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

Religious fundamentalists set Bauchi on fire again catching the authorities unawares

When Daniel Jatau, an indigene of Bauchi State, retired as a senior supervisor at the Central Bank of Nigeria after a meritorious service in 2004, he quickly used his retirement benefit to build a three-bedroom flat and boys' quarters of seven rooms at Zango, a suburb of Bauchi.

His plan was to use the rent from the boys' quarters to pay his children's school fees, while he and his family lived in the main flat. Everything had worked according to plan until the early hours of Monday, December 28, 2009 when intra-sectarian violence among members of Kalo Kato sect, a notorious group of Islamic fundamentalists based in the area, reduced Jatau's property to ashes within three hours.

Narrating his ordeal to the magazine in a voice laced with grief, Jatau said that he saw it coming and he informed the police. But shortly after a police patrol left the scene, the sect members numbering about 300 barricaded the entrance to their enclave and became more daring, shooting sporadically in the air.

Jatau was becoming more frightened by the minute as everything was done in front of his house being the road leading to the sect leader's house. The last episode, which shocked him to the bone marrow, was the killing of a young man and his friend on a motorcycle when he ran into their barricade in front of his house.

His house was on fire and razed along with others including his car and other belongings. When he visited the site the following day, Jatau had to be assisted out of the scene by neighbors who feared that he could collapse.

"Now, I may have to start life from the scratch as my loss is about N11 million and my head is completely blank at the moment because I do not have a place to put my family not to talk of the next meal for my children."

The plight of Amina Isa, a housewife who lives three houses from the sect leader's house, is not different from Jatau as she lost everything to the mayhem. Isa said that she could not believe what she saw as she was running away with her four children. "Children of the sect members who usually come to buy cooking items from me like seasoning powder, salt, and dry pepper were the ones who set fire on my two rooms." Isa said that she has, however, taken consolation in the fact that none of her children was hurt.

For Musa Mohammadu, a 60-year-old man who is the immediate neighbor of the sect leader as only a mud fence separated their houses, said that he has lived in the area for 20 years but all the features of good neighborliness have never existed between them.

At the end of the Kala Kato mayhem, the seventh sectarian violence in the 31-month-old Isa Yuguda administration in Bauchi, 38 people lay dead. The dead include a soldier, a policeman attached to Bauchi State joint security outfit known as Operation Flush Out and the leader of the sect known as Malam Badamasi.

Five houses were also torched with 18 people injured and currently receiving treatment at the Bauchi State Specialist Hospital. Twenty suspects are cooling their heels at the police command. The offence of the Muslims and Christians whose houses were torched was that the sect believed they had been feeding security agencies with information about their activities.

The police commissioner refused the magazine access to the injured victims, who were on admission in Ward 2 of the tightly secured hospital where injured members of the Boko Haram sect were also treated few months ago.

Tracing the genesis of the crisis, Atiku Kafur, the Bauchi State police commissioner said that the clash between members of the Kalo Kato sect resulted from a strange illness that afflicted Badamasi, the leader of the sect. He said that Badamasi's attempt to cure the illness, which looked like pox, failed and he was advised to go to the wife of one of his members who could cure him.

On getting there, he was reportedly told that one of his members was behind his predicament and was plotting to kill him in order to take over the leadership of the sect. Badamasi was shocked to hear this and this strained his relationship with his deputy whom he suspected.

Thus, the stage was set for a bloody clash. The episode polarized the sect into two camps: one led by Badamasi and the other by his deputy, Mallam Umar. Both camps started preaching sessions in the enclave aimed at bringing each other's image into disrepute and condemned political leaders in the state referring to them as infidels.

The last straw that broke the camel's back was the attempt by members of the Operation Flush Out team to stop the sect's inflammatory preaching last Monday resulting in the killing of a soldier. The Kala-Kato sect is made up of the remnants of the notorious Maitatsine sect led by late Muhammadu Marwa, which held northern Nigeria by the jugular in the 1980s.

