Boko Haram insurgents Relocate from Sambisa Forest

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="story-content"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Boko Haram members" class="size-full wp-image-281842" height="365" src="http://cdn-01.naij.com/o/JX01tLE9UZi8Zq5yKRRAOwoU.jpg" width="650" /></span></div> <div class="first"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div class="first"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Information coming in from Borno State in northern Nigeria suggest that the Boko Haram insurgents might be changing their base from the Sambisa forest moving towards southern Borno.</span></div> <div class="first"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to a report published by Sahara Reporters today, Wednesday, 27 August, 2014, residents living near Sambisa forest in Borno State have reported seeing a large number of Boko Haram militants leaving the thick forest Tuesday’s morning and moving towards southern Borno.</span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was gathered that a security source also confirmed the account of the villagers.<br />The source informed that Nigeria’s intelligence agents were aware that members of the Islamist sect, who had been holed up in Sambisa forest, seemed to be relocating to the large territories they have captured in their recent attacks.<br /><span class="ds-1col block-story-object block-story-object-link block-story-object-link-story pull-right">He added that the insurgent</span>s’ relocation is most likely motivated by the sect’s recent successes in capturing<br /><a href="" name="more"></a>several major towns in northern Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States.<br />According to some villagers, who claimed to witness the militants’ relocation, the insurgents had been moving their families and possibly many of their abductees to safer grounds in towns captured in recent weeks.<br />A villager in Kirawa, a town on the Cameroonian side, also said he had seen some suspected Boko Haram militants moving through Cameroonian territory to Nigeria with large amounts of cargo in tightly secured convoys.<br /><span class="ds-1col block-story-object block-story-object-link block-story-object-link-story pull-left">Many people believe t</span>he alleged relocation of the insurgents may be as a result of about 480 Nigerian soldiers who fled to neighboring Cameroon some days ago in order to escape from a fierce contingent of Boko Haram militants that attacked Gamboru-Ngala, a major town near the border with Cameroon.<br />It was reported after the incident that the militants easily seized the town, and hoisted their flags at a police station and the home of a former governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.</span><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_281842" style="width: 660px;"> <div class="wp-caption-text"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Boko Haram members</span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was reported that the fleeing soldiers, who ran away with civilians, left behind four armored personnel carriers (APCs) and a huge cache of arms that the militants have taken.<br />Only on Tuesday, the absconding soldiers were repatriated to Nigeria by the Cameroonian authorities.<br />Meanwhile,  many villagers that were displaced because of the heavy fighting Gamboru-Ngala are still trapped in Fotocol, a small town near Ngala.<br />At least, 10, 000 people have lost their lives while tens of thousands of others have been internally displaced from their communities in northeastern Nigeria due to Boko Haram insurgency since 2009.<br />The leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, who has been blacklisted as a terrorist by the United Nations, UN, on Monday released a video where he declared Gwoza town, in Borno state as an Islamic Caliphate.<br />The Nigerian military had since dismissed Shekau’s claim, saying Nigeria remains one indivisible republic.<br /></span><br /> <div class="open-news__source"> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="open-news__source_caption">Sources:</span> <a href="http://www.naij.com/" itemprop="publisher" rel="" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Naij.com news</a>, <a href="http://www.naij.com/away.php?to=http%3A%2F%2Fsaharareporters.com%2F" rel="" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Sahara Reporters</a></i></div> </div>

Boko Haram insurgents Relocate from Sambisa Forest

Information coming in from Borno State in northern Nigeria suggest that the Boko Haram insurgents might be changing their base from t...

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Boko Haram Claims New Land In Nigeria, Hoists Flag Over New Borno Town as Nigerian Government seems clueless

