BREAKING: Scores Killed By Multiple Blast On Military Checkpoint Near Biu-Borno State

Eleven people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a military checkpoint near the town of Biu, Borno State in northeast Nigeria on Tuesday, a vigilante and a resident said. Early reports attributed the blast to the handiwork of Boko Haram.

Two Female Suicide Bombers Kill Scores At Maiduguri Market

Two female suicide bombers today caused massive explosion at a crowded commercial centre of Maiduguri, killing scores and injuring several others, witnesses and security sources said.

How To End Boko Haram, By Al-Mustapha

Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, yesterday proffered solutions on how to end the almost intractable insurgency in the northern part of the country.

How Boko Haram Militants Rape, Abuse Girls, Women And Forcefully Convert Them To Islam – Report

Boko Haram insurgents routinely rape and abuse girls and women they abduct from Borno and Yobe States, forcefully marrying some and sending others to the frontlines to fight Nigeria’s security forces, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

Nigerian Boko Haram, Self-Defence Militia Conscripting Underage Children– Report

An international network of human rights and humanitarian organisations, Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, has called on the Federal Government and the United Nations to investigate recruitment and abuse of children in the North-East by both Boko Haram insurgents and self-defence militia known as Civilian Joint Task Force.

According to the report of the group’s investigation into the Boko Haram insurgency released on Thursday, both warring parties in North-East have subjected boys and girls to forced recruitment, detention, attacks at school, abductions, rape, and other forms of sexual violence.

It noted that the gravity and scale of these violations “warrant urgent action from the Nigerian Government,
United Nations, and other child protection actors.”

The 64-page report, entitled “Who Will Care for Us? Grave Violations against Children in Northeastern Nigeria,” detailed grave violations by some parties to the conflict since December 2012 and provided recommendations on how to better protect children.

One of Watchlist’s researchers, Janine Morna, said, “While the abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok, Borno State, has shed some light on how children are affected by the conflict in the North-East, most abuses are still poorly documented, understood, and addressed by key actors. Children as young as 13 are being recruited by both sides of the conflict and have nowhere to turn.”

Though the study considered the activities of all the actors in the ongoing conflict in the North-East, it noted that of particular concern is the forced recruitment of children for spying and assistance during armed attacks by Boko Haram, and the Civilian JTF, which was formed in mid-2013 in Borno State.

  - Punch

Boko Haram: Civilian JTF, Retired Soldiers, Hunters Set To Storm Sambisa Forest

Angered and frustrated by the unabating acts of terrorism and insurgency in northeast, Nigeria, particularly in Borno and Yobe state, over 10,000 members of Civilian JTF, hunters as well as members of the
Nigerian legion (retired soldiers) have stormed the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari Umar Ibn Garbai Al’amin El-kanemi to receive his blessings as they set to join the military to take over Sambisa forest.

This is coming barely 24 hours after the Shehu declared three days, alms giving, fasting and prayers among all religious faithful in the state so as to restore peace back to the state and the country in general.

It would be recalled that communities of Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Bama and Banki towns had in the last three weeks come under serious attacks by terrorists, leading to the killing of many civilians and the displacement of thousands others from their houses, a situation that prompted the civilian JTF to mobilize to seek Shehu’s prayers and advise so as to track down the terrorists.

Addressing the over 10,000 civilian JTF, local hunters, retired soldiers and other paramilitary men at the palace, the traditional ruler commended the effort of the civilian JTF in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, and appealed to them to always follow the directives of the military and other security agencies while discharging their duties.

He said the emergence of the Civilian JTF has assisted in dislodging the sect out of Maiduguri and its environs, and therefore called on other towns and communities to set up their own Civilian JTF/youth volunteers to fight terrorism.
“I want to thank you for this visit and the effort you are collectively and voluntarily making in order to fight Boko Haram who are bent at not only
destroying our social and economic structures, but also killing innocent lives. I want to also appeal to you that you should desist from politics, religious or ethnic considerations while discharging your duties to your fatherland. In anything you do, you must make sure that you consult all other security agencies so that you work hand-in hand to end terrorism that have been destroying us as a nation”, the Shehu pleaded.

The state Coordinator of Civilian JTF, Mallam Abba Aji Kalli in an interview with DailyPost said, they were at the Shehu’s palace to seek for his blessings and fatherly advice, as the group have vowed to go after insurgents even if they are not well armed. He said they were optimistic that with their sticks (Gora in Hausa) and other local arms, they will raid all terrorist hideouts.

