Nigeria: Report Gives Details, Says Terrorist Groups Gaining Foothold in Nigeria

Police Commissioner Mohammed Ababakar said: "It was about 2 pm this afternoon that a gang of armed Boko Haram members attacked and killed seven people at the residence of the father of the gubernatorial candidate in Lawan Bukar.

The gunmen fired at Modu Gubio while he has alighting from his vehicle. As he was gunned down along with the younger brother to Governor Sheriff, Goni Ngala, the suspects also shot and killed two plain clothes policemen, and four others at the scene of the massive assassinations."

According to the police chief, the assassins were about eight in number riding motorcycles, and sped off into the neighbouring Shehuri, Abaganaram and the Customs areas of Maiduguri metropolis.

Even though no arrest has been made, the police commissioner said: "The entire Lawan Bukar and Bulabublin wards have been condoned off by the police, including parts of the palace of Shehu of Borno, in hunt for the fleeing gunmen that killed seven people today in broad day light."

Abubakar also appealed to the general public to fully cooperate with the police by providing more information on the hideouts and modus operandi of the Boko Haram sect members that have been targeting policemen, soldiers and other security personnel in Borno State.

Meanwhile, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders' Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has warned of the dire consequences of withdrawing the soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF) from Plateau State. The association warns that any attempt, as is being done, to ridicule the members of the STF, with a view to withdrawing them will usher in a total state of anarchy in Jos and its environs.

National secretary of the association, Alhaji Sale Bayari stated the position of the association at a press conference yesterday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Jos. He spoke against the backdrop of calls by some groups in the state for the withdrawal of the military because, according to them, their presence has not helped matters as killings persist under their nose.

But Bayari said the advocates of withdrawal of the soldiers have dangerous ulterior motives to execute after the soldiers might have left.

According to him, "we have noticed, of recent, the wild attacks both physical (through demonstration), verbal, religious and sectional against the Special Task Force and its operatives, getting more loud and stringent in an effort to have them withdrawn so that such people will have the space to launch their attacks on other citizens of the state.

"Such people have done so before, precisely in January 2010, when they killed 219 members of this association which included women, children, 7,000 heads of cattle in Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local councils without a single person being brought to book till this day despite our reports to the police authorities in Nigeria. We noted with total bewilderment the absolute absence of the police in all these areas when these massacres were taking place and the lack of any report by the Divisional Police Officers of the killings, burnings and stealing that took place under their noses."

Bayari pointed out that the association was therefore not surprised that such murderers and armed robbers are today asking the soldiers to leave and that they prefer the police. He said that such people prefer to have the type of environment that they had in January 2010 and still go scot- free.

"With the soldiers around now, such environment has not been found by these people as the soldiers are now scattered all over these villages where such killings took place and are still taking place as our people are always attacked and killed today in palces, including Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Riyom and Bassa (Irigwe area) local governments.

"With the soldiers in place, all the bodies of our people killed and their cattle had been recovered by the soldiers and most of the atrocities exposed while, before the coming of the soldiers, none of our 219 people killed and 7000 cows stolen, were ever reported or acknowledged as the bodies of all those killed were burnt, buried and such areas made 'no-go areas' to all relations of the dead as well as the security agents until all traces of such murders had disappeared," he bemoaned the situation.

According to the association's scribe, what such people are fighting for by saying that they are part of the problems of the state by preferring the police, "is because the soldiers have been marking the troubled areas and warning the trouble makers. Their presence, with their armoured tanks, has been quite intimidating and scaring to the murderers and arsonists, and they want the soldiers out by implicating them in every crime committed by them or against them by unknown persons. That is why they often alleged that their killers had army uniform, the same way the killers of our members say that those who killed them wore police uniform too."

He called on both the army and police authorities to mix the personnel on the basis of 40 and 60 percent so that mischief-makers do not have the opportunity of running down any of the security agencies through frame-ups and blackmails therefore by subjecting them to odium or ridicule with a view to withdrawing them.

