Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Queens of Kannywood, Rahama Sadau and Maryam Booth Entangled in "The Two Aishas" Movie


Queens of Kannywood, Rahama Sadau and Maryam Booth Entangled in "The Two Aishas" Movie



Last Sunday, I was at the cinemas to watch "The Two Aishas" starring the two leading ladies and beauty queens of #Kannywood, Rahama Sadau and Maryam Booth .

This is my first time of seeing them together in a movie.

This is the directorial debut of Hajia Shareefah Abiola Andu of Arabel Productions and Aleef TV of Arabel Nigeria Limited.

After a bitter fallout with her best friend when her husband was handed the gubernatorial ticket which was taken from her best friend’s husband, Aisha Yusuf must reconcile with her best friend and unite their husbands who are now at loggerheads.

According to director, the movie is filled with intrigues that will keep fans glued to the box office screen till the end.

‘The Two Aishas’ are women of the same Islamic faith and status who are married to two best friends. But their loyalty and friendship got tested and no matter how they looked at it, one party felt robbed and betrayed by the other, threatening to tear apart an enduring friendship from childhood and test their faith as devout Muslims.

“It addresses relatable themes such as forgiveness, betrayal, love, rivalry and piousness,” she said.

"The Two Aishas" is showing daily at all the FilmHouse Cinemas in Nigeria and Ghana, Silverbird Cinemas, Genesis Cinemas, Ozone Cinemas, Blue Pictures Cinemas, Kada Cinemas, Platinum Cinemas, Exodus Cinemas, Magnificent Cinemas and other cinemas in every state in Nigeria.

#rahamasadau 

#maryambooth 

#aisha

#thetwoaishas

#kannywood

#Nollywood 

#romance 

#drama 

#movie

#Nigeria



Thursday, February 16, 2023

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria : Citizens’ Participation in Good Governance in Nigeria

 


Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)
PRESS RELEASE
Citizens’ Participation in Good Governance in Nigeria
The Catholic Church continues to insist that government has a constitutional and statutory duty of protecting human rights and securing basic justice for all
ABUJA, Nigeria, February 16, 2023/ -- A Communiqué issued at the end of the First Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the CSN Resource Centre, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja, 11 to 17 February 2023.

1. PREAMBLE

We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, held our First Plenary Meeting for the year at the CSN Resource Centre, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja, from 11 to 17 of February 2023. Having prayerfully reflected on issues affecting the Church and the Nigerian State, we now issue this Communiqué:

2. INDICES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

The Catholic Church continues to insist that government has a constitutional and statutory duty of protecting human rights and securing basic justice for all. Society, as a whole, is responsible for building up the common good, and the role of government is to guarantee the minimum conditions that make human rights and justice possible. If the primary purpose of party campaigns is to win elections, then the justifiable end is good governance.

Chapter IV of our Constitution on Fundamental Rights is very clear on what constitutes an aspect of good governance, namely, protection of the rights to life, human dignity, liberty, fair hearing, and so on. Despite the many failures of our leaders to ensure good governance, we still nurture and sustain the hope of a democracy that will usher in a renewed era of social justice, equity, peace, and prosperity. These fundamental rights are further enhanced in the rights that are enshrined in Chapter II of our Constitution, such as the rights to health, education, basic amenities, et cetera. Unfortunately, these rights are not justiciable and cannot be enforced in the law courts, thereby leaving the enjoyment of these rights to the whims and caprices of the people in power. As shepherds, we call for a legislative review of Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution, in such a way as to make the provisions justiciable and enforceable. This will go a long way to nurture and sustain good governance.

3. SOME CHALLENGES FACING OUR COUNTRY

i) Worsening Insecurity in our Nation

Increased insecurity has continued to haunt our nation. The Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen militia, bandits, and the so-called unknown gunmen have continued to unleash terror in different parts of the country. Some communities have been sacked and their inhabitants displaced as a result of the activities of some criminals and some government security agents. Hundreds of lives have been lost in very brutal circumstances and many more have been maimed. Some of our Church personnel have been victims of abduction and killing. Kidnapping for ransom is on the increase such that nowhere seems safe. Highways, homes, and even the sacred precincts of worshipping centres are not spared. We condole with all the bereaved and pray for the eternal repose of the deceased. While we continue to call on governments to stand up to their primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians, we enjoin all to strengthen security measures in their homes and institutions. We call on all citizens to be law-abiding, and vigilant, and to shun all forms of violence and criminality.

ii) The Challenging Economy in our Nation and its Effects on the Citizens

Our crumbling national economy has continued to make life difficult and hard for our people. As the value of the Naira continues to decline, the high cost of goods and services, including food items, continues to soar. Still more, the flawed implementation of the cash swap policy, which resulted in a cash crunch, has added to the ordeal, hunger, anger, and frustration of the people. Again, on account of the persisting fuel scarcity, our people spend many hours in long queues under harsh conditions trying to buy fuel at exorbitant prices. As a result of high unemployment and hard-biting economic conditions, many of our brothers and sisters wallow in abject poverty, and many either flee the nation in search of better living conditions or resort to crime and begging to survive. This situation is further compounded by the growing debt burden that is mortgaging our future and that of upcoming generations. We, therefore, urge Federal Government and its relevant agencies to immediately increase the circulation of new Naira notes and make and implement adequate monetary and other relevant policies that will reduce the suffering and hardship experienced by our people. We admonish those who collaborate in hoarding the new currency and petroleum products to desist from such a dastardly act. We laud the citizens for their bravery in the face of the hard situation while we thank the President for approving the extended use of the old N200 notes. Furthermore, governments need to provides enabling environment for the creation of more jobs by both the government and the private sector.

4. CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION AND GOOD CHOICES

Participation is at the core of the realization of the common good, which good governance serves. Indeed, citizens’ participation is a key element of a good governance structure. We, the Bishops, have continued to voice out the need for Nigerians to be more involved and be part of the decisions over what happens in our society. As enshrined in various sections of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, the right to political participation is a human right. The Church teaches that responsible citizenship is a virtue and participation in the political process is a moral obligation (CCC, nos. 1913-1915).

One of the potent instruments of participation in the political life of a country is the choice of its leaders. In the face of the daunting challenges facing our nation, we should not give in to hopelessness and despair, or compromise our values in such a manner as to come up with leaders who are neither intended by God nor truly elected by the people. We, as citizens, must learn to make the right choices for good governance to thrive and be sustained. We, therefore, urge one and all to be more conscious of the kind of choices that they make in their life, especially, as we approach another critical period in our political history.

