Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bodies

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Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bodies

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:38 am

http://www.usip.org/publications/why-do ... boko-haram

It is not clear when Boko Haram came into being. A common account of the group’s origin
traces it to 2002, when Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic preacher, became its leader. To
Nigeria’s intelligence community, however, its true historical roots hark back to 1995, when
Abubakar Lawan established the Ahlulsunna wal’jama’ah hijra, or Shabaab group (Muslim Youth
Organization), in Maiduguri, Borno state.10 The group flourished as a nonviolent movement
until 2002, when Yusuf assumed leadership. It has appeared over time under various names,
such as the Muhajirun, Hijrah, Ahlis Sunnah wal Jama’a, Yusufiyyah, and Nigerian Taliban.
Boko Haram’s ideology is premised on an extreme Islamic teaching that rejects most
Western ideas and institutions as un-Islamic. This rejection earned the group its popular
name: Boko Haram literally means “Western education is forbidden.” However, the group
prefers to be called by its real name, Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad, meaning
“people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s teachings and jihad.” Its core objective
is to replace the secular Nigerian state with a regime adhering to strict Islamic sharia
law, applicable throughout the entire country.
aw, applicable throughout the entire country.
Boko Haram draws its members mainly from disaffected youth, unemployed high school
and university graduates, and destitute children, mostly from but not limited to northern
Nigeria. Its membership also includes some wealthy, educated, and influential people. The
group is known to sustain its operations through diverse sources of funding, including membership
dues, donations from politicians, financial assistance from foreign terrorist groups,
raiding of banks, and ransom from kidnapping. It also has extorted money from residents
of areas it has controlled, as well as from wealthy persons whom they have intimidated into
paying protection fees to avoid being attacked by them.
Its history of violence dates to December 24, 2003, when it attacked police stations and
public buildings in the towns of Geiam and Kanamma in Yobe state. Members occupied two
buildings for several days, hoisting the flag of Afghanistan’s Taliban movement over the
camps. Soldiers and police removed them only after killing eighteen of them and arresting
dozens more.11 The sect had earlier established a base they called Afghanistan in Kanamma
village in northern Yobe state. In Maiduguri, Mohammed Yusuf was already drawing youth
to him through his preaching about the excesses of government officials, culminating in his
frequent declaration of secular education as haram (forbidden) to Muslims.12 His preaching
attracted youth from Yobe and Borno states, as well as neighbouring countries—Cameroon,
Chad, and Niger.
The activities of the group became even more worrisome in 2004 when students, especially
in tertiary institutions in Borno and Yobe states, withdrew from school, tore up their
certificates, and joined the group. On September 21, 2004, members attacked the Bama
and Gworza police stations in Borno state, killing several policemen and stealing arms and
ammunition. The group continued with intermittent hit-and-run attacks on security posts
in some parts of Borno and Yobe until the July 2009 antigovernment uprising in Nigeria.
The remote cause of the July 2009 revolt is often traced to the fatal shootings of sect
members on June 11, 2009, by security forces involved in Operation Flush,13 following
a clash with sect members for not wearing crash helmet while on their motorbikes for a
funeral procession. In retaliation, the members attacked and destroyed the Dutsen Tanshi
police station on July 26. This raised the curtain for a wave of unrest that swept through
Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Katsina, and Yobe states. The revolt ended on July 30, 2009, when
Mohammed Yusuf was finally captured in his residence in Maiduguri. After a few hours in
police custody, the police killed Yusuf extrajudicially; police officials claimed that he was
trying to escape. Over eight hundred people, mainly sect members, were killed during the
revolt, and hundreds more were arrested. Nigerian authorities’ methods in repressing the
2009 revolt proved to be crucial in the deadly escalation of Boko Haram’s violent attacks. The
group went underground and later adopted Yusuf’s hard-line top deputy, Abubakar Shekau,
as the sect’s new spiritual leader. It subsequently developed new violent tactics: bombings,
targeted assassinations, ambushes, drive-by shootings, and slitting victims’ throats.
Since the July 2009 revolt, the sect has evolved into a more dynamic and decentralized
organization, capable of changing and combining tactics as well as expanding or reordering
target selection. Boko Haram has attacked a variety of groups, including security agents,
Christians, traditional rulers, politicians, schoolchildren and teachers, Islamic scholars,
public servants, traders, and, lately, anyone who is not a member. Most of the attacks have
occurred in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state. The group also has claimed responsibility
for several attacks in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger,
Plateau, and Yobe states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The group leapt
onto the world’s agenda in August 2011 when it bombed the UN compound in Abuja, killing
twenty-three people.14 In January 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of
emergency in fifteen local governments across four states in the north. By July 2012, when
the state of emergency ceased, the security crisis had not been addressed. In May 2013,
President Jonathan again declared a state of emergency in the three most affected states
of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe.
Reports show that the foot soldiers of the sect consist predominantly of young people
who are ready to fight and die for the new cause they have been made to believe in. Based
on the analysis of 144 arrested Boko Haram members, a recent study has shown that the
median age of the group’s members is thirty years.15 Its young followers, who previously
used local weapons in attacks, have become highly radicalized individuals willing to carry out
suicide bombings in pursuit of martyrdom—a phenomenon that never occurred in Nigeria
until the June 16, 2011, suicide attack on Abuja’s police headquarters by a thirty-five-year-old
Boko Haram member, Mohammad Manga.
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Abubakar Shekau: Nine Lives Or Nine Liars

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:43 am

Abubakar Shekau: Nine Lives Or Nine Liars

So long as the Francophone media is bent on dragging Nigeria to its begging knees, Shekau will never die. The controversy on the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau is one that is entirely manufactured by Globalist media. It is nothing less than media terrorism by the desperate colonialists. But these globalist media cannot be solely blamed. It is us who have Boko Haram sponsors in the Presidency and as our army Chiefs after all. Protected, supported and paid with billions by our President. We have no credibility and as long as this nation keeps such clueless and adamantly wicked men at its helm, the globalist media will continue to disgrace and terrorize us and will keep Shekau immortal.

The globalist media has stubbornly insisted on denying the fact that we have killed two of the very Shekaus they have themselves shown in videos as the actual person. They pretend not to notice the very different people who all impersonate Shekau in the many videos they release as a singular person, but when we kill these very people they just publicized then they say it wasn’t him and push out the next available video of another of his impersonators, gleefully, as soon as Boko Haram sells it to them.

