Nigeria Has Failed At Fighting Terrorism – United States

The United States government yesterday said that the Federal Government of Nigeria has failed in its fight against terrorism, adding that the failure was a result of the inability of the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to adequately equip and train security forces to contain violent extremist groups in the north who attacked religious freedom.

Making this known in the US International Religious Report for 2013, which was released in Washington, DC, yesterday, secretary of state John Kerry said that the federal government did not act swiftly or effectively to prevent or quell communal or religious-based violence and only occasionally investigated and prosecuted perpetrators of that violence.

“The government also failed to protect victims of violent attacks targeted because of their religious beliefs or for other reasons,” the report a copy of which was sent to our correspondent in New York said.

Citing instances, the report said legal proceedings against five police officers charged in 2011 with the extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf did not resume during the year, adding that the court was not in session on continuation dates set in February, March, May, and June after the presiding judge transferred to a different jurisdiction in 2012.

It stated further that there were no indictments or prosecutions following three fatal attacks on high-profile Muslim leaders in late 2012.

It pressed further that local and state authorities did not deliver adequate protection or post-attack relief to rural communities in the northeast, where Boko Haram killed villagers and burned churches throughout the year.

The report also berated reported discrimination and a systematic lack of protection by state governments, especially in central Nigeria, where communal violence rooted in decades-long competition for land pitted majority-Christian farmers against majority-Muslim cattle herders.

It added that federal, state, and local authorities did not effectively address underlying political, ethnic, and religious grievances leading to this violence.

“Recommendations from numerous government-sponsored panels for resolving ongoing ethno-religious disputes in the Middle Belt included establishing truth and reconciliation committees, redistricting cities, engaging in community sensitization, and ending the dichotomy between indigenes and settlers. Nationwide practice distinguished between indigenes, whose ethnic group was native to a location, and settlers, who had ethnic roots in another part of the country.

“Indigenes and settlers often belonged to different religious groups. Local authorities granted indigenes certain privileges, including preferential access to political positions, government employment, and lower school fees, based on a certificate attesting to indigene status. The federal government did not implement any recommendations despite ongoing calls by political and religious leaders to do so” the report read.

Furthermore, the US report noted that the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, or “people committed to the propagation of the prophet’s teachings and jihad” continued to commit violent acts in its quest to overthrow the government and impose its own religious and political beliefs throughout the country, especially in the north.

“Boko Haram killed more than 1,000 persons during the year. The group targeted a wide array of civilians and sites, including Christian and Muslim religious leaders, churches, and mosques, using assault rifles, bombs, improvised explosive devices, suicide car bombs, and suicide vests.

“An attack on the Emir of Kano in January was widely believed to be an attempt by Boko Haram to silence the anti-extremist Muslim leader, although the group did not officially claim responsibility. On September 28, Boko Haram killed at least 50 mostly Muslim students at a technical college in rural Yobe State. After this and other incidents, security forces faced public criticism for arriving at the scene hours after the assailants had fled.

“Government attempts to stop Boko Haram were largely ineffective. Actions taken by security forces under the state of emergency, declared in May in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, often increased the death toll, as bystanders were caught in crossfire during urban gunfights, security forces committed extrajudicial killings of suspected terrorists, and detainees died in custody,” the report noted.

Leadership Newspaper

Breaking News: Another Female Suicide Bomber Detonates Bomb Near a Shopping Mall In Kano

A bomb blast has occurred close to Buhari Square adjacent to Shoprite shopping mall in Kano.

A bomb blast has occurred again close to Buhari Square adjacent to Shoprite shopping mall in Kano killing the bomber and injuring six other persons.

The bombing carried out by a lone female suicide bomber estimated to be 19 years of age took place at the Trade Fair complex opposite Shoprite shopping mall in Kano. The Police PRO in the state, ASP Musa Majai confirmed the bombing. The area has been cordoned off  security agents in the city.

SR

Police Foils Bomb Blast in Kano’s Mosque, Arrest Five Suspects Over Blasts

The Police in Kano have arrested five male suspects for their complicity in various bomb attacks in the ancient city, including the Sunday bomb blast at St. Charles Catholic Church in which at least five people were killed and eight were injured.

Two of the suspects were arrested in connection with the foiled bomb attack at Isyaku Rabiu Mosque, according to a statement from the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba.

He said, “As part of ongoing investigations into the various terror-related incidents that occurred in Kano, Police operatives have arrested five male suspects for their complicity in the attacks.

“Two were arrested in connection with the foiled attack on Isyaku Rabiu Mosque while three were arrested in connection with the attack on St. Charles Church.

“All the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation at different police facilities.”

Mba said that the  attack on the church came shortly after the end of mass, when the suspects were believed to have thrown Improvised Explosive Devices at the church located in Sabongari area of the ancient city.

An Improvised Explosive Device that went off at the New Road Motor Park in Kano last Thursday, had killed five persons and injured eight others, barely 24 hours after twin blasts claimed about 82 lives in Kaduna.

The source of the blast was traced to an IED which was hidden  in a refrigerator and smuggled into the park by a cart pusher.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the cart pusher was able to beat security at the motor gate because he packaged the refrigerator like a passenger luggage.

On June 23, a bomb blast at a public health college in the city killed at least eight, while on May 19, a suicide car bomb attack in Sabon Gari killed at least four people, including a young girl.

At least four strong explosions rocked the same area on July 29 last year, killing 12.

Courtesy:
Punch Newspaper

Abubakar Shekau’s Growing 'Caliphate': Boko Haram Control More Than Half of Borno State

Boko Haram insurgents are daily becoming more daring in their attacks, moving into strategic towns and villages, killing, maiming and sacking residents in northeast Borno State.

