Two of the purported leaders of Boko Haram are apparently pitted against each other in a power struggle within Islamic State’s west African affiliate.
Isis announced on Tuesday that the group that has ravaged northern Nigeria for the past seven years had a new leader – Abu Musab al-Barnawi. An Isis magazine carried an interview with him and said he was previously a Boko Haram spokesman.
However an audio message apparently recorded by Abubakar Shekau, the long-time leader of Boko Haram, who has appeared in many of its videos, was released on Thursday denying al-Barnawi’s claim. In the recording, a man who said he was Shekau said that he was still in control of the armed terrorists whose most notorious crime was the abduction of about 300 schoolgirls from their dormitory two years ago, leading to the Bring Back Our Girls campaign headed by Michelle Obama.
Shekau has overseen the brutal and bloody growth of the group: since he became Boko Haram’s leader in 2009 more than 20,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million driven from their homes. Thousands have been raped, abducted and enslaved.
According to some analysts, Isis rejected Shekau because of Boko Haram’s deadly attacks on Muslims. More than 40 people were killed in a attack in July last year on a mosque and a Muslim restaurant in the central city of Jos in one of a spate of incidents.
Boko Haram announced in March last year that it was Isis’s west African affiliate, switching allegiance from al-Qaida.
In the recording released on Thursday, the man purporting to be Shekau said that al-Barnawi was “an infidel” preaching “false creeds”. He said Isis’s announcement was a coup. “Today, I woke up to see one who is an infidel whom they want me to follow. No, I won’t … We cannot subject ourselves to people who are in ignorance of all holy books and teachings,” he said in a speech, which was posted on social media.
In the struggle for control, Boko Haram factions could turn on each other, further splitting the insurgents who have been beaten back from their strongholds in northern Nigeria over the past year, mainly since the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
An audio message that has been circulating in Maiduguri, Boko Haram’s “spiritual home”, says that the group’s third-in-command, a man known as Mamanmunari, had reported Shekau to the head of Isis for “killing his own members, particularly commanders, who are fighting for him just because they questions his attacks on mosques and markets … they tried to persuade Shekau to desist from giving orders to kill their fellow Muslims … but Shekau refuses.”
This message is believed to have led to the Isis announcement.
Freedom Onuha, of the National Defence College, was among experts who warned that it was difficult to verify that it really was Shekau speaking in the recording. However, he said he was not surprised that Isis would want to replace him. “Most of his members frown at the move to kill fellow Muslims. They, being the moderates, believe that any Muslims should not be targeted, unlike Shekau, who has never hidden that he is of the Takfir. Takfirism is a dangerous strand of salafi jihadi ideology.”
A UN security expert based in Maiduguri said that “massive movement” of the group around the borders between Nigeria, Chad and Niger in the past few weeks and new attacks on the army and a UN convoy suggested that its top echelons have been reorganised. “This suggests that there has been some renewed vigour in them. So it wouldn’t be a surprise that the leadership has changed,” he said.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Video - Nigeria vs Japan highlights in Rio 2016 Olympics
After traveling the day of the game to Manaus due to an incredible traveling snafu, Nigeria beat Japan 5-4 on Thursday night in a crazy Group B showdown.
Japan had the first opportunity of the match in the 3rd minute. After nice link up play down the left side of the pitch, Hiroki Fujiharu curled in a cross to the backpost that midfielder Ryota Ohshima directed first time on goal.
No more than two minutes later, however, Nigeria would take the lead 1-0. Imoh Ezekiel turned his defender inside the penalty area and fired a shot on goal that was parried away by Japan goalie Masatoshi Kushibiki but right to the feet Sadiq Umar who tapped home the rebound.
Nigeria’s lead wouldn’t last long as defender Stanley Amuzie clumsily fouled a Japanese attacker in the penalty area in the 7th minute. Forward Shinzo Koroki promptly buried the penalty kick to even the match at 1-1.
However, the tie game wouldn’t last long. Nigerian defender Abdullahi Shehu broke free down the right side and lofted a long cross into the penalty area that was magnificently controlled and finished by forward Etebo.