The group with large following in Borno, Plateau, Gombe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto States, sees members as puritans and live in enclaves. Their enclaves are cut off from other members of the population and members never marry outside their group.

Musa Muhammadu, the immediate neighbor of the sect leader for many years until the mayhem, revealed that most members of the sect are Nigerians who observe their five daily prayers and Jumaat prayers in their leader's house and do not pray with anyone outside their sect. He said that the major difference between them and other Muslims stems from their radical and anti-establishment preaching and mode of prayer.

The people of Zango community had always been apprehensive of their activities and complained to security agencies but nothing was done. Another fundamental issue bordering the minds of Bauchi residents was why there was no security report on the activities of the sect in spite of the tension that was building up amongst them for about three weeks.

The security agencies happened not to have learnt any lesson from the Boko Haram crisis, as they underestimated the capacity of the group hence it took them hours to crush a group of about 300 people.

Governor Isa Yuguda, reputed to have gold medal among governors in the North-east for globe-trotting, was outside the country when the mayhem erupted and had not returned 48 hours after. Sources say Yuguda is away to London to see his youngest wife, Nafisat, who is also President Yar'Adua's daughter. Nafisat is reported to have gone to London to see her doctors.

But Sanusi Muhammadu, special assistant on media affairs to the governor, said that Yuguda was in Saudi Arabia for the past one week holding meetings with officials of the International Islamic Relief Organization, Jeddah where he signed an agreement with them on December 23, 2009. A copy of the agreement was shown to the magazine.

He added that the governor's trips are aimed at attracting investors. "The trips have yielded dividends like securing admission for Bauchi students to read specialized courses in universities abroad, signing an agreement with a South Korean firm for a hydro electricity project, recruitment of 30 Egyptian doctors and two German firms that will establish a building material factory and a refinery in Bauchi soon," Muhammadu explained.

The governor would have to work hard to sustain the interest of willing investors, who may be scared by the frequent occurrence of sectarian violence. However, the theatre of ethno-religious conflict in the North has not been restricted to Bauchi. The Boko Haram crisis spread to Borno.

Yet before the Boko Haram there was the Jos crisis and the Kaltungo religious crisis in Gombe State in 2000. Some of the crises are caused by a display of extremist views or attempts at protecting adherents from being "polluted" by the values or preaching of other religious beliefs.

Example of the latter is the attempt to stop a Christian crusade scheduled to be addressed by Reinhard Bonnke, an international evangelist, in Kano in 1991. An ensuing confrontation between adherents of both religions resulted in thousands of deaths and loss of properties.

Religious riots started in Zaria, Kaduna State in 1980, about seven months before the tragic Maitatsine riots that claimed over 4,000 lives in Kano the same year. Over the years, the findings of judicial panels set up to probe the crises are hardly used to prevent a recurrence.

Mahmud Isa Duguri, the Imam of the Bakin Kura Jumaat Mosque, Bauchi, told the magazine that the Boko Haram crisis, the Faruok Muttallab saga, and the Kala-Kato mayhem are sad commentaries for the image of Islam and its adherents.

To him, Our'an and hadith do not support violence or terrorism in any form because its central focus is unity and peace and that only self-defense during crisis is accepted in Islam. He says, "Any Muslim who deliberately sheds the blood of other people or engages in any act of terrorism runs contrary to the teachings of Prophet Mohammed and will incur Allah's wrath in the world hereafter."

As normalcy gradually returns to Bauchi, the latest episode may further compound the political hurdles of Yuguda whose second name has become controversy. He is yet to recover from the controversy which followed his return to the Peoples Democratic Party in April last year and the impeachment of his deputy, Gadi Mohammed, a development that is now a subject of litigation.

