Counter-insurgency: Group writes Buhari, laud troops’ exploits

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria (YOLN) has praised the Nigerian Army’s incredible exploits in the war against terrorism.

The group made this known in a letter signed by its President, Prince Timothy Atuluku, to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

According to the political leaders, Nigeria would have been consumed by the Boko Haram insurgency had the president and the gallant troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, led by Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai not intervened.

The group stated that but for the coming on board of Buhari’s administration, Nigeria would have become the mockery of the world.

The leaders, thus, hailed the sterling leadership of Mr President and his COAS which indeed filled the leadership vacuum over the years to prosecute the war against terrorism has been phenomenal.

The political leaders, however, assured the president and COAS that Nigerians are behind them in the quest to wipe the Boko Haram insurgents in North-East Nigeria.

Read full statement below:

His Excellency
Muhammadu Buhari
President and Commander-in-Chief
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Villa,
Abuja-Nigeria.

Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,

LETTER OF COMMENDATION IN THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM IN NIGERIA

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria brings its warmest regards to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for the sound leadership in the country since 2015.

We wish to state that, but for the coming on board of your administration, Nigeria would have been consumed with the myriad of challenges confronting it chiefly the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria.

Mr. President may wish to recall that upon assumption of office in 2015, the military hierarchy was relocated to North-East Nigeria. That singular act indeed set the country of the path of progress with regards to the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

Mr. President may also wish to recall that the appointment of Service Chiefs in the country was indeed the game-changer in the sense that the various Service Chiefs hit the ground running and Today the multiple successes recorded in the war against terrorism is evident for all and sundry to see.

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria is, therefore, using this medium to inform Mr. President that the efforts of the Nigerian Military have been outstanding since 2016 when the military gained ascendency over the Boko Haram terrorist group that culminated in the sacking of the operational headquarters of the Boko Haram terrorist group in Sambisa forest.

We are more than appreciative of the operations of the Nigerian Military in North-East Nigeria and other parts of the country. We wish to exbeen consumed with the myriad of challenges confronting it chiefly the Boko Haram insurgency in N

Mr. President, you may wish to know that the overwhelming votes by Nigerians in the 2019 elections are in recognition of the outstanding show of commitment to the war against terrorism that has yielded tremendous results over the years.

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria indeed states that the confidence reposed by Nigerians has not been betrayed by His Excellency and hence this letter of commendation, as well as appreciation to our loyal and committed troops that have continued to do the country proud.

We wish to state that in the annals of our democratic experience since 1999, Nigeria has never gotten it right like now when our country is indeed blessed with a leader that has exhibited sincerity of heart and purpose and also a leader that has shown significant commitment towards setting Nigeria on the path of greatness among the comity of nations.

Mr. President, it must be stated that your sterling leadership has indeed filled the leadership vacuum in Nigeria over the years, and your commitment to prosecuting the war against terrorism has been phenomenal.

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria also commends the efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. He has led the Nigerian Army with utmost professionalism and dedication in the discharge of his duties.

Mr. President, you may wish to be informed that the Chief of Army Staff has led the troops in battle in an exemplary manner that has seen the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group confined to the fringes of the Lake Chad in absolute disarray and with nowhere to run to.

The sacrifices of our troops have indeed been felt in all nook and cranny of Nigeria, and this is made possible by the ingenuity of the Chief of Army Staff and the political leadership who has made it a habit to undertake routine visits to the theatre of operations in North-East Nigeria.

Mr. President, the outcome of the routine visits of the Chief of Army Staff in recent times has seen to the killing of over 250 Boko Haram terrorists in recent operations carried out by the Nigerian Military.

The Young Political Leaders Forum of Nigeria wishes to inform Mr. President that Nigerians are with him and the administration towards a final victory on the war against the Boko Haram insurgency in North-East Nigeria.

The Young Political Leaders Forum wishes to encourage the President and Commander-in-Chief not to relent in this final push against the remnants of the Boko Haram by the Nigerian troops by providing that conducive atmosphere for the overall success in the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

Nigerians are eagerly waiting to come out en mass after the COVID-19 pandemic is over to celebrate these milestones from city to city in appreciation of what the military has done for the country through their numerous sacrifices over the years.

Mr. President, you have indeed done well and set Nigeria on the path of greatness through your laudable initiatives and the Young Political Leaders Forum in Nigeria wishes to state in unequivocal terms that it is indeed passing a vote of confidence on our gallant and loyal troops fighting day and night in executing the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

We consequently encourage the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai not to relent in its final push in bringing the Boko Haram war to an end.

Mr. President, a true leader, has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.

Nobody died of Coronavirus in Yobe – Gov Buni

Yobe state government has asked Nigerians to disregard an online report alleging Covid-19 related deaths in the state, declaring that no such case was recorded.

