Another suicide attack was on Saturday foiled by men of the civilian JTF and Troops on 7 Division Nigeria Army at Ummarati Village near on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Soldiers dragging the suspect away
Ummarari community has been recently hit by suicide attack with the last one on a mosque more claiming more than ten worshipers were killed.
In a statement signed by the army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the suicide bomber blew himself off while he was being prevented by some vigilant troops from wrecking havoc on the community.
The statement read; “Troops of 7 Division Garrison Forward Operation Base (FOB), today averted yet another suicide bombing catastrophe on Ummarari community by suspected Boko Haram terrorist at about 7.00am this morning.
“The suicide bomber was intercepted by the vigilant troops and the Civilian JTF while making attempt to enter the village to detonate his dangerous cargo on innocent persons in the Ummarari.
“The suicide bomber detonated the strapped Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest on his body, thus killing himself instantly when he was forced to halt based on suspicion that he was carrying suicide bombing material.
“Thankfully, there was no any other casualty other than the suspected suicide bomber. Troops along with the Civilian JTF at the village are now combing the surrounding area to forestall further attacks and clear the environment of likely remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating.”
The troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested four top Boko Haram commanders of the Ameer Class.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, who described the arrest of the top kingpins of the Boko Haram as “unprecedented” in a statement on Friday said that they were undergoing interrogation.
He said that the troops of the 22 Task Force Brigade arrested the insurgent leaders at Rann, the headquarters of the Kala Balge Local Government area of Borno State on Friday.
The Acting Army Spokesman said that the four Boko Haram commanders were arrested following a tip-off by members of the public.
He said that the arrested kingpins specialised in sustaining the activities of the Boko Haram through all manner of criminal acts.
He gave the identities of the arrested kingpins as Umara Mai Gyaran Rediyo (Radio Technician), Umaru Mai Nama, (who specialises in cattle rustling and sales), Alifa Makinta (a specialist on stealing foodstuffs) and Balu Jugudum (in charge of stolen jewellery).
He said, “Troops of 3 Battalion, of 22 Task Force Brigade have made an unprecedented catch with the arrest of four Boko Haram terrorists Ameers (kingpins) at Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area today, Friday, 22nd April 2016. The arrested kingpins specialised on various aspects of criminality to sustain the Boko Haram terrorist group in their areas.
“The four terrorists were arrested following a tip off by well meaning members of the public.”
“Subsequently, the troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the general area that led to the apprehension of the terrorist leaders, who contribute to the sustenance of the insurgency through their illegal trade specialisation.”
The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu and his convoy were about 8.30am, Tuesday, ambushed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists during the general’s visit troops in Bama local government area of Borno state.
Boko Haram Kingpin
Bama is south east and about 75 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman in a statement issued on the platform of Operation Lafiya Dole said, 1 soldier loss his live and 2 others were injured during the ambush.
“Although 1 soldier loss his live and 2 others were injured, they were able to clear the ambush, killing some of the terrorists and recovered vehicle and weapons from them. The recovered items include a Toyota Hilux vehicle, 2 AK-47 rifles and several ammunitions.
“The Acting GOC has continued his operational visit to Bama, while the body of the late soldier and the wounded have been evacuated to Maiduguri. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has also spoken with the GOC.
“The Nigerian Army wish to reiterate its unalloyed commitment and determination to continue to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding”. Kukasheka stated.
The troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered large cache of arms and ammunition from the Boko Haram insurgents in Gursum, Borno State.
Boko Haram bomb factory
The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, said this in the text of a press briefing on the recovered arms and ammunition, forwarded to our correspondent that the troops recovered the items following a tip off.
He said that the troops and some members of the civilian JTF were mobilised for a clearance operation at Borgozo-Alargana following the intelligence, where the items were recovered.
According to him, the items recovered included 36 boxes of .51mm calibre, 5 x 20 Lyra beefcake mixture of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, large quantity of 7.62mm (Special), ammunition and one 81mm mortar tube.
He added that the troops also recovered one Toyota Hilux, a generator and several motorcycles.
Irabor said that the patrol team also cleared some remnants of the Boko Haram who were dislodged from Alagarno and were in three camps at Kadari, Abu Fayima and Gursum.