[Description of Source: Lagos The Guardian Online in English -- Website of the widely read independent daily, aimed at up-market readership; URL: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/]

Nigeria: Boko Haram Engages military Gun Battle in Borno

AFP20110201606003 Lagos Daily Sun in English 31 Jan 11 p 7

[Report by Timothy Ola: "Boko Haram, military in fight to finish in Borno"]

Fear gripped residents of Maiduguri overnight on Saturday as the Boko Haram sect engaged the military in a fight to finish in different parts of the Borno State capital. As the war raged on, many of the residents were kept awake, fearing for their safety. A policeman was also killed in another attack on Sunday afternoon at a checkpoint, prompting many residents to stay in-doors. The shooting started at about 8.30p.m around the Shehuri North-Custom area, in which the former enclave of the Boko Haram sect was located. The gun battle lasted about two hours and continued in the early hours of Sunday. It was gathered that the trouble began when some gunmen opened fire on an army patrol vehicle around the area. A resident who lives in the area told Daily Sun on phone on Saturday night that he could not sleep because of the repeated shootings.

"I am restless now because the gun shots have refused to stop. I don’t even know what is happening and I cannot just go out with all my family members now because it is late. Who knows if these people [Boko Haram] are just on our street since my house is not far from the road," the caller lamented. The 21 Armored Brigade Spokesmen, Lt. Col. Abdullahi who confirmed the report said some gunmen had attacked soldiers on patrol in the metropolis on Saturday night. "As I am talking to you now, there is a shoot out around the Pompomari area," he said.

It was further gathered that same gunmen in a car opened fire on three policemen at a checkpoint in Pompomari area on Sunday afternoon when they were stopped for the usual stop and search check, leading to the death of one of the policemen, a sergeant. "The gunmen numbering about four were in a car at about 12 noon. The car is ash colour and they just opened fire on the policemen at the checkpoint as soon as they were stopped. They even removed the car’s two number plates before they sped off," an eyewitness told Daily Sun.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 18 persons suspected to be connected with last Friday’s killing had been arrested by the police in the state. The police claimed the suspects had ‘strong link’ with the killing of Gubio, ANPP governorship candidate and six others. "We have every reason to believe these suspects have strong link with the last week’s murder of seven persons," Police Public Relations [PPRO], ASP Abdullahi Lawal disclosed, adding that "investigation will soon commence." Daily Sun gathered that many of the Christians leaders had gone into hiding following alleged threat messages received by some of them during the week. The state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria [CAN], Rev. Yuguda Mdavrwa could not be reached on phone to confirm the purported threat messages as his phone was switched off.

Also, leaders of the Igbo socio-cultural group, Igbo Welfare Association [IWA] in the state were also said to have gone into hiding. They had threatened last week to leave the state en-masse if the alleged selective killings of their members did not abate and should the governor fail to employ new strategy to curtail the Boko Haram menace. IWA President General, Chief Nnaka Okereke told Daily on phone that he had been advised to keep a low profile until further notice. "I’m sorry you can’t see me now, I have been advised to hide myself for now because our safety is very important," he declared.

Meanwhile, a group of academics under the aegis of Coalition of North-east Academics for Democracy and Good Governance had called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Plateau and Borno states. The group said the call became imperative following what it described as "unbridled and wanton destruction of lives and property" in the two states, a development which it said had made life very short, brutish and worthless for the citizenry.

"From all indications, the Federal Government is avoiding declaration of state of emergency in the two states which have of late earned for themselves the inglorious reputation as the most dangerous places in West Africa along side the Niger Delta, ostensibly for fear of negative political implications as the 2011 general elections draw near and the strong influence of the governors of Plateau and Borno states in the Aso Villa," a statement signed by the President of the group, Dr. Mohammed Gujbawu and made available to Daily Sun on Sunday in Maiduguri stated.

Gujbawu said only declaration of emergency rule would bring down tension and high rate of insecurity in the two states, stressing that a more holistic approach was required to address the insecurity, especially in Borno where serial killers suspected to be of Boko Haram had laid siege on the state. The coalition urged President Goodluck Jonathan to send an executive communication without further delay, seeking immediate and total declaration of state of emergency in the two states to save lives and property of innocent citizens.

