Igbo group allege impostors using Kanu’s social media accounts

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement (INM) has alleged that some imposters posing as the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu are operating his social media accounts insisting that he is dead.

According to the southeast group, Kanu is dead and anyone behind his double body should be immediately arrested and prosecuted.

INM made this known in a statement signed by its Secretary General Mazi Chijioke Udenwa on Monday.

The group insisted that there are a cloned version of Kanu known as ‘Pascal’ currently impersonating the ex-IPOB leader and .

INM, however, advised youths not to be misled by these agents of confusion, exploiting Kanu’s identity for their selfish interest.

The group further urged the Nigerian Army to disregard the lies coming from Pascal as it has always been known for patriotism and remains one of the beacons holding the nation together.

Read full statement below:

Nigeria Movement has observed that the alleged clone of the late Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, hacontinuedue to impersonate the deceased towards ends that are not clear at the moment.

The latest of such ploy is an anti-Nigerian Army post on Kanu’s social media accounts that again promised that Pascal, the cloned version of Kanu will address certain issues live in the bid to distract the military from the final onslaught it is unleashing against Boko Haram.

In further proof that those currently impersonating Kanu, including Pascal the clone, have no idea of the depth of discourse that the late activist had engaged in the past. This is why it was possible for the impostors to again surface the issue of the Nigerian Army’s insignia having Arabic inscriptions on it. Kanu had conclusive dealt with the matter in the past and would not have stooped so low as to recycle his thoughts at a time when the world, including the Igbo nation, is facing existential threats.

Had these rabble rousers taken time to research they would have found out that the inscription they are hyperventilating over means “Victory Comes from God Alone” which only have to insist that authorities also inscribe in anglicized Igbo texts as “Mmeri Si n’aka Naanị N’aka Chineke”.

But we do not expect such reasoning from people that have been so consumed by their misplaced and misdirected hatred that they are willing to cut their nose to spite their face. This is why the ongoing successes of the military in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram has become a source of worry to the promoters of the cloned Kanu body double that they want to get back at the Army through divisive posts and clear attempts to instigate disloyalty.

Should our youth be misled into abandoning the Army like these clone sponsors desire it would be the undoing of Igbos as they would be edged out of seniority and ranking. Nigerians and particularly our Igbo sons and daughters in the military are urged to disregard the lies flowing from these trouble makers.

INM is aware that Kanu is dead, which is why we hereby call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those behind his body double. Their continuing to exploit the identity of a deceased person is a serious security threat that must not be ignored since these same people will eventually attempt to provoke a pogrom against the Igbo just to validate the false claims they have been making.

We appeal to the Nigerian Army to disregard the lies coming from Pascal the Clone. The Nigerian Army has been known for her patriotism and remains one of the beacons holding the nation together. The accusation made in the misleading social media posts is one that should not have been directed at the Army because a respected institution like that should never be dragged down to the level of having to manage the lies being told by clones. An Army that had refused to join issues with Kanu despite his many provocations while alive should not now be seen responding to a copy.

Babajide Otitoju: Why the silence whenever Nigeria is winning?

By Lanre Oteniya

When Chadian forces led by their president, Idris Derby Itno, launched an operation which resulted in the death of over 1000 ISWAP terrorists, media analyst, Babajide Otitoju was among those who were upbeat  drumming it into the ears of everyone what a ‘great feat’ the Chadians had recorded by that action. 

Otitoju while analysing the development in one of the ‘Journalists Round Table’ programme, spoke of Derby as a war hero who he said had done 90 percent of the work that needed to uproot ISWAP and Boko Haram for good on the surface of the earth. 

One would be forgiven to assume from the way Otitoju sounded, that he knew the exact number of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists that are remaining for him to conclude that Derby Itno had done 90 percent of the work required.

Other fair minded observers of the war against insurgency in the Lake Chad region had pointed out to Otitoju even then, that his claims cannot be factual as Nigerian troops have done far more than what he was ascribing to the Chadians.

A particular commentator had  stated that given the magnitude of the problem, the challenge on the Nigerian soil, given its asymmetric nature was far more than what could be handled in a single operation but was optimistic that given the leadership of the Nigerian army, the terrorists would be defeated.

He encouraged Otitoju and others who prefer to take the glory of the war against insurgency to other lands while mocking Nigerian troops, to however be prepared to be fair enough to give due credit to the Nigerian military like they were doing to the Chadians when this happens. 

Not long after that, the prediction came to pass as the Nigerian Armed Forces stepped up its game when the chief of army staff, Lt. Gen.TY Buratai moved to the theaters of operation to lead the assault on the insurgents.

Within the the first week of his relocation, Nigerian troops launched an attack on Boko Haram fortresses and killed no less than a hundred of them in what has become the precursor to the pressure the military would mount on the terrorists. 

In March, during an operation that was carried out in Gorgi, Damboa local government of  Borno state more than 100 Boko Haram insurgents were killed and one of their top commanders was also liquidated. 

Not stopping at that, In April, Nigerian troops also killed 105 insurgents in confrontation at a town called Buni Gari with remnants of Boko Haram and ISWA that attempted to infiltrate the village. 

Nigerian troops also captured  five AK-47 rifles, three GPMG, one Duska anti-aircraft gun, one PKT gun, two handheld radio, while one terrorists’ gun truck was destroyed and several ammunition and ammunition links, two hand grenades, two magazines with ammunition and assorted hard drugs were also captured in that operation. 

