Nigeria Times

By Bunmi Olasanmi 

In the wake of the breakout of the Coronavirus pandemic ( COVID-19) globally, the federal government of Nigeria has initiated measures towards the containment of the further spread of the virus. President Muhammdu Buhari consequently imposed a 14-day lockdown in the federal capital territory-Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. 

A section of the country hailed this move by the president and as well criticized by others citing the effect the lockdown would have on the polity. This medium consequently investigated the level of compliance in the Federal Capital Territory and environs. 

In the Federal Capital Territory, it was observed that the level of compliance was over 95% with officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies seen at strategic places within the federal capital territory enforcing the lockdown. 

Those that were granted clearance to move were mostly those rendering essential services. This medium sampled the opinion of some persons as regards the directive of the federal government on the containment of the Coronavirus pandemic, and the responses were indeed satisfactory. 

According to Mrs. Hannatu Yakzum, a nurse with one of the public hospitals in Abuja, she expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance so far, indicating one of the ways the coronavirus could be contained is when people stay indoors. 

“The lockdown is necessary given the fact that the virus spreads upon contact and the World Health Organization has stated there is a need for people to maintain social distancing by staying in their homes for a certain period. The federal government has done well in this regard, even though it would be difficult to observe 100% compliance.” 

“As you can see, there is a strong presence of soldiers at strategic places within the city, and they have denied access to those that do not have any business outside. This is quite commendable.” 

Another respondent interviewed in the Asokoro area of the federal capital territory believed that mandating the Nigerian Army to enforce the sit-at-home order is one of the best decisions given the attitude of Nigerians to obeying instructions. 

“The coronavirus is real and a global pandemic. As we all know, it takes great efforts for Nigerians to obey instructions most times. So the deployment of soldiers is appropriate, and that is why you could see this level of compliance. I am not sure the police would have achieved this much. 

It was also observed that soldiers who mounted checkpoints at the City Gate were seen screening motorists in an orderly manner while maintaining social distancing. Mr. Abayomi Lawal, a security operative with Nizamiye Hospital, stated that the soldiers were conducting themselves with care with the kind of questions been asked and the level of distancing maintained. 

“We are gradually getting it right in this country; you must agree with me that if this were to be in time past, you must have received some merciless beatings before questioning by the soldiers. But this time around, you could see the decorum displayed by the soldiers. Those without a genuine reason to be on the road are advised to turn back and go home.” 

“The level of organization displayed by the soldiers at the city gate is responsible for the orderliness experienced here. As you can see, those cars turning back are those that were denied access by the soldiers.” 

However, for Mr. Kunle Ifedayo, a welder residing along the airport road, it wasn’t a pleasant experience he had with the soldiers at the Zuba axis of the federal capital territory. He stated that the soldiers meted out stringent punishment to those they found on the roads. 

“I was asked to sit on the bare floor for over an hour by the soldiers. I was on my way to Zuba to quickly buy some materials to complete a job so that I can have some money. I explained to the soldiers, but they won’t listen. They said I have flouted the presidential directive and asked me and some others to sit down on the floor. I think that was too harsh since we were going to buy work materials and not traveling.” 

This was not the case for Mr. Stanly Rotimi, a building contractor who was forced to push his car backward for one kilometer for flouting the sit at home directive. According to him, he was on his way to one of his building sites in the Lokongoma axis of Abuja when some soldiers stopped him. 

“I was asked of my mission, and I informed them that I was on my way to the site. They asked if I was going to work alone and I informed the soldiers that my workers were already waiting for me at the site. They told me I had no businesses gathering people at this period and was asked to push my car backwards for close to one kilometer. I almost died until an officer beckoned on me to stop and offered me water to drink.” 

“In truth, I didn’t know my action violated the government sit at home order, even though I think the approach of the soldiers was very harsh. I could have died in the process of pushing my vehicle all by myself. I am appealing to the relevant authorities to caution the soldiers as it is not everyone on the road that is healthy.” 