5.  THE GENERAL ELECTIONS 2023

The 2023 General Elections are around the corner. As we wrote in our recent Pastoral Letter on the 2023 Elections in Nigeria, “these upcoming elections provide us with yet another opportunity in our national history to choose leaders capable of governing for the common good” (p.1). This is now the time to reject evil, greater or lesser, and wisely choose good and capable candidates at all levels. Our votes are precious; we must use them well. We encourage all eligible citizens to come out en masse to vote for God-fearing, honest, vibrant, and transparent leaders for a better Nigeria.

We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its officials to ensure that their conducts in the entire electoral process are transparent, honest, and beyond reproach. We continue to enjoin the Commission to make sure that the newly adopted technologies for accreditation, transmission, and collation, are transparently and sincerely deployed and not manipulated to give false results.  We equally call on the law enforcement agents, whose primary duty is to enforce law and order and ensure the protection of persons and materials during the elections, to efficiently and professionally carry out their responsibilities without fear, favour, or partiality. In the same manner, we advise our youths not to allow themselves to be used as thugs and agents of disruption and violence before, during, and after the elections. We, at the same time, enjoin voters to ensure that proper counting is done before the transmission of the results.

One ugly and unfortunate phenomenon that has characterized the electoral contests in our nation is that of vote buying and selling, aimed at frustrating and compromising the free choice of the people. We vehemently continue to condemn this practice and urge all politicians and the electorate to avoid this unlawful and sinful practice and embrace the values of human dignity, integrity, and decency in order to have free, fair, and credible elections. We acknowledge the important role of both national and international observers in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process and the promotion of its greater openness and transparency. We call on all those engaged in this task to eschew every trace of bias and partisanship in discharging their duties.

The Judiciary is an important institution in the settlement of electoral disputes in our nation. The significance of this role has continued to rise to the point that it seems no election is complete and determined without the pronouncement of the courts. Unfortunately, this role sometimes results in the abuse of judicial power and office wherein unconscionable orders are made, which mock the electoral process and the general will of the electorate. No doubt, this not only compromises the essence of democratic competition but also leads to loss of confidence in the Judiciary. We, therefore, encourage all judges and lawyers to, once again see themselves as ministers in the temple of truth and justice, and work to make the Judiciary the ‘last hope of the common man’.

6. THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN GOOD GOVERNANCE

The media have a crucial role to play in entrenching good and democratic governance, by providing the necessary information that empowers the citizens not only to engage the political class in debates on the issues that affect their lives, but also, to exercise their democratic choices and make informed decisions about public issues (Inter Mirifica, nn.3-5; Communio et Progressio, n. 87). The Media also function as watchdog by engaging in investigative journalism, which holds political officials and the citizens accountable in the use of public patrimony (Aetatis Novae, n. 14, par. 2). We call on the Media practitioners and owners, not only to seek but to speak the truth with a clear conscience, desisting from the sensational journalism presently being promoted, largely through fake news, violence, inflammatory and divisive remarks. We also urge all citizens to be very discerning and circumspect about news being peddled in the social media. (Pope Francis, Letter to SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communications, 2022). Furthermore, we call upon Governments at all levels to ensure free and independent media that will help to achieve good governance and responsible citizenship.

7. NEWS FROM THE CHURCH

We thank God for the successful visits of the Holy Father to the Democratic Republic of Congo, (31 January to 3 February 2023) and South Sudan (3 to 5 February 2023). We hope and pray that these visits will have lasting impact not only on these two nations but on the entire African Continent. In the same vein, we pray for an end to the war in Ukraine and other parts of the world.  We equally pray for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. With gratitude to God for a life well spent, we remember our Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, who passed on 31 December 2022 and was laid to rest on 6 January 2023. May he continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.

Since our last Plenary Meeting in Orlu, Imo State, in September 2022, the Church in Nigeria has been blessed with two additional Diocesan Bishops, Most Rev. Michael Kalu Ukpong, Umuahia Diocese (installed on 2 February 2023) and Most Rev. Anthony Ovayero Ewherido, Warri Diocese (ordained and installed on 9 February 2023). We felicitate with them and pray for the grace to shepherd the flock of God entrusted to their pastoral care. In the same vein, we thank the Holy Father for creating Wukari Diocese on 14 December 2022 and congratulate Msgr. Mark Maigida Nzukwein, appointed as its pioneer Bishop. We look forward to his Episcopal Ordination on 13 April 2023. We equally received with joy, the most recent announcement of the Creation of Aguleri Diocese with Most Reverend Denis Chidi Isizoh as its first Bishop. Furthermore, we rejoice with Most Rev. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo and the entire Faithful of Abeokuta Diocese on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Erection of their Diocese. Likewise, we are grateful to God for Most. Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos, and the pioneer Bishop of Abeokuta, who recently clocked 25 years in the Episcopate.

8. CONCLUSION: PRAYING FOR FREE, FAIR, AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

Providentially, the General Elections 2023 fall within the Season of Lent, which summons us all to repent of our sins, to retreat from our evil ways, and to amend our personal and corporate lives (Matthew 6:1-8; 16-18).  Prominent in the Season of Lent is the demand for more intense prayer, and fasting not only from food and drink but also from the evils that destroy human and social life.  In the spirit of the season, we continue to pray as we say: God our Father, grant us the wisdom to identify what is good and the courage to make the right choices.  As we keep our eyes open and our minds alert, inspire in us the will to vote solely for the common good of our nation; fill our electoral umpires with the spirit of patriotism, justice, and fairness; enable us to embrace and usher in a new dawn in our country Nigeria, where citizens’ participation becomes the hallmark of institutional accountability and economic emancipation.  We pray God to bless us with leaders with integrity and nobility while we hope and work for a brighter, more peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.  Mother Mary, Queen of Nigeria, intercede for us. Amen.

Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru UGORJI                   
Archbishop of Owerri                                                                                                                        
President, CBCN         

Most Rev. Donatus A. OGUN, OSA
Bishop of Uromi     
Secretary, CBCN                                                                                                               
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

SOURCE
Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)


Friday, June 3, 2022

Re: What Has Atiku Achieved? - Prof Akin Omoz-Oarhe

 A DAMNING WRITE-UP ON ATIKU

�� A County Ruled By Semi-illiterates Over The Years. As Permutations For 2023 Continues_

Still on Atiku Abubakar !!!