Not done with that, Nigerian troops in their renewed vigour on the first day of this month, launched the Operation Kantana Jimlan, where 78 members of ISWAP and 56  Boko Haram members were killed.

Nigerian troops also arrested 28 informants of the groups and recovered lots of ammunition from them.

In that operation on the Timbuktu Triangle and another artillery engagement in Buk,  Damboa LG of Borno State, Nigerian troops killed134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.

Between March when Buratai relocated to the theater of operation and now, Nigerian troops have killed no less 490 of the terrorists

What is more; owing to the heat from the Nigerian troops, Boko Haram leader, Abu Shekau gave an indication that he was considering turning himself in in an act of surrender.

But with all the feat recorded against the insurgents by Nigerian troops, our vibrant and observant analyste have gone silent.

The tap from which they showered encomiuoms on troops of other countries seem to have run dry.

Otitoju was nowhere to be found when he was needed most. He has become like the misguided football hooligan who hails teams of other countries but goes silent when that of his country is doing wonders. 

But perhaps noticing this bias in reportage foreign media agencies have been upbeat on reporting the gallantry of the Nigerian troops.

A French journal on African intelligence had even gone beyond reporting what the troops have achieved to revealing the level of preparation for the task ahead. 

It reported that the Nigerian Army is engaged in negotiations to purchase Chinese rotary wing AVIC AV500 drone to be able to carry out ISR missions  at medium altitude, carry out strikes and stay airborne for nine hours while at it.

This will definitely accelerate the almost completed liquidation of the terrorists. 

All these efforts are however lost on Otitoju an his ilk who seem to be upbeat only when Nigerian troops encounter defeat or some foreign countries record distant and uncoordinated break in the war.

The truth is, Nigerian  troops have even before now been doing very well in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

Nigeria has been the leader on many counter insurgency operations across the continent including the multinational joint task force currently fighting in the Lake Chad region. 

For more than four years since the coming of the current administration, the terrorists have not found it easy operating on Nigerian soil as they  have been under heat from Nigerian troops.

Due to the heat, they run to take cover in neighbouring African countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroun 

Nigeria has been able to up the game and degraded the terrorists and have been able to penetrate the base of the insurgents at Sambisa Forest, took out a great number of them and destroyed their armoury and established a base at Camp Zero.

Nigerian troops have also retaken captured military bases in  Bama, Monguno and Gwoza as well as recapture territories captured by the terrorists including the 20 local government that came under the authority of the terrorists. 

They have also put a stop to the activities of the terrorists in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja, confining them to few communities along the Lake Chad.

Nigerian troops have put the terrorists in disarray and have made it impossible for them tto launch attacks on communities.

Given all these record of achievements, one would wonder how an objective analyst would fail to commend Nigerian armed forces for its efforts if  there’s no deliberate agenda to undermine Nigeria. 

At this point there’s the need to caution Otitoju in the words of Samuel Adams, the American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the founding Fathers of the United States, who said there are people who can be termed as  void of all regards for their country. 

Otitoju should be cautioned  not to allow himself drift into that category because the philosopher has only harsh words for those kinds of people. 

He said:”There is seldom an Instance of a man guilty of betraying his country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.”

Otitoju and his ilk, who derive pleasure in laughing at and insulting the military when the terrorists attack Nigerian troops but will be silent when the military takes the lead need to have a rethink. 

Oteniya, a freelance broadcast journalist wrote this piece from Lagos.

Adieu, Mama Buratai in heavenly bliss!

By Adam Biu

“But let them sleep Lord, and I mourn a space;
For, if above all these, my sins abound,
‘Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace,
When we are there. Here on this lowly ground,
Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
As if thou hadst sealed my pardon with thy blood”-John Donne (1572-1631)

John Donne has pungently and poetically kept reminding us about the inevitable eventuality of the mortality of human beings on earth. The reality of death, especially for beloved ones, sends nervous emotions. It pains and I mean; a deep pain that touches the marrow and appears permanent.

But, it is a divine order from Almighty Allah (S.W.T):.The birth of a child brings joy, but the death brings sadness. Tears have never solved the mystery of death for us, the bereaved. But mourning is the only human antidote which lessens our grief and purges the pains death inflicts on us.

Today, Nigeria is mourning the passage to eternal glory of Mama, Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf Buratai, whom the cold hands of death snatched from us. The matriarch of the Buratai family, you have left us too soon, mama! How I wish, Almighty Allah (S.W.T) would have extended the grace of longevity to you.

But Almighty Allah (S.W.T) knows why and we think, you are safer in His hands than in this sinful world caging us with countless afflictions and the latest being Coronavirus! But I know, your spirit is on us.

All through lifetime Mama, you lived a worthy life as a wife, mother, auntie, sister and pillar of the downtrodden in communities around the North. We know you as a compassionate mother, a woman of virtue, community mobilizer, the pillar of the needy and epitome of excellence.

Not long ago, we mourned the passing unto glory of the patriarch of the Buratai family, World War II veteran, Mallam Yusuf Buratai. We are still weeping even as we found consolation in your warm embrace and today, you are gone, Mama!

Tears have not yet dried on our faces and today, we are in tears over demise. Oh destiny, you are very cruel to us the people of Biu village/LGA, Borno and indeed, all Nigerians are in sorrow over the sudden passage of the matriarch of the Buratais. But you are above death. Rather you have conquered the mystery of death eternally.