Our reporters also observed that within the federal capital city that consists of Wuse, Maitama, and Garki, a strong military presence was noticeable at strategic places. It was noted that the soldiers accosted those on the road, and those with the genuineness of reasons to be out were granted passage and while those without any cogent reason were asked to return home.

For Ms. Ada Onyeakachi, a telecoms worker, it was reassuring to see the way and manner the Nigerian Army exhibited decorum in their conduct. She believed that, indeed, things have changed in the operations of the Nigerian Army. 

“It was hard to believe I was in Nigeria with the way and manner I was approached by soldiers on my way to work. The decorum was impressive and they as well maintained social distancing with face masks on. I think Nigeria is making progress.” 

When our reporters visited the Karu axis of the FCT, it was observed that soldiers mounted checkpoints and ensured that those with legitimate business outside were granted permission into the FCT. Quite many vehicles were turned back. 

Some of those our reporters interacted with expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the soldiers. They stated that there were no displays of hostilities as typical in times past. Mr. Ephraim Oguche, who was one of those denied passage, said that he was impressed with the conduct so far. 

“I don’t feel bad in any way, but instead glad I was treated courteously by the soldiers. Upon interrogation, they pointedly told me I had no business outside and that I should return and stay with my family. I didn’t argue with them as I know they were only doing their job in the interest of the country. 

Our reporters also gathered from credible sources that the military high command issued a directive that under no circumstance should motorists be subjected to any form of torture. Our source who pleaded anonymity stated that it would have been impossible for the soldiers to go contrary to the directive issued by the military hierarchy.

“The conduct of the military personnel on the streets was as a result of the directive issued that under no circumstances should any citizen is harassed on the street. The instruction was clear. Those on essential duties should be granted passage, and those without any genuine reason should be asked to return home.” 

“I think to a large extent that has been the order of the day, except for a few cases where some soldiers would attempt to go extreme in their conduct.” 

This medium also interacted with scores of people at different locations within the FCT, and the generality of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the lockdown by the relevant security agencies. 

This was against the initial apprehension expressed in some quarters with the implementation of the lockdown by the relevant security agencies. The military command has, by their action, displayed an enviable level of professionalism.

By Ebuka Jackson

I am one of those that that have long stated that journalism has been destroyed in Nigeria with the half-truths and often malicious reportage of events in recent times. It is so despicable that some news mediums would go any length to spread falsehoods, not minding the consequences of such actions in the polity.

The recent redeployments carried out by the Nigerian Army has again elicited reactions from some certain quarters after a news medium in their wisdom twisted the narrative in an attempt to mislead the general public into believing what is not the case.

As a start, it must be stated in unequivocal terms that should the likes of Sahara Reporters carry on in this fashion, Nigeria might wake up one day and realize that we do not have a country anymore.

It is no secret that Sahara Reporters thrives in falsehood, and the content of their news items are highly paid for by their numerous clients that consist mainly of those who do not have the interest of the country at heart. I stand to be corrected; Sahara Reporters can be termed a platform dedicated to the propagation of Armageddon in Nigeria.

Its editorial style smacks a mockery of what journalism entails. Its writing style is unprofessional and lacks every sense of standard editing protocols. It’s more like a copy and pastes session where they are eager to publish in return for their paycheck.

This brings me to the recent publication by the same Sahara Reporters wherein it stated mischievously that the recent redeployment of the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in North-East Nigeria by the Nigerian Army was done because Major General Olusegun Adeniyi complained and exposed the inefficiencies of the operations of the Nigerian Army in North-East Nigeria.

This was not surprising coming from the stable of Sahara Reporters. But the challenge here is the fact that the news medium would elect to pass such falsehood to the unsuspecting general public with so much impunity, not minding whose ox is gored.

As a first, Sahara Reporters is not conversant with military operations, and as such, it is smacks of a mockery for it to attempt to blackmail the Nigerian Military for a purely military action. I am constrained to pen this article to put issues in proper perspectives as one conversant with the operations of the Nigerian Military with regards to promotions, demotions, appointments, and redeployments.

As a start, there are standard procedures in the Nigerian Military with regards to the above mentioned. The operational strategies of the Military are always subjected to routine appraisals, and based on reviews, such things as promotions, deployments, and the likes are effected in boosting the operational effectiveness of the force.