He appealed to Nigerians especially in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to continue to provide useful information to the security agencies to enable them to complete the clearance of the insurgents from all their hideouts in the area.
“Following a tip off troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and some Civilian JTF today (Sunday) went on a clearance patrol to Borgozo-Alargano general area in which they discovered large cache of arms and ammunition concealed by Boko Haram terrorists.
“The patrol team also cleared remnants of Boko Haram terrorists that were dislodged from Alagarno forest hibernating at Kadari, Camp Abu Fatima and Gursum.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to appeal to all Nigerians and in particular, the good people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to continue to provide useful information to troops in order to facilitate complete routing of the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents hiding in their localities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the BringBackOurGirls advocacy group, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, says the initial inaction of the government to confront and take genuine actions against the Boko Haram militant group escalated the attacks so far perpetrated by the sect.
She said if the government had swung into action when 29 school boys of the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, were slaughtered and burnt by the militants, the activities of the sect might have been curtailed. She noted that only a nation that sees no value in its citizens could afford to ignore them.
Addressing worshippers at the Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, on Sunday on the commemoration of the second year anniversary since over 297 school girls were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, Ezekwesili regretted that it was about the same time the “abominable act” in Yobe was perpetrated by the sect that the Federal Government still went ahead with the centenary celebration.
“Even some of my colleagues in the global community that came for the centenary celebration apologised, saying they couldn’t understand why the centenary celebration went on despite the attack, but that by virtue of their offices, they had to attend the event,” she added.
She said such an act by the government could have given the militants the leeway to carry out more attacks.
She added, “Since they (Boko Haram) got away with their action the first time and nothing was done about it, they increased the number of their targets the second time. No wonder, less than two months after, on April 14, 2014, 276 girls were kidnapped in Chibok, out of which 57 managed to escape and 219 are still being held captive.
“When people behave badly and there is no consequence, you have given them a licence for worst behaviour. If the Chibok girls were the children of the elites, a distress call about their abduction would have received a speedy response.”
Ezekwesili, who is a former Minister of Education and Vice President of the World Bank, vowed that nothing would make her to stop talking about the girls until justice was done to them, adding that it was unfortunate that the importance placed on crude oil and pipelines by the system had taken the place of the citizens of the country.
“The Chibok girls are the symbol to bring all of us back to what really matters in life, which is the human life, and not any material acquisition or any other thing,” she added.
The Senior Pastor, DCC, Sam Adeyemi, prayed for the release of the girls, assuring that the church would not stop praying for their release.
Hundreds of millions of pounds of British foreign aid given to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram terrorists is instead being used to fund a witch-hunt against opposition politicians, it is being claimed.
Buhari
Britain has committed to spending £860 million in foreign aid to Nigeria, which now boasts Africa’s largest economy, to help support the country’s efforts to crush Boko Haram terror group, which has been responsible for a spate of outrages, including the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls.
But Western officials are now raising concerns that the government of the country’s recently elected leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, is misusing the funds to persecute political opponents.
Since Mr Buhari came to power last July, a number of prominent members of the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been arrested and imprisoned without charge. Among those detained was the party’s official spokesperson.
Most of the arrests have been sanctioned by the government-controlled Economic and Financial Crime Commission, which was set up to tackle corruption and receives funding from the Department for International Development.
But while Mr Buhari’s government continues to use British aid money to target his political opponents, it is proving less effective at tackling the Islamist-run Boko Haram terrorist group.
Much of the aid Britain provides to Nigeria is aimed at helping the country’s security forces to become more effective at tackling Boko Haram, which boasts of its links with Islamic State (Isil) and achieved international notoriety two years ago after kidnapping 276 schoolgirls in northern Nigeria two years ago.
Scores of British military personnel – including members of the Special Forces – are based in Nigeria helping to train the military to tackle Boko Haram. But despite Mr Buhari’s pledge during last year’s general election campaign that he would make tackling Boko Haram one of his top priorities, there is growing concern among Western officials that the Nigerian military is failing to take effective action against the terrorists.
This has resulted in Boko Haram now being regarded as the world’s deadliest terrorist organisation, responsible for more deaths than Isil. There are now reports that the group is trying to train kidnapped children to act as suicide bombers.
