Nigerian Military, Yesterday And Today By Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

The comparison between yesterday and today for the Nigerian President and his military is truly odious. Nigerian leaders and indeed its military need to take a long, hard look at themselves. What went wrong and who are responsible for this state of shame? 

In 1983, some Chadian soldiers invaded some communities in Nigeria. Chad had been in a prolonged civil war and its soldiers were known to be ruthless.
Nigerian armed forces were under the simple going but honest President Alhaji Shehu Shagari as its Commander-in-Chief and the COAS or CDS was Wushishi (forgive my memory). The then GOC of the 3rd Division in Jos under whose command the Northeast fall was Maj. General Muhammadu Buhari. Surely, northerners dominated the top command positions in the military then.
Without hesitation, the GOC in Jos was given the signal to flush out the Chadians. But on his own, the stern Buhari was determined to, in addition, teach them a lesson they will never forget.
In a twinkle, Buhari mobilized his soldiers and personally led them in the field. Within few days Nigerian soldiers not only got the Chadians to flee but they chased the latter right into Chad. Buhari couldn't stop. It took quite some effort to get the soldier in him to pull the brakes. Later, he will claim that he didn't know that he was already deep into Chad.
Buhari the GOC had an excellent relationship with his soldiers. He never allowed superiors to oppress their juniors or edit their allowances. He was riding a 504 saloon car and lived in a simple bungalow along Bauchi road adjacent to the Unijos Main Campus. When he was appointed the head of state after the coup, his soldiers in the barracks went wild in happiness. He bade them farewell, not knowing that it will be forever.
Well the Chadians never dared encroaching into Nigeria again. Buhari has permanently imprinted a lesson in them: Nigeria is mighty and no rat should dare step in its foot. The success was possible because the military chiefs and officers then were truly Nigerian. They believed in their hearts, not in their words only, that that the territorial integrity of this nation is not for bargain, its military must be strong and well catered for, and money was not their goal.
When the Maitatsine riots resurfaced in the Northeast during his regime, Buhari was the C-in-C and the story of how they were crushed ended in the burial of that sect forever.
No insurgency in Northern Nigeria surfaced again until when Obasanjo came to power. Like a joke, a group calling itself Nigerian Taliban surfaced in Yobe state. It engaged the police and the authorities in fights using guns and explosives. It was unbelievable. They were overcome but not wiped out. They had the chance to shift their base to Maiduguri and get patronised by the governors of Yobe and Borno states who gave them positions in government as a strategy of appeasement.
But the group couldn't be appeased. It continued to organise itself and train for a showdown to the full knowledge of the authorities in Abuja and at the dismay of the then SSS Director, Gadzama, who was from Borno and knew the risk his community and the nation at large would face in future.
When I raised this point at a conference in Kano, one of the former governors involved tried to discredit me, something I immediately objected to. These are facts, hard facts. Obasanjo as the C-in-C didn't do enough. By the time Yar'adua made an attempt to suppress the group extrajudicially, it was too late and, he too, didn't live a year longer than Muhammad Yusuf.
The death of Yar'adua was a loss for the nation and its military. He gave the Niger Deltan terrorists a choice between war and peace. They chose peace. He sacked the then Chief of Defence Staff then, Andrew Azazi, for his involvement in arming the Niger Deltans and playing the fifth columnist in the fight against them. An army investigation report warned the nation of the existence of politicians from that region who nurse secessionist ambitions and who could become leaders of the country one day. A probe into their activities and level of
involvement in the arms theft, the report said, was necessary to avoid putting our national security at risk. Yar'adua, unfortunately, didn't institute the probe that would have seen Jonathan impeached. And he died, shortly and sadly. Thus, those fears expressed in the COAS office report in the theft of armoury from Kaduna and Jaji depots became real.
Jonathan, a Niger Deltan, became President. He returned Azazi as his National Security adviser and with that a different course was charted for the military.
Now, Nigerians have seen what a different calibre of leader Jonathan is. Also, the world has witnessed the mettle of the people - from the former Eastern region - he has chosen to lead the military and fight the insurgency. Their estimation in the eyes of the world is very low. Never in our history has a Nigerian president been so much a subject of ridicule by world leaders and press. Never in the history of our military has it performed so disastrously bad in the protection of the Nigerian citizen and became a subject of international disdain and contempt to the extent that the Americans said they will not share intelligence with it. How could they do so when they knew among our military are sponsors of Boko Haram, as Stephen Davies recently disclosed. (And believe me I have not seen a soldier in Ihejirika because he instantly became rattled by the disclosure, failed to put even a faint defence but resorted to blaming the president and Elrufai for underfunding the military.)
From Ihejirika to Minimah, various international and local media reports have shown our soldiers as neglected, ill-equipped, underpaid and many of them sadistic - taking delight in torturing Nigerians and killing them - as we have seen in the reported massacres of Baga and the latest slaughter video which the authorities said they are still investigating.
The Nigerian military is certainly witnessing its lowest moments. Soldiers are deserting it, as the authorities themselves confessed, and in moments of attack on civilians, they are seen running along with civilians for their dear lives. In one or two occasions, they fled to Cameroon in their hundreds where they were disarmed, packed into schools and escorted, like women and children, back to Nigeria. They arrived Mubi looking haggard, hungry and in need of help. Even in the battles that saw the fall of towns like Gwoza, Banki, Gamboru, Izge, Damboa, Bama, Gulak, Michika and Bazza, our soldiers were seen outrunning civilians for safety as their officers outrun civilian elites in building posh houses and riding the latest brands of cars.
What a depressing moment for every true Nigerian! What a moment of truth for our military! It is not a time for denial or pride, as a diplomat put it last week, because there is nothing to deny and nothing to be proud of when bandits earlier described as "ghosts" by the President can now capture large towns and keep them, one after another, and get our soldiers fleeing.
The Chadian soldiers that we could easily liquidate in 1983 today, in contrast, stand with their shoulders high. Three weeks ago, when Boko Haram abducted some 85 Nigerians and moved them across to a forest in Chad, Chadian soldiers instantly located them, fought them gallantly and freed the hostages, handing them back to Nigeria. Chad, for God's sake! Our Chibok girks and other abductees on Nigeria continue to languish in the hands of Boko Haram for my months now, awaiting for a rescue that will never come. Their government tells them: "You see, we can't rescue you because we don't want to see you harmed. You're safer there." What an excuse!
Cameroon too has been defeating the insurgents at every encounter, sometimes even crossing the border to assist Nigerian soldiers as it was reported in Ngala two weeks ago. Even yesterday, they routed the insurgents at a border town where they killed more than 100 of the latter.
Nigeria, where are the GOCs like Buhari, the chiefs like Wushishi, and Presidents like Shagari? Where are your courageous commanders like Shagaya and Malu who as true Nigerians earned us respect in Liberia and Sierra Leone?
The present GOC of the same 3 DIV, Zaruwa, must prove his mettle to Nigerians.  His hometown, Bazza, is in the hands of Boko Haram, and so is Michika and Gulak. We want to see the reinvention of Buhari, Malu or Shagaya in him. Incidentally, the Chief of Defence Staff, Barde, is from neighbouring Mubi, a town that is half-deserted as it awaits its turn in the invasion tsunami of Boko Haram. Its people have been fleeing to Yola in their thousands. He too, we want to see a Wushishi reinvented in him. Let us see in the duo the reinvention of the ancient, legendary Margi warrior. We hope, but only hope can we afford, that the C-in-C and the COAS will give them all the support they need.
The comparison between yesterday and today for the Nigerian President and his military is truly odious. Nigerian leaders and indeed its military need to take a long, hard look at themselves. What went wrong and who are responsible for this state of shame? If we are serious, heads must roll. We also need a different set of leaders and commanders that are truly Nigerians in their past and future.
The spokeman for the Nigerian military, Olukolade, said Nigerians should not be discouraged with these setbacks and lose hope in the military. But, sincerely, where can we find the courage, where can we see the hope?

