Two days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
shifted dates for the general elections, citing the Boko Haram crisis in
the north-east, the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki has
assured the nation that the insurgents will be defeated within six
weeks.
Dasuki’s made the pledge just as the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau,
vowed in a new video to defeat the multi-national force put together to
halt its activities.
Dasuki who spoke in an interview with AFP assured that “all known
Boko Haram camps will be taken out” by the time of the rescheduled vote
which is March 28 for presidential poll.
“They won’t be there. They will be dismantled,” he told AFP when
asked what gains could be made against the Islamists before the new
polling date.
When reminded that the Federal Government has previously set
deadlines to defeat the insurgents that have come and gone, Dasuki said
that even if the goal was not achieved “the situation then would surely
be conducive enough for elections”, with no need for a further
postponement to voting.
In a new video released yesterday, Shekau warned that the militants
would crush the regional force, comprising soldiers from Nigeria, Chad,
Niger and Cameroon. Benin Republic at the weekend agreed to join the
alliance.
“Your alliance will not achieve anything. Amass all your weapons and
face us. We welcome you,” he said in a 28-minute speech, one of three
videos posted by the Islamists on YouTube.
Shekau scoffed at the regional effort. “You are sending 7,500 of your
soldiers. Why don’t you send 70 million? The 7,500 by Allah, it is
small. We can seize them one-by-one,” he said in Arabic…. your soldiers
are infidels and God’s soldiers are victorious,” said Shekau in the
video posted on YouTube.
Shekau also directly threatened Chad’s President Idriss Deby, whose
forces have attacked Boko Haram in the northeast Nigerian towns of
Gamboru and Malam Fatori in recent days. He tells Chad’s President
Idriss Deby that he will “burn in hellfire.”
Shekau also told the people of Chad and Cameroon to renounce democracy to be true Muslims.
He ridiculed the force planned by “you tyrants of Africa.” In the
second of the latest videos, images of the leader of the Islamic State
group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, are shown along with archive footage and a
voiceover recalling a battle between British colonial soldiers and
fighters from the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria.
Shekau has namechecked al-Baghdadi before but appears to be
positioning Boko Haram in a wider jihadi context by showing the Sokoto
Caliphate, which was dismantled by the British in the early 20th
century.
Shekau appears to broaden the group’s aim. “We never rose up to fight Africa. We rose up to fight the world,” he said.
“We are going to fight the world on the principle that whoever
doesn’t obey Allah and the Prophet to either obey or die or become a
slave.”
On Sunday, Boko Haram militants waged twin attacks in the town of
Diffa in southeast Niger, opening a new front in its offensive after
repeated attacks in Cameroon’s far northern region. Shekau’s challenge
comes after the United States said on Friday that Boko Haram could face a
stronger test against more capable regional forces. Washington
estimates that Boko Haram has a core of between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters
but is well-equipped after raiding Nigerian Army positions.
…Sect launches fierce attack on Niger town, 3 Cameroonian towns
• Abducts 30, loots food, livestock
Boko Haram fighters yesterday launched a new attack in Niger as well as attacked three Cameroonian towns, abducting 30 people.
The insurgents raided a prison in the southeastern Niger border town of Diffa, the group’s third assault on the town in four days, residents and military sources told Reuters. They first attacked the town on Friday, but were repelled after a heavy exchange of fire.
“The attack failed. The assailants were quite easily pushed back,” one source told AFP. Niger’s parliament was expected yesterday to support a proposal to deploy troops inside Nigeria to help in the battle, along with soldiers from Chad, which has a battle-hardened army, and Cameroon.
No casualty toll was immediately available after the raid by Boko Haram, which has widened its deadly six-year insurgency in Nigeria with attacks in neighbouring countries.
Reports quoted a journalist in Diffa as saying he saw the bodies of Boko Haram fighters in a hearse but was unable to count them.
Some Boko Haram fighters sought to hide out in the town. “The soldiers are looking for them, weapons at the ready. The army has encircled Diffa,” the journalist said. Another journalist said some of the fighters were being held in the prison they attacked.
Authorities ordered locals to stay in their homes and mounted roadblocks around the town by late morning. Residents said many had fled. “It’s now evident that Boko Haram has its cells, its sleeping networks in the town and the region of Diffa,” said a military source there. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed or wounded, or whether any of the prisoners were freed.
A member of the national guard, which runs prison security, said about 100 suspected Boko Haram militants were held in Niger, but none of them in Diffa.
In northern Cameroon, the fighters seized a bus with 30 people aboard in Koza late Sunday and then drove it back toward the Nigerian border, some 11 miles (18 kilometers) away, resident Bouba Kaina told The Associated Press by telephone.
