The news coming from Northern Nigeria in the
past few days has been very cheery. Media
reports from the Military High Command indicate
that a senior Boko Haram member likely to be an
imitation of the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau,
might have died during a confrontation in
Konduga, Borno State. Lately, it has been one
sobering humiliation after another as the Nigerian
military battle fiercely to repel the advancing
Boko Haram insurgents. First, it was Gwoza, a
border town about 135 kilometres southeast of
Maiduguri, where the insurgents reportedly
sacked all the military formations including a
Police Training College. The terrorists later
occupied the town, hoisted their flag and
proceeded to declare their caliphate. From
Gwoza, they gradually advanced to the next town
known as Bama, which is about 60 kilometres to
Maiduguri the state capital. They attacked and
successfully occupied it. The battle in Bama was
very strategic for the insurgents as they
reportedly sacked the Emir and appointed a new
one. They also took over the Bama Prisons and
captured and imprisoned some locals who refused
to obey their directives.
The capture of these two local government areas
bolstered the confidence of the terrorists and
emboldened them as they continued to chant
songs of victory in jubilation around the town. It
was in Bama that the insurgents attempted a
change in strategy to see if they could enhance
their acceptability and legitimacy within the
communities. They began to break into shops and
allow the local people to collect food items for
free. They also took over some of the houses that
had boreholes and allowed the community
members to collect water for free. However, many
of the community members continued to be
fearful and suspicious of the insurgents.
From Bama, they proceeded to Konduga with full
confidence. The Local Government Area is about
25 kilometres to Maiduguri on the bank of
Ngadda River. In fact, part of the area covered by
the University of Maiduguri falls into the territory
of this local government area. With Gwoza and
Bama fully in the hands of the insurgents, it is
likely that the plan of the insurgents was to
capture Konduga and then use it as a base to
launch an attack on Maiduguri. However, that
was not to be. On their way to Konduga, the
insurgents ran into a calculated ambush of
soldiers who levelled them. The casualty figures
were heavy on the side of the insurgents. In fact,
in one of the videos that shot by the locals,
corpses of the insurgents littered the streets and
farmlands. Community members were seen
raining curses at the corpses of the insurgents.
Before they could consolidate their grip on Bama,
the revelations of the Australian "negotiator", Dr.
Stephen Davies, hit the media and triggered
some finger pointing among politicians. It will be
interesting to find out the level of impact this had
on the success or failure of the insurgents lately.
Another interesting part of what may be an
unfolding drama is that since the insurgency
started, this is probably the first time that the
military successfully ambushed the insurgents.
How come? The pictures from the videos indicate
that Boko Haram is still the same rag-tag group of
ill-trained young men. How have they been
managing to defeat a well-trained Nigerian Army
up to the point that they had to beat a "tactical
manoeuvre" twice into the Republic of Cameroon?
What has changed suddenly?
Another fact that is noteworthy is that many
residents of Maiduguri were jubilant as soon as
they sighted the soldiers indicating that they
were happy with the victory. This suggests that it
is likely that ordinary citizens and Nigerian
soldiers may be in agreement on the need to
eradicate the Boko Haram insurgency. What may
yet be unclear to many observers is the
disposition of senior military officers to this goal.
Who could be jeopardising or even sabotaging the
efforts of these soldiers? Who are those who
issued those conflicting orders that led to many
causalities on the side of the military? What about
the reported withdrawal of soldiers a few hours
before the arrival of the insurgents? How valid are
the complaints that our military is less equipped
than the insurgents and who is to be held
responsible? What about those who allegedly
count rounds of ammunition and give to soldiers
in cellophane bags in a way that put them at risk
and lower their morale? When will a
comprehensive inquiry be done into the probable
reasons that pushed those convicted soldiers
from Giwa Barracks to attempt mutiny even
though they knew that death is the
consequence? It is obvious that the insurgents
are not sophisticated. However, it appears that
they allegedly have possible channels of sensitive
information which they leverage on coupled with
a terrain advantage. It is clearly evident that the
insurgents do not have superior tactics. It
appears the ground is prepared for them perhaps
by some unscrupulous collaborators somewhere
in the crowd.