Exclusive Video Shows Nigerian Army And Civilians Fleeing Boko Haram Attack Yesterday

The Nigerian army has struggled to contain the increasingly aggressive attacks, the most recent of which occurred yesterday in Mubi, and left 24 dead and many, including former president Obasanjo's son, Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo, gravely wounded. The militants also took an armored tank in the attack.

Captured by a resident of Mubi Junction, Adamawa State fleeing Boko Haram Monday, exclusive video has surfaced showing Nigerian soldiers and civilians fleeing a massive Boko Haram attack in Michika. 

Video of Nigerian Army And Civilians Fleeing From Boko Haram

 
Nigerian Army And Civilians Fleeing From Boko Haram Nigerian Army And Civilians Fleeing From Boko Haram
The incident comes after a string of attacks by the deadly sect, who has attempted to establish an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria. The Nigerian army has struggled to contain the increasingly aggressive attacks, the most recent of which occurred yesterday in Mubi, and left 24 dead and many, including former president Obasanjo's son, Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo, gravely wounded. The militants also took an armored tank in the attack. See Also Former President Obasanjo's Son Shot In Mubi By Boko Haram 99 Comments 22 Hours Ago
See Also Boko Haram Claims Control Of Bama, Michika, Mubi Junction And Others 0 Comments 4 Hours Ago Speaking to Premium Times journalists yesterday via phone, a man who claimed to be a Boko Haram spokesperson alleged that the sect had taken Bama, Michika, and Mubi Junction, contrary to military reports.
“This is a rebuttal from the information dissemination and sensitization unit of the Jamaatul Ahlil Sunna Lidawati Wal Jihad (Boko Haram) on the series of lies that the Nigeria military have been feeding the world on our recent conquests. Let the whole world know that we are on the path of victory because up to this minute, the town of Bama is under our control, the whole of Michika is now in our hands, as well as Manalapan (Junction of) Mubi is now fully under our control," the spokesman said.
Nigerian Defence Headquarters, while confirming counter-terrorism activity in Mubi on their Twitter account (@DefenceInfoNG) yesterday, did not offer further information about the alleged capture of Mubi and Michik

Shelling near two cities rocks fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine

Mariupol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Shelling hit areas near two key cities in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, intensifying fears that a ceasefire that took effect less than two days ago may be falling apart.

The fledgling truce between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels began Friday evening, and both sides were already accusing each other of violating it by Saturday.

Sporadic artillery and machine gun fire rang out in the early hours of Sunday on the outskirts the strategic port city of Mariupol. A gas station was set on fire, and cars carried wounded civilians down the roads.

Shelling and explosions were also heard near the airport of the flashpoint city of Donetsk on Sunday morning, the city council said on its website.

Will Ukraine ceasefire hold?

Ceasefire in Ukraine takes effect

Explosions in Mariupol amid ceasefire

In both cities, the source of the weapons fire wasn't immediately clear.

The Mariupol city government said that pro-Russian rebels had carried out the shelling near the city overnight. It said one woman was killed and three people wounded.

The Russian state news agency ITAR-Tass late Saturday quoted rebel officials as saying that Ukrainian forces continued to shell Donetsk and rebel positions near Mariupol. The RIA Novosti news agency reported that four Donetsk residents were killed in the shelling.

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko told reporters in Kiev on Saturday that the situation was calmer than before the truce, but that there had been a number of "provocations" by rebels. They included 10 instances of shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, he said.

In a sign the government was still hoping to stick to the ceasefire deal, Lysenko said a prisoner exchange would begin soon, although he didn't specify a time or date.

Does ceasefire in Ukraine have any chance of holding?

'So much confusion'

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels have been locked in vicious fighting in eastern Ukraine since April, leaving more than 2,200 people dead, according to the United Nations.

The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region, where shelling has destroyed homes and infrastructure. Nationwide, more than a million people have been displaced from their homes by the fighting, most of them in the East.

One old man in Mariupol shook his head gloomily when asked if he thought the ceasefire would last.

"There is so much confusion," Gennady Andreyavich said. "We really don't know what will happen, because when people say we must live in a united Ukraine and we see at the same time Ukrainian forces in retreat -- what should we think?"

Swedish minister outlines Russia measures

NATO to pressure Russia over Ukraine

Photos: Crisis in Ukraine

Ukrainian forces and the rebels have engaged in fierce fighting over the past week in the territory between the Russian border and Mariupol.

