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

In a statement issued by the Arewa elders, the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani said: "the Forum welcomed the spirited efforts by Mr. President in setting up the panels on ethno-religious crises in Jos and its environs and security challenges in the North-East geopolitical zones".

"The meeting, therefore, urged the government to go further and take all the necessary actions on the submitted reports expeditiously, lest Nigerians lose trust and confidence on panels and commissions set up by the government in future".

The ACF also considered the abysmal levels of enrollment of children in both primary and secondary schools across the Northern states amid billions of naira lying idle with the UBE Commission, saying that "as a hedge against such disheartening trends, the meeting appealed to Northern governors to make haste and provide their counter-part funds, which are conditions the governors must fulfill in order to access what are due and payable to their respective states from the UBE Commission".

"This is very significant, considering the funds can go a long way in improving the volume and quality of education across the Northern parts of the country" the group said.

Sani explained that ACF had its third Joint Meeting of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Council for this year and concluded it yesterday, noting that "the meeting was well attended and ably chaired by retired Lt-General Jeremiah Useni who was supported by other leaders of the Forum".

According to him, the Forum noted the spate of ethno-religious crises and the novel incidences of bomb blasts, as well as the problems of almajirai across the North, considered the upsurge in armed robberies and menace of area boys in the South-West; pondered over the upward spiral in the inhuman practice of kidnapping and breeding of infants for sale in the South-East; and the militant activism in the South-South; as well as considered their dire consequences on national security and socio-economic development of the country.

[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: Militant Group Calls On Government To Engage Islamic Sect in Dialogue

AFP20111004565002 Abuja Daily Trust Online in English 0414 GMT 03 Oct 11

[Report by Bashiru Abdullahi: "Boko Haram: OPC Calls For Dialogue"]

The Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) has called on the Federal Government to engage members of the Boko Haram sect in a genuine dialogue. OPC National Coordinator Gani Adams, who addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, said negotiation with the sect would help minimize the anxiety caused by recent bombings in the country.

Adams, who stressed that the use of military might would not help solve the nation's security challenges, said, "My opinion is that it is normal for the Federal Government to look for a way of reconciling with the Boko Haram sect. There is no amount of military might that can stop a group that is ready to die for its cause. America has the best of equipment as far as security is concerned. They monitor the activities of al-Qaida, but they (al-Qaida) are difficult to stop. I believe the government should engage them in a dialogue.

Adam lamented that President Goodluck Jonathan's administration had marginalized the South-west, saying that "We have lost the positions of the Chief Justice of the Federation and the Head of Service to the north again. Jonathan is the president, the senate president is from the north; the vice president is also from the north".

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

Nigeria: Suspected Islamic Sect Gunmen Reportedly Kill 3 Traders in Borno State

AFP20111004565025 Ibadan Nigerian Tribune Online in English 04 Oct 11

[Report by James Bwala: "Boko Haram: Sect Adamant on Sharia; Restates Conditions for Dialogue; As Gunmen Kill 3 in Borno"]

The Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri, on Sunday, called for the immediate release of its members in detention as a condition for talks with the government.

Abu Qaqa, the spokesman for the sect, said, "Our position remains the establishment of sharia law in all Muslim states in Nigeria.

"But as a temporary measure for peace, we will accept to talk with government only when all our members in captivity all over the states are released," Qaqa said in a statement.

He added that the sect had the records of all its members arrested either by the police, the State Security Service (SSS) or other security agencies.

Qaqa pointed out that the sect did not have any other motive than the entrenchment of Islamic law in Nigeria.

He faulted the claims by the Gaji Galtimari-led Federal Government committee on security challenges in the North-East on dialogue with the sect.

"We only heard the story in the media; nobody contacted us throughout the sitting of the committee.

"So, it is wrong for them to recommend dialogue with us, when they did not make any effort to meet with us.

"The idea of appointing the Sultan of Sokoto as a mediator between us and the government is also not acceptable to us, because the Sultan is not the authentic Muslim leader in Nigeria," Qaqa said.

Meanwhile, commercial activities were brought to a halt on Monday morning when gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect struck and killed three local traders at Baga International Fish Market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Also, another international market for timber very close to the fish market has since been closed for fear of possible attack by the dreaded sect.

The killers were said to have walked into the market where Chadians, Nigeriens and Cameroonians mostly converge to buy dried fish before killing two local tea sellers, a few hours after they killed a patent medicine seller, bringing the number of the casualties to three.