A clear pattern that is beginning to emerge to
discerning minds that unlike other insurgencies
like the Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Hamas in Palestine
and Talibans in Pakistan, Boko Haram has neither
acceptability nor trust in communities where it
operates. Its new strategy to rebuild legitimacy in
Bama suffered a setback. This legitimacy deficit
may turn out to be its greatest undoing and
should make its defeat and ultimate annihilation
relatively easy. The attack on the rural market in
Mainok suggests that the fighters have now
become hungry with very limited food supplies. If
such a blockade is a deliberate effort, then it
should be sustained as hungry and thirsty
insurgents are likely to have low morale and
surrender faster. Intelligence gathering should be
strengthened in collaboration with embedded
community members. After the second defeat in
Konduga the morale of these fighters might have
been terrified and demoralised. The
bombardment from the military should continue
ceaselessly at such a time. If possible, all the
borders between Cameroon and Nigeria should be
blocked temporarily to ensure that the insurgents
do not escape into their country. In between the
questions raised above and the suggestions
offered, one is confident that the end of Boko
Haram insurgency may not be far away.
Insinuations that the insurgents have the
capacity to fight for another 45 years is a fallacy.
It is not surprising that as they are about settling
down to establish their caliphate and attack
Maiduguri, they are simply throwing themselves
open for a sucker punch. Kudos to our military.
This cup will soon pass us by.
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Sunday, 21 September 2014
FIVE BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS SURRENDER
The Defence authorities have said that five
members of the Boko Haram sect have
surrendered to the troops at Konduga.
The Defence Headquarters said in a tweet on its
twitter handle on Sunday that the five insurgents
surrendered to the military with all their weapons
and pleaded for mercy.
It was also stated in another tweet that other
terrorists in custody of the military were
volunteering useful information on the activities of
the group signifying their readiness to cooperate
with the security forces.
"As the heat on terrorists continues, five terrorists
yesterday (on Saturday) surrendered with all their
weapons to troops at Konduga pleading for
mercy.
"Other captured terrorists have been giving
useful information on the subsequent plans of the
group in an apparent offer to cooperate," the
tweets read.
The troops were said to have recovered large
cache of arms and ammunition from the
insurgents during the battles against the
insurgents at Konduga between Maiduguri and
Bama.
members of the Boko Haram sect have
surrendered to the troops at Konduga.
The Defence Headquarters said in a tweet on its
twitter handle on Sunday that the five insurgents
surrendered to the military with all their weapons
and pleaded for mercy.
It was also stated in another tweet that other
terrorists in custody of the military were
volunteering useful information on the activities of
the group signifying their readiness to cooperate
with the security forces.
"As the heat on terrorists continues, five terrorists
yesterday (on Saturday) surrendered with all their
weapons to troops at Konduga pleading for
mercy.
"Other captured terrorists have been giving
useful information on the subsequent plans of the
group in an apparent offer to cooperate," the
tweets read.
The troops were said to have recovered large
cache of arms and ammunition from the
insurgents during the battles against the
insurgents at Konduga between Maiduguri and
Bama.
Thursday, 18 September 2014
BOKO HARAM NOW IN CHARGE OF 25 TOWNS AND VILLAGES
Boko Haram are in charge of at
least 25 towns and villages in the northeast, the
region's Roman Catholic bishop has claimed,
warning of a deteriorating security situation.
Bishop Oliver Dashe said 10 towns in Yobe state,
the same number in Borno and five in Adawama
had fallen to the rebels over the last month, as
they seek to carve out a hardline Islamic state.
International assistance was now required to
tackle the problem, he told the Nigerian Catholic
Bishops' Conference in the southern city of Warri,
Delta state, on Wednesday.
"As a nation we are almost losing this battle
because it is spinning out of control," he added.
"The earlier we come together as Nigerians,
forgetting our religious, ethnic, regional, cultural
and ideological differences to face this menace
the better for us."
The government has denied losing territory to
Boko Haram and the military has dismissed as
"empty" the militants' claim last month that one
captured town was part of an Islamic caliphate.
Independent verification that militants have
overrun towns and villages is hard to come by
because communications have been destroyed.
Most reports have come from the thousands of
residents who have fled their homes to go to
other towns and cities in the northeast and wider
region.