A previous unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ukrainian government in June broke down after 10 days.

Poroshenko and Putin talk

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the signing of the ceasefire deal in the Belarusian city of Minsk, Poroshenko's office said Saturday in a statement.

The leaders agreed that the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been mostly upheld and they discussed further steps to make the truce last, the statement said.

Some areas at the heart of the conflict reported that calm was prevailing.

Luhansk city council said that Saturday was the first day in over a month with no shooting. The city office has started working on repairs to the power and water supply.

Scottish independence campaign gaining ground, polls suggest

With less than two weeks to go until Scotland's referendum, polls suggest an increase in those favoring independence from the United Kingdom, with one survey for the first time putting the "yes" vote ahead.

On September 18, voters in Scotland will be presented with a simple yes/no question: Should Scotland be an independent country?

A "yes" vote would mean Scotland splits from the rest of the United Kingdom -- that is, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Activists on both sides are stepping up their efforts as the historic referendum approaches.

A YouGov poll conducted for The Sunday Times and released on Sunday showed the "yes" vote at 51% and "no" at 49%. The poll of 1084 voters excluded undecided voters and YouGov said the numbers represented "a statistical dead heat."

YouGov President Peter Kellner said a 2-point gap was too small to predict the outcome of the referendum but demonstrated that support for the "Better Together" campaign had fallen "at an astonishing rate." Four weeks ago YouGov put "no" at 58% and "yes" at 42%, Kellner said.

Expert: Scottish vote hinges on economy

Scotland to decide on full independence

"The Yes campaign has not just invaded No territory; it has launched a blitzkrieg," he said.

Kellner said voters from the Conservative party had continued to oppose independence but that all other voters had moved closer toward a breakaway Scotland.

Meantime a Panelbase poll commissioned by Yes Scotland and also released Sunday suggested that 48% of voters supported independence -- excluding undecideds -- while 52% wanted to remain united.

A "poll of polls" compiled by ScotCen -- before the latest YouGov and Panelbase surveys -- put the "yes" vote for independence at 47% and the "no" vote at 53%. The company, which describes itself as an independent social research center, said those results were based on three polls from YouGov, two from Panelbase and one from Survation.

It also suggested that the "yes" vote was gaining momentum, while the "no" vote was losing it.

Former Gov. Ali Modu Sherif Was Arrested In Cameroon Over Obvious Links With Boko Haram But Nigeria Secured His Release - Falana

---

Radical Nigerian Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has continued insisting and exposing how  ex-Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff started the dreaded sect, Boko Haram in the Northeast. Falana stated that not only did Modu Sheriff start and fund Boko Haram for political purposes, but that the former governor appointed a Boko Haram leader, Baba Fugu Foi as a commissioner in his government

Falana then  dared the ex-Governor to challenge him in a law court so that he can lay his evidence before a competent court of lawyer.

Boko Haram Militants Overrun Michika In Adamawa State

Heavily armed Islamists militants from Boko Haram today took over Michika one of the key towns in Adamawa state.

---

Heavily armed Islamists militants from Boko Haram today took over Michika one of the key towns in Adamawa state. The militants who seized Gulak three days ago chased out Nigerian troops and hoisted their flag in the township. Boko Haram militants travel in convoys to overrun villages, towns and cities in Nigeria's Northeast

Residents fleeing the city said a Nigerian military jet flew over the area but did not attack the militants.
Some soldiers were alter mobilized to Mararaba Mubi to prevent the militants from capturing Mubi, another key city some kilometers away from Michika.
Soldiers from the 23 Brigade in Yola were told to put on their uniform and get ready to defend Mubi.

Top Somali militant killed in U.S. operation, Pentagon says

Ahmed Godane, the leader of the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, was killed in a U.S. military operation, the Pentagon said Friday.

A look inside Al-Shabaab

"The U.S. military undertook operations against Godane on Sept. 1, which led to his death. Removing Godane from the battlefield is a major symbolic and operational loss to Al-Shabaab," said Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.

On Monday, U.S. military conducted a strike in the African country targeting Godane, who pledged allegiance to al Qaeda. He has headed the Al-Shabaab as it has terrorized East Africa, killing Somali officials, aid workers and others in a spate of suicide bombings. Godane allegedly was behind 2013's deadly siege of a Nairobi, Kenya, shopping mall.

Prior to the strike, the U.S. military was tipped off to what Kirby called "actionable intelligence ... strong enough" to suggest Godane's whereabouts.

In response, U.S. commandos flew -- aided by drones overhead -- into an area south of the African nation's capital Mogadishu around 6:20 p.m. (11:20 a.m. ET) Monday.

In the attack's aftermath, Lower Shabelle Gov. Abdikadir Mohamed Nur Sidii characterized the attack near the port city of Barawe as so ferocious. "It jolted the entire region."

"I never heard such a huge and deafening blast as the result of the airstrike," Sidii said.

Earlier this week, Kirby didn't elaborate on exactly how much firepower was used, beyond that there were multiple Hellfire and laser-guided missiles. Somali intelligence officials counted at least four such missiles.

The targets were what the Pentagon spokesman described as "an encampment" and a vehicle inside it, not to mention Al-Shabaab leaders believed to be there.

After the attack, an Al-Shababb Twitter account said one person was killed in the attack, but it asserted Godane wasn't killed. "'Ahmed Abdi Godane' is alive and doing fine," the tweet from HSM Press Office said, calling itself an "official mujahedin account" in the Islamic land of Somalia. At the time, CNN was unable to verify the authenticity of that claim on Twitter.

Soldiers Evacuate Families From Barracks As Boko Haram Drops Fliers About Plan To Seize Maiduguri

Families and non-military staff residing in two major military barracks in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, are being evacuated after Islamist insurgents dropped letters announcing their plan to take the most important city in Nigeria’s northeast region.

