PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigeria: Buhari's diplomatic war efforts against Boko Haram reported in Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - President Muhammadu Buhari's recent visit to Cameroon, designed to drum up support and collaboration in the fight against Boko Haram, dominated headline news in Nigeria this week.
"Nigeria seeks neighbours’ help to fight terrorists" was the headline of the story in the NATION, which said that President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday rounded off a two-day visit to Cameroon, urging Nigeria’s neighbours to join the anti-Boko Haram war.
He said Nigeria and the neighbouring countries must stand together to defeat the terrorists.
The President spoke at a dinner held in his honour at the Unity Palace in Yaounde to close his working visit to Cameroon.
The NATION quoted Buhari as saying that countries in the sub-region cannot afford to falter in their resolve to rid their domains of terrorism.
He said: “We recognise that none of us can succeed alone. In order to win this war, we need the collective efforts of each one of us, standing together as a formidable force for good, to defeat and end these acts of terror against our people.”
He also told guests at the dinner, hosted by Cameroonian President Paul Biya, that the security situation in the region presented an opportunity for Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin to work together for their common security, peace and socio-economic development.
Buhari said: “Let me assure all of my relentless pursuit of all possible means to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity, protect the lives and property of our citizens as well as my commitment to continue to collaborate with Cameroon and our neighbours within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to respecting international norms to resolve this matter and to restore normalcy to all the affected areas as soon as possible.’’
Buhari, who earlier met his host privately, thanked President Biya for providing refuge to Nigerians, who had fled their homes to Cameroon because of the insurgents.
He praised Cameroon for its support to the Nigerian military and security personnel in the fight against terrorism, even as he offered his condolences to the families of the victims of terror in both countries.
Biya, congratulating Buhari for a successful inauguration into office, said his electoral victory had provided an opportunity for him to preside over the “destiny of Nigeria”.
He said: “Mr. President, a dark cloud is looming over our countries even as we welcome you; we are facing the same threat, which may rock the foundation of our two nations.
“This danger bears the name of Boko Haram. Its atrocities and crimes are jeopardising peace around Lake Chad and especially in our two countries. The number of dead and victims are rising; economic activities have been crippled in affected areas; the number of refugees and displaced persons are ever increasing. We cannot allow this cancer to spread; we must pool our resources and forces and share our experiences.’’
The SUN, with the headline "United, we can defeat Boko Haram – Buhari", reported that President Buhari has said the only way Boko Haram insurgents can be defeated is for Nigeria and the neighbouring countries to be united in the fight against terrorism.
Buhari said countries in the sub-region could not afford to falter in their resolve to get rid of the evils of terrorists.
"Nigeria, Cameroun to Work Together to Stop Boko Haram" was THISDAY newspaper's headline.
According to the story, Presidents Buhari and Biya have agreed to work together to stop the aggression of Boko Haram in both countries.
Buhari, who was in Cameroun on a two-day working visit to seek the support of Biya in fighting terrorism, said Nigeria and neighbouring countries must stand together to defeat and degrade Boko Haram terrorists in the sub-region.
On the war itself, the outgone Nigerian Defence Chief has disclosed how foreign countries had frustrated the war against Boko Haram.
According to THISDAY newspaper, whose headline was "Badeh: Foreign Countries Frustrated War against Boko Haram", the the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, on Thursday revealed that foreign nations frustrated the war against Boko Haram terrorists.
Badeh, who spoke in the Abuja at the pulling out ceremony organised in his honour, said the decision by some countries to deny Nigeria of weapons to prosecute the war was one of the reasons the fight against insurgency in the country had lasted this long.
He also added that over the years, the military was neglected and under-equipped to ensure survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it.
According to Badeh, he spearheaded a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded the local populace.
Unfortunately, he said past leaders accepted such recommendations without appreciating the peculiarities as a third world military, which did not have the technological advantage that could serve as force multipliers and compensate for reduced strength.
He disclosed that when faced with the crises in the North-east parts of the country, the military was overstretched and had to embark on emergency recruitment and training which were not adequate to prepare troops for the kind of situation the country found itself.
