Nigeria Times

By Francois Bonaventure

In November 2014, Mahamat Bichara Gnoti, a political associate of Chadian President, Idriss Déby Itno, was arrested with missiles.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the missiles were meant for the terrorist group, Boko Haram and that the associate of Deby was indeed one of their suppliers of arms.

Since the arrest of Gnoti, not much has been heard about the case because as is widely known, the man is well connected with the Chadian President.

Th connection between him and the Chadian President was remarkable because of the claims to counter-insurgency  and anti terrorism stance of the Chadian President in the wake of Boko Haram attacks on Nigeria.

The Nigerian government, then led by President Goodluck Jonathan was irked by the activities of the terrorists especially the abduction of the over 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State and wanted to do all it could, not to appear helpless. 

That was when the idea of the multinational task force that operate within the sub region without hindrance was mooted and Nigeria bought into it wholesale. 

The understanding of Nigeria was that since the terrorists were operating along the border towns and normally cross over to other territories when the heat turns on them, the best way to handle the situation was to seek the cooperation of those countries that Nigeria shares common border with so that military cooperation would be made feasible. 

Nigeria shares border with Cameroun, Niger and Chad on the fringe affected by Boko Haram insurgency, but it was suggested to Jonathan that it was important he meets with the president of Chad, as they said a lot depends on his cooperation since his country links the operational  base of the insurgents. 

Jonathan agreed and in spite of the status of Nigeria in the sub region,  travelled to Ndjamena to meet with Deby in his capital of Ndjamena.

If Jonathan had bothered to do  a little background check on his host, he would have been a little circumspect on his dealing with his Chadian counterpart. 

Deby, is not new to schemes and subterfuges. He took over power from President Hissène Habré in December 1990 through a well organised rebellion and has since survived various rebellions against his own rule. 

The highpoint of his scheme to remain in power was the removal of term limits for the president in 2006 paving the way for a life presidency.

This was the man Jonathan was dealing with and without realising what was happening  found himself in the meeting that had been prearranged to extort Nigeria.

But typical of Jonathan, even when he saw some prominent Nigerians on the team of the Chadian president ‘welcoming’ him to the crisis ridden country, he did not suspect foul play and went on with the deal and in fact, travelled  twice to Ndjamena to wrap up the agreement. 

Jonathan after the meeting in N’Djamena, told newsmen that there was a need for Nigeria and her neighbours to intensify joint actions and cooperation to win the war against terrorism and insurgency. 

He said, “If you look at the economies of Nigeria and Chad, both are linked. The Boko Haram people don’t ask permission to move from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria.

“If the countries do not cooperate, we will not find it easy to win the war, because when the heat is strong in one country, the criminals and terrorists will go to  another one and hide. So we must work together and we are discussing along that line.”

But this was only the side Jonathan was exposed to.

Details of the negotiations that would emerge later indicated  that the Chadian President, had already been groomed to make certain financial demands on the Nigerian president, which he did and was paid handsomely before he accepted to allow his troops participate in the multinational task force.

Knowing how desperate Jonathan was, the Chadian president who is said to be worth  millions of dollars continued to squeeze his Nigerian counterpart any time he needs money using the participation of his troops and use of his territories as bait.

In March 2015, Deby was furious that the Jonathan government  negotiated a ceasefire with the Boko Haram in a deal he facilitated.

“I told President Goodluck not to open negotiations with terrorists … but it was a political choice,” Mr. Deby told a French magazine.

The Boko Haram openly denounced the ceasefire as they did not get anything from the deal and launched assaults on communities.

It was only then that Deby raised his voice against the ceasefire but made no mention of the amount that went with it.

The Nigerian government initially claimed splinter groups of the Boko Haram were responsible for the continued fighting, but later blamed the failure on sabotage while saying nothing about the money involved. 

Deby and his collaborators continued to explore ways of bilking an unsuspecting government but unfortunately for them, Jonathan lost the 2015 elections and a new man, Muhammadu Buhari came in as president. 

Seeing the commitment of the new helmsman to live up to his promise to defeat the insurgency and terrorism, the Chadian President put on the same act and had the Nigerian President visit him in his nation’s capital.

But President Buhari was a different meat to chew. After listening to the Chadian President with his so called commitment to fight the insurgents and the financial demands he was making on Nigeria, President Buhari saw through the plot to extort Nigeria, but rather than decline flatly, offered a diplomatic approach by offering to make the financial contribution to the multinational task force which was headed by Nigeria.