Aji Kalli also said, the Civilian JTF are now more motivated with the support and assurance they received from retired military men, local hunters and
other patriotic citizens who have expressed their willingness to join the group to end the madness perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in the north east.

While expressing their dismay over President Goodluck Jonathan’s lack of support for the Civilian JTF, the group noted that, they were apolitical, non-religious and will not be deterred, but will ensure that it works with the military to end insurgency in the region.

Source:
DailyPost

Once Again, Boko Haram Attacks Damboa Village (Bornu State), Scores Feared Dead

Residents of Damboa village said they are still picking piles of corpses after Boko Haram gunmen Friday morning invaded the besieged town, 85km south of Maiduguri, shooting and killing defenceless villagers and setting homes ablaze.

A top security official (names withheld) from Maiduguri confirmed the attack but said no details on extent of damage yet.
Vigilante official, Abbas Gava, told Echoesinn blogger that “the death casualty could be very high because my contacts in Damboa said they are still picking and piling the corpses, but many houses, nearly half of what remains of the several attacked town has been burnt”.
Gava promised to get more details on the number of deaths recorded.
He said the gunmen crept upon the villagers who were about to perform the early dawn prayers.

Since the Sunday of fortnight ago, when Boko Haram gunmen walked over a military base killings dozen of soldiers and four police men in Damboa, Boko Haram gunmen had laid siege along the road leading from Maiduguri to Damboa, and had forced soldiers going to the attacked base for evacuation of its destroyed munitions, to turn back by launching some ambush shooting on them twice. Two more soldiers were reported dead in one of the ambush attack. But the soldiers were able to
return fire from an armoured tanker at a sniper with Rocket Launcher who was firing from atop a tree, while others were shooting from the surrounding bushes, a witness said.

Boko Haram had also cut off access to Damboa from the southern part of the road coming from Biu town, 100km away from Damboa by blowing down a major bridge on the highway at a hamlet called Sabongari last Monday.

Damboa, an agrarian village where Borno state sourced most of its grocery and fruits supply, had suffered several attacks in the past two years, reasons of the newly established 7 Division of the Nigeria Army to establish operational
base called 33 Tank Battalion in Damboa.
But since after the last attack before today’s (18th July, 2014) neither the soldiers nor the police could return back to Damboa. The embattled few villagers were left at the protection of the sticks and Dane guns-carrying youth vigilante called Civilian-JTF.

Courtesy:
African Spotlight

Five Killed in Another Explosion in Konduga, Bornu State

Another Borno town, Konduga suffered casualties yesterday when a bomb  believed to have been planted in a pickup van loaded with firewood exploded and killed five persons, injuring several others at a checkpoint manned by members of the Civilian JTF and police officials.

Disclosing the sad incident to journalists in Maiduguri, eyewitnesses and security operatives said the pickup van had approached the checkpoint at about noon and as the local security operatives tried to flag down the car, the driver who was on a suicide mission detonated the explosive device that led to the death of five persons among who was a plain clothe police officer from the Criminal Investigation Bureau. 

It would be recalled that this new explosion came hours after Boko Haram terrorists suffered heavy casualty in two different military offensives that took place on Thursday night and Friday morning. A top security source who spoke anonymously told journalists in a phone chat that: “There was a blast targeted at the members of the Civilian-JTF manning a checkpoint in Konduga, about five persons were reportedly killed and several others injured."  It was gathered that the attack on Konduga took place few hours after Boko Haram gunmen had attempted to attack a military base in Damboa town, 85km south of Maiduguri the Borno State capital, but ended up with heavy casualty.

According to the anonymous account of the security officer, the Boko Haram gunmen were on a reprisal mission hours after an air force jet bombarded a hideout of the insurgents in Yajiwa and Alagarno areas of Damboa local government area killing scores of the terrorists. “It was a successful air raid carried out by the air force in conjunction with the ground troops of the Nigeria army from Division 7. During the air raid that took place on Thursday evening, the Boko Haram suffered heavy casualty as dozens of them were killed.

Angered by the devastation they suffered, the insurgents decided to mobilise in full force with an attempt to attack the base in Damboa, but unknown to them, the soldiers there were fully aware and alert about possible reprisal attack. And when they eventually surfaced on Friday morning in over ten vehicles, the soldiers took them by surprise and engaged them in a fierce shoot out that claimed over 50 of them”, said the source.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

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

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