Boko Haram: 63 Abducted Women Escape, Slain Colonel Abubakar Shonba Identified

About 63 out of the 68 women that were abducted two weeks ago from three villages of Borno State by Boko Haram gunmen have escaped from captivity and made their way back to their homes, witnesses and security officials have said.

Villagers within the hinterlands of Damboa local government area of Borno where the abduction was carried out revealed this to LEADERSHIP yesterday.

“I have just received an alert from my colleagues in Damboa area that about 63 of the abducted women and girls had made it back home. They took the bold step when their abductors moved out to carry out an operation,” said Abbas Gava, an official of the vigilante group.

“We don’t have the details of their escape yet, but we believe God gave them the opportunity at the time the insurgents came in their large numbers to attack Damboa where about 12 soldiers, five policemen, over 50 Boko Haram members and unspecified number of civilians were killed yesterday (Saturday).

“If the information I have is something to go by, we still have five women and girls, among them a nursing mother, that are missing for now,” he said.

A top security officer who preferred not to be mentioned in this report told LEADERSHIP in an interview that half of the women who escaped made it to their homes while others who were found wandering in the bushes near Adamawa State were now in the custody of soldiers in Gulak town.

“It is authentic that the women were able to break out of captivity and escaped back to their homes,” said the officer. “As a matter of fact, the women escaped when the Boko Haram gunmen were out to attack the military base in Damboa. We understand further that the few men left to guard them took time off to rest due to the fatigue of fasting and the women sneaked from behind the fenced building and ran to freedom.”

LEADERSHIP had also gathered that the Borno State police command as well as the military authority who had denied any abduction of the 90 women were trying to conceal information about the escape in order not to be embarrassed.

But feelers from the highest police and military command in Abuja indicated that the security chiefs in Maiduguri had been directed to go to Gulak in Adamawa today (Monday) in order to bring back the women being camped by soldiers there.

On June 22, it was reported that at least 60 women and girls were abducted in a Borno village by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram.

The abduction took place in a village called Kummabza, a farming community not more than 25km away from Lassa town in Askira-Uba local government area of Borno State.

Security officials initially denied the reports that the abduction took place.

But later on, LEADERSHIP learnt, the police mandated a team, at the instance of the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, to verify the said abduction. They did, and eventually came up with a figure of 71 women and girls.

The police and the military had described as a hoax an earlier report that some 20 Fulani women were abducted by Boko Haram at a nomads’ settlement called Garkin-Fulani, even as some junior police officers had reliably informed reporters that the abductors were asking for some number of cows in place of every kidnapped Fulani woman in their custody.

Slain Colonel in Borno Attack, Abubakar Shonba Identified

The identity of the army Colonel who died during the encounter between the soldiers, policemen, vigilante group and Boko Haram insurgents in Damboa local government area of Borno State on Saturday has been exclusively revealed to LEADERSHIP.

A top military source confided in LEADERSHIP last night that the name of the gallant soldier who lost his life during the bloody encounter is Col Abubakar Shonba.

According to the source, the late Shonba was the commanding officer 101 battalion, Damboa, in Borno State.

Leadership Newspaper

'Caliph Ibrahim', ISIS Chief Appears in First Video

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Caliph Ibrahim), the leader of Islamist militant group Isis, has called on Muslims to obey him, in his first video sermon.

Baghdadi has been appointed caliph by the jihadist group, which has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

The video appears to have been filmed on Friday during a sermon at the al-Nouri Mosque in Mosul, northern Iraq.

It surfaced on Saturday amid reports that he had been killed or wounded in an Iraqi air raid.

It was not clear when the attack was supposed to have taken place.

In the sermon, at Mosul's most famous landmark, Baghdadi praised the establishment of the "Islamic state", which was declared by Isis last Sunday.

Experts say the reclusive militant leader has never appeared on video before, although there are photographs of him.

"Appointing a leader is an obligation on Muslims, and one that has been neglected for decades," he said.

He also said that he did not seek out the position of being the caliph, or leader, calling it a "burden".

"I am your leader, though I am not the best of you, so if you see that I am right, support me, and if you see that I am wrong, advise me," he told worshippers.

