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Borno Killings: JTF Denies Red Cross Baga Access?
The Nigerian Red Cross Society and other rescue workers yesterday struggled to reach the remote town of Baga in Borno State where the military was restricting access after fierce clashes that killed 187 people, as the State Governor, Kashim Shettima, ordered a massive relief effort following the ‘barbaric’ violence.
The bloodshed in Baga on Lake Chad in Borno could mark the deadliest episode in the insurgency of Boko Haram, the radical Islamist group blamed for scores of attacks since 2009.
Gun battles between troops and Islamist fighters caused a “barbaric destruction of lives and properties,” Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, said in a statement.
Baga residents have accused the military of firing indiscriminately on civilians and setting fire to much of the fishing town.
In addition to the 187 people killed, 77 others were injured while more than 300 homes were destroyed, according to the Red Cross.
The military has disputed those figures, while President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a probe into reports of widespread civilian deaths.
Red Cross disaster management coordinator, Umar Abdul Mairiga, told newsmen that relief workers had struggled to reach Baga because the military had not been able to guarantee their safety amid continuing tension.
“Now, they have given us permission to move,” he said, adding that a full team was expected to deploy early Wednesday.
Much of the town remains deserted after the fighting on Friday, which forced thousands of people to flee, saying that a resident who asked that his name be withheld.
“Baga is still under military siege,” he said. “The town is at a standstill with little food and water, which has forced even those of us that stayed behind to start leaving.”
The governor, who toured Baga on Sunday, called for emergency funds to rebuild the destroyed homes as well as the immediate provision of food and clothes to the survivors.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement he was “shocked and saddened at the reports of high numbers of civilians killed”.
Washington also condemned the violence and the deaths of many civilians.
The details of the alleged military atrocities in Baga are still emerging, but it could mark a major setback in Nigeria’s effort to end the insurgency.
Baga’s location near Chad and Niger is problematic for Nigeria’s security forces as people from all three countries move freely through porous borders, said Shehu Sani, an expert on religious violence in Nigeria.
The security forces struggle to identify the insurgent and criminal groups migrating in the region, a confusing and lawless environment that has led to the reckless targeting of innocent civilians, said Sani.
A multi-national security force involving Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria is officially responsible for the border region, including Baga.
There have been conflicting reports as to whether any foreign soldiers were involved in the violence on Friday, but the area commander, Brigadier General Austin Edokpaye is a Nigerian.
Meanwhile, there was public outcry yesterday over the killings of 187 people in Baga, Borno State, during a clash between the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram and the Joint Task Force.
Groups that condemned the killings included, the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Senate and the House of Representatives, among others.
The Senate said it would investigate the alleged killings.
It decided to probe the killings following a motion brought by Senator Maina Lawan, (Borno North Senatorial District).
President of the Senate, David Mark, asked the Committees on Defence, Police and National Security and Intelligence to probe the allegations and report in two weeks.
Mark said, “There are standard rules of engagement and that do not include mass killing and extrajudicial killing. The level of death is just too high and we cannot accept that.”
Mark did not allow the matter to be debated citing security implications and the sensitive nature of the matter.
Maina, in his submission, said Baga, which is his hometown, was in ruins following the rampage by the military.
He said, “My hometown of Baga is today in ruins, with 180-200 human lives lost and numerous others unaccounted, 2000 homes, 62 cars and 284 motor cycles and tons and tons of food stuff destroyed.”
However, the North yesterday condemned the killing of over 187 people and the destruction of over 2,000 houses at Baga in Borno State during a clash between soldiers and the Boko Haram. It called for a commission of inquiry instead of probe as promised by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.