokoto where he had relocated to continue his terrorist activities.

The statement said that Hafsat continued with the terror group, specialising in surreptitious recruitment of members into their fold.

“The three female suspects were luring ladies, especially widows and young girls, by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage.

“Before their arrest, they were on a mission to take additional briefing from the leadership of the terror group.

“The trio have been operating together as members of the intelligence team of the group and their arrest has yielded information still being verified by security agencies,” the statement said.

Courtesy:
Punch Newspaper

Boko Haram: Nigerian Government Has Adopted Three-Pronged Approach to Tackle Sect - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that the federal government has adopted a three-pronged approach to ensure the safety and security of lives and property particularly in the North-east states where Boko Haram attacks have been prevalent.

Making this known in London when she briefed the British parliament on the Safe Schools Initiative, the minister said: “We are taking a three-pronged approach to dealing with the various dimensions of crisis, and this includes security, political and economic solutions.

“On the security front, our military men and women are confronting an unprecedented challenge that they were not really trained to confront and so we thank them for their courage and bravery. The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has increased the number of troops that are in the North-east from 15,000 to 20,000.

“Regional cooperation on security has gotten better following a decision by neighbouring countries: Chad, Cameroun, Benin, and Niger, to each contribute a battalion of soldiers, to fight Boko Haram alongside Nigeria.

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has accepted offers from the international community for more surveillance, aircraft cover, and equipment that enhances our ability to locate, fight and root out insurgents.”

These efforts, she assured the UK parliament, were beginning to make a difference, intimating them that Nigeria’s security forces busted a Boko Haram intelligence unit only two days ago.

“More of these counter-insurgency actions will be forthcoming. We are prepared to do whatever is necessary today, tomorrow and in the future to secure the country,” she added.

“On the political front, we are working with state governments, traditional and religious leaders within the most affected regions of the country, to encourage dialogue with the sect.

“The president set up a Dialogue Committee that is working behind the scenes and also a fact finding committee on the Chibok girls in particular.

“And finally on the economic front, given some linkages between the insurgency and high youth unemployment, we are trying various schemes to assist the youth in the region where possible.

“Using monies from our Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), we are implementing a Community Services Scheme that engages the youth in public works (we have so far recruited 11,500 youth into this programme – 4000 in Borno, 3500 in Adamawa and 4000 in Yobe State).

“We also have YouWin, which is supporting hundreds of young entrepreneurs with grants so they can start up a business or expand existing ones to create jobs for their fellow youth.

“Over the longer term, the government will vigorously pursue economic empowerment in the region through a Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) which is currently being developed,” the minister said.

She, however, told the British legislators that the president had instructed her to work with the international community, led by former British Prime Minister and UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, and the Nigerian business community, led by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, in an initiative to make our schools safer.

“Every child is special, every child precious, every child unique. While we will never give up on the effort to locate the Chibok girls, we must also assure parents, pupils and teachers that schools are safe. Children and teachers must be again free to go to school unharmed and unafraid.

“So the Safe Schools Initiative is designed as a nationwide intervention programmes that will prioritise schools in states under emergency rule like Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
“To this effect, the Nigerian private sector has set aside US$10 million for this initiative and the Nigerian government has immediately matched that with another US$10 million.

“We are aiming for a fund of US$100 million and we have received indications of support from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, DFID, and the Norwegian and German Governments towards the initiative,” she stated.

Okonjo-Iweala stressed that schools must never be instruments of war, nor battlefields for terror campaigns, noting: “While we do not aim to turn our schools into fortresses, the Safe Schools Initiative will rely on needs assessments to deploy measures that will either upgrade existing security systems in schools or put in place new systems where they currently do not exist.

“These measures could range from the basic, such as perimeter fences, toilet facilities for girls, use of fire retardant materials in reconstructing schools, housing for teachers, community policing and school guards, to more sophisticated measures like alarm systems, communication equipment, and solar power panels to ensure schools are well lit,
"Whatever needs to be done to make all our schools safer and more secure we will consider. We will work with state governors, community leaders, teachers and parents to achieve the objectives of this initiative.”

She thanked the former British prime minister for his support in setting up the Safe Schools Initiative, and for his leadership of the international community on education for children, and indeed his efforts to get all of Nigeria’s 10.6 million “out of school” children, into schools.

She informed the parliament that the Safe Schools Initiative is just one of a three-part effort the federal government recently launched to deal with the crisis in the short term.

The other two, she said, are the Emergency Relief Initiative that will step up support by our National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to over 3 million displaced persons and communities through the provision of emergency accommodation, food, basic healthcare and other relief items as needed; and the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Initiative, that will help rebuild public infrastructure that have been destroyed by the insurgents.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Condemns Boko Haram Attack on Nigerian Churches

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the killing of at least fifty-six people and the destruction of Churches reportedly by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in Nigeria.
The secretary-general of the OIC, Iyad Ameen Madani, made the statement last week following attacks on at least four villages near Chibok in northeastern Nigeria, allegedly by Boko Haram members.