Mama, you came into the world as a heroine and departed as a heroine. We remember your fond love, years of toil, endurance and perseverance while alive. Naturally, your affectionate love drained sorrows from the hearts of many; comforted the millions of wailing souls around you. Words are not enough to express exactly millions.

We remember and will miss your comforting counsels in our moments of torments. Your sagacity transcended boundaries and brought comfort to the known and unknown. Mama, your translucent piousness, generous lifestyle and care would forever be etched on our memories.

But I say again that our Matriarch and indeed, the Buratai family have conquered death. Mama, your sojourn on earth has brought solace and freedom to millions of enslaved Nigerians. In you Mama, I met a compassionate mother, who cares for everyone around her.

I miss your counsel and the last time, I visited you in the village, you told me that your son, Gen. Buratai would end Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria, no matter the forces frustrating the efforts of the Nigerian Army. It was not a mere wish, but prayers Almighty Allah has granted.

I believed you absolutely Mama and it is happening already. There are clear signs that your son, Gen. Buratai, leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, a rare gift to Nigeria’s military will end the torment of Boko Haram insurgency and ISWAP terrorism in Nigeria very soon.

I keep wailing and will keep crying at your demise because the cold hands of death have snatched you away from us, just before the hour of total victory against Boko Haram. I refuse to be comforted because you are no longer alive to relish this victory with Nigerians.

How I wish Almighty Allah (S.W.T) would have preserved your life to be one of those to receive the national plaque of honour, and garlands of triumph of the Nigerian Army over Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. But Almighty Allah has done His will. I am a mere mortal to question His will. He knows better. But it is painful!

But Mama, you are not dead! You will live forever in our psyche. An English poet and world acclaimed founder of metaphysical poetry, John Donne, says in a poetic verse titled; “At the round earth’s imagined corners” (Holy Sonnet 7), which says;

“At the round earth’s imagined corners, blow
Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise
From death, you numberless infinities
Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go,
All whom the flood did, and fire shall, o’erthrow,
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes,
Shall behold God, and never taste death’s woe.”

Mama, President Buhari and Nigerians feel the pains of your sudden death. Our President sent a condolence and consolation message to your son, Gen. Buratai conveying all the emotional pains he feels over your sudden demise. Let me quote a portion from it verbatim through the public statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu. It states;

“President Buhari also prayed that the Almighty God would comfort Lt.-Gen. Buratai, who has been at the epicenter of war against terrorists in North East, urging the family to find solace in Hajiya Hauwa’s good works.”

I am touched by these words. They have consoled me that you are still alive, Mama! But like late Baba Buratai believed and you actively supported; “…mankind must be freed from the excesses of satanic souls.” Mama, your son, Gen. Buratai has kept every word of his late father, your husband, who told him at a tender age when he enlisted into the Nigerian Army that; “…be loyal to your superiors and constituted authority.”

Before his death, Baba Buratai confessed that Gen. Buratai obeyed every word of his father in service of the nation. And today, he is performing wonders in the frontlines on Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our cherished country, Nigeria. Gen. Buratai, your son is a sacrificial lamb for the freedom of Nigeria. May you find favour in the warm embrace of Almighty Allah.

Mama, like a verse in the song of the Afro-American music maestro, Tony Gaye, mourning the death of his elder brother, Marvin Gaye; “our mother, you are gone, but your spirit is with us.”

Adieu, Mama. Bye and bye, until we meet to part no more!

Adam wrote this tribute from Biu, Borno State.

Group accuses Atiku of apostacy over sack of 450 staff

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has proven that he is enemy of man and God by sacking over 450 staff of American University of Nigeria (ABTI), and Gotel Communications, the Employment Advancement Rights Network (EARN) has said.

EARN, in a statement signed by its President, Barrister Edward Ogenyi, on Sunday, described the move as “inhuman, unconscionable, intolerant and lacking in compassion especially at a time that responsible organizations are holding off on such decisions until after the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The group of legal practitioners wondered how Nigerians would have coped with Mr Atiku as president, knowing that he is so “consumed by extreme capitalism”.

EARN, though, added that this is an eye opener for Nigerians, especially with the ex-VP reportedly nurturing ambition to contest again in 2023.

The human rights group, therefore, warned Atiku that Nigerians are waiting for him at the next polls to “put a final nail in the coffin of his tyrannical style and ineptitude as a manager”.

EARN, however, called on ABTI and Gotel Communication to recall the sacked staff or their founder would face mass action all over the country.

Read full statement below:

As a pressure group of seasoned activists, lawyers and professionals with the sole aim of protecting Nigerian workers, Employment Advancement Rights Network (EARN) has comprehensively reviewed the sack of over 400 staff of the American University of Nigeria (ABTI), which is owned by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and almost 50 staff of Gotel Communication, also owned by the politician.

We have also reviewed the justifications for the sack of these hardworking Nigerians by the managements of ABTI and Gotel Communication, which both answer to Atiku. The responses to the sack amount to a charade and adding insult to injury. Both organizations sufficiently demonstrated that they place profit over humanity, a policy that could have only been formulated by the owner.

EARN condemns the sack of the over 450 staffers of these Atiku-owned organizations as inhuman, unconscionable, intolerant and lacking in compassion especially at a time that responsible organizations are holding off on such decisions until the COVID-19 pandemic has been sufficiently brought under control. The situation at ABTI and Gotel cannot be more precarious than what obtains in the banking sector, where chief executives have listened to reason and put a planned sack of workers on hold.

