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House of Reps gives Buhari 24 hours to Declare Bandits ‘Terrorists’
The House of Representatives Committee on Army has again called on President Buhari to declare bandits terrorists to enable the Nigerian Armed Forces to prosecute war against them.
The Chairman of the committee, Abdulrazak Namdas, made the call when the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, appeared before the committee to defend the budget proposed for 2022 in Abuja on Friday, November 6.
It was the second time the committee was urging Buhari to take the action within 24 hours. The House had on September 30, 2021, a day after the Senate passed the resolution, asked Buhari to designate bandits, who have dominated the North-West and parts of the North-Central geopolitical zones, and their sponsors as terrorists.
The lawmakers made the demand when the Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army in Minna, Niger State, came for budget defence earlier on Thursday.
Namadas while speaking at the budget defence said
“My committee members have said I should repeat what I said yesterday before TRADOC yesterday, that they are a training institution and we charge them to train more on terrorism and banditry because these are actually challenging issues.
That was the main reason why we in the National Assembly – both the House and the Senate – have passed a resolution urging the President to also designate bandits as terrorists so that it can enable the Army to tackle the challenge headlong. We know at the moment that there are technical challenges with using our equipment because of certain conditions.
At least, we urge the President to please help sign this because right now, the activities of bandits are getting even more sophisticated – more than even what is happening in the North-East.”
Namdas also observed that the morale of officers and men of the Nigerian Army was low in terms of accommodation, noting that they could only be the best if they were psychologically stable.
“It is our hope that the Armed Forces Fund Bill currently awaiting concurrence at the Senate, when passed and assented to by the President, will help tackle some of these major challenges” he said
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door session, Namdas criticised the amount allocated to the Nigerian Army in the 2022 Appropriation Bill for capital expenditure as inadequate.
“In 2021, the capital (expenditure) was N29bn; today, in 2022, it is N28bn. So, instead of moving up, it is going down. Actually, the money is very small. There is a need for us to sit down and see how we can help the Army move forward.
“Agreed, we have done enough in the supplementary budget, but the capital component of it for the whole 2022 is N28bn. We can’t do much with the money.”
Another challenge we are faced with is that, even if you have 100 per cent of the money on the ground, you have to place an order. Army equipment is not something you buy over the shelf.
“Even when you placed (an order for) Tucanos, it took you how many years to get here? Even if you budget this year and you go and inspect certain things, you will not see them immediately because they come based on the timing that is allowed.”
November 6, 2021
Terrorists Who Attempted Coup Against Me Are In Nigeria – Turkey President
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkish has said that members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) that attempted to push him out of power on July 15, 2016 through a failed coup are currently in Nigeria.
Erdogan stated this on Wednesday during a joint press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Turkish leader is on a two-day working visit to Nigeria, just as he is also touring two other African countries – Togo and Angola.
“Turkey has been fighting against terrorist organisations for many decades, such as the PKK, PYD, FETO, DASH and other terrorist organisations,” President Erdogan said through an interpreter.
“The perpetrator of the heinous failed coup of July the 15th, FETO, is still illegally active in Nigeria, and we are continuously sharing our intelligence with the Nigerian interlocutors and authorities.
“I hope and pray that our Nigerian brothers will forge a closer solidarity in this field with us, the Republic of Turkey.”
He equally sought the collaboration of the Nigerian government to overcome extremism and terrorism that has become a global phenomenon.
The Turkish president also commended President Buhari for hosting him and his delegation.
He added, “The most auspicious results and I would like to thank my distinguished brother, President Buhari, for being such a gracious host for me and for my delegation.”
Erdogan arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday night and was welcomed by the Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffery Onyeama; FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey, Ismail Yusuf Abba, and the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hidayet Bayraktar, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Turkish officials that accompanied Erdogan were the First Lady Emine Erdogan; Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu; Energy and Natural Resources, Minister Fatih Donmez; Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar; Trade Minister, Mehmet Mus among others.
October 21, 2021
Deal ruthlessly with terrorists, Buhari orders military
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the military and police to deal ruthlessly with insurgents and other criminals across the country.
The president made this public on Thursday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists on a live television programme.
Buhari, who expressed the confidence that the order would yield positive results within weeks, recalled that he had in the past visited Chad, Niger and Cameroon as part of efforts to promote good neighbourliness and security at the nation’s borders.
Warning that the country might experience food shortage, Buhari said that there was the need to decisively tackle insurgents who are keeping farmers away from their farms.
The president also defended the administration’s appointments, insisting he made them on merit.
Specifically, he said the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff was well deserved having passed through the ranks and emerging a former Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole
“They trained in Zaria or Abeokuta, they come through the ranks and because they served under all the circumstances, the crises and everything and they gradually rise to the status.
“And you think, you will just pick somebody just to balance up.
“These positions have to be earned. There are people who have been there for 10 to 15 years,” he said.
The president, who expressed the hope that Nigerians would be fair to him while assessing his administration, also urged them to question previous regimes on what they did with the nation’s humongous earnings.
June 10, 2021
Insecurity: FG Has Capacity To Crush Terrorists, Bandits – Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Tuesday said the Federal Government has the capacity to crush Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in the northeast and bandits in the north western parts of the country.
