Temidayo Akinsuyi, Nicholas Uwerunonye and Innocent Oweh


Lagos / Abuja – Nigerians have expressed anxiety over the recent upsurge in Boko Haram attacks, saying the development could affect the 2019 elections if not urgently contained.

Stakeholders expressed the view that the handling of the upsurge could determine not just the fate of the polls but also that of the leading presidential contenders.

President Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are the major contenders for the presidency.

The widely reported recent killing of 118 soldiers in Metele, a war theatre in Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents has cast a great deal of doubt on army’s strategies and defence policies under President Buhari in the last three years.

As also gathered, efforts at retaking Metele by over 100 troops, made up of special force operatives of the Nigerian military suffered a setback as the insurgents again put the army to flight.

The insurgents’ exploits have further confirmed intelligence that Boko Haram now has strong intelligence backbone, highly trained operatives sourced principally from its Islamic State (IS) in Syria, and sophisticated arms.

It is believed that Boko Haram has since transformed into the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) which, according to intelligence sources, is a frightening development.

“This means that the insurgents can call on operatives from any of their war theatres in Africa.

“They don’t have to bring in Arabian operatives. There are operatives in Senegal, Mali, Chad, Sudan, who can be mistaken as Nigerians and can easily blend into the population,” explained Dr. Wahab Lawal, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian army, now a defence and policy analyst with UN-backed policy think-tank in Nigeria.
The Nigerian intelligence operatives tend to think along this line, too.

The Department of State Services (DSS), for instance, believes that ISWA is largely behind major kidnaps in the North, cattle rustlings and killings in the Middle Belt.
“They infiltrated the ranks of the original criminals involved in these vices and killed off their leaders.

“At the time they were into these operations trying to raise money and means for the next phase of their operations in Nigeria,” explained a highly placed director of the DSS.

Further complicating the matter, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) appears to be working on theories that state actors had joined their non-state actor collaborators in supporting insurgencies in Nigeria.

“Two countries in the Middle East which ordinarily are not friends now have a meeting point in their tacit support of ISWA,” explained a senior operative of the NIA.

The source said their aim was to badly discredit the efforts of the current administration in the fight against insurgency.

According to the newspaper source, Nigeria’s policy on some touchy international\domestic policies does not sit well with these countries.

But other sources said the Nigerian government lost momentum in the fight against insurgency early in 2015 as a result of what was described as some rash defence strategy and policy.

The army was also said to have suffered setbacks as a result of the recent killing of Mamman Nur, former commander and leader of Boko Haram.

At the tail end of the PDP administration in 2015, the Nigerian military had managed to push back the insurgents to the fringes of the Chad basin on account of arms purchased from the black market, and engagement of South African and Moldovan mercenaries.

The arms package came with terms of refurbishments, technical advice from mercenaries which the army put to great use in pushing back the insurgents in 2015.
But Buhari, upon the inception of his administration, cancelled the contract with the foreign technical assistants. Also, the arms probe in 2015 put a halt to further gains from the arrangement that brought the arms in 2015.

Many of the military hardwares purchased have since fallen into disrepair and over use.

At the tail end of the PDP administration, former leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, was severely weakened that it was easy for Nur to break away from his ranks and pledge allegiance to Abubakr Al Bagdadi, leader of ISIS.

In the early stages, the Nigerian intelligence agency was able to reach Nur to agree on some conditions.

According to Daily Independent findings, Nur, the brain behind the ties between Boko Haram and the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi led Islamic State, was said to have been killed by his closest lieutenants on August 21, for releasing the Dapchi girls without demanding ransom, among other reasons.
As a result of this development, there were speculations that the insurgents may be aiming to scuttle the forthcoming election.

Speaking on the development, the PDP said while it was not afraid that the elections may be postponed, it was worried that President Buhari and the APC had perfected plans with INEC and the service chiefs to rig the elections.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, in a chat with Daily Independent , also urged President Buhari to urgently address the deepening insecurity in the country by “reviewing his parade” and bringing in fresh hands.

He said: “Our own is not about the fears as to whether the insecurity, if not well-managed, will affect the elections, our worry is that APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, having failed Nigerians and looking at the handwriting on the wall that Nigerians are going to reject them at the elections, are preparing themselves for institutional rigging.

“They are plotting to use INEC to rig the elections; they are also plotting to use the security agencies to rig, and that is where lies the trouble.”

Also reacting, Dr. Jay Osi-Samuels, national chairman of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), said while there was a likelihood that the elections may be postponed, no one could tell for how long the postponement would be.

He said having seen that Nigerians were tired of APC and ready to vote them out, the rising insecurity may be an alibi for the ruling party to postpone the election, even indefinitely.

“In my mind, I think that whether Nigerians like it or not, there is going to be postponement of this election.

“This is just the beginning because the signs are all there that Nigerians don’t want this government. So, any opportunity that they will use to prolong the D-day, they will do it.

Similarly, Chief Ighoyota Amori, Political Adviser to the PDP National Chairman, believes the ongoing security challenges would definitely affect the elections, leading to its postponement.
“It will definitely affect the 2019 elections.