[Description of Source: Lagos Daily Sun in English -- Privately owned daily close to former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu]

Nigeria: Islamic Sect Declares 'Full Scale War' Between Religious Communities

AFP20110203565001 Abuja Daily Trust Online in English 2347 GMT 02 Feb 11

[Report by Hamza Idris: "Boko Haram: We Killed Gubio"]

The Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad, more popularly known as Boko Haram, yesterday dismissed claims by Governor Ali Modu Sheriff that political rivals killed ANPP's [All Nigeria People's Party] Borno State gubernatorial candidate Alhaji Modu Fannami Gubio and it claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Gubio, a cousin of the governor, was killed along with Sheriff's younger brother Alhaji and six others in Maiduguri last Friday. The governor had said on Monday night that he suspected politicians, and not Boko Haram, of being behind the killing, given its sophisticated nature.

For the second time, the group also claimed responsibility for the Christmas Eve bombings in Jos, Plateau State which claimed the lives of many people, and it promised to launch more attacks in the coming days until, they said, an Islamic government is established in Plateau State.

Yesterday's sensational claims were made on printed A4-size posters that were pasted on several public and private buildings across the troubled Borno State capital. Residents of Maiduguri and environs woke up to find them on the walls, supposedly pasted by sect members. Neither Daily Trust reporters nor the authorities could say for certain that Boko Haram pasted the notices. The open letter, which carried the logo of the sect, also claimed responsibility for attacks in Bauchi State.

Sheriff had told reporters late at night on Monday that members of the outlawed Boko Haram were not responsible for Friday's killings, insisting that it was crafted by "few politicians who want power by all means."

Sheriff said, "I believe that what happened was not carried out by the Boko Haram members. First it was the deputy zonal chairman of the ANPP, Awana Ali Ngala that was killed. Incidentally he was my cousin. And then last Friday, they attacked our gubernatorial candidate and my younger brother alongside five other innocent souls. We all know the patterns of the Boko-Haram people who will just rush out, shoot in the air and run into hiding. But all those that died on Friday were shot right in the head, and only specially trained persons can do that."

He also said, "I am not surprised that some politicians have launched campaign of calumny in the media suggesting that a state of emergency be imposed in Borno State. We know from where they are coming from; they are behind it all these while. As soon as they achieved what they planned on Friday, they rushed to the media calling for a state of emergency. This alone is a clear testimony that people are desperate and they want to get power at all costs."

Yesterday's open letter, written in Hausa, was pasted on walls along Post Office Area, State Low Cost, Railway Quarters (the enclave of late leader of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf), Umarari, Jejeri and Baga Road among others.

It read, "In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful. Without any doubt, we the warriors of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad, under the leadership of Imam Abu Muhammad Abubakar Bin Muhammad, popularly known as Shekau, hereby declare that we are responsible for the attacks launched in Borno on Friday 23-14-32 (28th Jan. 2011), which led to the killing of Alhaji Modu Fannami Gubio, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the brother of Governor Ali Modu Sheriff as well the security men attached to them.

"As we have been telling the world, these attacks we are launching, just like the one we launched on the eve of Christmas in Borno and Suldaniyya (Jos) and the ones we are launching in Bauchi, are meant to propagate the name of Allah and to liberate ourselves and our religion from the hands of infidels and the Nigerian government.

"We are therefore calling on Muslims in this part of the world to be well prepared because, very soon, we would launch a full scale war between the Muslims and the Christians. We also call on the Muslims not to seat close to where security agents or politicians are living because such people are behind the illegalitie s being meted on the Muslims.

"As you can see, security agents have been deployed to Churches to guard them while on the other hand, the same security agents are the ones maltreating the Muslims. This is the time for all of us to rise and change this government, and give way to the establishment of Islamic government."

"Finally, anyone of you that assists them, will receive the same punishment like them. Message from the warriors of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad."

However, police authorities in the state have called on the citizens to disregard the threat, assuring that everybody will be safe. Police spokesman ASP Lawan Abdullahi said, "People should not be nervous with the open letter, we are on top of the situation."