Deby did not like the idea and not long after, Chad’s cooperation in the multinational task force waned.

But Nigeria continued the fight and as the insurgents saw the renewed vigour from the Nigerian side, many of them took to their heels and ran into Chadian territories for cover.

This is because most of them are dregs of Chadian rebels that helped Deby to power when he ousted the regime of Hissen Habre.

Deby, knowing fully well that the terrorists were using his country as a base did nothing ostensibly to get back at the Nigerian president for refusing to make financial payments to him directly. 

But the number of terrorists in his country continued to increase as Nigeria became unbearable for them. 

When the terrorists could no longer fend for themselves as they could no longer cross over and raid Nigerian villages as they used to, they turned their guns on their fellow country men and women in Chad who called on the Chadian government to wade in.

As the Deby led goverment dilly-dallied , the people, whose lives were being snuffed out in hundreds by the terrorists rose in revolt against the Chadian government.

Knowing the extent his people can go if he fails to do something, the Chadian President shamelessly turned the heat on the Boko Haram who he was using to extort Nigeria and other countries. 

But rather than let it lie low as a price he had to pay for his greed, Deby decided to use the attack as another opportunity to bend the hands of the Nigerian government by running a propaganda that he was leading the war from front.

Unfortunately some gullible Nigerians took the claim seriously and began to blackmail Nigeria.

But everyone knows it was not  the Chadian soldiers that have secured Nigeria and made it impossible for the insurgents to do as they wished all these years. 

The recruitment of some unpatriotic elements to help Deby with his propaganda so that he would further extort Nigeria and share the loot with them has been exposed.

Bonaventure wrote this piece from London.

By Evang Sunday Attah

Last week, Chadian soldiers,  angered by an offensive on their men by the terrorist Boko Haram group, launched an onslaught on the insurgents and almost totally annihilated the remnants of the Boko Haram from their territory. 
This is good given the bestiality of the insurgents, their recidivism and enormity of terror on innocent citizens.
Since the Chadian expedition, the Nigerian social media space urged on by a particular online publication that had made it a duty not to see anything good about the Nigerian armed forces,  began to sing the praises of the Chadian troops to the extent of giving the impression that the Chadians have done what Nigerians have not done in the fight against insurgency.
This was also worsened  by comments credited to the Chadian president, Idris Derby, that gave the impression that Nigerian troops are not playing their part on the war effectively. 
But a pertinent question to ask is, how did the neighbouring Chad come to have such a high population of the insurgents in the first place when it started in Nigeria?
For anybody that has followed reports of the war against insurgency in Nigeria, they are two simple reasons Chad surged with the influx of the insurgents.
One, the insurgents are renegades of the terrorists who fled Nigerian territories and crossed over to the Chadian side after been mauled by Nigerian troops in the renewed wave of operations since Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai took over the command of the Nigerian army.
Since 2015, the insurgents have been wiped out and their bases destroyed and it became difficult for them to operate in Nigeria and many of them ran to countries that share borders with Nigeria including Chad.
The second reason in that due to the proximity of Chad to Nigeria and shared affinity with many communities in Nigeria, many Chadian citizens and rebels who had nothing to do had joined the ranks of the Boko Haram and found a safe haven to operate during the previous administration.
But with the renewed onslaught on the terrorists after the appointment of the current Chief of Army Staff, many of them decided to relocate to their country as they could no longer continue with the acts of banditry and for fear of being killed by Nigerian soldiers. 
Nigerian troops in the last four years have done much more than the social media space is willing to admit in terms of defeating insurgency in the landscape. 
For more than four years since the coming of the current administration, the terrorists have not found it easy operating on the Nigerian side the way they were used to.
Boko Haram terrorists under fire from Nigerian troops, run to take shelter in neighbouring African countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroun which they found less dangerous.
This has at several times frustrated the efforts of the Nigerian troops due to the diplomatic issues involved. 
There was a time the insurgents came under intense fire from the Nigerian side that they had to blow up the bridge linking the communities on the border to make it impossible for Nigerian troops to cross over and continue the onslaught.
It would also interest people to know that the Nigerian government had in the past, tried to work out various arrangement for military cooperation with other African countries but these have  collapsed due to lack of trust and inadequate synergy for the joint effort.
At a point, the other countries quietly withdrew from the joint exercise leaving Nigerian troops to prosecute the war. But Nigeria was able to up the game and degraded the terrorists to the point where they could no longer launch attacks on Nigerian communities at will.
The fight became so successful that Nigeria no longer needed to wait for inspiration from other countries but trudged on till it began to win the respect of other nations.
In no time, Nigeria took back its leadership position in the fight and other nations began to watch keenly and copy from its strategy. 
The success Nigeria recorded within the period, encouraged the other countries to begin to reconsider their positions on the war and began to once again mobilise troops for the fight. 
It is within this period that Nigerian troops took the fight to the theatres of war and were 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 soldiers also went after the insurgents and retook  military bases they had seized in towns like  Bama, Monguno and Gwoza.