Early yesterday, another Cameroonian town, Kolofata, was attacked by insurgents who looted food and livestock. The town had recently been retaken by Chadian troops who have been helping Cameroon fight Boko Haram.
Nigeria won’t split –US
The insurgents raided a prison in the southeastern Niger border town of Diffa, the group’s third assault on the town in four days, residents and military sources told Reuters. They first attacked the town on Friday, but were repelled after a heavy exchange of fire.
“The attack failed. The assailants were quite easily pushed back,” one source told AFP. Niger’s parliament was expected yesterday to support a proposal to deploy troops inside Nigeria to help in the battle, along with soldiers from Chad, which has a battle-hardened army, and Cameroon.
No casualty toll was immediately available after the raid by Boko Haram, which has widened its deadly six-year insurgency in Nigeria with attacks in neighbouring countries.
Reports quoted a journalist in Diffa as saying he saw the bodies of Boko Haram fighters in a hearse but was unable to count them.
Some Boko Haram fighters sought to hide out in the town. “The soldiers are looking for them, weapons at the ready. The army has encircled Diffa,” the journalist said. Another journalist said some of the fighters were being held in the prison they attacked.
Authorities ordered locals to stay in their homes and mounted roadblocks around the town by late morning. Residents said many had fled. “It’s now evident that Boko Haram has its cells, its sleeping networks in the town and the region of Diffa,” said a military source there. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed or wounded, or whether any of the prisoners were freed.
A member of the national guard, which runs prison security, said about 100 suspected Boko Haram militants were held in Niger, but none of them in Diffa.
In northern Cameroon, the fighters seized a bus with 30 people aboard in Koza late Sunday and then drove it back toward the Nigerian border, some 11 miles (18 kilometers) away, resident Bouba Kaina told The Associated Press by telephone.
Early yesterday, another Cameroonian town, Kolofata, was attacked by insurgents who looted food and livestock. The town had recently been retaken by Chadian troops who have been helping Cameroon fight Boko Haram.
Nigeria won’t split –US
The United States has said that Nigeria will not split in spite of her current socio-political problems.
Speaking in Lagos at a press conference on the premiere of the movie, Selma, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F. Entwistle dismissed the widely rumoured insinuations that the American government had predicted that Nigeria would split anytime from 2015.
The envoy said Nigeria is not different from other countries with various degrees of challenges but that would not make them split. He noted that United States has had her fair share of political challenges and that did not make her split.
The ambassador described Nigeria as a strong country that has not shown any sign of disintegration. He queried why people predict doom for the country rather than work towards its strength. ‘Do you want Nigeria to break up?’ he asked.
Earlier, founder, House on The Rock church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin admonished Nigerians to work towards peace and unity of the country.
In his press statement delivered at the event, Pastor Adefarasin said ‘’ knowing that peace is not the absence of tension but the presence of justice, we must ensure that peace, justice and equity are enshrined in Nigeria.’’
He warned that interest of Nigeria cannot be determined along ethnic or religious lines noting that ‘the tragic events in parts of this country are a harsh reminder that dialogue, peace and religious tolerance are crucial to our continued existence’’.
On his part, the Nigerian-born British actor, David Oyelowo acknowledged the timeliness of his movie to the current political experience in Nigeria. He said it is a thing of joy for him to make a movie that would speak to the need of the country’s social and political development.
Speaking in Lagos at a press conference on the premiere of the movie, Selma, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F. Entwistle dismissed the widely rumoured insinuations that the American government had predicted that Nigeria would split anytime from 2015.
The envoy said Nigeria is not different from other countries with various degrees of challenges but that would not make them split. He noted that United States has had her fair share of political challenges and that did not make her split.
The ambassador described Nigeria as a strong country that has not shown any sign of disintegration. He queried why people predict doom for the country rather than work towards its strength. ‘Do you want Nigeria to break up?’ he asked.
Earlier, founder, House on The Rock church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin admonished Nigerians to work towards peace and unity of the country.
In his press statement delivered at the event, Pastor Adefarasin said ‘’ knowing that peace is not the absence of tension but the presence of justice, we must ensure that peace, justice and equity are enshrined in Nigeria.’’
He warned that interest of Nigeria cannot be determined along ethnic or religious lines noting that ‘the tragic events in parts of this country are a harsh reminder that dialogue, peace and religious tolerance are crucial to our continued existence’’.
On his part, the Nigerian-born British actor, David Oyelowo acknowledged the timeliness of his movie to the current political experience in Nigeria. He said it is a thing of joy for him to make a movie that would speak to the need of the country’s social and political development.
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