Fwd: Nigeria's War Against Boko Haram Islamic Terrorism : Military Action, Diplomatic Reach and Social Restructuring
Oluwatoyin Adepoju
The war against Boko Haram has run through three major stages from that time.
First Stage : Escalation of Terrorist Activity and the Nigerian Government's Search for an Adequate Response
The first stage is the period of escalation and the government's trying to find direction amidst the political cross-currents of the time, as Northern elite either defended the group as fighters for justice (Bamanga Tukur) described them as the outcome of poverty resulting from inadequate federal allocations to the North while some South-South states were given more money than they could manage (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi), as the group presented themselves as fighting for Muslims against an infidel government, in a situation charged with widespread dissatisfaction in the North with a Northerner not becoming President in 2011, as demonstrated by the massacres by Buhari's supporters after he lost, and Abubakar Atiku's threat of violent change during that election cycle because a Northerner did not become PDP Presidential candidate.
Second Stage : Dislodging of Boko Haram by Joint Task Force in the State of Emergency
The second stage is represented by the inception of the Joint task Force and the state of emergency, which dislodged Boko Haram from their strongholds in population centres and driving them to the outskirts of Borno, from where they were still able to launch attacks on targets in relatively remote locations.
Third Stage: Chibok Sabotage, Boko Haram Regrouping and Capturing Territory and Nigerian Army Retaking of Captured Territory
The third stage is represented by the repercussions of the act of sabotage perpetrated by the Borno state governor in keeping the Chibok school open even though the govt hads directed that schools in such remote regions be closed, an act that led to the kidnaping fiasco.
The storm over this was followed by Boko Haram reemerging to take over towns and military garrisons and was followed by the Nigerian army progressively taking these locations from them, although I expect the job is not over.
The following news reports give info on the recapturing of towns from Boko Haram, from November to December 2014:
"Nigerian Troops Win Back Cities From Extremists"
13th December 2014
"Ashaka Aftermath: 67 Boko Haram Terrorists Die In Encounter With Troops"
7th December 2014
"Boko Haram finally loses Mubi •How military dislodged sect"
5th December 2014
"Troops, Vigilantes Take Back Nigerian Town Seized by Boko Haram"
November 16, 2014
All the historical references to specific incidents here are verifiable by anyone by a Google search.
One might not agree with my general point of view on this crisis, or with my interpretation of the first stage of the crisis from 2011, but the actions I point out are verifiable historical facts.
The Social Reconstruction Initiative in Tackling Islamic Terrorism
The conclusion of the report is not in agreement with its content but that might be because of negative bias, perhaps related to Abraham Nda-Isaiah, possibly the owner of the paper, being a contender for the Presidency in the opposition APC until the recent APC primaries.
The Diplomatic Initiative
The government of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has also tried to address the Boko Haram problem through diplomacy by offering amnesty to the sect but the terrorist group rejected the offer, calling among other things, for the Nigerian President to become a Muslim if they are to stop their atrocities.
Ibukunolu A Babajide
Jonathan is only addressing his pocket.
Zaki Biam Massacre: Jonathan, Suswam under fire for diverting N8bn victims’ settlement funds
January 24, 2015Abdulrahman Abdulmalik
Gabriel Suswan, governor of Benue state, in red t-shirt and flanked by wife at the Makurdi Government House Polling Unit during the 2011 general elections. Photo: Emmanuel Ogala
President Goodluck Jonathan has come under attack for diverting N8billion settlement funds for victims of the 2001 massacre in Zaki Biam, Benue State, North-central Nigeria.
A member of the legal team representing victims of the killings, Sebastine Hon, on Wednesday blamed Mr. Jonathan for diverting the funds meant for the settlement of the massacre victims to the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam.
In a petition to the president dated January 14, and signed by Mr. Hon, Ocha Ulegede and Chris Alashi, all members of the legal consortium for the massacre victims, the lawyers described Mr. Jonathan’s action as “most embarrassing and shocking.”
The lawyers also described as embarrassing, claims by the Attorney General for the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoki, that Alexander Gaadi, the lead plaintiff gave a mandate to Mr. Suswam to collect the judgment debt.
They insisted that no such mandate was given by Mr. Gaadi and never did such an issue presented at the various discussion held between the legal team and the government.
“Since the matter is before the Court of Appeal awaiting out-of-court settlement, we wonder whether it is Mr. Suswam who would be signatory to the settlement terms to be adopted as consent judgment of the court,” a part of the petition reads.
“In law, it is never heard of that strangers to a court judgment would be permitted to enforce the judgment of the court.”
PREMIUM TIMES investigation showed that neither Mr. Suswam nor the Benue State Government was a party toor supported the long-drawn legal battle between the massacre victims and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Fiery Tiv activist, Mr. Gaadi led 13 others and a consortium of lawyers including Messrs Hon, Ulegede and Alashi, to sue former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Nigerian Army after the killings.
