Abuja (AFP) - A new regional fighting force against Boko Haram will be headed by a Nigerian commander, the five-nation coalition agreed on Thursday, after talks on military strategy against the militants.
The decision came after Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari rejected calls for a rotating command between the partners, arguing it could hamper the counter-insurgency effort.
Buhari has made ending the six-year Islamist insurgency his top priority but since coming to power on May 29, more than 150 people have been killed in an upsurge of attacks.
In the latest sign of the need for an enhanced force against the rebels, residents said 43 people were killed in raids on three villages in Borno state in Nigeria's restive northeast.
A final communique following three days of talks in Abuja on the remit of the new 8,700-strong force backed Buhari's stance for a Nigerian to control operations "until the end of the mission".
Cameroon will take the number two role of "deputy first commander" for an initial 12 months while a Chadian will be appointed chief of staff, again for the first year, the statement said.
"National contingents" of troops for the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin should be deployed by July 30, it added.
The MNJTF will replace an existing ad hoc coalition of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, which has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram since February.
But there are hopes it will be more effective and deliver a hammer blow to the Islamic State-affiliated group, with at least 15,000 dead and more than 1.5 million made homeless since 2009.
- Rules of engagement -
Nigeria's military last week announced that Major-General Tukur Buratai had taken charge of the MNJTF, which has its headquarters in Chad's capital, N'Djamena.
The headquarters will cost $30 million (27 million euros) to run in the first year.
Buhari earlier told his regionals counterparts and Cameroon's defence minister, representing President Paul Biya, that there was a need to view the insurgency as part of the "global war against terror".
"Terrorism has no frontiers and they must, because of the great implication for regional and global peace and security, be defeated," he added.
The regional meeting was being closely watched for indications about the extent to which foreign forces can operate inside Nigerian territory.
Chad and Niger have both complained the previous administration of Goodluck Jonathan prevented their troops from pursuing militant fighters deeper into Nigeria's northeast.
But Buhari suggested permission for operations of foreign troops on Nigerian soil was not an issue.
"On the rules of engagement, we have gone beyond that because all our neighbours, especially Chad and Niger, have come into Nigerian territory to chase away Boko Haram and secure the territory for Nigeria," he told reporters.
- Funding issue -
Buhari, an uncompromising former military ruler, has already moved the Nigerian military's command centre from Abuja to Maiduguri, in the rebels' northeastern stronghold.
Last weekend, he appealed to world leaders at the G7 summit in Germany for more help in combating extremism and visited Chad and Niger to push for longer-term co-operation on security threats.
The flurry of activity, less than two weeks into his presidency, stands in stark contrast to years of apparent inaction in tackling the group under his predecessor.
But analysts said while his proactive stance on the issue was welcomed by foreign powers who had grown weary of dealings with Jonathan's regime, Buhari had little time to act.
The MNJTF was first agreed in May last year, a month after Boko Haram shocked the world by kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls in northeast Nigeria.
It was supposed to be operational in November 2014 but was dogged by wrangling between anglophone Nigeria and its francophone neighbours, whom it has long viewed with suspicion.
Reviving the force was brought to the fore in January, as Boko Haram hit northeast Nigeria almost daily and began to eye territorial gains in border regions of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Nigeria has promised $100 million for the "smooth take-off" of the MNJTF, Buhari said on Thursday, but added that longer-term funding was still a "major issue".
The partners called for financial backing from the African Union for "operations, logistics and general mission support" and asked the UN Security Council for its backing for the force.
They also "resolved to seek the support of strategic partners, notably (the) European Union, France, United Kingdom and United States of America in favour of the MNJTF".
Source:
Yahoo News
A Catholic Priest in Ekiti diocese, Rev. Father Emmanuel Akingbade has been kidnapped by gunmen in Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti state. It was gathered that the three-man abductors stormed the residence of the cleric, who is the Parish Priest of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, Ido Ekiti, with gun on Tuesday, between 7.30 and 8pm.
The cleric, who is a lawyer also doubles as the Assistant Director, Justice, Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the church in the diocese.