Prof Akin Omoz-Oarhe writes:

A fair comment.

1. He is far more educated than PMB. I do not mean possession of college certificate but having a broader outlook of life. So he would certainly have been less nepotistic and would not have inflicted this level of disunity on us.

2. But he was NOT a nice guy OBJ made us to know that. He was a crook from his mothers womb:

�Just imagine in those days when forgery was alien to us into the 1960s, he 'wangled' his way into Police College without the requisite WAEC qualifications. Certificate checks found him out. He failed Mathematics and was sacked.

�He went for training as a Sanitary Inspector. He became one but stole a litre of 'Izal' and got sacked.

�"Somehow he became a Tax Collector. It was found that with appropriate gratification, he halved the taxes due some people. He got kicked out.

�No record that he ever repeated his WAEC but he got a place in ABU to study for a Diploma in Sharia Law.

�Recruitment Agents wanted some people in the Custom. They found that he was once a Tax Collector and was a student in Police College. Good combination. He got the Custom job. He rose fast.

�One day, while on duty heading a Unit, a beautiful Yoruba girl, Atinuke, had crossed Seme Border to Republic of Benin (then Dahomey) and smuggled in some 'ankara' materials. On her return she was caught by the Customs and dragged to their boss Atiku. WAO! Atiku loved what he saw. He decided to give the law a human face. He asked his boys what the Customs charges would have been if not smuggled. They computered it and gave him the figure. He paid on her behalf and 3 months later married her as his first wife. Two of a type.

�Atiku continued to rise in the Customs. He moved to a Unit where it was their duty to open all containers that were imported into Nigeria as to ascertain what were inside and charged appropriately. It was lucrative. He made friends and money. How? He would open a container and find a car inside that could attract some millions of naira. He would declare that the container contained panadol, that attracted no duty. The owner would share the gain with Atiku. One of the beneficiary was an Italian. They became good friends via partnership in crime.

�Atiku soon recommended that the job in the Unit was beyond the staffing and that there was need for conducting firm to be engaged to carry out that duty on behalf of the government. The government accepted the recommendation. Very quickly, Atiku and his Italian friend set up Intel. Yes the famous Intel.

�Soon Atiku thievery became too much and the Government of IBB decided to sack him. Someone pleaded on his behalf. IBB gave him the option to retire. That's why Atiku got out of Custom as an Assistant Contoller of Custom.

�He got into politics. We know the rest of how he became the Vice President to OBJ.

�His problem with OBJ was because he had already engaged a marabout who tells him what political moves to make. In spite of having won the governorship of Adamawa, the marabout told him he would not rule as a governor. Something bigger was coming which he must take because that would lead him to be President of Nigeria. Soon OBJ offered him the position of Presidential running mate in the 1999 Presidential election. The marabout had already told him to accept the position. So he jettisoned the governorship position and ran with OBJ and won.

�His trouble with OBJ started because the marabout told him that he would from that position become a President. He did not care to ask when. So immediately he became the Vice President, he guessed that OBJ would do one term. So he immediately started working on replacing OBJ in 2003. OBJ got to know all about the marabout and then swore that Atiku would never get there.

�Lest we forget, once Atiku became the VP, in 2001, changed Intel contract to 20 years.

�Atiku was a devout muslim. The Muslim has a right to have up to 4 wives if the means is there. It was for Atiku. In those years as he struggled to be a state governor of Adamawa State, it became expedient to expand his connection. So he married the daughter of the Emir of Adamawa as his third wife. Then later a 4th.

�As a Vice President, Atiku met an Igbo lady in NTA who came to interview him. He liked the girl because she was sharp.

� Atiku expanded his business to the US. He was now collecting money from businessmen promising to open business opportunities for them in Nigeria. He needed someone to handle the US front. He remembered her Igbo TV friend. He pulled her out of the NTA and sent her to handle his US business.

�The two did so much together and were later both banned from entering the US.

�Atiku continued his struggle to be President. He already had one Yoruba wife and 3 Northern wives. He needed Igbo votes too so as to tell Nigerians that he is total Nigerian. He needed an Igbo wife for this. But he already had 4 wives. So he sacked the second wife to create a space for the Onitsha girl!!!

�1971, he secretly married Titilayo Albert, in Lagos, because her family was initially opposed to the union. His children from her include: Fatima, Adamu, Halima and Aminu.

�In 1979, he married Ladi Yakubu as his second wife. He has six children with Ladi: Abba, Atiku, Zainab, Ummi-Hauwa, Maryam and Rukaiyatu.

�In 1983, he married his third wife, Princess Rukaiyatu, daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, Aliyu Mustafa.

�Abubakar later divorced Ladi, allowing him to marry a fourth wife Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas.

However it was Ladi the second wife he divorced not Rukayatu

Atiku has 5 wives and 26 children!!!

My Take: Nigeria is being ruled by bunch of criminals! I have always said it that none of the people that have ruled Nigeria democratically, should have been the Head of State/President if education and knowledge of the job, (like the case of civilized countries) was a prerequisite. Just imagine the CV of Atiku. A con man par excellence!!! This country has gone to the dogs for too long, and she needs a surgical operation.

*******

Thinking Nigeria, But...

God Does Not Author Confusion.

A 14 year-old cannot be admitted into university to study, but a 13 year-old can be married.

A school certificate holder cannot become a director in the civil service, but a school certificate holder can become President and commander-in-chief of the entire country.

The country is among the major oil producing countries in the world, but it imports the fuel it consume.

The country has the highest number of foreign doctors in the UK and America, but its leaders travel abroad for their medical needs.

The country shoots armless protesters, but hold peace parleys *with bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists *.

The country rehabilitates terrorists, but their victims languish in refugee camps.

God did not create any country. He located human beings in different territories and gave them all empowerments to survive.

Whatever they turn out to be is entirely their choices and decisions.

UAE and Qatar are deserts converted to paradise.

Nigeria is paradise converted to hell.

Nigeria is epitome of confusion, and God is not the author of confusion.

Yet, we can right the wrong. It's our difficult but surmountable task. Yes, We Can...


Sunday, October 31, 2021

The Leadership of Muslims Must Ban Paedophilic Marriage in Islam

 According to a study in 2020, Islam has 1.9 billion adherents, making up about 24.7% of the world population. Most Muslims are either of two denominations: Sunni (87–90%, roughly 1.7 billion people) or Shia (10–13%, roughly 180–230 million people).