Military top brass this month admitted that the
militants' territorial ambitions were a threat to
Nigeria's sovereignty.
A series of counter-attacks have been launched
in
recent days, which they claim have successfully
recaptured towns.
Dashe said Boko Haram-related violence had
devastated the Diocese of Maiduguri, which he
represents and covers all three northeast states.
The heavily armed militants were getting the
better of the military, while the region was facing
a humanitarian crisis because of the thousands
displaced, he added.
He criticised the government for "almost
inaction"
and its "lukewarm attitude" in tackling
insecurity,
which had seen young men forcibly conscripted
into the militants' ranks and women forced to
marry Islamist fighters.
"We used to think that salt is the cheapest
commodity in the market, well, life is cheaper
now, especially in the northeastern part of
Nigeria," he told delegates.
"The bottom line is that the government and our
political leaders have failed us and we have lost
total trust and confidence in our government and
our leaders."
least 25 towns and villages in the northeast, the
region's Roman Catholic bishop has claimed,
warning of a deteriorating security situation.
Bishop Oliver Dashe said 10 towns in Yobe state,
the same number in Borno and five in Adawama
had fallen to the rebels over the last month, as
they seek to carve out a hardline Islamic state.
International assistance was now required to
tackle the problem, he told the Nigerian Catholic
Bishops' Conference in the southern city of Warri,
Delta state, on Wednesday.
"As a nation we are almost losing this battle
because it is spinning out of control," he added.
"The earlier we come together as Nigerians,
forgetting our religious, ethnic, regional, cultural
and ideological differences to face this menace
the better for us."
The government has denied losing territory to
Boko Haram and the military has dismissed as
"empty" the militants' claim last month that one
captured town was part of an Islamic caliphate.
Independent verification that militants have
overrun towns and villages is hard to come by
because communications have been destroyed.
Most reports have come from the thousands of
residents who have fled their homes to go to
other towns and cities in the northeast and wider
region.
Military top brass this month admitted that the
militants' territorial ambitions were a threat to
Nigeria's sovereignty.
A series of counter-attacks have been launched
in
recent days, which they claim have successfully
recaptured towns.
Dashe said Boko Haram-related violence had
devastated the Diocese of Maiduguri, which he
represents and covers all three northeast states.
The heavily armed militants were getting the
better of the military, while the region was facing
a humanitarian crisis because of the thousands
displaced, he added.
He criticised the government for "almost
inaction"
and its "lukewarm attitude" in tackling
insecurity,
which had seen young men forcibly conscripted
into the militants' ranks and women forced to
marry Islamist fighters.
"We used to think that salt is the cheapest
commodity in the market, well, life is cheaper
now, especially in the northeastern part of
Nigeria," he told delegates.
"The bottom line is that the government and our
political leaders have failed us and we have lost
total trust and confidence in our government and
our leaders."
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
12 NIGERIAN SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MUTINY
Twelve Nigerian soldiers were on Tuesday
sentenced to death for mutiny after shots were
fired at their commanding officer in the restive
northeast city of Maiduguri earlier this year.
A nine-member military tribunal, sitting in Abuja,
convicted the soldiers following the incident on
May 14 when shots were fired at the
commanding officer of the Nigerian Army's 7th
Division, which is tasked with fighting Boko
Haram insurgents.
Court president Brigadier General Chukwuemeka
Okonkwo said the sentences were subject to
confirmation by Nigeria's military authorities but
added there was no doubt about the gravity of
the offence.
The panel considered "its likely effect on the
counter-insurgency operations in the northeast as
well as its implications on national security", he
told the court.
Nigeria's army has been under pressure to end
the bloody five-year insurgency that has claimed
thousands of lives, made tens of thousands of
others homeless and seen the militants make
territorial gains in the northeast in recent weeks.
Front-line troops have frequently complained of a
lack of adequate weapons and equipment to fight
the rebels.
Residents in towns raided by the Islamists have
said the insurgents are often armed with rocket-
propelled grenades and anti-aircraft weapons
mounted on trucks and, in some cases, armoured
personnel carriers.
Soldiers by contrast have at times reportedly
lacked ammunition and been sent out to the
bush to fight without basic communication
equipment.