There is no question about that,” he said.
However, Bamidele Faparusi, a former member, Houses of Representatives, expressed optimism that the elections could not be postponed, arguing that what was happening was a sharp contrast to what happened four years ago which necessitated a postponement of the elections then by six weeks.

“The situation now is not that bad when compared to 2015 to warrant the postponement of the election.
“Unfortunately, we have this killing of soldiers in Metele, but aside that it cannot be compared to what happened in 2015 when the election was postponed by six weeks.

“Right now, we have the country under control unlike then when half of Borno State was under the control of Boko Haram.
“So, it is a different scenario that we have now. It is not that Boko Haram has captured a territory and elections cannot hold there,” he said.


Wipe Out Boko Haram From Earth’s Surface, Buhari Orders Military

Meanwhile, apparently irked by recent killings of soldiers in Metele, Borno State, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the military to eliminate all threats of Boko Haram from the surface of the earth.

The president said the war against terrorism is “a must win”. He also assured of adequate welfare for the personnel prosecuting the war, including provision of fighting equipment.

“It is a must win war. I want to encourage our troops not to be distracted by speculations but remain focused and committed to the task of eliminating Boko Haram from the surface of the earth”, Buhari said.

The president gave the directive on Wednesday while declaring open the 2018 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference in the embattled state.

President Buhari assured the military that his administration will continue to address their needs in terms of manpower development and equipment supply, promising that their welfare and entitlements will also be improved.

“I want to reassure you that as your commander-in-chief, I will do everything within my power to continue empowering you by providing all the necessary equipment, force multipliers and enablers required for you to prevail on the field.

“I also want you to be aware that I am currently looking into measures to improve your entitlements and welfare generally,’’ he added.

The president lauded the efforts and sacrifices of the military in safeguarding the peace, security and territorial integrity of the country.

According to him, “The officers and men who are fighting against the curse of terrorism in the North East deserve all the attention our country’s leadership can give them.

“As president of the country, I am determined to ensure that every citizen feels safe and secure in all parts of the country. To achieve this, the security agencies must rise to the challenge and curb threats to security in our country.”

President Buhari called on the armed forces to embrace “the wind of change that is blowing across the country,” urging more cooperation at inter-service and inter-agency levels.

“To this end, the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs must work closely together as well as with other security agencies to improve on strategies that will defeat terrorism, militancy and other forms of criminal activities in our country,” he said.

While addressing officers and men of the Nigerian army at the Maimalari Barrack, headquarters of Operation Lafiya-Dole, the president said he shared in the agony of loss of gallant soldiers.

“I have come to pay homage to the gallant soldiers lost by the nation and to console the injured ones in recent terrorist attacks. I urge you to remain focused and win the war,” the president said.

President Buhari also commended Nigerian army’s commitment to upholding democracy and urged them to remain committed to their profession.

“As we approach the 2019 general elections, I want to urge all members of the armed forces to live up to their responsibilities and remain non-partisan. In addition, you must all remain vigilant throughout the electioneering period and alongside other security agencies, prevent every form of violence that could disrupt the process in line with your rules of engagement,” he said.

President Buhari urged the soldiers, who were on parade, to always show disciplined conduct.

“No matter how equipped the military is, the military is of no use if it doesn’t have discipline,” he said, urging them to uphold the tenets of the constitution and ensure tight security to protect lives and property.”

In his statement at the conference, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, said internal security had greatly improved from what it was in 2015 when President Buhari assumed office.

Lt. Gen. Buratai said a new proactive strategy would be put in place to counter the recent military losses.

He said the army remains neutral and non-partisan and will carry out their constitutional duty of safeguarding the nation’s democracy.

The Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (rtd.), assured the president that the military was putting in place new strategies to stabilise the country.

President Buhari asked for a minute’s silence in memory of the gallant soldiers and before his departure, he went round the wards to visit wounded soldiers in the hospital within the army barracks.

He gave assurances that the soldiers would be taken care of.

At the Palace of Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, President Buhari said his administration will do everything to secure the country, commiserating with all Nigerians who lost loved ones following recent setbacks in the fight against terrorists.

“We have to remind ourselves where we were and where we are now and what happened in between. The people of Borno State know what we did in the last three years. The situation would have been worse,” he said.

Buhari also expressed his determination to change the unemployment situation of youths in the country, pointing out that “jobs for the young persons, especially those who are 30 and below in Borno State and across the federation continue to engage our attention. We go to bed with it and wake up with it.”

In his remarks, the Shehu of Borno, who spoke on behalf of the state’s Council of Chiefs, thanked the president for bringing peace to the state, and asked for intensive security patrols across the territories to save people from attacks on farms.

Minjim:
How many soldiers were actually killed .

Some said 100

Some said 157

The NA said 44

Now this blogger is claiming 118

Lordsocrates:
Person wey write this article no see the throng of people wey been welcome buhari, dey wave am wit their voters card.


Me be southerner wey dey serve for north, the only person dat would hv divided a bit of the northern vote with Buhari was Kwankwaso, and as he is not running, the votes fall back to PMB.


But may we look shaa