The leadership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must ban the rampant sexual abuse of underaged girls by old men suffering from paedophilia (a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent girls) in Islamic communities worldwide.

Paedophilic marriage is the major cause of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in northern Nigeria.
Any sexual intercourse with a Girl-Child is #RAPE.

Elizabeth Vargas reveals the heart-wrenching stories of child marriage victims, who against all odds, escaped the most dire of circumstances. These brave survivors tackle this taboo issue in their personal lives and help to shine a light on the national epidemic with the hope that no child will ever have to be a victim again.

 
This powerful investigation into Shia clerics in some of Iraq's holiest shrines uncovers a network of exploitation of young women and girls, trapped into prostitution and pimped out by a religious elite. Unprecedented undercover filming and victim testimony reveal how they procure young women for male clients, and are prepared to conduct 'pleasure marriages' with children.


Saturday, July 10, 2021

Our Daughters Are Like Herds Of Sheep Without Shepherds

Our Daughters Are Like Herds Of Sheep Without Shepherds


They are like herds of sheep without shepherds.

Our churches have failed to guide and guard them.
Our Mosques have failed to guide and guide them 
Their fathers and mothers have also failed to be their role models.



See the.birthday parties of these impressionable and vulnerable teenage girls, they play and dance to psychedelic songs about romantic and erotic pleaures in the presence of their parents who claim to be Christian or Muslim families. 
I have left one of such dirty parties by a family fellowshipping with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Surulere. The parents ignored my call to stop playing pyschedelic songs of Davido and Wizkid to their teenage sons and daughters.
Their principals and teachers play the same songs at the school parties. 



Many years ago when I was mentoring a young woman and never touched her and she told her father, he laughed at me and asked if I was impotent. And many parents are like that.
We have seen young daughters of poor parents are pimped to Rich older men. And life goes on.  
They said "Mind your business!"
Yes. It is my business when anyone in my community is showing misguided lifestyle to others in the community. It becomes our business when little girls are raped by men and some gruesomely raped to death and dumped on.the streets and horrifying deeds terrify us with headlines of the news.
If you want to help a poor girl, you can sponsor her education without making her your fifth wife or girlfriend and making her a mother when her mates are in the university. 

Many years ago, I had a dream of Rev. Chris Okotie leading a group of male secondary school students on the Marina by the General Post Office and I wrote him a letter about it that Almighty God has called him to be a leader of the youths in Nigeria. But he ignored me. That was before Yahoo-Yahoo and GSM came out in the country.
Then in 1988 as a young national Program Consultant for the UNICEF Nigeria, I submitted a project for Nomadic Education for herders and their children, but it was ignored. Now, the chickens have come to roost. 
A stitch in time saves nine.
Prevention is better than cure.
There is no smoke without fire.

I know why since 2013, I have organized the Nigerian premiere.of "Girl Rising" to celebrate the United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child for the first time in Nigeria at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Solverbird Galleria on Victoria Island and also organized another one with the Nigerian premiere.of "HE NAMED MALALA" in 2015 at the same Silverbird Cinemas on Victoria Island, Lagos. Followed by the Nigerian premiere of "In the Name of Your Daughter" in 2019, for the promotion of girl education and public enlightenment on the dangers of the deprivation of.the education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria. Because, we must secure the future of the mothers of our nation. But have you noticed that, no one else organized it in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 when I did not organize it? 
Meaning?
None of the secondary schools, NGOs, Federal Ministry of Education and state governments cared about doing so. 
The biracial wife of a retired general in the Nigerian Army queried me that if every girl goes to school, where will they get the housemaids for their households? Because the underprivileged children of the poor are the regular supply of housemaids and houseboys used for the chores and errands in the households of the middle class and upper class Nigerians, including the public officials.
That is why they lured hundreds of the poor with N1, 000 per person to join the Pro Buhari supporters against the June 12 protests yesterday in Abuja, while they kept their privileged sons and daughters far away from the chaos caused by the political crisis in Nigeria since 1999 to date. 
The bandits, hoodlums and terrorists on rampage are the underprivileged children of the poor who never went to school decades ago.
The chickens have come home to roost.
The worst is yet to come if we fail  to do what is best and right for Nigeria.


- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima







Friday, September 9, 2011

OHCHR press briefing note / Nigeria

9 Sep 2011 10:03 Africa/Lagos


OHCHR press briefing note / Nigeria

GENEVA, September 9, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- OHCHR press briefing note / Nigeria

We are concerned about the renewed violence which has flared up in Nigeria's "Middle Belt" in recent weeks causing death, injury and destruction. Reports suggest that up to 70 people have been killed since the beginning of August, in ethnic and religious violence in the area.


Ethnic and religious divisions have affected the Middle Belt region, particularly in and around Jos, for many years now and a cycle of violence has emerged in which each incident almost invariably provokes deadly reprisal attacks. The High Commissioner has previously called for a concerted effort to tackle the underlying causes of such repeated violent outbreaks. Such underlying causes include discrimination, poverty and land disputes.


We encourage the authorities at national and local levels to take effective preventative measures against such violence, including by curbing hate-speech and working with civil society, including human rights NGOs, religious leaders and academic institutions, to attempt reconciliation between the various communities. It is of utmost importance that justice is done and is seen to be done by prosecuting the alleged perpetrators of violence and ensuring remedies for victims and their families.


We are also concerned about the activities of Boko Haram, whose tactics have included attacks on civilians, security forces and government institutions. The group has claimed responsibility for the recent bombing of the UN building – yet another deadly and cowardly attack.

otherwise they risk making the situation worse.


In response to a request for details of recent violence and killings:


According to reports:

- From early to mid-August, 10 people were killed in a number of clashes between Christian and Muslim youths and the military in Jos. At least two more were hacked to death, and four others seriously wounded in a village near Jos.

- On 29 August, Christian youths allegedly attacked Muslims going to prayer in Jos. Unofficial reports suggest that 13 were killed, 106 wounded and that a lot of damage was done to property. Then, on 1 September, at least 23 were reportedly killed in clashes between Christian and Muslim youths. At this point, it is not clear whether or not this was a revenge attack linked to the earlier incident.

- On 4 September, a family of eight was hacked to death, and seven more people were reported killed that evening in attacks by youths on a village near Jos.



