Nigerian Army

By Uzair Adam Imam

Senator Olamilekan Adeola, the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, raised alarm and demanded justice over the alleged atrocious killing of his senior aide, Adeniyi Oluwatosin Sanni, by the Nigerian Army on Saturday.

Senator Adeola alleged that the soldiers operating at checkpoints around Ikeja axis of Lagos State robbed and killed Mr. Sanni in the early hours of Saturday.

In a statement he personally signed yesterday, Adeola stated that information available to him on the circumstances indicates that Mr. Sanni was stopped at a checking point around Ojodu- Berger Area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri by ‘security agents’ who asked him to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through a call to his wife who sent all the documents to his phone WhatsApp.

He added, ”It was gathered that the wife called a while later and the late Mr. Sanni told him that soldiers are still checking the vehicle’s paper. That was the last she heard from her husband and the body of Mr. Sanni, ridden with bullets, was later discovered at Toyota Bus Stop area of Oshodi, close to a military barrack.

“In an update about the investigation of the murder and armed robbery by the Nigerian Police Force, through a statement issued in Abuja, Senator Adeola stated that he is of the firm believe, based on available facts at the disposal of the Police, that his aide was killed by a syndicate of soldiers operating under the newly deployed Commander of 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Nsikan John Edet, through mounting of checkpoints and robbing of lone occupants of cars.”

Senator Adeola called on the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, to direct the fishing out of the killers of his aide for further investigation, prosecution and justice for the deceased as a pattern of killings and armed robbery has been established against soldiers mounting late night checkpoints around Ikeja with similar unreported incidences in recent times.

“Till date, the black Toyota Camry of Mr. Sanni, his phones and other valuables are yet to be recovered,” he added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Nigerian Army reportedly launched a new operation in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State to tackle the emerging of insurance in the area.

The operation, named Hakorin Damisa, Leopard’s teeth, was launched by the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Saturday.

Addressing the personnel Major Lagbaja said, “I am here to thank you for what you have been doing to bring peace and stability to Mangu and Plateau State.

“As your Chief of Army Staff, I have encapsulated my command philosophy which is to have a Nigerian Army that is well-trained, equipped and highly motivated towards achieving our constitutional responsibility in a joint environment.

“That means you must work with other services, you must work with local communities. You are the people’s Army, when they send a distress call, you must respond as quickly as possible and when you do that, you give them feedback on what you have done.

“That is the way you build confidence and trust. As your COAS, my philosophy will be driven by leadership, operational effectiveness and sound administration… You are not deployed here to play but to conduct an operation and you must do that and be guided by the rules of engagement.

“Whoever is carrying a military-grade weapon or any other weapon, you must recover those weapons from them. You must not take sides. The GOC has briefed me about the challenges faced in the field and the need for more combat enablers.

“What we have brought here is the tip of the iceberg, we will give you the best to work with we will take care of the communication, the motorcycles and all your administrative issues but please note that you must work effectively, we must see the results.

“This violence must be stamped out completely. I wish you the best,” Major Lagbaja said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Nigerian Army has sworn blind to deal adequately with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on its unlawful sit-at-home order throughout the Southeat states.

It was gathered that Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, ordered troops to raid IPOB hideouts and stop them from unlawfully enforcing residents to remain indoors for two weeks.

The Daily Reality reports that the order came after Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, announced that there would be a two-week sit-at-home in the South-East region from July 31.

Ekpa disclosed that the order was to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as facilitate the freedom of Biafra nation, among others.

He also threw threat that anybody or group of people that refuse to comply with the the sit-at-home order would attract ‘heavy consequences’.

However, speaking with the journalists, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, declared that such an announcement was unlawful and would not be condoned.

Onyema said, “The renewed threat by IPOB to compel the people in southeastern Nigeria to sit at home is not only appalling but a violation of the fundamental rights of southeastern Nigerians and, therefore, unlawful. This will never be condoned.

“The Chief of Army Staff has handed down clear directives to the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army operating in synergy with other security agencies to ensure robust patrols to dominate all flashpoints and emplace measures to ensure citizens are free to go about their legitimate businesses.

“Strangely, Simon Ekpa, a notorious terrorist and self-acclaimed leader of IPOB, is in Finland making a living for himself and his family, but ordering the people to shut down their means of livelihood by sitting at home,” he added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

No fewer than eight bandits have been neutralised during patrols by the Troops of Operation Forest Sanity in the Chikun and Birnin Gwari areas of Kaduna State.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement issued Friday.

Aruwan added that the troops then engaged the gunmen in a second mission and recovered two motorcycles.

He said, “The troops made contact with bandits and neutralised eight, while recovering four motorcycles and three mobile phones in the first successful mission.”