The militant group has widened its tentacles and is now in control of more than half of the entire communities in the state.

“The more we thought the security situation would become better, the more the attacks on communities,” says Abba Kakami, Borno State chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Kakami’s view only captures the feelings of Borno residents and others in the two North-east states of Adamawa and Yobe where Boko Haram exert more presence. “Each day is like traveling on a long lonely road in apprehension with a faulty vehicle that could break down anytime,” a resident of Maiduguri who did not want his name in print told Sunday Sun, adding that residents had been living in perpetual fear.

“About a year ago, our hope was brightened when young men with sticks arrested Boko Haram militants. We thought the end has come but it is clear now we haven’t seen the end,” he added. The residents lamented that their initial optimism was gradually waning especially as Boko Haram had found safe havens in southern part of Borno and neighbouring Bauchi state to launch more attacks.

Strategic attacks/movement

Boko Haram insurgents have been very strategic in their operations since 2010 when full scale insurgency was launched in Borno, its birthplace. While in Maiduguri, its initial operational base, the sect expanded its base and camps to Marte, a border community in northern Borno, hilly Gwoza area, southeast of the state, Mubi area in north of Adamawa and Gujba, eastern part of Yobe where it occasionally attacked communities. By late 2011, it began full scale attacks in northern Borno, sacked almost all the communities and by early 2013, it took on the central part of the state, starting from Alao near Maiduguri, Borno State capital. It moved gradually to Konduga, Kawuri, Bama, Pulka junction, to Gwoza. The insurgents burnt down almost all the towns and villages around the area and subsequently moved to the southern part of the state. Residents believed the hilly and good vegetation of the Savannah southern part of Borno provides a fertile ground for Boko Haram activities including establishment of camps and operational base. It stepped up its attacks on communities and educational institutions in Borno and Yobe late 2013 and early 2014, leading to the massacre of over 40 students of College of Agriculture Gujba, Yobe State, over 60 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, St Joseph Seminary School, Shuwa, Adamawa State and then, the April 14 abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, which attracted international outrage. Gujba and Gulani in Yobe and Mubi as well as Madagali in northern Adamawa share border with southern part of Borno where Sambisa Forest, a major Boko Haram camp and Chibok are also situated.

Boko Haram’s new-found haven

Until now, residents of Borno believed the Christian dominated southern part of the state was insulated from Boko Haram attacks but with the kidnap of the schoolgirls in April and subsequent attacks with less restriction from military forces, it became obvious that the terrorists have found a new haven in the friendly southern area. A security source told Sunday Sun that the insurgents shifted their activities to the southern part because of persistent pressure on them and killing of their fighters by Nigerian military troops. “We didn’t give them breathing space. We smoked them out and rooted their camps in Marte. So they decided to move to southern Borno where they can get cover with the vegetation there,” the source explained. He also disclosed that all the nine local governments areas in that axis are easily linked from Sambisa. “I think it was a clear operational strategy by the terrorists. They simply established their camp at Sambisa, a very large area, to continue their terror in the area having been chased out of the northern and central parts. From this point too, they can easily move to Adamawa by the north and Yobe-Bauchi axis by the east,” he stated.

He, however, admitted that the attention of the military “was actually on Sambisa and communities  around the general area,” adding that they “did not consider possible attacks” in places like Chibok, Hawul or Askira-Uba “because of the understanding that their children are not easily recruited into the sect due to their level of education.” That purported wrong assessment of the Boko Haram activities, gave the sect opportunity to plan and execute attacks on communities in the area.

Boko Haram’s newly captured areas

A recent daring attack on a newly established military base in Damboa, also in southern Borno, about 85 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital by Boko Haram, presumably gave away the control of the muddy town to the insurgents. Just last week, the insurgents sacked the town, burnt down almost all the houses and killed over 25 people. The northeast zonal office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 15, 204 people have been displaced. Damboa, mostly peopled by peasant farmers and traders, has a population of about 231, 573, according to 2006 Nigeria census. Fleeing residents of the area said two-third of the total 6, 219 km2 landmass that made up Damboa Local Government, have been taken over by Boko Haram with unverified claims of the sect hoisting its flags in the area. Other communities in the local government taken over by the insurgents include Kimba, Madaragrau, Chikwar Kir, Mandafuma, Bomburatai and Sabon Kwatta.

In Hawul local government area, most communities around the Kwajafa district have been largely deserted after incessant attacks.

Chairman of Hawul Local Government Area, Dr Andrew Malgwi told Sunday Sun on phone that the residents of Gaggirang village are now taking refuge on a road around the area after the insurgents took over their homes last Sunday.

“The attackers burnt a woman in her house, shot many and set the whole village ablaze after carting away their food items and livestocks,” he disclosed.

Boko Haram have also sacked half of communities at Askira-Uba, another major local government area, in the southern part of the state. The insurgents killed over 40 people in Dille recently after previous attacks on five villages while Biu, headquarters of Biu Local Government Area, about 100 kilometres to Damboa, remains the only major town still standing in the area, although it has equally witnessed deadly attacks in the past.

The insurgents have ravaged Gwoza Local Government Area, about 135 kilometres from Maiduguri as all the autonomous communities behind the hill are deserted. These communities, which are located along the Cameroon borders include Attagara, Aghapalawa and Aganjara. Over 2,000 residents of the area are now in two camps in Maiduguri at present.

Only Shani, Bayo and some parts of Kwaya Kusar local government areas out of the nine council areas in the southern Borno are enjoying relative peace.