An online media report had claimed that there are Covid-19 related deaths in the state.

But the Director General Press and Media Affairs to Yobe state governor, Mamman Mohammed, said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, that Yobe state was the first state in Nigeria to voluntarily submit a suspected case of COVID-19 for test, which was tested negative.

The statement said Yobe recorded its first case just last week 30th April, 2020 and to date, “there is no officially declared COVID-19 related death” in the state.

“Our attention has been drawn to an online report alleging COVID-19 related deaths in Yobe state.

“The report also claimed that His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni was in Abuja while his people were dying.

“We had expected the publishers to cross check their facts and reflect our position to balance the story.

“For the records, Yobe state was the very first state in Nigeria to voluntarily submit a suspected case of COVID-19 for test. Thank God, it was negative.

“The state had in spite of non existing case, constituted a COVID-19 committee, established three isolation centers equipped with ventilators and all necessary equipment.

“Yobe recorded its first case just last week 30th April, 2020 and till date, there is no officially declared COVID-19 related death.

“Secondly, His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni, had not travelled out of the state for six weeks until when President Buhari invited him to Abuja to discuss security matters where he spent just three days and has since returned. Therefore, he was not outside the state nor cordinatinating the affairs of the state from Abuja as claimed.

“This administration maintains an open door policy, we therefore call on the media to always contact the state government to clarify every issue before going to the press.”

COVID-19: APC Govt insensitive to plight of stranded Nigerians, says Frank

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Thursday, accused the Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of gross insensitivity to the pathetic plight of Nigerians stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, insisted that a situation where the recent 256 Nigerians evacuated from the United Arab Emirates were made to pay for their flight tickets shows a government that is past caring for its distressed citizens.

The Bayelsa-born political activist, said it is unbecoming for a supposed democratic government to turn a deaf ear to the agonizing cries of its trapped citizens wherever they may be across the globe, especially at a time of extreme stress.

He lamented that the Federal Government is about to mete a similar wicked treatment to other Nigerians stranded in the United Kingdom and China by asking them to pay for their flight tickets if they want to return home.

While stranded Nigerians at this period of ravaging pandemic need all the help they can get as they have since exhausted their resources due to overstay, stranded Nigerians in China are in a most precarious situation.

“Apart from the grievous ordeal Nigerians stranded in China have undergone in the hands of the Chinese security forces, the Federal Government through the Minister of Foriegn Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has told them that their return tickets are no longer valid and that they have to cough out N700,000 if they want to return home.

“This is double jeopardy! No Nigerian should be treated like a slave or an alien by his home Government. Where is the pride of being a Nigerian?

“A government that cannot fulfill its first constitutional obligation which is to guarantee the welfare and security to its citizens, especially those that have been caught up in faraway lands by a global pandemic is no longer worthy of that appellation.

“When the French, American and UK Governments evacuated their nationals from Nigeria, they did not ask individuals to pay for return flight tickets.

“They conveyed them freely back home because they know that they owe their citizens an obligation to extricate and bring them home whenever they are faced with imminent danger abroad.

“Why is Nigeria crying of paucity of funds to render a Constitutional duty to innocent citizens caught up in an emergency in foreign lands with all the money it has received from individuals and corporate organizations as palliatives to mitigate the harsh effects of the national health emergency?

“Besides, the 256 evacuees from Dubai on Wednesday would still be there due to lack of hotels or conducive space to quarantine them for the mandatory 14 days on arrival but for the Lagos State Government that decided to shoulder that responsibility.

“This Government needs to wake up and at least treat Nigerians decently. Leaving Nigerians to turn beggars abroad as a result of the pandemic is not only a national disgrace but a display of monumental incompetence.

“It is shameful for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to claim that ‘palliatives are really destined for Nigerians here in Nigeria.’

“Does that mean that Nigerians endangered in diaspora having been cut off by this pandemic become less Nigerian and therefore unworthy of help in the thinking of the Federal Government?”

He insisted that it is the sole duty of the Federal Government to display needed empathy by genuinely helping stranded Nigerians to seamlessly return home during this global war against an invisible enemy.

He added that the National Assembly must for once “jettison its rubber stamp toga and strictly monitor all anti-pandemic programmes already initiated by the Federal Government to ensure that the war chest already amassed against the Coronavirus pandemic is transparently administered.”

Timbuktu-Triangle Victory: Activists laud Nigerian troops over successful outings

The Coalition of Nigerian Activists for Greater Nigeria (CNAGN) believes that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deserve special laurels for their tremendous feat against Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast.

This special recognition trails the troops’ recent onslaught around the Timbuktu-Triangle in Borno State which was once reported to be under the control of the radical jihadists.

Led by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukut Buratai, the Nigerian troops have gained massive grounds in its final clearance operation, with the latest consuming 134 insurgents.

