Home Blog Page 2432

General Buratai’s Silent Strides and the Need for Public Support

By
-
0
Gen Buratai on facility tour of some commissioned projects at the Ikeja Military Cantonment.

By Maiwada Dammallam

Yesterday I had fruitful conversation over breakfast with the amiable, agile and very alert Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army, Lt-General T. Y. Buratai who is in Katsina State in continuation of his efforts to enforce peace and tranquility in Nigeria. His disarming optimism, pragmatism and confidence altogether, reassured me that the end of the ongoing banditry and insurgency is very near.

Although a private visit, I used the opportunity to discuss a wide ranging issues hoping to expand my knowledge of the intricacies and complexity of the ongoing war against banditry and insurgency and true to my conviction, the encounter confirmed my strongly held belief that security is not an everyday issue one could discuss intelligently without the requisite experience and of course, the finest information.

With this in mind, I avoided issues bordering on the technicalities of the ongoing war for lack of experience and requisite background. Instead, I concentrated on general issues with zero or little implication on the operations of the army viz-a-viz insurgency in the North East and banditry in the North West. My purpose was to identify ways to improve relationship between Nigerians, particularly the people of Katsina State and the Nigerian Army for the mutual objective of ending the ongoing needless bloodshed for peace to reign.

In not so many words Gen. Buratai explained to me the degraded army he inherited and the energy he infused into it to restore relative peace across Nigeria especially, in the North East hitherto, the epicentre of insecurity in Nigeria. We discussed about the social media and what role it plays in national security. We agreed it’s as much a critical tool of making Nigeria a peaceful country as it is also a serious challenge to national security. Used with sincerity and objectivity, he’s of the opinion the social media could achieve peace for Nigeria with little supervision. Applied irresponsibly, the social media is a box of matches in the hands of a madman in a filling station.

I wholly agreed with Gen. Buratai on the misapplication of the social media as is prevalent today. Somehow the cheapness of the social media has made it a dangerous tool of distraction and unnecessary confusion in the system. It’s so dangerous a tool that today, fake and mischievous news in the social media has created unnecessary enmity between security agencies and citizens so much so one is tempted to believe the army is fighting against not for the citizens. And this is easily verifiable by the tonne of stories and atrocities of criminals shared on social media fora and platforms and the silence of citizens when the army score victories.

Sad as it is, no gainsaying the Nigerian Army is not being dealt with fairly by the social media community. In every social media forum there are more stories of their failures than successes. No regular visitor to any of the social media platforms can say how many times he/she read pessimistic and cynical remarks about the Nigerian Army doing nothing and also, how many times he/she read about soldiers killed by insurgents or bandits. What could be more conflicting and unfair? Or could soldiers be killed without going to war? I once took up one of such cynical authors by asking how fair it will be to a widow or an orphan of a fallen hero to read his insensitive opinion about “Nigerian soldiers doing nothing” just at the time they are mourning the death of their breadwinner who sacrificed his life to make Nigeria safe?

The truth is, we need to properly identify who is the enemy in this war. With the right attitude and objectivity I’m sure we will understand that the Army is not just our friend but more a protective mother who will die for her children to live. And like I said severally here, matters of security are better left for security agents. Attempting to discuss these matters flippantly will only lead to misinforming and confusing the public. I was exposed to this stark reality once.

It was about the $1 billion approval President Buhari gave to the military to procure weapons. In few months the entire social media was agog with stories saying the $1 billion was stolen. About 2 or 3 months later the then Army spokesperson, Brig-General S. K. Usman (rtd) was invited for an interview by a TV station I cannot readily recall. During the interview he was asked about the $1 billion. Only then I knew the approval was still in the corridors of the Federal Ministry of Finance, yet to translate into money much less, get to the Nigerian Armed Forces, to be stolen, as those pessimists will make us believe. And many people believed this Mount Everest of a lie because most of us operate with a very shallow idea about government’s bureaucracy while average thinking is that military weapons are purchased over the counter like chocolates. Imagine how traumatizing this would be to the people on whose ability to remain focused relies our chances of surviving the war.