Shia volunteers have stepped in for the Iraqi army in many parts of northern Iraq following the Isis advance.
Captions in the video referred to Baghdadi as "Caliph Ibrahim", a name he has used since the group unilaterally declared him leader of an "Islamic state" last Sunday.

What is a caliphate?

An Islamic state ruled by a single political and religious leader, or Caliph
Caliphs are regarded by their followers as successors to the Prophet Muhammad and the leader of all Muslims.

First caliphate came into being after Muhammad's death in 632
In the centuries which followed, caliphates had dominion in the Middle East and North Africa.
The last widely accepted caliphate was abolished in 1924 by Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire

BBC

ISIS Allegedly Issues ‘Caliphate’ Passport

Militant members and sympathizers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have circulated pictures of what they said was the passport of the so-called “caliphate” declared last week by the militant group.

The "State of the Islamic Caliphate” appears to be inscribed at the top of the purported passport. At the bottom, it says: “The holder of the passport if harmed we will deploy armies for his service.”

ISIS reportedly said the new document will be distributed to 11,000 citizens living in cities bordering Iraq and Syria.

The militant group, which operates in both Iraq and Syria, said their caliphate would spread from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala in eastern Iraq.

The passport is reportedly being printed in a government facility in Mosul that was built in 2011.

The facility known as the “Identification and Passport Center” was scheduled by the Maliki’s government to start issuing new ID card next week, according to Iraqi media reports.

Last week, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims with military, medical and managerial skills to flock to its newly-declared pan-Islamic state, in an audio recording.

“Those who can immigrate to the Islamic State should immigrate, as immigration to the house of Islam is a duty,” said Baghdadi.

The newly named “caliph” said the appeal especially applied to “judges and those who have military and managerial and service skills, and doctors and engineers in all fields.”

Baghdadi also addressed the group’s fighters, saying that “your brothers in all the world are waiting” to be rescued by them.

“Terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it,” he said. “Your brothers, on every piece of this earth, are waiting for you to rescue them.”

Courtesy:
Al Arabiya News

Boko Haram Attack 33 Armoured Brigade, Police Formation in Damboa, Bornu State, Kill 10 Soldiers, 5 Policemen

Scores of military and police troops are feared dead in Damboa town, Borno State, where Islamists militants yesterday stormed military and police locations, a security source said today.

Radical Boko Haram militants stormed the 33 Armoured Brigade, Damboa and the Divisional Police Station on Friday afternoon firing high calibre weapons and IEDs, the military source said on condition of anonymity.

"At least 10 soldiers and police officers were killed and several injured."

The source said the militants also targeted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), adding that four other policemen and the DPO died. "Over dozen of the militants were also killed," the source also said.

Hundreds of the Dambua residents were said to have fleed to Biu and Maiduguri because of the way the militants successfully destroyed military hardware in Damboa.

Communication with Damboa residents are currently very difficult as GSM services have been cut off from the area for months following the incessant attacks of the militants on telecommunication facilities.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed yesterday’s attack but said it lacked speficics.

The public relations officer of the command, Gideon Jubrin, told newsmen, "There was an attack in Damboa but we haven't got details from the area [yet]. I can't tell you anything for now."

As reported earlier by SaharaReporters, five people were also on Friday killed in a bomb blast in Konduga village, about 30 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Courtesy:
Sahara Reporters

Tech-Savvy Al-Shabbab Order Members to Change Mobile Phone Numbers, Ban Members From Using Smartphones

An Al-Shabab directive that all its members change their mobile phone numbers shows how tech-savvy the al-Qaeda-linked Somali Islamist group remains and how their communications strategy is key to their survival.

Concerned that their messages may be intercepted, the leadership has also banned members from using smart phones.

The group has long run what is regarded as a slick media machine.

Even without smart phones, it has been known for its sophisticated handling of social media, a reputation at odds with its regular bans on communication technology for Somali citizens.

In particular, it has made extensive use of Twitter in order to get its message across. It has also devoted considerable resources to producing a series of promotional videos.

Diaspora appeal

Al-Shabab's material aims to spread the group's ideology of establishing an Islamic state in Somalia, in line with al-Qaeda's stated ambition of setting up a global Islamic caliphate.

It wants to achieve this both by military conquest and also the conversion of souls - for which communication technology is a key tool.