And in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Kenneth Anayo, on Tuesday, the group of activists hailed the “troops for their uncommon efforts, patriotism and gallantry in the past few weeks especially their most recent exploit in neutralizing over 134 terrorists”.

CNAGN expressed confidence in the COAS and his troops as they match closer towards victory over the terrorists who already appears to be depleted.

The activists, however, urged the Federal Government to carry out a similar operation on the civilian and non-combatant wings of Boko Haram, who arm them with information.

Read the full statement below:

The Coalition of Nigerian Activists for Greater Nigeria has urged the Federal Government and Nigerians to specially commend the troops currently carrying out the final phases of the operation to wipe Boko Haram terrorists out from the northeast of Nigeria and all over the country. The Coalition’s reachtion followed reports that the Nigerian military neutralized as many as 134 Boko Haram terrorists in the Timbuktu-Triangle while arresting 16 informants that had helped the terror group’s operation in the past.

The punishment that the Nigerian Army has inflicted on Boko Haram terrorists is a befitting gift to Nigerians at a time that people are eager for good news in the midst of the COVID-19 scourge. The terrorists that once made themselves into a scourge and a torn in the country’s flesh are today getting the kind of treatment they deserve being the disease that they are. For this the Army, its leadership and troops that are taking part in the operation deserve laurels to spur them on.

We at the Coalition of Nigerian Activists for Greater Nigeria laud the troops for their uncommon efforts, patriotism and gallantry in the past few weeks especially their most recent exploit in neutralizing over 134 terrorists as part of the final onslaught in the war against terrorism. The troops have left everyone talking about their gallantry and patriotism in the their continuous display against the terrorists.

This group, which has always had the highest level of confidence in the capacity of our military to defeat the terrorists without any doubt, is proud that a time has come for all Nigerians to stand behind the troops to defeat the terrorists and their agents of darkness.

The Coalition of Nigerian Activists for Greater Nigeria, however, wants to appeal to the Federal Government to reciprocate the good work the military is doing in flushing out the leftovers of Boko Haram elements by unleashing a similar operation on the civilian and non-combatant wings of Boko Haram. By this we mean that the government should act on intelligence at its disposal about the sympathizers, sponsors, enablers and collaborators of Boko Haram.

The fact that the military has arrested as many as 16 informants for the terrorists showed that they have seriously infected the national space. Consequently, we demand that the government take action in freezing bank accounts linked with terrorism financing, close down businesses connected to Boko Haram commanders and their associates, including those that have been used as fronts for laundering funds to the terrorists.

It is also time to take a firm stand against propaganda deployed in support of Boko Haram and those behind such poison. We equate this with the Nigerian Military being on the threshold of cutting off the head of the beast but the government and the rest of the country must take active steps to incinerate its carcass so that is has no prospect of spawning miniatures or clones in its dying moment. We urge that Boko Haram is atomically defeated on the battlefield in the northeast, defeated in the media and cyberspace, defeated in the socio-political and economic space in order for all Nigerians to enjoy peace.

Even as they commend the military for destroying Boko Haram, Nigerians must now take the next crucial step of collectively freeing their minds grip that terrorism once held over them. It is in the hearts and minds of Nigerians that the terrorists will be finally defeated. The days of Boko Haram are over.

Exclusive: We are finished, Boko Haram Commanders cry out over sustained onslaught by Army

Feelers from North-East Nigeria indicate that the Boko Haram group is seeking avenues for a dialogue with the federal government in a bid to put an end to the recent onslaught against it by the Nigerian Army.

According to credible sources conversant with the happenings in North-East Nigeria, it was stated that the recent onslaught led by the Chief of Army Staff that resulted in the death of over 135 members of the group, which included some top commanders is indeed the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

A source who pleaded anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information stated that the leader of the Boko Haram group, Abubakar Shekau is indeed battling for his life as some top commanders of the group have turned against him and are ready to take the bulls by the horns to negotiate for a soft landing by surrendering and seeking forgiveness.

“After the last operation by our troops, over 135 members of the group were killed including a top commander who has been at the forefront of surrendering as there seems to be no way out of their dilemma.”

“The death of the commander indeed shook Abubakar Shekau who is battling to avert a revolt from his members over his insensitivity to their plight and also the death of one of their top commanders who has advocated for a ceasefire in recent times.”

The source also added that the situation in the camp of the Boko Haram group is that that of despair and lamentations.

“We have been able to scoop that Abubakar Shekau is trying his best to keep the spirits of his fighters high, but the challenge they faced in recent times has not yielded the desired results as our troops are closing in on them as the day goes by”

It was also gathered from reliable sources that the death of the top commander had been blamed on Abubakar Shekau who is still maintaining a tough face as regards the war believing that the situation could still be remedied.