We wonder why the university and broadcasting company could not, like the banks, wait until after the pandemic before throwing hundreds of workers and thousands of their dependent into poverty, hunger and uncertainty. This callous decision confirmed that the origin of these organization and the seed fund for setting them up cannot stand up to scrutiny.

In our view, Atiku has by this action declared himself an enemy of God and humanity. Contemplating the sack at a time like this in the first instance is evil and implementing it elevated the owner of the decision to the status of the devil. He is by no means a man that should have a say in the wellbeing of anyone because it is apparent that his only concern is his avarice.

Considering the repeated failed attempts he has made to become Nigeria’s number one citizen, EARN is now imagining what the lot of Nigerians would have been under a person that is so consumed by extreme capitalism. Knowing that he has the intention to again run for president in 2023, right thinking people must now begin interrogating is this profit monster should be allowed anywhere near where issues that affect the ability of citizens to earn decent living.

We hereby put Atiku Abubakar on notice that Nigerians are waiting for him in 2023 to put a final nail in the coffin of his tyrannical style and ineptitude as a manager. The explanation put forward by his companies for the sack confirms that he is incapable of planning and organizing even at such level, which makes it criminal for him to have aspired to high office in the past knowing that his competence is below what is required.

We caution in the strongest term possible that Atiku must get ABTI and Gotel Communication to recall the sacked staff since they already admitted that these people lost their jobs to the incompetence of the owner and management and not gross misconduct. Failure to recall the sacked staff, EARN will launch coordinated picketing in the form of sit-ins, with consideration for social distancing, in Atiku’s houses and businesses all over the country. The properties will not only be picketed but would be fully occupied and locked down once the COVID19 pandemic is over.

North-East: Police, political leaders must act fast to consolidate military gains – NEDA

The North East Development Agenda (NEDA) has called on the police and political leaders in the northeast to build on the tremendous achievements of the military in the region.

NEDA gave the charge in a statement signed by its President Alhaji Ali Tanko on Sunday.

Nigeria’s once troubled northeast zone, a supposed stronghold of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in years past is now enjoying relative peace and tranquillity thanks to the gallant Nigerian Army.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General T.Y Burarai, himself led the final clearance operation that has consumed hundreds of the fleeing radical jihadists.

However, NEDA believes this progress would be tainted without the support and collaboration of other actors such as the police and the elites.

According to the group, these terrorists have abandoned the fight and fled inwards into Nigeria’s other towns and villages where troops are not stationed.

As it isn’t the role of the military to carry out civil policing, NEDA reckoned that the cooperation of the police and the leaders is required to fish these fleeing terrorists.

The group, therefore, called on the Nigeria Police Force and political leaders from the region to immediately swing into action to consolidate on the gains made by the military in keeping the area free of Boko Haram.

Read full statement below:

The progress that has been made by the Nigerian Army and other services of the military in ridding the north east of Boko Haram has been reassuring given the scale on the terrorists have been killed and their camps decommissioned. But there is urgent need to act in ensuring that there is no vacuum created in places from where Boko Haram elements ts have been eliminated.

The North East Development Agenda (NEDA) is consequently calling on the civil police, being the Nigeria Police Force and political leaders from the region to immediately swing into action to consolidate on the gains made by the military in keeping the area free of Boko Haram. A delay in doing this will make everyone that failed to take action liable should there be a resurgence of terrorism in Nigeria.

The military remains in pursuit of fleeing terrorists as it continues to drive the battle deeper into anywhere that Boko Haram is found to have a presence. Some of these terrorists apparently abandoned the fight and fled inwards into Nigeria’s other towns and villages where troops are not stationed. This is an area in which the political leaders are needed to galvanize the people into providing useful information that will help security agents mop up these fighters.

We also know that the military is not meant for everyday civil policing neither are troops trained for such, which makes it necessary for the Nigeria Police Force to step in and complement the efforts of the military by immediately taking over civil policing to ensure that the fleeing terrorists do not regroup anywhere near the north east again. The emphasis here is that the Police does not have to wait for a Presidential directive or National Assembly motion to resume its statutory duties in the north east now that the terrorists that once put the situation there beyond the functions of the police have been decimated.

What was experienced in the past was a situation where terrorists rebuild their cells from towns and villages that were not adequately policed after the military had cleared them of terrorists. This is a mistake that must not be repeated. A visible police presence, coupled with the necessary structure for intelligence gathering, will be a natural deterrence to any aspiring terrorist not to test the strength of the state.

From all available reports on the ground, the military has won the war against the Boko Haram terrorists and conscious efforts by the political leadership to restore normalcy must be immediately put in place as to forestall the negative consequences of the terrorists ever regrouping again.

In this regard, the political leadership should show direction by speeding up the rebuilding efforts and economic expansion in the north east to address the poverty that made Boko Haram’s recruitment of frustrated and desperate youth easy in the past. For this purpose, political leaders in the region should embrace a sort of peer review mechanism that ensures that public resources are used only for what they are meant for, which is to bring about improvement in the life of the people.

It is equally necessary that politicians collectively commit to engaging in acts that can re-introduce terrorism to the area. The practice of giving tacit support to Boko Haram members or any violent group out of political desperation has to stop while political office holders must also desist from a tendency to politicize anti-terrorism measures as this has proven to be a great disadvantage to the society.

