Hundreds of Islamic extremists have surrendered in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon following the military’s recent victories with air and ground attacks, military authorities said Wednesday.
The Nigerian Defense Ministry has said it has killed hundreds of insurgents recently in the country’s northeast.
Several militant commanders were among the dead including Mohammed Bashir, whom the Nigerian military identified as a double who posed in videos as Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, a military statement said Wednesday.
The military has claimed Shekau was killed in battle last year.
Nigeria’s military said it was victorious around Konduga town just 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Maiduguri, birthplace of Boko Haram and the headquarters of the military offensive to contain the Islamic uprising.
“It became apparent that the terrorists ... were determined to take over communities around Maiduguri, which is their prime target,” the statement said, adding the insurgents made four attempts to take Konduga between Sept. 12 and 17.
It said 135 insurgents surrendered Tuesday night, some at Buni-Yadi some 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Konduga and others at Michika, 165 kilometers (100 miles) south of Konduga.
Cameroon’s defense ministry said more than 300 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered there in the past three weeks. Spokesman Lt. Col. Didier Badjeck told The Associated Press that the militants have given up their arms and asked for asylum in Cameroon. Their fate has not been decided.
Fighters from neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad have been identified fighting alongside Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram group, which in recent weeks also has been attacking border towns and villages in Cameroon.
Boko Haram had seized a string of towns and declared an Islamic caliphate in a corner of northeast Nigeria before the setback suffered at Konduga.
Washington Post
Related story: Military of Nigeria confirm Boko Haram leader dead
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Military of Nigeria confirm Boko Haram leader dead
The Nigerian military has confirmed that one Mohammed Bashir, who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as the leader of the Boko Haram sect, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the north-east.
In a statement, the spokesman for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade, said that Mr Bashir was killed after members of the terrorist group made not less than four attempts between September 12 and 17 to violate the security strategy and enter Konduga to attack citizens in the area.
“Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.
“The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorists’ mission that involves their top commanders, were fiercely engaged by the land and air forces. Several of the terrorists including some of their commanders lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about four hours each, leading to the death of the man claiming to be Mr Shekau,” the statement read.
According to Mr Olukolade, the troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. He explained in the statement that “after normalcy was restored, inhabitants of the community, who were victims of terrorists activities corroborated information on the identity of Mr Bashir, alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam and alias Damasack”.
He emphasised that the recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents was as a result of the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in Nigeria.
The military warned that “since the name Shekau had become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, it would remain resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria”.
The Defence Headquarters also applauded the gallantry of the Nigerian troops who had remained undaunted and professional in prosecuting the campaign against terror.
It also mentioned that the keen interest exhibited by Nigeria’s neighbours and allies had been commendable, reassuring all allies in the war against terrorism of the Nigerian military’s resolve to maintain momentum in the efforts to decimate and defeat terrorists.
The military further stressed the need for all Nigerians to be alert, vigilant and cooperate with security forces in the war on terror campaign.
Meanwhile, a total of 135 terrorists on Tuesday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area in Borno State.
According to the military’s statement, a group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun-Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi-Michika.
They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.
Channels
Related story: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau possibly dead
In a statement, the spokesman for the military, Major General Chris Olukolade, said that Mr Bashir was killed after members of the terrorist group made not less than four attempts between September 12 and 17 to violate the security strategy and enter Konduga to attack citizens in the area.
“Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.
“The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorists’ mission that involves their top commanders, were fiercely engaged by the land and air forces. Several of the terrorists including some of their commanders lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about four hours each, leading to the death of the man claiming to be Mr Shekau,” the statement read.
According to Mr Olukolade, the troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. He explained in the statement that “after normalcy was restored, inhabitants of the community, who were victims of terrorists activities corroborated information on the identity of Mr Bashir, alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam and alias Damasack”.
He emphasised that the recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents was as a result of the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in Nigeria.
The military warned that “since the name Shekau had become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, it would remain resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria”.
The Defence Headquarters also applauded the gallantry of the Nigerian troops who had remained undaunted and professional in prosecuting the campaign against terror.
It also mentioned that the keen interest exhibited by Nigeria’s neighbours and allies had been commendable, reassuring all allies in the war against terrorism of the Nigerian military’s resolve to maintain momentum in the efforts to decimate and defeat terrorists.
The military further stressed the need for all Nigerians to be alert, vigilant and cooperate with security forces in the war on terror campaign.
Meanwhile, a total of 135 terrorists on Tuesday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area in Borno State.
According to the military’s statement, a group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun-Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi-Michika.
They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.
Channels
Related story: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau possibly dead
About 50 Nigerian MPs walk out of parliament over arms deal with South Africa
Nearly 50 Nigerian parliament members have angrily left the legislature’s lower house after a motion to probe a huge cash arms deal worth $9.3 million with South Africa was blocked.
The Tuesday development came after South African police announced last week that its customs authorities seized cash funds in 100 dollar bills in three suitcases, which arrived on a private jet from Nigeria at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport earlier in the month.
South African authorities then seized the cash-filled luggage after two Nigerians and an Israeli carrying them did not declare the money, according to local press reports.
The three individuals with the funds, however, were not charged with any wrongdoing by the authorities.