Our source informed this medium that what is left in the Boko Haram camp is a group of disgruntled fighters that are lacking in everything from food to arms and ammunition.

“You might have read in some daily newspapers on the efforts of some Boko Haram members reaching out to the federal government for a ceasefire. This is very true, as there have been several attempts to get the Nigerian Army to a ceasefire which has not yielded the desired results since the Chief of Army Staff is personally coordinating the operations.”

“I can tell you that the situation is quite tensed as the directive of the Chief of Army Staff is to get Abubakar Shekau wherever he is, and I am not sure any of the sector commanders can go against that directive. So in a way, it is a tough situation for everybody, unless the Chief of Army Staff orders a ceasefire, and so far he hasn’t done so.”

According to a top staff of one of the humanitarian agencies in North-East Nigeria, he stated that the Boko Haram group is seriously rooting for dialogue as a way of ending the war. He also added that overtures had been made and from the look of things the Nigerian Army is not disposed to the idea of dialogue.

“We have done our best in asking the military echelon to dialogue with the Boko Haram group, but we have not received any favorable response so far. You know that there is a limit to how far we can push because it is a very sensitive issue. As such, we must respect whatever decision from the military authorities.”

When asked if indeed the Boko Haram group is seeking for a genuine dialogue with the federal government, the source stated that the Boko Haram group is truly seeking for a way to end the war as they have run out of ideas and stock to prosecute the war further.

“They have reached out to us to plead with the military authorities to halt further attacks on them as they are ready to dialogue and drop their arms. This much we have passed to the theatre command, and as we speak, we have not gotten a response from them.”

“We are treading carefully so as not to incur the wrath of the authorities, and so this is where we are as it stands. If the military hierarchy so decides to dialogue with the Boko Haram group we shall welcome it because we are interested in the return of peace to North-East Nigeria.”

According to another source who has worked in the North East for several years, stated that the probable option for the Boko Haram group is to seek the support of world leaders in prevailing on the Nigerian authorities to dialogue with them.

“From the feelers, we are getting; it doesn’t seem likely that the Nigerian President is ready for a dialogue. The option left, in my opinion, is the intervention of world leaders and organizations, and that can only happen at the diplomatic level, which is clearly outside our purview.”

“I can tell you in confidence that many of the Boko Haram fighters are ready for a dialogue and they are insisting that the government should withdraw the Army as a sign of goodwill. However, how that would play out is left to be imagined.”

“They have cried out on numerous occasions for the Army to a ceasefire so they can have a dialogue, but from the look of things that situation seems much tensed as the troops are advancing daily.”

This medium was able to gather that the Chief of Army Staff who has been in the North East has ruled out the possibility of a dialogue with the Boko Haram members. A top commander who doesn’t want his name in print stated that the Army Chief is not disposed to having a dialogue with Boko Haram.

“The Chief is not interested in any form of dialogue and as such the troops have continued to advance in recent weeks. Not unless the Army Chief shifts his grounds, the likelihood of dialogue is ruled out as it stands.”

“I do not see that happening in my opinion as it seems the big man in Abuja would not condone such options with the way things are. The option of dialogue would have happened years back if indeed they were serious.”

It would be recalled that the Nigerian troops have carried out sustained operations against the Boko Haram group in recent weeks led by the Chief of Army Staff that has seen to the death of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters.

Buratai, Nigerian Army have shamed the prophets of doom – Tsav

Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police and human rights crusader, CP Abubakar Tsav (rtd), has given the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General TY Buratai and the Nigerian Army a pass mark for their success in recent military operations at the Lake Chad Region.

Our correspondent reports that Nigerian troops in two operations on the 1st and 2nd of May, coordinated artillery bombardments on Timbuktu triangle and destroyed seven Boko Haram Gun Trucks and carried out another artillery engagement in Buk, Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State eliminating 134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. 

The retired police commissioner and elder statesman,  in an interaction with newsmen, said the recent decimation of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists by Nigerian troops in the Lake Chad region serves as a sweet reminder that the Nigerian army has not lost the efficiency and professionalism it has been known for over the years.

Tsav in the interview explained that he is full of commendation for the Nigerian troops not  because they succeeded in liquidating terrorists but making it further difficult for them to carry out any attack within Nigerian borders.

The retired police commissioner said it is evident that all the operations were executed with clinical military precision and professional efficiency. 

This, he said, is obvious from the total avoidance of collateral damages despite attempts by terrorists to hide in civilian populated communities and their  ‘cowardly’ use of humans as shields when overwhelmed.

He stressed that the manner the insurgents were taken out can only be achieved if troops are abiding by the highest forms of professional ethics under the right leadership. 

Tsav said he noticed there have been  differences in the approach and outcome of military operations since the Chief of Army Staff relocated to the Northeast.

