National security remains our topmost priority - President Buhari

Abuja - President Muhammadu Buhari has said that significant improvements in national security remains the topmost priority of his administration.
The president made the statement on Thursday in Abuja when he granted audience to Britain's Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Nicholas Houghton.
He said that security was imperative because other socio-economic initiatives could not be successfully implemented without adequate security in the country.
He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to end the Boko Haram insurgency as quickly as possible.
Buhari said: "for a country to be efficiently administered, it must first be well secured because other social and economic initiatives cannot thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity.

 An environment has to be secured before it can be rehabilitated. Nigeria currently has about 1.5 million internally displaced persons and they need to be returned to their homes and brought out of trauma.
"Their schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, farms and livelihoods have been destroyed by insurgents. If they are not catered for, the country may lose their loyalty.
"When Boko Haram is pushed out and the environment secured, normal life will be restored.
"That is what we are determined to do. Other things like farming, economic activities and social life will then return. Nigerians are quite enterprising.’’
The president said that Nigeria appreciated Britain's support for the retraining of its Armed Forces and asked for more assistance in other areas such as logistics, equipment and intelligence.
He also called for more international support for regional efforts to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea through which "crude oil stolen from Nigeria is shipped’’.
In his remarks, Houghton said that the Buhari Presidency was a huge opportunity for Nigeria to make progress.
He said that he was very impressed with the progress Nigeria had made in the war against terrorism under Buhari.
Houghton assured the President that Britain would continue to support the Federal Government's efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
"We will also help to ensure that the causes of insurgency are removed.
"Beyond the military dimension, we are also interested in the stabilisation dimension,’’ he said.

- NAN

Syria and Russia Continue Coordinated Assault on Militants

BEIRUT, Lebanon — In a second day of a coordinated air and ground assaults in Syria, Russian warplanes, Syrian troops and their militia allies attacked insurgents on Thursday in a contested area of Hama Province, next to Syria’s coastal mountains, a critical government stronghold.

The attacks, reported by insurgents and by a monitoring group, came as the Syrian Army’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayoub, declared sweeping goals for the new offensive via state-run news media, saying that government forces would capitalize on the Russian airstrikes with “a wide-scale attack” aimed at rooting out insurgents, “liberating the areas and towns which have been suffering the woes and crimes of terrorism.”

Russia’s entry has upended the battlefield in Syria, where four years of war have left a quarter of a million dead and half the country displaced, giving a new infusion of morale to the government and deepening Russia’s alliance in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad, Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

The focus of the newly intensified and coordinated campaign has been in an area straddling the provinces of Idlib and Hama, where insurgent gains in recent months seem to have spurred the increased Russian intervention.

The insurgent groups there do not include the Islamic State, which both Russia and the United States vow to defeat as it seeks to entrench its self-declared caliphate further east in Syria and Iraq. Rather, the groups are led by an Islamist coalition called Army of Conquest. That group includes Al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate and, while its main declared goal is ousting Mr. Assad, its member groups also clash with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

Opponents of Mr. Assad, including the United States, argue that Russia’s approach will only strengthen Islamic State by leaving no other alternative to Mr. Assad, whose crackdown on political protests helped spark the insurgency. In contrast, Russia argues, much like the Syrian government, that there are no meaningful distinctions between ISIS and most other insurgent groups, making them all legitimate targets.

The new attacks on Thursday — reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group in Britain with extensive contacts in Syria — took place on the Ghab Plain, where the Army of Conquest had advanced in July, pushing south after seizing most of Idlib Province.

Insurgents in the Ghab Plain also include relatively secular groups who consider themselves part of the loose-knit Free Syrian Army, including some elements covertly equipped by the C.I.A. with advanced antitank missiles that have aided the recent Army of Conquest advances.

The United States has objected to Russia’s targeting such groups; Russian officials have said they have asked the Americans for the coordinates of armed groups fighting the Islamic State but have not received any. Some fighters with rebel groups that have received American aid even say, after several were hit by Russian strikes, that they have begun to worry that the Americans did hand over their coordinates — and that the Russians are using the data to pick them off.

