Obasanjo’s Son, Other Soldiers Injured During Battle With Boko Haram in Mubi

Son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Lt-Col. Adeoye Obasanjo who is commanding a platoon in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgent operations, was said to have  been shot in the battle for Mubi, Adamawa State alongside few other soldiers.

The younger Obasanjo,  an army engineer was reported to have been shot, sustaining   minor injuries during exchange of fire with Boko Haram terrorists while on their way to liberate Michika following sustained hours of aerial bombardment.

A highly placed military source confirmed the incident, saying "his injuries are not life threatening. He is currently receiving treatment".

"I can confirm the incident is true. He is a committed military officer on duty".

Several efforts were made to get confirmation from the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade  failed as his phone numbers were switched off.

However the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brig-Gen. Olajide Lalaye said that while scores of terrorists were killed in the incident,   with few soldiers sustaining injury, he could not confirm if Obasanjo's son was affected.

  - ThisDay

Acting Inspector General of Police Approves Redeployment of 21 State Commissioners of Police

The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on Monday approved new Commissioners of Police for Akwa Ibom, Delta, Lagos, Rivers and 17 other states of the federation following the “recommendation of the Commissioners to the Police Service Commission and its subsequent approval,” a police force statement by spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said.

The IGP said the postings are “In line with the determination and drive to reposition the Nigeria Police Force for improved service delivery.
”The CPs are Usman Yakubu who would now head Nasarawa State Police Command; Isaac Achong, CP, Akwa-Ibom; Paul Okafor, Kogi; Hyacinth Dagala, Benue; Farouk Umar, Jigawa; Salihu Garba, Kwara and A. Shodipo, Oyo State.

Others are Abubakar Marafa, Osun; Clement Adoda, Borno; Kayode Aderanti, Lagos; Usman Baba, Delta; Dan Bature, Rivers; Karma Hassan, Anambra; Titilayo Busari, Cross River; Valentine Ntomchukwu; Bayelsa; Frederick Lakanu, Ekiti; and Ademola Omole, Taraba.

Also affected by the deployment were Olusola Amore, Niger, Adejoh Adaji, Adamawa, Ishaku Barau, Kebbi and
Acting CP, Wilson Inalegwu, FCT.

  - Guardian

Insurgency: President Jonathan Holds Talks With Chadian President - Idriss Deby in Chad

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is to travel to Ndjamena today for talks with his Chadian counterpart, President Idriss Deby, in continuation of the Federal Government’s efforts to forge a stronger alliance against terrorism and violent extremism ravaging northern Nigeria and her neighbours.

The talks in Ndjamena with President Deby, who is also the current chairman of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, were to come as follow-up on discussions in Nairobi, last week, on the sidelines of the African Union Peace and Security Council Summit.

Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, in a statement on Sunday, noted that President Jonathan and his host would discuss the further actualisation of agreements for greater cooperation against insurgents and terrorists reached by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon at a meeting in Paris, earlier this year.

Their talks, he said, were expected to lead to the strengthening of the Paris accord on joint border patrols, intelligence sharing and the prevention of the illicit movement of terrorists, criminals, arms and ammunition across shared borders.

Before returning to Abuja on Tuesday, President Jonathan, who will be a special guest of honour at an international conference on Information Technology and Communication holding in Ndjamena on the same day, will be accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed and the Director-General
of the National Space Research and
Development Agency, Professor Sheidu Mohammed.

  - Tribune

Adamawa State University Shut As Boko Haram Overruns More Towns In North-East

To forestall an attack on students, the Adamawa State Government shut the state university in Mubi as the
insurgents overran Uba, a town five kilometres from Mubi.
Other towns taken at the weekend by Boko Haram fighters are: Michika and Bazza. Both towns, along with Uba, are in Hong Local Government Area.

But the sect suffered a major setback, with no fewer than 50 of its men killed in a military raid in Borno State. The army said yesterday that security forces raided a “hideout” of suspected Boko Haram members in Kawuri, a village about 37km from Maiduguri, the state capital, on Saturday.
The suspected fighters were planning an attack, the military said.
Heavy artillery, including anti-aircraft guns and an armoured vehicle, were seized in the raid. Three soldiers
were injured, the army said.

But the sect’s fighters seized more towns in Adamawa State, following the success they recorded in attacks on some villages on Friday when they took Gulak, the headquarters of Magadali Local Government, Kirchinga, the hometown of Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, Duhu
and Shuwa.

Uba, a town five kilometers to Mubi was also overrun by the sect.
Some Michika residents, speaking on the telephone, said the insurgents commanded some of the youths to join them for the “work of Allah”.
Another resident said: “When the insurgents met me on the road in Michika, they said I should follow them to work for Allah. They asked me to go home and prepare to follow them to fight the cause of Allah but I decided to run and hide.”

A resident of Bazza spoke of how the sect’s fighters stormed the town, “shooting sporadically, using artillery
gun and other heavy weapons but from time to time Air Force jets were dropping bombs”.