“When the Chief of Army staff moved to the theatre of operations, the message he was sending to his troops is that he doesn’t mind putting his life on the line for results to be achieved and that he is expecting no less from the soldiers.

“He is also stressing the seriousness of the operations and the need to impart on troops the highest level of strategy and tactics to win the war but before one could even say ‘go’ the results have started showing. That means not only has he sent the right signals, but the troops have been able to decode the message and act accordingly,” Tsav said.

The retired police commissioner said he was happy with last week’s liquidation of 134 number of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists terrorists recalling  that only last month, 105 number of terrorists were liquidated during an encounter at Buni Gari in Gujba Local Government of Yobe State by troops of Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole.

Tsav said he is impressed because while the number of terrorists taken out is important, it is also worthy to note that high calibre weapons including  five  AK-47 Rifles, three GPMG, one  Duska Anti Aircraft Gun, one PKT Gun, two handheld radio,  several ammunition and ammunition links  magazines and assorted hard drugs were also recovered from.

He said this will further weaken the insurgents by depriving their remnants of weapons they have been using to unleash terror on hapless citizens,” he said.

The elder statesman said it is worth noting that it was not quite a month after that succeful operation that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have again eliminated 134 Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and arrested 16 of their informants.

He said while the insurgents are in disarray and desperate to put up a face, Nigerian troops have been calm and calculated in their operations which has made them to achieve high and excellent  results.

Tsav said Gen Buratai and troops of the Nigerian Army have by these victories shamed the prophets of doom who had predicted that Boko Haram insurgency would bring an end to the entity known as Nigeria.

He said what is happening in the field of operation is the complete opposite of what the prophets of doom predicted saying rather than disintegrate, Nigeria is waxing stronger and stronger while citizen confidence on military instutions has been fully restored.

“From the over 20 local government captured by the terrorists and the hoisting of their flags in some, what we have now is that not an inch of the Nigerian territory is under either Boko Haram or ISWAP control. This is kudos to the Chief of Army Staff and the troops'” he stated.

Tsav added that apart from being happy that normalcy is fully returning to the Northeast, Nigerians are beginning to feel proud of their country once again. 

He said with the current records of onslaught against the terrorists, no dissent or insurgent group would contemplate taking up arms against the Nigerian state without fearing the consequences.

“I expect the Army Chief to live up to his promise to stay with troops until total victory is attained as his presence is a great morale booster to the officers and men in the field,” he added.

Boko Haram 134: Our military has lightened our spirits inspite of Covid-19 – African women

The Africa Women Arise for Change Network (AWACN) has hailed the Nigerian military’s final clearance operation against Boko Haram terrorists as the sole bright spot in an utterly gloomy COVID-19 season.

AWACN, in a statement on Wednesday, said the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have gladdened the hearts of African women with its recent onslaught on the fleeing terrorists.

Led by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai, the Nigerian Army has recorded tremendous success over the insurgents, with the most recent exterminating 134.

In a statement by its President, Lady Nkechi Odoma, the group expressed delight with the COAS and his men for this magnificent feat amidst the rampaging coronavirus that has consumed nearly 300,000 lives worldwide.

As women, AWACN said they were the worst hit by terror activities ranging from deaths of their husbands, children and even rape.

The women network congratulated the COAS, describing him as “ a responsible husband and family man who feels our pains and who has been in the theatre of operation with the troops for the past five weeks”.

AWACN, however, urged the Army Chief and his troops not to take their foot of the peddle as they are only a stone throw away from victory.

Read full statement below:

Recent news coming from the theatre of the military operation in Northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad region has gladdened the hearts of African women like no other thing has done in the recent past.

Women in Africa are happy that Nigerian troops by their gallantry and patriotism are proving that evil can never have a permanent victory over good and that finally, our tears as key stakeholders in the family unit would be permanently wiped away.

You may wish to know that women have borne the brunt of the activities of these terrorists the more as they have made many of us widows, many have been victims of rape and forced marriages, while many have been dispossessed of all they have including their children.

It comes to us therefore as not only cheery but reassuring that Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) eliminated 134 Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and arrested 16 informants in Borno State, Nigeria recently.

These are the groups responsible for the worst horror visited on African women in recent times.

Though the general mood the world over is that of angst and grief occasioned by the ravaging effect of the Coronavirus, which has also claimed hundreds of thousands of lives the world over, bright sparks that illuminate the horizon should not be neglected.

We see the recent victory of Nigerian troops as one of such sparks that is worth celebrating because of the overall impact it would have on bringing the inhuman carnage in Northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region under control as well as restore peace and development in Nigeria.

By now, the world is aware that the ongoing subsidiary operation in the North East Theatre of Operation, code-named ‘Operation Kantana Jimlan, led by no other than the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, is yielding great success.

Since the Chief of Army Staff relocated to the theatre of war, Nigerian troops have moved from one success story to another and these have given us hope that a total victory over the evil forces of ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists is not only certain but will be sooner than expected.

