Television Nigerian

By Lawrence Audu

Following the circulation of an old story published in 2015 by some social media handlers alleging that the Nigerian Army has been absent in the fight against Boko Haram and that it is the Chadian Army alone that is battling the insurgents, some of the residents in the North-east have reacted to the issues describing it as “an attempt to demoralize the Nigerian troops.’’

A cross section of the residents who spoke to our correspondents in Borno, Gombe and Bauchi states on Wednesday said issues of security remains a very sensitive matter which must not be politicized, trivialized or peddled as fake news.

Alhaji Idrissa Babakura, a resident of Maiduguri said Nigeria supports Chadian forces in routing Boko Haram and President Idriss Déby of Chad has revealed that the Nigerian government supported his country’s Military onslaught against Boko Haram.

Deby who has relocated from Ndjamena to Baga Sola in the Lac Region said Nigeria provided “fairly substantial equipment,” in support of Operation Anger of Bohoma. The Chadian leader spoke on Monday when a parliamentary delegation made up of the ruling party and the opposition visited him in Ndjamena.

Malam Ibrahim Kawu, a rice farmer from Dadin-Kowa in Gombe state said it is discouraging for anyone to share fake story when there are successes in the fight against insurgency.

“Before 2015, we know how we were living and how we now live. The difference is clear and the army under Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai has done a good job. You cannot be online and be circulating nonsense just for motives that we don’t understand.

“We are on ground and we felt the heat of insurgency but today we owe our peace to the Army. We do our farming activities without any fear or intimidation,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed Usman, a civil servant from Bauchi said: “We have to be fair to the Army. They have done a fine job from 2015 and whatever story or stories being circulated should not be used to demoralise our security agents.

“This is because it has a way of discouraging the Army who has really done well for all of us. The peace that we now enjoy must be sustained through massive support for the troops who are at the frontline of these battles.

Usman said government must initiate punitive measures to ensure that anyone who uses the social media or any platform to circulate fake news is punished to send a strong message to others.

“This is a threat to our collective existence as a nation. Fake news for any purpose must be discouraged and fought to a standstill.

Hajiyah Aishatu Idris, a resident of Nafada, one of the border towns in Gombe said though there is still work to be done in the Northeast “There should be no denial of the successes being recorded in the fight against insurgents.

“The army has done a lot and today Gombe state is safe and we are grateful to Allah. We must continue to pray for the Army and its current leadership for being professional, patriotic and committed to sustaining peace.”

By Lawrence Audu

The Nigerian Army has procured and commissioned 55 Buffalo 4-Wheel vehicles to increase the mobility and combat efficiency of its personnel in mission areas, especially the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram terrorists and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North East.

The commissioning on Wednesday in Abuja was by the Chief of Logistics Nigerian Army, Major General Joel Uniugbe, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. Uniugbe said this was a strategic directive of the Chief of Staff for year 2020 to sustain a responsive and professional Nigerian Army in its unrelenting fight against insurgency in the North-East.

He believes that the newly acquired vehicles would ease the troops’ mobility, movement of logistics and combat manoeuvres. “The model of vehicle is an asset and indeed force multiplier particularly in the North East terrain where the Armed Forces of Nigeria is conducting operations against Boko Haram criminals,” he said.

He assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to defend the nation from both the external and internal threats, as well as providing aids to civil authority in other national emergencies.

He commended the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for his committed leadership and support to the Nigerian Army. The commissioned vehicles include Toyota Hiluxes, Buffaloes, Innoson Motor Vehicles, Peugeot among others.

The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCEC) has declared all 15-man team of doctors from China negative for the coronavirus.

The Chinese medical experts arrived in Abuja on Wednesday evening via a chartered Air Peace flight.

CCEC, which is an arm of China Railway Construction Corporation, revealed this in a statement through its Managing Director, Micheal Jiang.

Jiang, however, disclosed that the team will undergo a compulsory 14 days quarantine.

Read full statement below:

With the backing of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and People’s Republic of China, China Railway Construction Corporation (‘CRCC’), through its subsidiary China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (‘CCECC’), is supporting Nigeria in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that is adversely affecting livelihoods and economies across the world by making available necessary medical equipment and health consumables.

Assisted by the Nigerian Government, CCECC is delivering amongst others around 16-tons of test kits, ventilators, disinfection machine, disposable medical masks, N95 masks, medicines, rubber gloves, protective gowns, goggles, face shields, infra-red thermometers and other critical care items, through a chartered flight operated by Air Peace.

The chartered flight is due to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on 8 April 2020, these items required by the Nigerian Government will be handed over by CCECC to relevant authorities.

Considering its large number of employees in Nigeria, CCECC at its own cost, will dispatch a 15-member working team from CRCC, 12 of whom are experienced medical professionals with expertise in infectious disease, respiratory illness, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, general surgery and anesthesiology. Members of the team also have relevant experience in the prevention and diagnosis of the COVID-19.

All members of the working team have tested negative to COVID-19 and shall commence their stay in Nigeria by undertaking 14 days in quarantine. The primary purpose of the working team is to escort the medical supply, provide guidance for their usage and distribution.

They will also provide CCECC employees with critical and necessary healthcare assistance where necessary. They are also coming with adequate PPE and medical items for the employees. In addition, under the directive of Chinese Embassy and in response to the Nigeria Government’s request, the working team may also share with Nigerian medical teams effective methods on how to contain the COVID-19 and provide advice on the use of relevant medical equipment. The team is not coming to treat Covid-19 patients in Nigeria.

Finally, in keeping with its corporate value, “Stride with Nigeria”, CCECC is participating in the construction of two COVID-19 response facilities in the FCT for free as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities. The facilities are a 196-bed at “ThisDay Dome Treatment Centre,” in collaboration with Sahara Group and Arise News; and the 150-bed “Idu Depot Treatment Centre.”

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has rebuked Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers for ordering the arrest of two pilots of Caverton Helicopters.

Speaking on Wednesday, Sirika said aviation matters were on the exclusive list of the Federal Government.

Wike had accused Caverton Helicopters of violating the lockdown order imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The pilots were subsequently arraigned at a magistrate’s court on Tuesday and remanded in prison till May.

The airline, however, said aviation authorities granted it permission to fly into Rivers.

Addressing a press briefing organised by the presidential task force on COVID-19, Sirika accused security operatives who arrested the pilots on the governor’s order of “displaying ignorance”.

He said the Federal Government would do every thing legally possible to secure the release of the pilots.

Wike had in the past accused the Federal Government of neglecting Rivers in the COVID-19 intervention funds.

No fewer than 34 persons have been sentenced by a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos to one month of community service for violating the social distancing directives of the Lagos State Government.

All the defendants pleaded guilty except three.

The court on Wednesday found them guilty on a one-count charge of working out in a group larger than 20 persons on the Gbagada-Oworonsoki Expressway.

The court ruled that the violators should be quarantined for 14 days at the Infectious Diseases Hospital Yaba or any other place designated by the government.

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