More than half of the communities in Konduga, Bama, Dikwa and Mafa local government areas in the central district have been destroyed.

So how large is the area destroyed and/or taken over by the insurgents? A lecturer at the University of Maiduguri who preferred anonymity, said Boko Haram have destroyed more than half of the communities in the state. “Geographically, Boko Haram’s presence can be seen and felt in almost all part of the state though with more control of the southern and central districts, which translate to more than half of the state.” He also said there are isolated communities in some instances, which are not attacked by the insurgents because they offer some gifts to Boko Haram to pacify them. He declined to mention the villages. “Mentioning them could be counter-productive because the insurgents may go back there to attack them again for leaking what ought to be an agreement between them but of truth, such accord for protection actually happens in some villages,” he stated.

Military Efforts

Many residents said they believed the military was capable of tackling Boko Haram insurgency but expressed concern over what they described as unwillingness of the authority to nip the terror act in the bud. “The Nigeria military is capable of handling the situation but it appears there is conspiracy on the part of the leaders not to do so,” Abdullah Ahmed, a social crusader said. There is military presence in most of the major towns in Borno but residents said they often said they have not received instruction from their superiors when alerted to Boko Haram attacks in nearby communities. “We found this very awkward because it looks like an excuse not to act and that is why Boko Haram often attack people and communities for hours without resistance from any troops. It happened at Dille in Askira Uba at Chibok Local Government Area and lately in Damboa,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has stepped up actions against the Boko Haram, while assuring that it would not allow any group to annex any part of Nigeria.

The Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade said the military had ordered troops to up the ante against the sect in Damboa and other vulnerable areas.

He said: “We have put in place necessary machinery, including the patrol of vulnerable areas, to check the insurgents. Activities are being stepped up to curtail the menace.”

Olukolade, however, declined to explain the military activities, saying: “I won’t go into details on the actions we have taken. I cannot disclose military plans.

“We will not say when troops will take charge of Damboa to avoid a repeat of the last ambush of these committed and loyal soldiers. But we are firming up deployment of troops to Damboa and other places.

“We are ready for the insurgents but we will prefer to keep our strategies to ourselves because of the nature of the battle ahead.”

The Sun

Aftermath of Bomb Attack on Buhari: FG Ramps Up Security Cordon Around Former Leaders

Sequel to the bomb attack on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, a massive security cordon has been reportedly thrown around former leaders irrespective of political
leanings.

Buhari escaped being killed in a bomb blast in Kaduna on Wednesday, hours after a hot verbal exchange between him and President Goodluck
Jonathan over the impeachment of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.

Jolted by the possibility of finger-pointing in an event of any eventuality, the Jonathan administration is said to have improved on the existing security around the former leaders, to avoid a repeat of the near-fatal attack on any of the living former leaders.

A couple of the former leaders, especially those of Northern extraction had issues with the president, with Buhari, his defeated challenger in 2011 presidential election, being his most strident critic. Buhari is also the president’s projected challenger in 2015 election.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also has political differences with Jonathan.
Apart from the normal security in place for them, more soldiers and men of the State Security Service, it was learnt, are to be added to the former leaders’ retinue of security details.

An aide to the president who is currently abroad told Saturday Tribune by phone that the former leaders had always been given a full complement of security details, adding that he was not on ground to confirm if an addition had been made to their security arrangement.
The aide, however, noted that the Kaduna blast was beyond the quantum of security arrangement around the former leaders, adding that the real story behind the blast would soon be known as investigation progresses.

A security source said the move was being handled as surreptitiously as possible to avoid any possible compromise since it has become
difficult to trust even close associates of the said former leaders.

Spokesperson of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he had no comment when contacted.
He said it was a security issue that should not necessarily be discussed.

Tribune

NAF Helicopter Crash: Chief of Air Staff Commends Gallantry of Officers, Commiserates With Dead Pilot's Family

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu has commended the gallantry of the officers who survived the Helicopter crash in Borno State.

The Air Chief who gave the commendation while receiving the officers who survived air crash in
Maiduguri thanked God for sparing their lives and commiserated with them on the loss of their colleague in the flight. He assured them of the support of Government and the Nigerian Air Force to the bereaved family.

Speaking further, Air Marshal Amosu emphasized the need for all service personnel to continue to give selfless sacrifice for the defence of the sovereignty of the nation despite the enormity of current security challenges. He enjoined the officers not to be deterred as the President was committed to providing all necessary requirement of the military in tackling the terrorists insurgency with a view to bring the menace to a speedy end, adding that the C-in-C has accordingly, ordered the immediate replacement of the lost helicopter and more platforms for the Nigerian Air Force.

The Chief of the Air Staff also stressed that the Air Force would do everything to sustain the current synergy between the Air Force and the Army as this was the surest approach to victory in the campaign against terror.

Daily Post

Sultan of Sokoto To Boko Haram: It's Delusional To Kill & Expect Paradise, Says Boko Haram Now a 'Franchise'

Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (III) has declared that life is sacred, thus anyone who bombs himself thinking he will go to heaven is delusional.

The Sultan, who said this on Friday when he hosted security chiefs during the breaking of the Ramadan fast
in his palace in Sokoto, further explained: “For us, one single life lost means a lot to us because life is sacred.
You cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour and if we all agree that you cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour, then why are we having all these problems?” the Sultan asked.

Stressing that Boko Haram has now become a ‘franchise’ used by many to commit series of crimes, the Sultan warned that any attempt to politicise the insecurity that is confronting Nigeria will not bring solutions.