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://cdn-01.naij.com/o/3zXGN2ScGPuVqm0fP3q19IpH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Boko Haram" border="0" class="size-full wp-image-277173" height="245" src="http://cdn-01.naij.com/o/3zXGN2ScGPuVqm0fP3q19IpH.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="470" /></span></a></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />After their sudden attack on the National Police Mobile Training Camp in Limankara village of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno state recently, Insurgent group Boko Haram has attacked Pulka village of Gwoza and sacked the whole community, hoisting their flag and claiming it as part of their unrecognised republic.</span><br /> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_277173" style="width: 480px;"> <div class="wp-caption-text"> </div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pulka is located 20 kilometres from destroyed Gwoza town which is surrounded between the Mandara Mountains close to the camerounian border.<br />This is not the first time, Pulka has been stormed into by the insurgent group, the latest attack happened on Thursday evening and is said to be the deadliest, as the Islamic group went on a killing rampage with quite a number of residents being killed and properties, shops and vehicles being destroyed.<br />One source told Vanguard: <em>“the insurgents, large in number, and using Rocket Propelled Launchers, Improvised Explosive Devices and petrol bombs,  invaded Pulka and opened fire on innocent civilians before overpowering security operatives and vigilante groups and  hoisting  their flags”.</em><br />Refugees from the area have been on the run ever since the insurgent group over took Gwoza three weeks<br /><a href="" name="more"></a>ago and are now going over to Madagali town of Adamawa state.<br />One of such refugees, Mr. Yakubu Jidda told reporters:<em> “the latest attack on Pulka forced many people in Madagali including the displaced persons to flee to neighbouring Mubi and Gombi towns of Adamawa for fear of possible attacks from the terrorists who now operate freely without confrontation from security operatives”.</em><br />One member of  Kashim Shettima community said: <em>“Yes some Boko Haram terrorists invaded Pulka and killed many innocent people and destroyed  a lot of  houses before hoisting their flags in different locations of Pulka.  We,  the people of Gwoza are very  worried with the spate of killings and destruction by terrorists without  military or security agencies confronting them.</em><br /><em>“The terrorists are now having a field day in any community they storm in Gwoza. Just  last Wednesday, the terrorists invaded the Police  Mobile Training Camp in nearby Limankara village and took over the facilities on ground.”</em><br />Thousands including security operatives have been killed across Nigeria, and many rendered homeless especially in the north-eastern region since Boko Haram launched its violent attacks in 2009.<br />Members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect had reportedly seized the town of Buni Yadi town, in Yobe State, on August 20.<br /></span></div>

Boko Haram Claims New Land In Nigeria, Hoists Flag Over New Borno Town as Nigerian Government seems clueless

After their sudden attack on the National Police Mobile Training Camp in Limankara village of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno state ...

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Boko Haram: Panic in Borno/Adamawa Communities as Boko Haram flee Gwoza

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header class="post-header cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 21px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="featured" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Boko-Haram-militants1.jpg" itemprop="image" rel="prettyPhoto" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Panic in Borno/Adamawa communities"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Boko-Haram-militants" class="attachment-main-slider wp-post-image no-display appear" height="336" src="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Boko-Haram-militants1-702x336.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Panic in Borno/Adamawa communities" width="702" /></span></a></div> <h1 class="post-title" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; float: left; margin: 0px 35px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Panic in Borno/Adamawa communities</span></span></h1> </header><div class="post-meta" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(217, 217, 217); border-bottom-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(217, 217, 217); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px; margin: 0px 0px 21px; overflow: hidden; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">…As Boko Haram insurgents flee Gwoza</strong></div> <div class="post-container cf" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content-right" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-content description" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px -1.857em; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fear has gripped residents of some communi­ties around the border of Borno and Ad­amawa states following rumours that Boko Ha­ram insurgents fleeing from Gwoza may attack their communities.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ezekiel Musa and Markus Yalah, both residents of Askira, south of Borno and Madagali in Adamawa State said they fled the communi­ties yesterday to Maiduguri to stay with their brothers in response to the rumour that Boko Haram was planning to attack their towns.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We heard Boko Haram men left Gwoza and have vowed to attack some com­munities in Askira/Uba again. So most people have not been sleeping very well since Thursday. We had to leave because everybody is talking about it. We came through Biu to Gujba in Yobe,” Markus disclosed.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, a Maiduguri resident who did not want his name in print confirmed the develop­ment, adding that his mother intimated him about the anxiety in his village. “My mother told me people in our village didn’t sleep since Thursday. I asked her to come to Maiduguri, but she refused, I’m worried about her safety now,” the resident, a civil servant told Sunday Sun. He said the movement of Boko Haram insurgent out of Gwoza on Thursday has triggered panic in the area.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For nearly 10 days, Boko Haram insurgents took over Gwoza town, about 183 from the capital Maiduguri after a deadly attack. Thousands of residents were forced to flee the area even as mili­tary forces battled to regain control of the hilly town. Sources however said the in­tensity of military air strikes on the area pushed out the in­surgents on Thursday as they headed for Pulka, few kilo­metres away where they car­ried out another attack, fuel­ing speculation the terrorists may visit other communities southward with violence.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, a member representing Gwoza State Constituency in the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon Usman Jana Babayo has said over 65 per cent of peo­ple displaced by the recent Gwoza attack have taken ref­uge in Uba, Borno and Mubi in Adamawa State but lack food and clean water. He said the situation compelled Bor­no State government to pro­cure relief materials worth N10 million, adding that the materials have been distrib­uted to those at Madagali, 40 kilometres, south of Gwoza.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.857em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Some fled to Uba and Madagali while others went as far as Mubi in Adamawa for safety. Some are still on the mountain,” he disclosed.<b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></b></span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Boko Haram: Panic in Borno/Adamawa Communities as Boko Haram flee Gwoza