Last month, dozens of Nigerian soldiers refused to
deploy for an offensive to try to retake the
captured Borno town of Gwoza, which the
Islamists claimed as part of an Islamic caliphate.
Soldiers' wives also demonstrated at the gate of a
military base in Maiduguri trying to stop their
husbands from heading to Gwoza without proper
equipment.
One of the protesting soldiers, who set up camp
on the outskirts of Maiduguri, said at the time:
"We are being killed like chickens by Boko Haram
because we are not given the required weapons
to fight. We say enough is enough."
The country's military spokesman Chris Olukolade
denied the troops had mutinied and told AFP that
Nigerian soldiers were "too disciplined and
patriotic to indulge in this dangerous offence".
The military has also rejected claims that
hundreds of troops shouldered arms and fled
their posts in border towns overrun by Boko
Haram.
President Goodluck Jonathan has asked
lawmakers to approve a $1 billion (750 million
euros) foreign loan to upgrade the capacity of the
military, which was seen as a tacit
acknowledgement that troops were being out-
matched.
The court martial heard that on the day in
question, the soldiers from 101 Battalion opened
fire at a convoy containing the 7th Division
commander General Amadu Mohammed at an
army medical centre in Maiduguri.
The soldiers had demanded that Mohammed
speak to them after a number of their colleagues
were killed in an ambush on the way back from
the Borno state town of Chibok.
The previous month, Boko Haram fighters
kidnapped more than 200 girls from their school
in the town, triggering global outrage.
Witnesses said the soldiers became unruly and
threw stones at an officer when he arrived and
shots were fired into the air. Mohammed then had
to take cover as they trained their guns on him
but he was not injured.
"The soldiers succeeded in shooting at his staff
car, thereby causing bullet impressions at the
right rear door where the GOC (general officer
commanding) sat," Okonkwo told the court.
"He said thank God for the staff officer who
rushed him into his car and the fact that the staff
car is an armoured plated vehicle."
Eighteen soldiers in total, ranked from private to
corporal, were charged with mutiny, criminal
conspiracy, attempted murder, disobeying
orders, insubordination and false accusation.
Twelve were sentenced to death for mutiny, one
was given 28 days' hard labour on another count
and five were acquitted. All pleaded not guilty.
sentenced to death for mutiny after shots were
fired at their commanding officer in the restive
northeast city of Maiduguri earlier this year.
A nine-member military tribunal, sitting in Abuja,
convicted the soldiers following the incident on
May 14 when shots were fired at the
commanding officer of the Nigerian Army's 7th
Division, which is tasked with fighting Boko
Haram insurgents.
Court president Brigadier General Chukwuemeka
Okonkwo said the sentences were subject to
confirmation by Nigeria's military authorities but
added there was no doubt about the gravity of
the offence.
The panel considered "its likely effect on the
counter-insurgency operations in the northeast as
well as its implications on national security", he
told the court.
Nigeria's army has been under pressure to end
the bloody five-year insurgency that has claimed
thousands of lives, made tens of thousands of
others homeless and seen the militants make
territorial gains in the northeast in recent weeks.
Front-line troops have frequently complained of a
lack of adequate weapons and equipment to fight
the rebels.
Residents in towns raided by the Islamists have
said the insurgents are often armed with rocket-
propelled grenades and anti-aircraft weapons
mounted on trucks and, in some cases, armoured
personnel carriers.
Soldiers by contrast have at times reportedly
lacked ammunition and been sent out to the
bush to fight without basic communication
equipment.
Last month, dozens of Nigerian soldiers refused to
deploy for an offensive to try to retake the
captured Borno town of Gwoza, which the
Islamists claimed as part of an Islamic caliphate.
Soldiers' wives also demonstrated at the gate of a
military base in Maiduguri trying to stop their
husbands from heading to Gwoza without proper
equipment.
One of the protesting soldiers, who set up camp
on the outskirts of Maiduguri, said at the time:
"We are being killed like chickens by Boko Haram
because we are not given the required weapons
to fight. We say enough is enough."
The country's military spokesman Chris Olukolade
denied the troops had mutinied and told AFP that
Nigerian soldiers were "too disciplined and
patriotic to indulge in this dangerous offence".