He stated that the troops, in a similar operation, neutralised two bandits in the Sabon Birni-Maidaro-Dogon Dawa-Galadimawa-Kidandan-Fatika axes.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that improving the well-being of police and military personnel is a priority of his administration.

Buhari spoke at the Police Service Commission’s 2023 budget proposal on Thursday in Abuja.

The Nigerian president noted that reforms were a sacred obligation and that his administration gave top importance to the well-being of police officers.

The morale of the operators will be good, according to Buhari, if they are posted on duty or missions and they are aware that their families are well-cared for.

He was quoted as saying, “I am pretty aware of the problems and challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.

“The problem is relative to time and resources and this administration has done a lot with the limitations.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

Following their conviction on a two-count charge, the Nigerian Army fired two soldiers assigned to the 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, Yobe State.

Lt. Col. Ibrahim Abdullahi Osabo, the acting commanding officer of the battalion, stated that the accused were found guilty on two counts: failing to complete military responsibilities and acting in a way that jeopardized service discipline.

Before being completely dismissed the suspects had their ranks downgraded from lance corporal to private.

Remember that after allegedly killing a renowned Islamic cleric named Sheikh Goni Aisami in cold blood, Yobe State police detained Lance Corporal John Gabriel with service number N/A13/69/1522 and Lance Corporal Adamu Gideon with service number N/A13/70/6552, both assigned to 241 Recce Battalion, Nguru, Yobe State.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Hundreds of people have clamoured for the immediate prosecution of the two suspected killers of a Yobe-based Islamic cleric, who are alleged to be personnel of the Nigerian army.

The news of Sheikh Goni Aisami’s murder went viral at the weekend and threw thousands of people to express shock and outrage at such a significant loss in the country, especially to the Muslim North.

 Reports from Yobe indicate that Aisami was gunned down Friday at about 10 pm while en route to Gashua from Nguru after he gave a lift to one Lcpl John Gabriel.

 DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesman of the Yobe Police Command, said the suspect claimed to be a soldier attached to 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru.

Gabriel bites the hand that fed him

Abdulkarim stated, “Aisami was driving his car to Gashua from Nguru when the principal suspect, who was in mufti and carrying a camp bed, pleaded with him for a lift to Jaji-Maji.

“On approaching Jaji-Maji, the cleric stopped the car to urinate,” he said, adding that as soon as he returned to continue the journey, the principal suspect brought out an AK-47 and shot him twice to death.

Abdulkarim further stated that the suspect tried to run away with the Sheikh’s car but failed, as it got stuck in the mud and the vehicle could not start.

“He put a call through to the second suspect, who drove another vehicle to the scene. Unfortunately for him, his drive shaft broke.

“The two suspects then requested help from a vigilance group in Jaji-Maji. When the group arrived at the scene to tow the broken down vehicles, incidentally, Aisami’s body was found at the scene,” he added.

‘It’s so traumatic; bring perpetrators to book’

A lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, Malam Aliyu Yakubu Aliyu, who expressed deep concern, said the development was deplorable.

He said, “It is very unfortunate to have read that the security personnel were the people involved in this criminality. Their job is to protect lives, not to take them.

“Often, the security personnel at different levels hatch in plotting to do unlawful things in various places, including schools and banks,” Aliyu decried.

A Kano cleric, Sheikh Abdussalam Baban-Gwale, decried the traumatic incident, calling on the government to exercise justice.

He said, “Government should ensure social justice and security in the country. Back in February this year, we were also attacked by unknown gunmen on our way to Bauchi from Jos.

“Often, society does not know about the end story of such criminals. Government should, therefore, ensure their prosecutions public to help end criminality in the country.”

In a Facebook post, a security analyst, Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti, called on the government to prosecute the people behind the killing of Sheikh Aisami.

Goni Aisami’s murder regrettable – Gov Buni

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has expressed sadness over the murder of the Sheikh and commiserated with the family over the loss.

In a statement issued in Damaturu by his Director-General Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Buni described the circumstances surrounding the murder as sad, regrettable and most unfortunate.

“The alleged circumstances surrounding the death are most unfortunate and will be investigated thoroughly. [The] government will ensure that every detail is investigated and anyone found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.

“The state government will work closely with the security agencies to unravel every detail to ensure justice is done,” he said.

Buni also called on the residents to remain calm and law-abiding as an ongoing investigation would be pursued to its logical conclusion.

By Samuel Aruwan

“One who is loved, never dies.” – C.S. Lewis

Certain people we meet in the course of our lives become so important to our reality, that permanent separation from them is something the mind can never fully comprehend. The duration of meeting may not be long; it is the intensity and impact that linger in the memory.

