Adamawa Firefight: Obasanjo’s Son Wounded By Boko Haram In Baza: Boko Haram insurgents yesterday shot and wounded a son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Lt-Colonel Adeboye Obasanjo, when they attacked the platoon he was leading at Bazza, about 230km from Yola, the Adamawa State capital. Adeboye Obasanjo is an army engineer working with the 3rd Division in Jos, Plateau State, and was recently deployed to Adamawa State by the military authorities to help nip the activities of Boko Haram that has held parts of the state captive in the bud. Bazza is the hometown of the general officer commanding (GOC) the division where the incident took place. According to military sources, Obasanjo has been rushed to an undisclosed hospital. Another security source said he was shot on his two legs and might have been severely hurt. Reports indicated that about 27 soldiers in the platoon fighting the war against the insurgents were feared killed by the Boko Haram. Report also indicated that some Boko Haram insurgents were injured during the fierce gun duel that lasted hours between the two sides. Already, apprehension has enveloped Mubi and environs, leading the authorities of the Adamawa State University to shut down the institution indefinitely as thousands of residents of the town fled to different parts of Adamawa State, especially Yola, while those that have relatives in Cameroun Republic have also fled to the country to escape possible attack. Acting registrar of the Adamawa State University Malam Hassan Tanko, who announced the closure of the institution, cited security concerns behind the action, adding that the action was taken to secure lives of the students. Mubi, which is one of the biggest towns of Adamawa, is strategic as it serves as one of the business and educational hubs of the state. It harbors institutions like Adamawa State University and Federal Polytechnic, Mubi. The Cattle International Market is located in it, just as it plays host to a number of commercial banks. Before the latest exodus of people from Mubi, many displaced persons in Michika, Kirchinga and Madagali found refuge in the area, especially as it plays host to one of the special operations battalion which gave displaced people the hope that it is a safe haven. Reports indicated that residents are fleeing Mubi in their thousands to other parts of the state and Cameroun Republic as it became glaring that the insurgents intend to annex it. There was serious congestion at the Mubi motor park as the vehicles available could not accommodate the teeming fleeing residents of the area. Many people resorted to trekking for many Kilometres to avoid being caught up by the rampaging insurgents. Many, especially the old and children who could not walk long distances, were reportedly stranded. Similarly, Yola was agog with fleeing residents of Mubi, Madagali and other captured towns as human traffic at the various motor packs kept on filing. The Damare NYSC IDP camp was filling to the brim as IDPs kept trooping by the hour. The presence of several soldiers who trooped to the town in the evening has heightened tension in the state capital. Many soldiers who were seemingly demoralized by the impregnability of the Boko Haram were seen moving away from the troubled areas en route to Yola with many APCs and Tata vans; they carried along their belongings. The major road network linking the northern part of the state to the state capital has been witnessing unprecedented vehicular traffic as many people rushed into the state capital. The influx of people has caused apprehension: residents worry about the security implication of such mass movement just as they fear that the infrastructural facilities are being overstretched. DHQ keep mum Efforts made to confirm the development from the defence headquarters proved abortive as several calls and text messages sent to the phone of its spokesman, Gen Chris Olukolade, were not responded to at press time. Boko Haram warning to Cameron: PDP UK replies APC UK The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), UK chapter, has described as misleading the recent representation made by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the British prime minister, David Cameron, on the security situation in Nigeria. In a statement jointly signed by Ogbueshi Oburota and Rasaki Sulu-Lola, chairman and publicity secretary respectively, the PDP UK accused the APC UK of desperately seeking a bid to burnish the party’s soiled image. On August 7, the leaders of the APC UK visited Cameron to hand over a message alerting him to dangers capable of derailing Nigeria’s democracy. The PDP UK said it was nothing more than a desperate attempt to burnish the opposition party’s already tainted image. The said visit to Cameron was given publicity in the Trumpet Media Group publication of August 8, 2014, and a couple of other news organisations. The PDP UK contended that its counterpart was conveniently ignoring the fact that, recently, two members of the British House of Commons posed some questions and notices requesting the foreign and commonwealth minister to investigate allegations of a relationship between the APC and Boko Haram. “Their concern is that some members of the APC may be sponsors or supporters of Boko Haram, a concern that is logical and worthy of investigation. Also, on the 23 July 2014, a Conservative Party think-tank, the Bow Group, published a document titled ‘Exposing and Defeating Boko Haram: Why the West must unite to help Nigeria defeat terrorism’, in which it unequivocally questioned the relationship between APC and Boko Haram. “It is only natural, therefore, that the APC would come out to defend itself as well as try to deceive the public. It can be recollected that APC was vehemently against Nigeria seeking and receiving support in terms of military intelligence and logistics from the Western world when the mayhem of Boko Haram reached cataclysmic levels. The PDP government wisely ignored them and welcomed the assistance of the Western world in seeking peace for the country. Boko Haram: Cameroon closes border schools The Cameroonian government has announced closure of some schools in the far north bordering Nigeria as Boko Haram gained momentum in attacking the region, saying the government is set to relocate the school populations to more secure areas. The 2014-2015 academic year began in the country with thousands of students and teachers deserting schools in the area over fear of the terrorist attacks. Some schools had been either destroyed or occupied by the militants. Cameroon secretary of state for secondary education Monouna Fotsou told Voice of America (VOA) that the government plans to move students for security reasons. “Where the situation is so bad, we will de-localise some schools; at that moment also we will bring the staff and the students to the new sites. The objective of this Boko Haram is to traumatize our citizens,” Fotsou said. Also speaking with the agency, a teacher, Pamela Singeh, said: “I cannot advise any child to go to school in the border zone because it is dangerous. “Look at some classrooms; they have been destroyed by Boko Haram. They even come here to pray; so I would not advise or allow any child to go to school in this area.” Terrorist group Boko Haram has massacred, kidnapped and looted villages along Cameroon with attacks becoming more frequent as the group has gained momentum in its fight for its own caliphate in Gwoza, Borno State. The armed forces has done little to stop the violence.Original link Read More goo.gl/oix3gA (y) ✍comment ☏share
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 05:04:15 +0000
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