The Adamawa State Government on Saturday confirmed that the government had lost to the insurgents many towns, including Gulak and Michika.

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Boko Haram fighters seized more towns along Nigeria’s northeastern border with Cameroon. They were adopting a new strategy of encouraging civilians to stay, witnesses told the news agency.
“They assured us that they will not attack us, but people began to run for their lives. Some of us have fled for fear that after subduing the soldiers, the insurgents will turn their [gun] barrels on us,’’ Michael Kirshinga, a resident of Gulak, said after the town was attacked.

  - The Nation

Al Shabaab Name New Leader Aftermath of U.S Strike That killed Former Leader, Promises Revenge

MOGADISHU, Sept 6 (Reuters) -
The Somali Islamist militant group
Al Shabaab confirmed on Saturday that its leader Ahmed Godane had been killed in a U.S. air strike this week and named a new leader, promising "great distress" to its enemies.

U.S. forces struck Godane's encampment in south-central Somalia with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions on Monday, but the Pentagon did not confirm his death until Friday.
Western governments and neighbouring countries want to neutralise a group that they say has exploited Somalia's chaos to attract jihadists and train them to fight.

In a statement, Al Shabaab reaffirmed its affiliation to al Qaeda, and named its new leader as Sheikh Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah, warning its enemies to "expect only that which will cause you great distress".
Little is known of al Shabaab's new
leader, but a local elder who asked not be named said he had joined al Shabaab in 2006 and, like Godane, hailed from the Dir clan.
Godane himself was named head of al Shabaab in 2008, less than a week after his predecessor Aden Hashi Ayro was killed in a similar U.S. raid.

Godane dramatically raised the group's profile, carrying out bombings and suicide attacks in Somalia and elsewhere in the region, including last September's attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in which 67 people died.

Godane publicly claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it was revenge for Kenyan and Western involvement in Somalia and noting its proximity to the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The militants have also staged guerrilla attacks in parts of the capital, as well as in neighbouring Kenya and Uganda.

The Pentagon said on Friday that
Godane's killing was a "major symbolic and operational loss" for al Shabaab, but some analysts have said it could bring more violence.

Al Shabaab, whose name means "The Youth", said two of Godane's companions had been killed in the
attack, adding: "Avenging the death
of our scholars and leaders is a binding obligation on our shoulders that we will never relinquish or forget, no matter how long it takes."

The group, which aims to impose its own strict version of Islam, controlled Mogadishu and the southern region of Somalia from 2006 until 2011. It was forced out of the capital by peacekeeping forces deployed by the African Union, who have launched a new offensive against the Islamists this year.

Kenya deployed troops with the AU
force to try to prevent al Shabaab
encroaching onto its own territory,
and suffered retribution in the shape of the attack on the Westgate mall.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta
thanked the United States for killing Godane, and "for bringing an end to Godane's career of death and destruction; and finally allowing us to begin our healing process".

- Reuters

Ex Army Chief - Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika Denies Been A Boko Haram Sponsor

Erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, has described the allegation of sponsorship of the Boko Haram sect leveled against him by Dr. Stephen Davis as frivolous and
unfounded. He said the careless allegation was meant to divert the attention of the country and its
security agencies and also divide the country along religion and ethnic lines.

In a chat with journalists at the National Defence College, Abuja on Friday, Ihejirika warned against giving undue attention to the Australian’s claims.
He suggested that such allegation would have been dismissed if it was made in a developed country like the United States or the United Kingdom. The ex-Army boss added that some people considered his handling of the counter insurgency campaign high-handed, saying he owed such people no apologies.

His words: “If this accusation was made in a country like US or UK, it would not be discussed for one hour because they would wave it aside. But they are exploiting our traditional fault lines, a multi-religious multi ethnic, multi-cultural and young democracy, so what they have tried to do is aimed at achieving what they could not achieve. I have chosen to do this because we cannot allow national security to be toyed with; the need for security awareness in spite of the effort I put in at time and the effort being put by the current leadership of the Armed Forces, the need for security awareness still persists.”

“I want to urge all Nigerians to join hands to support Mr. President and members of the Armed Forces in their onerous task to rid this country of
terrorism. I want to further advise that baseless, unfounded and frivolous allegations like this have the capacity of diverting our attention, away from
the main problem. Nigeria must exist before you can hold a single political office and there is no compromise in the effort to have a peaceful and united Nigeria. Therefore, I have no apologies at all whatsoever to those who thought I was high handed.

“I used to explain to them that the Nigerian Army is not high handed, but every Army makes a lot of efforts to ensure that its troops operate within the rule of engagement.” Ihejirika recalled that his leadership recruited 9000 soldiers in 2013 to beef up the strength of the military and to monitor the borders more effectively. He urged Nigerians to avoid utterances that could bring down the morale of Nigerian troops, a situation which he warned, could be dangerous.