Troops were also able to recapture territories captured by the terrorists which they severed from other parts of Nigeria and hoisted their flags.
The 14 local government that came under the authority of the insurgents were recaptured and liberated.
Internal security improved as many roads that were declared impassable due to the activities of insurgents were liberated and open for use.

The barricading of major roads by organizations and in worship centers in state capitals and other places was also reduced as people no longer fear conducting business within their premises.  
Nigerian troops also put a stop to the  penetration of the hinterlands by terrorists  who were going as far as Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and even to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with their bloody campaigns. 
Currently, Nigerian troops have put the terrorists in disarray.
They have made it impossible for them launch any attack on communities as they constantly repel them whenever they attempt to do so by destroying their bases and sending them fleeing in all directions.
This was the case in Biu, Michika, Maiduguri Garkida and other places where the insurgents had attempted to launch attacks in recent times.
So while we should commend the Chadian troops for how well it has performed in its latest effort to rid the sub region of terrorists, the Nigerian troops should be commended for setting the pace. 

It takes more than one onslaught for the war on terrorism to be brought to an end hence the recent attack by the Chadian troops only comes as complementary to the efforts of Nigerian soldiers. 
Many of our soldiers have died in this fight.  Many are in various hospitals with various degrees of injury. 
The least we could do to appreciate them is to commend them.
We should not extend the kind of cynicism Nigerians display whenever their national team is playing another country and seems to be losing to issues of security.
We should learn to stand by our own to the very end.

Attah wrote from Abuja.

By Edward Johnson

The coronavirus pandemic has indeed brought the world to its knees. Countries in the world have adopted measures to contain the further spread of the virus in line with the advisory issued by the World Health Organization. (WHO).  Nigeria is not left out of this pandemic, and it is most impressive how the Federal  government has responded so far in the containment of the coronavirus pandemic. I recall that the World Health Organization, as well as the United Nations, has commended the proactive steps taken by the Federal government of Nigeria. This is gladdening and gives a ray of hope that soonest Nigeria shall be free from the Coronavirus pandemic.  The coronavirus pandemic reminds me of the RevolutionNow uprising that was planned in Nigeria by some that do not have the interest of the country at heart. It was such a horrifying experience for some of us that understood the impact it would have had on the economic and social fiber of the country.  That the government was able to nip it in the bud in record time remains our saving grace because the proponents were ferocious and adequately mobilized to unleash Armageddon in Nigeria. But the government responded promptly that indeed saved the day.  Some of us might have forgetten in a hurry that there was more than meets the eyes with the RevolutionNow protest. Probably they didn’t realize the quantum of funds that went into the ill-fated project. They also didn’t know that it was ultimately planned to destroy Nigeria by enemies of our great country that were not happy with the multiple gains recorded in critical sectors of our economy.  It was indeed a multidimensional war against the soul of Nigeria. And I dare say that chiefly the plot to destroy Nigeria through the RevolutionNow protest originated from Iran through their proxies in Nigeria, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and other militant groups.  What the majority of Nigerians do not know is that it was a plot orchestrated by the government of Iran to see to the disintegration of Nigeria in return for the fact the spiritual leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El Zakzaky was standing trial for acts of terrorism. This also gave rise to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons through the Sahel routes for exclusive use by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. There was also the establishment of sleeper cells across the country with massive recruitments of young and brainwashed Nigerians by the IMN group.  As baffling as this revelation might sound, it was the starkness of reality that confronted Nigeria but for the swift response by the security agencies in Nigeria. Even though in some quarters, it was believed that the planned RevolutionNow protest was not to succeed, I dare say that with the quantum of funds and arms injected into the country from external sources, it was only a matter of time before the reality would hit us below the belt, and Nigeria would have been long history.  At some point, it was indeed baffling upon the realization that hundreds of millions of dollars were dedicated to Destroy Nigeria project by the Iranian authorities through the IMN. This is aside from the discreet funding of other terror groups in Nigeria.  The RevolutionNow protest was a three-pronged strategy that aimed to distract the government, confuse the citizenry and strike with full force. So much so that before Nigerians would realize what was happening, it would have been done and dusted. Nigeria was able to overcome this challenge because we had proactive political leadership and a security network that indeed rose to the occasion when it mattered most.  The planned RevolutionNow protest saw the IMN providing Hezbollah-style military training to hundreds of Nigerians in camps throughout Northern Nigeria. For some of us that took out time to research extensively on the plot to destroy Nigeria quickly deciphered that the IMN was more than positioned to carry out the threat through massive recruitments, stocking of arms and ammunition, and other despicable actions that would aid their revolution against Nigeria. Little wonder why at some point, the IMN became aggressively involved in nationwide protests and frequently clashing with security operatives, which resulted in deaths.  The killing of a senior police officer in Abuja by members of the IMN during one of their protests indeed buttresses the point that the IMN is an armed and violent group whose excesses must be contained if Nigeria was desirous of peace.  The interesting thing now is that these agents of darkness have not given up on their nefarious plot to see to the disintegration of Nigeria. I dare say this time around they are more vociferous in their desire, and this much Nigerians must come to terms with and stay united in one voice to defeat a common enemy.  These agents of darkness have continued to use every available opportunity to smuggle arms and ammunition into the country in an attempt to continue from where they stopped with the ill-fated RevolutionNow violent campaign.  This is the time for all Nigerians to be aware of the plot of these agents of darkness battling for the soul of Nigeria. This time around, they are coming out under a different nomenclature, and actively using the media to first off, cause confusion in the polity by promoting fake news. And if we must admit, the strategy of propagating fake news is gaining traction by the day. The overall aim is to make the people disgruntled with the leadership of the country for being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.  Nigerians must understand this strategy that is gaining traction by the day. It behooves on all well-meaning Nigerians to thread with utmost care with the kind of news they accept as a first, and process as a second. In this circumstance, the government must rise to the occasion as in times past to nip this emerging threat in the bud.  The rational thing to do in this circumstance is for the government and the people to be vigilant at all times. The desperation by these agents of darkness is not one that should be taken lightly for the continued growth and development of Nigeria. I salute the efforts so far; however, I feel more still has to be done hence this piece. It is hoped that those charged with the responsibility of ensuring that Nigerian experiences peace and progress must not relent. The time to act is now.