But it seemed as though defending would be at a premium in this game as Japan would level things just two minutes later. Takumi Minamino took a weighted pass in stride towards goal and swiftly slotted the ball through Nigerian goalie Daniel Emmanuel’s legs. After only thirteen minutes, the contest was squared up at 2-2.
In the 19th minute, Amuzie ventured forward and rifled a long range shot that was pushed out for a corner kick by Kushibiki.
After a period of four goals in five minutes, the game settled down with both teams having spells of play in each others' ends of the field. However, out of virtually nothing, the back of the net would be struck again by Nigeria. On the stroke of halftime, Etebo would score his second goal of the game and give Nigeria a 3-2 lead as he capitalized on a failed clearance by a Japanese defender from six yards out.
That would be the final action of a crazy first half with the "Super Eagles" ahead 3-2 going into the interval.
Less than five minutes into the second half, Nigeria would earn a penalty after Umar was dragged down in the box by a Japanese defender. Etebo stepped up and ferociously completed his hat-trick, blasting the ball past Kushibiki to give his team a 4-2 lead.
As the game progressed, Nigeria's confidence continued to grow. Evidenced by spells of strong possession and attractive attacking movements, the Africans' grip on the game became stronger. A fifth goal was in the cards and that came in the 66th minute from Etebo, who impressively notched his fourth goal of the game. John Obi Mikel's cross was cleared by Kushibiki after he raced out of his net but it went right to the feet of Etebo, who then deposited the ball into the vacant net for the 5-2 lead.
After giving up three straight goals, Japan would get a goal back in the 70th minute after Fujiharu broke down the left side and slid a pass across the face of goal to Takuma Asano, who then cleverly backheeled the ball into the net to cut the scoreline to 5-3.
Japan pressed further in the final twenty minutes of the contest and were able to unlock the Nigerian defense one last time in stoppage time. Musashi Suzuku curled a shot from inside the box past Emmanuel Daniel after twisting his defender to shrink Nigeria's lead to one. And that was that. In perhaps the wildest game of the day, Nigeria emerged victorious over Japan 5-4.
The 2015 U-23 African Cup of Nations champions are now in first place in Group B, with Colombia and Sweden tied for second, and Japan in last place.
Nigeria’s next game is against Sweden on Sunday at 6pm in Manaus while Japan duels with Colombia at 9pm at the same venue.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Video - Nigeria army accepts inquiry's recommendations on murder of Shia Muslims
Nigeria's military says it will prosecute soldiers involved in the Zaria killings. At least 3-hundred and-49 people were killed in clashes in the northern city last December -- most of them dumped in mass graves. A judicial inquiry has found the troops used excessive force, and should be prosecuted.
Video - Nigeria resumes cash payoffs to former militants in Niger Delta
Nigeria has resumed previously suspended payments to former militants in the oil-rich Niger River delta. About 30,000 ex-fighters, who were receiving a $206 monthly allowance, were informed that the government would resume paying stipends after a "hiccup," according to the office of the coordinator of the presidential amnesty program. Africa's biggest economy is likely headed for a recession because of a slump in crude prices and a 15-month currency peg to the dollar that crippled foreign-exchange supplies. Peace talks that started last week with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND and the resumption of amnesty payments may however do little to halt attacks on wells and pipelines by a different rebel faction, the Niger Delta Avengers.
Video - Nigeria's Central Bank suspends operations of all but 3 remittance firms
A sudden announcement by Nigeria's Central Bank has limited the flow of remittances to the country, to just 3 entities, Western Union, Moneygram and Ria. The decision now leaves millions of Nigerians abroad with limited options to send cash back home. It was only 3 days later that the Central Bank made a public explanation for its actions, arguing that it was partly triggered by quote, "unwholesome of some unlicensed international money transfer operators". When CCTV's Ramah Nyang spoke earlier to World Remit's Alix Murphy, and CCTV's Deji Badmus, it emerged that the CBN's other motive, is tapping into the over 20 billion U.S. dollars of remittances that flow into Nigeria.
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