The military has also rejected claims that
hundreds of troops shouldered arms and fled
their posts in border towns overrun by Boko
Haram.
President Goodluck Jonathan has asked
lawmakers to approve a $1 billion (750 million
euros) foreign loan to upgrade the capacity of the
military, which was seen as a tacit
acknowledgement that troops were being out-
matched.
The court martial heard that on the day in
question, the soldiers from 101 Battalion opened
fire at a convoy containing the 7th Division
commander General Amadu Mohammed at an
army medical centre in Maiduguri.
The soldiers had demanded that Mohammed
speak to them after a number of their colleagues
were killed in an ambush on the way back from
the Borno state town of Chibok.
The previous month, Boko Haram fighters
kidnapped more than 200 girls from their school
in the town, triggering global outrage.
Witnesses said the soldiers became unruly and
threw stones at an officer when he arrived and
shots were fired into the air. Mohammed then had
to take cover as they trained their guns on him
but he was not injured.
"The soldiers succeeded in shooting at his staff
car, thereby causing bullet impressions at the
right rear door where the GOC (general officer
commanding) sat," Okonkwo told the court.
"He said thank God for the staff officer who
rushed him into his car and the fact that the staff
car is an armoured plated vehicle."
Eighteen soldiers in total, ranked from private to
corporal, were charged with mutiny, criminal
conspiracy, attempted murder, disobeying
orders, insubordination and false accusation.
Twelve were sentenced to death for mutiny, one
was given 28 days' hard labour on another count
and five were acquitted. All pleaded not guilty.
850 NIGERIAN SOLDIERS AMBUSHED BY BREAK AWAY BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS
About 850 soldiers shortlisted for a counter-
terrorism course at the Nigerian Army Training
Centre in Kontagora, Niger State narrowly
escaped
death when they were ambushed by suspected
members of the outlawed Boko Haram islamist
sect.
Four of them were however seriously injured in
the incident which took place at a location
between Okene and Lokoja, Kogi State on Sunday
night.
A security source said on Monday that the soldiers
were men of the 322 Artillery Battalion, and the
Fourth Brigade Garrison, Ekeunwa, Benin in Edo
State.
The PUNCH learnt that the 850 soldiers were
expected to give fillip to the ongoing counter-
terrorism operation in Borno and Adamawa states
on completion of the counter- insurgency course.
Our source said there were suspicions that the
attackers were insurgents because of the
intensity
of the gunfire directed at the vans conveying the
soldiers from both sides of the road.
He added that the soldiers, who shot their way
through the ambush, passed the night at the
Nigeria Army formation in Lokoja.
The four injured soldiers, according to him, were
taken to a military facility in Lokoja while the
commanders of the troops addressed the others
on
Monday morning.
The source said, "There was an attack on soldiers
along the Okene-Lokoja Road on Sunday night.
Four
of the soldiers were seriously wounded in the
attack though all of them are still alive and are
receiving treatment at Lokoja.
"The soldiers were on their way for a course at
Kontagora, where they are expected to be
deployed in the North-East for the war against
the insurgents.
"The soldiers were pulled out from two military
formations in Benin–the 322 Artillery Battalion
and the Fourth Brigade Garrison in Ekeunwan,
Benin.
"It was not long that the soldiers returned from
a peacekeeping operation in Sudan; they were
members of the NIBBATT 41 that returned to
the country about two months ago.
"The soldiers were taken unawares as the
attackers operated from both sides of the road
and got four of the soldiers seriously wounded.
"However, they returned the fire and passed
through to Lokoja where they were addressed
the following morning. I believe as I talk to you
that they must have left for Kotangora to
participate in the planned course."
The source said that there were feelings that
somebody might have given out information on
the
movement of the troops from Benin to Kontagora.
Efforts to get the comment of the Director of
Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade,
on
the latest ambush were futile as the calls to his
mobile telephone indicated that it was switched
off.
It will be recalled that about 190 Nigerian troops
were ambushed by militants a few kilometres
from
Okene on January 19, 2013.
The militants were said to have cut through the
convoy of Mali-bound Nigerian Army
peacekeepers
travelling in three luxury buses via Kaduna to
Bamako, Mali.
