Nigeria Times – Page 521

PMB as wailers’ nightmare

By Best Agbese

One of the legacies the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is sure to leave behind, is the fact that it had dealt a deadly blow on fake activism and obtaining funds under false pretences of holding government to account.

Prior to the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, mischief makers, cynics and fraudsters had found a haven for attracting funds from the international community and from the government of the day by pretending to take the government of the day to task.

The slant given such agitations gained credibility due to the failings of the governments of that era especially in the areas of corruption, insecurity and general lack of purposeful leadership.

In those days, thousands of individuals and organisations sprang up all pretending to hold the government to account by criticizing the government of the day but which main purpose is to obtain foreign grant as well as pressure the government into bribing them.

The business became more lucrative with the resurgence of insecurity in the country in 2011 during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

With bombs going off in worship centres and other public places and attacks on communities by terrorists happening every other day and the government evincing lack of capacity at every blast or attack, the agitations intensified and more money keep pouring in.

The height of it was the kidnap of over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State and the government failed to do anything about it.

When the government reacted in an irresponsible manner by leaving in denial and did not immediately show commitment to rescuing the girls, the condemnation that followed became a cash cow for the agitators.

The condemnation of the attitude of the then government by the world leaders added flip to the rabble rousers and opened the flood gates for more funding for these mushroom organisations.

Despite the millions of dollars that poured in, and the fact that none of the agitatros who claimed links with the terrorists were able to offer meaningful interventions, both the government and the international community did not withhold funding thereby ostensibly egging on the blackmail.

Then President Jonathan, set up all sorts of commities to bring together these groups who were also posing as links to terrorists organisations and provided them surfeit of funds.

A particular lady who benefited from the funds by organising water vendors to pose as Boko Haram terrorists was last week arraigned in court by the EFCC under charges of falsely obtaining funds from the government while other ,agitators’ were begged to hold their fires when they matched on the streets.

It was that easy to make money from the then government!

But the Buhari administration had closed the door on all such dupes by first of all, tackling the issue of corruption through various economic measures introduced, and finally reducing the level of insecurity in the country by decimating the ranks of insurgents.

Since the bombs were stopped from going off, attacks on communities reduced and terrorists were no longer hoisting flags in Nigerian territories, business was no longer lucrative for the agitators.

Those of them who will run to the press and claim that the government is failing in its responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens, no longer had any story to tell and resorted to cooking up crisis situations in order to benefit from them.

But the Buhari administration insisted it was going to do the right thing and not pander the gimmicks of these crises entrepreneurs.

When the terrorists struck at a school in the little town of Dapchi in Yobe State, those in the line of the business of making heavy weather of such occurrences to blackmail the government while obtaining funds from foreign governments and agencies, thought they had struck a gold mine with what they could make of the incidence. Alas!

President Buhari cut their dreams short when in a matter of days, troops were sent to their rescue and the girls were returned making it difficult for the wailers to set up shops to ply their trade.

The wailers were also disenchanted when the Buhari administration secured the release of more of the Chibok girls held in captivity.

Similarly, the wailers thought the abduction of school boys from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, will provide them the opportunity to blackmail the government and as usual, obtain funds from various sources by pretending to be concerned about the plight of the boys.

But when President Buhari through the security agencies acted swiftly and saw to the rescue of the boys in a matter of six days, the look of frustrations showed on the faces of the fake agitators who had already printed t-shirts, caps and banners and were already on the streets as a prelude to striking a bargain.

The business suddenly came to an end with the effective leadership style of the President leading to the release of the boys unhurt.

The wailers could not believe their eyes and have since then been trying to blackmail the government by weaving all sorts of conspiracy theories on the release.

They tried to blackmail the government with Lekki shootings and failed and now this!

President Buhari has again shamed them as encomiums keep pouring in from all over the world over the success of the operation that saw to the rescue of the Kankara boys!

Agbese is a researcher in Oil and Gas, wrote this piece from University of Dundee, Scotland.

Kankara Boys: Buhari commended, gets goodwill message from international human rights group

President Muhammadu Buhari has received commendation from an international human rights group for securing the release of hundreds of kidnapped Kankara schoolboys in Katsina State.

