President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday declared state of
emergency in three north east states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno
following increasing waves of killing and attacks by suspected Boko
Haram sect.

The three states share borders locally and have international
borders with African countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Borno is the home base of the Boko Haram sect.

“The road linking Adamawa and Borno has been blocked. People
are not allow to move into the neighboring tatetes on the road
especially early in the morning and by afternoon,” Adamu Baba, a
cab drive said.

A Xinhua reporter in the restive state said the cordon measure was
to ensure the militant sect do not escape to the neighboring states
as the bombardment of their camp is going on.

Meanwhile, the advancing troops of Nigeria’s special task force have
destroyed some insurgent’ camps in the forests of northern and
central Borno.

Chris Olukolade, spokesperson for the defense headquarters said in
Abuja on Friday that heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft and
anti-tank guns, were destroyed in the process.

He said the special operations, which preceded troops movement,
resulted in the destruction of much of the insurgent’s weapons.
Logistics, he added, such as vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and
power generators were also destroyed.

According to him, the casualties inflicted on the insurgents in the
course of the assault will be verified during a mop up.

The defense headquarters in Abuja is quite satisfied with the
progress of the operation and the fighting spirit of troops, he added.
The spokesperson urged the task force to sustain the tempo.

Also, border posts have all been manned by security agents to
prevent the escape or infiltration of the insurgents.

The Nigerian leader also directed the Chief of Defense Staff, Ola
Ibrahim, to deploy more troops to the three states of Borno,
Adamawa and Yobe.

-Xinhua

The report contradicts the 185 casualties widely reported by the media.

The report, presented to the President by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also confirmed that the confrontation that led to the massacre was between members of the Boko Haram and the Multinational Joint Task Force.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, gave an insight into the report while addressing State House correspondents.

Abati said the report indicated that 30 terror suspects died in the town, while six other corpses were recovered in the neighbouring Lake Chad.

He added that the report quoted NEMA as saying only 32 fresh graves were found in the town after the clash.

The presidential spokesman, who also said no mass grave was found in the town contrary to reports, added that the number of houses razed in the confrontation was grossly exaggerated.

According to him, the burnt houses were less than 1,000.

Abati said as at April 25, about 642 displaced persons had registered in the various rehabilitation camps as more locals, who had earlier fled the community, had started returning.

He said, “In its preliminary report to the President, the Defence Headquarters stated as follows:

“That the military team involved in the confrontation with Boko Haram elements was the Multinational Joint Task Force. The MNJTF’s initial mandate was to conduct military operations in the Lake Chad Region and to facilitate free movement of the member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission across their common border.

“The mandate was expanded in April 2012 to include the fight against terrorists. The Task Force’s activities are therefore legal and need to be sustained.

“On April 17, MNJTF troops carried out mop up operations at the scene of the attack and recovered the following items abandoned by the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists: rocket-propelled grenade launchers, rocket-propelled grenade bombs, AK 47 rifles, assorted ammunition, several improvised explosive devices and damaged Land Cruiser jeeps.

“That whereas it was alleged that 185 people were killed by the soldiers of the MNJTF in Baga, Borno State; the assessment team received a briefing from the Commander of the MNJTF on April 24, 2013, during which he stated that 30 terrorists were killed in action. However, six bodies were recovered in Lake Chad about three km away from the action spot.”

-Punch

In an apparent reaction to the state of siege on Baga town in Borno State after the Friday clash between soldiers of the Multi-national Task Force (MTF) and Boko Haram Islamist insurgents, President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday while inaugurating the Boko Haram Committee, warned soldiers on duty in troubled areas of the north to be mindful of innocent citizens in the course of discharging their duties.

He also indicated that as investigation of the situation continues apace, any security operative found wanting will not be spared, stressing that routine security work should not unleash untold hardship on the people at any time.

This is just as one of the members of the committee, Barrister Aisha Wakil braved an unknown illness to attend the inauguration of the body into which she drafted barely 24 hours before the event.