His words: “When we politicise the security issue, there can never be a solution to it. We should not narrow it
down to an ethnic or religious thing. Let us stop pointing accusing fingers and vieweing terrorism as Hausa or Fulani issue. We must all join hands to fight insecurity because by the time you feel relaxed and say they should continue to kill themselves, by the time they finished killing themselves they will now get back to you…

“Therefore, let us collectively fight insecurity. Though, we might not know those behind this insecurity,
but we should take our hands up to Almighty Allah to expose those doing these killings. We must also not
pray and go to sleep. Let us continue to be proactive. Let us continue to work harder and sensitise our people on security matters.”

Fight Against Terrorism and Insurgency: Nigerian Govt. Orders 40 Attack Helicopters From US, Russia

The Federal Government in a determined effort to eliminate terrorism by routing insurgents from their hideouts in parts of the North East and North West once and for all, has placed purchase orders for 40 helicopters for attacks and transportation from the United States (US) and Russia.

Reliable security sources within the Presidency revealed this to some journalists  Friday that some of the aircraft will arrive in the country as early as next month while the remaining will be received certainly before the end of the year to boost the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

According to the source, the arrival of the weaponry before the end of the year, will be a game changer as it will help to ensure successful execution of the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, especially against Boko Haram Islamic Sect.

"Some military and other security forces are currently frustrated about their inability to storm the notorious Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram militants are keeping the abducted Chibok secondary school girls and also serving as operational headquarters of the group", the source said.

Details to follow

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Lagos State Police Launch Counterterrorism Enlightenment Campaign

THE police in Lagos State have begun an enlightenment campaign on how to fight terrorism with the launch of security tips pamphlets, which will be shared to the people of the state.

Over 17 million pamphlets, containing tips on how to prevent, identify and tackle terrorism will be distributed among the people of the state.

This was disclosed on Thursday by the image maker in charge of the state police command, Sade Braide, who said the new initiative was necessitated by the security challenges in many parts of the country.

Braide, while speaking on the pamphlets  entitled:   “Counter- Terrorism  Campaigns”  said the content would help Lagosians to be more security-conscious and know what to do when confronted by any security issues.

The Lagos police image maker stated that strategies had been mapped out to  distribute the pamphlets in churches, schools, banks, hotels, among other places.

She advised that “people should know their neighbours and their means of livelihood. Landlords should conduct background checks on all their prospective tenants.”

She  also advised that residents of the state should “draw the attention of the police to vehicles parked or abandoned by unknown persons, do not allow unknown persons to drop or abandon bags, boxes, fruit barrows, trolleys, articles of trade or cartons.”

The Lagos police image maker also advised that “ legitimate sellers of chemicals such as fertiliser, ammonium products, acid, etc should be wary of persons they sell such products to.

She said people should be vigilant at public places,  as objects such as bombs could be kept by unscrupulous persons in unattended bags, packages, cans, and containers.

Tribune

Nigeria, Cameroon, Others Deploy 2,800 Troops Against Boko Haram

Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have agreed to quickly form a new force that would comprise 2,800 soldiers to fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
The defence ministers of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger said they would contribute 700 troops each to
the force.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Niger’s Defence Minister, Karidio Mahamadou,
said they were determined to “eradicate this curse”.
Boko Haram’s insurgency is focused on Nigeria, but has carried out some cross-border raids.
The bridge which serves as a key transport link between north-eastern Nigeria and Cameroon in Gamboru Gala was blown off by men of the deadly sect.

According to residents, cars and lorries loaded with goods were stranded on the highway.
The regional defence ministers met in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Wednesday, to hold further discussions on the growing threat posed by Boko Haram.
While the meeting was ongoing, the Islamist group unleashed terror on Kaduna, killing 70 people.

A former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) who was caught in the violent attacks narrowly
escaped death.
Efforts to step up regional co-operation gained momentum after Boko Haram caused an international outcry by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in north-eastern Nigeria.

The girls are said to be held in the vast Sambisa forest, along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

Channels TV

Bomb Blast Rocks New Road Bus Station, Sabon Gari, Kano

Residents of Sabon-Gari in Kano, Kano State, have confirmed to SaharaReporters that a high
capacity improvised explosive device (IED) detonated at the New Road Motor Park in Sabon Gari, Kano, at around 3:00pm (1500 GMT) today.

One of them, who spoke with SaharaReporters on phone, said the explosive devices were hidden in a
worktop fridge, concealed in a bag and dropped off by two men masquerading as travelers.

The number of dead and injured victims was unclear at the time of reporting, but unlike last year’s blast the same area, there were fewer number of people around the scene of the blast. In March at least 60 were reported killed, and several vehicles destroyed by a bombing at the same motor park.

Police in the state also confirmed the blast, saying: “Explosion has occurred at New Road Motor Park, Sabon-Gari, Kano, at 3pm. Explosives [were] hidden in table-top fridge disguised as luggage.”
Today's incident joins the near-daily string of attacks that has plagued the region.

SR

Apapa (Lagos) Traffic Gridlock, Threat To Security

In the wake of nationwide insecurity , the Commandant of the Nigerian Navy Security, NNS Beecroft , Ovenseri Uwadiae , says the Apapa traffic gridlock is a threat to security around Apapa area of Lagos , southwest Nigeria.

At a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday to find a lasting solution to the persistent traffic gridlock around Apapa and its environs, Uwadiae , who read the resolution of the stakeholders to newsmen, did not mince words when he said the gridlock was a threat to the growing insecurity nationwide .
Uwadiae added that the traffic jam in the area is causing a colossal economic loss to the nation through man - hour loss , closure of businesses , assuring that with commitment and support of the stakeholders to confront the traffic problem, the entire gridlock in the area could become a thing of the past.