The latest bump-head Shekau we killed has been promoted by them on many occasions as the one and only Shekau. Now they are releasing video of droopy left lip, almond eye Shekau. The minute we kill this one again, they will bring out the next and the next, in frank terrorism and with an ultimate plan to frustrate Nigeria into submission for foreign complete invasion and destruction as was done to Libya; thanks to our participant, wealth blinded, terrible leadership.

It is ironic that in 2011 when America “killed” Osama who we all know was already dead since 2001, and never showed us even a single picture of his dead body, none of these very media questioned the blatant lies. But now they invest heavily in giving our Shekau nine lives.

It’s not their fault; it is our fault for electing leaders with no shoes because we were colonially battered into a dumb foreign tribalist culture. With our President who scores world worsts every time, recently of note, doing abominable things like using the #BringBackGoodluck” slogan, how will they ever fear and respect us? After all, when late President Umaru Yar’Adua killed Mohammed Yusuf, the actual Boko Haram leader believed and touted to be immortal, dem no born any globalist media well (translated: No media had the guts) to broadcast video’s of his aspiring impersonators.

A little time, 2015 or 2019, this will all be over. #VictoryForNigeria. We stand by our Civilian-JTF and active soldiers, those engaged in the battle front, not the morbidly obese, cash bloated, Abuja barrack land usurping Boko Haram sponsor Army ogas at the top.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah; http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something] Email: drbrimah@ends.ng Twitter: @EveryNigerian
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Re: Boko Haram and the Abubakar Shekaus

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:47 am

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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:50 am

Shekau III Is Here: French Media Publicists Promote Latest Boko Haram Imposter

Published On: Thu, Oct 2nd, 2014

The usual AFP French media has begun to promote the latest version and impostor of late Abubakar Shekau.

Image

Shekau III is here. The original Shekau was killed in July of 2013. The next Shekau was killed in September in a Konduga battle. However the group loves to keep the Shekau brand immortal and replaces the figure with any bearded men who can act crazy when dosed with heroin.

Like “Emir,” “Shekau” is a mere title now used by whoever assumes leadership of the richly paying, French connected psycho terrorist group which has most leaders sent from the French neighboring countries, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The problem is that the international media and most especially French media is suspiciously aiding these poor attempts at fooling the members most especially, by promoting his fake replacements.

The image released of the latest video shows a really funny looking guy. His facial features from the still images are very distinct and quite funny. Shekau III did not have his characteristic Ihejirika given armored tanks and APCs as Shekau II was caught and died in these. Even the men who stood beside him this time were very different and most of Shekau II’s commanders died with him at Konduga.

More importantly, than the fake new Shekau. In the Boko Haram latest release, they had a picture of a terrorist standing on what appeared to be a piece of Nigeria’s missing air force Alpha jet, and claimed to have shot it down according to the not yet publicly released video in the hands of their French publicists. This is of concern. Perhaps they did not shoot down the plane but only found the parts before the Nigerian military did.
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:05 am

“The Original Abubakar Shekau is Dead, Boko Haram Has Become A Franchise” – DSS

Published On: Tue, May 13th, 2014

The Department of State Security Service (DSS) has stated that the man claiming to be tehe leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect is not the original Abubakar Shekau that was known.

Spokesperson of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, stated this while fielding questions from journalists who requested to know if truly Abubakar Shekau is dead or alive.”

According to Ogar, “Boko Haram has become a franchise, anybody can assume and lay claim to any name what I know is that the original Abubakar Shekau is dead. The person claiming to be the national leader now is not the original Abubakar Shekau.”

“Abu Qaga and Abubakar Shekau are all dead. Those bearing these names today are fake.”

“If security sources tell you that somebody is dead, you don’t have to come out and doubt that, “she added.government will not negotiate with the Boko haram sect. This position however differs a bit to an earlier statement by the Joint Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre and Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri.

Omeri while addressing a world press conference on Boko Haram insurgency and the abduction of about 300 girls from a Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state stated that all options were being put into consideration by the federal government to secure the release of the abducted girls alive, adding that government was consulting military intelligence experts across the world on the issue.

“All options are on the table and open, we are interacting with the military and intelligent experts who are already on surveillance in the North Eastern part of the country. We will adopt all available options to get the girls out, but we will not negotiate with the sect.”

At the briefing were the Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, spokespersons of the Department of State Security (DSS), Ms. Marilyn Ogar, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) Frank Mba and representatives of the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information.the Director -General of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri, also soke on the option of negotiation with members of the Boko Haram sect.
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 8:17 am

Posted to YouTube 5 October 2014 by Sahara Reporters, AFP reported on it on 2 Oct. Edited: AFP speaks of a 36-minute video, this is 15'. Bits mentioned by AFP have been cut, this is only the Shekau speaking.

Boko Haram has shown images of extreme violence before but the latest video shows at length graphic scenes of an amputation and a stoning to death as well as a beheading.

It also purports to show the wreckage of a Nigerian Air Force jet that went missing in the northeast on September 11. Boko Haram said its fighters shot it down but the military denied the claim.
...
On the air force jet, Boko Haram fighters are seen apparently picking through the wreckage of the downed Alpha aircraft and the military's green and white logo is clearly visible.
...
The video showed footage of a man being stoned to death for adultery, another having his right hand cut off at the wrist for theft and a man and a woman receiving 100 lashes for sex out of wedlock.

Crowds of men, women and children are seen watching the punishments.


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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:42 am

Chad to double oil output by 2016, develop minerals
Posted on Tuesday, 07 October 2014 11:06

Chad expects to double oil production by the end of 2015 as new fields come on stream and has appointed firms to inventory potential mineral deposits in an effort to diversify the economy, its finance minister said.

The former French colony, one of the poorest nations in the world, has been rocked by humanitarian crises over the past decade including conflicts in the east and south, drought in the arid Sahel region and flooding.

That has been compounded since 2012 by instability on its borders with Libya, Nigeria and Central African Republic, forcing Chad to increase its security budget to handle thousands of new refugees and counter a growing cross-border threat.

