CSOs alert US, EU to plans by Obasanjo to truncate Nigeria’s democracy
…Wants a travel ban imposed on him
The Joint Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (JACCSON) has alerted the international community to plans by former president Olusegun Obasanjo to truncate Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
In a letter signed by its National Convener, Musa Omede to the US, Britain and EU obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, the group said it has uncovered plans by the former president to cause mayhem of monumental proportion in the country as a means of disrupting the outcome of the general elections.
The group revealed that General Obasanjo has recruited the services of mercenaries from some francophone countries to carry out the destabilization plot across Nigeria before, during and after the elections.
“It is instructive to state that this unholy plot to disrupt our nascent democracy by General Olusegun Obasanjo according to reasonable intelligence is as a result of the likely outcome of the elections that would likely not be in favour of his preferred candidate and his former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
Recent revelations by the security agencies in Nigeria have given credence to the statement of the Minister of Information Lai Mohammed in a press release where he stated that the Federal Government was in possession of credible intelligence to the effect that widespread violence being orchestrated by the opposition is threatening the 2019 general elections.
Mr Mohammed had stated in the release that it has credible intelligence that armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents have been mobilized to engage in massive attacks, and other acts of violence in several states across the country, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.
General Obasanjo in recent time has carried out an unbridled attack on the person of President Muhammadu Buhari on the pages of newspapers in the form of an Open Letter and through other sponsored opinions and editorials.
Dr Omede said the strategy according to credible intelligence is to set the ball rolling for the widespread violence that has been planned.
“The plan is that after the Open Letter attack on the pages of the newspapers, bombs would begin to detonate in public places such as motor parks, markets and places of worship.
“Also, the activities of kidnappers would escalate beyond human comprehension across the country, as well as the activities of Armed bandits mainly in the North Western part of Nigeria and other places where President Muhammadu Buhari has large followership”, he added.
He called on the International Community to be informed that General Obasanjo and a group of people of his likes have perfected this evil plot as a prelude to taking the country back to the doldrums as in times past, where there was so much impunity and disregards for human rights.
“We also have credible information that suggests that a part of the plot is for the actualization of an interim government to be headed by a stooge and a trusted ally if the plot to destabilize the country comes to fruition.
“This is indeed worrisome, and a significant threat to our nascent democracy if urgent and proactive steps are not taken. And one of such measures was the red alert issued by the Honourable Minister of Information on Monday, 21 January 2019 at a World Press Conference.
“This obvious threat has indeed necessitated this SAVE OUR COUNTRY letter to the United States of America, Britain and the European Union to come to the aid of Nigeria in protecting our nascent democracy.
“Consequently, as part of other measures in place to thwart this evil plot we are by this letter requesting for a travel ban to be imposed on General Olusegun Obasanjo so that he does not flee the country after setting it ablaze according to his plans.” Omede said.
He called on the governments of the United States of America, Britain and the European Union to activate measures that see that in the event of General Obasanjo escapes from Nigeria after carrying out his evil plot requesting that he should be arrested and made to face charges on crimes against humanity.
“We strongly plead that a travel ban is imposed forthwith on General Olusegun Obasanjo and his associates with whom they have planned to make Nigeria go up in flames.
We wish to by this means to express our confidence in the governments of the United States of America, Britain and the European Union to come to the aid of Nigeria and Nigerians at the critical state of our existence”, he concluded.
Buhari goes to South East, to inaugurate Zik Mausoleum
President Muhammadu Buhari would inaugurate the Zik Mausoleum in Onitsha, Anambara state on Thursday as part of his activities to flag off his campaign in the south east.
The Buhari’s administration completed the Zik Mausoleum in October 2018 after successive governments abandoned the project for over 20 years.
President Buhari and members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have left Abuja for Anambra and Enugu states in continuation of the nationwide re-election campaign.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president would pay a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha.
NAN reports that the president and members of the campaign team would later move to Enugu to launch the re-election bid and also deliver the `Next Level’ messages to the people of Enugu state.
While in Enugu, Buhari is expected to inaugurate the Post-Graduate Centre of Excellence built by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and donated to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The APC campaign train had on Wednesday visited Sokoto and Kebbi states where Buhari pledged to consolidate on the achievements of his administration in the areas of security, economy and fighting corruption.
Herdsmen/farmers clashes: How Nigerian military decisively tackled crises – Former Senate President tells British Parliament
The President of the Senate in the Third Republic, Senator Ameh Ebute, has revealed how the Nigerian military has been able to tackle the lingering crisis between herders and farmers in the country.
Ebute specifically noted that military has been able to curtail the nagging crises between the two groups.