In a goodwill message by the International Human Rights Protection Forum (IHRPF) on Sunday, the group said President Buhari has made good of his promise to ensure that Nigeria remains a secure and indivisible nation where peace and harmony reign supreme.

According to the letter signed by its Director of Communications,

Zakari Yinusa, the rights group said the safe return of the students is “highly commendable”.

By this singular action, the international rights group noted that the president has shown he is indeed on top of the security situation across the country.

The IHRPF added that Nigerians and the rest of the international community are happy that similar situations which were badly managed in the past and led to untold hardship for innocent citizens are better resolved under the current leadership.

The group, however, assured the president of its total loyalty always, praying that God grants him divine grace, wisdom and strength to succeed.

Read the full message below:

19th December 2020.
His Excellency,
Muhammadu Buhari GCFR,
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
The Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Dear Sir,

GOODWILL MESSAGE BY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION FORUM (IHRPF) TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR ON THE PROMPT RESCUE OF 344 KIDNAPPED STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT SCIENCE SECONDARY SCHOOL, KANKARA, KATSINA STATE

The 2019 Presidential Election will remain a very significant watershed and a major turning point in the political history of Nigeria for a long time. This is because local and foreign observers who worked alongside our International Human Rights Protection Forum (IHRPF) had adjudged the said election, which produced you as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for the second term in office, as the most credible, fair and transparent election in Nigeria. No doubt, your integrity, consistency and humane character have been major factors that gave you victory over other numerous contenders.

We recall that your key campaign promises before Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for you first in the year 2015 revolve around anti-corruption war, provision of security and economic improvement. It is heartwarming to note that as at today your administration has not failed in those promises but keeps striving to ensure that Nigeria remains a secure and indivisible nation where peace and harmony reign supreme. By Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), one of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy is that the security and welfare of the people, to whom sovereignty belongs, shall be the primary purpose of government. Mr President Sir, we can confirm with all sense of responsibility that you have been able to keep faith with this very important part of the 1999 Constitution for the betterment of all Nigerians.

Permit us to the state through this medium that the feat you recently achieved by ensuring the prompt rescue of 344 kidnapped Students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State on Thursday, 17th December 2020 from the hands of local bandits is highly commendable. This singular action has shown that you are indeed on top of the security situation across the country. Nigerians and the rest of the international community are happy that similar situations which were badly managed in the past and led to untold hardship for innocent citizens are better resolved under your leadership.

Being a member of the United Nations, Nigeria has over the past five years been concerned with the protection of the individual as well as collective human rights within her territory. That the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies have been well trained and properly motivated is a huge plus for your administration. Under your watch, concerted efforts were made by the Nigerian Armed Forces that yielded the return of some of the girls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. When a similar incident happened at Dapchi, you successfully coordinated the return of all but one of the more than one hundred abductees. We are convinced judging from your doggedness that other persons held in captivity across the country by either terrorists or bandits will soon regain their freedom.

As you continue to work towards taking Nigeria to the Next Level, we assure you of our total loyalty always and pray Almighty God to grant you divine grace, wisdom and strength to succeed.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

EU group Commends Buhari on release of abducted students

The European Union Human Rights Forum (EUHRF) has commended President Mohammadu Buharinfor the release and safe return of the 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.

The European Union in a statement by Joseph Cullen, Special Rapporteur, Lake Chad, West Africa, said the release of the students is a deserving relief to see that everything ended without bloodshed.

According to Cullen, measures must be put in place to ensure that such actions do not repeat itself again.

”The abduction had sent shockwaves across the entire international community because of the similarities it shared with the kidnap of the schoolgirls in a secondary school in a town of Chibok in Borno State of Nigeria which took place on the night of Monday, the 14th day of April 2014 under the previous administration.

”EUHRF commends President Muhammadu Buhari and the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for this cheery outcome even as it is now apparent that measures must be implemented to ensure such actions do not occur in the first place. This will ensure that the priority that President Buhari gives to matters pertaining to women and children continues to remain in place since these are vulnerable people that must be given extra protection in view of the complex security situations that Nigeria is having to deal with owing to an unhealthy mix of internal, external, state and non-state factors that Nigeria is contending with.

