Nigerian military recaptures Bama Town from Boko Haram

The Nigerian army has recaptured the strategic town of Bama in northeastern Borno state from the Islamist terror group Boko Haram and blocked its march on the state capital of Maiduguri, according to a senior Nigerian official.

The official added that the government forces are also fighting a southward advance by the group into the neighbouring state of Adamawa.

"Bama has been recaptured by the soldiers and I can confirm to you Maiduguri is safe," the official in Abuja said.

The military had conducted air strikes on the militants' positions around the town following its capture last week.

A market trader from Bama, Babagana Modu, told Reuters that the soldiers now controlled the town.

Following its capture of other towns in Borno state such as Damboa and Gwoza, the group's leader Abubakar Shekau declared the creation of a "Muslim state" in similar fashion to that of Isis' caliphate which straddles the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Last week, the Nigeria Security Network warned that an offensive on the city by the Sunni Islamist militants was imminent.

"If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict," the group said.

"Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis's lightning advances in Iraq."

The seizure of territory in the country's northeast marks a change in tactics by the group who, until recently, were conducting hit-and-run raids on towns and villages in the restive regions.

Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck, who is seeking re-election in February next year, has been increasingly criticised for his inaction against the terror group.

Earlier this year, the group – which wishes to expand its 'Caliphate' in north-eastern Nigeria –kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in the village of Chibok, bringing global attention to the west African nation's fight against terrorism.

Three states – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa – have been under a state of emergency since May last year.

According to Human Rights Watch, the militants have killed at least 2,053 people since the beginning of 2014.

IBT

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Boko Haram seize town in Adamawa state

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has captured the key north-eastern town of Michika, residents say, gaining more territory in its efforts to create an Islamic state.

People fled into bushes as gunfire rang out in the town, they added.

Boko Haram has changed tactics in recent months by holding on to territory rather than launching hit-and-run attacks.

The government called on Nigerians not to lose hope.

The military was committed to defending Nigeria's territorial integrity, it said.

Soldiers killed 50 militants during a raid on their hideout in the small north-eastern town of Kawuri at the weekend, the army said.

Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in areas it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

Michika is a trading centre in Adamawa state not far from the Cameroon border.

'Fear and panic'
Concern is mounting that the group plans to target Maiduguri, capital of neighbouring Borno state, says the BBC Hausa Service's Bilikisu Babangida.

Thousands of people who have fled towns and villages captured by Boko Haram are taking refuge in the city, which has a population of about two million.

The fall of Michika will add to the fear and panic that has gripped the north-east, as it shows Boko Haram is gaining territory not only in their heartland of Borno but also in Adamawa state, our reporter says.

Amid fears that Boko Haram could advance further into Adamawa, the university in Mubi town has shut, she says.

On Thursday, the militants captured the small town of Gulak after earlier seizing Madagali, which borders Adamawa and Borno states.

Residents told the BBC that Boko Haram fighters entered Michika on Sunday in a convoy of vehicles.

A military jet circled over the town, causing the militants to hide in people's homes, they said.

There was confusion as people ran into the bush fleeing gunfire, residents added.

It was unclear who opened fire as the insurgents often wear uniforms similar to the Nigerian soldiers, they said.

Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, vowing to send more troops to crush the insurgency.

However, Boko Haram has stepped up its offensive since then.

In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.

BBC

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Dubai firm to buy $300 million stake in Nigeria cement company

Investment Corp of Dubai (ICD), the state fund which holds stakes in some of the emirate's top firms, has agreed to buy a $300 million stake in top Nigerian cement producer Dangote Cement, a spokesman for Dangote said on Monday.

Carl Franklin, Dangote's head of investor relations, did not give further details. Dangote's current market capitalisation is about $23.7 billion, meaning ICD is taking a stake of about 1.3 percent.
Dangote, owned by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, is Nigeria's biggest company. It is expanding operations and plans to roll out cement plants across Africa.

Reuters

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Nigeria lose to Congo 2-3 in Nations Cup qualifier

Nigeria continued a turbulent period as they slumped to a dramatic 3-2 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat against Congo on Saturday.

The hosts took a 13th-minute lead in Calabar through Efe Ambrose, only for Prince Oniangue to level the score.

Thievy Bifouma put the visitors ahead five minutes before half-time and the U.J Esuene Stadium was left shocked as the forward extended the advantage to 3-1 from the penalty spot.