The landlocked central African country has, nevertheless, seen strong growth over the past decade as it has become an oil producer, although GDP growth slowed to 3.5 percent in 2013 due primarily to lower income from ageing wells in its Doba oilfield.

Speaking to Reuters, Kordje Bedoumra, said the country expected a rebound in the growth rate this year to 11-13 percent and double digits again in 2015 as oil production ramps up.

"We are more or less at around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd)," he said in an interview at an OECD forum on Africa. "Our expectation is that by the end of this year we can move to 130,000 bpd and by the end of next year probably double that production because we will have new fields."

Bedoumra said output would increase from the Mangara and Badila fields, which are operated by mining company Glencore Xstrata, and a new field managed by a China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) subsidiary.

Chad earlier this year suspended CNPC's further exploration activity, citing violations of environmental standards while it was drilling for crude oil in the south of the country.


It has ordered the company to pay a $1.2 billion fine, for which it filed a claim at the international arbitration court in Paris, and has cancelled five exploration licences held by CNPC, warning that if the fine is not paid it will re-auction them.


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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:55 am

Boko Haram: Global Media Busted Promoting Fake Images Of “Ghost” Of Shekau

Published On: Thu, Oct 17th, 2013

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NewsRescue- Global media has been busted promoting several similar editions of glaringly fake video’s and clips of purported videos intended to portray Nigeria’s Boko Haram terrorist leader, Abubakar Shekau as still being alive and healthy.

Follow these links to see the ridiculously FAKE, floating over-sized head Shekau with the same green-screen, similar to the September “I am alive” video, in globalist media reports from May 29th, 2013: FoxNews, AFP hosted on Yahoo, JapanToday, StarAfrica. AFP never produced the video these images were said to have been taken from in May. This was a very, very poor photoshop job. More links in story.

We have detailed in several articles, the foreign plot to use Boko Haram terrorism to destroy Nigeria and necessitate foreign intervention and invasion. On May 15th, Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan suddenly complied to NewsRescue’s May 8th report (Nigeria At War) which presented an urgent call for the declaration of a State of Emergency (SoE) and full troop deployment to the northern states, despite rejection for the SoE from all governors and party members and Nigerian leaders across board; and to an unsuspecting West.

The declaration of war by the president as NewsRescue had urged, yielded great results against the terror menace, significantly incapacitating them. However this did not please the foreign elements who immediately started discouraging the Nigerian army, claiming the army was worse than this several thousand strong fully armed terrorist rebellion that had destroyed half of Borno.

Now for some odd and sick reason, the global media is working hard to present the terrorist leader as still alive, doing so with numerous glaringly fake videos and images. It is obvious the enemies of the Nigerian people will stop at nothing to cause suffering, pain and terror.

Nigeria’s government recently debunked the purported new video of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, released by AFP in September, 2013.

The video was obtained and released on September 25th, exclusively by AFP in tiny pieces over 24 hours after it was reported to have been obtained and the complete video is yet to be released to the general public or media till date.

This video was released 24 hours later, only after media like ours insisted the simple report of a new video was cock and bull.

NewsRescue earlier concluded that Shekau is dead or as good as dead. The so-called new video’s are simply the works of Nigeria’s internal and foreign enemies who wish to utilize the Boko Haram saga for political and territorial invasion purposes.

We present here some peculiar information from our experts recent analysis.

Boko Haram and the love for the Hollywood green screen

The green screen is a Hollywood tool that can be used to impose and transpose video recordings on new backgrounds. It enables video pliability with recordings in the studio against a green-screen background easily being manipulated to appear outside, in a battle field, flying, in a crowd etc.

For peculiar reasons, Abubakar Shekau loves the green screen.

The shot below is from the ‘latest’ video released September 25th:

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Shekau with funny neck, and also over-sized head; AFP Sept. 2013

Please note that bulky green carpet screen background.

Global Media May 2013 Video: Same Green-Screen, Obvious Floating Head Shekau

Now, a funny finding we discovered on the internet from way back 29th May this 2013, of another purported video of Shekau, also released exclusively by AFP, seen here on JapanToday and StarAfrica:

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Shekau with Photoshopped neck in May 29th, 2013, AFP

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Shekau with over-sized floating head, May 29th, AFP

Please do not laugh!

These are real clips from videos AFP purportedly obtained of Shekau in May this year, according to several websites:

AFP: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/boko-haram-lea ... ml#MFtF9Lp

http://www.japantoday.com/category/worl ... l-massacre

http://en.starafrica.com/news/nigeria-m ... ganda.html

he notorious Aljazeera also published this so-called May new video story, but refrained form using the caricature Green-screen-ghost Shekau images. Reuters too referenced, but showed not this weird video, nor even a still from it, they said on May 29th, “in a video seen by Reuters on Wednesday,”. United States FOX news and so many other media carried this glaringly fake, floating head image from the never revealed video that AFP distributed. See: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/13 ... -massacre/

We immediately notice how weird Shekau looks in the May videos, with an obviously floating head.

The second thing that is rather obvious is the Hollywood green-screen.

The very same green mat that Shekau used in his purported May AFP videos, is the same peculiar carpet that he used again in the September video that the Nigerian government said his mouth did not move according to the words in.

There were slight changes to attire and people were added in front of the green-screen.

Assuming these are real videos, this would mean for certain that Shekau has been comfortably living in one location from May to September, or that he and his crew haul that bulky green carpet across the mountains.

We wonder how many different scene green-screen videos late Shekau recorded and deposited in a safe with Nigeria’s enemies for manipulation forever to maintain the sense of his immortality.

The May video where green-screen ghost Shekau purportedly denied the impact of the military onslaught was never distributed, because at that time NewsRescue and other NAM did not demand it as we did now, so only these weird two images were released.

It is possible that someone in Nigeria produced these ridiculously fake images to send to AFP, but this does not absolve AFP and other global media of their responsibility to screen such rubbish, floating head, spurious, rancid material from public consumption.

The Other Video Released By Western Media

There is interestingly another video released again exclusively by AFP, between these two videos.

In this one, again our charismatic Shekau appeared like the most sick and retarded doll:

Image

Again, this video has the green-screen, though this time, a more light-weight trampoline.