[Description of Source: Lagos TELL in English - independent weekly news magazine]

Nigeria: Court Remands 18 'Suspected' Islamic Sect Members to Prison Custody

AFP20100113581003 Ibadan Nigerian Tribune Online in English 13 Jan 10

[Report by James Bwala: "Another 18 Boko Haram Members Remanded in Prison"]

Another set of 18 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, who allegedly participated in the July 2009 sectarian crisis in Maiduguri, were on Tuesday remanded in prison custody by Wulari Chief Magistrate court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Waziri Mohammed.

The Borno State Police command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Isa Azare, told newsmen that the suspects were arrested last week at various locations in the state capital, but declined to comment whether they were carrying weapons.

When the case came up for mention, lead prosecuting counsel from the Borno State Ministry of Justice, Bukar Bundi, told the court that the suspects were being tried on a 10-count charge of criminal conspiracy, joint act, inciting disturbance, unlawful assembly and possession of deadly weapons.

Although the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges, Bundi however prayed the court to remand them in prison custody to enable him gather more facts on the case.

[Description of Source: Ibadan Nigerian Tribune Online in English -- Website of the privately owned daily; URL: http://www.tribune.com.ng]

Niger: Newspaper Says Graft, Instability Increasing Al-Qa'ida Threat

AFP20100114950067 Tamtaminfo in French 13 Jan 10

[Report by Moussa Aksar entitled "Islamist threat in Niger: AlQa'ida is around" first published in privately-owned Niger weekly newspaper L'Evenement]

There was fighting between Arab Jihadists and the Niger Defence and Security Forces [FDS] at the Telemces area located about 80km from Tahoua [in northwestern Niger] last week. Ten persons, including seven soldiers, were killed. Among them was the leader of the team, a sub-officer, who was felled in the earlier hours of the fighting. The attackers lost two men.

The arrival of military reinforcement in the Tahoua area with 120mm mortar guns routed the attackers who were dislodged before fleeing. According to our sources, a group of assailants succeeded in fleeing towards the nearby Malian border and another was still hiding in the valley. In fact, this area is located in a valley, surrounded by trees and caverns. This makes it an ideal safe haven for outlaws. Currently, the Defence and Security Forces are in control of the area, we are told.

According to a communique by the Ministry of National Defence, the FDS recovered a vehicle full of arms. We must say that the heavy death toll recorded on the side of the Defence and Security Forces does not reflect in any way the reality of the forces on the ground. On the Malian border some days earlier, the Defence and Security Forces arrested three men suspected of attempted hostage taking. The terrorist threat which became visible on 11 September 2001 with the attacks on American targets continues to stir up a lot of fear not only in Western circles but also in Africa.

The recent attempts of attacks, abductions of Westerners and the killing of four Saudi nationals are a further proof that the strong determination of the Western countries did not make it possible to control the terrorist threat in the world. Even if it is weakened, the terrorist network continues to append its signature to several terrorist acts that organisations commit in its name. Meanwhile, the tracking of Usamah Bin Ladin is at its height with fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban fighters in the tribal areas of Pakistan. But, the most sought-after man of the world remains at large. [Passage omitted].

It is in Yemen that the abortive assassination of the deputy interior minister, Prince Bin-Nayif, was organised in August and ended up with the killing of four Saudi nationals. It is also said, however, that a second group of Saudis, made up of about 10 "poachers", accompanied by five Malians and seven Niger nationals from Mali, was intercepted in the wake of the attack which resulted in the death of four Saudis in the Diambala area (Tillaberi Region [northwestern Niger]). They spent the night in a military camp before being led to Niamey. But the most surprising issue is that these Saudis were reportedly not worried.

They were consequently released. Contrary to the affirmations of the Collective of Human Rights Organisations and Democracy (CODDHD), the authorities were well aware of the arrival of the Saudis and their itinerary. They knew well that the Saudi "hunters" had a right to a transit visa. This increase in activism by the Islamists in Niger is explained by the fact that the armed groups are trying to make Niger a bridgehead for Al Qa'idah in the Sahel. The porous nature of the borders and the immense extent of the desert, coupled with the political instability lend themselves well to the manoeuvres of the nebulous Salafists.