Substitute Gbolahan Salami set up a grandstand finish with an 89th-minute goal, but Congo were able to hold on for a famous triumph.

Stephen Keshi's deal as Nigeria coach was allowed to run down after the 2014 World Cup, but the 52-year-old remains in charge and took the reins for Saturday's game.

Nigeria's last-16 defeat to France in Brazil was preceded by a dispute between the players and the country's football association over bonuses, and the ruling body are currently facing a possible ban due to political interference.

Congo lost to Rwanda in the previous round of qualifying and only reached this stage after their conquerors were found guilty of selecting an ineligible player.

They did not seem like such lucky losers when Ambrose nodded in from an Ahmed Musa free-kick but Oniangue restored parity on the end of a powerful run by Sagesse Babele.

Bifouma put his team ahead when Nigeria were hesitant in dealing with a corner and there was further defensive woe in the 53rd minute when Ogenyi Onazi felled the Almeria man and the referee awarded a penalty.

Bifouma made no mistake before Lazio's Onazi passed up a glorious opportunity to atone for his error at the other end.

Emmanuel Emenike, a surprise omission from Keshi's starting line-up, came on to draw a fine saw from Chancel Massa as Nigeria piled on the pressure.

Salami's strike in a goalmouth melee was their only reward and attentions can now only tentatively turn towards next week's match against South Africa, as a Fifa suspension hangs over the Nigerian FA unless it can agree to terms from world football's governing body by Monday.

Goal

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Boko Haram now threatens state capital

From a ragtag band of fighters conducting sporadic raids and bombings from its hideouts, Nigeria’s Boko Haram is fast evolving into a force able to take and hold territory. In attacks on September 1st its jihadist militants overran Bama, the second-largest town in Borno state.

Armed with rocket-launchers and armoured vehicles stolen from the demoralised Nigerian army, Boko Haram (its name translates loosely as “Western education is forbidden”) has moved beyond its established lairs in the Sambisa forest and the Mandara Mountains. In recent weeks it has taken several towns close to the Cameroonian border, among them Gwoza, Gamboru Ngala and Banki.

The seizure of Bama could provide a launch-pad for an attack on parts of Maiduguri, the state’s capital, about 65km (40 miles) away, with a population of more than 1m people. It was the birthplace of the insurgency. Two areas seized by the group in recent weeks form a strategic crescent around the city. Boko Haram has destroyed a series of bridges, including several close to Maiduguri, in an attempt to thwart military access and isolate parts of the state.

The grab for territory signals a change from Boko Haram’s hit-and-run tactics. This may be in keeping with pronouncements by its firebrand leader, Abubakar Shekau, that chunks of Borno state are “Muslim territory” in what appears to be an imitation of the caliphate proclaimed in parts of Iraq and Syria by Islamic State. Boko Haram has erected flags over the towns it has invaded, forcing any remaining residents to follow its strict version of sharia (Islamic law) or be killed.

Further territorial gains by the group could worsen a dire humanitarian situation. Thousands of refugees have sought sanctuary in Maiduguri, and the UN reckons that 9,000 people fleeing violence have arrived in Cameroon in the past ten days, with another 2,000 crossing into Niger, a desert nation already buckling under the pressure of taking in 50,000 refugees since May 2013.

Nigeria’s security forces have only slim prospects of rolling back the insurgency. Government soldiers are said to have fled Bama, as they did in earlier attacks on other towns; a whole battalion fled to Cameroon last month. Nigeria’s army claimed it had repelled the attack on Bama, then extended a curfew in Maiduguri. A recent report by Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, points out that soldiers in the north-east are suffering from malfunctioning equipment, low morale, desertions and mutinies. Despite a large increase in government spending on the army, little of this largesse has found its way to the front lines: many of the troops fighting against Boko Haram have been paid late, or sometimes not at all.

A change in tactics is also called for. The report argues that the army needs first of all to protect civilians. It was a little over a year ago that Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, who is expected to run for re-election in February, made the somewhat embarrassing admission that parts of Borno state were no longer under the government’s control. Mr Jonathan’s promise to end a “serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity” looks increasingly empty. Conditions in north-eastern Nigeria are deteriorating, soldiers are breaking ranks and an emboldened terror group is gaining momentum.

The Economist

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