This comes as security forces grapple with the activities of terrorists and bandits who have killed thousands, displaces hundreds of thousands and abducted several people for ransom.
Mohammed who spoke during a press conference in Lagos said contrary to the beliefs that the Federal Government is overwhelmed and lacks capacity to tackle the security threats, President Muhammadu Buhari administration is committed to restoring law and order, peace and security in the country.
“I have read comments saying the Federal Government is overwhelmed and doesn’t have a clue as to how to tackle the challenges. Some have even gone as far as suggesting a truncation of the democratic order, a clearly treasonable stance,” he said.
While noting that the Federal Government “acknowledges the security challenges we face at this time, from terrorism to kidnaping, banditry and farmer-herder conflict, it is definitely not overwhelmed and indeed it has the wherewithal, as you will see in the days ahead, to confront the challenges headlong and restore law and order, peace and security.
“One of the most difficult things to do, for a democratically elected government, is to use the instruments of coercion against its own people. For example, while the nation’s military have superior firepower over the rag tag band of Boko Haram and ISWA, the terrorists most often than not operate among the populace, either in our villages or towns, hence the military, in tackling them, is usually careful to avoid collateral damage.
“The same applies to the kidnappers who abduct our school children. Usually, the location of the kidnappers is not unknown to the security forces, but they still must exercise caution in order not to hurt the same children they are trying to rescue. Despite these inhibitions, the security forces have the wherewithal to decisively tackle the challenges.”
The Minister also reacted to attacks on security attacks in the country, describing assault on security operatives as a declaration of war against the country.
While condemning the attacks, the government’s spokesperson warned that such attacks will be countered with overwhelming force.
He added, “There is a growing dangerous trend which I will like to comment on. It is the practice of launching deadly attacks against the nation’s security personnel. Soldiers as well as police, customs, and other security agents have been killed and maimed in some parts of the country in this growing trend of targeting security forces.
“I want to say, unequivocally, that any attack on our security men and women is an attack on the state and a declaration of war against the nation. It follows, therefore, that this will be countered with overwhelming force.”
May 11, 2021
We Will Get Rid Of Terrorists In No Distant Time – Chief Of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has expressed confidence that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will oust the terrorists and other criminal elements in Nigeria in no distant time.
He gave the assurance during an Easter Lunch with the personnel of 013 Quick Response Force Minna, where he commiserated with families and colleagues of the three Airmen who lost their lives in Allawa operations on 1st April 2021.
Air Marshal Amao reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Air Force towards ensuring that insurgency and armed banditry are put to an end.
The Chief of Air Staff who was represented by Air Vice-Marshal Remiqius Ekeh commended the 013 Quick Response Force and Air Component of Operation GAMA AIKI as well as the gallant officers, airmen, and airwomen urging them to remain resolute in the fight against insurgency and banditry.
He told them not to relent in their dedication and hard work towards achieving the mandate of protection of lives and properties of Nigerians.
The NAF boss stated that efforts are ongoing to recover the crashed NAF Alpha Jet Aircraft which was declared missing on 31st March 2021.
According to him, the claim that the jet was shot down by the insurgents is false.
He promised that available evidence will be made public when investigations are over.
April 6, 2021
Governors, Religious Leaders, Nigeria Govt now mouthpiece for terrorists –Aisha Yesufu
Activist and co-convener Aisha Yesufu, has accused the Nigerian government, Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, religious leaders and some governors of being the mouth piece for terrorists and bandits, instead of doing everything to curb insecurity in the country.
Yesufu who made this known in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, while speaking as the guest speaker at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Annual Law Week convention, said professional bodies like the NBA should “wake up to its responsibilities of defending citizens.”
“Terrorists have the Nigerian government and governors speaking for them; they have the Minister of Information, religious rulers, all speaking up for them. Who do citizens have speaking up for them?
“The professional bodies, most especially the NBA must wake up to its responsibilities.”
Yesufu’s comment is coming at a time terrorists and killer herdsmen have been on rampage across the country with popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, playing the role of a mediator between them and the government and calling on the government to grant them a blanket amnesty.
The governors of Bauchi and Zamfara States, Bello Mohammed and Bello Matawalle respectively, have also called for amnesty for the terrorists, while Lai Mohammed has continued to insist that there is nothing wrong in government holding negotiations with the terrorists.
On Monday, the Minister, while speaking on a Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today,’ had also said that the Nigerian government cannot afford to destroy forests where terrorists use as their hideouts to carry out kidnappings in different parts of the country because doing so will affect the eco-system.
“We cannot destroy the forests because of climate change. The better approach is not to destroy the forest because it would affect the eco-system, but what we need is better consultation with sub national government and security agencies on how to secure the forest to make them safe for everybody,”
Also on Tuesday, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) announced that it was considering entering into negotiations with terrorists and bandits if that would restore peace in the country and end insecurity.
The Chairman of the NGF, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, made this known after he and some members of the forum paid a solidarity visit to the Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, in Minna, the state capital.
“We need to explore other avenues side by side with whatever the security institutions are doing, even if that means engaging in dialogue.
