Jonathan orders total war against Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: Reuters

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the armed forces   to launch a full-scale military operation against Boko Haram and other violent organisations to put an end to their impunity   in the country.

“I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability by waging a total war against terrorism,” he said in his nationwide Democracy Day broadcast in Abuja on Thursday.

It was not immediately known what such an offensive could entail given that the North-East where most of the activities of terrorists take place   has been   under   emergency rule and a full-scale military operation for a year now.

But a top Defence Headquarters official toldThe PUNCH shortly after the broadcast that the Special Forces and other security operatives involved in the prosecution of the anti-terrorism campaign would have a near unlimited space to operate.

The phrase “total war”, however, was used by Chad’s President Idriss Deby following a meeting of Nigeria’s neighbours in Paris in mid-May, in which they sought a common strategy to fight the militants.

“I assure you … that these thugs will be driven away. It will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort to achieve this goal,” Jonathan said.

UPDATE: Boko Haram kills Gwoza emir, attacks others in Borno

Suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect on Thursday ambushed three traditional rulers between the Biu –Azare-Garkida Road in Borno State.

The royal fathers are the Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Timta, and his counterparts from Askira Abdullahi Askirama, and the Emir of Uba, Ismaila Manza.

A security source said on Friday that the Gwoza Emir was killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba were missing as at the time of filing the reports.

The Defence Headquarters however said the Emirs of Askira and Uba were rescued by Special Forces who were deployed in Garkida.

          Raw fact about

d student kidnapped. (Let ask
ourselves dis Questions)
234 girls are missing and 234 is
Nigeria’s country code…is there
sum coincidence???
I have been pondering over this
kidnap situation and something
dont add up hence these
questions.
The students are said to be SSS3
student writing physics
examination.
QUESTIONS: 1. Why are their
names not yet published by the
school, state government and
WAEC?
2.Why are their pictures not over
the news media?
3. How come all 234 students are
in SSS3 and all came to write
physics examination when the
total number of students in the
whole school are
around 1200?
4. It was announced that the

Devastating attacks show reach of Boko Haram – CNN

 

A large part of northern and central Nigeria is now at the mercy of intensified attacks by Boko Haram, and the group seems to be embarking on a new phase of its campaign against the Nigerian state — piling further pressure on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The last four days have seen devastating bomb attacks in Jos, in central Nigeria, as well as a suicide bombing in Kano – the largest city in the north. Two more villages in the state of Borno, Boko Haram’s stronghold in the northeast, came under attack, with at least 30 civilians killed. There have also been two bomb attacks in the federal capital, Abuja, in the last five weeks.

Direct your protest to terrorists – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, to henceforth direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not the government.

The President also urged the protesters to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist act.

He has however admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.

Jonathan made the disclosure in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, to a team of #BringBackOurGirlscampaigners, led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwezili.

The protesters, who had planned to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they wanted Jonathan to address them were restricted by security agents to the Federal Secretariat within the Three Arms Zone, a few metres from the Villa gate.

Those who joined Akinjide in the delegation that represented Jonathan at the rally included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; Minister of Women Affairs, Zaynab Maina; and Minister of Environment, Lawrencia Laraba.

           Security operatives surround Presidential Villa

 

 

 

Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar

Security was on Thursday morning beefed up around the Presidential Villa, Abuja, ahead of a protest rally being planned by#BringBackOurGirls campaigners seeking the rescue of the abducted pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The campaigners had threatened to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they are expecting President Goodluck Jonathan to address them on efforts being made to secure freedom for the girls that were seized from the hostels since April 14.

The march is scheduled to start from the Unity Fountain, located close to Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Maitama, at 3pm, and proceed to the Presidential Villa through the Federal Secretariat.

But as of the time of this report, armed security men have been drafted to the two gates leading to the Villa, apparently to stop the protesters from gaining access.

At the Villa gate, approaching from the Fire Service side of Asokoro, policemen and soldiers armed with batons and others had been stationed a few metres to the spot where men of the State Security Service are always stationed

Corruption stalls Nigeria’s war against B’Haram –US

United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall

The United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, has said that corruption is hindering Nigeria’s efforts at ending   insurgency in the North-East.

Sewall, who appeared before a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, alongside a Pentagon top Africa official, Amanda Dory, added that the military must overcome entrenched corruption and incompetence for it to   rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

She said that despite Nigeria’s $5.8bn security budget for 2014, “corruption prevents supplies as basic as bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the front lines of the struggle against Boko Haram.”

Sewall, according to the New York Times, also told the committee that morale was low and that desertions were common among soldiers in the 7th Army Division fighting the insurgents.

She sidestepped a question from one lawmaker asking for an update on the abducted girls’ location and welfare, saying, “Given time, I am hopeful that we will make progress.”

Sewall had on May 13 clarified the level of involvement of US personnel in the rescue of the abducted girls, saying it   would not be combative.

She told select journalists   in Abuja that it was up to Nigeria to accept or reject the prisoners exchange offer made by   Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.

In her testimony, Dory said that Pentagon believed that the girls might have been dispersed into multiple smaller groups.