Nation
Boko Haram: We’ll Not Assist Nigeria Again, Mercenaries Lament …FG’ll Determine Those To Offer Help, DHQ Clarifies
Days after North-East Governors urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use mercenaries to fight Boko Haram, the foreign military contractors earlier engaged by the Federal Government have vowed never to return.
The fighters took the battle to terrorists in Sambisa forest and other enclaves during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Then, Nigeria covertly brought in ‘military-technical advisers’ regarded as mercenaries from South Africa and the former Soviet Union.
Ahead of the 2015 general election, the hit men day and night dealt Boko Haram severe blows.
Regional security, defence and diplomatic sources were aware of the development.
There was also a tacit confirmation by Jonathan that two companies were providing “trainers and technicians” to help Nigerian forces.
Now, calls for the warriors to return after the upsurge in attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP are being made.
Last Saturday, more than 43 farmers were slaughtered at Koshobe village.
The gruesome murder sparked global outrage.
Speaking to PRNigeria, one of the facilitators of “soldiers of fortune” decried the persecution and prosecution of foreigners and Nigerian counterparts who participated in the war after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.
He said: “In fact, some of our covert operations and activities of operatives in Nigeria, including incurred casualties were exposed as working for mercenaries. Imagine that even highly classified and coded transactions for operational purposes were exposed as corruption.”
The source disclosed that some payments for operations executed are still outstanding.
“It’s easier to confirm what we did because we were able to recover dozens of towns from Boko Haram from, at least, three states in the North-East at the time. This is an open secret.”
He expressed disappointment that some Nigerian military and intelligence officers who participated in the 2014/2015 operation were retired, prosecuted and convicted.
The senior contractor stated that the mercenaries find it difficult to work in a country where their operations, strategy and thinking are exposed to the media and judicial processes.
The secret agent hinted that top government officials at federal and state levels are reaching out to them, but reiterated their resolve not to come back.
The founder of Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP), Eeben Barlow, revealed that Buhari stopped their raids against insurgents.
Barlow said their proposal was antagonised and politicised by Buhari and his team “even before they assumed office.
“The initial 3-phase campaign strategy (known as ‘Operational Anvil’) to degrade and destroy Boko Haram in Borno State, was rejected by his advisors,” Barlow added.
Barlow recalled that the company was willing to stay back in the North-East but the President “made it known that the company’s presence would not be tolerated under his administration.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters says the decision to engage mercenaries to assist the military in defeating the Boko Haram insurgency was squarely for the Federal Government to take.
It noted that the security forces cannot challenge the initiative, stressing that it was up to Nigerians and the government to contract the private army.
Following the killing of over 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents, last Saturday, Governor Babagana Zulum had demanded the engagement of foreign mercenaries to tackle the militants.
Endorsing Zulum’s demand, the governors of North-East states said the thought of hiring mercenaries to fight Boko Haram should be taken seriously.
But responding to a question during the weekly briefing on the security operations across the country in Abuja, yesterday, the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen John Enenche said the military had no business debating the proposal, adding that it was diligently prosecuting the war, and focused on victory.
He stated, “Request or proposal to engage mercenaries, that is at a very high level. The kind of armed forces and security agencies you have now is normally determined by the people.
”It (engagement of mercenaries) is not in our powers. It is a kind of force package; it is what the government wants. It is not for the military to begin to contend.
“No armed forces anywhere will tell the people, ‘this is how we want to operate.’ The legislators, National Security Council, will decide on it,” he added.
When asked if the military was overstretched and overwhelmed as stated by the Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi, last Wednesday, Enenche said it was for the authorities to decide if this was true.
“It is not for the military to say, we are overstretched; I am not overstretched. If I say, I am overstretched, that means, I don’t want to work. And if I say, I am not overstretched, that means, I am under-utilised”, the general noted.
The media coordinator said the armed forces and other security agencies have continued to deal deadly blows to insurgents and bandits in the North-East and North-West regions.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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