According to him, some of the stakeholders’ proffered solutions to the traffic problems at Apapa could be categorised into long and short term solutions , noting that for now , members of the stakeholders had resolved to focus on immediate solutions capable of bringing relief to motorists using Apapa- Mile 2
Expressway.

He said the stakeholders agreed to set up a committee that would implement all the decisions taken at the meeting , adding that the NPA would lead other members of the committee to inspect and ensure that shipping companies owned loading bays in order to reduce the number of trucks around the area and that only trucks that had been approved for loading were within Apapa vicinity .

Furthermore , he said LASTMA, police , NPA and other stakeholders would fashion out routes for trailers and
tankers coming to Apapa-Mile 2 area for business in a way that they would only occupy a dedicated section of the service lane , as this was aimed at bringing about orderliness on the road, while reiterating his conviction that with support of everybody , motorists would soon begin to experience stress- free driving in the area.
“The management of NPA must see to it that concessionaires operating at the port improve on human and facilities in order to reduce time beingspent by trucks at the port entrance , as spill over from the entrance often leads to traffic gridlock.
“Truck owners are to cooperate with the management of the NPA in the area of registration to reduce cases of truck drivers parking within the area to solicit for business in the port as such action is partially responsible for road blockade in Apapa,” he said.

Speaking at the end of the meeting , the General Manager of LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu, reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to move the traffic along the axis and solicited the support and cooperation of other stakeholders for roads to be free of any gridlock.
He said that the agency had a duty and responsibility under the law to solve traffic problem, and that if and when necessary , the agency would resort to enforcement in order to restore road orderliness and sanity.

Stakeholders at the meeting held at the NNS Beecroft , Navy Yard , Apapa, are the Navy , Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority, LASTMA, representative of NARTO (Road Transport Employers Association of
Nigeria ) , AMATO , Police , Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) , UTQEN and the Federal Ministry of Works .

Courtesy:
PM News

Multiple Bombs in North Nigeria's Kaduna Kill at Least 82

KADUNA Nigeria (Reuters) - Two bomb blasts in the north Nigerian city of Kaduna killed at least 82 people on Wednesday, officials said, in attacks that bore the hallmarks of violent Islamist group Boko Haram.

A suicide bomber targeting a moderate Muslim cleric killed at least 32 of the cleric's congregation on a busy commercial road. Shortly after, a second bomb blast killed 50 people in the crowded Kawo market on Wednesday, a local Red Cross worker on the scene, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
Thousands were gathered for prayers with Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi in Murtala Muhammed square, and when his convoy pulled up, the bomber lunged at him before being stopped by his private security, witnesses and police said.

"The attack was targeted at the sheikh. No arrest has been made yet," said police commissioner Shehu Umar.
The bomb did not injure Bauchi, several witnesses told Reuters. Mustafa Sani, a volunteer for Bauchi's mosque evacuating bodies, said there were 32 confirmed dead so far.

"Somebody with a bomb vest ... was blocked. He detonated the bomb along with the person that tried to block him," Umar said, adding that police had only been able to confirm 25 dead, with 14 wounded.
Police sometimes give lower casualty tolls than workers on the scene.
A Reuters reporter saw blood and body parts scattered on the Alkali Road in the city centre. The military used pick-up trucks to cordon off the area.
Sirens wailed as fire engines raced to the scene. An angry crowd started throwing stones at police, who responded by dispersing them with tear gas.
Some followers had come from Senegal, Chad and Niger to see the popular sheikh.

BOKO HARAM SUSPECTED
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either blast, but Islamist militant group Boko Haram
has been staging attacks, especially with explosives, outside its northeastern heartlands in the past three months.
Since launching an insurgency in 2009, the militants have often attacked clerics, like Bauchi, who take issue with their Salafist ideology. If Boko Haram is responsible for Wednesday's attack, it underscores the risks moderate clerics take speaking out against it.

The insurgents, who are fighting to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria, have repeatedly targeted civilians this year, mostly in remote northeastern
Borno state. They killed more than 2,000 civilians during the first half of this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) estimated a week ago.

Courtesy:
Reuters:

Nigeria Ranks High in Global "Terrorism" Casualty Rate - Maplecroft Report

Nigeria has the world’s highest casualty rate from "terrorism'' with an average of 24 deaths per attack out of 146 recorded in the year through June, according to
risk consultancy Maplecroft.

The global average is two deaths per attack, the Bath, U.K.-based group said in a report released today titled
the Maplecroft Terrorism and Security Dashboard.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, recorded 3,477 deaths in those attacks as violence by the Boko Haram
Haram Islamist militants grew in scale and sophistication, it said.
“The increased capacity of Boko Haram is likely to lead to a further loss of investor confidence,” Maplecroft
said in the report. The latest figures represent a doubling of the 1,735 deaths recorded in the previous year through June 2013, it said.

Boko Haram, whose name means “western education is
a sin,” is waging a five-year-old violent campaign that has killed thousands, to impose Shariah, or Islamic law,
in Africa ’s most populous country of about 170 million people. Nigeria, the continent’s biggest oil producer, is
roughly split between a mainly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south.

The group drew global outrage with its April 14 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from their dormitories in the northeastern town of Chibok. Though the U.S.,
France and the U.K. joined the search for the girls, most of them are yet to be rescued.
The militant group claimed three bomb attacks this year in Abuja, the capital, that killed at least 120 people.

Maplecroft ranks Nigeria fifth in its list of “extreme risk”.countries topped by Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Somalia. While more people have died in those countries due to more frequent attacks, the average death toll per attack has been lower than Nigeria’s,
according to Maplecroft.