Panic in Borno/Adamawa communities …As Boko Haram insurgents flee Gwoza Fear has gripped residents of some communi­ties around th...

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FG procures 40 attack helicopters with night vision

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title posttitle" itemprop="name headline" style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 2464px;"> All should be deployed to Northern Nigeria</h1> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI-ABUJA</span></div> <div id="entryContainer" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="entry entry-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aftermathof the determination by the Jonathan administration to eliminate terrorism in the North East and smoke out insurgents from the hideouts, the federal government has ordered the procurement of 40 modern attack helicopters with capabilities for night operations and sound proof technology.</span></div> <br /> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_456656" style="border: 0px; float: right; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=456656" rel="attachment wp-att-456656" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="CAS, his entourage and one of the survivors (Flight Lieutenant NM Halilu) commiserating with Warrant Officer Augustine Nwanonen" class="size-full wp-image-456656" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/air.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a></div> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">CAS, his entourage and one of the survivors (Flight Lieutenant NM Halilu) commiserating with Warrant Officer Augustine Nwanonen</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Saturday Vanguard gathered that the attack helicopters which are being procured from the United states and Russia, would not only shore up the inventory of the Nigerian Airforce as a result of depletion following crashes and grounding of some of the existing helicopters due to maintenance challenges, but would also enhance the distance and reach capability of the NAF in the fight against insurgency.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was further gathered that some of the aircraft will arrive in the country as early as next month while the remaining will be received certainly before the end of the year to boost the Nigerian Airforce.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Saturday Vanguard had reported early in the year that pilots of the Nigerian Airforce prosecuting air attacks on Boko Haram terrorists, expressed the belief that if such attack aircraft, with sound proof capabilities were made available to the NAF, the issue of smoking out Boko Haram terrorists will be a thing of the past saying that when the present ones in the fleet were approaching their targets, the noise usually gave them out.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, military and other security forces have expressed frustration that their inability to storm the notorious Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram militants are keeping the abducted Chibok secondary school girls and also serving as operational headquarters of the group was because noisy attack helicopters would enable the terrorists use their surface to air weaponry in the possession.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Government’s action in procuring the equipment according to sources is that security operatives are not only aware of the locations of the girls but are also closely monitoring the way the girls are being moved around but are afraid of the backlash should any harm befall the girls in the course of a forced rescue.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The result of past incidences during attempts to rescue British and Italian nationals in Sokoto and SETRACO workers which boomerang were some of the reasons cited by security forces as to why they have been reluctant in storming the forest and rescuing the girls.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Said a security source, “Oh I wish we could have a consensus of opinion from Nigerians that we should storm the forest and rescue the girls. The day Nigerians decides that enough is enough in one voice, to clear the forest will take less than one week”.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/fg-procures-40-attack-helicopters-night-vision/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/fg-procures-40-attack-helicopters-night-vision/#sthash.QgpRL371.dpuf</span></div>

FG procures 40 attack helicopters with night vision

All should be deployed to Northern Nigeria BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI-ABUJA Aftermathof the determination by the Jonathan administration ...