”We commend President Buhari for the swiftness and efficiency with which the lads were rescued from their abductors. Such swiftness would have made all the difference had such occurred in 2015 when school girls were similarly abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno state. It is commendable that critical time was not lost in returning the school boys back to their families.

”EUHRF’s one major concern from the entire incidence is the tenacity with which some key players wanted to chalk up the abduction as credit to Boko Haram, which had criminally claimed credit for the development that it knows nothing about. This goes to confirm the concerns that some indigenous groups had expressed in the past that there is much of political coloration to the security breaches in Nigeria”, the organisation said in a statement.

Cullen said the EUHRF is committed to lending support in any way possible for the government to deal with terrorist propaganda that encourages those with criminal intentions to commit these kind of acts.

The organisation expressed shock that at the result Nigeria was able to achieve in dealing with the situation before external support could be factored in.

EUHRF further commended other stakeholders in Nigeria who made the feat possible.

”The outcome could not have been possible without President Buhari providing the needed leadership but the collaborative inputs of the other layers of the government is remarkable. We therefore commend the Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari and the Nigerian Army for their valiant and cooperative efforts towards ensuring the release of the schoolboys.

”It is imperative that Nigeria now gets similar support from governments of the world in order to deal with a problem that has manifested its spread across national boundaries. The evil menace of insurgency that the abductions were meant to feed must be urgently addressed by stakeholder-nations so that those who plot to gain from this kind of criminal enterprise would know that they have no future.”

Kankara Boys: Diaspora group hails PMB, security agencies

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari and the country’s security agencies for the release of hundreds of Kankara schoolboys in Katsina State.

The group made this known in a communique signed by its President, Dr. Agwu Onyeke alongside 13 country heads, issued at the end of an online consultative meeting on Friday.

According to the ANPE, the safe return of the schoolboys again highlights President Buhari’s political will towards addressing the security challenges in the country.

Also commending the military for its plan and execution that lead to the eventual safe return of the schoolboys, the Nigerian professionals hailed the Operation Sahel Sanity as a success.

The group, however, urged the Federal Government to begin the process of engaging Nigerians on the need for collective action towards nation building

The Nigerian professionals also called on the FG to develop strategies that would counter the falsehood propagated by mischief makers and disgruntled politicians in the polity that is bent on truncating the nascent democracy in Nigeria.

Read full communique below:

Introduction:

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe the umbrella body of Nigerian professionals that have distinguished themselves in their chosen endeavours in Europe. A part of the strategic objective of the association is to tap from the rich resource base of Nigerians in Europe towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

The association has in its fold thousands of Nigerians in various fields of endeavours in Europe providing advisory services in the critical sectors of health, education, economy and security, amongst a host of other interventions. This has been evident in symposiums, policy papers, and strategic reports on issues that aid sustainable development in Nigeria.

The online consultative meeting was convoked in the assessment of the state of the nation Nigeria, and the recent abduction and subsequent rescue of 344 students of Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State.

The online consultative meeting had in attendance members from different parts of the Europe and issues were deliberated and presented to the general house during plenary for ratification and subsequent adoption.

The Issues:

Nigeria is experiencing challenges in various sectors of the country, and it has been alleged that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed a lackadaisical attitude towards addressing the issues.

This much necessitated the need for an independent assessment from a body of experienced Nigerian professionals that have kept a tab on happenings in the country to put issues in proper perspectives for the generality of the Nigerian populace as well as its development partners that are watching with keen interest the happenings in the country. This is also on the heels that we are in the era of fake news that has brought about an unimaginable level of misinformation that are detrimental to sustainable development.

The Impact of Coronavirus on the Economy of Nigeria:

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic indeed disrupted growth and development in Nigeria. The case of Nigeria is not as peculiar as the impact of the pandemic hit almost countries in the world. Consequently, members deliberated on the steps taken by the Nigerian government towards mitigating the effects of the pandemic on the lives of the ordinary Nigerians.