The dispute puts the United States in the awkward position of either acquiescing to Russia’s attacks on the groups or objecting to the attacks, even though they fight alongside a Qaeda affiliate.

American warplanes flying over Syria have begun to alter their flight paths as necessary to avoid “unsafe” proximity to Russian fighters, the Pentagon acknowledged on Wednesday. Capt. Jeff Davis of the Navy told reporters that the United States had good awareness about the skies over Syria and had begun rerouting its airstrikes to pass well clear of the Russians. But there have been no direct communications between the two countries’ militaries since a video conference last week, he said. “We have taken some actions to ensure the safe separation of aircraft,” Captain Davis said.

Thursday’s clashes were slightly west of the ground fighting on Wednesday, in which insurgents said that — with the help of the antitank missiles — they had managed to stop a pro-government ground advance around three villages in Hama on the approach to the mountainous rebel-held territory of Jabal al-Zawiya.

Russian and Syrian airstrikes also continued for a second day in Al Bab and other areas of eastern Aleppo Province, undisputed Islamic State territory.

In his remarks, General Ayoub, the Syrian army commander, also apparently sought to play down the notion that Russia had taken over the war, saying that Syrian armed forces had “kept the reins of military initiative” by forming a new strike force, called the Fourth Assault Corps.

Courtsy: NEWYORK TIMES

Nigerian Military Announces Arrest Of 3 Supposed Boko Haram Sponsors

The Nigerian military today announced that its soldiers have arrested three more Boko Haram sponsors and financiers. The arrest, according to the Army Headquarters followed the confessional statement made by one Mohammed Maina, who is a major supplier of drugs to the terror group earlier arrested by soldiers.
Acting Director, Army public relations, Colonel Sani Usman, who made this known in Abuja, warned members of the terror group to surrender their arms or have their selves to blame.
Usman said three other suspects namely Jikana Alhaji Goni, 29, Alhaji Musa Alhaji Modu, 37 and Alhaji Aba’ana Sule, 40, all of Hausari Ward in Maiduguri were arrested and undergoing interrogation. He said the suspects are making useful information about the operation of the group that would lead to the arrest of other members.
The Army spokesman, while assuring that peace would soon be restored to the troubled north east part of the country, warned the terrorists to surrender as the military was all out to flush them out from their strongholds, camps and enclaves.
Usman, equally called on parents, families and friends of all those involved in insurgency, to persuade them to desist and renounce their membership of the terrorist organization forthwith.
“We also wish to appeal to the good people of the North Eastern part of the country, in particular those of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States to prevail on these terrorists to renounce their evil ways immediately”, he added.

NSCDC Officer Wanted For Attempted Murder

The Sokoto State Police Command has declared an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Aliyu Jekada, wanted for allegedly stabbing a 25-year man, Kasimu Dandaba.
The command’s spokesman, Sabo Kurawa, told NAN that:“Jekada has been declared wanted by the police and wherever he is, we are trailing him and we will get him to face justice.” Police said Jekada had stabbed Dandaba last Sunday at Wamakko, headquarters of Wamakko Local Government Area of the state at about midnight following a disagreement.
“It is true that the officer stabbed Dandaba, who is now receiving treatment at a specialist hospital in sokoto.
.’’ The State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Adamu Soja, who confirmed the incident, said Jekada was suspended six weeks ago by the command for absconding from duty.
“We received a petition from his family over some problems and I summoned him, but he refused to appear in the office.
“I even directed the intelligence unit of the command to track him and bring him to the office, but he was nowhere to be found.

Boko Haram in Desperate Last Battle: Nigerian Troops Claim They Killed 100 Militants In Yobe

Boko Haram Terrorists made a futile attempt on 120 Task Force Battalion troops located at Goniri, Yobe State, but the Nigerian troops successfully repelled the attacked and inflicted heavy casualty on the invading terrorists as they were all killed. On the last count over 100 terrorists bodies were seen. However, 7 of our gallant soldiers paid the supreme price defending our fatherland, while 1 officer and 8 soldiers were wounded in action.