-ThisDay

ORGANISED labour has threatened to shut down electricity supply in the South-West zone and all Nigeria Air force formations across the country by April 2, over alleged brutality and physical torture of workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, at the Ibadan Zone by men of Nigeria Air Force.

Labour issued the ultimatum under the umbrella of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE.

Already, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Engr. B. Oyesiku, had petitioned the Commandant of Nigeria Air Force, Ipetu-Ijesa, and copied the Director of Department of State Security, DSS, and Secretary to Osun State Government, over the alleged brutalisation of PHCN workers.

NUEE, in a statement by its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, said members were at work, performing their legitimate duties on March 9, when officers of the Air Force allegedly barged in and unleashed violence on them.

The union claimed that the act was carried out at different work locations at Ipetu-Ijesha and Ilesa town on the same day by the officers attached to Nigeria Air Force, Ipetu- Ijesha, Osun State, allegedly on the orders of their boss.

Statement

The statement read in part: “As we condemn this callous and dastardly act in very strong terms, we emphasise that if by April 2, the Air Force refuses to accept responsibility and apologise for their action, our men will withdraw their services in the South-West Zone and all Air Force formations in the country.

“This shall precede a nationwide outage in solidarity of the affected victims, if after 14 days this issue is not peacefully resolved. We cannot continue to suffer this level of violence in the hand of the military when we are in a democratic state.

“By this piece all members of the union are expected to show solidarity.

Petition

Giving details of the attack in the petition, Oyesiku said: “It should be put on record to you that your men, led by one officer (names withheld) on March 9, 2013 around 11:15am, went to our Ipetu Ijesa Service Centre to arrest our staff, Mr. W. Agboola.

“Thereafter, another officer (name withheld) came down to Ilesa to pick our Otokiti, the Distribution Substation Operator, DSO, on duty at Imo injection substation; proceeded to Ilesa Injection Substation where they beat up all the staff they found in the control room to the extent that the DSO on duty, Mr. Rafiu Jolayemi was bleeding.

“As if the assaults were not enough, your men went round all our offices until they got to the 132/33KV Ilesa transmission substation, which gives power supply to Ijesa Land complex from the national Grid.

“The system operator on duty there, one Mr. Abiona was also seriously beaten with the sword they came along with. He was made to lie down on the bare floor and kicked several times with their boots to the extent that he too started to bleed.

“The above scenario has precipitated perpetual darkness in Ipetu-Ijesa since that fateful day till now since our staff’s safety cannot be guaranteed in the course of performing their duty, especially patrolling the remaining segment of the feeder which takes care of the environs apart from you place.”
-Vanguard

…Says promotion, recruitment, deployment devoid of ethnic, religious colouration…
ABUJA—Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika gave a shocking revelation Monday on the bomb attack at Jaji Cantonment last year which killed an Army General and several others when he disclosed that the then Commander, Infantry Corps and Centre, Jaji, General Mohammed Isa had security report 24 hours earlier of the plot to bomb Jaji but he chose to ignore the warning.

The army boss gave startling information at a briefing at the army headquarters. His words, “our Intelligence and Military Police departments had gotten information of a plan by terrorists to attack the Jaji Cantonment and the intelligence was immediately relayed to General Isa. The same report that Gen. Isa got was received by the GOC 1 Division on the day before the attack.

“The GOC had to immediately cancel his trip and returned to base. Isa did not act on the report. Isa did not give instruction to his subordinate. I was surprised when I saw Isa at the annual COAS Conference and I asked him, what he was doing in Asaba when his house was on fire”.

The Army Chief disclosed that as a result of the in-action of General Isa then, the Nigerian Army lost a General in the bomb blast apart from those who were killed in the military protestant church.

Vanguard had also reported that an Air Commodore of the AirForce, who was the Chief Instructor of the Air Force Wing at AFCSC, was also killed in the blast.

Lt. Gen. Ihejirika disclosed that the detailed investigations have commenced to determine whether Maj. Gen Isah’s inaction was due to negligence or a demonstration of further involvement in the bombings in which several officers and others were killed.