There are very few conclusions that can be drawn from the peculiarity of the releases of these videos, the absence of the complete recordings with only snips being revealed to the masses–even if the audio contains messages, this can be done over with music as NewsRescue does with its releases–but rather just few minutes and sometimes only stills from the purported videos are given to the public who are meant to believe the monster is still alive. Shekau is dead! As dead as Osama.


AFP-sourced image on Yahoo!, Sept-13:
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:17 am

Video showing some BH kit, reportedly during the August 2014 advance on Gwoza. It shows one tank and at least 2 APCs.
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby semper occultus » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:23 am

....Monty, Hitler, Sadam ( pere et fils ) and possibly Blofeld all had doubles...presumably its pretty standard SOP amongst a certain category of person... :shrug:
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:40 am

This is a bit different though - the actual Shekau has been killed. So whose decision is it to bring in a new one? Is there some council or whatever? This implies that he never really was the leader. And there's other stuff doing the rounds which I haven't brought in yet to the effect that Ali Modu Sheriff sponsors the group. Sheriff has lately travelled to Chad with President Goodluck Jonathan. He also recently made a triumphant return to Maiduguri with a personal guard of 200 troops, weird when you consider there's a war on 50km away. The interest of the Chad angle is also that, according to a guy in Abuja I've been corresponding with, the French are behind BH to prevent Nigeria from drilling into an oil field it shares with Chad. That guy reckons this explains why AFP always gets the BH videos first. (Someone I know at Reuters in Nigeria says it's cause AFP has a stringer with good BH contacts.)
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:15 am

Cameroon Paid Boko Haram $400K Ransom, Plus Arms And Ammunition, To Secure Release Of Deputy Prime Minister’s Wife, Other Hostages

by SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK Oct 11, 2014

SaharaReporters has learned that the Cameroonian authorities paid Boko Haram insurgents at least $400,000 in ransom in order to secure the release of Francoise Agnes Moukouri, wife of Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali.

Boko Haram insurgents had abducted Mrs. Ali in July from the town of Kolofata. The insurgents also seized the town’s district head. The deal to secure their release was struck three days ago, as SaharaReporters exclusively reported.

Our source, who was part of the negotiation that led to the release of Mrs. Ali and several other hostages, disclosed that the terms of the settlement included the payment of an undisclosed sum of money from the Chinese government. Boko Haram subsequently released 10 Chinese construction workers who had been held hostage since their abduction in May.

In addition, the Cameroonian government agreed to release four commanders of the Islamist group who had been in Cameroonian jails. The most disturbing part of the deal is that Boko Haram militants demanded and received a significant supply of arms and ammunition, including a guarantee by Cameroon that the weapons would have safe passage to insurgent fighters.

Our source disclosed that President Idris Derby of Chad was instrumental in the negotiations because of his closeness to some Boko Haram commanders.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported three days ago that the Cameroonian and Chinese hostages had been released. Cameroonian Minister of Information, Issa Bakary, initially denied the report. However, the office of the Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, today declared that 27 hostages, including Mrs. Ali, 10 Chinese construction workers, and the district head of Kolofata had been released.

The Islamist group has wreaked havoc in Nigeria’s northeast zone and has made occasional forays into neighboring Cameroon.
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:40 am

Australian negotiator Stephen Davis named Azubuike Ihejirika as a BH sponsor.

U.S Wants Ihejirika’s Sudden ‘Billions’ Probed

Article | September 22, 2014 - 9:37am

A former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika is in the cross hairs of the United States as that nation is insisting that the former army top gun be probed for alleged diversion of funds meant for the procurement of weapons and other warfare equipment meant for the army.

Ihejirika who arguably one of the wealthiest retired Generals allegedly pocketed billions of naira meant for the Army.

According to our source, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle raised the issue when he met recently with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

Ambassador Entwisle at the meeting at the Presidential Villa, said the U.S is particularly concerned about the sudden riches of Ihejirika.

Ihejirika, who was fingered as one of the sponsors of Boko Haram by the Australian hostage negotiator, Davies, is the front-runner for the Abia state Gover‎norship seat.


The US Ambassador told Jonathan that the Americans who were in Nigeria to assist in the fight against insurgents were shocked to find out that what was on ground did not match the billions allocated under Ihejirika’s watch.

There have been pockets of grumbling amongst the army rank and file over obsolete and sometimes lack of top shelf weapons. This boiled over when some soldiers mutinied against a General. Those soldiers were court martialed and sentenced to death.

In 2012 alone the defence budget for capital expenditure was N34.36 Billion‎ with a whooping N5.71 Billion earmarked for the acquisition of equipment by the Army.

U.S President Barack Obama or the Secretary of state, John Kerry is expected to discuss the issue with Jonathan at some close sessions during the United Nations General Assembly.

The alleged rot and high level corruption in the military, sources said, has affected the morale of the Americans who here as technical partners and advisers.

Entwistle, it was learnt told Jonathan, every top military officer should be held accountable if he wants the US to be part of the fight against insurgents.


The high level corruption, contract inflation and purchase of obsolete equipment and arms cut across the three services.

This rot made Defence minister General Aliyu Gusau to insist that every contract or procurement must pass through his office. Curiously, this move did not go down well with the service chiefs who had hitherto enjoyed autonomy.

Said our source” the Americans want Ihejirika and his cohort probed. They are insisting that the Government must hold thieving Generals accountable if Nigeria wants them to be part of the fight against Boko Haram”

“The Ambassador expressed his nations unhappiness with what Ihejirika did with the billions allocated to the Army. They are insisting he be probed.
We all know he is one of the riches retired Generals‎ around. He made billions that is why he wants to be Abia Governor,” said our source
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Re: Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau(s) WARNING images of dead bo

Postby stefano » Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:45 am

The Stephen Davis interviews.

First interview, published August 31:

TheCable: Can you share with us your experience with Boko Haram leaders?