Sporadic gunshots thereafter rent the air, leaving many, who were scampering for safety, injured and some residents abandoning their houses for fear of being hit by stray bullets.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Hassan Mohammed, who spoke to journalists by phone, said he was not aware of the incident but acknowledged that "something happened on Baga road area this morning."

Mohammed, in his telephone interview, said: "I have sent my men to Baga road area where we learnt that something happened. I cannot tell authoritatively whether or not there was an attack but we shall surely arrest whatever situation we find there."

But angry traders, who spoke to journalists a few hours after the incidents, lamented their alleged ordeal at the hands of the JTF, saying that something urgent needed to be done to ensure the security of life and property rather than for the JTF to be shooting randomly in the direction of innocent civilians.

According to Mallam Ahmed Ibrahim, a fish seller, "we are in a serious dilemma here. Some gunmen came in from outside to kill our people everyday, but instead of the JTF going after them, they are busy chasing us out of the market and forcing us to leave our shops unattended."

As it stands, both the state government and the citizens may suffer a great deal, following the closure of the two international markets, especially if adequate security is not quickly provided on Baga road that has in recent times become a death trap.

In another development, the Federal Government has asked all agencies in the country to beef up security around public facilities and media houses.

The directive, it was gathered, stemmed from the new approach being adopted by the government to tackle security challenges facing the country.

Such public facilities to be guarded are federal and state secretariat complexes, Government Houses, NNPC depots, schools, airports, hospitals and others, to curb the level of insecurity in the nation.

It was reliably learnt, on Monday, that greater emphasis was asked to be put on undercover security activities in these areas for maximum result.

In Oyo State, for example, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed its men in flash spots in the state, as directed by the Commandant General, Dr Ade Abolurin.

The directive was contained in a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State command, Segun Oluwole, which urged the civil defence corps "to support the security agencies in their areas by reporting any suspicious movement around the public or private infrastructure in the state to forestall the breakdown of law and order.

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

Nigeria: Fundamentalist Group Disowns Sultan as Northern Leader

AFP20111006686004 Port Harcourt Niger Delta Standard in English 05 Oct 11 p 10

[Unattributed report: "Akhwat Akwop Disowns Sultan as Northern Leader "]

A religious fundamental group, known as Akhwat Akwop, says it does not recognize the Sultan of Sokoto or any other Islamic traditional ruler in the north just as the group condemned in totality the recent northern traditional rulers meeting held in Kaduna.

In an electronic mail posted on the internet yesterday, the radical religious group which claims to have its base in the southern part of Kaduna State resolved that for the desired peace and harmony to be achieved in the north, the Hausa/Fulani must stop encroaching, stealing or laying claims to land which by any stretch of the imagination does not belong to them.

Akhwat Akwop, which is a rival religious fundamental group to Boko Haram, further called on all indigenous communities in northern Nigeria to immediately caution Hausa-Fulani on their lands to order. "The Hausa/Fulani must respect the norms, cultures, values and traditions of their host communities."

Akhwat Akwop alleged that the Hausa/Fulani onslaught is aimed at Islamizing Christians in the north and Nigeria as whole and seizing, stealing and acquiring ancestral lands of indigenous communities in the north".

It also alleged that the Hausa/Fulani Muslims are trying to destabilize the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in other to seize back political power by all means and at all costs. It therefore called on all Christians and indigenous communities in the north and indeed in Nigeria as a whole, to most vehemently resist these agents of evil and anarchy.

Quoting from Matthew 7:9, Akhwat Akwop called on Nigerian Christians to wake up from their slumber; "Do not give what is holy to the dogs nor cast your pearls to swine lest they trample on them and tear you to pieces."

Akhwat Akwop has identified the Islamic republics of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Sudan as the sponsors of the Islamic onslaughts in northern Nigeria. "Akhwat Akwop states that nationals and diplomats of these countries are persona non grata in Nigeria and our commandos have instructions to hunt you down where ever and whenever they get you".

"Akhwat Akwop is stating to members of Boko Haram and other Islamic fundamentalists/terrorists that you have tried us and not found us wanting. Akhwat Akwop will match you blood for more blood, violence for more violence, and life for more lives. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war. End the madness you have started or we will be forced to permanently end it for you. A word is enough for the wise".

"Akhwat Akwop states here that should President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan not want to continue as president in 2015, the presidency must and should remain in the old eastern region of Nigeria".

Meanwhile, as more facts emerge over the Boko Haram insurgence, there are moves by leaders from the Northern and Southern parts of the country to meet to resolve the political angles to the ravaging militancy. Our correspondent was reliably informed that the planned meeting was designed to address the political sides of the conflicts, even as investigations have revealed the three main fears of the North over the Jonathan presidency that may be creating safe haven for the Islamists among Northerners.

