Boko Haram: Nigerian Military Recover Arms Cache from A Burnt Church

Nigerian military authorities on Friday claim it recovered weapons hidden in a church burnt earlier by terrorists in Kalabalge Local Government Area of Borno State.

The weapons, which included anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled guns as well as general purpose and other brands of machine guns, were found following the arrest of a middle-aged terrorist, the military said. Several rounds of ammunition were also recovered.

According to a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major Gen. Chris Olukolade, the arrested suspect claimed to be a Cameroonian and an arms courier for the Boko Haram.

Major Gen. Olukolade said the suspect led troops on the cordon and search operation. He said the terrorist also disclosed to the military that the weapons were stockpiled to be used in a pending attack on some communities around the Nigeria- Cameroon border.

The military spokesperson also noted that all the weapons have been evacuated while the military continues to patrol the area. Major Gen. Olukolade said a particular cave in the area is undergoing a thorough search for terrorists who are believed to have taken refuge there.

He said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, has taken it upon himself to check on deployment and disposition of troops in various locations in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States; the three states under emergency rule.

Major Gen. Olukolade said the military is undertaking a comprehensive air surveillance of the entire mission area in addition to the direct inspection of some key locations where operations are being conducted.

Posted by:
Don Okereke
Source:
Premium Times

http://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/157171-boko-haram-nigerian-military-recovers-heavy-weapons-from-burnt-church.html

Chechen Rebel Leader Umarov 'Dead'

The leader of the Chechen rebels, Doku Umarov, has died, according to Kavkaz Center, the main website of Russia's Islamist militants.
The website said the Caucasus Emirate leader "became a martyr", but no further details were given.
There has been no official confirmation from the Russian authorities.
The militant group has claimed responsibility for a string of deadly attacks in Russia in the last few years.

Most wanted
A spokesman for Russia's national anti-terrorism body was quoted by Russian state news agency RIA as saying he could not confirm Mr Umarov was dead, Reuters reports.
The Kavkaz Center website wrote on its Twitter account that Ali Abu-Mukhammad had been chosen as the new emir by the Caucasus Emirate.
The website is seen as sympathetic to Islamist militants fighting against Russian rule in the North Caucasus.

In the past, it has used the line about "becoming a martyr" both for people who were killed and for Islamist militants who died of natural causes, so it is not clear if Doku Umarov died peacefully or if he was killed, says Artyom Liss, head of BBC Russian.
Over the last few years, the Russian authorities have announced his killing several few times.

He has often recorded video statements just days after his alleged killing by the Russian forces, our correspondent says.
The self-styled emir of the Caucasus Emirate is one of Russia's most wanted rebels.
He has claimed to have ordered the January 2011 Moscow airport bombing that killed 36 people, and the March 2010 suicide bombings in the Moscow Metro, in which 39 people died.

He is also said to have ordered the November 2009 bombing of a train from Moscow to St Petersburg that left 26 dead.
Mr Umarov also urged his fighters to target the Winter Olympic Games, which recently took place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Russia has been battling Islamist insurgents, who are seeking to carve an emirate out of Russia's mostly Muslim southern Caucasus provinces, for years.

Posted by Don Okereke

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26634403

Nigeria Launches 'Soft Approach' to Counter Boko Haram

Nigeria's national security adviser has unveiled plans for a new non-military strategy to combat a four-and-half year old Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands of people. The strategy would complement, not replace, military efforts to fight radical sect Boko Haram.

About 10 months ago Nigeria launched its biggest military push ever against Boko Haram insurgents, imposing emergency rule on three northeastern states. Many urban centers were quickly secured, but the violence continued in the countryside. More recently, northern cities have again come under attack. Human Rights Watch says 700 people have been killed this year alone.

Amid the growing violence, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki says the government will take a “soft approach” to counter terrorism, in addition to military efforts.
“My approach has been to understand the problem in order to apply the appropriate solutions. What we have learned is that there is not one particular path that leads to terrorism. Rather, there are many, often complicated, paths
that lead to terrorism.”