Bloomberg

Nyanya Bombing 'Chief Mastermind' - 'Dr' Rufai Tsiga Still on the Run; Aminu Ogwuche to be Prosecuted in Nigeria

Sequel to the successful extradition of the co-mastermind of April 14 Nyanya bomb blast, Mr Sadiq Ogwuche, the Federal Government, on Thursday, said the chief mastermind of the blast, Rufai Tsiga, is still on its watch list.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the coordinator of the National Information Center (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, said the security forces were on the trail of Tsiga and other personalities aiding terrorism
in the country.

He said: “The chief mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast, popularly known as Dr Tsiga, is still on our watchlist, as the security forces are on his trail. When we arrest him, we will make it public like that of Ogwuche, for now he remains a wanted person.”

Omeri said Ogwuche will be tried by Nigerian local law and added that when the need arises, other legal process, which demands international standard, may be applied.

Speaking on the proposed $1 billion loan sought by President Goodluck Jonathan, Omeri said it was a longterm facility which would help reinforce the Nigerian military.
“The loan is a longterm facility sought by Mr President with the approval of the National Assembly to help purchase better equipment for the military and reinforce it.
“It is not aimed at only fighting the Boko Haram war, but for reinforcement of the Nigeria armed forces,” he added.
Speaking on the kidnap of a German national in Adamawa State, the NIC boss said the act was criminal, distasteful and must be rejected by Nigerians, just as he added that government would investigate the act and take necessary actions to protect the lives of citizens.

Courtesy:
Tribune Newspaper

Once Again, Boko Haram Attacks Damboa Village (Bornu State), Scores Feared Dead

Residents of Damboa village said they are still picking piles of corpses after Boko Haram gunmen Friday morning invaded the besieged town, 85km south of Maiduguri, shooting and killing defenceless villagers and setting homes ablaze.

A top security official (names withheld) from Maiduguri confirmed the attack but said no details on extent of damage yet.
Vigilante official, Abbas Gava, told Echoesinn blogger that “the death casualty could be very high because my contacts in Damboa said they are still picking and piling the corpses, but many houses, nearly half of what remains of the several attacked town has been burnt”.
Gava promised to get more details on the number of deaths recorded.
He said the gunmen crept upon the villagers who were about to perform the early dawn prayers.

Since the Sunday of fortnight ago, when Boko Haram gunmen walked over a military base killings dozen of soldiers and four police men in Damboa, Boko Haram gunmen had laid siege along the road leading from Maiduguri to Damboa, and had forced soldiers going to the attacked base for evacuation of its destroyed munitions, to turn back by launching some ambush shooting on them twice. Two more soldiers were reported dead in one of the ambush attack. But the soldiers were able to
return fire from an armoured tanker at a sniper with Rocket Launcher who was firing from atop a tree, while others were shooting from the surrounding bushes, a witness said.

Boko Haram had also cut off access to Damboa from the southern part of the road coming from Biu town, 100km away from Damboa by blowing down a major bridge on the highway at a hamlet called Sabongari last Monday.

Damboa, an agrarian village where Borno state sourced most of its grocery and fruits supply, had suffered several attacks in the past two years, reasons of the newly established 7 Division of the Nigeria Army to establish operational
base called 33 Tank Battalion in Damboa.
But since after the last attack before today’s (18th July, 2014) neither the soldiers nor the police could return back to Damboa. The embattled few villagers were left at the protection of the sticks and Dane guns-carrying youth vigilante called Civilian-JTF.

Courtesy:
African Spotlight

General Danjuma to President Jonathan: Lead Us as C-in-C to Sambisa Forest

Chairman of the Victims Support Fund Committee, General Theophilus Danjuma has challenged President
Goodluck Jonathan as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to lead the onslaught to the Sambisa forest where the Boko Haram insurgents are said to be operating from.

Danjuma who spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja by President
Jonathan said the war against terror was taking too long to win and must be won urgently by the Federal Government.
“One thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa forest.
The commander-in-chief will lead and we will follow the commander-in-chief. But seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately.

It is taking too long.
“I called it civil war when it began; people say it is insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having an
upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike. They are even holding positions and
displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President; we must do so immediately,” Danjuma said.

While inaugurating the Committee, President Jonathan admitted that his administration owes Nigerians victory
over Boko Haram.
Stressing that evil will never prevail over good, Dr. Jonathan said no effort would be spared by his government to bring the individuals responsible for crimes against humanity to justice.
But he called for the support of all Nigerians for the security agencies in the war against terror.
He said: “We owe Nigerians nothing but victory over terror. The life of every Nigerian is precious and we will
continue to work round the clock to put an end to this insurgency.”
“I call on all Nigerians to stand together in support of our security agencies against terrorism. They are working night and day under difficult circumstances. It is unfortunate that when our security personnel prevent
1000 attacks, it is the one attack that succeeds that makes headline news and tends to portray our security agencies as not doing enough. It is part of the realities we have to deal with.”

“The menace of terrorism has emerged as one of the most complex and challenging problems confronting governments in different parts of the world. Terrorists aim to cause social dislocation, spread fear and panic among the populace and disrupt government activities.
But they never win. They have not won in the Middle East, in the USA, in China, in Columbia, in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Kenya, etc. And they will not win in Nigeria. And, with the support of all Nigerians, we would ensure they do not win in Nigeria. Good must prevail over evil.

The President spoke about how it began “on December 25, 2009, when a 23-year-old Nigerian attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, on his way from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, United States”.
“Although his plan failed and the lives of 289 passengers were saved, it was one incident that finally confirmed that a few Nigerians had finally embraced terrorism as a way of life. Now we could no longer deny that terror has arrived our country with its ugly claws
deployed!”