“We may not have a choice. We may have to do that; anything to help us to deal with this immediate crisis and then to begin to address on a much more longer time basis, the root causes of this social dislocation responsible for what we are witnessing, all around us,” Fayemi had said.
February 25, 2021
Terrorists kidnap groom and best man in Borno
Suspected members of Boko Haram sect have kidnapped a groom and his best man as they were returning from his wedding in Borno State.
According to the Nation, the groom is an employee of the UN World Food Programme, and the best man a colleague from the International Committee of the Red Cross. They were reportedly abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province on Wednesday, at a checkpoint near Jakana village.
They had gone to the wedding in neighboring Adamawa State and were stopped at an illegal checkpoint at about 12.30 pm.
The UN in an internal memo released on Wednesday, informed its staff about the abduction of a “UN national staff embarking on a private trip… by NSAG (non-state armed group)”.
ISWAP said on Friday that it seized “two Christians working for the Red Cross organisation”. The group said the incident occurred at a checkpoint between the village of Mainok and Maiduguri.
December 13, 2020
Troops eliminate Terrorists, destroy gun trucks, recover arms
The troops of Operation Fire Ball have inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram/Islamic States for West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists killing 16 in recent encounters in North East theatre of operation.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, in a statement on Sunday, said that operation was a subsidiary operation launched under Operation Lafiya Dole to route out remnant of terrorists.
Onyeuko said that four terrorists’ gun trucks were destroyed as well as recovery of large cache of arms and ammunitions during the various encounters.
He disclosed that the troops had on Oct. 21 noticed unusual vehicles tailing the convoy of vehicles conveying Internally Displaced Persons from Maiduguri Cosmopolitan City to Baga town in order to infiltrate their position.
According to him, the troops inflicted heavy casualty on them by killing three terrorists and destroyed one Gun Truck.
He added that one Anti Aircraft Gun, three AK47 Rifle, three Shells for making Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were also captured, adding that the troops had since dominated the area with aggressive patrols.
Onyeuko also disclosed that troops of Army Super Camp Magumeri also killed 11 in a fierce encounter and captured three gun trucks with three Anti Aircraft guns and one Dushka gun.
He said the troops of Army Super Camp located at Mallam Fatori also routed elements of Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists who attacked their location on Saturday.
According to him, after the fierce battle two terrorists were neutralised while others escaped with gunshot wounds as traces of blood of dragged casualties by the criminals were seen during exploitation.
“The troops captured three AK47 rifles, one Light Machine Gun, 466 Rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition, 24 rounds of 7.62x51mm ammunition and One Tecno cell phone.
He said that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole are in high spirit and dominating their Area of Responsibilities with robust fighting patrols.
“The troops are hereby commended for the resilience, doggedness and commitment exhibited during the above encounters. They are equally encouraged not to rest on their oars but build on the successes recorded.
“The entire populace of the North East zone are hereby assured of the determination of the High Command of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to finally rout out the remnants of the BHT/ISWAP criminals from their enclaves,” he said.
October 25, 2020
Military Airstikes Kill Terrorists In Borno
Operation Hail Storm 2 of the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has sustained its onslaught against Terrorists In Borno State by hitting hideouts at Arina Woje, Warshale, and Valangide in Borno state.
This was disclosed in a series of tweets from the official Twitter handle of the Defence Headquarters.
The Defence headquarters disclosed that further strikes against the terrorist elements responsible for the recent attacks in the Dikwa were conducted.
It added that the terrorists having been tracked to Warshale were taken out as the NAF attack aircraft took turns in engaging the settlement.
The airstrike on Valangide in the Sambisa Forest area, on the other hand, was undertaken at night by helicopter gunships, which mopped-up the terrorists as they strafed the location.
September 28, 2020
Air Force officer allegedly killed by terrorists in Kaduna
By Ujah Simon, kaduna
An officer of the Nigeria Airforce, Muhammad Auwal, has allegedly been killed by terrorists, in Kaduna state.
The officer who was killed while on duty in Birnin Gwari, on Saturday was said to be best graduate officer at the NAF Special Forces Course held recently in Bauchi State.
Human Rights Lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, who confirmed the death of the Air Force officer noted that the deceased is one of the latest gallant men in the NAF.
Bukarti in tweet posted on Sunday night, September 6, 2020, stated that the ”Flying Officer Muhammad Auwal is one of the latest gallant men we sadly lost to terrorists. He was killed yesterday (5 Sept.) on duty at Birnin Gwari.
“He’s the Best Graduating Officer at the NAF Special Forces Course that held recently in Bauchi.
We’ve lost too many brave and promising men to the insecurity raging in our country.
“Government officials and politicians must face this problem head-on. They must channel the huge sums wasted on their extravagant lifestyle to this problem and ensure every Kobo is spent transparently.
Recalled that the Governor of kaduna state Mall Nasir el-rufai had, on weekend, condoled with families of those who lost their lives to bandits in Birnin Gwari, kajuru and other parts of the State.
Insider sources said Birnin Gwari youth vanguard, a youth body, incharge of furnishing general public and media with bandits killngs in the area, have been warned to stop doing so.
September 7, 2020