“This is a scandal in the making,” explained a senior U.S. official. “There is no doubt the growing strength of Boko Haram is because President Buhari is far more interested in settling scores with his political opponents than concentrating his energy on defeating terrorists,” “The result is that Nigeria is starting to look more and more like a police state while Boko Haram just goes from strength to strength.”
Another Western diplomat added: “If Buhari was serious about fighting corruption he would be focusing all of his efforts on targeting corruption that is impeding Nigeria’s ability to focus its efforts on tackling Boko Haram.”
Accusations that Nigeria is abusing British aid will add to the growing controversy over Downing Street’s commitment to spend 0.7 percent of GDP on the foreign aid budget. Last week the Telegraph reported that DFID was under pressure to cancel £200 million of foreign aid to Tanzania following concerns over a widely condemned election
This resulted in Dr Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, accusing the government of “spraying money around” simply to achieve the 0.7 per cent target.
Western officials have expressed concern about Mr Buhari’s increasingly autocratic style of government since he came to power last year. A retired major-general, Mr Buhari, 73, previously headed a brutal military dictatorship following a coup in December 1983, which lasted until he was overthrown by another coup in 1985.
Now political opponents claim he is returning to his old dictatorial ways, abusing British aid meant to improve Nigeria’s ability to tackle Boko Haram to consolidate his hold on power.
Apart from the concerns over British aid, American officials are also angry that $2.1 billion of aid given to the Nigerian military to tackle Boko Haram has not been properly accounted for.
Mr Buhari’s claim that he is winning the war against Boko Haram – recently claimed the group no longer poses a serious threat – has been undermined by recent revelations the Nigerian authorities have tried to cover up the fact that hundreds more schoolchildren have been abducted by Boko Haram.
Human rights activists have now confirmed that around 400 women and children were abducted last year by militants from the Nigerian town of Damasak.
It is now believed that some of these children may have been trained as suicide bombers. U.S. counter-terrorism experts say at least 105 women and girls trained by Boko Haram have taken part in suicide attacks since June 2014.
This article was first published by Con Coughlin, Defence Editor of UK’s Telegraph
The DSS on Saturday explained how it arrested Mohammed Usman believed to be second in ranking to Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Abubakar Shekau
Usman, who was arrested on the suspicion of taking part in several terrorism crimes in the country, is also known as Khalid al-Barnawi, Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda and Alhaji Tanimu.
He was said to have been arrested by the DSS on April 1 in Lokoja, Kogi State, while allegedly hiding under a false cover.
Al-Barnawi was said to be a founding member of the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad (Boko Haram) and later the Amir of the break-away faction, Jama’at Ansarul Muslimim Fi Biladi Sudan (JAMBS).
Opuiyo described the suspect as a trained terrorist, who, he said, had coordinated many terrorist activities in the country.
He said, “Khalid Al-Barnawi is a trained terrorist commander, who has been coordinating terrorist activities in Nigeria, while talent-spotting and recruiting vulnerable young and able Nigerians for terrorist training by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in North African States and the Middle-East.
“The suspect was involved in many terrorist attacks in states of the federation, including Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Sokoto and Abuja. This resulted in the killing and maiming of innocent citizens of this country.
‘Albarnawi is also responsible for the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja on 26th August, 2011; the kidnapping of two European civil engineers in Kebbi State in May, 2011, and their subsequent murder in Sokoto State; the kidnap of a German engineer, Edgar Raupach, in January 2012; the kidnap and murder of seven expatriate staff of Setraco Construction Company at Jama’are in Bauchi State in February 2013; and the attack on Nigerian troops at Okene in Kogi State while on transit to Abuja for an official assignment.”
Opuiyo said the suspect would soon be charged to court to face his charges after investigations were completed.
Frankly speaking, this is the least I will comprehend from Buhari and his government, not even in my daydreams. It’s the greatest mistake to be done at this critical time in our national struggles.
80 Boko Haram members surrendered to Nigerian army in Borno
We overwhelmingly gave our mandate on March 28th, 2015 to a government we hope will respond to our plights, one main reason for supporting PMB was the confidence we have that he’ll eradicate our daily killers and safeguard our lives and properties, but surprisingly, the same government wants to reunite us back with our killers.