And if the social media is not hostile to the Nigerian Army, how do we explain a member of the community, and not just an ordinary member but a Professor in the developing social media, posting a scene of a Kannywood movie depicting a soldier crying over the corpse of a fallen comrade intending to pass it off as a real event in Sambisa just to malign the Army and dampen the spirits of our gallant officers. And even when he was busted all he did was make a feeble apology and crawled into his shell to wait for another opportunity to denigrate the Army which came barely a day after.

Before this social media influencer was done apologizing for this gaffe, he was out with another story about the failure of the Nigerian Army which resulted in the kidnapping of 16 girls. He was so much in a hurry to denigrate the army that he couldn’t wait to read the Daily Trust story doing which he would have known that the event was in Niamey, Niger Republic, not in Nigeria. He simply read the caption and came out with a venomous opinion about the Army. Could this be coincidence? Certainly no! It’s a determination to confuse Nigerians and make the problem more complex and convenient to resolve political frustrations of certain people.

If that’s not convincing, how about the social media debate about the “incorrectness”of Buhari’s decision to retain his Service Chiefs? The true picture is, President Buhari is a well trained military officer who retired meritoriously as a Major General and after fighting many wars and finally achieving the position of the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Using his best professional instincts and judgement and an added advantage of access to the finest information from variety of creditable sources to handle the unique situation we have at hand, he decided to exploit a window offered him by the law and the Constitution to retain his Service Chiefs perhaps, to avoid upsetting the war blueprint with the potential consequences of reversing the gains made so far. All of a sudden all social media users (many of whom could not identify correctly which end of an AK-47 oozes fire) became emergency security experts competent enough to challenge the decision of a war hero like “General Buhari.” And they do this with nothing to work with but social media rumours and military expertise generated from James Bond and Rambo series.

The insistence that President Buhari must sack his Service Chiefs is the best proof of the absolute ignorance about the complexities of security matters. For instance, it’s a fact Buhari’s Service Chiefs are not operating independent of the Army but in conformity with its operational code. Of course, Gen. Buratai is the COAS but he’s working with senior military colleagues to design and execute the war. It’s not like it’s entirely his decision how the war is fought. It’s a collective decision of the of leadership of the Nigerian Army. Every qualified successor of Gen. Buratai is part of the success or failure of his tenure! It’s from the circle of officers he’s operating with that we expect President Buhari to pick a new COAS if and when he decide to substitute Gen. Buratai. In simple terms, whoever President Buhari will replace Gen. Buratai with is just as “incompetent” as Gen. Buratai because policing Nigeria is a group responsibility which could only be mischievously mistaken for a one man job. Where is such a substitute going to source for better ideas than he’s contributing now to be a better COAS than Gen. Buratai? Unless we are to believe such a candidate is holding back his “revolutionary” ideas just so Gen. Buratai is ousted for him to take over, in which case, he’s bad for the exalted post, I can’t see any sense in the irritating calls for the sack of the Service Chiefs especially by novices.

And is it not questionable that these calls are mostly aimed at Gen. Buratai? Why is nobody worried about the extension of the CDS, CAS and the CNS services? This is enough to prove the uproar is not about the war but about something entirely unconnected to the war and the goodness of Nigerians. Unfortunately, many people are allowing themselves to be used as tools in a game that will lead Nigeria to nowhere but deeper into abyss of destruction it’s trying to get out.

This is a plea for Nigerians to respect the effort and sacrifices of the Nigerian Armed Forces and partner with them to restore peace in Nigeria.

Troops kill armed bandits, arrest kidnap kingpin in Benue, Taraba

By
-
0
Four armed bandits have been killed as troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE operating under Operation ACCORD deployed at Gbise in Katsina Ala LGA of Benue State and Sector 4 in Taraba State conducted a joint commando raid operation in the early hours of 29 June 2020 at Rafin Kada in Wukari LGA and Yojaa in Donga LGA of Taraba State.
In a statement, the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations Maj Gen John Enenche said The troops came in contact with suspected armed Tiv militias at Che Jukun village who opened fire on sighting the troops who responded with superior firepower thereby neutralizing 4 of them in the process while unconfirmed number escaped with gunshot wounds.
Items recovered include; 2 locally made rifles, 55 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 117 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 3 mobile phones, 3 AK 47 magazines, 2 motorcycles, one military shirt uniform, one Peace Corps ID Card belonging to one Mr Anyor Fidelis and some charms.
In another development, troops responded to a distress call from Zaki Biam on the activities of a notorious kidnap kingpin by name Kobo Ishor (aka “Lesser” ) an associate of late Orjondu.
He was apprehended and currently undergoing interrogation, to be handed over to the Nigerian Police afterwards for prosecution.