The retired senior officer pointed out that terrorists were waging a media warfare to achieve what they had not achieved through violence. He further
reiterated that he remained unshaken by the attention given to the allegation because of his belief that “we are yet to come to terms with the motives of the terrorists

  - DailyPost

Boko Haram: Nigerian Government Denies Hiring Australian - Mr. Stephen Davis As Negotiator

The Nigerian Government has denied hiring Australia’s Stephen Davis as a Boko Haram negotiator.
The Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, who disclosed government’s position on the issue in Abuja on Friday, said the government has no plan of prosecuting any Nigerian for now following the allegations made by the Australian.

Davis has insisted that former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika are Boko Haram sponsors.
He also mentioned an unnamed senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria and an Egypt-based man as those funding the sect.

Davis, who refused to disclose the identity of the CBN official, said his allegations were informed by discussions he had with several Boko Haram field commanders.

But Omeri insisted that government has not hired anybody to negotiate on its behalf with the Boko Haram.
“For now nobody has been hired by the government to negotiate on its behalf with Boko Haram. Anytime the
government decides to do so, it will make it known to the public.
“The government is still investigating the allegations made by the alleged negotiator. However, the government has no plan to question anybody because of those allegations made by the Australian,” he stated.

  - The Nation

Boko Haram Members Marrying Abducted Girls – Watchlist Report

Boys and girls abducted by Boko Haram, including Christian girls, have been forced to convert to Islam and coerced into marrying members of the group, along with other female abductees, a report by Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict noted yesterday.

Watchlist, an international network of
human rights and humanitarian non-
government organizations working to end violations against children in armed conflict, also accused the federal government and other international humanitarian bodies of being slow, fragmented and unable to meet the fast-growing needs of those affected by the conflict in terms of relief response to violations against children.

“Boko Haram abducted these girls and young women from schools and markets, and during raids on villages in areas across Borno State since at least December 2012. Some members of the group raped girls and young women in the camps. None of the girls and women who escaped, and were interviewed by Watchlist, had access to counseling and
other health services”, the group noted.

  - Leadership

Scam Alert! 72-Year-Old Dutch Woman Swindled €200,000 By Her Nigerian Internet 'Lover'

LAGOS— A 31-year-old internet fraudster, Adio Opeyemi Michael, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding a 72-year-old Dutch woman of €200,000 (about N40.6 million) in a romance scam.

The suspect, who is a native of Owu Local Government Area of Ogun State, was said to have met his victim,
identified simply as Jeanet De Jonge, on Netlog dating site and pretended to be a 41-year-old American citizen working as a chef in a Nigerian restaurant and needs a wife.

Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, while confirming the report, told Vanguard that the suspect’s profile actually attracted Jeanet and she eventually began sending him money through Western Union and MoneyGram.

He further disclosed that the suspect collected various sums on the pretext that he was going to use the money to perfect his travel plans and obtain the required documents that would enable him travel to Holland to join or visit Jeanet. But his inability or refusal to honour the invitation from Jeanet promptedher to write a petition to the EFCC.

Sources at the EFCC told Vanguard that operatives of the anti-graft agency used information provided by the victim in her petition to track and apprehend the suspect.

Meanwhile, the suspect in his confessional statement said: “She was sending me money monthly, ranging from $800 to $900 from June 2012, through Western Union Money transfer and Money Gram to the extent that Western Union blocked her access.
“So, she requested that I should go to London to enable her send more money there. I contacted a friend in London called Osas Odiah, who was supposed to receive the money and dispatch same to me in Nigeria.
“She first sent €2,000 to my friend’s account in London and he didn’t remit the money to me. I later opened
a Keystone Bank Forex Trade account through which she sent me money.”

According to Wilson, the suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.

  - Vanguard

Signs, Tips To Forestall Child Abuse

1: Warn your Girl Child Never to sit on anyone's laps no matter the situation including uncles.

2: Avoid Getting Dressed in front of your child once he/she is 2 years old. Learn to excuse them or yourself.

3. Never allow any adult refer to your child as 'my wife' or 'my husband'

4. Whenever your child goes out to play with friends make sure you look for a way to find out what kind of play they do, because young people now sexually abuse themselves.

5. Never force your child to visit any adult he or she is not comfortable with and also be observant if your child becomes too fond of a particular adult.

6. Once a very lively child suddenly becomes withdrawn you may need to patiently ask lots of questions from your child.

7. Carefully educate your grown ups about the right values of sex . If you don't, the society will teach them the wrong values.

8: It is always advisable you go through any new Material like cartoons you just bought for them before they start seeing it themselves.

9. Ensure you activate parental controls on your cable networks and advice your friends especially those your child(ren) visit(s) often.

10. Teach your 3 year old how to wash their private parts properly and warn them never to allow anyone touch those areas and that
includes you (remember, charity begins from home and with you).

11: Blacklist some materials/associates you think could threaten the sanity of your child (this includes music, movies and even friends and families).

12. Let your child(ren) understand the value of standing out of the crowd.

13: Once your child complains about a particular person, don't keep quiet about it.

Take up the case and show them you can defend them.

Remember, we are either parents or parents-to-be.

Please kindly share.

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