The State of Insecurity in Nigeria:

Members also deliberated extensively on the spate of insecurity in the country. The prosecution of the war against insurgency in North-East Nigeria, the spate of kidnappings, including the abduction of 344 students from their dormitories in Government Science School Kankara, Katsina State and other forms of criminalities by militant groups across the country.

There were extensive deliberations by members with experts in criminology moderating the discourse to make informed observations in line with global standards.

The Resolutions:

After extensive deliberations, members who were divided into subgroups made presentations for adoption by the general house on the above-highlighted issues.

On the state of the Economy, the following was unanimously adopted: That the impact of the coronavirus pandemic was felt globally and Nigeria was not an exceptional case in the sense that almost all countries of the world introduced measures aimed at containing the further spread of the virus. And this included the enforcement of a lockdown of countries.

That the Nigerian authorities indeed enforced a nationwide lockdown which economically would hurt the country’s economy. However, it commended the efforts of the Nigerian government towards mitigating the effects of the lockdown through the National Social Investment Programmes that includes but not limited to the National Cash Transfer Programme, National Homegrown School Feeding Programme and the National Social Safety Net Programme, amongst a host of others.

On the spate of insecurity, the following was unanimously adopted:

Members were also unanimous in commending the Nigerian Military in the war against insurgency and other forms of criminalities.

The role of the Nigerian Military in Internal Security Operations was also commended with particular reference to Operation Sahel Sanity in North West Nigeria that was viewed as a huge success.

The successful rescue of the abducted schoolboys by the Nigerian Military was also highlighted, and members expressed commendation in its planning and execution that that saw to the safe return of the schoolboys.

The provision of the needed political will by the Federal government towards addressing the security challenges in the country was also commended in glowing terms.

Recommendations:

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe at the end of the online consultative meeting made the following recommendations:

That the Nigerian government must begin the process of engaging Nigerians on the need for collective action towards nation building

That the Nigerian government must develop strategies that would counter the mischief propagated by mischief makers and disgruntled politicians in the polity that is bent on truncating the nascent democracy in Nigeria.

That the media must rise to the occasion through the enforcement of objectivity in the reportage of events in the country

That the media must desist from giving prominence to the activities of terrorist, insurgents and other criminal gangs in the country.

Conclusion:

The Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe at the end of the online consultative meeting concluded that the Nigerian government has fared brilliantly well in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. It also averred that the bulk of the issues in the country with specific reference to the spate of insecurity in the country as politically motivated.

Abduction: Shekau, Salkida, and the rest of us

By Idoko Ainoko

As a tenet of its false constituted ideology and business model, the insurgents had taken thousands of young Nigerians, many of whom were raped or conscripted as fighters. Most of these abductions went unnoticed, and it took the security forces unaware. For long, this name has always send shivers down everyone’s spine, whenever Boko haram is being mentioned.

Unlike the tragic abduction of the 276 teenage Chibok girls, which took place on April 14, 2014, that sparked a global outrage with sequential futile effort in rescuing all of them but could only get a handful number after rigorous negotiations that went back and forth, President Muhammadu Buhari sprang into action on hearing of the abduction of hundreds of children by gunmen from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, on December 11.

Muhammadu Buhari had strongly condemned the attack on the school in Kankara and charged the military and the police to go after the attackers to ensure that no student was missing or harmed. Knowing that authority and responsibility goes together, the President also directed the reinforcement of security at all schools in line with the safe schools policy of the administration.

In a joint effort to secure the safe release of the students, and to prevent imminent occurrence, the Governor of the state, Aminu Masari, also ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state and pleaded with parents to remain calm as efforts were being made by the government to ensure the safe return of the students.

These students were delivered in Tsafe, Zamfara State, and transported back home.

Despite this successful news that deserves a great applause from home and diaspora, and with the risk taken by the Nigeria armed forces, by putting their lives on line in battlefield just to rescue these boys, I am still struggling to come to terms that some disgruntled elements would even be angry that the kankara boys were released, and there abduction was in the disguise of transferring money secretly. We need not to look further in search of those that have inhumane heart for this country. We can easily pick all these dissenters and antagonists.