Badeh said: “I must say that the task of coordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against terrorists is perhaps the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in over 38 years of service. For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded the local populace.
“The activities of fifth columnists in the military and other sensitive military information leaked to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult.
“The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops."
The retired Air Chief Marshall, however, said in spite of all the challenges, the military achieved tremendous success in the fight against terror, which he attributed to the commitment, patriotism, and the fighting spirit of the gallant officers, men and women in uniform.
Badeh lamented the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the press and political class to gain political mileage.
He also lamented the negative media coverage of the activities of the armed forces in the ongoing war against terror.
The former CDS was emphatic that no nation could achieve its full security potentials by totally depending on other nations for its needs, noting that the lessons of the civil war and the ongoing war against terror where certain countries frustrated the attempts to procure much need weapons are very destructive.
The NATION captioned its story on the war "71 captives rescued as troops smash Boko Haram camps". It reported that skinny men and women, frail old people and ailing young boys and girls were all excited to be free — thanks to troops who subdued two Boko Haram camps in Chuogori and Shantumari, in north eastern Borno State.
The NATION quoted the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, as saying that the troops dislodged insurgents from two camps Thursday and rescued 59 from three others.
In a statement, Col. Usman said: “As part of efforts to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 21 Brigade and elements of Nigerian Army Engineers yesterday cleared a notorious terrorists’ camp at Chuogori and Shantumari, Borno State.
“During the offensive operations, the fleeing terrorists left underground silos."
He said that during the raids, quite a number of the terrorists were killed; a Landrover vehicle and a tipper recovered.
According to the NATION, some of the rescued captives disclosed that they were in the clutches of the extremists for as long as a year.
“I was waiting for death … they often threatened to kill us,” said Yagana Kyari, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been kidnapped from her village of Kawuri and taken to a militant camp in Walimberi, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Maiduguri.
Kyari said they often went hungry because the extremists never provided enough food.
The SUN treated the same story under the headline "Military rescues 59 more hostages from Boko Haram".
-0- PANA VAO 1Aug2015
"Nigeria seeks neighbours’ help to fight terrorists" was the headline of the story in the NATION, which said that President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday rounded off a two-day visit to Cameroon, urging Nigeria’s neighbours to join the anti-Boko Haram war.
He said Nigeria and the neighbouring countries must stand together to defeat the terrorists.
The President spoke at a dinner held in his honour at the Unity Palace in Yaounde to close his working visit to Cameroon.
The NATION quoted Buhari as saying that countries in the sub-region cannot afford to falter in their resolve to rid their domains of terrorism.
He said: “We recognise that none of us can succeed alone. In order to win this war, we need the collective efforts of each one of us, standing together as a formidable force for good, to defeat and end these acts of terror against our people.”
He also told guests at the dinner, hosted by Cameroonian President Paul Biya, that the security situation in the region presented an opportunity for Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin to work together for their common security, peace and socio-economic development.
Buhari said: “Let me assure all of my relentless pursuit of all possible means to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity, protect the lives and property of our citizens as well as my commitment to continue to collaborate with Cameroon and our neighbours within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to respecting international norms to resolve this matter and to restore normalcy to all the affected areas as soon as possible.’’
Buhari, who earlier met his host privately, thanked President Biya for providing refuge to Nigerians, who had fled their homes to Cameroon because of the insurgents.
He praised Cameroon for its support to the Nigerian military and security personnel in the fight against terrorism, even as he offered his condolences to the families of the victims of terror in both countries.
Biya, congratulating Buhari for a successful inauguration into office, said his electoral victory had provided an opportunity for him to preside over the “destiny of Nigeria”.
He said: “Mr. President, a dark cloud is looming over our countries even as we welcome you; we are facing the same threat, which may rock the foundation of our two nations.