I can’t imagine shaking hands with rehabilitated Boko Haram members, while remembering the thousands if not millions of innocent fellows they brutally slaughtered in broad-daylight in the name of one so-called holy war.
I am against this plan and I am optimistic no Nigerian will welcome such a mistake especially those in the troubled northeastern region who lost family members, friends, properties and those that were made refugees in their own land all by the inhuman activities of these bloodthirsty haramites.
This is a gross betrayal of our mandate and also a gross violation of our anti-terrorism laws which stipulates death penalty for Nigerians found guilty of treason, murder and terrorism. Whoever brought this idea is not helping PMB, himself and Nigeria as a whole, this is the greatest offside ever in the governmental lexicon of our nation.
Forget about any so-called international treatise or convention and use your no6, we cannot accept or implement policies aimed at destroying our lives in trying to obey international laws.
No amount of western pressure will make us accept this rubbish, why didn’t the United States rehabilitate and reintegrate Umar Faruk Mutatallib back to their society?
How many terrorists were arrested in America, Europe and other western countries, and how many of them were rehabilitated and reintegrated back to their various societies?
What we failed to understand is that these idiots called surrendered BH members didn’t surrendered because they were against BH activities, no, they surrendered to beg for mercy in a tactical maneuver because the military have totally overpowered them.
How many among them did surrendered when they were having a filled day unleashing terror on the common man in a free for all manner during GEJ’s regime of insensitivity? Why now? This is like giving them another chance to regroup and strike again.
This is akin to a scenario where you went to arrest a thief and after a lengthy period of gun duel, the thief having ran out of firepower came out with his hands on his head and surrendered to you, will you pardon him just because he did what must be done wittingly or unwittingly?
Wait a minute, where’s the whereabouts of our chibok girls and thousands other abducted citizens? These demons kidnapped thousands of our people, raped them, abused them, sold them into slavery and murdered hundreds in captivity.
+Yet, our government thinks it’s a good idea to pardon them and bring them back to the society while our abducted maidens varnished into thin air, and you think we will accept them back? Never, it is not and cannot be possible at all.
If care is not taken, this move to rehabilitate and reintegrate BH demons will ignite the unexpected, just that we are being patient and enduring several untold hardship because we have faith in PMB and wanting to give him a benefit of doubt, doesn’t warrant working against our collective existence, we may be force to come out en mass and occupy the streets if PMB is to go ahead with his plans to pardon our great killers.
Let’s all rise up and reject this move by voicing out our frustrations until it reaches all the relevant authorities concerned, we say NO to BH rehabilitation and re-integration, NO! NO! NO! We must criticise whatever is wrong and praise all that’s right, i think this is why we are change agents.
Anyway, I still have faith in PMB and very confident he’ll deliver and make Nigerians proud. #MayBuhariSucceed but not this time, not in reuniting us with the angels of death. Please join the hash-tag #BokoHaramMustDie and say NO.
Usama Dandare, a social commentator write from Sokoto. You can reach him via email at osadaby@yahoo.com or twitter via @osadaby.
ABUJA — The Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, said yesterday that convicted members of the Boko Haram sect in the country could not be executed because the laws under which they were tried did not prescribe death sentence.
Alleged fake Boko Haram members
He disclosed this at the launch of amnesty’s report on Global Death Sentences and Executions 2015, in Abuja, yesterday. The attorney-general, who was represented by Sylvester
The attorney-general, who was represented by Sylvester Imahanobe, also promised to work with Amnesty International to stop execution of convicted criminals in the country, if the international human rights body proposed a bill to that effect.
He said: “Terrorists in Nigeria are tried under the Terrorism Prevention Act which does not carry death penalty. That is why even those Boko Haram members, who have been convicted cannot be executed because the maximum sentence prescribed by the law is life sentence.” The AGF said he would be pleased to support any bill that came from Amnesty International on the abolition of death sentence in the country, pointing out that “studies have shown that death penalty has not stopped people from committing crimes.”
The AGF said he would be pleased to support any bill that came from Amnesty International on the abolition of death sentence in the country, pointing out that “studies have shown that death penalty has not stopped people from committing crimes.”