The governors of Katsina and Zamfara states have affirmed and maintained their stand that no money exchanged hands to secure the release of these students on Thursday, which now raised the question of whether the kidnappers suddenly became charitable in the course of their modus operandi that we have always known them with.

Buhari is the president. If he wants to fund terrorist or bandits, all he has to do is transfer money to them from the treasury accounts via some secret transaction, or through any of his aids. Why would he need to go through all these public and international embarrassment of kidnapping 300 kids from one school in order to pay terrorists a ransom of whatever peanuts was supposedly given? There is no iota of wisdom in that.

Abubakar Shekau had suffered lots of casualties in the past during their confrontation with the Nigeria armed forces on many occasions. This has laid their camps desolate, and they were not ready to lose the few they have left. This is also the more reason why they orchestrated the abduction of the boys, to gather fund and increase their war hands.

Meanwhile, in a video of the school children released by the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram faction, one of the schoolboys urged the government to pay their abductors a ransom and stop military rescue efforts so they could be released. It was the only request that was publicised by the terror group. They tried using his emotional manipulation as bait for the armed forces, so that they can get away easily, but they never fell for it.

In their wiles, they made the abducted boys to do video that reveals they were being held by Boko Haram. Unfortunately, the military had rounded up the bandits and the only thing left was to release the boys to government, which would allow them escape.

In my considered opinion, I believed that intelligence reached them that, the well-trained military men under President Buhari’s order, have been closing up on them very fast, and they needed to resort to using another tactic in buying more time to abscond. It is so unfortunate that the ever knowing Boko Haram right handed man, Ahmad Salkida, who claimed to also have the interest of the country at heart still could not prove his patriotism by exposing this one, but remained blind to giving any report or intelligence as regards the abduction. This further proves that he has been a tool for siphoning vital information for Boko Haram insurgents. Boko Haram had to contact untrained bandits to carry out their dirty jobs for them. Even Shekau has remained in his hiding chamber, and therefore, has been speaking from his shadow ever since.

With these steps taken, it shows that the president has the passion and commitment for the vigorous fight against this abduction, and also ready to rescue the country from what can be described as malady. President Buhari has shown his capability for rapid response improvement on security challenges facing our dear Nation, Nigeria. What we are witnessing in recent times, is as a result of the act of politicians with greed for money and power; people that are not ready to see beyond the immediate, but only care and seek after their own self-gratification.

I urge everyone to dismiss the reported claim by the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau that the school children were abducted by his men, observing that it is the usual propaganda of the terrorist group, they like to take credit of every notable attacks perpetuated to cause distress and unrest in the country. They have failed once again, and are brutally defeated in their bid to cause trepidation in the heart of the citizenry.

I will tell you this; “a fight against corruption is not a one stakeholder’s affair.” We need to work together to fight insurgency and banditry. We refuse to be defrauded by this cheap tactics. Boko Haram is defeated and gone forever.

I stand with President Buhari to say that “We have a lot of work ahead of us and some of the things not said is to not compromise the security and the efforts being put by the law enforcement agencies. But, really, we are acutely aware of our responsibilities. Our responsibility is to secure the country, so we have a lot of work to do.

Ainoko is a public affairs analyst based in Kaduna.

Release Of abducted students justified Nigerians’ confidence in Buhari – NDMG

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG), UK Chapter, says President Muhammadu Buhari has repaid the confidence of Nigerians by securing the release of abducted Kankara students in Katsina State.

The NDMG made this known in a statement signed by its President, Cosmas Collins, on Friday, after an emergency meeting on Monday over the security situation back home in Nigeria.

According to the Nigerians in Diaspora, President Buhari’s swift action ensured the safe return of the schoolboys to the state capital on Thursday night.

The group also acknowledged the role of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which it said has been “unrelenting in the fight to eradicate terrorism and insurgency”.

With the recent development, the NDMG said it is now proud to be identified as Nigerians, expressing hope that the country will soon find its place in the comity of nations serious about development.

The group, however, urged all Nigerians whether at home or in the Diaspora to join hands with President Buhari to make Nigeria safe and to set the country on the path to greatness.