Asked why the police could not arrest any of the people that pasted the posters in the dead of the night despite many patrol teams, the spokesman said, "We did not arrest anybody but we would soon get them. Our patrol teams now move around the town instead of staying in one place."

The state police commissioner had said that nineteen people have been arrested in connection with Friday's killings, stating that they are "political thugs loyal to some politicians."

According to him, "We have strongly established that the suspects that are now in our custody are political thugs who have connection with some powerful politicians in the state."

Those arrested according to the commissioner include Ibrahim Ali, Gambo Saadu, Mohammed Umar, Mohammed Abubakar, Saidu Ibrahim, Yahaya Audu, Ibrahim Moto, Musa Ibrahim, Rabiu Mohammed and Rabiu Yahaya. Others are Mohammed Audu, Adamu Mohammed, Hamisu Sule, Hudu Yau, Sanusi Kabiru, Hamisu Sani, Shaabiyu Sule, Hussaini Sani and Sani Ali.

Asked about the names of the "powerful politicians" responsible for the killings and the party they are representing, the police commissioner said disclosing names will tamper with the investigations by officers and men of the joint security forces. According to him, "it will be wrong to tell you the names now; we would give you details at the appropriate time. All I can say is that we have made a significant progress in our findings."

[Description of Source: Abuja Daily Trust Online in English -- Website of the independent pro-North daily; URL: http://dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php]

Algerian Security Agencies Break Up Terrorist AQLIM/GSPC Group in Batna

GMP20110207280001 Algiers Algiers El-Watan Online in French 06 Feb 11

[Report by Salima Tlemcani: "Al-Qa'ida Group Broken Up in Batna: Was Supposed to Set Up Terrorist Cells in Europe" -- first paragraph is El Watan introduction]

It was one of the most major operations to break up international terrorist networks in liaison with the Salafi Group for Call and Combat [GSPC] or Al-Qa'ida in the [Lands of the] Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM) that the security agencies have just carried out in the Batna maquis.

It lifted the veil on a relationship that has become increasingly pronounced between the GSPC's phalanges and those of Usama Bin Ladin. Indeed, according to security sources, everything started with this news report supplied by repentants about the plan for the assignment of one of the most notorious Mauritanian terrorists, Brahim Ould Mohamed Ould Na, better known by the nickname of Abou Anes Echenguitti, as a mufti (exegete) to the leadership of the GSPC with the goal of increasing the number of attacks and redeploying "armed action" on the ground. As an imam by training, and being a part of the Mauritanian Salafi group, he had played an important role in the recruitment of the young people of his country to ship them to Iraq.

In direct contact with Usama Bin Ladin, he was, according to the security agencies, allegedly instructed by the latter to direct his actions toward the beefing up of the massive recruitment of young Mauritanians in the ranks of the GSPC's phalanges before receiving the order to join the Al Moulathamoune katibat led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, called Abou Al Abbes or Belaouer, and Abou Zeid's Tarik Ibn Ziyad [katibat], both of which are active in northern Mali. His mission was to indoctrinate the young recruits to carry out suicide bomber attacks and abductions of Westerners.

Thanks to his special contacts with Usama Bin Ladin's organization, he allegedly succeeded in getting himself accepted as an exegete officer and a member of the "council of wise men" (Ahl Al Aqd), two central GSPC agencies, an organization to which he would give an international dimension via the massive support from foreigners, especially Mauritanians, who have become increasingly predominant in the Sahel. In 2008 he traveled to Algeria and stayed in the Tebessa and then the Batna maquis, where he proceeded to reorganize terrorist groups in the two regions.

He was supposed to get to Droukdel's hideout when the security agencies arrested him in a trap that had been set for him toward the end of the same year. His revelations would lift the veil on Al-Qa'ida new strategy not just in Algeria but also in Europe, in France especially, through the sending (to that country) of a terrorist by the name of Mustapha Debchi, called Abou Mohamed Al Othmani, who had gone into the maquis in May 2008.