Al-Shabab's well-produced video documentaries deliver the jihadi narrative in an appealing form to Somali audiences in the diaspora.

They are aimed at young people of Somali origin such as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a suspect in last year's Westgate mall attack in Kenya. His family is said to have moved to Norway as refugees in 1999.

The group's documentaries are produced by its media arm, the al-Kataib foundation.

Many of them show al-Shabab engaging in charity work and other activities that depict the group as a legitimate authority.

However, they can also be quite gruesome - showing the corpses of those they have killed, including alleged spies who are often beheaded.

And they contain threats to their perceived enemies - in Somalia, neighbouring countries such as Kenya which are helping Somalia's government and the West.

The videos portray al-Shabab's fight as part of a wider global conflict in which Islam is under threat.

English and US accents

Al-Shabab also has its own radio station, Radio Andalus.

The group has acquired half a dozen relay stations, mainly by seizing private radio stations such as HornAfrik, Holy Koran Radio and the Global Broadcasting Corporation radio and their equipment - including some from the BBC.

The website Kismaayo News reported that by 2013, the group had 50 journalists working for Andalus radio.

When it comes to recruiting presenters, al-Shabab is known for its attention to detail.

It generally takes care to use presenters with British or American accents to deliver its English language audio statements.

With statements in Arabic, standard Arabic is used, and the presenters clearly have a high level of education in the language and in Islamic texts.

Swahili-language presenters use classical Kiswahili as spoken in Tanzania and coastal Kenya.

The majority of al-Shabab's audio output, though, is in Somali and is presented articulately and fluently.

Twitter frustrations

A number of pro-al-Shabab websites have emerged, which host material produced by the group and act as vehicles for furthering its military aims.

The content is intended to frustrate efforts by the Somali government and its allies - mainly the African Union forces fighting in Somalia - to eliminate the group.

Al-Shabab has often used Twitter to challenge the veracity of claims made by the African Union forces.

Its Twitter accounts are now closed, but Kenya's military spokesman Maj-Gen Chirchir has continued to attack the group's media policy.

On 20 May he tweeted: "Al Shabaab Courtesy calls! The more videos you release to scare Kenyans the more WE make visitations. Consider peace, the better option."

When the group's official spokesman, Sheikh Ali Dheere, appears on video, he is surrounded by fighters.

He reportedly answers to the group's overall leader and oversees a bevy of apparently enthusiastic journalists.

Al-Shabab has honed its media strategy as aggressively as it has enforced its bans on the Somali population.

As the group loses control of parts of the country, it has issued a series of bans on technology:

• Internet: In January 2014, the group declared a ban on using the internet through mobile handsets and fibre optic cables. It said the Muslim population "could be spied on and monitored and information on them transmitted through the internet on their phones". The group also declared that mobile internet devices had "adverse effects on the moral behaviour of the Muslim population in Somalia".

• Smart phones: In 2013 smart phones were banned by the group. Media reports said al-Shabab operatives went round intimidating anyone possessing a smart phone. Their campaign began shortly after a raid on a house in Barawe by US commandos last October. They were targeting al-Shabab commander Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, alias Ikrima. He had lived in Norway but returned after failing to get political asylum there.

• TV: In November 2013 the group's members in Barawe announced via loudspeakers that watching television was banned. They declared that it was against Islamic principles and ordered residents to hand their television sets and satellite dishes to al-Shabab officials.

BBC

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

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

Boko Haram: 10 Safety Measures During and After Bomb Attacks - TIEMS

The Chairman of the International Emergency Management Society TIEMS) Nigeria/West Africa Chapter, retired Air Vice Marshall Muhammed Audu-Bida has advocated proactive approaches and basic knowledge on security and safety consciousness against bomb explosion.