The political leadership must also mobilize the traditional and religious institutions to contribute to the restoration of lasting peace in the north east. The traditional institution can be empowered to keep track of the youth ward by ward such that anyone showing tendency of radicalization and extremism can be immediately helped with rehabilitation. The religious leaders on their part can help correct their colleagues that are involved that are involved in promoting extreme doctrines.

This arrangement would be greatly strengthened if the police prioritizes intelligence gathering and building a network of community volunteers to create a viable information network and a kind of participatory policing in the communities.

Such a synergy among these critical stakeholders is the greatest thank you gift that they can give to the Nigerian military and the troops that have made the supreme sacrifice to get rid of terrorists that once held the north east by the jugular.

Boko Haram: Group hails Buratai’s winning strategies, urges neighbouring nations to learn

The National Democratic Front (NDF) has applauded Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai for his unique strategies which are yielding results aplenty in the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

According to the pro-democracy group, the COAS’ meticulous planning, deep thinking, experience, foresight and profound knowledge of the terrain is the difference in the theatre of operations.

The troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have recorded tremendous success in the final clearance since Lt. Gen. Buratai stepped foot in the Northeast almost a month.

Scores of the insurgents have been consumed by the troops’ continuous onslaught, the most recent in Timbuktu Triangle.

In a statement signed by Secretary-General, Dr Abdulkadir Bolaji, the NDF said that this progress is as a result of deep thinking on the part of the military high command as well as painstaking calculations and meticulous planning.

The group added that this isn’t much of a surprise as the COAS is known as a master strategist, a thoroughbred professional and commander with vast knowledge in military warfare while climbing the ranks.

Like George Washington, the NDF noted that Buratai reviewed the old strategies used by troops and out-thought the enemy by adopting a unique fighting approach.

The National Democratic Front, however, urged the COAS to share his secret with the other nations so that rooms are not created for the insurgents to explore through the weakness of one country to hide and nurse their wounds as it happened in the past.

Read full statement below:

Gradually, even those who had disparaged the Nigerian Army over the news that its Chadian colleagues had flushed out Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists from its territory, are beginning to concede that Nigerian troops were misjudged on the basis of a single operation but are more coordinated and better.

In the past two months, the Nigerian army through a streak of victories over Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists has shown that it has not lost the verve and composure it has come to be known for over the years.

Between April and now, Nigerian troops have penetrated the fortresses of insurgents with liquidated top commanders and foot soldiers of the sect, set confusion in their midst, scattered their ranks and pummelled their topiary.

Only last week, within a spate of 24 hours, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole through a coordinated artillery bombardment on Timbuktu Triangle and another artillery engagement in Buk, Damboa LG of Borno State, killed 134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.

This is in addition to the victories recorded against the insurgents only last month in which over of the terrorists were similarly liquidated.

The National Democratic Front, NDF, wants the world to note, that these victories were not by accident but as a result of deep thinking on the part of the military high command ad well as painstaking calculations and meticulous planning.

We want the world to know that having followed the professional progress of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, we have noted that what is happening now in the theatres of operation is consistent with his character as a meticulous planner, deep thinker, experienced strategist and a sharpshooter.

Right from his days at the Army Headquarters where he served in the Department of Army Policy and Plans, Abuja; from where he became Assistant Chief of Staff Administrative Matters at the Infantry Centre Jaji; to when he became a Major General and was appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji; to when he was appointed Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF) before he became Chief of Army Staff; Lt. General Buratai, has been known as a master strategist and thoroughbred professional and commander with vast knowledge in military warfare owing to his experience and study of military strategy the world over.

We make bold to say that Nigeria is lucky to have a planner- strategist at the helm of the military command at a time the nation is ravaged by the activities of terrorists and insurgents because having personnel with less qualification, foresight and experience would have put Nigeria in quandary.

The Lake Chad Region, which is bordered by four countries of Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria has made the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists quite unique and different from other theatres of operation.

While military expeditions in Afghanistan have only the mountainous terrains to contend with and in Somalia, the vast land and waters, the Lake Chad Region combines all the environmental challenges and more.

From the Nigerian and Cameroonian sides are high mountains with steep and creepy slopes while on the Nigerien side are vast stretches of desert land and between Chad are both land and water.

Past military expeditions that relied on surmounting the challenges from a particular angle have failed until the current Chief of Army Staff used a different strategy that took into cognisance the uniqueness of the challenges posed by the undulating terrain.

Like George Washington, the veteran military tactician who got the highest honour as a military officer did in the battle to win New York, Buratai, reviewed the old strategy used by troops and out-thought the enemy by adopting a unique fighting style suitable to the conditions at hand.

Washington is known for studying through the detail of army operations, including logistics and is said never to have led a large army into battle but relied heavily on the art of surprise, using tactics like ambush to overwhelm the enemy.

In the case of Nigerian troops, Buratai used the element of right timing to take the battle to the insurgents.

He, like Washington, must have reasoned that in a long war of attrition over a large territory with large scale military engagements like the one in the Lake Chad Region, that careful deliberation was the most appropriate strategy and he applied at a time the insurgents least expected which is coming with harvests of victories that we are witnessing today.

These basic elements of applying the right strategy at the right time were what helped Washington achieve a decisive victory which ended the American Revolutionary War.

We therefore commend General Buratai for his brilliance and application of the best military strategies to conquer the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists who have become irritants in the Lake Chad region.

We believe that the recent events in the theatre of war are precursors to a final battle which would route out insurgents entirely from the region and end the war as Nigerian troops have succeeded in regaining the confidence of the citizenry.