Read the full statement below:

Following the abduction of over 500 students at the Government Science Secondary school, Kankara, in Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria, last week, our group, which constantly deliberates on how to contribute our quota to making Nigeria better, called an emergency zoom meeting with members to discuss the security situation in Nigeria given that particular incident.

We were all shocked that hundreds of schoolboys could be taken away from their school premises by bandits and what it portends to the future of education in Nigeria and socio-economic growth of the country.

The manner members of our group responded to the call and joined the meeting was encouraging; so were the contributions of members who were visibly angry by the sad news.

OUR INITIAL FEARS

At the end of the meeting which lasted close to three hours on Monday evening, we were able to conclude that for the Nigerian Government to win the respect and confidence of Nigerians and the International Community, it had to do something about the abduction and not allow it linger like the previous administrations were wont to do.

It was also unanimous that whatever steps the government would take, the boys should not be exposed to danger through risky and unsure measures but that their safety and well being should be core in deciding the best approach towards rescuing them.

The third point of agreement was that time, was of the essence and every single minute the boys spend in captivity would further erode the confidence of Nigerians as well as the International Community as there’s a limit it will get to that people would give up on the government.

FIRST SIGN OF HOPE

Thankfully, as if reading from the minutes of our meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari immediately took action and moved in swiftly.

The administration acted promptly and in less than 5 days, secured the release of the boys who have all returned to the state capital hale and hearty by Thursday night.

This is highly commendable.

CONFIDENCE RESTORED

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group, UK Chapter, is highly impressed by the prompt action taken by Nigeria’s President, which has led to the release of the Kankara boys.

The action has rekindled our hope in our dear country, Nigeria; and has reassured us that with the right leadership, that Nigeria will soon find its place in the comity of nations serious about development.

People in Nigeria cannot imagine the honour done to us by the action of the President which led to the release of the boys.

When the news went around that our government has been able to resolve without any incident, one of the biggest cases of kidnapping the world over, citizens of other countries have been calling to congratulate us demanding we share with them our experience and probably the formula used.

Lots of them have made inquiries about the person of the Nigerian leader, President Buhari and we were happy to share in the glory while relating to them the leadership acumen of our president and his expertise in security matters.

We were once again proud to be identified as Nigerians as we have a leader who has made us told our heads high despite what is happening around the world in the face of global challenges posed by acts of terrorism.

We are happy that Nigeria has set a standard for the world to follow in the act of combating global terrorism and insurgency.

OUR CALL

We call on all Nigerians whether at home or in the Diaspora, to join hands with President Buhari to make Nigeria safe and to set the country on the path to greatness.

We also acknowledge the role of the armed forces of the country which has been unrelenting in the fight to eradicate terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

It has come to our notice that at a time, the Security Chiefs, especially the Chief of Army, had to physically relocate to the battlefield and for a long time led the battle from the front.

This is what exemplary leadership is all about and we do not underestimate the impact it will have on the morale of the troops.

It appears like after so many years of trial, Nigeria is finally getting it right in terms of leadership and coordination.

We take cognisance of the fact that no nation attained greatness in a day as captured in the popular maxim, “Rome was not built in a day.”

So if Nigeria is finally beginning to get it right at this time, then we have every reason to be happy with the leadership of the country which is making this possible.

We call on all Nigerians to support the President to take Nigeria to lofty heights.

Congratulations to us.

Nigerian military tackling terrorism within best international standard, RoE- Furnad

The Nigerian military is prosecuting the war against terrorism, banditry and other criminal vices in the country in accordance with its operational code of conduct and international best practices, an American conflict resolution expert, Daniel Furnad has said.

According to Furnad, the troops have so far dealt with these armed groups using minimum or no force at all without violating their fundamental human rights.

He also hailed the military for giving special protection to women, children, journalists, medical personnel, internally displaced persons and other key actors caught up in the war.