Meanwhile, the Army Chief declared that the recent retirements, promotions, recruitment and deployments in the army were done devoid of ethnic and religious colouration, pointing out that the Army does not discriminate against any person on the basis of ethno-religious background.

He explained that the delay in the retirement of many officers in the last exercise who were due for retirement, months before last December 2012, was caused by the inability of the Army Council to sit over recommendations of the Board on promotions and retirements.

According to General Ihejirika, the Army Council comprising, Mr. President as Chairman, minister of Defence, Permanent Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, has to approve the retirement of any officer of the army before such officer can be asked to go.

Lt General O. A Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army speak to press
His words, “The type of allegations making the rounds (allegation of lopsided recruitment, promotion, retirement and deployment in the Nigerian Army), are not unfamiliar to the Nigerian Army”.

“Every nation has its frontlines and I can say it is these frontlines that are being exploited by faceless groups to cause more problems for Nigerians. I believe they (groups) would have identified that the Nigerian army is one of the few institutions that will stand in defence of this country; come rain, and come sunshine.

“Why do I say this? When we commenced operations in Maiduguri against the Boko Haram terrorist’s sect, text messages were sent round, to the fact that the Chief of Army Staff (Ihejirika) has deployed a General of ‘Igbo’ extraction to avenge the killing of Igbo’s during the civil war. But it is on record that the Boko Haram sect claimed that they were fighting to avenge the death of their leader and other members killed in various encounters”.

“From the operations that are taking place, are people being killed as alleged? Even though the operation being conducted is coordinated by leadership of the Defence Headquarters, but it is being interpreted wrongly to whip up sentiments by making reference to the civil war fought and resolved many years ago. In fact, before some of them were born”.

“They choose to orchestrate the promotion and appointment of some Igbo officers, but they did not bother to talk of appointment generally. I believe that most of you here have come to find out whether the army is still intact or whether there is turmoil in the army as alleged by the faceless groups. You have seen the hierarchy of the army and you can speak for yourself that the army is intact. I believe that while the officers were being introduced, the crème de la crème of the army, what I call the chief executives of the Nigerian army, I believe some of you were taking notes, on the number of Igbo officers”.

“Some of my officers have told me on a lighter note that they would start answering Igbo names soon, so that they become properly Igbonized as alleged. I had a lot of experience before becoming the Chief of Army Staff. I happened to have served in the Military Secretary department. The department that handles promotions, postings and retirements. One of the things we sought to achieve while in that department was to ensure that promotions in the army are made very objective and they are merit based”.

He also dismissed allegations of sending officers from South-East to the North-North on the current operations to stem the Boko Haram insurgency, as according to him, there was no iota of truth in the rumours.

“Each time there was crisis in any part of the country, we know the consequences of such crisis. Before you know it, rumours will be awash that people of certain extraction and religion have been killed and killing will start at the other end. These are issues we must overcome. The Nigerian army has come a long way. So when I said my vision for the Nigerian army is to turn the Nigerian Army into a force better able to meet contemporary challenges; I also took the Nigerian frontlines into consideration. I want to assure you that the Nigerian army of today is not the type that dragged the nation into war in the 1960’s?

“You might wish to know that in my deployments, I have General Gani Wahab in 1 division, Kaduna, I have Brigadier General M. Ibrahim in 1 Brigade and Brigadier General Iliya Abbah in 2 Brigade. And I seat here, very comfortable with that posting. Concerning General Olayinka Oshinowo (former GOC 92 div, Enugu), who happened to have been mentioned in one write up as one of those short changed, it might interest the public to know that General Oshinowo had missed his promotion before I became the Chief of Army staff and that he was promoted to the rank of Major General under my watch”.

Via Vanguard

Also being closely watched are a few of the accomplices of the general, who are strongly suspected to have aided him in whipping up ethnic sentiments in the army.

The general was said to have served in the army for the mandatory 35 years but was retired compulsory during the last retirement exercise involving some 51 top officers of the army.