To our pride and happiness, Nigerian troops through a coordinated artillery bombardments on Timbuktu triangle conducted on May 1 and 2, destroyed seven Boko Haram Gun Trucks while 78 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters were killed through both aerial and human intelligence and within the same period, another successful artillery engagement to Buk in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State resulted in the neutralization of an additional 56 BHT criminals bringing the total of the terrorists liquidated within a spate of two days to 134!

Such acts of bravely being repeated by Nigeria troops in recent operations will surely hasten the liquidation of the evil terrorists groups in Nigeria and will make way for a return to normalcy in many of the ravaged communities and make us, the women, happy.

It will also send a strong signal to other insurgents that the days when their evil activities were being tolerated are over.

We note the precision on targets and assault on the strongholds of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the most professional and efficient manners.

Indeed we can say that the Nigerian Military is one of the best in Africa if not the entire world.

Another commendable aspect of the exercise is that 16 high profile Boko Haram and ISWAP informants have also been identified and apprehended.

With the rounding up of these informants, the intelligence and information gathering network of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists would be weakened and it is not unexpected to hear very soon the insurgents begging to surrender since their sources of information have been blocked and their further resistance would be akin to groping in the dark.

We congratulate the Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai, a responsible husband and family man who feels our pains and who has been in the theatre of operation with the troops for the past five weeks.

We note that his presence and participation in operations has greatly inspired the troops leading to.the success being recorded at the battle field.

We also commend the troops who have by their acts of gallantry given the citizenry a course to rejoice at a time of when the general mood the world over has not been that bright.

We urge the chief of army staff not to relent but pursue the fight to its logical conclusion more so as victory is at sight.

We assure the Chief of Army Staff of the cooperation of the citizenry especially women towards ensuring that the battle is won.

God bless the Chief of Army Staff and God be with our troops until the final victory over evil is achieved.

Audio Recording: Army has exposed Shekau’s lies – Security Expert, Murphy

A security expert, Richard Murphy has said the killing of 135 Boko Haram terrorists in the Timbuktu Triangle around northeast Nigeria has exposed the terror group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau as a liar who is now under pressure to maintain an influence he never had.

Murphy, who spoke against the background of the series of military operations that resulted in the killing of the terrorists over last weekend, noted that the development has forced Shekau into a situation where he could be killed by his own commanders owing to the repeated losses they have suffered.

According to Murphy, “The pace at which the Nigerian military is going has made it clear that any terrorist that does not personally broker a deal to surrender is most likely to end up like those that have been killed in recent operations. Dead.

“Interestingly, there is a facet that some analysts are not seeing in the present military operations. These Boko Haram terrorists are being killed as they flee the battlegrounds. It is not that they were being repelled in the course of attacking a military base, it is not that they were killed while springing an ambush or launching a surprised attack against troops. They are being decimated by an army that took the war to them in their hideouts.

“I have an explanation for this. It is that the fundamentals changed in a way that Boko Haram terrorists and their commanders are yet to appreciate. They have lost the capacity to retreat into neighbouring Chad after launching attacks in Nigeria and the same can be said of Niger and even Cameroon. The Nigerian military also took delivery of certain hardwares, which was not the case as at the time decision makers in the west were being swayed by fabricated human rights violations report.

“Add the compelling leadership exhibited by the Nigerian Army Chief, General Buratai, and you begin to get a picture of why Shekau will do well to close shops, possibly consider a surrender, if that window is still open,” the security expert posited.

He said the number of terrorists killed by government troops in recent weeks have exposed Shekau’s “numerous lies” that have spurred his minions to their death in the ongoing war being waged against their insurgency.

Murphy explained that “War is not all about the bombs and the bullets. It also entails psychological warfare, which is what propaganda is directed at achieving. This must have been what Shekau thought he was doing when he recorded the latest audio he published. But within hours of the clip making it to the public it became apparent that it was a bad call given the mix of situations he currently faced. The desperation showed through just as each sentence of the recording is now proving to be a lie.

“Shekau lied that he was not considering any decision to surrender. Yes, in the business he is currently engaged in he wouldn’t say otherwise until the final whistle, which we are not likely to wait for given the division that now dominate his camp.

“From all indications, he is on the run and his capacity to do any further fight with the troops is zero. He has lost over 300 men in just one month and such a rogue wants the world to believe that he is still able to fight? That’s not correct. He is finished and his end has come,” he declared.

The security expert however said the Nigerian Army must sustain its offensive against the terrorists to ensure recovery is impossible for them while noting that the country had given Shekau enough time to surrender while he failed to take up the offer even though it was presented several times.