This was coming barely two weeks after eleven people kidnapped including Medical personnel were released. Meanwhile, youths in Ido-Ekiti demonstrated against the kidnap of the reverend father by blocking all roads and paralysed commercial activities in the town.
The angry youths said the town was being given bad image by incessant incidents of kidnap and called on the state governor, Ayodele Fayose to arrest the kidnappers using the town as a base.
The Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, who confirmed the incident, said the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etop John James had been informed about the incident.
The bishop said one of the three men pointed a gun at the head of one of the occupants at the priest’s residence and ordered him to lead them to Father Akingbade’s room where he was abducted and taken to an unknown destination.
The bishop, who described the incidence as “very sad and devastating “said the abductors also went away with the priest’s computer laptop, undisclosed amount of money and handset. Ajakaiye said, “They told the priest that some people had paid them to kill the Priest and demanded N20m as ransom.
They asked him to put on any clothe he likes and drove him away, since then we have not been able to establish contact with him” Father Akingbade was born on September 9, 1971 and ordained a Catholic priest on July 18, 1998. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the incident, adding that the command is working hard to getting the priest released.
He added, “ We are aware of it and we are following it up. The DPO in Ido informed the command about the incident and we are trying our best to get him released.”
Source:
Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday June 10, 2015 arraigned 14 persons, including a Briton, Russian, Ukrainian and Japanese before a Federal High Court over their alleged involvement in massive dealing in oil products on Nigerian territorial waters.
The accused persons were alleged to have illegally dealt in several thousands of metric tons of petroleum products, automated gas oil and low pour fuel oil.
The accused are: Artur Pakhladzhian, Sergo Abbgarian, Vasily Shkundich, Vitaliy Bilours, Hlarion Teofilo Regipor, Laguta Oleksiy, Cadavis Gerarado, Kretov Andry, Badurian Benjamin, Chepikov Olksan, Naranjo Allian Antero, Patro Christian, Alcayde Joel and Caratiquit Michael Beyan.
They were arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Buba, alongside their companies.
According to the charges, they were said to have dealt in petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate licence, contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federal of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act.
EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that the accused illegally dealt with 1,738.087 metric tons of petroleum product; 1,500 metric tons of automated gas oil aboard MT ANUKRET EMERALD’S CARGO TANK and 3,035 metric tons of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) aboard the same cargo on March 27, 2015.
After the charges were read to them, the accused persons pleaded not guilty, while their lawyer, Babajide Koku (SAN), moved an oral application urging the court to grant them bail on the ground of self recognition.
Koku had further urged the court to grant bail to the accused on liberal terms.
The lawyer argued that the foreigners were presumed innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law, and as such, deserved to be released on bail.
In response, EFCC’s lawyer (Oyedepo), faulted the bail application on self recognition.Oyedepo contended that such application was not applicable to the accused as they are not Nigerian citizens and also not resident in the country.
However, Oyedepo pleaded with the court to attach stringent conditions in the event that the court was minded to grant the accused bail, so as to prevent the accused from absconding from the country.
Justice Buba, in his ruling, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50 million each with one surety in like sum.
The surety, according to the judge, must be resident in Lagos.
Justice Buba ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison pending compliance with the bail conditions.
However, the accused informed the court that they were ready to issue bond of N750 million bank guarantee in order to avoid delay of surety, a request which was granted by the court subject to the deposit of their passports with EFCC and all travelling documents.
The case was thereafter adjourned to June 17,18 and 19, 2015 for trial.
Source:
Daily Independent
Authorities of the Nigerian presidency are said to have rejected 253 Department of State Services (DSS) security operatives assigned to protect the presidency.
The operatives were redeployed from several areas of the federation to work with the Presidency but were rejected on getting to Aso Rock. According to their redeployment signals that emanated from the service’s National Headquarters, the officers were directed to report at the Presidential Villa last week Monday. However, the officials, armed with signals showing specifically where they would man in the Presidential Villa, were however turned back on arrival. They were directed to ensure that they return to their respective former duty posts across the country the following day (last week Tuesday).
One of the operatives who was transferred from one of the states in the South-West, complained that all of them were left to their fate without any transfer allowance. He said that only one of the operatives was retained for reasons unknown to him.
Source: TheStreamNG.com
