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

United States Planning Major Border Security Operations Against Boko Haram in Nigeria

The United States is preparing to launch a “major” border security program to help Nigeria and its neighbours combat the increasing number and scope of attacks by Islamic extremists, a senior U.S. official for Africa said Thursday.

Nigerian insurgents have begun attacking villages in neighboring Cameroon and have been seizing land in northeast Nigeria where they proclaimed an Islamic caliphate.

Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a meeting of U.S. and Nigerian officials in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, that “Despite our collective efforts, the situation on the ground is worsening.

“The frequency and scope of Boko Haram’s terror attacks have grown more acute and constitute a serious threat to this country’s overall security,” she said. “This is a sober reality check for all of us. We are past time for denial and pride.”
The government denied that Boko Haram this week overran Bama, the second largest city in Borno state, but Thomas-Greenfield said, “We are very troubled by the apparent capture of Bama and the prospects for an attack on and in Maiduguri.”

Bama, a city of about 200,000 people is just 75 kilometers (45 miles) from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital that is the headquarters of the military campaign against Boko Haram.

A senior Borno state security officer said a bombing raid Wednesday destroyed a Boko Haram camp outside Bama. The officer said two Air Force jets spotted the insurgents, who apparently were gathering for a meeting. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to give information to journalists.

The officer and a member of the Nigerian Vigilante Group of civilians fighting Boko Haram both said some of the thousands of Bama residents who fled were returning home. There was no way to independently verify the confusing and conflicting information about Bama.

A Westerner working on the Cameroon side of the border said more than 100 Nigerian soldiers fled Bama and crossed into Cameroon on Tuesday. Last week, nearly 500 Nigerian soldiers fled into Cameroon from another border town that was under attack.
The United States has flown unarmed drones to spy in parts of northeast Nigeria in a joint effort to try to save more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremists in April.

“The Chibok schoolgirls and others remain hostages, enduring horrible and tragic suffering,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
She added that Cameroon’s military is increasingly forced to fight Boko Haram within Cameroon, and that the insurgents flee back into Nigeria without fear.

The U.N. refugee agency said insurgents had begun attacking villages in northern Cameroon last week, and spokeswoman Helene Caux said Thursday that Cameroonian authorities say some 5,000 Cameroonians have fled the assaults. UNHCR says 645,000 Nigerians are displaced inside their country by the insurgency while tens of thousands have fled into Cameroon and Niger.

Nigeria’s home-grown insurgency grew out of a cult that preached against endemic corruption. Now Boko Haram — the name means Western education is sinful — has declared an Islamic caliphate in seized land in the extreme east of Borno state and says it wants to create an Islamic state in all of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation of about 170 million people divided almost equally between Muslims and Christians.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Aminu Wali on Wednesday told a regional security meeting of foreign ministers that Nigeria’s government remains puzzled about funding and arms supply of Boko Haram.

“Who are the sponsors of Boko Haram terrorist campaigns? Who are those funding the insurgency? Where are the sources of the sophisticated arms and ammunition being used by the terrorists? Who are those seeking to re-define the territory of Nigeria and Africa in the 21st century?” he asked.

-‎WP

Thousands of Dismissed Nigerian Soldiers Plead To Be Recalled

Scores of dismissed Nigerian soldiers have appealed to the Presidency and the Nigerian Security Council to look into their cases and recall them, having not been properly discharged from the army.

Some of the dismissed soldiers who spoke to newsmen in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Thursday, said that
since 1979, about 10,000 soldiers have been irregularly dismissed from service without any benefit at all.

The ex-soldiers said the process of their summary removal was unjust and they want it reviewed. They recalled that the process of recalling them had actually been started when Air Marshal Paul Dike was the Chief of Defence Staff, and Lt. Gen. Danbazzau was the Chief of Army Staff. But the exercise stopped soon after they retired from service seven years ago.
Those who were lucky to recalled then, the ex-soldiers said, were been made to attend refreshing courses at the School of Infantry, Jaji and posted to their respective units.

Part of a letter of appeal signed by some of the ex-soldiers said, “We are appealing to the Nigerian Security
Council to look into our affairs as a matter of urgency and temper justice with mercy and recall us back to the
service or discharge us accordingly, as we have nothing doing to help our family.
“Some of us have undergone several training in the Nigerian School of Artillery, Kachia, Kaduna state and
acquired unquantifiable knowledge during these trainings.”

The appeal letter was signed by BDR Onyeayana Okafor (79NA/9257), CPL Raphael Iyama (79NA/3370), L/BDR
Michael Olisakaomam (79NA/18909), L/CPL Emovre Eugene, L/CPL Sani Musa (79NA/8537), L/CPL Thomas Odu (79NA/9619), PTE Bright Akpoghenta (79NA/30858), PTE Olusola Ogundipe (95NA/39/2347), L/CPL Zakarya (79NA/72792) and PTE David Rojowa Bernard (79NA/19358) among others.

Source:
Punch Newspaper

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

Regional Powers Meet In Nigeria, Brainstorm, As Boko Haram Escalate Attacks

Abuja (AFP) - Foreign ministers from Nigeria and neighbouring countries met on Wednesday to discuss Boko Haram, as the militants' rapid land grab intensified in the far northeast, raising fears for regional security.

The one-day meeting of representatives from Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger also includes officials from the United States, Britain, France and Canada plus the African Union and United Nations.
Nigeria's ministry of foreign affairs said the talks were aimed at "reviewing progress" of earlier meetings in Paris and London as well as the Africa Summit held in the United States last month.