The presidency had earlier discovered that the insurgence had a political undertone with some disaffected Arewa chieftains alleged to be behind the sect in the bid to hit back at President Goodluck Jonathan over the controversy that heralded the last presidential poll.

While there was no direct evidence of involvement of President Jonathan in the planned parley, it was learnt that many Niger Delta elders very close to the president are involved with the main purpose of rebuilding confidence between the president‘s home base and the core North.

A prominent elder, who was involved in the organization of the interaction, said "we intend to rebuild lost confidence and forge ahead for mutually beneficial future. The Ijaw and the core North are traditional allies, right from the First Republic. We intend to look at where mistakes are made and make corrections.

"We have made contact with our brothers in the North and we are getting favorable feedback. Some disaffected politicians are backing the Boko Haram. We think we can ensure reconciliation and rapprochement," the source that is from Bayelsa State told our reporter.

Findings showed further that though, foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, is not spearheading the move, many old hands from the Niger Delta who were active players in the defunct New Nigeria Alliance [NNA] and the National Party of Nigeria [NPN] are already contacting their colleagues from Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Bauchi and other areas of the North for participation in the political reconciliation moves.

A top government official who was asked about the reported consultation told our correspondent that, "President Jonathan is the president of the whole of Nigeria and would, therefore, support any well-intentioned moves to restore peace and speed up the transformation of the country.

"Mr. President is not opposed to any genuine moves for the progress of the country. He has welcomed all citizens to contribute their quota to the resolution of the crisis. So, the political move is a welcome development," the official, who sought anonymity because he was not authorized to speak, said.

Further investigations, however, revealed that contact with the former National Security Adviser [NSA], General Aliu Gusau, was real and that the involvement of the general, reputed for the depth of his intelligence politics, was part of the holistic strategy to stem the tide of the Islamist insurrection.

General Gusau was said to be a favorite pick, not only because of his intelligence background, but also as a way of exploiting his no love lost relationship with some Generals who are suspected of having cold relationship with the administration.

It was reliably learnt that the Zamfara-born General was involved in the move to address the political side of the conflict, in addition to his expected role in tackling the security menace posed by Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, investigations have unraveled the three main angers and fears of the core North, beyond the breach of the zoning formula of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in the last poll.

From Sokoto to Maiduguri, findings showed that the North is said to believe that the present administration has a succession plan that may not be in the best interest of the North, an unsubstantiated feeling that is reportedly fuelling perceived unhappiness with the Jonathan presidency in the core North.

"When the zoning formula was breached, there was no dialogue; no negotiation with the North. The G20 which surrounded the President from the North then are not genuine leaders of the people. So, by the last election, there was no agreement with the North as to what happens in 2015," a prominent Northern leader recently explained.

Investigations also showed that the anger and fears of the North are three, all centering on what happens to the Presidency when it comes up for grab again in 2015.

The first fear of the North, according to findings, was the actual intention of President Jonathan as to whether he will vie for second term or not. This is in spite of the president‘s declaration that he would not seek a second term in office.

A Niger Delta politician on Friday pointedly put it this way: "The North is afraid of what Jonathan will do in 2015. They are not sure whether the man will wake up and announce his intention to run for second term to complete his transformation agenda".

The second fear, according to findings, is whether there is truly an alleged pact between the South-East and the president, preceding the last presidential poll, which resulted in over 90 percent vote delivered to the ruling party.

Even when government officials denounced and denied such pact, the rumor mill in the North still believe there is an agreement for an Igbo to succeed the president come 2015.

If the administration supports the return of the presidency to the North in 2015, there is also the fear that either Vice President Namadi Sambo or Senate President David Mark may be the favorite of the incumbent president, a possibility the core North is said to be opposed to.

The North was reported to have vowed never to allow Southerners to decide again who, from the North, would occupy the presidency as was done in 2007 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

It would be recalled that General Obasanjo single-handedly anointed the late President Umaru Yar‘Adua in 2007.

Our correspondent was told that unless there is a concerted move to build confidence and allay the fear of the North, the present administration may continue to be held with suspicion by disaffected Arewa leaders.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria [CAN] in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital territory [FCT], Abuja, at the weekend, urged the federal government to arrest the Northern political leaders who were reported to have threatened to make Nigeria ungovernable, if President Jonathan won last April presidential election. The Secretary General of Northern CAN, Elder Saidu Dogo, said in an interview in Kaduna that the outcome of the 2011presidential election, which happened to be at the heat of the controversy on zoning, might have instigated the current insecurity in the country.