Mr Furnad made these known on Friday via Skype at a conference for CSOs, NGOs Conflict Managers Human rights activists and social media influencers, held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The one-day event with the theme ‘Appraising the Buhari Administration and the War Against Insurgency: the Year 2020 in Perspective’ thoroughly evaluated the military’s operations in the outgoing year, noting the challenges, losses and gains.

Furnad’s assertion invalidates the claims of human rights abuses against the troops by Amnesty International, Transparency International and the International Criminal Court.

Recently, keen observers and security experts across the world accused the ICC of being compromised, following an already existing script and premeditated plot to pre-convict the Nigerian troops.

But Funard, after a review of its operations in the last year absolved the military of any wrongdoing.

The American journalist, though, called for improved cooperation and intelligence sharing with other nations.

His words, “Intelligence needs to be improved; international partners sharing with Nigeria. I was glad to see Nigeria participate in US training exercise early this year in Mauritania. A lot of these exercises is about building trusts between people in different organisations and nations. Trust is what it takes to share information.

” I am hoping that we will see better cooperation from some potentially well-equipped sources.”

He, however, assured that Nigeria is very much closer to the end of terrorism.

“I do have confidence that Nigeria is much closer to the end of terrorism than the beginning and I think to a large extent Nigerians need to come together to support the efforts of their government and military to making Nigeria safe again”.

CATE hails release of abducted Kankara students on Buhari’s birthday

The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) has described the release of the abducted students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara Katsina State as heartwarming and cheering.

CATE noted that the freedom of the schoolboys shows President Muhammadu Buhari’s versatility in leadership, expertise in security matters and seriousness in achieving his promise of securing the lives and property of citizens.

Recall that the presidency had confirmed the freedom of the boys Thursday night after days in captivity, which coincides with the birthday of President Buhari.

Reacting to the development, the anti-terrorism group in a statement through its National Coordinator, Gabriel Onoja, called on the Nigerian government to continue to rally round the federal government and the security agencies to work for the peace and progress of the county.

He said their freedom is, “highly commendable and reassuring coming on the heels of similar unresolved incidences that have left permanent scars on the nation due to the shoddy way they were handled by past administrations.

“The development coming less than a week after the boys were abducted, shows President Muhammadu Buhari’s versatility in leadership, expertise in security matters and seriousness in achieving his promise of securing the lives and property of citizens.

“It is heartwarming to note that since the boys were abducted, the President who was supposed to be in vacation in his hometown of Daura did not go to sleep, but continued to work round the clock until the proper coordinates were put in place for the rescue of the boys.

“Security images showing the abducted boys on their way home hale and hearty just a few days after their abduction have been received with joy by majority of Nigerians and the jubilation has been second to none.

“But President Buhari, who has shown commitment in the undertaking he gave Nigerians on security, has working quietly with the armed forces and security agencies, created the right atmosphere that finally led to the rescue of the boys.

“We note that shortly after the abduction of the boys became public knowledge, the service chiefs moved to Katsina to work on the best strategies for the safe return of the boys.

“We believe it was these concerted and coordinated efforts that made it possible for the security agencies to gain ground and sustain the tempo that eventually led to the release of the boys.

“This is highly commendable as it would serve a serious warning to bandits and terrorists that the government would no longer tolerate such acts and that the government is capable of foiling any attempt to put the lives of innocent citizens in danger.

“Also commendable is the fact that the releases are done without exposing the victims to harm under zero casualty rate.

“At the first quarter of the year, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai had to relocate to the theatre of war in Borno State and did not come back until the insurgents were substantially degraded.

“The Nigerian Military have within the year liquidated a high number of terrorists in their bases in the Northeast, arrested many of their informants and captured quite a number of their weapons that a time the leader of the Boko Haram terrorists, Abubakar Shekau was contemplating surrender.”

Abducted Kankara Students: Northern group lauds Buhari over release

The Coalition of Arewa Patriots said it is elated at the news that the abducted boys of Kankara school in Katisina state have regained their freedom and are about now reuniting with their families.

Comrade Aminu Kadiri, the President of the Coalition in a statement made available to journalists said the rescue of the boys could not have been possible without the intervention and sterling leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said stayed calm, collected and focused on a favorable resolution of the crisis at a time when many Nigerians were losing their cool over the abduction.

