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Enraged Army Vows To Lock Down Plateau …After Bandits Killed Soldiers …Regroup, Wards Of Terrorists In Borno
Pained by the killing of some troops in Plateau State by bandits, the Nigerian Army has vowed to lock down Barkin Ladi completely.
The army said that no human being is going to cause further havoc in that local government.
“I lost some men on Friday because certain persons have decided to take laws into their hands,’’ Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Maj.-Gen. Augustine Agundu, said.
Agundu who was reacting to the killing of the soldiers working with the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, said: “The peace on the Plateau has been disrupted to a situation that is no longer acceptable.’’
“I have declared enough is enough. What happened in Barkin Ladi will never repeat itself again.
“Whatever is going on in Barkin Ladi Local Government, Riyom Local Government, Bassa Local Government, Bokkos Local Government that is enough. My troops are resolved to bring the situation decisively under control.”
The Army promised to clampdown on armed bandits terrorising residents of Plateau State and stop the incessant killings in state.
He described the recent killings in the state as precarious and an act of lawlessness.
He vowed that the troops were set to deal with the situation decisively.
Agundu disclosed further that the three soldiers were killed in action by some attackers and the proliferation of arms in the state.
He urged leaders of Plateau communities to get their youths to decorum so that residents of the communities can go about their business peacefully and without fear.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army, yesterday, said it had restored normalcy in Gudumbali community and environs in Borno State with the concerted effort of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed to the area.
It would be recalled that scores of jihadists in gun trucks and bearing various calibre of arms, had stormed the town and engaged troops in fierce battle that lasted for many hours.
But Director Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Texas Chukwu, said the enemy forces were repelled by the combined troops of 82 Division Task Force Brigade and 158 Task Force Battalion.
“The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community”, he said.
No casualty was recorded in the encounter.
“The troops have regrouped and normalcy has been restored. The troops have also been reinforced with additional troops to dominate the general area.
“It will be recalled that Gudumbali is one of the communities in Borno State that were recently reoccupied by Internally Displaced Persons who had voluntarily returned to their ancestral homes.
“The people of Gudumbali community and Guzamala Local Government in general are urged to remain calm and resilient as Operation Lafiya Dole troops tirelessly combat the terrorists.
“They are also implored to maintain high level of vigilance and monitor strange faces to prevent fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from infiltrating and hibernating in their communities.
“The good people of the North-East are assured of the unalloyed resolve of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole to continue to combat the Boko Haram terrorists in the region,” Chukwu said.
Meanwhile, the Commander, Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole, Brig-Gen Uwem Bassey, has lauded troops deployed at Gudumbali, Guzamala for gallantly repelling Boko Haram attack on the military base on Saturday.
It was learnt that the fighters were said to be with the Boko Haram faction under the leadership of Abu-Mosad Al-Barnawi.
Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Texas Chukwu, said Bassey commended the troops during an assessment visit to Gudumbali.
“The Commander urged the troops to continue to remain courageous while confronting the insurgents,” he said.
Chukwu provided more details of the incident.
He said that the insurgents came to extort, terrorise law abiding citizens as well as to attack the military base in the town.
However, they met a serious resistance by the gallant troops.
He did not disclose the figure of casualty or injuries sustained from both parties during the attack.
“The troops inflicted overwhelming casualty on the terrorists due to superior fire power while some of the terrorists fled to the fringes of Lake Chad,” he said.
According to him, efforts are on by the troops to get other fleeing members of the terrorists group.
He advised locals in the area to be vigilant and carry out their legitimate businesses in their communities as well as report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest military base.
The residents of Magumeri were yet to recover from the panic caused by Saturday’s attack, as many of them have relocated to Gubio and Monguno.
About 2,000 IDPs comprising of 200 households had returned to Guzamala to resettle and resume their traditional occupation of farming and fishing, as well as other socio-economic activities following relative peace.
But the peace was broken Saturday when scores of insurgents in gun trucks and bearing various calibre of arms stormed the town and engaged the troops in fierce battle that lasted for many hours.
Malam Bukar Mele, who escaped from the fighting, told newsmen that the attackers invaded the town unexpectedly and asked the villagers to run away for their lives.
Mele said he immediately took his family and began running just as they (Boko Haram) instructed the residents, leaving behind his belongings.
“They told us in Kanuri to vacate the place so that what they came to do will not affect us. So, we all took to our heels in different directions for safety,’’ he said.
Another local in the area, Mr Abdul Bari, said the insurgents assured that they did not come with intention to kill civilians.
“Their target was the military and not civilians. This is what they told us as they ask us to get out of their sight within a blink of an eye. The insurgents were fully kitted with khaki and covered their faces.
“After one minute, they began shooting from the gun truck facing the military location. There were sounds of sporadic gunshots from many directions. I don’t know what happened but the army was engaging with the terrorists,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Mamman Durkwa, who confirmed the development, said security forces were on top of the situation.
“It is unfortunate to confirm to you that there was an attack by Boko Haram extremists on a military base and other communities of Gudumbali.
“Thousands of the people who were displaced and spent some years in resettlement camps in Maiduguri have returned back recently after the liberation of those surrounding communities by our gallant security forces.
“I regret to inform you that there was another attack by insurgents in Gudumbali, but I am yet to get the number of casualties.