Two Foreigners Arrested as Airstrikes Foil Bandits’ Cattle Rustling Operation in Niger State

By
-
0

Air Strikes executed by the Air Component of Operation Gama Aiki at Kasuwan Ango Community in Mariga Local Government Area (LGA), Niger State have disrupted the activities of a group of armed bandits operating in the area the Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday.

The air operations were conducted on the night of 28 and early hours of 29 June 2020.

Coordinator, Defence Media Operations Maj. Gen. John Enenche who disclosed this in a statement said, the strikes were executed sequel to credible intelligence reports indicating that some armed bandits in black attire were seen on the move with a large number of rustled cattle in the area.

Enenche added that, the Air Component dispatched a helicopter gunship to engage the bandits in multiple waves of attack leading to the neutralization of some of the bandits, while a few escaped with gunshot wounds.

According to him, two of the escaping bandits, who happened to be foreigners, were later apprehended.

While commending the Operation Gama Aiki Air Component for their dedication and professionalism, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has thanked all Nigerians for their support and encouraged the general public to continue providing useful information that would facilitate the restoration of peace and security to all affected parts of the Country.

Dialogue with criminals not a military option -Buratai

By
-
0

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that the military will not engage in dialogue with bandits or any criminal to bring an end to insecurity.

Buratai stated this at a news conference to mark the commencement of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2020 on Wednesday at the Army Special Super Camp, Faskari, Katsina State.

He said that dialogue with criminals was not a military option in dealing with insecurity, adding that he did not believe in dialogue with bandits.

“May be when I drop the uniform, I may consider that but for now, it is not the military option,” he said.

Buratai, however, explained that if the civil authorities decided to go for dialogue, the military would have no option than to support them to achieve peace.

As far as the Nigerian army is concerned, dialogue is not an option; it is not on our table; it is absolutely political decision.

“Some newspapers quoted me as saying that the troops should move into the bush and defeat them tactically; that is our mission and that is what we want to achieve. Anything short of that will only prolong the insecurity.

“So we are determined to deal with them in the bush or wherever they are, even in the town and cities. We will deal with them accordingly,” he said.

Buratai also described as false the allegations that the troops were not always responding to distress calls from some communities during attacks by bandits.

He said that the allegations were being promoted by those who had decided to politicise the security situation in the affected places.

Retired pope’s elder brother, Georg Ratzinger, dies at 96

By
-
0

Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys’ choir, has died at 96.

The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, said in a statement on his website that he died Tuesday. His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother.

Ordained on the same day as his brother, Ratzinger proved to be a talented musician and went on oversee the recording of numerous masterpieces and concert tours around the world by the Regensburger Domspatzen, a storied choir that traces its history back to the 10th century. But his reputation was tarnished as he apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys amid a wider investigation into sexual and physical abuse in the Church.

He remained extremely close to his brother throughout his career, expressing dismay when Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope that the stress would affect his health and that they would no longer spend so much time together.

The pope had his quarters in the Apostolic Palace modified with a special apartment for his brother, who traveled frequently from his home in the Bavarian city of Regensburg to Rome. Elected to the papacy in 2005, Benedict stepped down in 2013 and was succeeded by current Pope Francis.

The two came from a religious Catholic family, the sons of police officer Josef and Maria Ratzinger, and great nephews of the German politician Georg Ratzinger, a priest and social reformer who was a member of the Bavarian and Federal parliament.


Born Jan. 15, 1924 in the Bavarian town of Altoetting, Georg Ratzinger showed an early talent for music, playing the church organ at age 11. The family eventually settled outside nearby Traunstein in 1937, where he and his brother joined the seminary. During World War II, Ratzinger told The Associated Press in an interview that he remembered huddling with the blinds drawn with his younger brother and father listening to Allied radio broadcasts, because their father wanted them to know the truth about the Nazi regime.