Families and non-military staff residing in two major military barracks in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, are being evacuated after Islamist insurgents dropped letters announcing their plan to take the most important city in Nigeria’s northeast region. The letters were dropped at the gates of Giwa and Maimalari military barracks as well as different parts of the city of Maiduguri. Civilian JTF in Maiduguri Sahara Reporters Media

Several soldiers also told SaharaReporters that some of their colleagues had fled the barracks after the letters were circulated amongst military personnel yesterday. A military officer at Defense Headquarters in Abuja said he was not aware of any desertions.
The letter detailing the planned attack on Maiduguri was written in the Hausa language. It specifies that Boko Haram’s unpredictable leader, Abubakar Shekau, planned to personally lead insurgent fighters to attack Maimalari, the more formidable of the two barracks, and to fight to the death as a martyr. 
“Soldiers are moving their wives and children out because they should not be there if a battle begins,” a security source said.
Boko Haram appears emboldened by its success in capturing Bama, the second largest city in Borno State. The Nigerian army and officials of Borno State were so rattled by the insurgents’ seizure of Bama that they claimed for two days that the town remained under Nigerian troops’ control. However, a senior official of the Borno State government told SaharaReporters yesterday that there was no doubt that Bama had fallen to the insurgents. A senior United States official also acknowledged the capture of the town by insurgents, and disclosed that the US would provide logistical assistance to the Nigerian government to help secure Maiduguri. 
Yesterday, the Islamist terrorists began an apparent push towards Maiduguri by killing some 30 people near Kawuri town. They now have just an army checkpoint in Konduga standing between them and Maiduguri, a city with more than two million residents.

Obama arrives in Europe with a warning for Putin

By Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer

As Air Force One landed in Estonia's capital Wednesday, the U.S. message to Vladimir Putin -- only 500 miles away in Moscow -- was clear: Stay put.

President Barack Obama's trip to the former Soviet state, ahead of this week's NATO summit in Wales, is meant to reassure nervous Eastern Europe that Putin's support for separatists in Ukraine doesn't mean he has a free pass for territorial gains elsewhere.

The warning to Russia was summed up by a top Obama foreign policy adviser last week: "Don't even think about messing around in Estonia or in any of the Baltic areas in the same way that you have been messing around in Ukraine."

Added to the schedule only last month, the stop in Estonia will supplement the message coming from NATO leaders gathering in Cardiff, Wales, who are set to announce the positioning of troops and equipment closer to Russia in Eastern Europe.

Photos: Obama in Europe

Foreign policy criticized by GOP & Dems

ISIS is a threat to all Gulf countries

Senator wants to arm Ukrainian forces

Speaking alongside Estonia's President, Obama recalled the "deep ties" between the two nations as he announced plans for additional U.S. Air Force units to be based in Estonia as part of a bolstering of NATO forces in the region.

"One of our goals at the summit over the next several days is to once again project unity across NATO on behalf of Ukraine's efforts to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Obama said.

He added that Russia was "paying a heavy price for its actions," in part through Western sanctions imposed over Ukraine, and that NATO is poised to do more to help Ukraine defend itself.

NATO needs to create 'high-readiness force,' secretary general says

The NATO leaders also must confront the separate threat of militant Islamists making gains in Syria and Iraq, and the brutal beheading of a second American by ISIS, also known as ISIL or the "Islamic State."

Asked about his strategy on the extremist group, Obama said: "The bottom line is this: Our objective is clear, and that is to degrade and destroy ISIL so it's no longer a threat not just to Iraq, but also to the region and to the United States.

"In order for us to accomplish that, the first phase has been to make sure we've got an Iraqi government that's in place, and that we are blunting the momentum that ISIL was carrying out.

"And the airstrikes have done that. But now, what we need to do is make sure that we've got the regional strategy in place that can support an ongoing effort, not just in the air, but on the ground, to move that forward."

President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the killers of two American journalists will be brought to justice, and their barbaric acts will do nothing to intimidate the United States.

Terror group ISIS released a video Tuesday showing the apparent beheading of journalist Steven Sotloff. A day later, U.S. officials said the video is authentic.

The killing is the second beheading of an American journalist in two weeks, and the militant group said it's a result of Obama's decision to conduct airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.

Sotloff was also an Israeli citizen, a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

Troops deployed after ISIS video release

Obama: 'Our country grieves'

ISIS blames Obama for Sotloff beheading

In the video, Sotloff kneels in the desert, dressed in an orange prison-style jumpsuit. A masked "executioner" lords over him, wielding a knife.

The journalist speaks; the executioner speaks. Then the victim is beheaded. The video is similar to one released two weeks ago showing the death of another American journalist, James Foley.

In the video released Tuesday, a British hostage is shown after the beheading of Sotloff, just as Sotloff was shown in Foley's video.

Obama said the United States "will not be intimidated" by the killers.

"Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget ... that our reach is long and that justice will be served," the President said.

Obama: ISIS killers will not intimidate U.S.

By Faith Karimi and Carol Jordan, CNN

He addressed his much-criticized statement last week that he has no strategy on ISIS. He said he was referring to a military strategy in Syria that "might" require congressional approval.

"Our objective is clear. That is to degrade and destroy (ISIS) so it's no longer a threat," he said. "We can accomplish that. It's going to take some time, it's going to take some effort."

ISIS, or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, refers to itself as the "Islamic State."

Obama said the world needs a regional strategy to defeat the group.

"We've been putting together a strategy that was designed to do a number of things. ... What we have to make sure is we have a regional strategy in place," he said.

In addition to the Americans' deaths, the British hostage showed at the end of the latest video appears to be in danger.

Marie Harf: ISIS shows barbarism

ISIS recruits young children in video

British rescue attempt

The UK said it attempted to rescue its citizen "some time ago" but failed.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond provided scant details of the rescue attempt or any other plans in the works.

"You wouldn't expect me to discuss various options that we will be considering," he said. "But I can assure you that we will look at every possible option to protect this person."

Britain echoed the same sentiment as Obama.

"This country will never give into terrorism ... a country like ours will not be cowed by these barbaric killers," UK Prime Minister David Cameron said.

"Our thoughts are with the British hostage and his family," Cameron said Wednesday in the House of Commons.

ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state?

By Tim Lister, CNN

- The face of a balding, middle-aged man stares unsmilingly into the camera. He is dressed in a suit and tie and could pass for a midlevel bureaucrat.

But the photograph is that of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, who has transformed a few terror cells harried to the verge of extinction into the most dangerous militant group in the world.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has thrived and mutated during the ongoing civil war in Syria and in the security vacuum that followed the departure of the last American forces from Iraq.