A native of Constantine and a young state electronics engineer, with perfect command of English, French, and Arabic as well as computers, he had been charged with information for the GSPC's southern zone before being named by Droukdel to set up new terrorist cells in Europe, which he had been getting ready to join from the port of Annaba before being arrested. His confessions to the security forces, like those of Abou Anes, would allow for the identification and arrest of a large portion of the members of the organization active in Algeria, two of whom were Mauritanian nationals, Mohamed Yahia Ould Khaitari, called Abou Zakaria Echenguitti, a Mauritanian shepherd who had been recruited in 2007 and who had gotten to the terrorists' training camp located in Al Maghit (in Mali) before surrendering, in 2008, in the Oustili maquis in Batna; as well as Abdellah Ould Ahmed Ould Andjiya, called Salah Abou Al Arkam Echenguitti, a fundamentalist who graduated from a Koran school in Nouakchott in 2005 and was recruited in 2006 by one of his compatriots and then taken by a Malian terrorist to In Khallil (in Mali) and a terrorists camp in the Sahel, where he underwent paramilitary training before getting to Djebel Labiodh in Tebessa in around 2007; in 2008 he was transferred to the Batna mountains until his arrest.

The 12 other Algerian terrorists who were arrested during this operation were Aissam Hamadouche, called Abou Hareth, who had been active since May 2008; Ahmed Djouad, called Abou Ibrahim Al Wahrani, who had been in the ranks since June 2006; Khaled Hamdane, called Abou Kaakaa El Wahrani, who joined the GSPC in 2005; Djillali Chouikhi, called Abou Dher Lemdani, who had been recruited in 2006; Fethi Besseghir, called Zoubir El Wahrani, who had been recruited in 2006; Selmane El Yakouti, who had been in the ranks of the Armed Islamic Group [GIA] in 1995 before joining the GSPC and was a member of the leadership of the El Forkane katibat, which is active in Batna; Djamel Lasbahani, called Abou Abdellah Al Wahrani, who was recruited in 2006; Nasreddine Mettouche, called Okacha Abou Al Bara, who was recruited in 2006; Mohtar Khalkhal, called Yahia Abou Koutada, a member of the GIA in 1994 before joining the GSPC and who had been in charge of the workshop manufacturing explosive devices within the El Fath El Moubine phalange; and Zine El Abidine Menzer, called Abou Yasser El Othmani, who was recruited in 2006. The information supplied by the latter to the security agencies helped identify 211 terrorists from Mali, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Burkina Faso who are part of Al-Qa'ida active in the Sahel. The news reports also highlighted the GSPC's proven connections with other international terrorist organizations affiliated with or close to Bin Ladin's Al-Qa'ida, among which are Nigeria's Boko Haram, led by Abou Bakr Chikou; the Somali Harakat Chabab Moudjahidine movement, whose leader is a certain Abou Zoubeir who, according to the confessions of the arrested terrorists, allegedly benefited from the GSPC's logistical support via paramilitary training and financial aid but also from weapons acquired thanks to ransoms.

In addition, the same sources stated that the major batch of weapons recovered from the arrested terrorists was made up of 14 Kalashnikov sub-machine guns; one semi-automatic rifle; 38 cartridge clips; eight small blades, three explosive devices, eight grenades, 1,850 cartons of munitions; in addition, 21 cell phones, 33 Subscriber Identity Module [SIM] cards, two pairs of binoculars, three bottles of mercury, two photovoltaic plates, medicines, and the sum of 126,995 Algerian dinars [DA] were confiscated. Other batches of weaponry were recovered by the security agencies after the assault that was mounted on hideouts located in the Taghda maquis in Batna. Involved were one Rocket-Propelled Grenade [RPG]-2 rocket launcher; four rockets; one Dictariov with a cartridge slip; one Kalashnikov sub-machine gun, one Hristal [as published]-type [FN/]-FAL with a cartridge clip; one repeater rifle; one MAT-49 with a cartridge slip; seven explosive devices; 81 detonators; 5.5 meters of detonator line; 70 kilograms of ammonium nitrate; 40 kilograms of chemical products entering in the manufacture of bombs; 2,000 shells of various calibers; three radio sets; and a pair of binoculars. It was practically a coup de grace that the security forces gave the terrorist organization, which thus finds itself deprived of its most important supports...