According to him, President Jonathan should investigate those believed to have made treasonable statements before the presidential election was conducted.

"The truth is this, there are insinuations before the presidential election took place and there were newspapers quoting where individuals, particularly leaders in the North made statements that if Jonathan came to power, they would make the country ungovernable for him.

"Unfortunately, such people are going freely in this country today. And, of course, they are making the whole country ungovernable for him. The threat is now being put to practice and they have not been arrested. They are roaming the streets, most of them are from the North, who threatened that if Jonathan won the election, they would make Nigeria ungovernable for him.

"Such people are supposed to be called to divest themselves from those statements. Up till now, they have not denied those statements; so, they have a case to answer. And since they have not denied making such statements in the past, they should be held culpable until otherwise, the investigation into the issue proves them innocent. Otherwise, the evidences are there," he said.

[Description of Source: Port Harcourt Niger Delta Standard in English -- Rivers State owned daily]

Nigeria: Editorial Examines Northern Leaders Intervention in Boko Haram Crisis

AFP20111008686003 Port Harcourt Niger Delta Standard in English 07 Oct 11 p 14

[Editorial: "Boko Haram: Northern Leaders Unite"]

The Arewa Consultative Forum [ACF] has suddenly seen the urgent need to intercede in the Boko Haram insurgency that has been perilous to the nation’s security. The northern socio-cultural group is planning to convoke a conference that will address the menace of insecurity and proffer the way forward for the North.

During a meeting with Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, House of Representatives, the ACF reportedly observed, through Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, its committee chairman for the Conference on Contact and Mobilization that: "We in the North must be part of the progress and development of the country; we have fought for the unity of this country and it must be sustained. Time is now and the ACF has come up with the conference to address the problems facing the entire North."

He further said: "We realized that under our revered leader, the late Sardauna, nobody dare say I’m a Muslim or a Christian; everybody lived together in peace and the nation was moving forward, but things have changed to the level that we are now at each other’s neck.’’

We welcome the proposed all-inclusive conference initiative on Boko Haram. However, we take exception to the tardiness of the body to act, especially in view of the bleeding injury the sect’s activities have caused not only the North but the entire country. We note that the larger-than-life image of Boko Haram would, ab initio, have been curbed but for the undue prolonged silence of the northern elite which to us encouraged the sect to perpetuate more evil against the Nigerian state.

We recall that Tishau, the self-confessed co-founder of Boko Haram had sometimes ago implicated, in an interview aired and published nationally, the northern elite, especially the governors, for breeding groups pursuing interests that are inimical to that of the nation. No credible elite voice from the North has come out to denounce what Tishau said. What can be inferred from this is that Boko Haram and other injurious groups from that region are northern political elites’ creation. It is very sad to imagine that this could be true.

More pertinent to us, however, is the fact that the conference should not just be a mere talk show where people will come and grandstand. The northern elite must seize this opportunity to tell themselves the truth. All northern stakeholders, including the governors, emirs, political office holders and others from that region with seen and inferred interests in its security and that of Nigeria must be invited to state their grievances, analyze the problems at hand and proffer solutions that can immediately nip the security challenges we are facing in the bud.

We are happy that leaders from the North have realized that insecurity and self-inflicted turmoil are affecting gravely northern development. They promote the detrimental phenomenon of almajiris and also fan embers of ethno-religious crisis for none other than parochial reasons. We have always known that in the long run, such avoidable violence and ulterior pursuits would put the North’s modernization at risk, and the earlier its leaders realized this, the better.

Most of the issues surrounding the turmoil in the North are well known. We urge the ACF to muster enough courage to be objective and dispassionate in treating them. The body should ensure that these factors are openly discussed at the proposed conference. The northern socio-cultural group must not mix the purity of Islam with the vanity of politics, otherwise, its entire effort will be a jamboree - an absolute waste of time, energy and scarce resources.

[Description of Source: Port Harcourt Niger Delta Standard in English -- Rivers State owned daily]

Nigeria: Bomb Blast Reportedly Claims 6 Lives in Borno State

AFP20111011598001 Ibadan Nigerian Tribune Online in English 11 Oct 11

[Report by James Bwala: "Bomb Blast Again in Maiduguri; 1 Soldier Killed; As Residents Flee Troubled Area"]

Trouble started at about 8.00 a.m. on Monday following bomb blasts at Dala Alemderi ward of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where an unconfirmed report put the death toll at six, following sporadic gunshots immediately the blast occurred.