Though the Ratzinger family was anti-Nazi, Georg Ratzinger was enrolled into the Hitler Youth in 1941. In his book, Salt of the Earth, Benedict remarked on the time and his own subsequent enrollment at age 14. Official details of the boys’ Hitler Youth days no longer exist, as all of the organization’s archives for the area were burned ahead of the American advance at the end of the war.

In 1942, Ratzinger was drafted into a federal labor force, and the same fall entered the regular German armed forces as a radio operator in a signals unit. After serving in France, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia, Ratzinger was sent in 1944 to Italy where he was wounded in fighting.

He was captured by U.S. forces and spent the rest of the war as a POW, returning to Traunstein in July 1945 — a day the then-Joseph Ratzinger recalled in his memoir Milestones, remembering that the family had no idea if Georg were alive or dead.

“A quiet worry hung over our house…” he wrote. “Suddenly, on a hot July day, we steps were audible and he whom we had missed for so long was again standing in our midst, tanned from the Italian sun. Then he sat down at the piano, thankful and relieved, and intoned ‘Holy God We Praise Thy Name.’”

Following the war, the brothers entered the seminary of the archdiocese of Munich and Freising to study for the priesthood. They were ordained together on June 29, 1951, in the Cathedral at Freising on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

After working his way up as priest in the region, Georg Ratzinger was appointed musical director of St. Peters Cathedral in Regensburg in 1964, becoming the conductor of the famed cathedral choir, the Regensburger Domspatzen.

As head of this world-renowned choir, whose name means “Cathedral Sparrows,” Ratzinger helped build its reputation around the world, running tours that included trips to the Vatican, the United States, Canada, Poland and Japan and performances for Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II.

But well after his retirement from the post, revelations of sexual and physical abuse at the choir haunted him.

In 2010, Ratzinger apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys in the choir, saying he was aware of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school linked to the choir but did nothing about it.

“At the beginning I also repeatedly administered a slap in the face, but always had a bad conscience about it,” Ratzinger told the Passauer Neue Presse, adding that he was happy when corporal punishment was made illegal in 1980. “Of course, today one condemns such actions; I do as well. At the same time, I ask the victims for pardon.”

He claimed he was completely unaware of allegations of sexual abuse, which he said dated from before his tenure as choir director.

“These things were never discussed,” Ratzinger said. “The problem of sexual abuse that has now come to light was never spoken of.”

His relationship with his brother always played a special role in his life.

Ratzinger once lamented in an interview that his brother’s role as pope would mean “family life might be a bit more limited” and acknowledged that he “had hoped that the cup would pass him by.”

Still, Georg traveled to the Vatican for his brother’s installation, and was given a prominent seat on the basilica esplanade.

While visiting the pope in August 2005, Ratzinger was hospitalized in Rome because of an irregular heartbeat and had a pacemaker implanted. Benedict visited him while he was in the hospital.

In October of that year, the brothers got together again. “Sanctus,“a piece Georg Ratzinger composed was played at a Vatican concert for the pope and sung by the Domspatzen, while both brothers watched on together.

As Ratzinger’s health failed, his brother came to Regensburg in mid-June to visit with him.

Benedict’s trip to Germany was his first trip outside Italy in over seven years. Benedict greeted old neighbors and prayed at his parents’ grave. He stayed at a seminary during his trip, visiting his brother twice a day.

Ratzinger’s only close living relative is Benedict. His sister Maria, died in 1991.

Army, DICON and Unilorin sign MoU on the manufacture of composites for armour plating, military hardware

By
-
0

The signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian Army, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and University of Ilorin on the development of composite material for Armour Plating and other military hardwares took place at the Army headquarters, Abuja today being the 1st day of July 2020.

This remarkable event is aimed at reducing the over-dependence of the importation of foreign equipment, production of indigenous metal materials, reduction of foreign exchange rates to boost the Nigeria’s economy, amongst several other benefits.

Signing the MoU by the trio parties, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai extolled the importance of the collaborative event ,saying it will yield unprecedented gains not just to the parties but Nigeria as a country and other foreign countries.