His recommendations include:

While attack is on:

1. Be calm. You are the only one who can help yourself.
2. Lay flat. Most explosives used by suicide bombers are designed to burst in a flower bouquet pattern to throw the shrapnel horizontally between two and six feet above the ground. This pattern increases the chances of hitting the human torso and head by a shrapnel. Therefore, the best place to be in an event of an explosion is to lay flat on the ground.
3. Keep your mouth open and breathe in small intervals. The most lethal aspect in an explosion is not shrapnel or heat, it is the blast overpressure. The blast wave travels at supersonic velocity and severely affects the air-filled organs like lungs, kidneys, and bowels. We naturally tend to take a deep breath and hold it in emergencies. However, this proves lethal in a bombing situation, since our lungs become like a pressurised balloon to be ruptured by the blast wave. The majority of victims in a typical suicide bombing die from internal bleeding in the lungs. Only 6% on average die from shrapnel wounds. Your chances of injury with empty lungs are far smaller compared to holding your breath.
4. If things are falling around you, crawl under a sturdy table or a solid object, and remain there for at least one minute.
5. Be as far as possible from glass or fixtures, like windows, mirrors, cabinets, and electrical equipments.
6. Adhere to instructions from security and responders personnel. If an evacuation is ordered, leave the building as soon as you can.
7. Remember to assist the disabled around.
8. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in obvious, immediate danger, such as a building collapse or fire.
9. Once out, keep as far away from the building as possible.
10. Reduce your lateral profile – while laying on the ground, try to lay on one side and use your arms to protect the exposed eye.

Under the debris:

1. Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
2. Tap over and over on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can hear where you are.
3. Preserve your energy. Shout only if there is no other choice. You inhale enormous amount of dust when yelling.
4. Stay calm and think of things that relax you and make you happy.
5. Avoid unnecessary movement so you don’t kick up dust.
6. If possible, use a whistle to signal rescuers.

After the attack:

1. One event can be followed by another, so do not rush towards the blast scene.
2. Duck and cover.
3. Leave the building as quickly as possible. Do not stop to retrieve personal possessions or make phone calls.
4. Open doors carefully; watch for falling objects.
5. Avoid using telephones, mobile phones and hand radios. Electrical sparks or signals could trigger other bombs.
6. Move away from side-walks or streets to be used by emergency officials or others still exiting the building.
7. If you or others have life-threatening injuries, such as severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain or burns, provide or seek first aid and get help from officials or others at the scene.
8. If you or someone else has minor injuries, seek first aid as a first step until those more severely injured can be cared for first. If possible, go to a hospital that is not in the immediate area of the blast. Hospitals closest to the blast(s) will quickly become crowded.
9. Listen to emergency officials at the scene. If no one is near you to give instructions and you are in the immediate area of the blast(s), leave as soon as you can.
10. To keep safe, move away from the area. Avoid crowds, unattended cars and trucks, public transportation, and damaged buildings.

Courtesy:
Daily Post

Toddler Killed in Hot Car: Police Tender Evidence of "Web Activity" of Suspect (Dad) in Court to Portray His State of Mind

"Among the details police have released is that Harris and his wife, Leanna, told them they conducted Internet searches on how hot a car needed to be to kill a child. Stoddard testified Thursday that Ross Harris had visited a Reddit page called "child-free" and read four articles. He also did an Internet search on how to survive in prison, Stoddard said.

"Also, five days before Cooper died, Ross Harris twice viewed a sort of homemade public service announcement in which a veterinarian demonstrates on video the dangers of leaving someone or something inside a hot car."

Stoddard is a police detective. It seems that they know about his web browsing because they seized and searched his computer:

...investigators confiscated Harris' work computer at Home Depot following his arrest and discovered an Internet search about how long it would take for an animal to die in a hot car.

Stoddard also testified that Harris was "sexting" -- is this a word we use in court now? -- with several women on the day of his son's death, and sent explicit pictures to one of them. I assume he knows that by looking at Harris's message history.

A bunch of this would not be admissible in trial, but this was a probable-cause hearing, and the rules are different for those. CNN writes: "a prosecutor insisted that the testimony helped portray the defendant's state of mind and spoke to the negligence angle and helped establish motive."

This case aside, is there anyone reading this whose e-mails, text messages, and web searches couldn't be cherry-picked to portray any state of mind a prosecutor might want to portray? (Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre. -- Cardinal Richelieu.)

Courtesy:
Schneier on Security

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

Fallout of BNP Paribas' Guilty Plea and Fine, United States Justice Dept May Probe Nigerian Banks over Terror Funding

THE United States (U.S.) Justice Department has put some Nigerian banks under the searchlight in the wake of growing terrorism in the country.

Specifically, the banks are being investigated to establish their links, if any, with funding of the various terror cells across the continent, particularly Boko Haram.