I want to use the case of rotation of troops in the battlefront as an example. It is standard procedure, not just in the Nigerian Military, for occasional rotation of officers in their various commands. This is so because when an officer stays too long in a duty post, there is a tendency for such officer to get compromised in the cause of the discharge of their duties. This practice is not just restricted to Nigeria but the world over. This is easily verifiable.

So, that Sahara Reporters sees the redeployment of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi as witch-hunting is a function of two variables. One is the fact that they must have acted in crass ignorance of standard military practice, and two, they carried out the instructions of their paymasters to cause disaffection in the polity.

Either of the above, their action is quite despicable and capable of causing unrest in the country. And not just that, their actions can go a long way in causing mutiny in the Nigerian Military for very obvious reasons. It must be stated that since the formation of Operation Lafiya Dole in North-East Nigeria, scores of commanders have been appointed and replaced by the military hierarchy in line with standard practice. And this standard practice was what led to the appointment of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi in August of 2019 when he took over from Major General Benson Akinroluyo.

It also suffices to add that Major General Olusegun Adeniyi has been in the theatre of operations in Maiduguri for a while. He was the deputy theatre commander to Major General Benson Akinroluyo, whom he subsequently took over from as commander in 2019. So in a way, the narrative been pushed by Sahara Reporters is not only defective, but it is also of poor taste given the fact that Major General Olusegun Adeniyi has been in the theatre of operations for over four years as deputy theatre commander and subsequently as commander.

I must state that this is standard practice, and this much as seen to the various rotations of officers across military formations in the country. Mind you; the recent redeployments didn’t affect Major General Olusegun Adeniyi alone as scores of officers were also affected.

At this point, the public must be aware that Sahara Reporters desist from crucifying the Nigerian Military for no justifiable reason. It must also do well to learn not to delve into issues that are routine military practice the world over. It is, therefore, my considered opinion that this is not a time to play to the gallery. They can continue their money for stories regime, but I beg that the Nigerian Military is spared their shenanigans.

The enormity of the task at hand requires all levels of concentration, and this much Sahara Reporters must realize and come to terms with. They should also do well to educate their paymasters that spreading falsehood against the Military serves no good now and always.

The public must also do well to see through the veil of Sahara Reporters and consequently views its reportage of issues with a pinch of salt. A word is indeed enough for the discerning. This is my take.

Jackson is a public affairs analyst and wrote from Abuja.

By Abubakar Shehu

As world economies brace for the financial impact of the COVID-19 virus and with Nigeria steeling itself for the economic strain that will come from slump in crude oil prices, persons recruited to blackmail and malign President Muhammadu Buhari are set to pocket huge payouts that rival crude oil revenue.  

Details that have leaked from the circuit involved in the anti-Buhari propaganda indicated that paid activists, opinion influencers, public commentators and others that have been recruited for the purpose get paid as much as $10,000 for each round of damaging story that they deliver to undermine the president.  

A favourite target for these reputational hitmen is the military against which they have coordinated series of damaging reports in recent days, ostensibly in an effort to indirectly undermine the image of the President, whose re-election campaign hinged significantly on restoring security to Nigeria’s troubled northeast region and other parts of the country where there are security breaches.  

These paid activists, who must have proven portfolios of consistently being pro-opposition and antagonistic of the present administration, were specifically commissioned to work on actions that will generate news reportage that beam a negative light on the incumbent government.  interfaces were created between them and select media organizations that are ready to publish the contents they generate and also amplify same using their social media assets.

In the space of one week, the recruited activists have launched major offensives on the President using incidents like the handling of COVID-19 Pandemic, Boko Haram attack on government troops in Yobe state, the routine transfers conducted in the army, donations from private sector for managing the corona virus spread amongst others. These offensives were responsible for the seeming lack of coherence in the claims being made against the president and the military like when the same activists that drew attention to the Boko Haram attack became angry with the army for re-organizing for efficiency. 

By replicating these misleading information on various platforms and delivered by different activists, the mercenaries are able to create the impression that the view they are pushing is widespread and reflects the preponderance of perception in Nigeria. 