Source: United Nations - Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
9 Sep 2011
13:30 Orthopaedic Surgical Mission Brings Relief to Nigerians Suffering from Joint Diseases
10:03 OHCHR press briefing note / Nigeria


Top Topics

10th Anniversary of 9/11

Though U.S. Unemployment Remains at 9.1 Percent, Idealist.org Says Nonprofits are Hiring

Rentrak Announces Top DVD Sales and Rentals for Week Ending September 4, 2011

Hurricane Season

New York Fashion Week

New Football Season














Monday, July 18, 2011

Islamic Banking is Good for Nigeria

So much noise is echoing over the planned introduction of Islamic Banking in Nigeria, but making the loudest noise does not mean you are making sense or wise.

I have seen that the so called Nigerian Christians who are afraid of Islamic banking are just ignorant of the facts, because they have failed to read and research to find out the truth about Islamic banking.

The notorious North versus South dichotomy destroying the stability and unity of our common sovereignty is now threatening the prospects of Islamic banking in Nigeria.
It would be good if we separate politics from Islamic Banking and address the economic benefits to the masses of the Nigerian population.

There is absolute nothing wrong with Islamic Banking and far from the misinformation of the Nigerian Christian clerics, it does not translate to the Islamization of Nigeria.

Read the report on the Constitutionality of Islamic Banking by the University of Ilorin on
http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/publications/abikan/CONSTITUTIONALITY%20OF%20ISLAMIC%20BANKING.pdf

May I also recommend the report on Ethica Trains 100 American Imams in Islamic Finance published by Nigerians Report.


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Boko Haram Terrorism Threats in Nigeria



Boko Haram Terrorism Threats in Nigeria
AK2011130700138.

ANALYSIS

Dr. Deji James, Human Rights Group: writing from Abuja, it is emphatic that the Boko Haram issue is far from being just a ‘northern’ phenomenon, but nationwide crisis.

One of the greatest challenges President Goodluck Jonathan's administration faces is the growing insecurity across the country. Nigerians are said to now be living in perpetual fear of falling victim to the spate of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and other acts of terrorism in the country.

Boko Haram, in its fifth straight day of violence, overran a police station in Toro Council in Bauchi State and carted off arms and ammunition. Elsewhere, a heavy explosion followed by bursts of sporadic gunfire hit Maiduguri, where the Islamic fundamentalists have also been waging a campaign of terror.

The Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria (CENN) has said the nefarious operations of the Boko Haram sect must be considered as an act of war and terrorism in the class of a foreign invasion against the country, "and must be drastically confronted as such by the security agencies to prevent further international embarrassment to Nigeria and further loss of Nigerian lives and property".

Governor Obi of Anambra State described the actions of the Boko Haram sect which has resulted in killings of innocent Nigerians in parts of the country, as unacceptable and must be tackled.

Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, representing Ekiti North Senatorial district of Ekiti State, has justified the recent deployment of soldiers to Abuja to combat the menace of terrorism by Boko Haram, describing the move as a sure way to curtail the activities of the terrorist group. He assured Nigerians that members of the National Assembly will open debate on the matter after recess, saying the issue of terrorism in the country has reached a feverish pitch and needed utmost urgent attention.

Boko Haram has announced its Jihad in Nigeria and its intent on causing further mayhem until its goals of setting up a nation under Sharia is met. For many Nigerians, this is a serious threat, and must be taken very seriously by this President. Boko Haram has basically declared war on the Federal Government of Nigeria, and it is important to evaluate the situation carefully in the coming days on whether to initiate A-grade operations in the North to root out this threat now or allow it to fester and create a growing, inoperable cancer. It is better now to excise the tumor before it spreads.

The Boko Haram menace has taken a new and deadly twist, with the dreaded group issuing threats to eliminate all Christians and even Muslims currently serving in the Federal government. In the statement released by the group last week, it said: “This is a government that is not Islamic. Therefore, all its employees-Muslims and non-Muslims are Infidels.

While the deadly Maiduguri based terror group, Boko Haram, continues to maim, murder and destroy properties, the Nigeria state officials, security agencies are simply at sea as to how to curtail these strings of mayhem. The police most times try to minimize the magnitude of destruction.
Boko Haram’s Terrorism Does Not Threaten Only Nigeria. The Nigerian government has imposed a curfew on the national capital city, Abuja, following recent attacks by Islamist militants. Nightclubs, beer parlours, and cinemas must close by 10pm local time (2100 GMT) and public parks that admit children should close by 6pm. Abuja city’s administration said it has also banned parking of vehicles on two roads where most government offices are located. The security problems bedeviling Nigeria must pique our interest because of its implications for the entire West African sub-region.
To confront this problem we need to have a full understanding of the notion BOKO HARAM. Its direct translation in English means "Western Education is Forbidden" this notion is a very eccentric idea which takes its roots from the colonial era when the British having subdued the fulani's with their artillery batteries in Sokoto had implemented a system of indirect rule in Northern Nigeria, a system which allowed them to pursue their imperialist plans indirectly through the emirs taking full advantage of the existing feudal system.

This grievance has led to mass protests in the north and also the ruling Peoples Democratic Party losing a lot of seats to other political parties. The elite themselves are not safe at all as a result of the spate of high profile assassinations in the country by the dreaded Boko Haram sect. It is very obvious that there is a high level of entropy and ambiguity in the North. The real danger is not in the present but what is yet to come that is why the government must do its best to address the issue of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy in the North.

This time around Nigerians are faced with a problem in the form of terrorist jihadist militants going by the name of Boko Haram which means Western Education is forbidden in the Hausa dialect. The kidnapping of people and blowing up of government infrastructure is one thing but the act of suicide bombing whereby the aggressor is willing to risk his own life by blowing up himself and the intended target to oblivion is a whole different thing entirely.

The recent suicide bombing attack on the National Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force which is the heart of our nation’s civil security outfit is such an unfortunate event. What even makes the situation more alarming is that it was a suicide attack, the first of its kind in our nation’s history.

This is a war that cannot be won by confrontation because these people live among us and for every terrorist that is killed there will be more to eagerly replace them so it is important that the authorities attack this problem from the roots so that our beloved nation will not follow other countries like Somalia, Afghanistan and the rest.

This is a report of how the fear of Boko Haram is threatening to change night life in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. It is a season of a long list of forbidden activities after 10pm- including weekends. The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, acting on intelligence and sound security advice, is toeing the path of caution.

Barely an hour after a local government council chairman was shot dead on Sunday evening in his house in Maiduguri by suspected members of the Islamic fundamentalists, Boko Haram, the group was reported to have bombed another local drinking joint at Wulari mammy market in Borno state capital leaving several persons dead and many others injured.