The development was sequel to BNP Paribas’ guilty plea and agreement to pay nearly $9 billion for violating U.S. sanctions, which has now triggered fresh enthusiasm on the U.S. Justice Department to also extend its investigations to Africa, especially among big banks on the continent with strong international links.

  Two other major French banks- Credit Agricole and Societe Generale, Germany’s Deutsche Bank AG, and Citigroup Inc’s Banamex unit in Mexico are among those being investigated for possible money laundering or sanctions violations, according to reliable industry sources.

  The Justice Department and other U.S. authorities, including the Manhattan District Attorney, are probing Credit Agricole and Societe Generale for potentially violating U.S. economic sanctions imposed against Iran, Cuba and Sudan, one of the sources said.

  Specifically, in the case of Nigeria, there had been widespread suspicion that a few banks in the country may have compromised in helping to move funds for members of the Boko Haram sect.

  There were fears recently that Nigeria may be blacklisted by international anti-money laundering watchdogs based in the U.S., over its inability to track the source of funds of the Boko Haram sect and curb terrorism financing in general.

  Signals from Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard setter for measures to combat money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing, indicated that despite the earlier warnings to Nigeria on its non-compliance level, the country is yet to take any concrete step to stem the rising spate of financial crimes including terrorism financing, money laundering and corruption.

  In its recent report, dated February 11, 2014, the FATF listed Nigeria among the countries that have not made significant progress in addressing the lacunas in their Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) regimes. The agency advised the international financial community on the potential risks in the country.

  Recent events, especially the activities of Boko Haram and startling revelations from various probes by the National Assembly, are putting Nigeria under global focus and scrutiny.

  It will be recalled that on June 23, 2006, FATF decided to remove Nigeria from its list of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories (NCCTs).   Since July 2001, Nigeria has been on this shame list. The cost to the economy is incalculable: inflow/outflow of transactions to Nigeria has around it a cautionary flag to the rest of the world and numerous Nigerians operating outside the country have had their financial dealings cancelled/ monitored.

  Similarly, Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), in its 2011 yearly report, clearly showed that the sources of money laundering, corruption, tax fraud, narcotics, trafficking and capital market related crimes were identified as the major challenges facing Nigeria.

  The data from GIABA, an institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responsible for facilitating the adoption and implementation of AML/CFT in West Africa, stated that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized 195, 283, 917 kilogrammes of various types of illicit drugs, mostly cannabis valued at over N140 million. The country also generated 8,725, 213 Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs), 2,031 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and 83 confirmed cases of money laundering in the reviewed period.

Source, full article:
Guardian Newspaper

United States warns of 'Specific Terrorist Threat' to Uganda's Entebbe Airport

The United States warned its citizens in Uganda on Thursday about a "specific threat" of an attack within hours on Entebbe International Airport, which serves the capital Kampala.

A message posted on the U.S. Embassy website said information from Uganda's police indicated that the attack could take place between 9 p.m and 11 p.m. local time, adding that citizens planning to travel at that time might consider reviewing their arrangements.

As one of the countries that contributes forces to an African Union peacekeeping mission battling the radical group Al-Shabab in Somalia, Uganda has suffered attacks in recent years, with the feared armed group threatening more.

Ignie Ugundura, a spokesman for Uganda's Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the authority had issued an alert on Wednesday that "informed the airport community,” but did not offer more details.

A Ugandan police spokeswoman said security had been stepped up at Entebbe, but that the police were not aware of a specific threat to Uganda.

The U.S. Embassy message said it had "received information from the Uganda Police Force (UPF) that according to intelligence sources there is a specific threat to attack Entebbe International Airport by an unknown terrorist group today, July 3, between the hours of 2100-2300.”

The warning came a day after American authorities said they would require increased security at overseas airports with nonstop flights to the United States. U.S. officials cited concerns that Al-Qaeda operatives in Syria and Yemen were developing bombs that could be smuggled onto planes.

There are no nonstop flights from Uganda's Entebbe airport to the United States.

Courtesy:
Aljazeera

Boko Haram Takes Toll on Nigerian GDP, Investors Resilient - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

BERLIN, (Reuters) - Boko Haram's insurgency will slow Nigeria's economy again this year, knocking half a percentage point off growth like last year, the finance minister said on Tuesday, adding that her 6.75 percent 2014 growth forecast took this into account.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters that while the violence in the northeast might put off some potential foreign investors, those who were in Nigeria for the long term seemed to be holding their nerve, as did portfolio investors in its government debt.