It would be recalled that a Mauritanian, a member of a dormant cell of Al Qa'idah was arrested by the Niger security services in the Borbel District of Niamey last year. The latter succeeded in merging into the masses by marrying a Niger woman. He was carrying out the duty of an imam in the mosque of the district when he was arrested. The kidnapping of Canadian diplomats and their driver some kilometres from Niamey in December 2008 is illustrative enough of the fact that the Salafist threat is real in Niger. The lessons to be learned from the Telemces events are that in a general manner, the terrorist groups manage to settle down much more easily in areas that are facing some instability. The agitated political atmosphere and its consequences on the country's stability are an aggravating factor for insecurity.

To that we must add the high degree of corruption in the country which can make it possible for the Islamists to buy intermediary services for their cause. And without arranging anything, the United States redirected its assistance to Niger for fighting insecurity to other countries that respect the rules of democracy. This can facilitate the infiltration of Al Qa'idah.

The state must also keep an eye on some Nigerian preachers who come regularly to the Niger territory, often to spread extremist ideas. These preachers must be monitored the more as this country was faced with two armed insurrections led by extremist Islamist groups within some months' interval: the Boko Haram in July and the Kalakato a few days ago. All of them resulted in hundreds of deaths. The hunt carried out by the Nigerian authorities can push the Nigerian Islamists to infiltrate Niger.

Niger armed forces hardened against terrorists

In fact, in the past the Niger armed forces had to wage forceful operations against the Islamists who tried to infiltrate into the Niger territory. As proof of it the Niger armed forces made life so difficult for the Algerian Islamist Abdelaziz El Para to the point that the latter was hunted and forced to seek refuge in Chad where he was captured finally. Col Mounkaila Mody, who is today the chief of army staff, was forced in the past to neutralize the Islamist fighters who tried to infiltrate into Niger.

Some men of the Defence and Security Forces underwent training within the framework of the Pan Sahel Initiative under the American trainers so as to confront the threats of destabilisation such as that of the Islamists of Al Qa'idah.[Passage omitted].

Terrorists who are increasing attacks in the whole world under the banner of Islam decided to install a new world order which matches their extremist vision. But the Al Qa'idah business can be made bankrupt with a coordination of the fight and the placing of means at the disposal of weaker countries.

[Description of Source: Tamtaminfo in French -- Niger independent web portal. URL: http://www.tamtaminfo.com]

Nigeria: Report Identifies Bauchi as Hotbed for Religious Extremism, Crises

AFP20100120619002 Lagos Nigerian Newsworld in English 18 Jan 10 - 25 Jan 10 pp 12-18

[Report by Augustine Okezie: "Breeding Religious Extremists"]

Bauchi State is fast becoming a breeding ground for religious extremism judging from the number of crises that have rocked the state since 1999

Hoards of security operatives at the checkpoints that littered the road to Bauchi from Jos, leave no one in doubt that Bauchi State is indeed experiencing a religious crisis. In addition, the frequent security meetings by the state executive council, attest to the fact that all is not well with a state that prides itself as the gateway of the north east geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

In the words of Mohammed Sanni, a motorcyclist and resident of the city: "It only takes a distress shout by an individual at the city centre, for pandemonium to be let loose on the entire citizenry as they scamper for their safety."

Since 1991, Bauchi State has been witnessing religious and communal crises. The latest was the December 26, 2009 bloodletting, which was masterminded by the Kala Kato sect. Several accounts were rendered by different sources on what caused the fracas but the most credible was that narrated by Alhaji Hassan, the Sariki Sango of Bauchi.

According to him, the fracas was ignited by internal wrangling involving members of the sect. A female member of the sect had incited another member against the leadership, thereby causing in-house squabbles which later on spiraled into the streets.