Malami revealed that the country was working towards ensuring that the prison system was corrective and not punitive, as it is currently. Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Mohammed Ibrahim, said there was a “dramatic global rise in the number of executions recorded in 2015 which saw more people put to death than at any point in the last quarter-century.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Mohammed Ibrahim, said there was a “dramatic global rise in the number of executions recorded in 2015 which saw more people put to death than at any point in the last quarter-century.”
He said the surge was largely fuelled by Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which brought the number of people executed worldwide to 1,634 people, a rise of more than 50 per cent on the year before and the highest number Amnesty International had recorded since 1989.
The Defence authorities have said that not less than 800 members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect had surrendered to the military in the last three weeks.
80 Boko Haram members surrendered to Nigerian army in Borno
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed to our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday that 800 of the insurgents surrendered to the troops of the Nigerian Army in the last three weeks.
He said, “I can confirm that about 800 of the Boko Haram members have surrendered to the military.”
Abubakar spoke barely 24 hours after the Defence Headquarters announced the establishment of a rehabilitation camp for repentant Boko Haram members.
Abubakar had said in a statement on Tuesday that the rehabilitation camp was being established under Operation Safe Corridor which was created as a platform to rehabilitate and integrate repentant members of the sect to the society.
He had said that the insurgents would be made to go through vocational training under the programme and empowered for reintegration into the society.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said on Wednesday that it had rescued 11,595 captives of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East in the last one month.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Wednesday that some of the hostages were rescued from the communities erstwhile under Boko Haram control in the North-East while others were received from Cameroon.
He stated that out of the figure, the troops of the 155 Task Force Battalion received 10,000 refugees from the Cameroonian authorities at Banki and the Bama area on March 1,2916.
Usman said that the Army Headquarters Special Forces Battalion rescued 779 captives at Fotokol general area between Nigeria and Cameroon in addition to 63 others freed from Boko Haram at Maleri, Borno State.
He added that the troops of the 254 Task Force Battalion also rescued 45 persons at Kuaguru, while 143 Battalion similarly rescued 27 persons at Gadayamo,15 at Galadadani Dam in Madagali and 10 persons from Disa village in the first week March, 2016.
The Acting Army spokesman added that troops of the 22 Brigade and their counterparts from the Army Headquarters Strike Group freed 309 hostages from the Boko Haram at the Kala Balge general area on March 23, 2016.
According to him, similar efforts yielded results with the rescue of 48 men, 85 women, 137 children at Zahdra and Weige villages by troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade on March 30,2016.
The security operatives on Friday made a major breakthrough in the intensified campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency by arresting the leader of the Ansaru Islamic Sect, Khalid Albarnawi.
Abubakar Shekau
The Acting Director Defence information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the arrest of the top wanted terror suspect to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Saturday.
Abubakar said that Albanarwi was second in command to Abubakar Shekau in the hierarchy of the dreaded Boko Haram Sect.
He attributed the arrest of Albarnawi to effective collaborative efforts among the various security agencies in the country.
The Acting Defence Spokesman said that with the arrest of the top leader of Ansaru, regarded as Shekau’s second in command, the days of the Boko Haram Sect were numbered.
According to him, the arrested terror suspect was cooperating with security operatives in the area of volunteering information.
However, Abubakar was not specific about which of the security agencies were in custody of the top terror suspect.
He called on Nigerians to cooperate with the security agencies in the ongoing onslaught on the Boko Haram by volunteering necessary information and intelligence to them.
He said, “I can confirm that he (Albarnawi) is in custody. It is a product of the existing synergy among the security agencies which led to this breakthrough in the war on terror.
“Nigerians should assist the security agencies with relevant information and intelligence, I can say that the days of Boko Haram are numbered.
“We have just confirmed that he has been nabbed and he is with the relevant agencies and as time goes, people would know how this kind of person was nabbed and it is due to the synergy existing among the security agencies.
“He has been arrested and he is with the relevant agencies and he is cooperating with giving information.
“He is the second-in-command as far as the Boko Haram hierarchy is concerned. So their days are numbered by the grace of God.”
An online portal, the Cable, had quoted Ahmad Salkida, a journalist, known for his access to some of the leaders of the Boko Haram has having said that Albarnawi was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services in Lokoja and moved to Abuja on Friday.
The Ansaru leader, Albarnawi, who reportedly trained in the North African country of Algeria is believed to be highly influential in the nation’s terror network.