They first hit the convoy with Improvised
Explosive Devices planted on the highway before
firing on the troops afterwards. Two soldiers were
killed and several others injured during the
attack.
A few days after the incident, a group, Jama'atu
Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan, claimed that it
carried out the attack. The group is a break-
away faction of Boko Haram.
terrorism course at the Nigerian Army Training
Centre in Kontagora, Niger State narrowly
escaped
death when they were ambushed by suspected
members of the outlawed Boko Haram islamist
sect.
Four of them were however seriously injured in
the incident which took place at a location
between Okene and Lokoja, Kogi State on Sunday
night.
A security source said on Monday that the soldiers
were men of the 322 Artillery Battalion, and the
Fourth Brigade Garrison, Ekeunwa, Benin in Edo
State.
The PUNCH learnt that the 850 soldiers were
expected to give fillip to the ongoing counter-
terrorism operation in Borno and Adamawa states
on completion of the counter- insurgency course.
Our source said there were suspicions that the
attackers were insurgents because of the
intensity
of the gunfire directed at the vans conveying the
soldiers from both sides of the road.
He added that the soldiers, who shot their way
through the ambush, passed the night at the
Nigeria Army formation in Lokoja.
The four injured soldiers, according to him, were
taken to a military facility in Lokoja while the
commanders of the troops addressed the others
on
Monday morning.
The source said, "There was an attack on soldiers
along the Okene-Lokoja Road on Sunday night.
Four
of the soldiers were seriously wounded in the
attack though all of them are still alive and are
receiving treatment at Lokoja.
"The soldiers were on their way for a course at
Kontagora, where they are expected to be
deployed in the North-East for the war against
the insurgents.
"The soldiers were pulled out from two military
formations in Benin–the 322 Artillery Battalion
and the Fourth Brigade Garrison in Ekeunwan,
Benin.
"It was not long that the soldiers returned from
a peacekeeping operation in Sudan; they were
members of the NIBBATT 41 that returned to
the country about two months ago.
"The soldiers were taken unawares as the
attackers operated from both sides of the road
and got four of the soldiers seriously wounded.
"However, they returned the fire and passed
through to Lokoja where they were addressed
the following morning. I believe as I talk to you
that they must have left for Kotangora to
participate in the planned course."
The source said that there were feelings that
somebody might have given out information on
the
movement of the troops from Benin to Kontagora.
Efforts to get the comment of the Director of
Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade,
on
the latest ambush were futile as the calls to his
mobile telephone indicated that it was switched
off.
It will be recalled that about 190 Nigerian troops
were ambushed by militants a few kilometres
from
Okene on January 19, 2013.
The militants were said to have cut through the
convoy of Mali-bound Nigerian Army
peacekeepers
travelling in three luxury buses via Kaduna to
Bamako, Mali.
They first hit the convoy with Improvised
Explosive Devices planted on the highway before
firing on the troops afterwards. Two soldiers were
killed and several others injured during the
attack.
A few days after the incident, a group, Jama'atu
Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan, claimed that it
carried out the attack. The group is a break-
away faction of Boko Haram.
Sunday, 14 September 2014
BOKO HARAM CONTROLLED MADAGALI/ MICHIKA CONSTITUENCY IN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
The member representing Madagali/ Michika
Federal Constituency at the House of
Representatives, Hon. Titsi Ganama Kwagga, has
cried out over the humanitarian crisis in the his
constituency following the attack on the area by
members of the Boko Haram sect last Sunday.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Hon. Kwagga said
he was terribly distressed over the plight of his
constituents who had been subjected to untold
hardship and inhuman conditions by the
insurgents who sacked virtually all the
communities in Madagali and Michika local
government areas.
"The entire area has been sacked. And that is
why one cannot give authentic information on the
actual situation in Madagali and Michika. There is
nobody on the ground to give you any
information. What we are getting from there is
mostly based on hearsay; people who have been
sacked and are taking refuge on the
mountainsides are the ones saying they see the
insurgents moving about in the communities. The
situation is worsening by the day, the insurgents
are now going into the villages killing our people.