Death is an inevitable end, but some people are simply larger than life, or should I say, death. Many times, it is easier to forget that they are no longer with us. We visualize their expressions, remember their presence, and hear their voices clearly in our heads as we recall conversations. For those who were known to the wider society, their work remains as a landmark to their lives, however short . The happiness of a memory quickly mixes with the sad recollection of absence.

It is with such mixed feelings, but mostly with a sense of great honour, that I remember, on what would have been Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru’s 56th birthday, a man of immense character, discipline, selfless service and dedication above and beyond the call of duty. With a sense of supreme privilege and humility, I pay a post-humous birthday tribute to Attahiru, who was in all ramifications, a consummate officer and a gentleman, and truly a soldier’s soldier.

As we commemorate him today, it would not be out of place to remember him as a nation builder and a true patriot in his own right, who served his country impeccably in a stellar military career through which he rose admirably to become the 25th Chief of Army Staff.

It is in his final role that many – including myself – will most potently remember General Attahiru. Upon his sudden and tragic demise in May last year, I recalled his reassuring ebullient presence, underneath which he carried the determination, discipline, and professionalism of a born soldier. I reflected on his attentiveness and enthusiasm in our fight against banditry, terrorism, and general insecurity in our state, and in the region at large. I remembered then, as I do now, his crystal-clear vision and passion for the Nigerian Army.

That is the General Ibrahim Attahiru with whom I was blessed to interact. I also know that he is fondly remembered within military circles as a leader who reached out to the men under his command, and even to all who came under his care, and he looked out for them.

In contemplating the lives of great Generals, we wonder if the uniform makes the man, or if it is the man who fills up the uniform he wears. Beyond all that General Attahiru was in his professional sphere and in the limelight, we must not fail to remember him simply as a human being, as a father, as a man who lived by a creed of openness and accessibility. At the launch of the General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation earlier this year, we heard about the man behind the uniform, Ibrahim Attahiru, the family man, the loving husband who never failed to put a smile on the face of his wife Fati. We learned of the doting and devoted father to Aisha Farrah, Zainab Maliha and Fatima Iman, who made it a priority to spend quality time with his three lovely daughters, encouraging them in their faith, in their academics, guiding them in their social lives and always letting them know that he was proud of them.

His job and its attendant demands notwithstanding, he made time to be a father and a friend to his daughters, and through his charm and courage, mentored them. These are the actions that will forever remain priceless in the lives of his wife and children, and they reflect the dedication with which General Attahiru conducted himself even outside the spotlight.

I will always be grateful for the privilege I had to interact with him, albeit briefly. During our engagements, he demonstrated to me quite clearly the power of hope, through his optimism, energy, and cooperative disposition. For me, and for others involved in security management, our highest tribute to General Attahiru, would be to walk in his footsteps, and to throw ourselves with unalloyed commitment at the fight which remains before us.

The General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation which was launched at the one-year memorial of his demise, will seek to cement and transmit the legacy of the man, and the virtues which he typified; the values of strength, dignity, commitment to excellence, leadership, tenacity, openness, accessibility, mentorship, and fatherhood. It is upon such values that nations are built. It is these virtues which have led to so many honouring him today, on the 56th anniversary of his birth, to celebrate what he stood for in his life, and indeed the way he represented the Nigerian Army with distinction for nearly 35 years.

Today, once again, it is right that we celebrate the legacy of a hero, as we also continue to immortalize his love for service, knowledge and impact. It is a mark of honour, and a tribute to his memory. He is no longer with us, but he lives on in the quality of life that he lived; a life, cut short just shy of 55 years on this earth. We are saddened at the fact of his absence, but we are reminded by so many aspects of his legacy, that truly, he lived.

And so today we salute the memory of a patriot, and (I am privileged to say) a companion and ally, who would have turned 56. We celebrate with honour, the memory of a mentor, a brother, a father, a husband. We commemorate the birth, the life and the times of a quintessential soldier, a true General, who exited the arena suddenly, in the middle of a war, and more so, in the line of duty.

In remembering him on the day of his birth, we ensure that the torch of his legacy and ideals will continue to burn brightly, to inspire and lead, as he did.

For truly, one who is loved, never dies.

Aruwan is Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State.

By Alkasim Harisu Alkasim

If you are eating like a horse, learn to eat like a bird because once in the abductors’ den, you will never gain enough to eat. Your thighs, hips, and cheeks will slenderise. Recently, nothing devastates me like the story of three abductees. Still, I was wondering how in this world a person would choose to win his living either by robbing, kidnapping, etc. and feel okay notwithstanding. This huge misfortune leaves me wallowing in confusion. 