He warned that the Army must fight and ensure that the last terrorist is killed and not allowed to escape into Chad or any other neighbouring nation, “Nigeria must learn from the past in two different respects. The first is that any terrorist left behind in this onslaught is like the rhizome of an invasive plant species left in the soil, given enough time and the right conditions it will grow and take over the whole place; this is what happens each time the military defeats Boko Haram and leaves behind some remnants of the fighters. The second thing Nigeria must learn from is the history of Boko Haram itself, if you killed its founder or leader without mopping up the followers, they will always find a mad man to lead them into battle,” Murphy stated.

CSO cautions security agents over intimidation, harassment of ex-Edo Chief of Staff


A civil society organization, Generational Citizens for Better Leadership Initiative in Benin City, Edo State, has cautioned security agencies in the state to desist from intimidating and harassing the former chief of staff to Governor Obaseki, Comrade Taiwo Akerele.
In a press statement signed and released to the media on Thursday Morning in Benin City by the spokesperson of the group Comrade, Etinosa Uwangue cautioned security agents and implore them to desist from harassing and intimidating the former chief of staff or his private staff.
The former chief of staff to the Edo State Governor Taiwo Akerele is a law-abiding citizen of the state who has served the state meritoriously until his resignation and as such does not deserve the kind of treatment been melted down on him.
If he is needed by the security agents, it is advised they follow appropriate channels provided by the constitution rather than the Gestapo style they are using.
The spokesperson for the group further demanded a probe into the alleged invasion of the former chief of staff residence in Benin city by armed security agents and also calling the state commissioner of Police and DSS Edo state command to call their officers and men to order.

General Buratai, Nigerian Army and the place of patriotism

By Nkechi Odoma

Assessing a phenomenon comprehensively at every point and dimension of history is quite difficult. It is impossible to get an accurately wholistic picture of any occurrence, so long as different people are involved in appraising it.

And philosophers have profoundly argued that the preceptory senses of all human beings do not function on same polar in exactitude. The sense of interpretation of reality by humanity functions in dissimilar patterns. What is often adopted as the confluence point is the preponderance of a baseline.

The Military like any other profession religiously relies on loyalty and the patriotism of those who operate under its temple. It means, everyone of them professes to its etiquettes and decrees regarded as sacrosanct. Where there is a betrayal or violation of the institutional oath or its operational creeds, the organization or institution becomes endangered in many facets.

The military subscribes to total obedience, professionalism, loyalty and patriotism in the discharge of its constitutionally defined responsibilities. It is central to the operations of the Military. That’s why acts of insubordination in the Military is ruthlessly handled and with all seriousness.

Many Nigerians have no inkling about the reasons responsible for the ravaging and festering of Boko Haram terrorism in the country which constituted a nationally perpetual source of agonies. What most people knew was the simplistic understanding that Boko Haram killed, abducted, committed acts of arson, and raped married women and teenage girls because they were mightier.

Even the critically-minded never bothered to deeply reflect on the menace of terrorism in Nigeria; its entrenched tentacles or fortress in the Nigeria’s neighbouring countries such as Chad, Niger and the Cameroun republics. What was frequently bandied in public domain was that Boko Haram factional leader and his top commanders were all powerful and had Nigeria on their palms, which they caress mindlessly in violent destructions or bloodbath.

To these minds, the Nigerian military, and in particular, the Nigerian Army was at best, a bunch of effeminate assemblage of men and women, who fed robustly on state resources, without justifying it in actions on the battlefield. Nigerian soldiers were ridiculed as an Army which could not fight a less trained ragtag army such as Boko Haram. People defamed our soldiers as weaklings and disingenuous in warfare, the reason for their existence.

But a plethora of factors accounted for the lackluster performance of the Nigerian Army before President Muhammadu Buhari was ordained leader of Nigeria. Thereafter, he appointed Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai as the Chief of Staff (COAS; an appointment he added an additional mandate as leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.

An avalanche of reasons fired the glaring incompetency of soldiers in courageously and victoriously facing the Boko Haram insurgency in the preceding administration. Some people are aware of this water-tight fact and the masterminds are not in the dark too. But it is not everything on security that ought to be naked in public space.

Even a blindman discerned the lack of patriotism and loyalty of the Army to their Commander-in-Chief and other senior leaders of the time. Soldiers of the era were not even patriotic to their country. It was not questionable that they regaled in this unpatriotic act for suspected vicarious benefits.

Of course, when Nigerians persistently heard stories about instigated mutiny in the frontlines and soldiers shirking in the heat of battle before enemy forces, it only expressed the extent of degeneration in the Army as an institution. It was not surprising they failed to achieve any tangible results in the counter-terrorism combats.

And there was no option because the Army of the time was perilously populated by spies and betrayers of the country in favour of enemy forces. Secret information leaked easily and tales of ambushes were rampant. Several unpleasant and unprofessional acts occurred behind the scenes at the theatre of war and no one was apologetic about it.

