Nigerien, Nigerian armies row over ‘coward claim’

The Nigerian military has accused
Niger’s Defence Ministry of aiding
Boko Haram activities in the
country by supplying the terror
group with mercenaries.
In a series of tweets on Thursday,
Nigeria’s Director of Defence
Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris
Olukolade, described soldiers from
the neighbouring country as
looters who collaborate with
terrorists “as a way of surviving the
poverty in their country.”
The military spokesperson was
reacting to a comment credited to
Niger’s Defence Ministry,
suggesting that Nigeria’s troops
are cowards.
In one of the tweets, Olukolade
said, “Welcome our friends from
Niger. No way for your infamous
looting here. How the poor country
compensates its soldiers and claim
they don’t run. Our soldiers have
been defending our people and
nation’s wealth from mercenaries
supplied to Boko Haram by those
who boast that they don’t run.”
Olukolade criticised the comment
made in a statement signed by
Niger’s Defence Minister,
Mahamadou Karidjo, which said,
“Our soldiers are not like Nigerians.
They don’t run.”
Olukolade said, Nigerian soldiers
are “brave” and “patriotic”, adding
that it was unacceptable for a
foreign government to accuse
them of running away from duty.
Olukolade’s tweets read, “Our
soldiers have remained
professional and sacrificial in
protecting their fellow Nigerians,
preserving the nation’s assets
despite these jeering, insults and
ill wishes from within or without
Nigeria, the Nigerian soldier has
not and will not be deterred.
“He remains the gallant, brave and
patriotic Nigerian soldier. Although
these battles continue and others
are now joining him, never mind,
very soon, it will be victory for
Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Military remains a
great asset and the envy of other
nations.
“The Nigerien Defence Ministry’s
irresponsible comment is noted. It
is sad a few partisan elements join
the poor country to insult our
troops.
“We don’t cross our boundaries. It
is unacceptable for any foreign
government to say our soldiers run.
This is your Motherland! Defend
her!
“Poor Niger! Treacherous ones
among us accorded them effrontery
to insult our troops to gain bad
press. Don’t compromise your
Patriotism!”
At least, 750 Nigerien soldiers are
among the 7,500 regional joint
force currently fighting against the
Boko Haram insurgents.
The leader of the Boko Haram terror
group, Abubakar Shekau, had in a 36
minutes video released via
Youtube, in January 2015, described
Nigerian soldiers as cowards.
He said, “Your army kept deceiving
the world that you can’t fight us
because you have no arms. Liars!
You have all that it takes; you are
just coward soldiers. You forgot
that it is God that arms.
“Is it not amazing that we, who
started with sticks and machetes,
are today the biggest headache to
the almighty Nigerian soldiers?
What a shame!!”
In the video, a turbaned member of
the group, who was with a camera,
boasted about its collection of
ammunition.
He said, “All these arms and
ammunition you see in their
thousands are gotten from Baga. As
you can see, we have thousands of
AK 47 rifles; we have so much that
we are still conveying them to our
camp here.
“We have AA, we have different
kinds of them that can be mounted
on vehicles. We have Shell Car; we
have RPGs; we have mag and so on.
We cannot just mention them. We
have dozens of vehicles and thanks
to God that has given us.”
However, a Nigerien journalist,
Patrouillle Fan MaliI, described his
experience with the Nigerian
military as great, as reported by
Nigerien online newspaper,
nigerdiaspora.net.
Malil said he stayed with the
Nigerian soldiers deployed in his
locality in the war against the Boko
Haram terrorist group in North-
Eastern Mali.
He said, “Kudos to you, Nigerian
soldiers deployed in Gao and
Ansongo! Good luck for the
fulfilment of your mission to
restore the territorial integrity of
Mali and population security!
“For your remarkable work, done
with professionalism and bravery,
you honour our country, Niger
Republic appreciates you. Certainly,
this is what I saw, but I know also
elsewhere, you do your
assignments professionally and live
in harmony with the people you
keep safe.”
Meanwhile, President Goodluck
Jonathan on Friday promised that
the nation’s security forces would
completely wipe out members of
the violent Boko Haram sect from
Adamawa and Yobe states before
the March 28 and April 11
rescheduled dates of general
elections.
He also promised that in the case of
Borno State, at least 70 per cent of
the state would be recovered
before the elections.
Jonathan made the promise during
a cocktail he organised for
members of the diplomatic corps at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the security forces would
carry out the operation in order to
ensure that elections hold in the
three affected states.
He said, “This period will give them
(security forces) the opportunity to
clean up the three states. If at all
they cannot clean up the three
states, at least two states will be
recovered completely and more
local governments even from the
remaining state so that elections
could be conducted even in Borno
State.
“Even if we don’t take over all the
territories in Borno State, definitely
in Adamawa and Yobe states, we