Gen. Butatai said, the signing of MoU will improve in human capacity development amongst member parties, enhance mutual benefits and its products will be marketable not just in Nigeria but also to other foreign countries.

According to him, the collaboration of the trio parties was premise on the Executive Order 005 of 2018, signed by the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), for the development of local content in science, engineering and technology (SET).

According to Gen. Buratai, the executive order was aimed at promoting indigenous technology that could assist in the production of both civil and military hardware.

“It is in this vein, that the Nigerian Army seeks to collaborate with indigenous professionals in planning, designing and execution of projects to enhance national security”.

COAS who was represented by Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, Chief of Policy and Plans,(COPP) therefore thanked the Nigerian Army System and Research Development Centre (NASDC), DICON and all the relevant stakeholders for achieving the feat in science, technology, and research development.

He however urged the both parties to ensure that a a holistic implementation is achieved

Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Suleiman Abdulkareem boasted, the signing of the MoU avails them with the opportunity to be committed to ensuring the necessity of doing great things that were not been done elsewhere in the world.

According to him, he was glad with the cooperation between the University and the Nigerian Army as it will prepare the minds of those in sciences, including physical Sciences and Engineering to be ready to focus their opinion of what could be done to improve the status of military men in the area of cooperation and sharing potent ideas for a common goal.

He therefore noted that Nigeria has enormous resources that if properly harnessed will add value to the industry and thanked the Nigerian Army for making the signing of the MoU a reality.

Also speaking, the Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, Maj. Gen. Victor Ezugwu said, the industry has manufactured different varieties of Ezugwu Mine Resistance Vehicles MRAPS and other military hardware.

According to him, composite materials which are used for the production of ballistic vests, Armour plating amongst other is imported in China with high cost noting that if the local metals are harnessed, it will bring about a reduction in the nation’s dependency on foreign military equipment, thereby saving hard-earned foreign exchange in the country, hence the necessity of the cooperation of the three institutions.

“It will also boost the development of indigenous capacity in research and development, especially towards attaining self-sufficiency in the production of both civil and military hardware, together with other sampling products,” he stated.

Banditry in Nigeria: Buratai in Gusau, Solicits for People’s Support to Combat Insecurity

By
-
0

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai has solicited the support of traditional leaders in Zamfara State to combat activities of Armed Bandits and other forms of criminalities in the North West geo political zone.

Gen Buratai made the call when he paid a courtesy call to Sarkin Katsinan Gusau, the Emir of Gusau Alh Dr Ibrahim Bello in his Palace in Gusau the Zamfara State Capital on Thursday, 1 July 2020.

While Applauding the Emir of Gusau for the warm reception, Buratai stated that he is in zamfara on operational tour of formations and units of 8 Division Nigerian Army to assess the level of their combat readiness in the reinvigorated efforts to combat banditry and associated insecurity in the zone.

He thus used the opportunity to pay a visit to the emir as a mark of respect and in furtherance of Nigerian Army’s excellent civil military relations. While at the palace, Gen Buratai informed the emir that the Nigerian Army is celebrating her 157 years of existence (Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2020) and the commencement of Exercise SAHEL SANITY which is currently simultaneously ongoing in kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara States with an appreciable level of success.

He also solicited for the support of the traditional rulers in sensitizing their people to cooperate with the security agencies by providing the necessary information to help in containing the lingering security challenges in the region and the country at large.

In his remarks, the Emir thanks the COAS for the visit and promised to give all the necessary support to the Nigerian Army and other agencies where necessary in order for peace to reign in the zone.

At the occasion, prayer was offered for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and for the peace and security of Nigeria.

Buhari Not Dasuki, What Yushau Shuaib Must Know Now

By
-
0

 

By Richard Murphy

The name Yushau Shuaib rings a bell. He writes well, but most times for the wrong reasons. In most instances, he arrogates the monopoly of knowledge to himself, which is a huge minus as no human being can claim to be all-knowing.

I must admit that I have followed his writings religiously especially with regards to the tenure of the Service Chiefs in the country. Yes, he has the right to his opinion. However, he must realize that he is not an authority in security issues. I believe his first stint at it was during the Goodluck Jonathan era where he served as a media consultant in the Office of the National Security Adviser.