He added: “The year 2009 appears to be a tragic turning point. Boko Haram, an assemblage of heartless individuals, took it upon itself to bring evil upon our country. They have in their mission, turned women to widows and reduced children to orphans.
“They have killed and maimed and struck fear into law-abiding citizens. They have destroyed villages, attacked property and terminated people’s livelihoods without a care in the world. They have engaged our security agencies in a meaningless warfare that has wasted unimaginable human and material resources.”

“The reality today is that, we are confronted with individuals whose minds have been so twisted and
tutored to believe they are doing God a service.”
“For those who take pleasure in seeing innocent human beings in pains, to see limbs being shattered and blood flowing in all direction after terror attacks, we say, you shall have no hiding place. Nigerians will expose you.
The people of conscience around the world have rejected you.”
Jonathan praised the countries backing Nigeria to fight the insurgency and this country’s neighbours for their co-operation.

He said: “This has given us more fillip and we are confident that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. It is now just a matter of time. Our war against terrorism is gathering momentum. When you read about bombing
incidents in the mass media, they may come across to those not directly affected as mere statistics. As the old proverb says, when you carry another man’s coffin, it looks like an ordinary log of wood.”
“But to us, fathers and mothers, and the families of the victims, they are not just numbers. They are human beings – sons and daughters, uncles, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and indeed, fathers and mothers! They are Nigerians!! They are individuals with dreams and aspirations, noble Nigerians who love their country.”

According to him, the Victims Support Fund Committee will help to mobilise collective efforts and resources in support of the victims.
He urged Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and cooperate bodies, to give generously to the Fund.

The committee is to:
•Identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities;
•Develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising;
•Ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities;
•Assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case;
•Manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate;
•Address related challenges as may be appropriate; and
•Advise the Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities.
Giving the vote of thanks, National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, assured the committee that
the Federal Government would win the war against terror.

He said: “Sir, you gave me a very difficult task after Gen. Danjuma’s statement. The only thing I will do is
thank them for agreeing to serve and assure them that we will win the war.”
“But there are some very hard choices that would have to be made. We have to been more concern about the lives of a few versus the condition of a few million. The decision has to be made soon. This is not the first time we have been challenged by very senior Nigerians about the need to end this.

Courtesy:
The Nation

Purported Boko Haram's 'Chief Butcher' Arrested By The Police

Nigeria Police on Tuesday 15 July said that following the massive onslaught by security forces on the activities of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, at the Balmo Forest Bauchi State , detectives attached to Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday arrested one Mohammed Zakari, a 30- year old man and senior member of the Boko Haram terrorists ’ organization along Darazo -Basrika Road while fleeing from the intensive counter insurgency operations going on around the Balmo Forest.

In a statement by Frank Mba , spokesperson for the Nigeria Police said the suspect , who hails from
Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government Area, Bauchi State is the self-styled “chief butcher” of the insurgent group at the Balmo Forest Camp and is linked with the recent slaughter of seven (7) people , including women and children.

Findings as well as disclosures from the suspect will assist the law enforcement agencies in tracking down some other members of the terror cell .
Mr. Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police said in the statement that investigation revealed that the suspect was tutored in the art of insurgency at Gombe Forest under the leadership of fleeing insurgent, Abba Taura and moved to Balmo Forest only three months ago.

Zakari actively participated in the April attack against Customs officers at Kari Town, along Maiduguri Road ,
Bauchi State .
The Police High Command therefore called on the citizens in the affected areas to be on guard for any suspicious or strange character fleeing from Balmo Forest.

The Police also called for the understanding and support of the public. Mba stated the efforts of the
police and other security forces in tackling insurgency, terrorism and other related crimes headlong.
He noted that although the war on terrorism is unrelenting, it is certainly not insurmountable and must be won with the cooperation of all .

Courtesy:
PM News

Boko Haram: Nigerian Army Take Delivery of Sophisticated Weapons in War Against Sect

In a move targeted at effectively stamping out the Boko Haram insurgency in the country, the Nigerian Army has started taking delivery of critical equipment, some of which include two sophisticated helicopter gunships with in-built night vision technology capable of neutralising the nocturnal manoeuvres of the deadly terrorist group.

Sources within the presidency told THISDAY that the special choppers come with night vision technology to enable soldiers monitor and take out the insurgents who move mainly at night to carry out their dastardly acts.

The helicopters, THISDAY learnt, are some of the highly sophisticated military and surveillance aircraft that have been ordered by the Federal Government.

The source explained: “The two helicopters, which are very expensive and boast of the latest technology were ordered for the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

“In fact, we now have the latest aircraft for surveillance and intelligence gathering. More of these weapons are on their way but these (helicopters) are for urgent purposes. I can assure you that more equipment are coming, serious ones,” the source said.

Confirming the arrival of new equipment, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, at a public function yesterday hinted that government was enhancing the capacity of the Nigerian Army to fight terrorism, with the procurement of more sophisticated equipment.

He said the army was adopting new measures to up the ante of its counter-insurgency in the North-east, adding that “a lot of gains have been made in the various operations.

“Yes, we have equipment and the federal government is also introducing fresh and newer equipment for us...”
To give more teeth to its arsenal against the terrorist groups, THISDAY also learnt that Nigerian Army is finalising the   training of the newly formed 143rd Infantry Battalion, which has been set up as a “special elite force” to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.

THISDAY had exclusively reported last month that Special Forces troops from the California Army National Guard (CNG) are currently in Nigeria training a newly formed infantry battalion designed specifically to counter the threat from Boko Haram.

