Leader
of the Boko Haram sect Imam Abubakar Shekau hails from Niger Republic,
according to the report of a Senate joint committee that investigated the
deadly violence in Baga town of Borno State in April.
Shekau is widely believed to be from Shekau village of Yobe
State, but the Senate committee in its report submitted yesterday said Borno
State Governor Kashim Shettima told visiting senators that the man was actually
from the neighbouring Republic of Niger.
The report, a copy obtained by Daily Trust, said senators were
told that “although the Boko Haram sect members have some Chadians and
Cameroonians within their midst about 80 per cent of them are of Kanuri tribe,
adding that the leader of the sect Abubakar Shekau is a Kanuri from Niger
Republic.”
Shekau became leader of the group in 2009 following the death in
police custody of erstwhile leader Mohammed Yusuf.
He is believed to have spearheaded the regrouping of the sect,
which quickly graduated from conducting targeted drive-by shootings in
Maiduguri to launching massive bomb assaults in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other
places in the North.
Although he has not been seen in public since July 2009, Shekau
has released occasional internet videos in which he makes claims of
responsibility of attacks and taunts the Federal Government.
‘Exaggerated’
The Senate on April 23 mandated its committees on Defense and
Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to investigate the
Baga violence in which local leaders accused soldiers of killing 185 people and
destroying more than 2,000 homes.
Military authorities had denied conducting indiscriminate
killings, saying only 37 people died in a gun battle between soldiers from the
Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and Boko Haram fighters.
In its report, the Senate committee disputed the Baga death toll
given by both sides but failed to provide a specific figure.
“The death toll of 185 was exaggerated but there may be more
than 37 deaths. This is possible as there is no documentary evidence from
either the natives or the military to ascertain figure quoted,” the report
said.
The report also tried to exonerate the military, saying the
incident was caused by Boko Haram who pulled out an army officer from a bus and
killed him on March 29, and also killed another soldier on April 16. It said
MNJF troops sent 70 soldiers to repel the Boko Haram fighters in Baga on the
night of April 16, resulting in a shootout that caused “some deaths.”
But the report said the military carried out a hasty operation
and this might have contributed to the level of destruction.
“The operation to flush out the Boko Haram members between
20:30HRS and 2100HRS on April 16, 2013 was carried out hastily. The MNJTF
should have cordoned the area till day break and carry out house to house
check; this would have reduced number of casualties and damages,” the report
said.
On the destruction of houses, the report also said the “quantum
of destruction of houses, vehicles and motorbikes were exaggerated. There was
actual physical count of 155 houses burnt as against the figure of 2000 given
by Governor Shettima and 3,059 given by the district head.”
Shettima, the report said, classified Boko Haram into three
categories: “criminal elements that send text messages to individuals to extort
money, political Boko Haram who sought to advance their political interstate
and the real Boko Haram which are made up of moderates that are prepared to
dialogue with government and the crazy religious elements who are die hard and
are not ready for compromise.”
In its recommendations, the 28-member Senate panel urged troops
on internal security operations to adhere to the provisions of the Geneva
Convention, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement in order to minimise casualties.
The committee called on President
Goodluck Jonathan to direct the armed forces to carry out urgent recruitment of
soldiers and officers as insurgency has overstretched the military.
Senators are scheduled to consider
the report this morning.
Tags
Politics
The should kill this guy when the are cut, de should not put them anywhere.
ReplyDeleteOperation catch and kill shld be our target,kill them when u catch them
ReplyDeleteOperation catch and kill should be adopted instead of taking them to mnjtf head quarters.
ReplyDeleteSupported!
ReplyDeleteBoko haram kill humans like animals, let the military adopt same method for them also. The blood of all the innocent people boko haram members have shed will catch up with them and their sponsors.
ReplyDeleteThe North should be blamed completely for allowing illegal immigrants or illegal miscreants come into Nigeria in the name of religion and today even in Abuja, they have taken over Gwarimpa, Kubwa, Lugbe and dei-dei all in the FCT; all in the name of doing okada, mai ruwa, shoe makers etc.
ReplyDeleteDuring Elections, they are the first to come out to vote and cause problem to Nigerians.
The places of worships are where these illegal miscreats sleep.
The Nigeria Government should start the permanent I.D cards registration fast in those core Northern States before more illegal micreants would come back across our borders.
Tank u my broda.infact am waiting to c any boko haram member and if i do i wont wait for JTF i will kill dem my self cos they are too wicked.killing innocent souls for nothing is dat wat d religion ask dem to do.
ReplyDeleteU might be right in all ur comments but first,the Immegrstions device is to be considered a failure,secondly there is no security in Nigeria,thirdly what have the Government got to offer the masses? No jobs,no good roads,no stable Electricity,no health care services.God,old let the Messiah visit Nigeria Today.
ReplyDelete