The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria.

Terrorists gain ground in Iraq fighting

ISIS' enigmatic terror leader

Militants seizing control in Iraq

ISIS leader called the new bin Laden

With the seizure of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and advances on others, that aim appears within reach.

ISIS controls hundreds of square miles where state authority has evaporated. It ignores international borders and has a presence all the way from Syria's Mediterranean coast to south of Baghdad.

How to respond to the ISIS threat

What are its origins?

In 2006, al Qaeda in Iraq -- under the ruthless leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- embarked on seemingly arbitrary and brutal treatment of civilians as it tried to ignite a sectarian war against the majority Shia community.

It came close to succeeding, especially after the bombing of the Al-Askariya Mosque, an important Shia shrine in Samarra, which sparked retaliatory attacks.

But the killing of al-Zarqawi by American forces, the vicious treatment of civilians and the emergence of the Sahwa (Awakening) Fronts under moderate Sunni tribal leaders nearly destroyed the group.

Nearly, but not quite.

When U.S. forces left Iraq, they took much of their intelligence-gathering expertise with them.

Iraqi officials began to speak of a "third generation" of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Two years ago, a former spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, warned that "if the Iraqi security forces are not able to put pressure on them, they could regenerate."

The capability of those Iraqi forces was fatally compromised by a lack of professional soldiers, the division of military units along sectarian lines and a lack of the equipment needed for fighting an insurgency, such as attack helicopters and reconnaissance capabilities.

The new al Qaeda was rebranded in 2006 as the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). It would add "and Syria" to its name later.

The group exploited a growing perception among many Sunnis that they were being persecuted by the Shia-dominated government led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, starved of resources and excluded from a share of power.

The arrest of senior Sunni political figures and heavy-handed suppression of Sunni dissent were the best recruiting sergeants ISI could have. And it helped the new leader re-establish the group's influence.

Who is its master of terror?

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi graduated to the top job in 2010 -- at the age of 39 -- after Abu Omar al Baghdadi was killed in a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation.

Al Baghdadi's group was in a pitiful state. But with U.S. forces and intelligence on the way out, he launched a revival.

Photos: Iraqi civilians flee Mosul

Map: Unrest in Iraq

War games or war?

Very little is known about Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, but a biography posted on jihadist websites last year said he held a Ph.D. in Islamic studies from a university in the capital.

He formed his own militant group in the Samarra and Diyala areas, where his family was from, before joining al Qaeda in Iraq.

Al Baghdadi even served four years in a U.S. prison camp for insurgents, at Bucca in southern Iraq -- a time in which he almost certainly developed a network of contacts and honed his ideology.

He was released in 2009 and went to work.

What is ISIS trying to accomplish?

It wants to establish an Islamic caliphate, or state, stretching across the region.

ISIS has begun imposing Sharia law in the towns it controls. Boys and girls must be separated at school; women must wear the niqab or full veil in public. Sharia courts often dispense brutal justice, music is banned and the fast is enforced during Ramadan.

Sharia law covers both religious and non-religious aspects of life.

The on-going Sango-Ojodu Road

Senator Ibikunle Amosun

August 31 at 5:06am ·

The on-going Sango-Ojodu Road is causing inconveniences to the residents. When do you hope to complete the construction?
"We have to make the Sango-Ojodu-Abiodun Road a six-lane road because we plan for a light rail system that will pass through that area. Initially it was to be a four-lane road but we have to re-plan and re-design it. It was to cost N40bn then and now it is to cost N70bn.
We do not have the money. So, we are constructing it in phases but we will construct it over a period of three and a half years. It is a huge investment but we will install toll gates on it to recoup the investment.
The demolition of structures for road construction work is a bold effort. How have you handled the fallout and payment of compensation?
There have been failure of governments over the years but the role of a governor is to be fair and just. In our urban renewal drive, we have reasons to demolish some structures to give way for the roads we are to build. In the first of such roads that we completed, the Ibara – Sokori-Totoro road, five structures that have to do with members of my family were affected.
Three belonging to former President Olusegun Obasanjo were initially affected. When we moved to the fourth building owned by the former President, Baba called me to ask if I was planning to run him out of town and I said no we were trying to reorder things.
But today Baba prays for me because we didn’t demolish the structures and leave the work undone. Several kilometres of road and bridges are being built across the state to raise the infrastructure profile of our state and attract investors.
When we started, a lot of people were unhappy with us calling us several names. Even some party people said it will sink the party. But today, they have seen the reason why those structures must give way to the roads. They have seen the work that is going on and people appreciate it.
We give compensation to home owners whose properties were affected irrespective of whether you have the necessary documents. This is Ogun State and we recognise that we cannot subject our people to the conditions attached to such exercise in other places.
So, we have to pay compensation. What we do in some instance is to build completely new houses for some very old very vulnerable people whose homes were demolished.
The abuse by some people over these tough decisions doesn’t have impact on me. I usually plead with our people that you cannot make an omelette without breaking the egg. I take inspiration from the fact that Pa Obafemi Awolowo was thoroughly abused when he commenced the construction of the 25-storey Cocoa House building in Ibadan. Women took to the streets to protest.
Today, that building defines the landscape of the whole of Ibadan and the whole of Yorubaland. One should not be deterred by criticism if you are sure of what you are doing and you have your eyes on history.
There are accusations by the opposition that the cost of your road construction is too high and that you are borrowing heavily to fund the construction work.
All the roads we are constructing are of world standard and the cost is the lowest in Nigeria. I challenge anyone to investigate this claim and prove me wrong and see. We deliver high quality at low cost to the people of Ogun State. Our Ogun Standard roads come with six lane minimum, there are eight to ten lane boulevard.
There are drains on both sides, walkways, median, street lights, green areas and bus stops.
Those who cannot comprehend the financial management strategy that is helping us to handle all these completed and on-going gigantic projects are the ones shouting about phantom N300 billion loans.
Our debt profile hovers between N37bn and N40bn because we pay back regularly and I want to challenge those who cry about N300bn loan to provide the names of the banks where they have helped us to secure such loans." - Senator Ibikunle Amosun fca, Executive Governor of Ogun Stateor509e30

Weak Leadership In Nigeria May Facilitate Alliance Between Boko Haram And ISIS By Tiffany Wheatland

Boko Haram is no longer, if ever it was, a Nigerian problem. This new alliance of extremism would most certainly have major implications for broader international security.