By Philip Agbese

Nostradamus is famed globally as a man who saw tomorrow. He was a great seer, whom God endowed with unbeatable clairvoyance. He could predict the future events with amazing precision. He was venerated world-wide because his prophetic prowess and projections hardly missed the targets.

President Muhammadu Buhari can be likened to the great Nostradamus. He is imbued with such telepathy. He met Nigeria in a terribly shape. It was a country wholly dependent on other nations for survival. Buhari perceptively saw tomorrow. He had a sound vision about tomorrow and the future, which told him repositioning Nigeria on the path of self-reliance was the only worthwhile step of redemption of the country.

As democratic President of the country, he knew salvaging actions towards self-reliance were necessary to fortify the future. Thus, his administration initiated policies and programmes that would pull back Nigeria from the claws of dependence to self-sufficiency.

The Buhari Presidency preached, initiated and implemented policies on diversification of the economy. He knew a mono-economy as operated by Nigeria which depended solely on crude oil proceeds for national revenues was preposterous in the event of a global crisis. In the last few years, his administration has pumped trillions of naira to boost agricultural production, promote small scale enterprises and the manufacturing sector.

God Himself, through His divine knowledge and wisdom gave President Buhari the foresight of what was to come in the nearest future. And the President’s actions were tailored in the direction of boosting domestic food production, achieving food security and scaling up activities in the manufacturing sector. And just in four years, Nigeria has pleasantly achieved self-sufficiency in food production & many essential products for her 200 million people!

But initially, the opposition in the country, criticized President Buhari’s policies and actions. He was condemned as a leader groping in the dark. The President was unjustly lampooned for his genuine efforts in transforming Nigeria.

However, the reality has only dawned on Nigerians on the wisdom of President Buhari, with the global pandemic, Coronavirus (Covid-19) currently ravaging the world. Buhari saw today’s reality years back and prepared Nigeria for it. There is now imposition of movements and restrictions on business transactions world-wide.

The price of crude oil in the international market has also slumped unimaginably. But the manageable stabilization Nigeria has achieved, in the face of this global threat fueled by Covid-19 pandemic is attributed to its impressive self-reliance status ennobled by the Buhari Presidency. Nigeria would have been in deep mess had President Buhari sustained the culture of Nigeria’s 100 percent dependence on foreign countries.