Investigations showed that his retirement came unexpectedly to him as the Chief of Army Staff had initially agreed to retire the generals on their birthdays.

Defence sources did not give the reasons for the change of mind on the part of the COAS for the retirement of the affected generals, some of who were said to have made separate cases for service extension to afford them the opportunity to build their personal houses.

It was learnt that the army was giving a serious attention to the issue of the ethnic dimension in the military because of its implications. It is considered inimical to national unity.

It was, however, not clear whether the army would move to apprehend those suspected to be behind the allegations that have caused grave concerns in the military in recent time.

Since a group of military personnel under the aegis of Group for the Salvation of the Nigerian Army cried out over alleged ethnicity and favouritism in promotions and postings in the army under Ihejirika, the army has been silent on the allegations.

Although an official response has not been given on the issues contained in the petition which was reportedly forwarded to the National Assembly, army officials are insisting that a combination of officers, who were retired and others who were not promoted were behind what they described as a campaign of calumny against the army chief.

The group had claimed among others that the promotion exercise had created disenchantment within the army because it was skewed in favour of a particular section of the country.

The anonymous authors of the document appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, Bello Dasuki, and the National Assembly to intervene in the purported division rocking the army to prevent unpalatable consequences.

The Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna was mentioned as one area where no person from the South had been appointed as commandant for years.

It was alleged that even positions like the Adjutant and Registrar of the institution were exclusively reserved for a particular part of the country.

Ihejirika was said to have attracted the ire of some powerful individuals when he broke the jinx and appointed Emeka Onwuemegbu, a former Defence Spokesman, as the commandant.

Investigations further showed that the decision to challenge the entrenched imbalance was responsible for the anger among some military personnel.

It was learnt that only officers from a section of the country were being posted to the Brigades at Obinze and Port Harcourt.

The situation was the same at the Warri Battalion until Ihejirika ensured that changes were made in the postings to those places.

“What other investigation are you talking about? The army knows who is behind this deliberate move to discredit the service. We know the man behind it. He is gone and no matter what he does, he cannot come back. It is the President and Commander-in-Chief that has the power to recall anybody.

“It is that particular general and a few of his boys that are behind this attempt to destroy the army by whipping up ethnic sentiments. He has got to his retirement period; you don’t behave as if you are more important than others.

“And because the issue is sensitive; you know it involves ethnic sentiments, the army is taking it very seriously because ethnic sentiments are being raised against the leadership.

“The man is really balancing things. Haba, this army is called the Nigerian Army; it belongs to all of us. He is making efforts to balance years of sustained partiality in the postings and people are angry.

“They are angry because the Chief is up against a partial practice that has lasted several years. Take a look at postings to the military formations in the South-South and South like the Port Harcourt Brigade, the Obinze Brigade and the Warri Battalion, no southerner has been posted there since the 1990s because they say they are from there.

“Since the 1990s, this is the first time this monopoly in postings has been broken,” the source said.

Since reports of the allegations broke out, the army has not come up with a comprehensive defence on the issue. The Army Directorate of Information has kept mum over the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff is scheduled to meet with the media on Monday, where is expected to clear the air on the raging allegations rocking the service.

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the calls placed to his mobile telephone indicated that it was either switched off or in an area outside of network coverage.

Via Punch

Soldiers prepare to escort NYSC members to their election duties in Abuja - April 26

Via premium times

The army chief, who has registered his disappointment with the alleged ethnic cleansing and victimisation in the Army had promised to address the issue next week, on the occasion of the first quarter of the Chief of Army Staff Conference.

A section of the media raised the alarm, accusing the Army Chief of giving his kinsmen juicy appointments and violating the Army Council‘s directives since his emergence as the Chief of Army Staff, although the army authorities had faulted the allegation and on Monday, disclosed that Ihejirika would address the issue next Monday.

The new Director, Army Public Relations Department, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru, made the disclosure while taking over from Major-General Bolaji Koleosho, who himself later resumed work as the Chief of the Civil-Military Affairs.