As of late, Boko Haram and its terrorist activities have dominated international headlines. Over the course of the last five years, following the launch of its military insurgency, bombings, assassinations and abductions committed by the group have become commonplace.

Founded in 2002, the exact membership of the group is unknown but what is apparent is it its ability to draw ample recruits from the disaffected regions of northern Nigeria whose demographics are mostly poor, uneducated youth with few to nil employment prospects.
The group, who has become notorious for indiscriminately waging violence on Nigerian civilians and military and police personnel alike, made international headlines with the kidnapping of over 200 school girls from the village of Chibok in Northern Nigeria. While their atrocities have been committed mostly in rural parts of north-eastern Nigeria, the activities of the group have escalated within the nation’s city centers targeting police and UN headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
ISIS militant Though the group claims their motivation is to create an Islamic state in Nigeria through the institution of Sharia law, its attacks are directed at both Christians and moderate Muslims. By and large, the group has been successful in making gains towards achieving its goal. Recently, the group has made gains in areas of Northern Nigeria, hoisting flags and laying claim to areas including Damboa, Gwoza, Buni Yadi, Gamboru and Madagali.
On August 24th, following the defeat of Nigerian security forces and subsequent capture of Gwoza, a territory in Borno State, Nigeria, under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram declared an Islamic caliphate over Gwoza.
In response, the Nigerian Armed Forces released a statement via its official Twitter feed stating, “That claim is empty. The sovereignty & territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact...Appropriate military operations to secure that Area from the activities of the Bandits is still ongoing.”
In an interview with Sunrise Daily, Security Expert, Captain Umar Aliyu (RTD) speaks to the challenges faced by the Nigerian security forces in dealing with the security threat posed by Boko Haram. He states that even if the territorial integrity of the region is intact, there are, “indicators that it is threatened.” He suggests that administrative and operational weaknesses of the police have emboldened the group to declare a caliphate in Gwoza.
Capitan Aliyu also raised concerns over loss of morale and inadequate provisions made for Nigerian security forces in their fight against the terrorist group. Just earlier this month, Nigerian soldiers mutinied over inadequate artillery provisions. In a statement made by a soldier to a BBC correspondent, one soldier expressed concern that the Nigerian Army was “not ready to fight Boko Haram.” The issue of unpreparedness was recently evidenced by the fleeing of an estimated 480 Nigerian soldiers into neighboring Cameroon in the face of a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Gamboru-Ngala occurring on Monday.
In spite of the May 2013 declaration of a state of emergency in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the Nigerian government has proven unable to provide adequate protection and security measures against the threat of Boko Haram. Neither has it been able to curtail the actions of the insurgents or bring the perpetrators of violence to justice.
The Jonathan administration has requested $1 billion to better equip the army to combat the security threat. However, the lack of accountability for previous funds set aside for security personnel, coupled with the political complexities of accusations that members of the Goodluck administration may be providing financial support to Boko Haram, are sure to further complicate matters and compromise counter insurgency measures.
Terrorist Alliances
Many analysts have taken to comparing the Islamist terrorist group to the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) a jihadist group based in the Middle East, which for all intents and purposes has become widely known as the successor to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. As early as July, Shekau publicly endorsed and voiced his support of ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq.
International advisor Stephen Davis has predicted the development of a kind of alliance between Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Shabaab, a jihadist group based out of Somalia.  He suggests that currently we are standing at the precipice of the birth of a new radical Islam.
Davis, who spent four months attempting to broker a deal to secure the release of the 270 girls kidnapped from Chibok said, in an interview with Radio Australia, in order to stop the kidnappings, the flow of funding to the group would have to be stopped.  According to Davis, Nigerian politicians provided a major source of funding to the group.
While such claims may be difficult to substantiate, what is clear is that collusion with security forces exists on some level. Footage provided by Boko Haram suggests that military equipment including tanks and artillery has been looted and/or provided likely, from Nigerian security forces. What is also clear is that efforts of the Nigerian authorities to curb the activities of Boko Haram have fallen far short of the mark.
International Intervention
The prospect of collusion amongst extremist groups, would in some ways represent a dramatic turn of events, if not for Nigeria, for the larger international community. This new alliance of extremism would most certainly have major implications for broader international security.  Boko Haram is no longer, if ever it was, a Nigerian problem. As its activities have escalated over the last five years they have become an international security concern.
While it is imperative that the international community determine its role in addressing and rooting out global extremism, it is crucial that the Nigerian government take decisive yet careful action to address the scourge of extremism within its borders through engagement and with strict adherence to international law, particularly, implementation of UN resolution 1325, which calls for the protection of women during war and resolution 1820 which condemns the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
While the government registered some measure of progress early on in the fight against the insurgency indicated by the 2009 capture of then, leader Mohammed Yusuf, it has failed to initiate any meaningful engagement which might lead to an end of the violence.
Arguably, the killing of Mohammed Yusuf and some 800 of his men and the subsequent 2011 police raid which resulted in the detention of the wives and children of suspected Boko Haram leaders may have served to further radicalize the group members and frustrate early prospects for reconciliation or a cessation in violence.
What remains to be seen is whether the Jonathan administration retains both the political legitimacy and the backbone needed to engage the extremist group to find an end to the violence daily committed against both Christian and Muslim civilians alike within Nigeria’s borders.

Nigerian Senator Says Boko Haram Took Over Bama, Killed Two Of His Nephews

A Nigerian Senator, Khalifa Zanna, said that Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, today overran Bama, his hometown and local government area.

A Nigerian Senator, Khalifa Zanna, said that Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, today overran Bama, his hometown and local government area. displaced persons from Bama occupies a high school in Maiduguri Sahara Reporters Media

Senator Zanna told SaharaReporters today that the sect overwhelmed Nigerian troops, took over Bama and had been driving around in armored tanks and military pickup in the second largest town in Borno State.