But a knowledgeable and astute soldier, Gen. Buratai understood all the minutiae and challenges. It explains why he focused his initial days as the Army’s Chief helmsman to reposition the Army into a professional institution, responsible, responsive, loyal and patriotic in the discharge of their constitutional mandates.

With the right clan of comrades, adequately prepared for the task, Gen. Buratai has effectively utilized soldiers in the positive service of Nigeria. Today, Nigerians are seeing an Army which is ready to die on the battlefield in defence of their country than allow terrorists of whatever hue feast on blood of Nigerians.

Whichever direction the pendulum swings, one can say, it is Gen. Buratai or Nigerian Army. Or, whether option ‘A ‘or ‘B’ and even both, the destination is the same in the service of the nation in the Army of today.

Everyone can attest that their sacrifices have guaranteed them a prestigious place in history. Under the Buhari Presidency, the Nigerian Army has surpassed expectations and even those who shy away from confessing it publicly, exclaim it in privacy. It has handled the insurgency decisively and these deeds have not gone unnoticed.

But as usual, a lot of Nigerians only identify and align the perfection of Gen. Buratai and the Nigerian Army to the counter-insurgency and other Internal Security (IS) operations. But that’s the lacuna in human perception earlier hinted. The truth is that the Nigerian Army is also famed endearingly in handling other issues bordering on security in Nigeria outside terrorism. A Nigeria without an Army would have gone extinct by now.

Soldiers have been the rescuers and saving grace of Nigeria on many precarious public security threats. Normally, the Presidency issues the orders for the deployment of the Army over security issues that have overwhelmed civil security. And each of the interventions of soldiers on Internal Security has resolved the problem quietly in favour of Nigeria’s peace and security.

And manifold examples are handy. No Nigerian will dispute that Nigeria’s eighth democratic republic would have been an illusion if not because of the intervention of the Nigerian Army. The country’s politicians who are badged perpetually as power monks ganged-up to forcefully wrest power from the incumbent who was re-contesting for second term and the popular choice of Nigerian masses.

There were flyers from meetings in their secret shrines, especially by some opposition elements that the 2019 elections should be bloodily rigged in their favour. Political thugs and election riggers were empowered to execute the job. It was scary and disturbing.

Arms and ammunitions were stockpiled in different parts of Nigeria, ready to be unleashed on Nigerians on election-day. Bloodshed was already prepared and hovering in the air for Nigerians, only waiting in the offing to be unleashed on the d-day.

President Buhari got wind of it. He acted on intelligence reports immediately in national interest, by deploying Nigerian Army to complement civil security in the 2019 electoral exercise. Soldiers saved the day, as there were attempts of violence, but the initiators were not given a chance to carry out the evil by the Army.

All two segments of national elections were conducted with near zero level of violence and bloodbath. The professionalism and neutrality of the Nigerian Army in the exercise is applauded to date.

Those enjoying the success of that election and the stability of Nigeria’s transition from democracy to democratic government, least remember that Gen. Buratai and soldiers laid a smooth bed for them, by acting as defence bulwarks. The plotters were stopped and failed woefully to accomplish the deadly plots of violently disrupting the elections at the detriment of the lives of Nigerians.

Likewise, in the face of the ravaging deadly Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, measures to control its spread in the country were brazenly abused by Nigerians. Civil security drafted to enforce lockdown and restriction of movements, with the imposition of stay-at-home order by the Presidency, undeniably compromised the process by assisting the populace to flout the order to imperil public health

Again, only Nigerian soldiers deployed to parts of Nigeria to enforce the stay-at-home order that has lessened the impact of Covid-19 spread in Nigeria. Or else, the country would have been in the hottest furnace of another national problem, recording thousands of infections and deaths daily.

Gen. Buratai has proved in this instance too, that the Nigerian Army is after public good. But how many Nigerians ever genuinely sit back and reflect on these to say, “thank you” to the Nigerian Army and Gen. Buratai? Therefore, it is not baffling when knowledge of Gen. Buratai or Nigerian Army’s messianic roles in service and protection of the nation is narrowed down to only Boko Haram.

It is amazing that people only talk about Buratai’s heroism on terrorism combats and forgetting the other equally very sensitive areas where the Army has come first and stainless in the course of interventions. Has anybody ever cared to know what Niger Delta militancy, armed banditry and cattle rustling would have done to Nigeria without the Army?

And what ethno-religious crisis, herdsmen/farmers inferno, violent separatists agitations, and communal clashes would have done to the challenges of insecurities in Nigeria had the Army been unresponsive? Gen. Buratai and the Nigerian Army’s patriotism have indisputably earned them a colorfully prestigious place in the nation’s Hall of fame. The day of a formal festivity in celebration of these great heroes and heroines would certainly come.

Odoma wrote this piece from Abuja,