AFGHANISTAN! That was what it called its based in Kanamma, Yobe State. It uses guerrilla tactics as a means of doing devilish things, yet it professes Godliness. Drive-by and ride-by sporadic shooting of police officers and innocent passers-by have become another way of wreaking havoc. Bombs have recently come in handy, and bombs are being deployed with maximum effectiveness. This is the world of Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group that appears to be fast replacing the militants of Niger Delta.

The issue of security should not be left alone to government. From my own point of view, government alone cannot stop the activities of terrorists which have left thousands of innocent Nigerians either dead or wounded. People in their thousands are relocating from Maiduguri to their villages and other neighbouring states they consider safe, as the city has been turned into a war zone. When our correspondent visited some motor parks across the metropolis, thousands of people, including students of the University of Maiduguri which was closed on Monday, were seen trying to flee the embattled city.

Death & Destruction, Thy Name is Boko Haram
The members of this sect do not spare royalty or religious leadership. Take: On May 30 this year, suspected members of the sect shot dead Abba Anas Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, the younger brother of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi. Also, a renowned Islamic Scholar, Shiekh Ibrahim Gomari Airport ward in March.

There was stampede in Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Abuja, Jos, Kogi, Adamawa, Yobe, and Suleja over Boko Haram terrorism acts on Monday when news of incessant killings and bombing by Boko Haram with military forces were announced.

‘’We want people to know that the Federal Government fought us and therefore by the grace of Allah, we would continue fighting until we succeed or die in the process,’’ he said the sect spokesman. Abu Zaid said the sect members would continue to trail former governors of Borno and Bauchi states, Christian preachers as well as all the enemies of God.

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have arrived Nigeria to help in the investigation of the 16/6 bomb attack on the headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja. The FBI is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency (counterintelligence).

The University of Don said that despite the threats by the police and army to crush Boko Haram, the group has continued relentlessly to attack and kill policemen and military-men with ease. The manner in which they went to attack police headquarters in Abuja underscores the fact that they have intelligent people behind them.

However, it is time for government to act before it is too late!


Dr. Deji James, writing from Abuja, Human Rights Group.
13/07/11



Saturday, June 25, 2011

Why Boko Haram bombed the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja



Nigeria: Boko Haram Terrorism Threats: Police Headquarters Bombing and our security

I must confess that I am neither surprised by the brazen attack on the headquarters of the Nigeria Police, the almighty Louis Edet House in Abuja, by members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, nor by the reaction of President Goodluck Jonathan. Why?

I was in Maiduguri and Bauchi August for over a week in 2009 after the Boko Haram attacks that set Borno and Bauchi States ablaze, literally. The level of destruction was unprecedented. I visited the prison and police stations that were sacked. I went to the police college where senior police officers on course were slaughtered while sleeping. I saw churches that were bombed. I went to the sect’s headquarters located at the Maiduguri Railway Terminus Areas (MRTA) that had been destroyed and taken over by security men. I was told of the atrocities committed in that very compound and shown what was alleged to be the killing chamber of the sect’s leader, Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, who was summarily executed by the police after his arrest.

I visited the compound of Yusuf’s father-in-law, the 72-year-old Alhaji Baa Fugu Mohammed, who was alleged to be one of the financiers of the sect. The man was also executed, his compound destroyed. I interviewed two young women – 22-year-old Patricia Ibe, who was an accountancy student then and 14-year-old Chidinma Obigwe. Two of them watched as three of their religious brethren had their throats slit.

They were taken away as spoils of war, only rescued when men of the Borno State special security outfit, Operation Flush, invaded the sect’s headquarters where they and over 1,500 other people, mostly women, were held hostage.

I spoke to Rev. Dr. Daniel Egboka, Assistant General Superintendent of the National Evangelical Mission and Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (Borno State chapter), who was also the Pastor of the National Evangelical Mission Wukari Headquarters, Maiduguri. Not only was his church burnt down, his Assistant Pastor, Sylvester Nseobong, his brother who visited from Akwa Ibom, Patrick James, and the church’s security man, Elijah Gambo, were the three men Patricia and Chidinma watched their gory execution.

Pastor Egboka showed me the bones of his fallen colleagues; still at the very spot they were burnt. As at the time of the interview, his wife had fled Maiduguri, vowing never to set her foot again in the state or any part of the North. I interviewed the then state Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, whose former Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Buji Fai, resigned his appointment to join the sect. Buji was also summarily executed. There were insinuations then that the Governor ordered the execution of Mohammed and Buji to stop them from spilling the bean. Sheriff denied the allegation vehemently, claiming that he was also a target. The Commander of the Operation Flush 11, Colonel Ben Ahanotu, who I met in the Governor’s office, spoke off record, detailing the enormity of the crisis and the atrocity committed by the sect members.

The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbal El-Kanemi, who only assumed office on May 31, 2009, barely two months before the mayhem, spoke. He said the irreverent Yusuf embarrassed not only the state but the entire Muslim community.

The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) was filled to capacity with victims – men, women, children and the aged. I spoke with soldiers and policemen with all manner of wounds. The mortuary was overflowing. As a result, corpses were being dumped at the car park of the Umaru Shehu Ultra Modern Hospital, Bulumkutu.

Police denied me access to the arrested Boko Haram members, who were in detention, but I spoke to members who were not detained and they vowed revenge. I spoke to many other victims of the madness and came out with the impression that the sect’s capacity for violence was almost infinite. Scarier was my perception that they had the capacity to sustain the insurrection. I saw a people whose thirst for blood was insatiable.

In Bauchi, it was the same level of atrocity committed by the sect members. Many young people are now in their early grave as well as religious and political leaders. I interviewed sect members arrested by the police and vowed to wage war on the nation. Both traditional and religious leaders have been displaced. Bishop A.T Moses was mentioned as the enemy to their mission as well as Pastor Sunday I. Peters.

Since 2009, I have watched as they carried out attacks with astounding precision, knocking off high value targets almost effortlessly.

So, when the group issued a statement last Wednesday, boasting that their warriors had “arrived Nigeria from Somalia where they got serious training on warfare,” and vowing that they would “wage jihad on the enemies of God and his Messenger,” I sensed an escalation in the paroxysm of violence that had gripped the
country. The vow was a reaction to the Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim’s boast that the days of Boko Haram were numbered after receiving 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) from the Borno State government the previous day.