Davis: Let me take you back a bit. I specialise in negotiation. It may interest you to know that I have been involved in peace negotiations in Nigeria since 2004 when President Olusegun Obasanjo invited me to intervene in the Niger Delta crisis. With a local Nigerian colleague, I spoke with Asari Dokubo and took him to Obasanjo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Because Asari is a Muslim, the Muslim boys in the north heard about me and warmed up to me. I did a report in 2005 on the threat of extremism among young northern Muslims. Obasanjo’s security chiefs dismissed the report with a wave of the hand. They said no such thing existed. In 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who desired to end the militancy in the Niger Delta, invited me and made me presidential envoy. I toured all the northern states. I went to the country’s borders. I came back with a report that there were some budding sects in the north. The national security adviser (NSA) at the time, Gen. Sarki Mukhtar, dismissed the report. He said they didn’t exist. A succession of NSAs dismissed all these reports and allowed the groups to flourish. By the time President Goodluck Jonathan came to power in 2011, these groups had spread all over the north. They had cells and commanders in 16 out of the 19 northern states. President Jonathan called me and sought my opinion on the best way to tackle the militancy and bring it to an end. I knew many of the leaders. I spoke with them. They trusted me. They initially wanted to kill me. They thought I was an American but I told them I was not. They also thought I was British but I said I was not. I told them I was an Australian. They relaxed. I don’t know why but they became more accommodating. They became friendly and, gradually, we built the trust. They started feeling free with me. I don’t call them Boko Haram. I call them JAS. People call them Boko Haram. They don’t call themselves Boko Haram.

TheCable: What deal were you seeking under Jonathan’s mandate?

Davis: The president wanted peace. He asked me to discuss with them so that we could arrive at the terms of peace. They came up with some terms that were acceptable and others that were not acceptable.

TheCable: What were those terms?

Davis: They wanted training for the widows of their deceased fighters. They asked the government to give these women cottage training. They, ironically, wanted education for the children of their deceased members. That is why I don’t call them Boko Haram (“Western education is a taboo”). They asked that the children be sent to school. They also wanted the government to rebuild villages that were destroyed by the security agencies. They asked for amnesty as well.

TheCable: What terms were unacceptable?

Davis: The president said he would not grant amnesty in the sense that they meant it. He said those who surrendered their arms would not be prosecuted, but those who continued to commit more crimes would face the law and would be charged with treason. They also wanted women and children who were being held in custody to be released. Their leaders that I spoke with were ready to accept the conditions. But the NSA then, Gen. Owoye Azazi, went vehemently against it. He said there should be no negotiation with terrorists. He completely turned the military against the peace deal I was working on, even though we were very close to bringing an end to the insurgency the same way we did it in the Niger Delta. The military then refused to back the deal. They succeeded in convincing the president not to accept it. I could understand where they were coming from: the security budget was like $6 billion and any peace deal would seriously reduce their budget.

TheCable: How did you become involved in the negotiation for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls?

Davis: Because I had built trust among the militants, I made calls to them when I heard about the abductions. They confirmed to me that the girls were with them. I came to Nigeria in late April (the girls were abducted on April 14). I told the president I would try to intervene and help get the girls out. He said he would give me the needed support if I wanted. However, what I discovered was that thrice we tried to get the girls released, and thrice my efforts were sabotaged. That was when I now realised that some politicians were also involved in the insurgency. There were the remnants of those involved in the former peace deal as well as a political arm and what I call the ritual arm which specialises in butchering human beings. While I was making efforts to get the girls released, the political backers of the group threatened that if I got 30 or 40 girls out, the militants would kidnap another 60 to replace them. I became very frustrated. They threatened that any commander of the group who agreed to participate in any dialogue would be slaughtered by other commanders. The political sponsors are very powerful because they supply the finances and the arms. Until they are cut off from the group, those girls will not be released. We are talking about 200 Chibok schoolgirls, but there are over 300 other girls that have been kidnapped. There are many young men that they also kidnapped and turned them against their families. They asked them to go and slaughter their family members and they are doing it. Nobody is talking about those ones. They are the new child soldiers.

TheCable: How can we get these girls released?

Davis: The first thing is to stop the bagman who supplies weapons and military uniforms. We know his name, location and associates. If the man is stopped, the slaughterers, the ritual arm of the group, would be demobilised. The girls can be released afterwards. This man controls these ritualists.

TheCable: Was there really any deal to release the girls?

Davis: Yes, there was. Some commanders of the group told me that they would first release 100 of the girls and that would be the first step towards dialogue. They needed a guarantee from President Jonathan that they would not be arrested or prosecuted if they showed up for dialogue. They agreed with me that if they did that and no one was arrested, then they would return to the camps to release the rest of the girls.

TheCable: In all your discussions, did they name their sponsors?

Davis: They named the man who lives in Cairo. He is of the Kanuri tribe. He passes arms, ammunition and uniforms to them. The CBN official who handles the funding (name withheld by TheCable for legal reasons) is an uncle to three of those arrested in connection with the Nyanya bombings. The three boys lived with him. They were arrested by the SSS (Department of State Security) after the bombings but they are yet to be interrogated about their uncle. The official still works with the CBN. He is still there. He works in currency operations. He knows how to handle the transaction in a way that it can never be traced. Western countries are frustrated that they cannot trace the funding. How can they when it is passed on legally, through the gatekeeper, through the CBN? Also, a senior official of CBN, who recently left the bank, was very close to Sodiq Aminu Ogwuche, the mastermind of the Nyanya bombings who also schooled in Sudan. Ogwuche’s wife used to visit this official in his office at the headquarters in Abuja before the bombings. They were very close. Don’t forget that the CBN official who handles the transactions also used to report to his superior, the official who recently left the bank. Also, there is a politician who was supplying operational vehicles for the suicide bombers. He gave them Hilux vans. He is a prominent politician. If the president goes after these guys, they will say it is political. That is part of the problem. Everybody will say the president is going after his political opponents, especially as there is a general election next year. The militants also named the former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff. In 2003 and 2007, Sheriff was very close to them. He used them for his elections. They worked for him. However, in 2007, the leader of the group, Muhammed Yusuf, collected money from Sheriff in return for support. Yusuf’s mentor, Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, exposed and criticised him for collecting money from Sheriff, and Yusuf ordered his killing in April 2007. But eventually, Yusuf and Sheriff fell out. However, it is acknowledged that Sheriff was and is a major financier of the group. He pays for young men to go for lesser hajj. From there they are recruited into the group. They interact freely with the Al-Shabbab militants from Somalia. They are trained by Al-Shabbab. Some of them go to Mali for training. These guys are in touch with the ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which now simply calls itself Islamic State and controls parts of Iraq). They are deadly. They share the same philosophy. The militant commanders I spoke with also named a former army chief as one of their sponsors. You have senior military officers who are benefiting from the insurgency because of the security budget. It pays them to keep the insurgency going so that they can continue to make money. I asked them several times who the army chief was and they told me it is… (name withheld by TheCable for legal reasons).