Speaking at a Roundtable with MPs of the British Parliament, January 23, 2019 at the House of Commons, London, United kingdom, the former lawmaker faulted former Chief of Army Staff, TY Danjuma over his recent submission that soldiers where partial in their fight against terrorism.
Ebute said Danjuma was wrong because any Nigerian soldier that engages in acts of brigandage or molestation of civilians is now promptly disciplined accordingly under the current administration.
Senator Ameh Ebute delivered a position paper titled “Tackling the Violence between Livestock Farmers and Cultivators in Nigeria” before an audience that consisted of Chairmen and Members of committees of the British Parliament on Human Rights, Defense, Environment, as well as African Ministers, and a cross section of delegation from Nigeria.
He posited that “violent clashes between two sets of farmers in Nigeria, cultivators, and livestock farmers have been a major feature of the Nigerian security landscape since 2003. These clashes escalated in late 2017 with the massacre of over a hundred people at Agatu in Benue State. 2018 witnessed a further deterioration in the violence.”
“While a responsible government has a solemn obligation to ensuring the safety of its citizens and implementing policies and programs that engender peaceful co-existence among its ethnic, regional and religious diversities of its population, it must ensure too that crisis between any two groups of its population is not exploited for the selfish and nefarious purposes of its detractors.”
Senator Ebute further argued that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was able to make substantial gains in the fight against terrorism. “Boko Haram was routed from its Sambisa Forest stronghold. The Nigerian military recaptured Mubi, Gwoza, Baga and other major cities and villages that had been overrun by Boko Haram. Coordinated attacks by the air force and the army seriously degraded the fighting capabilities of Boko Haram.”
“Recognizing the regional dimensions in Boko Haram activities, the Buhari administration initiated a multilateral approach to fighting against Boko Haram by entering into a regional alliance with the neighboring states of Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Republic of Benin. Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who had fled to those neighboring countries in the wake of Boko Haram seizure of their towns and villages returned to Nigeria.”
Some of the most prominent military deployments included Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Sharan Daji, Operation Awatse, Operation Shirin Harbi, Harbin Kunama I, Harbin Kunama II, Operation Crocodile Smile I, Operation Python Dance I, Operation Dokaji, Operation Egwu Eke (aka Python Dance II, Operation Harbin Kunama II, Operation Whirl Stroke. These operations are against terrorism, cattle rustling, kidnappings and robberies, banditry, and sabotage of oil facilities, theft of oil, and perpetrators of livestock/cultivators violence.
“In addition to military operations designed to end terrorism and curtail other forms of violence, the Buhari administration has promptly deployed the police to areas of violence to curtail the violence and arrest the perpetrators.”
On the various allegations of the complicity of President Muhammadu Buhari in fueling the farmers/herders conflict, Senator Ebute posited that there is no shortage of conspiracy theories to explain the violence between livestock farmers and cultivators in Nigeria and they range from mildly misinformed attempts to explain a complicated social situation to outright falsehoods.
“The most often encountered of these theories blame President Buhari directly alleging that his ethnic affinity with the Fulani livestock farmers either encourages the violence or makes Buhari turn a blind eye to the violence.” He further argued that “conspiracy theories on violence in Nigeria are given credence when otherwise respectable public figures use them as an explanatory framework for what is going on.”
He gave the example of retired Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, a former Chief of Army Staff, as one of the purveyors of falsehood on the efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration in tackling the farmers/herders conflict in the country.
“Danjuma had asserted quite incorrectly that the violence in Benue and Taraba states between cultivators and livestock farmers was a result of cooperation between members of the Nigerian armed forces and renegade Fulani groups. This is certainly true. It is probable that the type of cooperation that Gen. Danjuma had described might have taken place when he was a minister of defense and the general impression that members of his group, the Jukun, rented soldiers in their violent struggle with their neighbors, the Kutebs.”
“It was also during Danjuma’s tenure as minister of defense that soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians at ODI in Rivers State and Zaki-Biam in Benue State killing many people and burning down the entire villages. That type of behavior can longer be authorized nor tolerated. Any Nigerian soldier that engages in acts of brigandage or molestation of civilians is now promptly disciplined accordingly under the current administration.”
Senator Ebute consequently eulogized the international community for the assistance it has rendered to the government of Nigeria in tackling its security challenges. “the government and people of Nigeria appreciate the help it has received from the international community, but the international community can do more to help Nigeria tackle its security challenges.”
“The Nigerian armed forces need arms, ammunition, actionable intelligence to deal with Boko Haram and other security issues. Nigeria is trying to revamp its small defense industry and cannot yet manufacture all the military equipment it needs. It is important for Britain and other international partners to supply needed weapons and materials to Nigeria. Nigeria is not calling for foreign troops on its soil. Nigerians will do the fighting themselves. Terrorism is a global problem and must be tackled globally”.