Poverty, social injustice, isolation and sectarianism are among the causes of insurgency, he says. And prison reform, economic development, peace talks and educating the public are among the solutions.
Under the plan, two prisons will become “de-
radicalization” facilities. The next step, Dasuki says, is to train the staff. “The initiative will require substantial capacity building of prison staff in areas such as psychology, sport and art therapy, faith-based instructors and vocational training experts that would engage beneficiaries.”

Another key tenet of the “soft approach” to counter terrorism, he says, is economic reform in northeastern Nigeria, where most people live in abject poverty, fueling the insurgency.
But the insurgency also makes the region poor, adds Gbenro Olajuyigbe, a human security
manager at anti-poverty organization ActionAid.
The soft approach, he adds, needs to follow better security on the ground. “If people are in insecure environment --
economics has collapsed, rights have collapsed, there is an intrusion of fear -- I think the best thing to do is to stabilize the country first.”

The United Nations calls the Boko Haram insurgency “increasingly monstrous,” saying nearly half a million people have fled their homes, and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries.

Source:
m.voanews.com/a/nigeria-launches-soft-approach-to-counter-boko-haram-/1873626.html

Troops ambush terrorists on Yobe mission, kill 8 -Defence Spokesman

Troops operating in North-East Nigeria have ambushed a group of terrorists on a mission to penetrate and attack Goniri Community in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information and Coordinator, Joint Information Centre Counter Terrorism Campaign.

Olukolade said that the mission failed as the terrorists were ambushed by troops on patrol who were already alerted on the their intention.

"Troops are still in pursuit of the fleeing terrorist elements after the encounter which resulted in some casualties on both parties.

"Rockets and machine guns were freely used by the terrorists who eventually lost over 8 of their fighters with several others wounded.

" Arms were also captured from the terrorists while others fled.

" The troops, however, lost a soldier while an officer was seriously wounded in the encounter, " he said.

Goniri is not far from Buni-Yadi where the terrorists killed school children recently.

The director also said that the troops, operating around Gamboru Ngala and Dikwa Local Government Area towards the borders of Chad and Cameroun, were busy throughout the weekend.

He said that the troops were recovering weapons hidden by terrorists who were dislodged from the area.

"Assisted by captured terrorists, the troops were led to the sites where arms have been hidden in farms and cemeteries. The cordon and search of the entire area is still in progress," he said.

NAN

Source:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/troops-ambush-terrorists-yobe-mission-kill-8/

Nigerian Military Intercepts Boko Haram Cache of Arms and Money.

A statement signed by the Director of Information, Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, assert that Nigerian troops recently captured a Boko Haram arms dump with massive arms, ammunition and money in different currencies.

The statement said that the large quantity of weapons recovered in the raid was still being evacuated from the scene of the night raid in which several terrorists died.

There was also a coordinated operation with the troops of Multi-National Joint Task Force in other camps located on the outskirts of Duguri,  Polkime, Malafatori near Lake Chad.  

Major General Olukolade further stated that the troops conducting a cordon and search operation to mop up remnants of the kamikaze terrorists that attacked Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, had an encounter with some of them in Kayamla and Alu Dam on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

“Those captured in the encounter are providing useful information towards the discovery of other hide outs of the daring terrorists,” he said.  “It has been revealed that the terrorists are now desperate to either free or kill the ones being detained, with a view to avenging or preventing further revelations about their operations and hide outs as this has been frustrating their plans lately.”

The statement went further to say that cordon and search as well as coordinated patrols and pursuit by air and land is continuing in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

At Least 100 People Slaughtered In Southern Kaduna By Suspected Herdsmen

Reports say armed men purported to be Fulani Herdsmen attacked Me-Sankwai, Tekum and Ungwan Gatah villages in Moro'a Chiefdom, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, North Central Nigeria, killing at least 100 people including women and children in the early hours of Saturday morning. Several homes were also set ablaze by the rampaging assailants.

A while ago, about 100 people were killed in Katsina State. Benue State also witnessed wanton killings. Is Nigeria turning into a slaughter house?

Enough of this bloodletting!!!

57,000 Nigerians Now Refugees, Half a million Displaced Sequel to Boko Haram Rampage

According to a report by the United Nations, about 57,000 Nigerians may have fled to neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger due to the Boko Haram onslaught and the declaration of a state of emergency in the hotbeds insurgency/terrorism in North East Nigeria.