The official restated the solidarity of the organization with Nigeria.
Meanwhile, foreign minister of Nigeria has said that authorities are working to curb the extremist group.
In an interview with the OIC Journal on the sidelines of the 41 Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah on 18-19 June 2014, Bashir Aminu Wali, the foreign minister of Nigeria, said his government was trying to tackle the extremists.

He commented on Boko Haram’s kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls this year who have still not been found.
““I appeal to the international community to think in terms of the lives and safety of those girls rather than getting them quick, that is not as important as getting those girls back alive and well,” he said.
Commenting on the Islamist group’s motivations, Wali said: “they are nothing more than misguided and what they are, is just criminals.”

Courtesy:
Arabiya News

Boko Haram Writes Girls School in Nasarawa State, Threaten to Abduct School Girls

The Nasarawa State government yesterday confirmed reports of a letter purportedly written by Boko Haram insurgents threatening to abduct girls from a school in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Barrister Yakubu Na’Hauwa, confirmed that there was a letter from Boko Haram to the principal of GSSS, Lafia, threatening to abduct his female students. He said the letter sought the principal’s cooperation with the insurgents to avoid bloodshed during the operation. He could not confirm receipt of such letters by the other schools which were also said to have been written.
“I was not in the state, but I returned to receive a complaint from the principal of GSSS Lafia about the purported threat letter Boko Haram to abduct female students from the school,” he said, adding that he had to urgently instruct the ministry’s permanent secretary to do a formal complaint to the state government, drawing attention to the letter on the need to quickly act on it.

The letters were said to have been received yesterday from dispatch riders who stopped at the gates of three schools in the state.  State police spokesman ASP Ismaila Umaru said his office had no information on the incident and did not confirm the threat letters.

Courtesy:
Daily Trust

Nigerian Military Arrests a Key Actor in Chibok Girls Abduction; Bust Terrorists’ Intelligence Network

A terrorists’ intelligence cell headed by a businessman who participated actively in the abduction of School Girls in Chibok has been busted by troops. The man, Babuji Ya’ari who is also a member of the Youth Vigilante Group popularly known as Civilian JTF which he uses as cover while remaining an active terrorist, also spearheaded the murder of the Emir of Gwoza. His main role in the group is to spy and gather information for the terrorists group.

Babuji has been coordinating several deadly attacks in Maiduguri since 2011, including the daring attacks on Customs and military locations as well as the planting of IEDs in several locations in the town.

The arrest of the businessman who is known to deal in tricycles has also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell who are women.  One of them, Hafsat Bako had earlier escaped to Gombe State to avoid suspicion but was tracked and arrested.  Prior to her arrest, Hafsat coordinated the payment of other operatives on the payroll of the group. In her confession, she disclosed that a minimum of N10,000 is paid to each operative depending on the enormity of his task.

Another female suspect named Haj Kaka who doubles as an armourer and a spy for the terrorists group has also been arrested.  Until their arrest, all the suspects actively operated a terrorists’ intelligence cell in collaboration with others still at large.

Courtesy:
Nigerian Television Authority

Boko Haram Lay Siege on Kautikari Villiage, Near Chibok Where School Girls Were Abducted

The terrorist Islamist group Boko Haram has launched a massive attack on Kautikari village in the Chibok area of Borno State. A security source as well as two residents of the area told SaharaReporters that the siege continues as at press time.

The militants arrived in the village early today (Nigerian time) while many residents of the village were in church services and then opened fire indiscriminately on the worshipers, according to our sources.

The number of casualties could not be determined as the attacks were still going on moments ago when our correspondent was alerted.

One of our sources said he feared that scores of innocent people may have died, adding that the villagers were helpless and unarmed at the time the attacks started.

Kautikari is the second largest town in Chibok local government area. Chibok was the location where members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, which western education, abducted some 300 schoolgirls on April 14, 2014. More than 200 of those abducted girls remain missing.

Courtesy:
Sahara Reporters

U.S. 'Scales Down' Nigeria Surveillance Flights Seeking Abducted Chibok School Girls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States reduced its surveillance flights to help find more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants after building a body of intelligence and after other states ramped up support, a U.S. official said.

Nigeria has committed itself to the hunt for the girls, who were kidnapped in April in one of the violent group's most spectacular attacks, and received help from the United States and other countries, including its neighbors.
The senior U.S. defense official told Reuters that the U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
flights, first announced in May, were now flying at an "intermittent" rate.
The official said overall intelligence-gathering had not diminished, and noted additional operations by Britain
and France.