“This danger bears the name of Boko Haram. Its atrocities and crimes are jeopardising peace around Lake Chad and especially in our two countries. The number of dead and victims are rising; economic activities have been crippled in affected areas; the number of refugees and displaced persons are ever increasing. We cannot allow this cancer to spread; we must pool our resources and forces and share our experiences.’’
The SUN, with the headline "United, we can defeat Boko Haram – Buhari", reported that President Buhari has said the only way Boko Haram insurgents can be defeated is for Nigeria and the neighbouring countries to be united in the fight against terrorism.
Buhari said countries in the sub-region could not afford to falter in their resolve to get rid of the evils of terrorists.
"Nigeria, Cameroun to Work Together to Stop Boko Haram" was THISDAY newspaper's headline.
According to the story, Presidents Buhari and Biya have agreed to work together to stop the aggression of Boko Haram in both countries.
Buhari, who was in Cameroun on a two-day working visit to seek the support of Biya in fighting terrorism, said Nigeria and neighbouring countries must stand together to defeat and degrade Boko Haram terrorists in the sub-region.
On the war itself, the outgone Nigerian Defence Chief has disclosed how foreign countries had frustrated the war against Boko Haram.
According to THISDAY newspaper, whose headline was "Badeh: Foreign Countries Frustrated War against Boko Haram", the the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, on Thursday revealed that foreign nations frustrated the war against Boko Haram terrorists.
Badeh, who spoke in the Abuja at the pulling out ceremony organised in his honour, said the decision by some countries to deny Nigeria of weapons to prosecute the war was one of the reasons the fight against insurgency in the country had lasted this long.
He also added that over the years, the military was neglected and under-equipped to ensure survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it.
According to Badeh, he spearheaded a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded the local populace.
Unfortunately, he said past leaders accepted such recommendations without appreciating the peculiarities as a third world military, which did not have the technological advantage that could serve as force multipliers and compensate for reduced strength.
He disclosed that when faced with the crises in the North-east parts of the country, the military was overstretched and had to embark on emergency recruitment and training which were not adequate to prepare troops for the kind of situation the country found itself.
Badeh said: “I must say that the task of coordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against terrorists is perhaps the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in over 38 years of service. For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded the local populace.
“The activities of fifth columnists in the military and other sensitive military information leaked to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult.
“The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops."
The retired Air Chief Marshall, however, said in spite of all the challenges, the military achieved tremendous success in the fight against terror, which he attributed to the commitment, patriotism, and the fighting spirit of the gallant officers, men and women in uniform.
Badeh lamented the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the press and political class to gain political mileage.
He also lamented the negative media coverage of the activities of the armed forces in the ongoing war against terror.
The former CDS was emphatic that no nation could achieve its full security potentials by totally depending on other nations for its needs, noting that the lessons of the civil war and the ongoing war against terror where certain countries frustrated the attempts to procure much need weapons are very destructive.
The NATION captioned its story on the war "71 captives rescued as troops smash Boko Haram camps". It reported that skinny men and women, frail old people and ailing young boys and girls were all excited to be free — thanks to troops who subdued two Boko Haram camps in Chuogori and Shantumari, in north eastern Borno State.
The NATION quoted the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, as saying that the troops dislodged insurgents from two camps Thursday and rescued 59 from three others.
In a statement, Col. Usman said: “As part of efforts to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 21 Brigade and elements of Nigerian Army Engineers yesterday cleared a notorious terrorists’ camp at Chuogori and Shantumari, Borno State.
“During the offensive operations, the fleeing terrorists left underground silos."
He said that during the raids, quite a number of the terrorists were killed; a Landrover vehicle and a tipper recovered.
According to the NATION, some of the rescued captives disclosed that they were in the clutches of the extremists for as long as a year.
“I was waiting for death … they often threatened to kill us,” said Yagana Kyari, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been kidnapped from her village of Kawuri and taken to a militant camp in Walimberi, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Maiduguri.
Kyari said they often went hungry because the extremists never provided enough food.
The SUN treated the same story under the headline "Military rescues 59 more hostages from Boko Haram".
-0- PANA VAO 1Aug2015