"We are expecting about 6.75 (percent growth in 2014) and we have accounted for the impact of the insurgency which we will think will take half a percentage point off GDP growth," she said in an interview during a visit to Berlin.

Nigeria overtook South Africa as the continent's biggest economy this year, following a rebasing calculation that almost doubled its gross domestic product. The economy grew about 6.4 percent last year, the minister said, with the Islamist rebels having most economic impact on agriculture in the northeast.

The economist and former World Bank vice-president said her talks with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble emphasised "our strong fundamentals despite the challenges that we face".

She sought his support for the creation of a new Nigerian development bank to improve financing to small and medium-sized private enterprises which could become an "engine for growth" as the country seeks to diversify its economy away from oil.

Rebasing GDP had revealed hidden strength in sectors such as services and telecoms, which had "gone to 0.7 percent of GDP to 7 percent" and was seeing strong growth, said the minister.

She said the creation of a secondary mortgage market could help kick off growth in housing, another sector that she hoped could "help to make up for some of the lost growth".

The minister cited government bonds yields of 4-5 percent as evidence financial investors were not panicking: "The prices are quite reasonable which is an objective assessment that investors may be looking at the long-term underlying fundamentals of the economy, which are strong."

Some potential foreign direct investment might be affected negatively by the Islamist insurgency, she said, but existing investors - especially those from emerging powers such as South Africa, China and Brazil - were proving resilient.

"Part of our turbulence may also be linked to the upcoming election (in 2015)," she said. "Whenever we have elections there is always some increase in violence and disturbance."

Boosting the regional economy is part of President Goodluck Jonathan's response alongside counter-insurgency efforts and attempts at dialogue with Boko Haram, which was hampered by the fact that "they have not articulated any political demands".

Courtesy:
Reuters

"Credible Threat" Prompt Tighter Security for Inbound Flights to The United States

Security is being tightened at airports with direct flights into the US - including some in the UK - in response to US warnings of a "credible threat".

The UK transport department confirmed airport security was being stepped up.

Neither UK nor US authorities specified what new measures would be involved but the UK said most passengers should not experience "significant disruption".

It comes amid US media reports that al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Yemen are developing bombs to smuggle on planes.

A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the changes were a response to a "real time" and "credible" threat but it could not comment on specific intelligence matters.

"Aviation remains an attractive target to global terrorists, who are consistently looking for ways to circumvent our aviation security measures.

"As always, DHS continues to adjust security measures to fit an ever evolving threat environment.

"Information about specific enhancements and locations are sensitive as we do not wish to divulge information about specific layers of security to those who would do us harm."

What changes will we see?

Longer queues are a possibility
The UK government isn't giving any details about what these security changes actually are, but they haven't ruled out longer queues at security.

The statement from the department for transport merely says that the majority of passengers should not experience significant disruption.

What we do know is that all of the old rules remain in place. So you will still have to put liquids into separate, see-through bags, take your laptop out of your bag, take off your belt and maybe your shoes before going through security.

It's also not clear whether these changes will affect every airport, and whether they are limited to flights to and from the United States, which has prompted this move.

The actual terrorism threat level remains the same, at substantial. That's the middle of the five threat levels and means that an attack is a strong possibility.

Necessary steps

DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement: "We will work to ensure these necessary steps pose as few disruptions to travellers as possible,"

"We are sharing recent and relevant information with our foreign allies and are consulting the aviation industry."

The changes will be made in the "upcoming days", the department added.

In a statement, the UK Department for Transport said the country had "taken the decision to step up some of our aviation security measures".

He added: "For obvious reasons we will not be commenting in detail on those changes. The majority of passengers should not experience significant disruption."

An anonymous US official told Reuters news agency that European airports would be taking the extra precautions.

Law enforcement and security officials sources told the news agency that Western authorities were discussing security measures that included extra scrutiny of US-bound passengers' electronics and footwear, among other measures.

Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are believed to be working together to try to develop explosives that could avoid detection by current airport scanners, US media report.

Courtesy:
BBC