"We had substantial initial coverage for the baseline and we’ve moved into a maintenance mode," the official
said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official declined to say how long the period of heightened initial U.S. coverage lasted. Asked whether it was just a week or two, the official said: "No. We were ... building this baseline for a good period of
time."
The Pentagon had said on Thursday that there were "around the clock" intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) operations in support of Nigeria's search. U.S. military personnel are in Abuja helping
coordinate the effort.
The United States also sent about 80 U.S. military personnel to Chad in May to support the surveillance operation. Chad lies to the northeast of Nigeria, bordering the area in which Boko Haram operates.

In the last month U.S. officials have played down expectations about a swift rescue of the girls and stressed the limitations of intelligence gleaned from surveillance flights.
One U.S. official told Reuters of concerns that Boko Haram may have laid booby traps in areas the girls could be held and there have been reports that the girls may have been split up into small groups.
"ISR alone will not solve this problem. It will take … the Nigerian piece of the equation with their own sources and human intelligence coupled with the other forms to really understand the picture," the defense official said.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Friday Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said his
government and security services had "spared no resources, have not stopped and will not stop until the girls are returned home."

The defense official did not discuss specific U.S. intelligence but acknowledged that information gathered from different sources had left only a murky picture of where the girls might be, in how many groups and even in which country.

Courtesy:
Reuters

#BringBackOurGirls: Nigerian Pop Singer Adokiye offers Her Virginity to Boko Haram in Exchange for Missing Girls

Nigerian pop singer Adokiye has caused a social media storm by offering her virginity to Islamic militants Boko Haram in exchange for the return of hundreds of kidknapped schoolgirls.

A total of 276 girls were taken from the largely Christian north-eastern town of Chibok by the rebels, led by Abubakar Shekau, in April.

The majority of the schoolchildren remain missing, despite international pressure for their safe return – including the celebrity-endorsed #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign backed by Michelle Obama and David Cameron, among others.
However, the 23-year-old musician and actress from the country's Imo State, who is also a UN Ambassador of Peace, took the protest to the next extreme.

“It is just unfair. They are too young. I wish I could offer myself in exchange,” she told Nigerian publication Vanguard.

The Independent

Mysterious Snakes, Bees Attack Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest

Some members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, arrested yesterday at Mairi ward behind University of Maiduguri by members of the Civilian JTF vigilante group, have confessed that most of them are fleeing the Sambisa Forest to areas across Borno State owing to what they believe is spiritual attacks from mysterious snakes and bees, which had killed many of their leaders.

According to Kolo Mustapha, one of the arrested insurgents, “most of us are fleeing because there are too many snakes and bees now in the forest. Once they bite, they disappear and the victims do not last for 24 hours.
“We were told that the aggrieved people who had suffered from our deadly mission, including the ghosts of some of those we killed, are the ones turning into the snake and bees.”

‘Our leaders fled, too’
He said some of their leaders have escaped to Cameroon because they are known to the Nigerian authorities and could be easily identified. According to him, those of them who lived all their lives in Maiduguri have nowhere to run to. So they returned and tried to sneak into town.
He said they came in last night and were trying to hide in some uncompleted buildings, when some members of the Civilian JTF saw them.
He said: “We are pleading with them to spare our lives. We were forced into the sect. But we know that it is not the right way. I personally have never killed anyone, but I have my friend here who had killed many people.”
Umar Abor, the other arrested sect member said Kolo Mustapha was lying as they had participated in all heinous acts of the sect.
He said: “We have fought together since 2010. We have fought in Marte, Bama, Buni Yadima and Gwoza. We were not in Chibok. We have not seen the girls, but we heard about the issue.

“Our leaders have been talking about it and we have been following all news from the radio. We decided to flee when almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees, which we were told was as a result of Chibok abducted schoolgirls.
“They (our leaders) told us that it was our enemies and aggrieved people that are hunting us through diabolical means. We were in the forest in 2010 and 2011. We left and came back last year but we have never experienced such attacks.
“That is why they believe the Chibok people are using juju to pursue us because of their children said to have been taken by our leaders.”

Courtesy:
Vanguard Newspaper

#BringBackOurGirls: Presidential Panel Confirms 219 Chibok Schoolgirls Still Missing

 A total of 219 students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, are still missing after the mass abduction carried out by members of the Boko Haram sect in the school on April 14.The 219 students were among the 276 girls said to have been snatched from the school during the midnight raid. The Chairman of the Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the Abduction of Chibok Schoolgirls, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo (retd.), disclosed this on Friday while presenting the committee’s report to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Foreign Troops Only Gives Nigerian Soldiers ‘Coordinates’ Against Boko Haram

As it is 66 days today since the Boko Haram sect in Chibok abducted over 200 female students in Borno state. SaharaReporters today learned from credible sources that foreign countries are only giving Nigerian military official ‘coordinates’ in the battle to rescue the girls.

The ‘coordinates,’ according to the source, says a military officer is basically supplying pictorial intelligence to the Nigerian Air Force of images of areas in Borno where the Boko Haram are sighted, and the whereabouts of their movements in all their locations in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.