Headlines
366 Soldiers, Policemen Killed in Two Years As FG Rehabilitates 15,000 Terrorists
At least, 366 soldiers, policemen and members of the civilian joint task force were killed in ambushes laid by terrorists in the North-East and the North-West between 2019 and 2021.
A breakdown of the figures released by SBM Intelligence states that 337 soldiers, 29 cops and civilian JTF members were killed, while 111 others were eliminated by the terrorists.
The report added that 92 terrorists were eliminated, while in all, 569 persons were killed in several ambushes within the same period.
A breakdown of the statistics showed that the biggest single onslaught against the military was in the Goniri area of Yobe State on March 23, 2020, wherein about 70 soldiers were killed.
On July 7, 2020 in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, 30 soldiers and 12 policemen were killed along with three terrorists.
Between September 16 and 24, a space of eight days, about 49 soldiers and two policemen were killed in the Monguno and Marte local government areas of Borno State.
The report added that 18 soldiers and six policemen and members of the civilian JTF were killed in the Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State on September 2 and 3, 2020.
Despite the killing of soldiers, however, many of the terrorists are reported to have surrendered in recent times due to the attack on Boko Haram strongholds, while the sponsors of the terrorists remain unknown.
This is just as The PUNCH learnt that at least 15,000 terrorists, who surrendered to government forces had begun undergoing de-radicalisation.
The National Security Adviser, Maj, Gen. Babagana Moguno (retd.), had said last week, “In recent months, there has been an endless mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathisers in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. Currently, over 15,000 people have been received.
“It is important to note that the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures largely contributed to this wave of surrender.”
The Head, Strategic Communications in the Office of the NSA, Mr Zakari Usman, told The PUNCH that all 15,000 persons, who surrendered, would be rehabilitated, including some who might be prosecuted.
He said, “Yes, everybody will undergo rehabilitation. Even those who are going through the criminal justice process undergo rehabilitation.
“At the state level, together with the MDAs that are involved, there is already a process on the ground. For everybody who surrenders, there is some form of rehabilitation.
“The rehabilitation, reintegration and de-radicalisation programme is for low-risk associates. That is women, children and conscripts.”
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), says he will be suing the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for refusing to arraign 400 Boko Haram sponsors over six months after he promised to do so.
Falana, who had written a Freedom of Information request to Malami in August to know the state of the case, said the request was based on Malami’s claim of May 4, 2021 that the Federal Government had concluded arrangements to prosecute about 400 alleged sponsors and financiers of terrorism in Nigeria.
“I have not received any response from the AGF since I wrote the FoI. So, we are now constrained to go to court. The AGF said publicly that 400 terror sponsors would be arraigned once the court workers called off their strike. That was over four months ago,” he said.
Attempts to get a response from the AGF’s office proved abortive as his spokesman, Dr Umar Gwandu, did not respond to inquiries.
The Federal Government has come under fire in recent months for failing to name terror sponsors despite the assistance given to Nigeria by the United Arab Emirates and other countries, which provided lists of alleged terror sponsors
However, in a statement in September, Malami defended the decision of the government not to name the terror sponsors, saying doing so could jeopardise investigations.
Malami had said the Federal Government had been vigorously and intensively working to leave no stone unturned in the prosecution of Boko Haram financiers and win the fight against terrorism in the country.
The AGF had stated, “The time is not ripe for holistic disclosures so as not to pre-empt the investigation process. The prime objective remains the attainment of peace and security of our dear nation.
“As far as terrorism funding and financing is concerned, we have succeeded in identifying those that are allegedly responsible for funding same and we are blocking the leakages associated with funding, while embarking on an aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in terms of the fight against terrorism.”
In October, the AGF had also linked the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, to a convicted Boko Haram financier.
The Punch
By Eric Elezuo
The Presidency has announce that President Bola Tinubu will be departing Abuja to (Wednesday) for Paris, France, on a ‘short working visit’.
A statement to the effect, signed and released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, was however silent on the shape of international relationship the working visiting the president was embarking on will take, but noted that Tinubu will use the ‘retreat’ to review his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones, as well as review progress of ongoing reforms.
While acknowledging that the president will spend ‘about a fortnight’ on the trip, the statement added he would supervise administration while away.
The statement in details
PRESIDENT TINUBU TO EMBARK ON WORKING VISIT TO PARIS
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart for Paris, France, today on a short working visit.
During the visit, the President will appraise his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones.
He will also use the retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.
This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year.
Recent economic strides reinforce the President’s commitment to these efforts, as evidenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria reporting a significant increase in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion—a testament to the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023 when net reserves were $3.99 billion.
While away, President Tinubu will remain fully engaged with his team and continue to oversee governance activities.
He will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight.
President Bola Tinubu has sacked the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
Tinubu also dissolved its board, removing the Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on information and strategy, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.
Onanuga said Tinubu invoked his powers under section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to carry out the sweeping reconstitution, citing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC”.
He announced that Tinubu has now approved a new 11-man board, which has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.
According to the statement, “Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.
“Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central.
“President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.
“Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”
He added said that all the appointments are effective today, April 2.
President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Americans want him to run for another term, a step banned by the US constitution but which he continues describing as possible.
“People are asking me to run,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the possibility of a third term.
“I don’t know. I never looked into it. They do say there’s a way you can do it, but I don’t know about that, but I have not looked into it,” Trump said.
Trump was asked about the prospect of a race pitting him against former president Barack Obama, who served two terms.
“That would be a good one, I’d like that,” Trump said.
“I’m not joking” about the idea of seeking a third term, Trump said Sunday in an interview with NBC News.
The 78-year-old Republican served from 2017 to 2021 and began his second term in the White House on January 20.
The first US president, George Washington, established a tradition by not seeking a third term after completing his second one in 1797.
But this tradition was not formally added to the US constitution until after World War II, with the ratification of the 22nd amendment in 1951.
It says no one can be elected president more than two times.