The statement adds that, Mr. President by his conduct established a modus operandi that would be useful for dealing with the terrorists and pressuring them into compliance.

The rest of the statement said: “We therefore congratulate Mr. President and commend him for rescuing the abducted boys within the shortest possible time as promised when the incident first drew national attention.

“The rescue of the boys will further make Nigerians appreciative of all that has been done in the war against insurgency by the current administration and to urge them to keep the flag flying.

“The doubt has now been removed that Mr President is still the right man for the job and his strategies in the fight against insurgency has shown clearly that he is on top of his game.

“We urged those that were poised to make political capital out of the abduction to give up their game since unlike other times the entire world is united in joy at the boys regaining their freedom. The terrorists and those who derive joy from their tormenting of Nigerians will not be able to get the kind of traction they got with the Chibok girls they tinted into a media circuit.

“We further urge that the released boys should be allowed to enjoy their regained liberty as opposed to using them to chase clout.

“We rejoice with the boys, their families, their loved ones and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the boys regaining their freedom. It is our fervent wish that there will never again be repeat of such abduction anywhere in the country.

“Our security architecture in the hands of MR. President no doubt deserves further commendation which all well meaning patriots appreciate. Thank you, MR. President for doing this for our country”.

‘Mentor young Nigerians to emulate Abba Kyari’, Customs CG, Zulum, others advise

The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), has tasked friends and family of Abba Kyari to mentor the next generation of Nigerians to uphold the values of the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu.

Col. Ali gave the charge at a book presentation in Kyari’s honour on Thursday at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.

The book titked ‘The Man Abba Kyari’ was written by David Onmeje, a UK-based author and lecturer.

In his remark, Col. Ali said the late journalist, lawyer and businessman was often misunderstood by many because of his integrity and deviation from the norm.

He said, “Anyone that undertakes the challenge of passing through the road of credibility, honesty, and integrity will end up being the most controversial and misunderstood person, and that is what Mallam Abba Kyari was.

“He passed through that path. And in the course of doing so, you would agree that, one would roughen some edges. That was happening in the course of his life as a private citizen.

“And when he found himself in government, it was rough, in the sense that when he choose to say ‘yes’ to the left and ‘no’ to the right, the chances were that he had a lot of controversies and enemies”.

The Customs boss, who said he knew Kyari for 22 years also said that the late Chief of Staff to President Buhari stood for what he believed and was uncompromisng.

“Mallam Abba, whom I knew closely for 22 years, was someone who does not hold back his views. He was ready to take up a fight when you decide to deviate from the norms. He doesn’t take ‘No’ for an answer,” he added.

“The issue with regards to controversy is normal, some of us are into it and will continue to be in it. Some of us are being hated, but we would continue to do what we believe in. That was exactly what Abba did until his death.”

Col. Ali, however, urged the family and friends to pass his legacy to young Nigerians.

Similarly, Governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum said the late Kyari was not a controversial man, instead, he discharged his duties to President Buhari with dedication and loyalty.

represented by his Chief-of-Staff, Professor Isah Hussein the said, “Abba Kyari was a typical technocrat. He excelled in all the disciplines or organizations he found himself. He was a people’s person.

“Abba Kyari, some have said, was a controversial person. He was not. He was just doing his job. To be a chief-of-staff you must have certain qualities. Abba had all of those. One of them is dedicated to his job. But most importantly, is loyalty to your boss, and it must be total.

“People tried to get to Mr. President or had their own agenda found that Abba Kyari was always there. They could not bend him. That’s why a lot of people say he was controversial. He was just doing his job.”

Reviewing the book, Prof. Udenta Udenta, said the book portrayed Kyari’s character and its contradictory assessment by the people.

“The book would open a floodgate of commentaries, and accounting about the life and times of this very complex individual (Abba Kyari),” he said.

On his part, Onmeje described the late Chief of Staff as a patriot and committed public servant who was widely respected for his loyalty and commitment to the goals and aspirations of President Buhari.

Nigerians to emulate Abba Kyari’, Customs CG, Zulum, others advise