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Religious leaders can end Boko Haram, not Jonathan — Oritsejafor

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div id="main" role="main" style="border: 0px; float: left; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 455px;"> <br /> <article class="post-456524 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-national-news" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h1 class="entry-title posttitle" itemprop="name headline" style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 432px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">on</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><time class="meta-time updated" datetime="2014-07-25T06:16:27+00:00" itemprop="datePublished" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">July 25, 2014</time><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></h1> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">By Daud Olatunji</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1404859412.html#_=1406266600893&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Freligious-leaders-can-end-boko-haram-not-jonathan-oritsejafor%2F&related=vanguardngrnews&size=m&text=Religious%20leaders%20can%20end%20Boko%20Haram%2C%20not%20Jonathan%20%E2%80%94%20Oritsejafor%20-%20Vanguard%20News&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Freligious-leaders-can-end-boko-haram-not-jonathan-oritsejafor%2F&via=vanguardngrnews" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 107px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></div> <div id="entryContainer" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="entry entry-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">ABEOKUTA—President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Orisejafor, has said religious leaders in the north and not President Goodluck Jonathan, could end the Boko Haram insurgency.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">Orisejafor spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the graduation, send-forth and prize giving ceremonies held by Stephen International Centre.</span></div> <br /> <div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_306116" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 20px 20px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ORITSEJAFOR-ayo.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="From Left: Co-Chairman, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; National Co-Ordinator/Executive Secretary, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, and Co-Chairman, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, at a meeting" class="size-full wp-image-306116" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ORITSEJAFOR-ayo.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a></div> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From Left: Co-Chairman, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; National Co-Ordinator/Executive Secretary, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, and Co-Chairman, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, at a meeting</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The occasion was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, South West CAN coordinator, Arch. Bishop Magnus Atilade, commissioner for women affairs, Elizabeth Sonubi and national coordinator of voice of Christian matyrs , Isaac Oluwole, among others.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to CAN President, “With all sense of all responsibility, I use this opportunity to call on all Muslims religious leaders, traditional rulers and political leaders in the north not necessarily in the South West because in the South West, we have lived together and I know the way it operates in the south west.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">”So, I am challenging from the north, our religious leaders, political rulers and traditional rulers as matter of urgency, to step forward and take responsibilities for the way out of this problem.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Boko Haram is propelled by a religious ideology, it is not poverty. Anyone who tells you it is poverty is not telling you the truth. It’s not poverty. When you blame it on poverty, it is an insult to poor people. There are poor people everywhere even Christians all over the north. Bin laden was not a poor man. He is from a rich Saudi Arabian family. The Nigerian boy who almost blew up a plane on Christmas day is a son of one First Bank chairman and he is still one of the richest people in Nigeria today. Boko Haram insurgency is an ideology. People are being radicalised by an ideology.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/religious-leaders-can-end-boko-haram-not-jonathan-oritsejafor/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You might also like</span></span><br /> <ul class="ob_ul_container" style="border: 0px; 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Religious leaders can end Boko Haram, not Jonathan — Oritsejafor

on   July 25, 2014   By Daud Olatunji ABEOKUTA—President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Orisejafor, has said ...

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Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls – Presidency