Ansaru which was formed as a splinter group of the Boko Haram in January 26, 2012 and it claimed responsibility for the November 2012 attack on the Special Anti Robbery Squad Headquarters, Abuja.
Several top commanders of the Boko Haram were released in the attack which was praised in a YouTube video by Shakau’s in a message to the ‘Soldiers of God in the Islamic State of Mali.’
Also, in the early hours of January 19, 2013, Ansaru attacked a convoy of Mali-bound Nigerian soldiers numbering 180 from the Second Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Oyo state, killing three soldiers among others.
On June 21, 2013, the United States Department of State had declared the leader of the Boko Haram Sect, Abubakar Shekau, and two of his lieutenants Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi as ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorists’ under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224.
The State Department had said then that ‘Shekau is the most visible leader of Boko Haram based in northern Nigeria, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar, have ties to Boko Haram abs have close links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.’
The troops of the Nigerian Army have killed nine members of the Boko Haram sect during a clearance operation at Wulwuta near Jere in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Boko Haram Kingpin
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion who carried out the operation also destroyed an Improvised Explosive Devices factory in the area.
Usman said that the troops recovered ‘one laptop, a solar panel, a pair of Nigerian military desert and woodland camouflage uniform each, as well as bandolier vest and six ready IEDs pressure plates.’
Also said to have been recovered from the insurgents were a loaded pistol with registration number D557954, three rounds of 7.65mm, 13 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunitions and combat boots, among others.’
According to Usman, the troops also freed 21 captives of the deadly sect now said to be undergoing screening at the headquarter of the 155 Brigade for medical attention and possible hand over to the relevant agencies.
Usman stated that the rescued comprised eight men, four women, and nine children.
He added the troops also defused two artillery shells that were loaded with IEDs by the insurgents.
He stated however that a soldier was injured in action during the operation.
A new video was released on Friday by the Boko Haram jihadist group, denying any suggestion that it might negotiate with the Federal Government.
Abubakar Shekau
This is coming just about a week after its leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in March that his time as the head of the group might be coming to an end.
The previous video showed Shekau, who appeared thin and spiritless, delivering his message without his usual fiery manner.
This had prompted speculation from the Army that the Islamist group was on the verge of collapse in the face of a sustained military counter-insurgency.
However, in a Friday video posted on YouTube, which showed men holding AK-47s and posing in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military cannon, Boko Haram maintained that it was still a potent fighting force and would not surrender.
According to an AFP report, a masked man in camouflage said in a prepared script in Hausa that, “You should know that there is no truce, there are no negotiations, there is no surrender. This war between us will not stop.”
The video, of markedly better quality than Shekau’s and including Arabic subtitles, featured nine masked Boko Haram fighters standing on sandy ground in an undisclosed desert location.
It is, however, unclear whether Shekau was among the masked people in the video.
“Shekau is still the head of the ‘West African wing’,” said the masked man, who likened the sect to the Islamist insurgents in Iraq, Libya and Syria.
Boko Haram, which has killed over 20,000 people and displaced more than two million people from their homes, had pledged allegiance to ISIS in March 2015.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has won back a number of territories from the militants, rescuing thousands of people who had been living under the sect’s control.
Commenting on the new video, an Africa security specialist, Ryan Cummings, said, “The (new) video appears to confirm collaboration between Boko Haram and the Islamic State group. The production quality bears the hallmarks of the Islamic State’s media wing.”
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Wednesday declared that no pupil was abducted by Boko Haram from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
Fayose vows to lead opposition against APC
Over 200 pupils of the school were reportedly abducted in 2014 by the terror group.
The governor said the report was politically motivated to influence public opinion against the Goodluck Jonathan administration ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Fayose spoke while declaring open a two-day workshop on “Political Aspirants Capacity Enhancement” organised by Women Arise for Change Initiative. It was organised for women from Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states.
He said, “Today, many opposition leaders are underground. I don’t think any of these girls is missing; it is a political strategy. Who is fooling who? If you wanted to use it to remove some people, you have succeeded already.
“I don’t know if there are missing girls but no indication has shown that. It is a political strategy, because I don’t think any girl is missing. If they are missing, let them find them.”
The governor also took a swipe at #BringBackOurGirls campaigners, saying some of them are using it to look for appointments.