Buratai has shown that Nigeria will conbattlefieldain its pride in the comity of nations as the first to defeat this kind of insurgency.

We applaud the efforts of the Nigerian Army Chief and that of the entire troops in the battle field and wish them success in the final push to decapitate Boko Haram and ISWAP.

We urge members of communities around the Lake Chad region to cooperate fully with Buratai and the troops as victory is in sight.

We call on commanders of troops of neighbouring African countries to rise above the mundane and emulate the style of the Nigerian Army Chief which is bringing results.

The Nigerian army Chief must be magnanimous enough to share his secret with the other nations so that rooms are not created for the insurgents to explore through the weakness of one country to hide and nurse their wounds as it happened in the past.

We join our voice with that of others to call on the army Chief to live up to his promise not to leave the theatre of war until total victory is attained.

We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for putting a round peg in a round hole in the fight against insurgency and terrorism.

Ebonyi: Association seeks probe, end to killings in Edda community

A group, Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) has called on the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to intervene and quickly bring to an end cases of political violence and killings ongoing in Asaga Owutu Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.

The association also demanded that the state government should be made to “institute an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry to probe the causes of the killings in Edda, if the government is sincere about finding a lasting solution to the problem.”

Recall that the Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed the arrest of the council chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area, Eni Uduma and the lawmaker representing Afikpo South East Constituency, Chidi Agemu, over alleged involvement in cult clashes recently.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday and signed by the Chairman of the Association and a political activist, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, condemned what he described as “the acts of banditry, terrorism and killings which have been imposed on Edda clan since the current democratic/political dispensation in the state.”

Oluchukwu lamented that “the denigration of Edda politics to this level of outright and shameless political criminality dates back to sometime around the year 2007 when people of doubtful character entered into Edda/Ebonyi political horizon as political adventurers and merchants of death. Now, we can look back and note that their outing in the field of politics has destroyed Edda and relegated her into a state of mournful and regrettable degradation with their own political careers relapsing into shameful monumental tragedy.”

While giving background to what he called political terror in the Edda area, the association chairman said findings by his group revealed that there is a group in the area allegedly working with the current Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government “terrorising and specialising in torture of innocent citizens, beating of people with Koboko horse whips imported from foreign countries, among others.”

On the recent killings in the area, the association said: “On the 27th March, 2020, a 19- year old boy, Chidi Oji Arua was killed at Nguzu Edda. It was alleged that some officials of the Afikpo South Local Government COVID-19 Task Force went to Nguzu to enforce the Government policy banning burial of corpses as part of the COVID-19 lockdown. Some villagers resisted and the Personal Assistant to the Council Chairman, Keneth Agha Okoro (aka Mukoro) was rough-handled. He was said to have gone back to base to alert his group who went to Nguzu Edda to unleash mahem and Chidi was found lying dead after sporadic gunshots.

“From Sunday, 3rd May, 2020 to Wednesday, 6th May, 2020, three young men from Owutu Edda were murdered in cold blood. The first boy, Onu Chima Ukpai, was shot dead by an alleged member of a rival cult group. Then on Tuesday, 5th May, 2020, one of the boys, Chinedu Offor Ufere, who was wounded during the Sunday attack and was hospitalized, died. Then again, on Wednesday, 6th May, 2020, one Jarun, the elder brother of the boy who was killed on Sunday, went on a revenge mission and killed one Raphael Okereke.

“The recent killings in Edda reflect the brutal and crude political culture of violence and blood-bath which has been used as an instrument of political domination of the area. It is an extension of the regime of terror, thuggery, intimidation and gangsterism. It is aimed at conquering the people by instilling fear into them for political imposition and exclusion,” the association said.

The association noted that the immediate causes of the bloody confrontations can be traced to three recent events which heightened tension in the major flash-points of the LGA. The events are the sharing of political offices in the LGA in 2019, conduct of the 2020 Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries and the composition of the COVID-19 Implementation/Enforcement Task Force in the LGA.

The Ebonyi state indigenes, however said governor Dave Umahi’s statement recently blaming the Police and SSS for their inability to have predicted the killings and to have stopped it is neither here nor there.

“The Governor should immediately institute an independent Judicial Panel of Inquiry to probe the causes of the killings in Edda, if he is sincere about finding a lasting solution to the problem.

“We will also wish to call on the Federal Government and the Human Rights Organizations in Nigeria to wade into Ebonyi state and engage the government of Umahi to forestall further bloodshed in the area.”

Boko Haram: Nigeria’s victory is permanent, human rights researcher, Kuanum says

Foremost researcher on human rights and author of several books,  Mr. Terrence Kuanum, has described recent victories by Nigerian troops led by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf  Buratai in the Lake Chad Region, as a positive sign that the victory of troops over the insurgents will be permanent. 

Kuanum made the observation in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja.

He said the last two months have seen the steady progression in the offensive being led by General Buratai against the terrorists and insisted that the winnings all point to the direction of permanent victory as the terrorists are now in disarray .

“I had the opportunity of following recent happenings in the Northeast and I must say this is an opportunity for Nigerians to feel proud as there is every indication that the war against the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists would soon be over permanently,” he said.

Reviewing the steps taken by the Chief of Army Staff in recent operations, Kuanum said for the 11 years he has been following the activities of Boko Haram terrorists and the efforts of the Nigerian and other governments to stop them, he has not seen a better coordinated and result yielding efforts like the current one.