The United Nation's report also suggests that about half a million people have been internally displaced in the country which it described as a very alarming situation.
Spokesperson of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, Mr Adrian Edwards, who spoke with reporters in Geneva said of 57,000 people who fled Nigeria, 17,000 are registered as Nigerians while the rest are nationals from neighbouring countries who have been living in Nigeria for ages.

He disclosed that Niger received the majority — some 40,000 concentrated in the Diffa region, a desert in the country’s eastern edge. Mr. Edwards fears that many of those fleeing North-Eastern Nigeria are traumatized and left with very few possessions, adding that besides the Lake Chad area, some of the new arrivals are from the Borno State capital, Maiduguri.

Mr. Edwards recounted that the UNHCR reiterates to all parties to the conflict in north‑eastern Nigeria, the vital importance of protecting civilians from harm.
He said the UNHCR was working with partners, including the International Rescue Committee, the governments of the neighbouring countries, to try and ensure that countries keep their borders open and also ensure that they help people on arrival.

Benue State Governor Escapes Death By The Whiskers

The spate of wanton insecurity in Nigeria is worrisome, unpredictable and shows no sign of abating anytime soon. A while ago, plausibly 50 kamikaze armed men were said to have attacked the Enugu State Government House. The latest is the Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam who was said to have escaped death by the whiskers on Tuesday 11/03/2014 when armed men purported to be Fulani herdsmen opened fire on his convoy in North-Central Benue state in Nigeria.

The Fulani herdsmen were said to be grazing on some farms around Umenger village as well as burning houses. On sighting the Governor's convoy, they opened fire and the Governors escort responded.

The Governor was traveling with the House of Assembly Speaker, Barr. Terhile Ayua, and the Commissioner of Police, Adams Audu visiting villages recently raided by the Fulani herdsmen.
The Governor visited the Ukpam village of Mbabaai in Guma Local Government before the shoot out where there were reports of yet another attack on the residents.

28 people allegedly died from an early morning raid; the Governor was visibly upset on being shown four corpses.

A Ukpam resident, Iorhen Mbaiorga, said the women and children left the village before the raid, leaving just the men.

"We would have confronted them but we were empty handed, while the people have very sophisticated guns…”

He added sobbing, "We are being attacked, our foodstuffs including yam barn and farms burned and destroyed without anyone coming to our aide. Some of our people were killed and taken away while some captured and taken alive."

Source: SaharaReporters

United States Fears Boko Haram Onslaught May Hamper 2015 Elections

The United States Consular-General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins has expressed fears that Boko Haram terrorist activities in the northern part of Nigeria may hamper the 2015 polls.

Mr. Hawkins however assured that the U.S. will continue to support Nigerian government to fight the terrorist group. The diplomat opined during an interactive session with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, South West Nigeria, that the U.S. government had given in form of aid the sum of $15 million to the Nigerian government to strengthen the electoral process.

He expressed optimism that the 2015 elections will mark the watershed of credible election in Nigeria if the stakeholders can eschew violence. Mr. Hawkins decried the killings of innocent school students in Yobe State by Boko Haram and described the activities of the religious sect as worrisome that may mar the conduct of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria if not checked.

He also commended the Federal Government’s efforts for deploying military to engage the terrorists group, stressing that the war against terrorism was a must-win for the country to secure lives and property of the citizenry.

Culled from:
Guardian Newspaper Nigeria

Tips For Safe Electronic, Internet Banking Practice

Introduction:

There is a global surge in financial, electronic (ATM) fraud and this ugly phenomenon is increasingly becoming very sophisticated. In their bid to swindle unsuspecting victims, Criminals are upping their ante, in many occasions, deploying a mix of social engineering and reverse-engineering to circumvent security/safety measures deployed by financial institutions. Interestingly, insiders- bank staffers (Management, Cashiers, IT guys, Security Officers) are sometimes complicit in growing financial/electronic frauds. As will be gleaned from the ensuing part of this treatise, despite a global notoriety for 419 and fraud buoyed by bad Press, the Nigerian elements of this ignoble trade are pretty much dilettantes. This essay is an attempt to x-ray the escalating trend in financial, electronic (ATM) fraud and to proffer solutions to forestall such incidents.