After six years of legal battle, a Federal High Court in Enugu on July 5, 2007, ruled in favour of the massacre victims and awarded N41.8billion damages against the government.
After the ruling, the judgment creditors secured an absolute order to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to release the funds to victims of the massacre.
A Federal High Court in Enugu, headed by Justice Lewis Allagua, issued the order on October 27, 2007.
But when the government failed to honour the court ruling and the order to pay the judgment debt, counsels to the massacre victims entered contempt proceedings against the CBN.
The government went ahead to secure a restraining order from the Appeal Court to stop the committal proceedings on October 25, 2007.
Again on March 3, 2009, the government through its counsels, D.D. Dodo, Adoke Bello, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, and Innocent Daagba secured another restraining order against the payment of the judgment debt.
It was at this point that the judgment creditors filed an appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the second restraining order secured by the government.
The Supreme Court did not hear the appeal but directed the legal team to approach the Appeal Court to set aside the restraining order.
While the parties were exploring out of court settlement processes, Mr. Gaadi, the lead judgment creditor, died on September 15, 2011.
Mr. Gaadi’s demise came barely a month after the government agreed to a compromise deal of N8 billion and shortly after Mr. Adoki, formerly one of the government’s counsels was appointed Attorney General for the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Following Mr. Gaadi’s death, Mr. Suswam reportedly initiated moves to collect the judgment debt.
At a press conference on March 4, 2013, the governor had reportedly told journalists how the state government sued the Federal Government over the Zaki Biam killings and how the Appeal Court awarded it N40 billion in compensation.
Mr. Suswam also indicated meeting Mr. Jonathan and the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who he claimed complained of paucity of funds but agreed to pay N8 billion after all.
“We are almost being paid. We took the Federal Government to court and we got judgment of N40 billion,” Mr. Suswam is quoted to have said.
Cletus Akwaya, the chief press secretary to Mr. Suswam told PREMIU TIMES the state government has constitutional duty to ensure the wellbeing of the people of the state.
“Whether the state government was involved in the litigation or not, since the resources are coming to Benue citizens the government must be involved,” he said.
He argued that the government was not embezzling the funds but was interested in ensuring the real victims benefitted from it.
Mr. Akwaya said the federal government did not pay the compromise funds because of the court ruling but because of Mr. Suswam’s intervention.
He said, “The money is not being paid because of the litigation. It is being paid because the governor engaged the president and told got him to pay the money.
“This has happened in many other places. There are several parts of the country where such killings took place but government has not done anything.
When reminded that similar payments were made in Odi, Bayelsa State, he said, “Zaki Biam is different from Odi.”
Asked why the state government failed to take the Federal Government to court but waited for private citizens to win a case before stepping in, he said, “It was a matter of strategy. The state government had representatives and in this case Dr. Gaadi and other litigants.
“Again, this is a legal issue. If the people feel that the state government should not be involved, the attorney general for the federation will determine who collects the money based on his interpretation of the law.
“This is a legal issue. People should not bring their own whims and caprices into this matter. The legality of the matter will be based on interpretation of the law.
“If the state government is justified by law to take custody of the funds, the Federal Government cannot be said to have done anything illegal. Anybody who feels aggrieved can seek legal redress. If anybody feels that Benue Government should not be involved, there are many legal avenues to seek redress.”
Peter Akper, one of the aides to the attorney general for the federation and minister of justice refused to speak on the issue when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him.
Calls made to the minister’s telephone failed to connect and a text message sent to him was not responded to.
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDial...@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialo...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Indeed, all the world’s a stage, and even presidents have their exits and their entrances.
There’s “the Military Initiative”’s, first stage, second stage, third stage. He’s had all the time in the world and now desperation has returned so we're now in the panic mode. With less than three weeks to the elections this is probably the fourth stage i.e. the “total onslaught” we’ve been hearing about and that’s taking place righty now in Maiduguri the capital of Borno with air and ground attacks to keep the insurgents out of the city itself and it’s reported that there was a heavy security presence there, to protect President Jonathan during his campaign visit yesterday. I just watched the BBC World News at 13 hrs GMT and this is what David Eades the newscaster had to say:
“It’s a blow for the Nigerian government - just about 24 hours ago that Goodluck Jonathan appeared at an election rally promising to end the violence, as he put it, “soon”.....
“And that makes a mockery of Goodluck Jonathan’s appearance in Maiduguri yesterday, saying that we’ll deal with Boko Haram when this happens within 24 hours of that and I imagine that there are so many people who have moved to Maiduguri to get away from Boko Haram, it’s a double blow”
Looka here Oluwatoyin Adepoju, you may have a nice voice / His Master's Voice and be a good even if incredible praise singer and spokesman for the Nigerian president and military but you are not a good politician or military strategists so I suggest that you stick to what you are good at such as your epistemological speculations and to tell you the truth, I quite enjoyed this one – and assure you that you are much better at representing yourself than representing or apologising for Goodluck Jonathan’s inadequacies or lack of success....