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title posttitle" itemprop="name headline" style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 2819px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><time class="meta-time updated" datetime="2014-07-25T00:08:34+00:00" itemprop="datePublished" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">July 25, 2014</time><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">  /   in</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/category/national-news/" rel="category tag" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;" title="View all posts in News">News</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: small;">12:08 am</span> </span></h1> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">By Henry Umoru</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1404859412.html#_=1406264686260&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Fslow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency%2F&related=vanguardngrnews&size=m&text=Why%20we%27re%20slow%20in%20rescuing%20Chibok%20Girls%20-%20Presidency%20-%20Vanguard%20News&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Fslow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency%2F&via=vanguardngrnews" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 107px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></div> <div id="entryContainer" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="entry entry-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ABUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, gave an insight into why the Federal Government was slow at rescuing the over 200 Government Secondary School girls kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.</span></div> <br /> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Presidency also disclosed that plans were being put in place by the Federal Government to block domestic and international sources of funds for the insurgents group.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to the Presidency, the present slow and steady method became imperative to avoid a repeat of the 2004 experience when 300 children were killed in an attempt by Russians to free hostages held by Chechens in the North Caucasus region of Russia.</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_447534" style="border: 0px; float: right; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/presidency-angry-cds-badeh-chibok-girls-sighting-claim/bringbackourgirls-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-447534" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and President Jonathan " class="size-full wp-image-447534" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/BringBackOurGirls8.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a></div> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and President Jonathan</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speaking yesterday at a Chatham House lecture series held at the Royal institute of International Affairs in London, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, said that the Nigerian military, other security agencies as well as their international allies, have the wherewithal to secure the freedom of the over 200 Chibok girls from their abductors, but would like to thread with caution because making Nigeria and Nigerians happy at the end of the day would be to bring back the girls alive to reunite with their families.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dr Okupe who spoke on <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Priorities and Progress in Nigeria: Imperatives for stability and Growth</span>, described tackling the current insecurity in the North Eastern part of the country as the major priority of the Federal Government. He, however, lamented that the various acts of insurgency were slowing down growth in other equally important sectors of the economy.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to Okupe: “We are taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to get a greater understanding of the landscape and identify key locations . We are working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While speaking on the various milestones attained by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last three years, Dr Okupe said the reduction of Nigeria’s food import bills by half as well as successful implementation of reforms in critical sectors of the economy are crucial to the attainment of social and economic stability.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The presidential aide asserted that since Nigeria attained independence in 1960,no administration has done so much as the Jonathan administration in guaranteeing food sufficiency, better power output,effective transportation and general macro economic stability.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “ Consequent upon the faithful implementation of the transformation agenda , by the end of 2013 Nigeria’s nonoil exports had increase ten fold over two years, reaching almost 3 billion dollars from 276 million dollars in 2011. Nigeria is once again the world’s largest producer of cassava, a major rawmaterial in the European and Asiatic food markets, and also accounted for thirty six per cent of the total global cocoa exports in 2013″</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While describing the reforms carried out in the transportation sector in the last three years as unprecedented , Okupe said, “President Jonathan inherited a road transport network that was near total collapse. Critical economic roads, such as the Lagos Ibadan expressway, the Shagamu Ore Benin road; the Kano Maiduguri expressway, the Abuja Abaji Lokoja expressway, the Enugu Port harcourt road, and the East West road, were in a state of total or near total disrepair resulting in countless accidents and needless loss of life with the attendant extreme frustration of commuters who spend countless hours travelling across the country but massive reconstruction and rehabilitation which were embarked upon ensured that well over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s total existing road network have been repaired or are undergoing rehabilitation.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to him, that train services which were almost non existent in 2011 had been revitalised with old rail lines rehabilitated and new modern ones being constructed, adding, “The trains now provide means of transportation to over four million Nigerians annually. There are new gauge lines under construction from Ajaokuta to Warri, Abuja to Kaduna while the Eastern axis of railway from Portharcourt to Maiduguri is nearing completion”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the reforms carried out by the Jonathan administration in the Power sector, Dr Okupe said it was significant that Nigeria rose from a power generation capacity of less that three thousand megawatts in 2011 to almost five thousand megawatts in 2013.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said the completion of ten new power plants as we’ll as successful privatisation of the power infrastructure have increased the capacity of the Nigerian power sector to gradually meet the needs of the 165 million Nigerian population and that within the next few years most Nigerian cities would be having a minimum of 18 hours uninterrupted power supply.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the forthcoming 2015 general elections, Okupe said President Jonathan remains committed to ensuring that the vote of every Nigerian counts in deciding who occupies which elective office and that the President would not waiver in his resolve to maintain the independence and integrity of the Electoral body.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Chatham House lecture was chaired by The Director, Area studies /International Law and Head of the Africa Programme of the Chatham House, Alex vines .</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/slow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/slow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency/#sthash.clj31DWR.dpuf</span></div>

Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls – Presidency

July 25, 2014     /   in   News   12:08 am   By Henry Umoru ABUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, gave an insight into why the Fede...

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