The senator stated that the insurgents killed two of his nephews named Babagana Mala Zanna, 28, and Yusuf Mala Zanna, 20, after finding them in his brother’s house in Bama early this morning.

Mr. Zanna’s assertion tallies with the reports from fleeing residents who told SaharaReporters that Bama fell to the militants last night.

The Nigerian military has not given further updates apart from a tweet last night that it was “repelling the terrorists”. Senator Zanna also said there were significant civilian deaths from the fierce firefight that lasted five hours between Nigerian troops and Boko Haram militants.
  Senator Khalifa Zanna
The army initially repelled the militants, reportedly killing more than 50 of them. But a security source disclosed that the militants came back with greater force, forcing the soldiers to flee along with civilians to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

A Nigerian Air Force jet arrived the scene and bombed Bama twice. The first bomb was dropped on the barracks at Bama, a military source told SaharaReporters. He said the jet dropped the bomb to prevent the sect from laying hands on the armory in Bama. The second bomb also destroyed an army tank seized by Boko Haram militants, said the soldier.

Soldiers Abandon Bama Battle Front As Air Force Jets Bomb Barracks

About 500 soldiers have fled the battle front in Bama after initially overwhelming Boko Haram militants who tried to take over the city earlier today.

About 500 soldiers have fled the battle front in Bama after initially overwhelming Boko Haram militants who tried to take over the city earlier today.

Bama is the second largest city in Borno State, after Maiduguri, the state capital.  
Saharareporters sources said the militants arrived in Bama as early 5:30a.m.but met stiff resistance from soldiers in the city.  As the battle drew into the evening, however, about 500 soldiers initially drafted in to fight the insurgents fled to Maimalari Barracks in Maid, with thousands of civilians fleeing the city.
Trouble started when an Air Force jet sent in to assist the ground troops bombed the Bama Barracks after civilians that had sought refuge there were sent away by soldiers who then abandoned their weapons and sought to flee with the civilians.  A few minutes later, the jet bombed the barracks, leading to casualties on the side of soldiers.
A military source told SaharaReporters tonight that Bama has become vulnerable and may be taken by the militants, who are believed to have gone for reinforcements.
Earlier today, over 50 militants were reportedly killed in fighting in Moraraba village, near Bama.  Hundreds of Bama residents were reported to have streamed into Maiduguri, where they are lodging in Mairi Day Government Secondary school on Bama Road.  

Boko Haram Takes Over Bama

Reports emerging from Bama, in Borno State, indicate that Boko Haram militants have taken over control of the city.

Reports emerging from Bama, in Borno State, indicate that Boko Haram militants have taken over control of the city.

The state’s second-largest city was attacked earlier today by the militants.  That first attack was initially repelled by Nigerian troops, but the militants appear to have returned in greater force, leading some of the soldiers to follow fleeing civilians in an effort to escape.  Nigerian soldiers
Residents are saying tonight that Boko Haram has completely overrun the city and hoisted its flag in the city center.
A Nigeria military statement credited to General Chris Olukolade didn’t offer much hope for Bama, as the terse statement merely stated that the attack on Bama was “being repelled.” 
An intelligence source said reinforcements were underway to Bama from Maiduguri, but our own sources said only a few soldiers, in four armored tanks, were seen near Yezaram River.  He added that the unit was in no way capable of re-taking Bama from the militants.
SaharaReporters had reported earlier about soldiers fleeing the battle into Maiduguri after being overwhelmed by the invading Islamists.  Their barracks also received friendly fire from an Air Force jet.
Over 100 injured soldiers are receiving treatment at the MRS Hospital in Maimalari Barracks.  Several soldiers have died while others are still missing.

“Where Is Gwoza Sef?” Jonathan Asks At Meeting With Emir

In a bizarre tale that illustrates how Nigeria is run, President Goodluck Jonathan arrived two weeks ago at a top secret meeting with the exiled Emir of Gwoza, the newly-named headquarters of Boko Haram’s so-called “Islamic Caliphate,” with no knowledge of the location of Gwoza, presidency sources at the meeting said.

In a bizarre tale that illustrates how Nigeria is run, President Goodluck Jonathan arrived two weeks ago at a top secret meeting with the exiled Emir of Gwoza, the newly-named headquarters of Boko Haram’s so-called “Islamic Caliphate,” with no knowledge of the location of Gwoza, presidency sources at the meeting said.   Suleiman Abba stands next to President Goodluck Jonathan on the scene of a deadly bus station bombing in Abuja

The Emir, Muhammed Timta, escaped after the militants invaded Gwoza on August 16 and took over his palace.
He arrived in Abuja after first making his way to Maiduguri to escape further attempts on his life. His father, Idrissa Timta, had died in a Boko Haram ambush on May 30, 2014 as Boko Haram ambushed his convoy on his way to the burial of the Emir of Gombe.
Shortly after Timta’s arrival in Abuja, President Jonathan sent for the Emir, who was accompanied to the meeting by a Borno Senator, Ali Ndume. However, to the utter shock of the Emir, President Jonathan did not know where Gwoza was located: Adamawa or Borno State.
Presidency sources said silence enveloped the room after the President, apparently lacking basic research or a briefing by his numerous aides and security agencies, asked in condescending pidgin, “Where’s Gwoza sef?”
Mr. Jonathan then promised to ‘liberate’ Gwoza after Senator Ndume told him Gwoza was his home town and that it is located in Borno State.
Gwoza remains under the control of Boko Haram after the sect took over the township in a raid and declared the town the headquarters of the “Islamic Caliphate” in the Northeast of Nigeria.
At least three attempts by Nigerian troops have been repelled by the militants.  Several soldiers and innocent civilians were killed.

Australian Negotiator Insists Modu Sheriff, Ihejirika Sponsor Boko Haram, Exonerates Buhari, El-Rufai

In SaharaReporters Interview, Australian Negotiator Insists Modu Sherriff, Ihejirika Sponsor Boko Haram, Exonerates Buhari, El-Rufai.