A media analyst, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, noted that the public opinion space is being poisoned by the mercenaries as they now make it impossible for people to make logical deductions based on the facts in the public domain. He said “It is amazing that the people who have anointed themselves as experts in the way President Buhari, through the military, is handling the war against Boko Haram, are able to report and celebrate 50 to 70 troops killed in an attack without minding to spare one line to mention the more than 120 terrorists that were killed in that operation.  

“it is a grave danger that a few people, flush with bloodstained dollars, can totally dictate what the populace focuses on, including manipulating the mainstream media to point that they became incapable of independently verifying facts. When a neighbouring country, Chad, suffered a worse casualty count, these propaganda urchins stayed silent possibly because there was no dollar credit for maligning the Chadian President,” he stressed.  

Clergy Involved   

A consequent outcome of manipulating the mainstream media on the scale that the crisis entrepreneurs have done is a resounding loss of credibility. Media platforms have been compromised over time such that those that sponsors of these propaganda onslaughts want to believe their lies can no longer be reached by these same media.   

This has compelled them to recruit some pastors into their ranks so that they are able to use the credibility of their pulpits to push the propaganda messaging at their members. Such pastors attempt to whip up sentiments against the government in their sermons like telling congregants that the present government is the most wicked and insensitive in history. 

Some clergymen have also been lined up to put up defiance against measures announced to contain the spread of COVID-19, like keeping their churches opened in violation of the directive on social distancing. The activists have been quick to cite religious persecution in defence of such pastors by claiming that their freedom of worship should not be infringed upon.  

Tenfold Incentive 

A few of the mercenaries received their $10,000 payouts without being able to make the kind of dent expected of them in tarnishing the reputation of President Buhari and when they were queried over their failure they reported back that the amount was insufficient to do the job and still leave some profits for the hitmen.   

The outcome was increasing the reward system by ten folds. Those that were able to convincingly push damaging contents about the military get the base $10,000 while those that are able to take on the credibility of President Buhari get ten times that amount, which is $100,000 or N40 million.  

Leaked information indicated that these paid activists are positoned to further demonize the military by questioning any roles they are assigned in curbing the spread of COVID-19 especially as it pertains to enforcing the shutdown of several states of the federation, which would necessitate the enforcement of the restiction placed on movement as part of the social distancing strategy.  

Several countries that have taken huge fatalities from the virus were compelled to activate their military to enforce quarantine and movement restrictions that have been found to help slow down the virus. In other places, the military was strategic in setting up emergency field hospital, which the military in Nigeria is also capable of.  

But to ensure that President Buhari’s response to the virus is constrained, they have launched first wave of attack in the form of asking questions about the legality of the Federal Government shutting down FCT, Lagos and Ogun in response to the virus. Legal practitioner, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, had led the charge among those questioning the legality of the shutdown. While it appeared that these critics backed down from their criticism after being schooled by the attorney-general and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in reality they have set down the groundwork for questioning any roles that the president assigns to the Army in countering coronavirus.  

Suppressed content   

The mercenaries hired to undermine the president suppress more than the execution of their own projects as seen in the climbdown on asking about the legality of the shutdown. They are also implementing a strategy of dampening news about any exploit recorded by the administration, especially the military. The aim of this is to ensure that only negative news about the government and the military are promoted in order to drown out whatever positive achievements is recorded. 

The killing of top Boko Haram commander, Abu Usamah, on March 22 is one of such instances. When Boko Haram terrorists make any seeming gains, these activists and their associates are quick to grant media interviews, pen analyses and produce other media contents that keep such attack in the news and allow it to maintain currency. But with the Military making such a significant kill, the activists deploy a tactic of first belittling the importance of the incident on social media and then churning out unrelated and irrelevant contents that will drown out the development in the media space.  

This approach has proven dangerously effective in diminishing the work that the military has been doing especially when online searches will return negative contents about the troops and their commanders. 