will take over completely. Even if
we don’t take over Borno State, the
headquarters of Boko Haram,
completely, at least 70 per cent of
that state will be free for elections
to be conducted.
“This is because democracy can
only be meaningful if people are
allowed to select who rules them.”
Jonathan boasted that his
administration would defeat
insurgency the same way it
defeated the Ebola Virus Disease.
He said the whole world would see
his administration’s achievement
in that area very soon.
The President said his
administration recognised the real
threats terrorism poses to the
nation’s development and national
security.
He said insurgency had become the
biggest manifestation of terrorism
not only in Nigeria but also in the
region.
He said the activities of the sect had
further shown that no single
country could effectively tackle
terrorism and insurgency alone.
He explained that that was why the
Federal Government is
collaborating with neighbouring
countries, sub-regional allies and
other partners beyond the region
to deal with what he described as
mortal challenge to Nigeria’s
security and development.
‘We are already beginning to turn
the trend. Let me reassure you very
clearly that we will surely win the
war against Boko Haram. We are
moving faster now, in the next few
weeks the whole world will know
that we are totally committed and
that we are in position to save our
people,” he declared.
On the rescheduled elections, the
President insisted that it was a
decision taken in the best interest
of the country.
He said it was a potential security
threat to have gone ahead with the
elections on the earlier scheduled
dates with about only 30 per cent of
people having Permanent Voter
Cards.
The President restated his position
that poll shift would not affect the
May 29 handover date.
He added, “Let me use this platform
to clarify this issue, that the
adjustment is within the
constitution and not just the
electoral law.
“Elections will be conducted as
scheduled by the electoral body on
March 28 and April 11.
“On May 29 this year, the President
will be inaugurated. You should
convey this to your countries.”
Jonathan said apart from
insurgency, there were other
security issues that were noticed
during the period of campaigns
which if not properly handled, the
country might go up in flames
Meanwhile, at least 21 people were
killed in two separate Boko Haram
attacks on villages near the key city
of Maiduguri in North-East Nigeria, a
community leader and a witness
said on Friday.
“They killed 12 people in Akida
village and nine others in Mbuta
village during a raid,” community
leader, Mustapha Abbagini, told
Agence France Presse.
A witness to the attack in Mbuta
gave the same death toll while
both said that the insurgents
destroyed shops and homes in the
raids, which happened on Thursday
morning.
The Boko Haram Islamic sect also
attacked a village in Chad on Friday,
the first known lethal attack in the
country, which killed several
people including a local chief,
according to residents and security
forces.
The fighters arrived by motorised
canoe at the fishing village of
Ngouboua on the shores of Lake
Chad early in the morning, setting
houses ablaze and attacking a
police station before being driven
back by the army.
“Over here, one of my neighbour’s
throat was slit. Over there, a
woman burned to death inside her
house,” a local mechanic who gave
his name as Mallaye told Reuters.
Among those present in Ngouboua,
located about 20 km (12 miles) east
of the Nigerian border, were
thousands of refugees who fled
there in early January after an
attack on the Nigerian town of
Baga.
Niger Republic and Chad had last
week signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Nigeria in its
fight against the militant group and
had also sent about 7,500 troops to
support the mission.
In a related development, one of
the prominent issues discussed at
the meeting of the Economic
Community of Central African States
during the week in Yaounde,
Cameroon was how military
support would be offered to assist
Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram,
according to a French newspaper
based in Cameroon, camer.be.
It was learnt that the 10-member
organisation, led by a Chadian,
Nassour Guelendouksia Ouaido,
considered the gesture as its
member, Cameroon, is affected by
the insurgents’ activities.
The outcome of the meeting, which
was concluded on Friday, had yet to
be made public.

see what Mr president turn our military too

ancl wrote:

see what Mr president turn our military too

Everything is going to be OK after the election by God grace, God pass u jonah

hmmmm OK let vote change ooo

Change is certain.

And you want me to read all these?

stainlez wrote:

And you want me to read all these?

Only if you are intrested.

Our armies are in good shape but you cant asking me to kill my country men becos he joins boko_haram sect #fulani /hausa army will not killed boko-haram if he sighted one

cableman02 wrote:

Our armies are in good shape but you cant asking me to kill my country men becos he joins boko_haram sect #fulani /hausa army will not killed boko-haram if he sighted one

That is not true man, army are specially trained to kill anybody even their family member talkless of relatives.
#OGBEGBAGI#
One eye closed