He said from what he knows about military operations and counter insurgency efforts,  having a back-to-back victory as is being recorded recently by Nigerian troops, is a clear indication that the terrorists have been overwhelmed and are on the verge of surrendering. 

“What you normally get from this type of asymmetric warfare is a tit-for- tat kind of battle where one side strikes the other at a time it was least  expecting and the other side tries to take its pound of flesh by launching a counter-offensive.

“But what we now have in the Northeast is the consistency in  shelling and decimation of the Boko Haram terrorists by troops exposing the terrorists’ lack of capacity to reply and confirming that their earlier boasts as not only empty but vacuous,” Kuanum said.

The foremost researcher and  authority in military history, said he is sure that at the end of the operation which he said would be over soon, other countries would be coming to Nigeria to learn how to defeat insurgency and terrorism because according to him,  that has been the toughest and complicated type of warfare the world over due to its asymmetric nature.

He said for Nigeria to have been able to find a solution to the scourge where even military super powers like Russia and the US have failed  in the past years, would surely come as a thing of pride for the entire nation.

The researcher said in the past countries like the US and Russia could not put their acts together by thinking that they can subdue terrorism through the decapitation of its leadership and top commanders alone.

He said that approach which was borrowed from anti- criminal operations especially in drugs and narcotics where once the Don is taken out and the other foot soldiers run for cover, however did not work in the fight against terrorism and insurgency. 

“That was why when the US took out Osama Bin Ladin and other commanders of the Alquaida groups, the activities of the terrorists did not stop,” he pointed out.

He said Nigeria made the same mistake when it assumed that with the killing of Mohammed Yusuf, the terrorism of Boko  Haram would stop saying it rather evolved into a more dangerous outfit under the leadership of Abu Shekau.

“In the same way, the killing of Muhammad Marwa did not stop the Maitatsine sect until a wholesome operation that included the liquidation of the ground troops, destruction  of their armoury and reorientation of their members took place,” Kuanum explained.

This, he said are some of the strategies he noticed with the Buratai leadership where no stone is left unturned to bring an end to the activities of the terrorists. 

He said: “General Buratai is known to be one of the serious thinkers and sound intellectuals within military cycles and he must have taken all these into cognisance and is applying them to achieve the winning formula we are witnessing.”

Kuanum asked: “When was the last time you saw a Shekau releasing a video bragging that he would capture Nigeria as he is wont to do in the past? When was the last time you saw terrorists invading military barracks,  seizing weapons and making shows of them?”

All these, he said,  “have become history and the end of Shekau is near I tell you, so I believe the security reports which suggest that Shekau is begging to surrender are true.”

When asked to give his opinion on whether the federal government should accept Shekau if he surrenders, Kwuanum said he believes accepting the surrender would have greater impact on Nigerians and would serve to discourage other terrorists more than killing him in the battle field.

He said this is because the military has claimed several times that it has killed Shekau after which he would resurface and dismiss their claims.

The researcher said if the military finally takes Shekau out this time, many would doubt if it is true saying if on the other hand Shekau surrenders and he is presented to the public, people would be convinced and many of his men would follow suit and surrender.

Kuanum called on the Chief of Army Staff not to relent saying many Nigerians are praying for him and the troops to succeed.

NDDC: Group kicks against Senate probe

An anti-corruption organisation known as Anti-corruption and Integrity Forum has berated the National Assembly over the recent probe of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged the N40 billion paid to certified contractors.

The forum discribed the probe as “diversionary and headless.”

Chairman of the forum and popular anti-corruption activist, Comrade Prince Kpokpogri, said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday, said the Senate recent probe of the Minister and the committee appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the NDDC was “a needless caricature and headless task.”

The group declared that the IMC is the best thing that has happened to the NDDC since inception.

The forum called on the Niger Delta people to support the efforts of
Senator Godswill Akpabio in his quest to clean up the NDDC and position it to better the lives of the Niger Delta people according to the spirit of its creation.

Kpokpogri said what the National Assembly was doing by inviting the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio for questioning on the N40 billion paid to certified contractors was a shot in the dark and legislative busy body.

“Is the National Assembly saying that contractors who were owed over a year ago should not be paid even after the contracts were certified duly executed? Are they aggrieved that some of their youth contractors had been denied opportunities for more fraudulent jobs? Or are they angry that there would be no more free money from contracts that were never executed?”, he asked.

The anti corruption crusader therefore, advised the NASS to stop chasing shadows and focus on more pressing national concern of the moment, which is Covid-19.

He said inviting Akpabio to question him on the money he got the Presidency’s approval to pay contractors is nothing but distraction, either to cover up for their laxity and inability to add value to the system or a grand plan to harm Akpabio with Covid-19 infection.

Again, he averred that the headless probe could be diversionary, even as he accused some politicians for failing to use NDDC as a conduit pipe to stack money for 2023 election.

The activist further asked that if the petition to probe the hard working Interim Management Committee of NDDC was not representing vested interest, then why must spending N40 billion to offset contractual debts become a matter of urgent public importance in an era of Coronavirus pandemic?

According to Kpokpogri, “Let me tell the world that the Senate invitation on Akpabio is just an agenda to mount pressure on him to intimidate him, just for disappointing their fraudulent antics. But he should not be perturbed; it’s only but a game.