According to one CNG Special Forces soldier who spoke on the condition of anonymity, a total of 12 California Guard soldiers from two Los Alamitos-based Special Forces units — Special Operations Detachment–US Northern Command and Company A, 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) are involved in a two-month mission, the first is a three-phase plan to assist in the establishment of the battalion.

The Nigerian army’s 143rd Infantry Battalion which was formed from the ground up within the past few months, is said to be “a classic Special Forces mission — training an indigenous force in a remote area in an austere environment to face a very real threat”.

This was recently confirmed by a top military source who said that the training had reached an advanced stage at a location in Niger State.

According to the source: “The 143rd is receiving special training, kitting and equipment from the NA and US Army in Kontagora.”

The source revealed that the new battalion will help to form the core of the elite and strike force currently undergoing training in different parts of the country.

“The US is not the only country involved in this, the Israelis and other allies are also helping in various technical, tactical and operational training in the areas of intelligence, weapons handling and in general counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations,” another security source explained.

THISDAY also gathered that there is already a strike force in place in Borno State, specially trained for the possible rescue of the Chibok girls and other daring actions against Boko Haram terrorists.

The strike force was immediately put together in the aftermath of the girls’ kidnapping and the arrival of foreign military experts working alongside Nigerian security forces.

Minimah, on the other hand, yesterday added that contrary to the belief in some quarters, the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram Islamic Sect in the North-east, does not involve foreign troops.
Minimah made this clarification yesterday at the opening ceremony of The COAS 3rd Quarter Conference 2014, which is the first under his leadership, with General Officers Commanding (GOCs) and other Operational Commanders.

Speaking to journalists against the backdrop of the popular belief that troops from the US, UK, France, Israel, and China were fighting alongside Nigerian soldiers to rescue the over 200 students of Chibok , he said: “There are no foreign troops on the ground.

Minimah added: “What the foreign nations are doing is sharing of intelligence with the Nigerian armed forces, noting that the military operations, were not being complemented by foreign troops.
“The foreign partners have  not come with boots on ground; they have come to share some level of intelligence with us.”

The COAS also frowned at what he described as “the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops”, recalling the attempted mutiny by troops in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, against the then GOC 7 Division, Major-General Ahmadu Mohammed.

Minimah warned that “as a professional army, the conduct of our troops must be above board at all times”.
Accordingly, he directed all unit and operational commanders “to put measures in place to check acts of indiscipline and misconduct by personnel under their commands”.

On reported incidents of desertion, Minimah insisted that “desertion is part of warfare”, adding, “We must accept that desertions will continue to be there, we had desertions during the Nigerian civil war, ECOMOG and now, it will continue with this war.”

He also debunked claims that soldiers had destroyed some BRT buses in Lagos, blaming the incident on hoodlums.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper

Suspected Boko Haram Gunmen Overrun Bornu Village, Scores Also Killed in Plateau State

Dille village in Askira Uba Local
government of Borno State came under heavy attack at the early hours of yesterday when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members launched an offensive on hapless dwellers, killing five people and torching houses, including three churches, witnesses said.
The village which lies about 200km south of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, also shares borders with the peripheries of Sambisa Forest where it is believed the Boko Haram gunmen are currently hiding.

Mr Jabani Gadzama, a resident of Dille, told journalists that the gunmen came with three Toyota Hilux vehicles and several motorcycles.
“They were using some kind of petrol
bombs to set ablaze three churches,
residential houses including that of a
former Commissioner of Sports and
Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Daniel Ijai Mamza, who served during former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff’s tenure.
“The attackers were only targeting and setting ablaze better houses within the village while most of the thatched and mud houses were left untouched.
“The Church of Brethern in Nigeria (EYN) was one amongst the three churches that were set ablaze by the gunmen, who were all dressed like soldiers”, said Mr Gadzama, who also confirmed that the gunmen operated for hours until an Airforce fighter jet arrived at about 8am before it engaged them at the time the insurgents were about leaving.

“Many of them were said to have been
killed by the insurgents, but we cannot confirm that now,” he said.
An insider at the 7-Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, hinted journalists that two jet fighters arrived Dille and saved the villagers from being killed any further.
The source, who begged not to be
quoted, noted many of the insurgents
were killed by the jets, even as five more persons got killed died in the cross fire when the jet arrived.

Killing in Plateau State:
In a related development, at least 11 persons have been feared killed by armed gunmen at Zamadede of Pil-Gani district of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that unknown
gunmen at the early hours of yesterday morning attacked two communities and shot sporadically, killing 11 persons including a 45-year-old mother, her little son and a pregnant woman.
A source who spoke to our reporter
further said several homes were burned.
An eyewitness who lost two members of her family, Mrs Baby Hosea, lamented to our reporter on phone that her people were killed in their sleep.

Confirming the development, the member representing Langtang North and South constituency in the House of Representatives Hon. Beni Lar expressed worry at the recent attacks on her constituents.
The lawmaker, in a chat with newsmen at her family residence in Jos, said the attack had shaken the foundation of the peace being enjoyed by the people.
She described the Zama Dede community as peace loving and hard working farmers that the two local governments depends on due to the large crops they produced.
She wondered why some people would be so cruel to take the lives of innocent citizens, particularly at the time the federal government, through the national conference, was trying to find a lasting solution to clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
The lawmaker also appealed to the people of her constituents to remain law abiding .

When contacted DSP Abu Emmanuel, the police public relations officer said that men of the Police force are trying to get the details and would get back to our correspondent when he has the details of the attack.

Courtesy:
ThisDay Newspaper