Need to Act 

The antics of these activists are known to those in authority but there does not seem to be any action against them. This reluctance on the part of the government to curb their anti-Nigeria activities have made them bolder as they increasingly take on newer briefs to further undermine the office of the president, which is effectively undermining the integrity of Nigeria as a country, a major crime in any jurisdiction. 

Checks revealed that authorities do not need to go after the activists since this will be interpreted as clamping down on them, which would be a proven instance of suppression of human rights by the government. What the paid activists are aware of and have extensively discussed in their circle is the capacity of government to identify the source of their funding, shut it down and take in those responsible for terrorist financing. Doing this will automatically kill off the contracts that have been undermining not just the president but also the military by limiting their ability to respond to threats.  

The media analysts cited earlier is of the view tht time is of essence if the government must prevent permanent damage, not just to the perception of the president and the military but to the corporate integrity of Nigeria. Those damaging the military’s reputation in their bid to blackmail the president for money have to be stopped lest the country pay a steep price for it in the foreseeable future.

By Charles Ibekwe

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Army redeployed some top generals and senior officers in a move meant to reinvigorate and enhance synergy as a tradition in its operations.
Among those redeployed is the theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi who until his redeployment was in charge of leading the onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists and other forms of insurgency in the Northeastern part of the country.
The redeployment of personnel came at a time the Nigerian army which has recorded several victories against the remnants of what is known as the Boko Haram, needed to reposition to round off the onslaught in strategic military style.
But because the redeployment came few days after a foiled ambush by the Boko Haram terrorists on the convoy of the now TC of Operation Lafiya Dole, it has been given all sorts of interpretation that are strange in military circles.
The Boko Haram terrorists had tried to attack the convoy of the then theatre Commander but were immediately repelled in the process as many of them fell to the superior firepower of the troops in the convoy, with a significant number fleeing and abandoning their weapons which were recovered by troops of the Nigerian army.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian army lost two of its men in the attack but the devastation in the camp of the terrorists was such that they could not re-engage the soldiers as they had wanted to but ran with their tales between their legs.
Mischief makers are however already in town with all sorts of insinuations with a certain online publication, based in the US and run by key political opposition figures in Nigeria, Sahara Reporters, leading the rumour mill by trying to link the current redeployment of personnel to that incident.
The attempt to link that foiled attack with Tuesday’s redeployment has produced a mass of rubbish that neither makes any sense nor appeals to any sense of reasoning. Apparently concocted to deceive the gullible and put the army on the defensive, many Nigerians have seen through the tale and have since written it off as ludicrous.

General Adeniyi, as stated in the release by the army has now been redeployed from the theatre command in the North-east which he headed to the army research centre in Abuja while Major-General, F. Yahaya, will now lead the Boko Haram war as theatre commander of Operation Lafiya.
The affected personnel are in high spirits because they understand that deployment in the military , the world over, is routine and is done to rekindle spirit of the officers and to enhance professionalism.
It could also involve the movement of forces within operational areas, outer positioning of forces into a formation for battle or relocation of forces and material to desired operational areas.
In the US army usage, deployment encompasses all activities from origin or home station through destination, specifically including intra-continental United States, intertheater, and intratheater movement legs, staging, and holding areas and can last from 90 days to 15 months.
It can also mean the return of service members in a combat zone to their prior station.
The current deployment of the generals as well as other top military officers in Nigeria, therefore is another normal exercise meant to reinvigorate the system for greater professional effectiveness and professional efficiency.
It is also aimed at injecting new hands to further actualize the vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, .the Nigerian army has benefited from such movements and have helped in terms of new strategies to prosecute the war against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

In 2019, the Chief of Army Staff, approved the redeployment and posting of senior officers to different positions.
In that exercise, E.O Ogunkale, a major-general, was moved from Command Army Records, Lokoja to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Defence Standards and Evaluation and A.O. Uthman, also a major-general, was redeployed from Nigerian Army School of Signals, Apapa, Lagos to Defence Headquarters as Director, Defence Communications; while Maj.-Gen. O.O Soleye was moved from Defence Headquarters to Headquarters, Command Army Records, Lokoja as Commander.