He lamented that human rights groups had decided to keep quite since President Muhammadu Buhari came on board.
Fayose said, “I’m concerned about the activities of human rights groups. Today the government of the day is obeying court order of their choice, while human rights are not respected.
“We must talk about government providing cover for criminals. You are now using that person to harass innocent person. You will never have peace when you hide justice.”
He added, “Police came into town yesterday (Tuesday) to arrest political opponents. If you like, demonise me, I will demonise you. I don’t need the police and the SSS (Department of State Services) to walk in my state. It is when you are not popular that you walk with police.
“Any government that rises against me, that government will come down. I’m Peter the rock. By engaging me, you make me more popular and relevant and then court sympathy. I’m one person that is going places. That is why all these challenges are against me.”
The governor urged women seeking elective offices to be loyal to their husbands.
The President of the initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, said the objective of the workshop was to enhance women political participation and their inclusion in decision making process by promoting female political aspirants and appointees. She said it was to encourage a more massive political mobilisation of women.
She lamented that Nigerian women had not fully involved themselves in politics, despite the constitutional provisions giving them rights to political participation.
A suspected female suicide bomber who was intercepted in northern Cameroon on Friday before she could blow herself up claimed to be one of the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, North-East Nigeria in April 2014, military and local government sources said.
Chibok girls
According to a Reuters report on Friday, two girls carrying explosives were stopped by local self-defence forces in the village of Limani in northern Cameroon.
They were then handed over to Cameroonian soldiers belonging to a multi-national force set up to take on Boko Haram.
Boko Haram militants raided Chibok, Borno State in April 2014, abducting about 300 schoolgirls, who have since been in their captivity.
Despite several promises by former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari, the girls have yet to be found.
“One of them indeed declared that she is one of the Chibok hostages. She is around 15. We are now verifying, because on the Nigerian side they have the names and photos of these girls,” a local government administrator, Raymond Roksdo, told Reuters.
Two military sources, who asked not to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the press, also confirmed that the girl had claimed to have been one of the Chibok abductees.
“We need a few days to be able to confirm this information. We have to debrief all the men who were present and interrogate the two girls before we can say anything,” one of the military sources said.
Meanwhile, the troops of the Nigerian Army have killed two female suicide bombers who were allegedly planning attacks in Borno State.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said that soldiers of the 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri, on Friday intercepted the two female suicide bombers around 1.20 am south of Umurari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Usman said that while one of the female suicide bombers detonated the explosives strapped to her body and killed herself on sighting the soldiers, the other was taken out by one of the snipers of the garrison.
He said that the combined team of the army and the Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal detonated the explosive device that was strapped to the body of the late female suicide bomber.
He said the troops and the members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were combing the area to prevent a further breach of peace there.
He said, “The ever alert and vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison based in Maiduguri, in conjunction with Civilian JTF, averted yet another suicide attack on the innocent citizens of Borno State today.
“The troops intercepted two female suicide bombers at about 1.20am this morning, almost 100 metres south of Umurari village, outskirts of Maiduguri.
“However, one of the suicide bombers, on sighting our troops, detonated her explosive device, killing herself instantly, while the second bomber, in an attempt to escape, was gunned down by one of the garrison snipers.
“The combined team of the Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team safely detonated the unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices strapped on the gunned down suicide bomber.
“It is important to state that there was no casualty beyond the two suicide bombers. Presently, the troops and the Civilian JTF deployed in the village are now combing the general area to forestall further breach of security.”
The Public Relations Officer, 28 Task Force Brigade, Mubi, Adamawa State, Capt A.O. Fadare, says some of the women abducted by insurgents in Madagali have been rescued.
Fadare told the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview that soldiers rescued the women while pursuing the insurgents.
Fadare, who did not give the number of the rescued women, however, said he was still trying to verify.
“I am still trying to verify from Madagali as you know, the operation is still on,” Fadare said.
About 16 women who had gone to fetch firewood in the forest around Sabongari village of Madagali on Wednesday, were kidnapped by insurgents.
Elements of 22 Brigade Garrison carried out clearing operation at Dalore camp on Sunday in which they killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists among whom was Ameer of Dalore.
Boko Haram Kingpin
The troops also captured 2 AK-47 Rifles, 1 Small Machine Gun and 1 Hand Grenade and recovered 4 pickup vehicles.