I dare say that since Sambo Dasuki was relieved of his appointment as National Security Adviser, and the subsequent revelations that followed suit, Yushau Shuaib has not known peace for undeniable reasons. The attendant attack on the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been scathing and in most instances utterly disrespectful.

This is the premise on which I am penning this article. I used to be an admirer of his writings. But not anymore because a situation where an individual ascribes to himself sainthood that should be revered in an anomaly. I won’t say it is a function of lack of patronage since President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, but that can’t be ruled out entirely because we all need patronages to keep life going.

In seeking for that patronage, we must however not lose sight of the bigger picture which is and remains the national interest. This much Yushau Shuaib must come to terms with and come back to reality. Like I mentioned earlier, I used to be a fan of his, but the moment I noticed his tilt, I withdrew entirely, and after that, I always read him with a pinch of salt.

Two issues I want to address here; this is a new era where it is not business as usual, and Muhammadu Buhari is not Sambo Dasuki that was very generous to him with public funds. I am sure he can’t deny this fact because he indeed was the Chief Media Consultant to the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA), a conduit with which he was paid hefty sums of monies under the Goodluck Jonathan era.

For those wondering what FOSSRRA meant, I would say it was more like an avenue for the boys to make good money. This is on the heels that the former National Security Adviser engaged Yushau Shuaib to serve as a media consultant to the military, security, intelligence and response organizations under a unified platform, and had as his core mandate the responsibility of positioning the agencies for desired public perception and changing the negative narratives regarding the war against terror.

FOSRRA was under the auspices of Office of National Security Adviser, and the Office of the National Security Adviser footed its bills. And what was his responsibility as the Chief Media Consultant? Issuing press releases of government security agencies to media houses. What a job description. In effect, that is good business for any media consultant if you must agree with me.

Having this background in mind, one would understand where Yushau Shuaib is coming from and why he thinks his views in security issues is yes and amen. In the light of this circumstances, it can be said that his scathing attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari is simply because the butter on his bread is no longer forthcoming and as such he is going for the jugular of the present administration.

In all of these Yushau Shuaib must come to terms that President Muhammadu Buhari is not one that would pay writers or media consultants to turn the truth on its head. If not for anything, the president rode on its principled stance on integrity to power. This fact can be verified. President Muhammadu Buhari that we all know wouldn’t patronize people to say what is not, nor his appointees would open the treasury under dubious nomenclatures for political patronage.

I can easily tell that his writings on the Service Chiefs are at the behest of his principal. Even at that, it must be noted that the President and Commander-in-Chief has the prerogative on the tenure of the Service Chiefs in the country. I don’t think there should be a basis for comparison between what we experienced under Goodluck Jonathan and now.

If Yushau Shuaib would be honest enough to admit that the level of commitment by the present crop of Service Chiefs is indeed noteworthy and a deviation from times past. As a security expert that he claims to be, he should know that in this era, there is no room for mediocrity. And this much has seen to the numerous gains recorded in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.

The federal capital territory is no longer under siege, and the threats posed by the Boko Haram group have mainly been confined to the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region. If this is not a plus, I wonder what Yushau Shuaib wants us to believe.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not discouraging him from writing, but he should do well not to insult our sensibilities. I believe he can write with passion. But he should not be propelled by pecuniary interest because that was what took us to where we were when his boss and paymaster was the National Security Adviser.

The issue of Service Chiefs is clearly outside his purview. He should concentrate on areas he has a considerable advantage at the risk of sounding like a broken trumpet. I also believe that his PR outfit Image Merchants Promotions Limited can come back to life if they get their acts right and engage in genuine enterprise and not the resort to blackmail and half-truths thereby misleading members of the unsuspecting general public.

I believe Yushau Shuaib would take this opinion of mine in good faith because I am aware he fears the views of others. Yet, he wants his views to be canonized because he is the almighty expert that all Nigerians should revere.

Yushau Shuaib in his capacity as the revered expert on security affairs should also do well to tell Nigerians if there haven’t been concerted efforts to curb the security challenges in the country. This is the next assignment for him, and I would strongly advise that he does his research thoroughly to convince us on why President Muhammadu Buhari has kept his Service Chiefs.