The former army chief is Azubuike Ihejirika, whom Jonathan sacked on 16 Janaury 2014. The new Chief of Army Staff is Kenneth Jacob Minimah, not a very visible figure, overshadowed by Defence Minister Aliyu Gusau. Gusau is a long-time spook, and seems personally closer to top APC men than to Jonathan.

Aliyu Gusau was director of military intelligence to President Shehu Shagari in the early 1980s, then participated in the 1983 coup that brought Muhammadu Buhari to power. Mr Buhari passed Mr Gusau over for the position of head of intelligence, and the latter participated in Ibrahim Babangida’s 1985 coup against Mr Buhari. He was again head of military intelligence, and briefly army chief of staff, during Mr Babangida’s presidency, then worked in the private sector during the military rule of Sani Abacha. He was again made national security adviser (NSA) by Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, whom he helped to consolidate the new democratic government at a delicate time. He left office in 2006 to contest the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) nomination for the presidency, losing to Umaru Yar’Adua. He tried again in 2011 to receive the nomination as the ‘northern consensus candidate’ to challenge Mr Jonathan, but Atiku Abubakar was appointed instead.


Davis's follow-up interview, September 2:

TheCable: Why is Nigeria finding it difficult to overcome Boko Haram?

Davis: It is a combination of factors, some of which I will not share publicly. There is, clearly, a problem with intelligence gathering and sharing between the agencies so as to build a reliable and comprehensive picture that the military can act on. That is a fundamental problem. The militants usually move in a convoy of 20 to 60 vehicles. Although they often move at night they are now emboldened and are launching large scale attacks in the daylight. Americans claim they are doing aerial reconnaissance. Why are they not passing the information to the Nigerian military? With this information the Nigerian military could intercept the Boko Haram convoy before it reaches its target. The geography of the northeast of Borno State sets the military at a significant disadvantage. The countryside in the north is generally flat with “black soil” that with the slightest rain becomes very boggy and prevents vehicular movement. The arterial roads are consequently built up to two meters higher than the surrounding countryside. Additionally they are very narrow making it very difficult for vehicles to pass one another and almost impossible for a larger vehicle to turn around without going off the formed road and over the embankment. The arterial road network is in a very poor state of repair and does not evidence any form of maintenance for many years. Governor Sheriff seems to have not expended any funds on maintenance of the rural road network. Travel at a modest speed is only possible for very short distances. The majority of travel time is spent negotiating large holes where the road surface has fallen away. At night these large holes which force a convoy to almost a standstill are a prime location for ambush particularly where there is nearby cover for the insurgents to hide. In some instances where there is good cover to hide close to the road, the insurgents dig up the road surface to force the military to a standstill and the launch an attack. The narrow, elevated road means there is very limited ability for the convoy to turn around and escape. Every vehicle, commencing with the last vehicle in the convoy must turn around to enable the convoy to return and escape. This is a very difficult task while under fire. The terrorists ambush the soldiers. The immediate implications of the poor arterial roads are that (1) military movements are often very slow (2) deployment to investigate reported incidents are often severely delayed (3) night movement has a very high risk of ambush with limited escape for the military convoy. The military are unable to tackle Boko Haram at night because of these ambushes, and they are also misled during the day. If Boko Haram is striking in the west, the soldiers are misled by false reports into thinking the attack is taking place in the east. So they are in the wrong place. By the time Boko Haram is done, the soldiers are still trying to understand what is happening. We are talking about a state that has so many remote villages. Most of the victories recorded by the Nigerian military are not in the major camps of the militants.

TheCable: But since the kidnapped schoolgirls are in the big camps, Nigerian soldiers also have to act responsibly so as not to kill the girls…

Davis: Yes, that is true. But since these militants also move in a convoy of 60 vehicles when they want to strike at night, you have to ask why America is not sharing intelligence with the Nigerian military. At least, if the soldiers cannot invade the camps, they can take on the convoy of terrorists going out to launch attacks. The military’s opportunity is to interdict while the terrorists are en route to their target. When they are returning after the attack they are likely to have captives and a military attack would likely injure or kill many of the captives.

TheCable: But Nigeria also has its own intelligence agencies. Are they not able to trace these movements too?

Davis: I will not comment publicly on the work of Nigerian intelligence services. You will have to excuse me on that.

TheCable: Are you saying we cannot defeat Boko Haram?

Davis: Not with military might alone. Nigeria needs a peace deal. The suggestion of opening a dialogue with terrorists is generally repugnant to government. Dialogue is most often perceived as legitimising the terrorist group or rewarding terrorism. However, it is noted that very few terrorist groups have been defeated by military force. Argentina, Chile and Brazil eradicated terrorism by deploying State-driven terrorism that oppressed and terrorised citizens and killed thousands of innocent civilians. Brazil defeated the Action for National Liberation (ALN) using torture, death squads and mass arrests which destroyed democratic institutions, personal liberties and alienated the public. Sri Lanka’s military defeated the Tamil Tigers after 80,000-100,000 civilian casualties. Military force has proven ineffective and often worked to the advantage of the terrorist group in many cases. In Russia the military had no success against the Chechen All-National Congress and other rebel groups. In Peru the military had no success over 30 years of fighting Shining Path. After 15 years fighting the Taliban the US opened a dialogue. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues after 30 years of military action. Boko Haram can be defeated but not by military force along. The first step must be to arrest Boko Haram sponsors, cut of arms supplies and isolate Boko Haram both geographically and communication-wise. That means a vigorous campaign to ensure the social media and news media do not host or distribute Boko Haram propaganda. This propaganda such as Abubakar Shekau’s rantings serve to give Boko Haram the notoriety with which they seek and to terrorise the nation.

TheCable: Are you saying our military is not competent or capable?