In SaharaReporters Interview, Australian Negotiator Insists Modu Sherriff, Ihejirika Sponsor Boko Haram, Exonerates Buhari, El-Rufai.
   Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, and Boko Haram commanders in 2013 after BH reportedly agreed to dialogue

Stephen Davis, an Australian hostage negotiator who spent some time in Nigeria trying to secure the release of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants in Chibok, Borno State, told SaharaReporters that he stands by his widely reported allegations that former Governor Modu Sherriff of Borno State and a former Chief of Army staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika (ret.), were among the top sponsors of the Islamist insurgents who have massacred thousands of Nigerians and foreigners and made the northeast part of Nigeria a highly militarized zone.

In an extensive telephone interview with SaharaReporters yesterday, Dr. Davis also accused an unnamed senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as a man based in Cairo, Egypt whom he claimed operates as Boko Haram’s bagman. He said both men, in addition to Mr. Sheriff and former General Ihejirika, were major players in the funding and continued existence of the deadly Islamist sect.

Dr. Davis told SaharaReporters that he did not want to name the CBN official as this may prejudice investigation by Nigeria’s security services. Both accused men have reacted furiously to Mr. Davis’ allegation, with the former Borno governor threatening to travel to Australia to sue his accuser while Mr. Ihejirika accused former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El Rufai, of being a “commander” of Boko Haram. Three days ago, Mr. El Rufai had posted transcripts and video of Mr. Davis’ accusations of the former governor and ex-Army chief on social media.

Asked whether Mr. El Rufai and former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, had a hand in funding or sponsoring Boko Haram, Dr. Davis said their names have not been mentioned to him by any Boko Haram connections.

Also, asked to explain why Mr. Ihejirika, a non-Muslim who hails from the predominantly Christian southeastern part of Nigeria, became a Boko Haram “sponsor,” Mr. Davis said, “Boko Haram commanders and some connected with them told me on several occasions Ihejirika was one of their sponsors.”

He also disclosed that Mr. Sheriff always had the best military protection in Nigeria’s violence-plagued northeast, a protection he claimed the ex-governor enjoyed after he left office.
Dr. Davis reiterated that his allegations were informed by discussions he had with several Boko Haram field commanders over a long period of time. Asked if President Goodluck Jonathan was aware of the insurgents’ sponsors and their specific roles, Dr. Davis said he was unsure of the extent of information currently before President Jonathan. He added that Mr. Jonathan had been weakened by lack of military loyalty and a history of security negligence. He gave the example of repeated attempts to bring the growth of Al Qa’eda associated cells to the attention of NSA’s since 2006 only to have them dismiss such reports as baseless. “By the time Goodluck Jonathan became president Boko Haram had become a potent weapon with a command structure embedded in 16 northern states fanned by support from corrupt politicians.”
He further gave the example of Nigeria’s Minister of Defense, Aliyu Gusau, whom he accused of basically leaving Mr. Jonathan to carry his can without taking any responsibility for his work.
The Australian negotiator also revealed that his years working with Nigerian presidents on matters of terrorism had shown that, even when some prominent individuals are known to be involved in criminality, the presidents are simply too afraid to take them on. He cited the example of the Niger Delta region. He told SaharaReporters that he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo found out that Abiye Sekibo, who was then Mr. Obasanjo’s Transport Minister, had contracted the assassins who killed a prominent politician, Harry Marshall. He said he tried to persuade Mr. Obasanjo to prosecute Mr. Sekibo, but the then president declined, stating that such a trial could bring down his government.
Dr. Davis touched on several aspects of Boko Haram activities, showing that he was quite knowledgeable about the sect’s actions. He told SaharaReporters that Boko Haram runs about six major camps in the northeast and neighboring countries, adding that 700 fighters inhabited each camp. In addition there are a range of smaller camps within Borno State, which are often temporary and to which kidnapped girls are taken to be used by the insurgents.

The Australian revealed that earlier this year Boko Haram was a loose coalition of three Islamist militant groups that worked with one another, claiming that, since four months ago, the sects had merged into one single entity, become more cohesive, strategically effective and powerful. “They are now linking with other terrorist group in the region and will soon be very difficult to dismantle. If these political sponsors think they can turn these groups off after the 2015 elections they are going to be surprised to find it is out of their control.”

On why he had chosen to speak out publicly at this time, Dr. Davis stated that, from experience, any terrorist group that has lasted more than eight years after its formation would likely exist for another 20 or more years before it can be dismantled. It thus becomes embedded for a generation and the likelihood of dismantling it was very low. “If we don’t do our utmost now to dismantle Boko Haram then we may not be able to do so for another generation. That is a very gloomy scenario for Nigeria.”

He touched on former National Security Adviser, Owoye Andrew Azazi, whom he described as utterly corrupt. He said Mr. Azazi, who was a retired Army general, was planning to buy into the Hilton hotel chain in London to the tune of $100 million before he died in a helicopter crash on December 15, 2012.

Dr. Davis painted a portrait of Nigeria’s various intelligence units as operating in silos that refuse to share information that could tame terrorist groups. To illustrate his point, the Australian cited the example of the State Security Services. According to him, months after the SSS won the extradition from the Sudan of Aminu Ogwuche, a suspected terror mastermind who reportedly planned the deadly bombing of an Abuja bus station, the intelligence agency had yet to interrogate Mr. Ogwuche about his links with the three young men he reportedly contracted to carry out the bombing.

Dr. Davis said the young men were three in number and that they lived in the home of a CBN official who also carried out banking transactions for Boko Haram through the CBN. He said two other young collaborators in the Nyanya Motor Park bombing remain on the run.

The Australian hostage negotiator vowed to make more revelations about Boko Haram’s sponsors, adding that he believed the sect could only be dismantled if their sponsors were exposed and prosecuted. In particular, he said he could not see why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had not already moved on Sheriff for his extensive looting of public funds when he was the Borno State governor, and for leaving the roads in Borno State in a terrible shape that has enabled Boko Haram to ambush Nigeria troops and massacre them mercilessly. He also added that the former governor should face the ultimate trial for financing the recruitment of young men to the Islamist sect.

Dr. Davis dismissed Mr. Sheriff’s threat to travel to Australia to sue him for his statements as grandstanding and seeking to divert attention from the real issue of Mr. Sheriff’s involvement with Boko Haram. He added that he would be pleased to meet the former governor at the airport whenever he developed the courage to come to Australia.