“What about the petition against the fraudulent administration of the former acting MD of NDDC, Prof. Brambrafa, which was read at the floor of the Senate and heard during public hearing? Why has the National Assembly not come up with the outcome of the investigation? Why have those who had looted the Commission dry for themselves and their godfathers not been penalised for corrupt offences?

“I, Comrade Kpokpogri is saying that the Interim Management Committee is the best thing that has happened so far in NDDC. We have never had it this good in Niger Delta. Is the Senate saying that contractors should not be paid? It is high time this nonsense stopped.

“I call on the Presidency to disregard any blackmail against the person of Senator Akpabio. We have passed a vote of confidence on him. He is doing what the NDDC was created for, which is to better the lives of the Niger Delta people as an Interventionist Agency.

“Finally, I advise the National Assembly to find something good and of national value to do and stop chasing shadows”, Kpokpogri posited.

Buratai’s winning magic a product of strategic planning- Cpt. Adeleke

A former military officer and historian, Capain AI Adeleke (rtd) has said the current victories of the Nigerian Army over Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists are products of deep strategic thinking on the part of the Nigerian military top brass.

Adeleke, who spoke with our correspondent in an interview in Lagos, said it is part of strategic military planning to lure the enemy into thinking it is gaining the upper hand in a battle only for full arsenal to be unleashed to overwhelm in ways they cannot recover.

He said the fact that Boko Boko Haram terrorists have become sorry sights the battle field after proclaiming they were unstoppable shows that superior and sophisticated approach to combat have been  deployed on them. 

The expert,  however said the string of victories being recorded by Nigerian troops  did not come as a surprise as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General TY Buratai, is one of the most strategic thinkers and repertiores of intellect in the military today.

He said from the frontal engagement carried out by troops based on precise intelligence reports with almost zero casualty, it is obvious that Buratai is taking after respected past war heroes who won their battles through  application of strategic planning and tactical drills.

“You don’t record such victories repeatedly through trials and errors but through conscious systemic and deliberate tactics,” he said.

Adeleke said  it is not unlikely from the results being recorded against the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists that the Chief of Army Staff must have observed closely the staying power, resilience and master stroke strategies of people like Julius Caesar, Hannibal,  Khalid ibn Walid,

 Alexander the Great , Frederick the Great, Gustavus Adolphus, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Napoleon Bonaparte. 

Citing the war pattern of  Gustavus Adolphus, Adeleke said it was his invasion of Germany that helped the Protestants clutch victory from defeat at the hands of the powerful Catholic League, headed by a then world-dominating Spain.

He added that Gustavus became one of the most famous military leaders in history,  when he turned Sweden into one of the superpowers of Europe after he, like Buratai, won a series of great battles “through innovative integration of infantry which included cavalry and artillery and which provided the foundation for modern military warfare.”

He said Khalid ibn Walid, who is known as the greatest war General in the Arab world on the other hand, must have inspired Buratai with his outmaneuvering of a much larger Byzantine force in a brilliant campaign that culminated in his great victory at Yarmouk. 

He said Khalid compares with Buratai in the manner he remained undefeated in all of the 100 battles  that he fought, which paved the conquest of the Middle East, Persia, India, North Africa and Spain.

Adeleke said Frederick the Great on the other hand, must have served as an inspiration to Buratai going by the way he defended Prussia During the Seven Years’ War.

He said it took the exceptional resilience of Frederick the great when Prussia was surrounded by much stronger enemies of Austria, Russia, and France on all sides, to  survive, and later snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

He said another remarkable influence on the Chief of Army Staff must have been the Roman army commander, julius Caesar.

He said Caesar, after the conquest of Gaul showed his brilliance in warfare when he led the Roman army into Germany and Britain and established the dominance of Rome over western civilization.

He also said Hannibal who led the single greatest logistical triumph in military history must have inspired Buratai.

He recalled that Hannibal almost destroyed the armies of Rome by ingeniously marching an army of elephants from Africa, through Spain and over the Alps into Italy. 

He said Alexander the Great on the other hand conquered  almost the entire world then and was known for his ruthlessness to completely eliminate the enemy.

He said Buratai definitely shares part of Napoleon’s military genius which the latter demonstrated by his destruction of the Third Coalition and the defeat of the combined armies of Austria, Russia, Portugal and others in a series of battles that culminated in what is known the Battle of Austerlitz.

He said, “As a retired military officer, I cant help but notice some of the traits of these renowned war heroes in the current Chief of army staff which reassures me that the man not only knows what he is doing, but is capable of enacting further breathtaking strategies to bring terrorism and insurgency to an end in Nigeria. 

He said, ” When you talk about true grit and military Professionalism there is  no way you will not commend Buratai and the troops in the field especially with application of sophisticated strategies and intellectual depth to warfare.

Adeleke said  for an officer who has passed through some of the best military instutions in the world and acquired recondite trainings coupled with having gained valuable experience before his present assignment, no less should be expected from Buratai. 

He said, “The chief of army staff was already heading the multinational task force before  he was appointed to present  position hence the ground work for the current victories have  being laid have been laid by him.

“It was under Buratai as the commander of the multinational taks force that Nigeria was able to clear insurgents from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in 2015 for elections to hold there .”

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight and ability to discover someone like Lt. Gen TY Buratai to lead the war against the enemies of Nigeria. 

“You know Buhari himself is a military tactician who has seen much action  in his days in the army, so he recognises talent, skill and mental acuity when he sees one and I’m happy that he made the right choice in appointing an Army Chief with the necessary grit and qualification to deliver,” he added.