Davis: No I am not expressing a lack of confidence in the military. Go through the history of insurgency around the world. Don’t take my word for it. Check by yourself. You will discover that in a liberal democracy, you cannot rely on military power to end insurgency. Review history. If insurgency lasts for eight years, it becomes impossible to tackle and a review of cases around the world shows that the insurgency will then continue for another generation. You could still be battling it for the next 20 years. I am talking about the history of the last 50 to 70 years. Terrorism is very difficult to tackle. In some cases, insurgencies have been defeated by military force but these were done under military regimes with 70,000 to 100,000 civilian collateral deaths recorded. Military regimes can get away with that. But not under liberal democracies. Human rights groups, the United Nations, Western countries… they will all come after you. Nigeria is a growing democracy and the Nigerian people will not tolerate a return to military rule.

TheCable: What is the best way out?

Davis: A peace deal backed by a strong military. But the government must first bring the sponsors of insurgency to book. Government must arrest and interrogate the politicians funding the insurgency. Government must cut off the supply of funds to the militants. There is a ritualist group in Boko Haram that delights in slaughtering people. This group is being heavily supported by someone based in Cairo, Egypt with funds supplied by Nigerian politicians and power brokers. If funding is cut to this guy, there are many commanders in the Boko Haram camp who are ready to dialogue, release the captive girls and end the insurgency.

TheCable: You have been speaking to the media a lot recently. Why? What is your interest?

Davis: I have decided to speak out now because what I have seen in the last six months is terrifying. I am heart-broken by my experience during my four-month stay in Nigeria. The Chibok schoolgirls remaining in captivity are suffering terribly. Apart from the Chibok girls there are many more who have been kidnapped. Some who have escaped have given graphic accounts of their treatment. They are raped repeatedly and mercilessly, often by groups of terrorists. Political powerbrokers in Nigeria are funding these abhorrent acts. And what of the boys that are being kidnapped and forced to work for Boko Haram or become child-soldiers? The Nigerian government must act quickly and decisively to end the insurgency. The security agencies have to work co-operatively. Violence has escalated on an unprecedented scale. The bloodshed is unbelievable. The link between Boko Haram, Al-Shabbab of Somalia and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is growing stronger. It is a triangle of terror of frightening potential. Nigeria, Iraq and Somalia…

TheCable: Please tell us more about the link. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau recently said he had declared Islamic caliphate in some Borno villages…

Davis: They are very well organised. Today, they have active cells in all the northern states. They have grown from three small cells in 2006 to having commanders in sixteen northern states. They have five major camps on the Nigerian border with Cameroon, Chad and Niger plus another major camp in the Sambisa forest and one on the border between Yobe and Borno States. When they attack a town, they empty the treasury of the banks. That is another source of funding for them. They are gradually depopulating many villages in the state, taking them over and foisting their flag. They are very well organised and becoming very good strategists. By the time they are done with the villages, they will have a very good base from where they will launch attacks on Maiduguri, with the aim of taking it over and proclaiming the caliphate that they desire. Further delay is dangerous.
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Ali Modu Sheriff

Postby stefano » Tue Oct 14, 2014 9:38 am

Alleged Boko Haram Sponsor Modu Sheriff Storms Mauduguri With 200-Soldier Protection

Ali Modu Sheriff, the former governor of Borno State who is alleged to be funding the violent Boko Haram militancy in the Northeast, arrived in the state capital today with over 200 soldiers in his convoy.

by SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Sep 15, 2014

Ali Modu Sheriff, the former governor of Borno State who is alleged to be funding the violent Boko Haram militancy in the Northeast, arrived in the state capital today with over 200 soldiers in his convoy.

He was in town to pay a condolence visit on a friend who lost his mother.

Mr. Sheriff ignited a political firestorm only last week when he showed up in meetings in Chad with President Goodluck Jonathan and his Chadian counterpart, Idris Derby.

That revelation brought the Nigerian president under a serious political backlash. The public outcry forced Mr. Jonathan to declare publicly he will not interfere with the investigation of Mr. Sheriff by the State Security Services.

Mr. Sheriff’s foray into Maiduguri in stunning force following his arrival on a private jet shocked residents who were suddenly swamped by a massive convoy of soldiers, making many to speculate that the Chief of Defense Staff, Alex bade, was in town.

Mr. Sheriff made the even more astonishing announcement to close pals that he was merely visiting an associate, Kassim Imam, who lost his mother a few days ago.

Analysts say Mr. Sheriff’s possession and open demonstration of such lavish federal force and protection reopens the question as to his real relationship with Mr. Jonathan, and the future of any investigation of the sponsors of Boko Haram.

Some Maiduguri residents and political observers expressed surprise about Mr. Sheriff’s huge convoy in view of Mr. Jonathan’s denials. They wondered why 200 soldiers that should be fighting against Boko Haram, the sect Sheriff is allegedly funding, should instead be protecting him.

Efforts to obtain comments from presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, who issued a statement denying that Mr. Sheriff was in Chad with Mr. Jonathan, met with failure.


Image

Jonathan under attack for visiting Chad with Sheriff

September 10, 2014 by John Alechenu, Ade Adesomoju and Ramon Oladimeji

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday came under fire over the presence of a former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu-Sheriff, at a meeting he held with Chadian President Idris Deby in Ndjamena on Monday.


Image
L–R: A former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu-Sheriff, President Goodluck Jonathan, and Chadian President, Idriss Deby, at a meeting in Chad... on Monday [6 September 2014].

The President’s spokesman, Dr. Rueben Abati, had in a statement on Sunday said that Jonathan was travelling to Chad to discuss how to combat insurgency in Nigeria with Deby.

A picture on Abati’s twitter handle early on Tuesday showed that Modu-Sheriff was present at the Ndjamena meeting.

Among those that berated the President were the opposition All Progressives Congress, lawyers and civil society groups.

Their anger was predicated on the fact that the former governor was recently accused by an Australian hostage negotiator, Steven Davis, of allegedly sponsoring Boko Haram.

Shortly after the allegation, there were calls by the All Progressives Congress and some civil society groups for the arrest and prosecution of Sheriff.

Last Thursday, the Department of State Security invited the former governor to defend the allegations.

But when the picture of the Ndjamena meeting surfaced, the APC slammed Jonathan for hobnobbing with the ex- governor.

The APC , in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, demanded an explanation from the Presidency.

It accused the President of exhibiting a shocking act of indiscretion by hobnobbing with Sheriff who is not known to have been investigated and cleared of the allegation against him.

The party wondered what message Jonathan was sending to his compatriots and indeed the international community by taking Sheriff to Chad for a meeting against terrorism.