I wait to hear from him, just like the generality of Nigerians. He should walk the talk and be guided by the principle of objectivity.

Murphy is a security expert and wrote this piece from Calabar.

 Insecurity: Nigeria needs the experience of her Service Chiefs to defeat remnants of Boko Haram, bandits -Diaspora Group

By
-
0

 

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG), UK Chapter, says the country needs the experience of its Service Chiefs now more than ever especially with recent successes recorded against terrorists and bandits.

In a statement signed by its President, Mark Kola, on Tuesday in London, the group said those calling for their dismissal are sponsored to promote an escalation of the crimes being committed against Nigerians by terrorists.

According to the Nigerians in the diaspora, there is an agenda to use the demand for the Service Chiefs’ sack as an excuse to cause further security breaches and those behind this act are doing so on behalf of the opposition and certain foreign interests.

After reviewing the security concerns in the country, the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group concluded that the experience of the military heads is necessary to defeat complicated and foreign-sponsored conspiracies.

NDMG urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resist those attempting to coerce him into error as “countries do not run their defence and security on the basis of political correctness”.

The group, however, advised  Nigerians being used by foreign interests to look beyond the pittance they are being paid to run their current errand.

Read the full statement below:

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group has keenly followed the misplaced call for President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We would have ordinarily avoided joining issues with those making these calls as we are at this point focused on providing palliatives and educational materials to enlighten our kith and kin at home about the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is life-threatening on many levels. However, it became imperative that we wade into the debate following our discovery that all is not what it seems.

The innocuous-seeming calls for the service chiefs to be sacked turned out to be tied to foreign-sponsored conspiracies that are supporting the escalation of the crimes being committed against Nigerians by terrorists. By removing the military leaders, who have expansive experience in managing the crisis, the facilitators of these conspiracies hope to use any resulting transition to wreak havoc on the country since this would be a moment of vulnerability.

Leveraging our contacts in the diaspora, we have uncovered a plot to use the demand for the sack of the service chiefs as an excuse to cause further security breaches. These plots are being managed from outside the shores of Nigeria and those behind them are exploiting video calling platforms to hold their meetings with operatives in Nigeria while funds are allegedly being electronically wired to the bank accounts of the arrowheads of the movement to force Mr President to ease the service chiefs out of office.

We are acutely concerned that the unfolding scenario excessively tallies with the projections and forecasts made by some groups in the run-up to the 2019 General Elections that there were opposition elements that are desperate to take over power by all means and that a coerced change of service chiefs would be the first step in an extensive plan that will unleash crisis of unmanageable proportion on the country.

We are further alarmed that those behind the calls for the service chiefs to be fired have been uncomfortably silent about the foreign connections of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, the banditry imported from Nigeria’s northern neighbours and other mutating crimes that were hitherto unknown to Nigerians. This gives credence to the summation that the people calling for the sack are doing so on behalf of the opposition and certain foreign interests.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group has taken time to review the nature of security concerns in the country and we have come to the conclusion that Nigeria needs the experience of her Service Chiefs to defeat these complicated and foreign-sponsored conspiracies against its sovereignty.

We consequently urge President Buhari to be the Commander-in-Chief as enshrined in the constitution, which demands that he resists those attempting to coerce him into error. Countries the world over do not run their defence and security on the basis of political correctness; countries are secured on the strength of pragmatism.

Meanwhile, our charge to the Nigerians being used by these foreign interests to pressure the country into error is that they should look beyond the pittance they are being paid to run their current errand. In the event that they are sorely pressed for feeding money, they are welcome to contact the United Kingdom Chapter Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group for palliatives to ensure that they desist from selling their fatherland for a mess of pottage.

Hushpuppi: Group wants FBI, Interpol to question Atiku, Deji Adeyanju over links to alleged fraudster

By
-
0

 

The National Coalition of Democrats (NCD) has called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and International Police to investigate ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over possible links to arrested suspected fraudster, Raymond Igbalode, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle, Hushpuppi and 12 others were nabbed in Dubai by Interpol on June 10 over multiple cyber crimes and money laundering to the tune of

150 million dirhams (N168 billion).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) subsequently declared the Instagram celebrity wanted over links to several cyber frauds.