The troops also rescued 67 hostages from the terrorists. The freed hostages are undergoing screening at Internally Displaced Persons in Dikwa.
During the operation the troops Mine Resistant Anti-Personnel (MRAP) vehicle ran into an Improvised Explosive Device and had a damaged tyre.
We are on your side to tackle Boko Haram – German Deputy Defence Minister
The German Deputy Defence Minister, Dr Ralf Brauksiepe has said that Germany is on the side of Nigeria to curtail Boko Haram insurgents. He pledged his country’s total commitment to the Nigerian Armed Forces in their quest to defeat the violent terrorist group in country. Dr Brauksiepe disclosed this when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja to further boost the German – Nigeria’s military bilateral relations.
While congratulating the CDS for the tremendous success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North East of Nigeria, Dr Brauksiepe also observed that the Nigerian Armed Forces has displayed exceptional competence and professionalism in the fight against insurgents and criminal elements in line with global best practices.
The Deputy Defence Minister further expressed his country’s determination to explore avenues of common economic and security interest that may benefit both countries especially in the area of curbing sea piracy within the gulf of Guinea.
In his welcome address, General Olonisakin noted that the Nigerian military has over the years benefited a lot from the German Government through various military aids and therefore solicited for more support from the German Government in the area of provision of logistic support, intelligence gathering and technical assistance for the Multi-national Joint Task Force established to checkmate terrorists network in the West African sub-region. He said Nigerian military would no doubt continue to partner with German military on defence related matters to enhance the bilateral cooperation which has been in existence for over 5 decades.
The German Deputy Defence Minister was accompanied by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, the Defence Attachee and some senior military officials from Berlin, while the CDS received the German delegation in company of his Principal Staff Officers
Both the British and United States (U.S.) governments knew where some of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram members from Chibok were hidden but felt powerless to launch a rescue mission, it has been reported.
More than 200 girls have remained missing since 2014 when they were kidnapped by the terrorist group from a boarding school in Chibok while preparing for end-of-year exams.
Although 57 of the 276 girls managed to escape, the rest have not been seen since May 2014, when they appeared in a video reciting verses of the Koran.
But a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock, has said that a large group of the missing girls were spotted but the governments felt any rescue attempt was risky.
He told The Sunday Times: “A couple of months after the kidnapping, fly-bys and an American eye in the sky spotted a group of up to 80 girls in a particular spot in the Sambisa forest, around a very large tree, called locally the Tree of Life, along with evidence of vehicular movement and a large encampment.
“A land-based attack would have been seen coming miles away and the girls killed, an air-based rescue, such as flying in helicopters or Hercules, would have required large numbers and meant a significant risk to the rescuers and even more so to the girls.
“You might have rescued a few but many would have been killed. My personal fear was always about the girls not in that encampment — 80 were there, but 250 were taken, so the bulk were not there. What would have happened to them? You were damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
Seven Boko Haram terrorists have been killed in an ambush at Dawashi by troops of 7 Brigade in Maiduguri.
A statement yesterday by Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, said some items recovered from the terrorists include petrol, IEDs, 1 AK-47 and a Peugeot Station Wagon.
The statement said: “Troops of 7 Brigade have ambushed and killed seven Boko Haram terrorists at Dawashi early this morning. The gallant troops that laid in wait at the terrorists suspected crossing point engaged them on sight, killed the seven terrorists and recovered One Peugeot Station Wagon loaded with 2,010 litres of Premium Motor Spirit packed in 67 Jerri cans, uniforms, some materials and Improvised Explosive making Devices (IEDs).
A suicide bomber attack killed 22 persons and injured 11 others at mosque in Borno State this morning.
A member of the youth vigilance group told our correspondent that the suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Molai-Umarari village, behind the Molai Hospital, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the incident occurred at about 5am during the Muslim early morning prayers.
He said members of the youth vigilance group subsequently trooped to the area to offer assistance to the injured and get the dead to the mortuary.
“Presently I am at the scene of the attack, we have our men here with soldiers and emergency workers who are working to bring back normalcy and get both the dead and injured to the hospital,” he said.
Molai is about 10 kilometres from Maiduguri on the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu Road.