The statement partly read, “This action by President Jonathan confirms what the APC has always believed: That he either knows more than he is willing to admit on the issue of those who are behind the Boko Haram insurgency or he is willing to sacrifice the battle against terrorism on the altar of political expediency.

“Either way, this action by the President is the height of indiscretion at best, or a palpable exhibition of callowness at worst.


“It also confirms our fears that Sheriff was planted as a mole in the APC by his friends in high places, who are jittery about the birth of the party and would do anything to destabilise it.”

The APC said the President could not pretend not to be aware of a report sent home by Nigeria’s Defence Adviser in Ndjamena in 2011, detailing the suspicious activities of Sheriff and asking the Federal Government to investigate him.


The party said if this was a joke, it is one too far, especially at a time that Nigeria had been losing some of its territories to Boko Haram.

The APC said it was apparent that Jonathan smuggled Sheriff into his entourage, as the official statement announcing the trip, never mentioned he would accompany the President .

Mohammed said nobody in Nigeria would have known of this unholy alliance carried too far if not that the picture of the President, his host and the former governor surfaced via Twitter.

It said the President should explain what he knows about the allegations that Sheriff and a former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, were Boko Haram sponsors.

The APC wondered why the Jonathan administration had not handed both men to the International Criminal Court for investigation and possible prosecution.

Also, lawyers like Femi Falana, Fred Agbaje, Jiti Ogunye, Festus Keyamo and Monday Ubani said the presence of the former governor at the Ndjamena meeting was inexplicable.

A former Borno State Commissioner for Information , Mr. Inuwa Bwala, however, dismissed the allegations against Sheriff.

Bwala described the APC statement as a celebrating of falsehood.

He told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the party had yet to get over Sheriff’s loss to the ruling PDP.

The former Commissioner said it was mischievous for the APC to claim that Sheriff was part of the President’s entourage when indeed he (Sheriff) was among several Nigerians who received the President at the airport in Chad.

Bawala said, “The APC is celebrating falsehood. This is the height of their desperation and mischief all targeted at diverting public attention from the truth.

“Answers to the Boko Haram puzzle are within the ranks of the APC and very soon Nigerians will know them because their activities will soon be exposed.

“Senator Sheriff is a Nigerian who is doing business in Chad – he is prospecting for oil.

“Long before the President’s visit, he had been doing business there. As a loyal party member, there is nothing wrong if he joins people to receive the President in a country he is doing business in.”


But lawyers like Femi Falana, Fred Agbaje, Jiti Ogunye, Festus Keyamo and Monday Ubani said the presence of the former governor at the Ndjamena meeting was inexplicable.

Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria told one of our correspondents that the inclusion of Sheriff on the President’s entourage was the height of insensitivity.

The SAN had earlier appealed to the International Criminal Court to investigate and possibly prosecute anyone indicted by Davies.

He said, “By this act, President Jonathan has demonstrated once again that he doesn’t give a damn about public opinion.”

Agbaje said, “There is so much dishonesty in governance. It means the government doesn’t appreciate the severity or gravity of what Boko Haram has done to innocent Nigerians.

“That action has also confirmed the President’s earlier position three years ago that the Boko Haram has infiltrated the government . He actually knows them and he is just covering them up because of 2015.”


Ogunye described the action of the President as disheartening and an indication of petty politicking.

He said, “It is disheartening and inexplicable that it is that same person that Mr. President will include in a delegation to go to Chad.

“We have said that in dealing with this menace, statesmanship should override political consideration and petty politicking.

“The state appears to be sleep walking; and you know when you are sleep-walking, you don’t take rational and reasonable decision.

“Statecraft and statesmanship are taking flight and petty politicking is taking over.”

Keyamo said, “It also shows a lack of moral power to fight the Boko Haram scourge. It shows lack of moral and legal power to confront the sponsors of Boko Haram. The President by this action is telling all of us that there is more to it that meets the eye; that is what they are telling us.”

Also, Ubani said it was improper for Jonathan to have travelled with Sheriff .

Pointing that the former governor remains a suspect based on the allegation made against him, he added that it “was not proper for the president to have taken him along especially when the issue of the security of the nation is being discussed.

But the Nigerian Bar Association disagreed with Falana, Agbaje Keyamo, Ubani and Ogunye.

Its President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), said that Nigerians should respect the judgment of the President in including Sherriff in the entourage.

Alegeh added that Jonathan must have acted on the basis of information that was exclusive to him.

He said, “The President is the Chief Security Officer of the country , consequently he may have a lot of information at his disposal which you and I do not have.

“For him to have taken such a decision, he must have done that based on the information at his disposal which we do not have. And we must learn to respect our President and trust his judgment on matters of this nature.”

The groups that also commented on the development were the Afenifere [Yoruba interest group] and the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders.

Its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said the President needed to explain to Nigerians what role Sheriff was playing in his government’s fight against terrorism.

Odumakin said, “We don’t know in which capacity he (President Jonathan) took Sheriff along in the trip. But it was stated that the essence of the meeting was to discuss terrorism and maybe Sherrif is a consultant since he has been severally alleged to know a few things about the operations of the Islamic sect.

“The Presidency will have to let us know in which capacity he (Sheriff) was made part of the entourage – whether he has information that could be helpful in terms of sacking the crisis. So we need to know the details.

“I don’t want to accept that he was just taken in just to take a seat with the President on the presidential jet to Chad. So we need to no more details.”

CACOL said it was not surprised that Sheriff was in Chad because “the Presidency had admitted long ago that Boko Haram had infiltrated it.”

“It means that the Federal Government doesn’t want the issue of Boko Haram solved just like Davies said. The president should have insisted that before he could associate with such a person, he would ensure that he goes through some kind of investigations. But this is a shameless government that has lost the battle,” its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran said.


Mr. Sheriff has been accused before of links to the terrorist group, Boko Haram. He denies any links.

An April 2, 2012 report by a Cameroonian daily, L’Oriel du Sahel, said the former governor, now a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was arrested in 2012 upon entering Cameroon from Chad on his way to meeting the governor of that country’s northern region.

The report said Cameroonian police authorities questioned Mr. Sheriff for hours and only released him later following pressure from senior government officials in that country.
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