When President Buhari closed land borders, his critics and opponents filled the space with resenting voices. But the reality of Covid-19 has exposed the wisdom in that decision. It is the strength of a leader who has foresight. Even Buhari’s most ardent critics, now acknowledge him in their reflective moments, except that the usual pride of Nigerians has restrained some of them from confessing it publicly.

But in more diverse and salient ways, President Buhari’s leadership has shuddered Nigeria protectively and impactfully. The deliberate multiplication of crises, violence and conflicts in Nigeria orchestrated by state actors with its attendant humanitarian problems hinted Mr. President of the necessity to manage the fallouts more frontally and coordinatively. And Mr. President observed that mass poverty in Nigeria among the majority poor was also a problem which needed to be confronted and solved by the federal government in an organized manner.

And it is his divine wisdom and knowledge of anticipation of the unexpected that informed President Buhari to establish the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development on August 21, 2019. As usual, the unknowledgeable opposition in Nigeria and critics slammed him variously, accusing his government of ‘duplicitousness’. But Mr. President saw tomorrow and was unperturbed and undaunted.

And after establishing the Ministry, President Buhari proceeded to appoint a humanist, trusted administrator and competent disaster management expert, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq to pilot the affairs of the ministry.

With Covid-19 gradually simmering into the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and government’s proactive steps to halt the spread of the disease, a total lockdown of the country has been ordered. The importance of the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has once again come to the fore.

Through the effective coordination and supervision of agencies under the Ministry, the Minister is providing palliatives to vulnerable Nigerians to save lives and alleviate the suffering of people locked down in their homes as a result of Covid-19 epidemic.

It has adopted a multi-faceted approach in dishing out palliatives to the poor and vulnerable, IDPs, the elderly, persons with disabilities, refugees, trafficked persons, and petty traders among others, as part of Presidential interventions to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 lockdown of the country. The palliatives have manifested in form of cash and food supplies to vulnerable groups in the country.

Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq has established the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development’s COVID-19 Response Committee, comprising all agencies under the purview of the Ministry which are speedily delivering diverse reliefs to vulnerable segments of the country. Agencies under the Ministry have been repositioned and are working seamlessly with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and delivering succor to Nigerians susceptible to extreme hardships as a consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown of the country.

The minister has started dishing out palliative interventions to over 11.4 million households, and to vulnerable Nigerians already captured by the social investment/welfare programs register, covering 35 states and 453 LGAS across the country.

The minister is also exploring the possibility of expanding the register of beneficiaries, as she is in discussion with the US Social Protection Donor Group to add an additional 1 million households to the scheme for the intervention.

And it was divine wisdom and foresight that propelled President Buhari to appoint Engr. Mustapha Maihaja in 2017 as Director- General, National Emergency Management Agency (DG NEMA). NEMA under the leadership of Engr. Maihaja is leading other agencies in providing relief services and palliatives to vulnerable groups throughout the country as well as responding to other disaster situations.

Nigerians are experiencing less hardships during the Covid-19 shut down of the country because NEMA is in perfect working synergy with agencies like North East Development Commission (NEDC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP ) and all the components of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs) in reaching out to vulnerable Nigerians. Nigerians have started receiving food items, conditional cash transfers, and protective items such as face masks, soaps and sanitizers.

Furthermore, the impact of Covid-19 in Nigeria would have been devastating had the Presidency failed to engage experts ab initio in disease detection and management in the country. It was a divine foresight that informed President Buhari to appoint Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, a world class epidemiologist and public health physician of international repute as the Chief Executive Officer,(CEO) Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) since August 15, 2016.

From the first index case of Coronavirus in Nigeria, reportedly imported into the country by an Italian, Ihekweazu has taken proactive measures to secure the country. In alliance with relevant MDAs, the NCDC boss has established Isolation Centers as well as Covid-19 Testing Centers in states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It promptly acts on specimen of persons suspected of the virus and give necessary advice to safeguard public health. The proactive handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the success story and the near zero casualty figure in Nigeria is as a result of the ingenuity of the NCDC’s CEO.

Likewise, it is only divine intervention that has insulated President Buhari from contracting the deadly coronavirus disease, even though he mingled with his closest aides and some governors that have already tested Covid-19 positive. These persons are receiving treatments in isolation centres. President Buhari is indeed divinely inspired and empowered to protect Nigeria from unexpected emergencies or disasaters.

Agbese is a human rights laws researcher writing from the United Kingdom.