In a statement signed by its Spokesman, Garuba Nuhu, on Wednesday, the National Coalition of Democrats reasoned that there could be more to this act, especially with Hushpuppi’s known relationship with some PDP members, as seen in pictures and videos on social media.

According to the group, Hushpuppi might have actually worked discreetly with the opposition party in laundering of funds for the prosecution of the 2019 general elections.

NCD said its logic is born out of the fact that PDP’s top shots, led by its presidental candidate held several meetings in Dubai ahead of the polls and the likes of Atiku, Dino Melaye, Timi Frank and Deji Adeyanju are possibly his close associates.

The group, therefore, called on the FBI and Interpol to investigate Atiku and other PDP members who may have been first-line beneficiaries of the fraud committed by Hushpuppi.

It added that Hushpuppi could have likely “assisted these individuals to launder funds through his network because the level of fraternity between Hushpuppi and these individuals points to that direction”

Read full statement below:

The National Coalition of Democrats wishes to lend its voice to the recent arrest of Raymond Igbalode, popularly known as Hushpuppi for allegedly hacking into the United States (US) unemployed database and impersonating citizens qualified for unemployment funds of over $100 million meant for Native Americans in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

This is indeed a sad tale for Nigeria in the sense that the arrest effected by the Dubai Police has indeed painted Nigerians as fraudsters before the international community.

The National Coalition of Democrats has in times past alerted Nigerians to the activities of some Nigerians with no identifiable means of livelihood, yet displaying a life of affluence in the social media space.

The case of Hushpuppi further lends credence to this concern raised earlier as most of our youths have elected to tow the dishonourable path all in the quest to make money at all cost. More worrisome in this latest development is the fact that the said Hushpuppi has been severally identified with some members of the opposition party in Nigeria.

This is also on the heels that a top member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is known for travelling to the United Arab Emirates where he held several meetings in the buildup to the 2019 general elections.

It is also common knowledge that the PDP leadership turned Dubai into their strategic meeting place from where they plotted for the execution of the general elections.

The National Coalition of Democrats wishes to state in unequivocal terms that Hushpuppi indeed shared some affinity with some top members of the PDP as evident in the posting of pictures and videos of their several meetings in the social media space.

It, therefore, reckons that there is every possibility that the said Hushpuppi might have been working discreetly with the PDP stalwarts in the laundering of funds for the prosecution of the 2019 general elections.

The National Coalition of Democrats wonders why the opposition PDP would elect to see Dubai as a haven for holding strategic meetings while wining and dining with the said Hush Puppy.

The likes of Atiku Abubakar, Dino Melaye, Timi Frank and Deji Adeyanju have in numerous times posed for photographs with the said Hushpuppi . It is common sense to articulate that there must have been in a strategic business partnership with him in the area of repatriation of illicit funds for the prosecution of the general elections using his syndicate network.

The National Coalition of Democrats wonders why questions were not asked as regards his source of wealth if indeed they were genuine in their aspirations. This is not minding the fact that Hushpuppi indeed has led millions of youths into believing that hard work is not a guarantee for success.

The National Coalition of Democrats believes that these top goons of the PDP are first-line beneficiaries of the fraud committed by the said Hushpuppi. There is every need for further investigations by the International Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This is imperative in the bid to trace the root of the heist committed by Hushpuppi as well as identifying his partners in crime in Nigeria.

The National Coalition of Democrats wishes to inform members of the general public that from all indices, there seems to be a strategic linkage between Hushpuppi and some stalwarts of the opposition PDP. It will be in the interest of the generality of Nigerians if this case is further investigated.

We are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that indeed Hushpuppi might have assisted these individuals to launder funds through his network because the level of fraternity between Hushpuppi and these individuals points to that direction.

The National Coalition of Democrats as a result of this call on the Interpol and the FBI to leave no stone unturned in unravelling the collaborators of Hushpuppi in Nigeria.

We are convinced that this is indeed necessary to put issues in proper perspectives and to serve as a deterrent to our teeming youthful population.

1...2,4312,4322,433...2,853Page 2,432 of 2,853

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

©