In 2018, the Nigerian Army also redeployed 103 officers including Major General Abba Dikko,the Commander, Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole while a Deputy Vice Chancellor was appointed for the newly established Nigerian Army University Biu, NAUB.
In 2017 the Nigerian Army redeployed and amended postings of seven major generals, 45 brigadier generals and 597 other officers in one of its most far-reaching shake-up exercise in recent years
To further demonstrate the regularity of such exercises, the Army cancelled the redeployment of Adeniyi Oyebade, two months after he was transferred from being General Officer Commanding of Nigerian Army 1 Division, Kaduna, to Army Headquarters in Abuja as chief of logistics.
Many who are aware of military drills and operations know that deployment of personnel is a constant feature.
That is why innuendos by mischief makers and other publications like Sahara Reporters to taint the recent exercise has failed to find accommodation on the minds of rational beings.
It has been exposed as yet another attempt to find faults when there is none and a failed attempt to award credit to those fighting Nigeria where they do not deserve and it is a shameful and most unfortunate thing anybody could try to wish for his country.

Ibekwe is ex- US marine and public affairs analyst based in Lagos.

By Ahmed Danfulani

Fear has been sold to the world with the outbreak of pandemic of Coronavirus (CONVID-19) in Wuhan, China. In just a few weeks, the entire world has been reduced to one huge symbol of deaths and of mass graves.

The phobia of Coronavirus is real and deafening. The victims are as scary as much as the non-victims. Like a verse in the legendary South African reggae star, Lucky Dube, everybody “is the next victim,” unless the haunting image of Coronavirus is pulled down globally. It has reached the shores of Nigeria with about 30 reported cases of infected people, with one death so far.

Regrettably though, Nigeria has seen enough mass deaths in her history in a decade to the extent the global alarm over Coronavirus induced deaths is mincemeat or child’s play in the psyche of Nigerians. Boko Haram insurgency, with its latest tincture, ISWAP terrorism have made mass deaths a regular menu in the country.

Can Nigerians excuse themselves from gory and nauseating memories of mass deaths and graves spurred by vicious armed bandits, armed separatists campaigners, herders/ farmers conflagrations, communal upheavals, militancy or religious extremists and even political thugs or violent election riggers? These memories are evergreen and recurs from time to time.

However, it should not be misconstrued that recounting these orgies of recurrent circle of violence and deaths in Nigeria implies an endorsement or preference for it than the epidemic of Coronavirus. But it’s simply, a parodic attempt to establish how Nigerians are inured to mass deaths in other more demonic forms in the country than Coronavirus.

And to date, Nigeria has been grappling with silent, but very sophisticated layers of Coronavirus in other colorations. Nigeria has been battling things far more deadly and contagious than Coronavirus which neither the military nor the civil authorities have fully appreciated its intensity in recent times.

The determination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to blight insecurities in Nigeria, especially insurgency is unflinchingly consistent. And the unquenchable zeal and courageously gallant outings of the Nigerian military to also eliminate Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorism in Nigeria is self-evident. But again, it is variously frustrated in more stealthy ways than the global invasion and spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

Many Nigerians may not be aware of the dark forces against the resurgence and festering of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in the country. The problem with these latest security threats is not because insurgents or terrorists are so powerful to the level of repressing the Nigerian military. It is also beyond the contemplation that the FGN has not done commendably enough to terminate the reign of insecurities in Nigeria.

The major issues in the Northeast are not really the Boko Haram terrorists who, who like Coronavirus, sneak to hack people to death at will, abduct and destroy public infrastructures in the region. It is also not the evil men who masquerade under the cover of NGOs to subject the already traumatized, frail and suffering victims of insurgency to inhumane and degrading treatment after taking so much from the outside world to assist them survive.

More than a few will also be shocked that it is also not the usual political actors who appear on the stage only when Boko Haram is at the losing end with their crocodile tears. But they initiate nothing to get youths off the streets to divert their attention from conscription as foot soldiers of terrorism.

From these ponders, one will therefore hastily guess that it is Coronavirus pandemic that is Nigeria’s problem. But the real problem in the Northeast shockingly is not Coronavirus. After all it hasn’t been discovered in Nigeria beyond manageable stage, after the first case in Lagos.