The Audacity of ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorism

Introduction

The gruesome daylight murder of a 25-year-old off-duty British Army Drummer- Lee Rigby, in Woolwich, Southeast London after the Boston Marathon bombings in the United States of America, has once again brought to the fore, the growing threat of ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorism, a new terror impetus towards unsophisticated and uncoordinated attacks that are virtually impossible to thwart. A cardinal analogy between the London and the Boston incidents is the prospect that the suspected masterminds became radicalized and may have inculcated their proficiency from extremist publications on the Internet. The potency of terrorism generally is that it alters the psyche of a society and instills fear in the minds of people.

The Shifting Face of Terrorism

Some analysts have described the London attack as a form of "open-source jihad". Recent incidents lend credence to the assertion that 'lone wolf' attacks seems to be the new corridor to terror. Lone Wolf terrorism narrows the ease with which terrorists slip between the seams of a country’s security, military/defence establishment.

Resolving Extra-judicial Killings, Assasinations, Crimes & Spurious Acquittals in Nigeria

The is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is awash with unresolved criminal infractions and frivolous acquittal of high profile suspects. This tendency casts aspersions on Nigeria's Security agencies and the Judiciary whether or not they are directly complicit. According to Lord Hewart (1870-1943), 'justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done'. In the words of Martin Luther King, 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  It is a crime to allow an innocent person to rot in jail while the guilty waltz free.

If The United Kingdom is Negotiable, Why isn't Nigeria?

The United Kingdom, Nigeria's colonial master, has a date with history. Come September 18, 2014, voters in Scotland will be asked a straight Yes/No question: "Should Scotland be an independent country from the United Kingdom?. Let's quickly bring to mind that Scotland became part of the United Kingdom on May 1, 1707, more than 300 years ago! The principle of 'Devolution' ascribed greater autonomy to Scotland hence they enjoy quasi independence - they have their own Parliament, Health Care System, Police (Police Scotland), Educational System, and a large chunk of the North Sea Oil largesse accrues to them. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Scottish people yearn to take their destiny in their hands after more than 300 years of a political marriage with England and Wales.

Latest Boko Haram Rampage, Massacre of School Children: Matters Arising

Probably basking on the euphoria of a new Staff of office, Nigeria's Chief of Defense Staff - reportedly exuded optimism that Boko Haram onslaught will be a thing of the past sooner than later. Rather than dampen the Sect's penchant for bloodletting, the statement seem to have galvanized them to up the ante.
Again Boko Haram is credited with the recent barbaric slaughtering of dozens of students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State. Recall that in 2013, the Sect killed about 42 students of Government Secondary School, Mamudu, Potiskum. It also emerged Boko Haram once again had a free rain in Michika LGA of Adamawa State. On March 1st, two explosions occurred in a busy market in Maiduguri claiming the lives of dozens of people. At the time of penning this Piece (1700HRS GMT, 04/03/2014), news filtered in that 40 people were hacked to death at Jakana village in Bornu state. It is daunting to keep pace with the the Sect's rampageous campaign. Butchering hapless unarmed individuals especially school children negates the rules of engagement; it is unmanly and a crime against humanity.

How Nigeria Can Overcome Terrorism/Insurgency & Instability (Concluded)

*Continued from pt 1

Nigeria Urgently Needs A Coherent Counter-Terrorism Strategy/Policy

Rather than our typical haphazard approach, it is high time Nigeria articulated a coherent and unified strategy towards countering terrorism and insurgency. We cannot continue doing the same thing, the same way over and over again and expect a different result.

The United Nations Counterterrorism Committee advocates countries to have comprehensive national strategies that include countering incitement motivated by extremism and intolerance. In the same vein, the United Nations Counterterrorism Implementation Task Force (UN-CTITF) also recommends promotion of public-private partnerships. It posits that developing partnerships with the private sector especially where State resources are limited.

Sequel to the complexity of the Security situation in Nigeria with a mix of economic, political and social strife, the United Nations Counterterrorism Implementation Task Force (CTIF) accentuates the importance of strategy and a collective effort to counter terrorism.