The troops recovered size-able arms, ammunition and other equipment from the terrorists,which include 1 General Purpose Machine Gun, 2 Rocket Propelled Grenades, 9 AK-47 rifles and Belted rounds of 7.62 (NATO) ammunition. Others were various wires used for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 7 Primed IEDs, different types of Spanners and a Torch Light.

In a related development, troops of 21 Brigade on patrol from Bama to Ngurosoye, destroyed the terrorists camps in the axis. Troops came across some of the terrorists hideouts that also served as fabricating area for IEDs and the terrorists’ training area. Another patrol along Bama-Kawuri axis discovered and exhumed IEDs and wires for detonation.

BOKO HARAM COLLABORATORS ARRESTED

Please recall that a Boko Haram financier, fund raiser and stimulant supplier, Mohammed Maina was arrested by troops of 21 Brigade. The arrested terrorist has been making very useful statements and lending more insights in the activities of the terrorists and their collaborators.

This has been yielding positive results and as a follow up today, 3 collaborators; Jikana Alhaji Goni, aged 29 years of Hausari Ward Maiduguri, Alhaji Musa Alhaji Modu, also of Hausari Ward Maiduguri, 37 years and Alhaji Aba'ana Na Alhaji Sule aged 40, of Hausari Ward Maiduguri were arrested and are being interrogated.

FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM: TROOPS RECORD SUCCESS IN RAID OPERATION AND ARREST A FINANCIER

Troops of 112 Battalion and Special Forces in Mafa and Dikwa respectively on a joint fighting patrol raided a Boko Haram camp at Bulungwa Naibe in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State yesterday.
During the operation, quite a number of the Boko Haram terrorists were killed and the following items were recovered; 1 Buffalo vehicle mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun, a Rocket Propelled Grenade, 2 Machine Guns and 1 Sub-machine Gun. Others include 5 AK-47 rifles, 1 Fabrique Nationale rifle and 2 Sewing Machines used for sewing uniforms by the terrorists.
It will be recalled that the terrorists used to launch attacks on hapless civilians in Dikwa general area.
In a related development, troops have also intercepted and arrested a suspected Boko Haram financier and stimulants dealer, Mohammed Maina in Bama, Bama Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State. The suspect a native of Ngurosoye came from Shuari village in Bama LGA, he was arrested with the sum of One Million Naira cash and some items.
Investigation revealed that Mohammed supplies them Kolanuts and other items especially stimulants. He further revealed that kolanuts is in high demand among the terrorists as it keeps them active at night. It is apparent also that he plies Maiduguri-Dikwa-Kulli axis where he gathers monetary and other materials contributions from Boko Haram sympathizers along that axis and send same to the terrorists camps.
Morale of troops remain very high and they are ever ready to continue with their duty in the most professional and responsive manner.

• 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOURCE: Defence Headquarters

NEMA confirms 15 people killed, 41 injured in Abuja multiple bomb attacks

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that it has so far counted
15 corpses and 41 injured persons after the multiple explosions that rocked Nyanya and Kuje
areas of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

The agency in a statement Saturday morning by its spokesman, Sani Datti also disclosed that the injured persons were evacuated to Nyanya, Asokoro General Hospitals and National Hospital Abuja.

Meanwhile pieces of human flesh litter the scenes of the unfortunate act.

The attack suspected to have been carried out by the Boko Haram Terror sect happened at the Jikwoyi Park, Nyanya, on the popular Abuja-Keffi Expressway while in Kuje two explosions targeted a police station and a market.

Recall that the Nigerian Army has been celebrating the decimation of the Boko Haram.

 

Residents of the FCT can be seen on Saturday gathering and discussing the fear of Boko Haram’s return to the capital city while others took to social media to call for an immediate action by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.