On the contrary, the greatest existential threat to Nigeria now in respect to her battles with terrorism and insecurities is the role of Amnesty International (AI) and some foreign cables such as Reuters and AFP. They have constituted the worse stumbling blocks to Nigeria’s match towards exculpation from insurgencies and insurrections.

AI and these foreign online platforms have been the major disasters that our country has faced in its war against Boko Haram and it is hideously more potent and lethal than Coronavirus. And insurgency has attracted more deaths in Nigeria than Coronavirus has ever recorded anywhere in the world outside Wuhan in China.

There is every clue to suspect AI and these foreign newswires as agents and fake news purveyors for terrorists and their external sponsors. Not only that they fabricate and circulate fake news on the FGN and the Nigerian Military’s confrontations with Boko Haram, but their extreme focus of propaganda on Nigeria on the fake side of news is repulsive.

AI has morphed into a daily news medium in Nigeria; inventing and syndicating news about terrorism and the Nigerian military encounters with terrorism in the Northeast. The common denominator among them all is that their published reports are permanently crafted to indict the Nigerian troops and Military authorities.

It does not usually have named attributions, but speculative and propagandic. It drapes with everything which conveys the message that these actors are into active promotion of cyberspace terrorism. And the world frowns at it and there are laws which prohibits it.

Nonetheless, these vicious enemies of Nigeria make generous, but unprovable allegations against the Nigerian military such as human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, sexual abuse of women, use of child soldiers, starvation of Boko Harm suspects in military detention facilities, unlawful arrests and detentions and sundry such constructions of offences of war crimes.

But sadly, while they level such allegations on the military, these suspected agents of terrorists are less bothered to confirm their findings from military authorities before rushing to the press with the scanty findings from what they usually term “eyewitness” account. And the “eyewitness accounts” are usually their planted agents in the theatre of war in the Northeast or outrightly cooked sources.

Therefore, they reel out very alarming and unsubstantiated casualty figures. When terrorists triumph against troops or not, a news story is crafted to give credit to the “invincible” might of terrorists, to cause anxiety in Nigerians and dampen the spirit of troops. These agents are normally the first to break the news of Boko Haram attacks on any community, an indication that they might be privy to such attacks before its occurrence. It means they are likely working closely with terrorists.

In its 2015/2016 annual report on Nigeria, AI levelled such senseless allegations of war crimes against the Nigerian Army prosecuting the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast as well as other security agencies.

However, when several probe panels invited them to substantiate the allegations, AI hedged and adduced excuses on lack of trust in members of the Panel. From its reaction, it was clear that AI was functioning like an opposition party or alternative government in Nigeria. And it had no evidence to prove the allegations.

And the scheming of AI and its apostates is to perpetually and falsely accuse Nigerian Military of war crimes in prosecution of the counter-insurgency combats in the country. And therefore, frustrate plans by countries of goodwill to sell weapons to Nigeria to battle Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, citing human rights violations and war crimes against Nigeria.

So, AI and these online newswires are Nigeria’s worse version of Coronavirus more than the pandemic itself. Any country will be glad to accept Coronavirus, but pray fervently never to have these agents of darkness gang-up or occupy their country in the guise of anything.

Nigerians should not forget that AI and these newswires as well as their external sponsors are very determined to set the people against themselves. Over the years, this has been the game plan, which is designed to finally plunge Nigeria into an interminable war like in Syria or Sudan. But the plans have so far not succeeded because Nigerians are aware and have refused to fall for their cheap propaganda. Nigerians are urged to remain steadfast and vigilant.

Danfulani wrote from Yola, Adamawa State.

Human right and social- justice crusaders, otherwise known as activists have moved up the social ladder in Nigeria.

They are no longer the harassed and brutalised lot locked up in dungeons, sacrificing their comfort for any cause they believe in.

They have joined the upwardly mobile in Nigeria who drive exotic cars and spend their evenings at lush gardens in the Federal Capital, Abuja with movie and pop stars.

That lifestyle used to be the exclusive preserve of con men also known as 419 and later internet fraudsters who stage scams to swindle the unsuspecting public of their hard earned money.