"Our people that have been sacked are hungry
and helpless. They have no food, no water, no
household provisions and medications. They have
had to resort to eating up crops that are not yet
ready for harvest. The situation is terrible. The
government, including all the relevant agencies
need to intervene urgently to save the people. If
nothing urgent is done, there could be outbreak
of diseases and have you. Their situation is
pathetic and unimaginable," Hon. Kwagga said
bitterly.
He acknowledged that the Nigerian troops may
be doing their best to reclaim the area from the
insurgents and restore normalcy, but called on
the federal government and the National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send
relief materials the way of the sacked
communities taking refuge on the mountainsides.
He lamented that there appeared to be no help
coming from relevant agencies, and suggested
that food items and water could be delivered to
the people by helicopters either by the military or
emergency workers.
Federal Constituency at the House of
Representatives, Hon. Titsi Ganama Kwagga, has
cried out over the humanitarian crisis in the his
constituency following the attack on the area by
members of the Boko Haram sect last Sunday.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Hon. Kwagga said
he was terribly distressed over the plight of his
constituents who had been subjected to untold
hardship and inhuman conditions by the
insurgents who sacked virtually all the
communities in Madagali and Michika local
government areas.
"The entire area has been sacked. And that is
why one cannot give authentic information on the
actual situation in Madagali and Michika. There is
nobody on the ground to give you any
information. What we are getting from there is
mostly based on hearsay; people who have been
sacked and are taking refuge on the
mountainsides are the ones saying they see the
insurgents moving about in the communities. The
situation is worsening by the day, the insurgents
are now going into the villages killing our people.
"Our people that have been sacked are hungry
and helpless. They have no food, no water, no
household provisions and medications. They have
had to resort to eating up crops that are not yet
ready for harvest. The situation is terrible. The
government, including all the relevant agencies
need to intervene urgently to save the people. If
nothing urgent is done, there could be outbreak
of diseases and have you. Their situation is
pathetic and unimaginable," Hon. Kwagga said
bitterly.
He acknowledged that the Nigerian troops may
be doing their best to reclaim the area from the
insurgents and restore normalcy, but called on
the federal government and the National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send
relief materials the way of the sacked
communities taking refuge on the mountainsides.
He lamented that there appeared to be no help
coming from relevant agencies, and suggested
that food items and water could be delivered to
the people by helicopters either by the military or
emergency workers.
NIGERIA'S AIRFORCE DECLARES ITS ONLY FIGHTER JET PARTICIPATING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS MISSING
The Defence authorities have declared missing an
aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force in Adamawa. The
Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris
Olukolade, said in an electronic mail in the early
hours of Sunday that the aircraft, an Alpha jet,
has been missing since Friday, September 12,
2014.
Olukolade said that the aircraft left Yola by 10.45
am on an operational mission and was expected
back to base by 12PM same day but has not been
found. He said that the aircraft had two pilots on
board. The Defence spokesman said that the
military had started search and rescue efforts
meant to establish contact with the crew.
"An Alpha Jet (NAF 466) belonging to the
Nigerian Air Force is missing around Adamawa
State. The aircraft, with two pilots on board, left
Yola at about 10:45am on 12 September, 2014
on a routine operational mission and was
expected back by 12:00 noon. Since then all
efforts to establish contact with the aircraft have
not yielded any positive result. Meanwhile, search
and rescue effort is ongoing to establish contact
with the crew," he said.
aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force in Adamawa. The
Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris
Olukolade, said in an electronic mail in the early
hours of Sunday that the aircraft, an Alpha jet,
has been missing since Friday, September 12,
2014.
Olukolade said that the aircraft left Yola by 10.45
am on an operational mission and was expected
back to base by 12PM same day but has not been
found. He said that the aircraft had two pilots on
board. The Defence spokesman said that the
military had started search and rescue efforts
meant to establish contact with the crew.
"An Alpha Jet (NAF 466) belonging to the
Nigerian Air Force is missing around Adamawa
State. The aircraft, with two pilots on board, left
Yola at about 10:45am on 12 September, 2014
on a routine operational mission and was
expected back by 12:00 noon. Since then all
efforts to establish contact with the aircraft have
not yielded any positive result. Meanwhile, search
and rescue effort is ongoing to establish contact
with the crew," he said.
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