It is instructive that Ringim’s office was bombed a day after the group made its vow. It is also helpful, but by no means comforting, to note that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, the first time ever in Nigeria, after Boko Haram’s claim that their fighters had returned from Somalia.

I was also not surprised by Jonathan’s response when he visited Louis Edet House on Saturday. “Let me use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that it happens all over the world, no country is safe,” the President said. How the knowledge that terrorism is a global phenomenon can assuage the anxiety of distraught Nigerians, only the President can explain.

But I was not surprised because that was the same answer he gave after the gruesome murder of the Governorship candidate of the Borno State All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Modu Fannami Gubio, who until his death was the Commissioner for Finance. Six other people killed in that brazen attack on January 28 included the Governor’s brother, Alhaji Goni Modu Ngala, who was former chairman of Ngala local government.

Since terrorism had become global merchandise, Nigerians have nothing to complain about, the President seemed to have suggested. But that is too simplistic a solution coming from him. No Nigerian is going to be comforted by the fact that bombs are also exploding in other parts of the world including the United States and Europe.

The fact of the matter is that Nigeria has become a haven for terrorists and this should give the President serious concern. Sadly, he doesn’t seem to appreciate the enormity of the crisis because if he does, he would have appreciated the significance of the bombing of the police headquarters. It is an audacious attack executed strategically to send a clear message that if the security of the seemingly impregnable police headquarters could be easily breached, then nowhere, not even Aso Rock is safe.

Leadership is not an easy task. It is only in Nigeria that people grow younger and look more robust when they are elected or appointed into public office. In other climes the reverse is the case because leadership exerts its toll on those who occupy public office. Anyone who is in doubt should look at President Barack Obama; how much he has aged in three years.
Presidency is not a feel good job. Jonathan must roll up his sleeve and work. We have full-blown terrorism on our hands. And the successful attack on the Louis Edet House, where the Inspector General of Police, Ringim, escaped death by the whiskers, is a morale booster. It is disturbing that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the country thinks that terrorism can be wished away which is what his statement that, “Nigeria is also having some ugly incidents lately but surely we will get over it and people should not panic at all,” seems to suggest.
However, it was learnt that preliminary police investigations into the 16/6 bombing showed that the Police High Command and the top leadership of the nation’s security agencies came to that initial conclusion from reading the footages of the incident from the Close Circuit Television at the Louis Edet House. The impact of the bomb, which destroyed about 77 cars in the IG’s parking lot and reduced the Honda to an engine stump, killed the suspected bombers right inside their car.
Journalists who went to the police headquarters shortly after the blast last week observed so much confusion among the police about the particular car that actually carried the device. A good number of the policemen pointed to a mangled car whose two tyres were on a culvert in the car park as the car driven by the bomber. It took a lot of protest from the journalists to get a close photograph of the car when the rescue team comprising men of the Red Cross and National Emergency Management Agency got the human parts from the car into some black cellophane bags.

It took a four-man team of journalists from the PUNCH close to one hour to extract that piece of information from a police officer who lost his car to the blast and two of his junior colleagues to disclose the real car that carried the bomb. However, the police have said that the ongoing investigations would soon unveil the sponsors of Boko Haram.

Boko Haram is a determined foe. It must be fought decisively and even if not totally vanquished, at least defanged or we should all consider ourselves dead.


Source: Emeka Owoniyi (JNCR)


Monday, June 6, 2011

Breaking News: Wanted People, Boko Haram Declares



Breaking News

Wanted People, Boko Haram Declares

On 05 June, the radical terrorist sect Boko Haram has declared the following people wanted in a statement reportedly dropped at various media houses by unknown persons yesterday.

Jima?atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda? Awati Wal Jihad translates roughly to ‘’People Commited to the Prophet’s Teachings for Propagation and Jihad is said to have considered the following people as police informants and enemies to their mission.

In a statement written in Hausa and Arabic reads in part: ‘’All praises go to the Almighty Allah, peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammed, the last of the Prophets.’’

The police informants and enemies said to be: Taju Yusuf, Pastor Emmanuel, Hon. Kazeem Konitan, Mallam Abubakar Usman, Imam Moshood, Bishop Moses, Pastor Sunday I. Peters and Bashiru Ahmed as well as corrupt politicians and police officers across the country.

It was re-called back last year September when the sect attempted Jail break in Bauchi, police recovered some provocative handbills being distributed by the sect where the names of these mentioned people are also listed.

‘’We will continue to fight to revenge the death of our leader and to achieve our mission, ensuring that all our enemies are eradicated Boko Haram said.

Thus far, existing Muslim-Christian tentions in Nigeria have had a destabilizing effect on the Nigerian state far outweighing by Boko Haram’s terrorist attacks. While these sectarian tensions simmer, all Boko Haram needs to do is to continue fuelling the fire with terror attacks against state institutions, government officials, and churches until the group becomes closer to achieving one of its more insidious objectives-launching Nigeria into a full-scale war according to terrorism monitor.


Source: Segun Awofadeji


Saturday, May 28, 2011

Security Challenges in Nigeria

Security Challenges in Nigeria

~ By Albert Akpor

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says he is determined to improve security in the country with a new administration that takes power with Sunday's inauguration.

Security was a driving issue in the presidential campaign following bomb blasts by militants from the oil-rich Niger Delta and attacks on police by members of an extremist Islamic group in the north.

President Jonathan campaigned hard to convince Nigerians that his government was meeting those security challenges. But rioting that immediately followed his election raised anew questions about security preparedness. The New York-based rights organization Human Rights Watch says Muslim-Christian electoral violence in northern states killed at least 800 people. President Jonathan says he is determined to protect Nigerians wherever they live.

“As president, it is my solemn duty to defend the constitution of this country. That includes the obligation to protect the lives and properties of every Nigerian wherever they choose to live,” he said.

Delta State University political science lecturer Benjamin Agah says part of the problem is that suspects arrested after attacks are often released without prosecution, returning to the streets for the next round of violence.

“The same people who ought to be found guilty, who ought to be jailed or who ought to be punished, they are the same people who will still come out again, untouched by the law. So the president has a lot of security challenges,” he said. Agah says the new government must be willing to better equip security forces, especially in remote areas of the north.

“There are some places now that can not be policed ordinarily except through air. So the police should be fully equipped. They should be given the requisite necessities to enable them to fight these criminals,” he said. Public affairs analyst Kole Shetimma says insecurity is a problem for the president that runs far deeper than spending more money on police.