Eventually, the entire members of the sect blockaded Sango market, causing pandemonium in the process. Members of the security outfit, otherwise known as "operation flush" were alerted and a member of the squad, a soldier was killed when he came to quell the crisis. Even a commercial motorbike rider that was passing by was killed, including some other innocent lives that were lost.

Faced by the mounting security pressure, the gang leader, Malam Gbadamasi and his members retreated to the entrance of their heavily fortified walls, preventing neighbors from having access or passing the road to nearby houses.

Mallam Yakubu Wambai, the Wakili Sariki Sango of Bauchi was at this point sent to confront the sect leader, which he did. In an encounter, the sect leader replied that they were praying to their God and nothing more than that. In an ensuing encounter between the gang and members of the operation flush squad, the gang leader was killed from a hail of bullets alongside some leading members of the sect.

When the Newsworld visited the General Hospital in Bauchi, wounded citizens and members of the gang who were injured during the exchange of gunfire were seen on hospital beds, receiving medical attention in the heavily guarded hospital. The sect leader had earlier resisted the bullets fired at him due to charms and amulets that he was wearing, before he was eventually overpowered and killed.

The police, in its account by the deputy commissioner, Indabawa, corroborated the story by the traditional leaders of Sango. They only added that about four lives were lost with several injuries sustained. There were heavy material losses including the burning of residential houses and other properties such as motorcycles and cars. Even the house of the sect leader and his deputy were completely ransacked and burnt.

According to the police, the fracas was promptly quelled without unnecessary time lag. "Unlike the Boko Haram issue, we did not allow them to strike; we struck first. Bauchi State's response was remarkable. We got the information and we acted on it fast alongside the military. It took us an hour and half and it was all over," said the deputy commissioner of police.

The Boko Haram religious crisis was another religious fracas that preceded that of the Kala Kato crisis in Bauch State on July 26, 2009. The Boko Haram (Western education is sin) campaigners’ sect leader, Mohammed Yususf, started in Maiduguri, Borno State. The Bauchi version was in response to the crisis that erupted in Maiduguri. Several lives were lost and there were more damages to properties than that of the Kala Kato riot.

Earlier, religious crises in Bauchi State have left several untold hardship and wanton destruction of properties in its wake. In 1991 for instance, a religious crisis broke out during the national sports festival that was hosted by Bauchi State. There were several other religious riots in 1995, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

These riots were however not masterminded by any religious sect, except that of 2009. The trend from 2009 changed with the introduction of sect leaders and camps who masterminded subsequent religious upheavals, using their followers who have been brainwashed with extremist ideologies.

The religious riot of 2006 is very remarkable in that, for the first time, what happened in a foreign land, reverberated in Nigeria and indeed in Bauchi State. In that riot, a cartoon that was interpreted as making a caricature of Prophet Mohammed by a Danish artist, was widely condemned by Muslims all over the world, but in Bauchi State, the response was extremely violent.

Theses chronologies of religious riots in Bauchi State, no doubt rightly earns it the emerging hotbed of religious crisis in Nigeria. The current practice now is the situation where the various sect leaders mastermind the crises, rather than having a cross section of the entire religious faith, demonstrating on the streets.

A senior lecturer in the History and Religious Studies department at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in the town, who craved anonymity, observed that religious crisis and indeed religious extremism in Bauchi State were precipitated by the existence of different "religious camps and sects under one leadership or the other."

These sect leaders and sects in turn attempt imposing their own status on their members in other to establish a thorough religious culture and identity for themselves. Corroborating this opinion, Yakubu Wambili, the Wakili Sango of Bauchi, explained that majority of these sect leaders and their adherents are not indigenes of Bauchi but immigrants from neighboring north eastern states and bordering countries of Niger Republic and Cameroon.

According to him, parents and relations of the children entrusted their wards and relations to the care of these Islamic teachers in the belief that they will be imparted the true knowledge of the Koran. The situation however results to the contrary, as the so-called preachers and sect leaders turn midstream to pervert their religious teachings and resort to false indoctrination of their adherents.