Attahiru, who acknowledged media reports, said “my answer for now is that the Chief of the Army Staff would address members of the press on February 11 and this issue would properly be addressed.”

At the handing-over ceremony, Major-General Koleosho acknowledged the support, understanding that characterised the relationship between the media and the army while his tenure lasted and urged the media professionals to extend the same gesture to his successor.

The new army spokesman appealed to the media to crosscheck their facts from his office on any story that had to do with the army before going to the press and promised to operate an open door policy.

Until the new appointment, Attahiru was the Assistant Director at the Plans Department at the Defence Headquarters.

Via Tribune

The raids were conducted on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the visit of Vice-President Namadi Sambo to the crisis-ridden state.

A statement from the JTF, which was made available to Saturday Tribune on Friday, revealed that the camps were fortified with training facilities.

The statement also said that the camps were used to conduct training and launch recent attacks and bombings in Maiduguri, Musari, Konduga, Biu, Bama, and Demboa communities.

According to JTF, efforts by JTF troops to destroy the camps led to a fierce gun battle that resulted in the death of 17 members of the sect and one JTF personnel.

According to the JTF, the camps were destroyed and are currently being monitored by troops, while items recovered include six AK-47 rifles, two G3 rifles, pistols, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), one RPG tube, 20 RPG chargers, two double-barrel rifles, 2543 ammunition, 33 empty magazines, three laptop computers, 10 Motorola walkie talkies, 20 telephone handsets, 40 primed IED canisters, three bags of rice and two bags of beans, two jerry cans of palm oil, one bag of salt, one generator and light green uniforms.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the security has been beefed up in the capital, Maiduguri, as Vice-President Namadi Sambo is expected in the state to inaugurate some projects by the state government.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the projects include the 144 trucks/drilling rigs at Trailer Park along Pompomari bypass; the inauguration of Maduganari bypass road as well as the Muhammed Shuwa Memorial Hospital and the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Ruwan Zafi.

LAGOS — THERE was pandemonium in Apapa area of Lagos State, weekend, when some armed naval personnel and policemen from Area B Police Command clashed.

Two policemen allegedly sustained injuries, police patrol vehicles and an Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC, were allegedly destroyed.

Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred last Friday, after a team of policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences, accosted two naval ratings on a motorcycle riding against traffic at Trebo Roundabout and allegedly impounded their motorcycle.

The incident was said to have thrown the entire area into panic.

Eyewitnesses said the angry naval personnel ran back to their base and reinforced but on arriving Trebo Roundabout, the task force officials had gone.

The aggrieved naval personnel allegedly descended on a team of policemen attached to the Rapid Respond Squad, RRS, manning an APC stationed at the Roundabout.

An eyewitness, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said “The policemen, in their bid to escape, drove the APC dangerously and out of the roundabout to the Area B Command Headquarters. Some of the naval personnel went after them. A police inspector attached to a leading new generation bank, on Liverpool Road, was attacked and beaten to pulp while his rifle was taken from him.”

“The naval personnel on getting to Area B Command Headquarters, started shooting indiscriminately, sending motorists and residents scampering for safety.

“They smashed the windscreens of some patrol vehicles and one APC was completely demobilised as it tyres were destroyed.

“It took the intervention of the Area Commander, Ali Mohammed, who contacted the naval authorities for help.”

When contacted, the Western Command information officer, Jerry Omodara, told Vanguard that the Navy did not attack the police area command office.

According to him, “What happened was that two naval ratings were on their way home on a motorbike after the close of work and policemen manning a check point at Point Road junction towards Liverpool stopped them. The ratings tried to explain that they were personnel closing from work and the policemen refused to let them go.

The scene where the incident occurred was close to the Hydrographic office of the Navy and a Rear Admiral who saw it happened sent a lieutenant to the scene.

The lieutenant pleaded with the policemen, but they refused to listen. The lieutenant then demanded that they all go to the Area B police Command Headquarters.”

“But on their way to the Command, an RRS patrol van approached and hijacked the situation. The RRS policemen opened fire on the Navy and snatched the motorbike from them.”