“I just spoke with the Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, and the Brigade Commander in Monguno. Both confirmed to me that the attack actually took place, and our security forces were on top of the situation,” Durkwa said.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security outreach to the hotbeds of recent killings in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, to restore peace to areas wracked by mass killings and bomb attacks.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a four-hour security briefing with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives…to go meet with the political authorities there,” Ribadu told reporters, adding that Tinubu directed them to engage state-level authorities in the worst-hit regions.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Chief Defence Intelligence of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General, Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appeared for the briefing.
The Tide’s source reports that in Plateau State, inter-communal violence between predominantly Christian farmers and nomadic herders spiralled into gory slaughter when gunmen stormed Zikke village in Bassa Local Government early on April 14, killing at least 51 people and razing homes in a single night.
In Benue, at least 56 people were killed in Logo and Gbagir after twin assaults blamed on armed herders.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, eight passengers perished and scores were injured when an improvised explosive device ripped through a bus on the Damboa–Maiduguri highway on April 12.
Ribadu explained that after an extensive briefing, intelligence chiefs received fresh instructions to restore peace, security and stability across Nigeria.
“In particular, Tinubu had ordered immediate outreach to the political authorities in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, and the defence team had gone round those States to carry out his directives and report back.
“We gave him an update on what has been the case and what is going on, and even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch. He was giving directives. He was following developments, and we, in charge of the security, got the opportunity today to come and brief him properly for hours. And it was exhaustive.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country. We gave him an update on what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these incidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue State, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there,” the NSA explained.
Ribadu described Tinubu as “worried and concerned,” and said he directed that all security arms be deployed around the clock.
The government, he added, believes these steps have already produced measurable improvements, even if the situation is not yet 100 per cent safe and secure.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working and to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there. The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there.
“They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things,” Ribadu stated.
The NSA emphasised that combating insecurity was not solely a Federal Government responsibility.
He stated, “The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role. You need to work with the communities, the local governments, and the governors, especially the governors.
“The President will continue to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to. We are very happy and very satisfied with the instructions and directives given by Mr. President this evening.”
In Borno State, the NSA noted that while violence had surged in recent months, the insurgents refused to accept defeat.
He warned that most recent casualties there resulted from improvised explosive devices—”cowardly” IED attacks targeting civilians—and from opportunistic raids that follow any lull in fighting.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. It’s not 100 per cent…but we are going there.
“When you are having peace and you are beginning to get used to it, if one bad incident happens, you forget the periods that you enjoyed peacefully,” he added.
He paid tribute to the “many who do not sleep, who walk throughout, who do not go for any break or holiday”—the soldiers, police and intelligence officers whose sacrifices have created the fragile calm Nigerians now experience.
“They will continue to be there,” he said, adding, “Things have changed in this country…we are on the right track and we will not relent. We will not sit down; we will not stop until we are able to achieve results.”
A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.
The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.
Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised.
He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.
According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”
He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.
“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.
“ The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.
“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.
Oluyamo also queried the Federal Government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialisation and poor infrastructure.
“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said that Nigeria is in advanced discussions with JP Morgan to re-enter the Government Bond Index and renew investors’ confidence.
Oniha disclosed this on Wednesday at a Nigerian Investors’ Forum on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The DMO boss explained that Nigeria has enjoyed favourable credit assessment among rating agencies in recent times on the back of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings of seven Nigerian banks and two bank holding companies to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, noting that the outlooks are Stable.
The affected issuers are Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, First HoldCo Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc and Bank of Industry Limited.
The upgrades of the Long-Term IDRs of the banks followed the recent sovereign upgrade and reflect Fitch’s view that Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile has become less of a constraint on the issuers’ standalone creditworthiness, the rating agency said.
Fitch also upgraded Nigeria’s Long-Term IDRs to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on 11 April, a decision that reflected increased confidence in the government’s broad commitment to policy reforms implemented since its move to orthodox economic policies in June 2023, including exchange rate liberalisation, monetary policy tightening and steps to end deficit monetisation and remove fuel subsidies.
“These have improved policy coherence and credibility and reduced economic distortions and near-term risks to macroeconomic stability, enhancing resilience in the context of persistent domestic challenges and heightened external risks,” Fitch said.
Nigeria was removed from the JP Morgan index in 2015 ostensibly due to its deviation from orthodox monetary policies and influence of capital control in its management of foreign exchange.
Principally due to reduction in oil revenues at the time, Nigeria introduced currency restrictions to defend the naira after it failed to halt a dangerous slide with burning of dollar reserves. The bank had earlier warned Nigeria to restore liquidity to its currency market in a way that allowed foreign investors tracking the index to conduct transactions with minimal hurdles.
“Foreign investors who track the GBI-EM series continue to face challenges and uncertainty while transacting in the naira due to the lack of a fully functional two-way FX market and limited transparency,” the bank said in a 2015 note.
Nigeria was listed in JP Morgan’s emerging government bond index in October 2012, after the Central Bank removed a requirement that foreign investors hold government bonds for a minimum of one year before exiting.
The JP Morgan Government Bond Index reflects investor confidence and opens doors to billions of investment flows, making Nigeria’s proposed re-entry a positive signal to the market and investors.
Oniha explained that talks with JP Morgan were ongoing and had gained momentum in recent times due to the stability created by the FX market reforms.
“With all the reforms that have taken place, particularly around FX, we have started engaging JP Morgan again to get back into the index. We think we are eligible now,” the DMO DG said.