No explanation has been released so far about the Israeli connection to the cash weapons deal, apparently between the Nigerian government and South Africa.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers that stormed out of the parliament chamber were reportedly mostly from opposition parties, accusing the ruling People’s Democratic Party of blocking the motion to probe the arms deal through Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihiodioha.
Ihiodioha has reportedly reasoned that since the weapons deal was an issue of national security, it could not be broached.
This is while the upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature has also summoned the country’s security chiefs over the suspicious arms deal.
However, it is not yet clear whether the security chiefs did in fact appear on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Defense, which issued its summons last week.
Correspondents say the revelations have shocked many Nigerians and there have been calls for an inquiry.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria, which does communication consultancy for the Nigerian military and enjoys strong links with the country’s security agencies, cited a source as claiming that the money was for a legitimate government transaction to purchase weapons.
PressTV
Related story: $9.3 million in cash seized in South Africa traced to Nigerian intelligence agency
The Tuesday development came after South African police announced last week that its customs authorities seized cash funds in 100 dollar bills in three suitcases, which arrived on a private jet from Nigeria at Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport earlier in the month.
South African authorities then seized the cash-filled luggage after two Nigerians and an Israeli carrying them did not declare the money, according to local press reports.
The three individuals with the funds, however, were not charged with any wrongdoing by the authorities.
No explanation has been released so far about the Israeli connection to the cash weapons deal, apparently between the Nigerian government and South Africa.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers that stormed out of the parliament chamber were reportedly mostly from opposition parties, accusing the ruling People’s Democratic Party of blocking the motion to probe the arms deal through Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihiodioha.
Ihiodioha has reportedly reasoned that since the weapons deal was an issue of national security, it could not be broached.
This is while the upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature has also summoned the country’s security chiefs over the suspicious arms deal.
However, it is not yet clear whether the security chiefs did in fact appear on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Defense, which issued its summons last week.
Correspondents say the revelations have shocked many Nigerians and there have been calls for an inquiry.
Meanwhile, PRNigeria, which does communication consultancy for the Nigerian military and enjoys strong links with the country’s security agencies, cited a source as claiming that the money was for a legitimate government transaction to purchase weapons.
PressTV
Related story: $9.3 million in cash seized in South Africa traced to Nigerian intelligence agency
Nigerian military backtracks on statement of rescuing kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria's military has retracted its statement that some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok town in April by Islamist militants had been freed.
Army spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade told the BBC there were girls in military custody, but not those from Chibok as originally thought.
More than 200 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Borno state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
Protests were organised under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, calling on the authorities to do more to free the girls, who had gone to the school in Chibok from surrounding areas to take their final year exams.
Shortly after the abduction, Boko Haram released a video showing more than 100 of them and offering an exchange for prisoners.
In recent days there have been unconfirmed reports that the Nigerian government has been negotiating a deal with Boko Haram to exchange the abducted girls for imprisoned Islamist fighters.
Since a state of emergency was declared in May 2013 in the north-east to end Boko Haram's insurgency, the group's attacks have increased.
Many women and children - including teenage girls - have been taken hostage since then.
Earlier, Gen Olukolade told the BBC there was an ongoing exercise to release the schoolgirls taken from Chibok and that some of them were safe in a military barracks.
But he later called back to retract his statement, saying the authorities were trying to confirm the identities of the girls who are in the custody of the army, but they did not come from Chibok.
Boko Haram's name translates as "Western education is forbidden", and it has carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Army spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade told the BBC there were girls in military custody, but not those from Chibok as originally thought.
More than 200 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Borno state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
Protests were organised under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, calling on the authorities to do more to free the girls, who had gone to the school in Chibok from surrounding areas to take their final year exams.
Shortly after the abduction, Boko Haram released a video showing more than 100 of them and offering an exchange for prisoners.
In recent days there have been unconfirmed reports that the Nigerian government has been negotiating a deal with Boko Haram to exchange the abducted girls for imprisoned Islamist fighters.
Since a state of emergency was declared in May 2013 in the north-east to end Boko Haram's insurgency, the group's attacks have increased.
Many women and children - including teenage girls - have been taken hostage since then.
Earlier, Gen Olukolade told the BBC there was an ongoing exercise to release the schoolgirls taken from Chibok and that some of them were safe in a military barracks.
But he later called back to retract his statement, saying the authorities were trying to confirm the identities of the girls who are in the custody of the army, but they did not come from Chibok.
Boko Haram's name translates as "Western education is forbidden", and it has carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Some of the kidnapped schoolgirls have been rescued by Nigerian army
Nigeria's military has told the BBC that some of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok town in April by Islamist militants have been released.
Army spokesman Brig Gen Chris Olukolade did not give details about the number of girls freed, saying the exercise was "ongoing".
More than 200 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Born state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
Army spokesman Brig Gen Chris Olukolade did not give details about the number of girls freed, saying the exercise was "ongoing".
More than 200 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters from a boarding school in the north-eastern Born state.
It caused worldwide outrage and sparked a social media campaign.
BBC
Related stories: 11 parents of some of the kidnapped schoolgirls now dead
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
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