The crusaders for democracy and social justice in Nigeria have had their reputation tainted by desperation to make it and have found a gold mine in the offer by corrupt politicians to blackmail either the president of Nigeria or the military.

Investigations revealed that blackmailing the Nigerian president was discovered to be a gold mine shortly before the 2019 elections which the president won with a big margin.

The desperation to taint the image of the military especially that of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is another goldmine, due to the success of the military operation in the Northeast which has shored up the credibility of the president in delivering the promise he made to the electorate in 2015.

President Buhari had won the 2015 election partly due to the belief that his wealth of experience in the army would help in curbing the terror being unleashed on Nigerians by the Boko Haram terrorists.

Our investigation found out that opposition politicians shortly before the 2019 general elections, in the bid to detract from the high points of the Buhari administration decided to destroy the main thing standing for him; his credibility. This is as all polls conducted before the election indicated that Buhari stood a better chance of winning the election due to his popularity.

The plot was contrived to work on staining his image before the electorate and the international community.

The strategy is said to be aimed at cutting down on his large followership in the northern part of the country and to make it impossible for him to penetrate the southern part which he seemed set to do.

The inclusion of the international community was to regurgitate the age old fable about not being a democrat so that his foreign support base which helped in 2015 would be weakened.

Top opposition figures, our findings revealed, reached out to some individuals and organisations who were known activists for that purpose while offering to pay good money for the ‘project.’

As hard currencies were being mobilised for the purpose, sources in the opposition disclosed to our correspondents that the buzz caught the attention of other intending freeloaders who also aimed to make something for themselves and before the elections would come, the queue of activists demanding a deal became quite long.

Our investigations showed that the bait dangled before the activists who became steeped in the project was responsible for some of the negative publicity against the Nigerian president in the media during the 2019 elections.

An Abuja based social crusader who partook in one of the campaigns and made ‘good money’ for himself, told our correspondent on grounds of anonymity that he knew from then that the business will not go away in a hurry due to the money in their circulation and the desperation of the opposition to paint the president in bad light.

Rather than abate after the elections, things got more serious when the processes of litigation over the election commenced.

The opposition was hopeful that it would get a favourable judgment and intensified its bid to win ‘in the court of public opinion.’

He said that was boom period for the activists as the desperation of the opposition took another dimension.

Another activist who said he got a slice of the action after the elections admitted that he got introduced into the business by a friend who was an associate of an opposition politician

” I was with them one day when they now asked me if could use my creativity to earn something for myself and I said yes.

“That was how I stated and we held several meetings and I was assigned a particular task and topic; I performed well and was paid and the game continued,” he said.

But even as the opposition lost at the courts, the business of blackmailing the president and the military has not stopped.

This is because the military was not unrelenting in making the president proud by defeating insurgency.

Only last week, our reporters stumbled on a meeting in the Wuse area of Abuja where people were being asked to turn in their scripts for vetting and possible reimbursement

Our reporter found out that the activists are usually given topics to develop and blackmail the president and that any that gets the go ahead of the opposition receive as much as $10, 000.

The delivery could either be in form of a news story written against the president or military which is circulated to the mainstream media or by direct confrontation with constituted authority.

An insider told our correspondent that “what you get depends on your target. For PMB they pay as $100, 000 which is about 38million naira while for the military the pay as much as $50,000.

It is not immediately clear whether such activists are working in cahoots with the insurgents terrorising Nigeria in the Northeast but an insider told our reporter that ‘for now it is the politicians trying to get at the president.’

The recruitment of the activists for the purpose of destroying the image of the President our finding revealed is done in two stages.

The first is call up those who have for one reason or the other fallen out with the president and the second is to reach out to the camp of the supporters of the president to give the campaign of calumny a modicum of credibility.

Sources also revealed that even some clerics have also been recruited into the business.

Attempts to confirm if the police is aware of this did not yield fruit but police sources say the authorities may soon swoop in on the activists as what they were involved in was criminal

A top member of the ruling party who asked not to be named when contacted, said the party is aware and will soon take an action on those involved.