“In these security challenges, I think that we should not approach it from a law-and-order perspective. I think we have to look at the socio-economic and political conditions that have given way to some of these major problems,” said Shetimma.

In the Niger Delta, for example, President Jonathan helped organize an amnesty for militants fighting against a federal government that they say have failed to develop the oil-rich region. There have been delays in paying monthly stipends to those demobilized combatants and far fewer job-training programs than were promised. Shetimma says the president must address the underlying economic grievances in the Delta.

“How do we ensure that the communities in which this oil is produced have access to some of the oil resources that we have. The new petroleum bill, which gives like ten percent of the oil resources to the communities, I agree that that should be fast-tracked,” said Shetimma.

In the north, the extremist Boko Haram group is fighting to establish Islamic law and says it recognizes neither the Nigerian constitution nor the just-completed election. It is rejecting an amnesty offer from the governor-elect of Borno State, who is trying to end months of attacks against security forces. Shetimma says one of the obstacles is the government's refusal to recognize that security forces acted outside the law last year in killing Boko Haram members in Jos.

“It has to be on how do you respond to the loss of property? How do you respond to the security implications? So I am hoping that this is going to be a comprehensive approach to the issue of Boko Haram,” said Shetimma.

President Jonathan says part of his plans for improving security in the north and in the south is to increase employment for young men who he says are being used as “cannon fodder for the ambitions of a few.”

One of the greatest challenges presently facing security agents in the country, especially the Police is the constant threat by members of the notorious Boko Haram sect operating freely in the northern part of the country. The dreaded group has so much instilled fear and trepidation on our law enforcement agents to the extent that the fear of Boko Haram is now the beginning of wisdom to them all.

In fact, posting to the northern part of the country has become an anathema to, especially members of the police force from the southern part of the country going by the constant killings and attacks carried out by members of this sect who are gravely averse to all kinds and nature of civilization or education. Life before perpetrators of these heinous, sectarian and or religious upheavals has become meaningless and something that could be cut short at will.

Like the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the West, the Egbesu (militants) in the Niger-Delta, Boko Haram came to limelight in 2002. But unlike the OPC and Egbesu, the ideology of Boko Haram was purely Islamism and anti-western civilization.

This sect led by the (late?) Ustaz Mohammed Tusuf, Mallam Sanni Umaru and Abu Darba has as its sole aim, entrenching Shariah law as the official and only religion not only in the North but also in Nigeria as a whole. With its operational headquarters in Kanamma, Borno state of Nigeria, the term ‘’Boko Haram’’ comes from both the Hausa and Arabic words meaning, ‘’western or non-Islamic education’’ and ‘’sin’’ respectively. So, to believers of the faith, ‘’anything western or non-Islamic education is a sin.’’ It therefore goes to say that members of the sect are totally averse to anything that has to do with western civilization and this literally means that ‘’Western or non-Islamic education is a sin.’’

Investigation carried out by Crime Alert revealed that though the fanatical religious movement started in 2002 in Maiduguri, its anti-people, anti-government activities became intense in 2004 when the group reportedly attacked a police formation and killed several senior police officers for reasons only known to members. Afterwards, it became much more hostile to non-members, secular education and of course, the nation’s nascent democracy. In fact, the leader of the sect, in his avowed determination to drive home the group’s ideology was once quoted as saying, ‘’This war that is about to start would continue for a long time’’ if the political and educational system in the country was not changed.

In the mean time, the group’s notoriety assumed international dimension in 2009 as a result of the orgies of violence carried out in nearly all the Northern states, especially, Kaduna, Adamawa, Bauchi and Borno states during which several lives and property worth millions of naira were destroyed by members of the sect.

Apparently irked by this disturbing dimension, the Police in the month of July 2009 commenced investigation into the nefarious activities of the group especially when it was reported that it was stockpiling arms. The police succeeded in not only arresting several of its members but killed their leader. This sparked off another violent clash to the extent that security reports showed that the group was arming itself. It was revealed that, prior to the clashes, many Muslim leaders and non-members of the sect and a security official had warned the authorities about the heinous activities of Boko Haram and their plans to strike a deadly blow on the nation’s stability.

However, Crime Alert scooped the reasons behind the group’s guerilla-like modus oparandi and why security agents, especially the Police is seemingly helpless over the ugly development in spite of their heavy presence in the Northern states where the sect is noted to have wrecked and is still wrecking havoc.

A senior security operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity alleged that a reasonable number of officers and men of all the security agencies from the Northern part of the country, the physically challenged persons from the area and Muslim women who wear hijab are members of the deadly sect. According to him, ‘’I can tell you that the reason why you think we are helpless is that most of us who are members of the group are constantly working against ourselves. As a commander of a squad and secret member of the group, if it is known that the group is operating in one area, you will lead your men to another area. Secondly, if you are the landlord of where the sect grouped or re-grouped to wreck havoc, you dare not inform security agents; it is part of solidarity.

Again, the fact that you hear of sporadic bombings is not because we were not doing our best, but because as security men, you dare not search Muslim women who wear Hijab. Searching them would amount to indecent assault. Meanwhile, most of them carry the bombs, pass them over to the common cripples on the streets begging for alms and before you know it, you will hear explosion even close to checkpoints and most times at police formation or the barracks.’’

Continuing, the source said, ‘’This is why we are seemingly helpless. Except we are able to correct this visible errors which are of course, security lapses, bomb explosions and the menace of Boko Haram sect would continue for a long time.’’ It was also gathered that this ugly development which is receiving the attention of the powers that be will soon be addressed following revelations that the Presidency is taking time to ascertain the veracity of the report while at the same time compiling names of those suspected to be involved.

More over, the Presidency is said to be holding series of meetings with all the security agencies with a view to identifying where there is laxity in the pursuit of this goal. It was also gathered that security at the borders will be strengthened with a view to making it impossible for foreigners to capitalize on the activities of members of this sect and infiltrate into the country.

Meanwhile, reports said the Controller-General of Immigration, Mrs Rose Uzoma has ordered her men at the borders to swing into action and fish out foreigners that collaborate with members of this sect without delay. Sources at the Immigrations headquarters in Abuja said she had already set up a special task force that will report directly to her over the issue with a mandate to deliver positive results within one month. On their part, the State Security Services (SSS) are said to have intensified efforts towards rounding up all those connected with the activities of this sect remotely or otherwise.

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

27 May 2011