In particular, it would examine "the extent of foreign assistance, including efforts by the Nigerian government, in the continued fight to... rout the Boko
Haram insurgency", it added.

Regional powers vowed to play a greater role against the Islamists after the mass kidnapping of more than 200 girls from their school in northeast Nigeria in April, which caused global outrage.

International powers sent intelligence and surveillance specialists and equipment to Abuja to help trace the
missing teenagers, 217 of whom are still being held captive.

But nearly five months on from the abduction, Western diplomats have indicated that there has been little
progress, despite a claim from Nigeria's military that they had located the girls.
Recent weeks have seen Boko Haram take and hold swathes of territory in northeast Nigeria, with the country's military seemingly unable to check their advance.

On Monday, residents said the militants took over the town of Bama, 70 kilometres (45 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, sending hundreds of soldiers fleeing.

But top brass disputed the claim and maintained that they were still in control.

- Fear in Maiduguri -
The attack led to fears that Boko Haram has Maiduguri in its sights and aims to make it the centre of a separate, hardline Islamic state.

Andrew Noakes, co-ordinator of the Nigeria Security Network of analysts, warned that the government was
losing control of vast parts of the northeast and a looming humanitarian crisis.
"Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent
of ISIS's lightning advances in Iraq," he said.
"If Borno falls to Boko Haram, parts of (neighbouring) Yobe and Adamawa (states) can be expected to follow.
Parts of Cameroon along the border area would also probably be overrun."

In Maiduguri, where thousands of people have fled violence from across Borno, residents said they were
preparing for the worst.
"We live in fear of a possible Boko Haram attack on Maiduguri because of the speed with which they are taking over towns and villages," said local man Babagana Kolo.
"Our concern is soldiers are not able to stop Boko Haram who take delight in killing people.

Boko Haram has been blamed for thousands of deaths since 2009 but in recent weeks has changed tactics,
shifting from indiscriminate and retaliatory hit-and-run attacks to seizing strategic territory.

In a video obtained by AFP on August 24, the group's leader Abubakar Shekau claimed that the town of Gwoza in Borno state was now part of an Islamic caliphate.

The group is now thought to hold a number of towns in an arc running from the Lake Chad area of northeast
Borno, around the eastern border with Cameroon, to the south of the state.

It also reportedly holds at least one town in neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states. Independent corroboration is impossible because of communication and travel difficulties while the government has officially denied ceding territory.

Nigeria has repeatedly played up what it says is the regional aspect of the insurgency, blaming foreign fighters and overseas funding for the violence.

But while some foreign mercenaries may form part of the guerrilla ranks and violence has spilt across borders, some analysts say a wider military response risked internationalising the conflict.

Source:
Yahoo! News

Boko Haram 'Seize' Strategic Bama Town in Borno

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has seized the key north-eastern town of Bama after fierce fighting with government forces, residents say.

Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.

The military has not yet officially commented on the claim that it has lost control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.

Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in areas it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (45 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja.

It would be the biggest town under Boko Haram control.

Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.

The military had initially repelled Boko Haram's assault, but the group returned with reinforcements to seize the town, the residents said.

The militants, who travelled in armoured trucks, first took control of the military barracks, they added.

Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC.

Several security sources said Boko Haram had over-run much of Bama and there were heavy casualties on both sides, Reuters news agency reports.

About 70 militants had been killed, the Associated Press quoted security sources as saying.

On Monday, the military said on its Twitter account that the air force had been used to "repel and dislodge" Boko Haram from Bama.

The most recent census, in 2006, showed the town had a population of about 270,000.

Source:
BBC

Boko Haram Negotiator Maintains Former Governor Sheriff and Ihejirika Are Boko Haram Sponsors, Exonerates Buhari, El-Rufai

An Australian Boko Haram Negotiator Dr. Stephen Davis insists that the duo of former Governor Modu Sherriff and Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (Rtd), the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, are amongst top Sponsors of Boko Haram but exonerated Buhari and El-Rufai.

EFCC Arrests Syndicate That Hacks Into Bank’s Computer Network With Keyloggers

 THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three suspects, who allegedly attempted to compromise the Enterprise Bank’s system and steal depositors’ funds.

Army Repels Boko Haram Attempt To Capture Bama, Kills 45 Insurgents

MAIDUGURI – No fewer than 45 suspected members of Boko Haram sect have been killed in an encounter with military troops when the terrorists attempted to invade and take over Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Over 30 of the insurgents were also injured in the fierce battle with security operatives that lasted for over 5 hours.

The incident according to sources started in the early hours of Monday at about 5:30am.
This is even as an unconfirmed report revealed that another group of the insurgents were sighted on Monday around Mafa Local Government Area and Kayamula villages of Konduga Local Government Area near Maiduguri metropolis, but the ones sighted around Kayamula village were killed by military troops, while those around Mafa were suspected to be making frantic effort to enter the metropolis.

Bama is about 76 kilometres drive and south east of Maiduguri, the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks by suspected terrorists.

A competent source said, “the insurgents stormed the town through Bama-Banki-Gwoza Road but were intercepted by gallant military troops near the Bama Mobile Police Unit located about 5 kilometers away from Bama town.

The Boko Haram insurgents were said to have tactically attempted to enter Bama town in convoy of military vehicles and motorcycles wearing military uniform armed with sophisticated weapons and local Improved Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Vanguard

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