The story opens with a taxi driver, a mother, and her daughter chartered to convey them to some place in Kaduna. The woman was also in the company of a young man, her close relative. The woman is a do-gooder because her trip was bound for a place populating the poor. She was travelling there to distribute goods and other gifts to the needy. But, alas! The goody-goody gesture of this fortysomething mother suffered the sabotage and heartlessness of a cruelty-ridden lad who also doubles as a relative. He has made his bed and must lie in it because he must reap what he has sowed when the authority arrests him.

The incident communicates a misfortunate and the truth we are no longer safe even in the fellowship of friendly people, our blood included. Society abounds with criminals starving and drowning in the urge to make megabucks. We are just between Scylla and Charybdis. Our desire to live beyond our means transforms our societies into hell. And all hell breaks loose when people choose to not live within their means. We want to cut ties with poverty by living a prostitute life. This is the path many youths have picked and chosen for themselves. 

One of the kidnap kingpins, to whom money means nothing, told the kidnapped driver that should he get a house to buy in the G.R.A, he would buy it no matter how expensive, provided the government would let him walk alone. That an abductor had such an intention demonstrates what a menace kidnap is. The kidnapper obviously envies the life his kidnappees will continue to enjoy once he releases them. This afforded him the idea of thieving out of the kidnapping den at the slightest opportunity. To hell with such a life of people abductors.

The kidnappers are exceptionally talented at weaponsmithing. They manufacture local double barrels that can gun down five people at a time should they vertically line up. When asked about the number of the kidnappers at the den, the driver-cum-abductee said, after swearing, that they amounted to a thousand. I am still reeling from the zinger of hearing this harrowing story. 

Rest assured, the desire to make beaucoup bucks overnight is the Newton apple pushing these low-IQ people into kidnapping. The kidnappers’ den is not a home away from home. But instead, a Jahannam on earth. The lust for money triggers kidnapping to catch fire in the North. Bitten by poverty, many youths choose to become repeat-offending abductors.

If their prey misbehaves, the abductors eat him for breakfast. Nobody can dream of getting a breakfastcupful of tea or milk in the morning, never mind chips or fried yam. When their hostages are hungry, these wrongdoers give them a small mango to lick and a bottle of water to share among the five or even more. There is always not enough to eat. When everybody is silent, nobody should break the silence. Otherwise, the kidnappers will break his balls. 

Certainly, kidnapping makes a song and dance about our wobbling social structure. What a prettily dilemmatic situation that destroys our social fabric! This menace is never a job in which one can make a name. The government should make an example of them to the teeming public when it arrests them. The police should feel their collar and take them to court for proper sentencing. Frankly, from the perspective of readiness and sufficiency, we are still in dire need of security agents. But, of course, we need enough sense to pound sand into the rathole. 

According to a victim, a few security personnel would underwhelm the outpouring number of the kidnappers because they are enough to choke a horse. The situation is enough to make the angels weep. Thus, the government should provide its people with enough security to avoid throwing them to the wolves. The kidnappers are armed to the teeth while the hostages are naked as the day one entered the world. These baddies have got screaming guns fit to wake the dead. 

The driver said there was a time when the kidnapppers narrowly escaped soldiers’ arrest, which compelled them to change den by forcing their victims to walk to a distant place on foot. In the kidnappers’ den, no one can stand on their two feet because horror looms. The den presents a panorama of difficulties. The kidnappers deny the hostages water as if they were drought-tolerant trees. The faculty of these people must not be intact due to their bestiality and inhumanity. The driver, who shares no blood with the woman and her daughter, established a kindred spirit with them. The trio began to bear the undertreatment they were suffering. 

The kidnappers cannot eat, wear, or sleep where they want. They are only trousering, potting and sacking money they cannot enjoy. They do their utmost to herd the kidnapped by being all eyes and ears with them. They do not give ear to anything unless it is relevant to their job. The kidnappers’ lair is where the sexy ladies cannot hussy up, nor can they keep themself to themself. It is where everybody contemplates escaping, and one can quickly get gunned down if they fail to fall to command.

It is also where the hostage is to eat out of the palm of his master’s hand. A place where no one should drive the kidnappers up the wall. A place where downpouring of torture is a common occurrence. A place where everybody is constantly at a loss for words. Maltreatment and suffering are the only hood of this hell on earth. These abductors rape female hostages in a very unacceptable way, even to women selling sex.

The driver said that he had absolutely lost hope in living when they were relocated to another hideout as the security agents nearly ambushed them. More so, in the early days of their kidnapping, the kidnappers swore to kill him and the daughter of the Hajiya on account of I.D cards they saw them carrying. The abductors mistook the cards for police I.D cards. The driver and the girl insisted that they were not police officers and that his card was a driving licence card and the girl’s was a school’s. They did not leave them alone until they asked one abductee to clarify the situation for them. Still, they partially agreed with the cards. 

To be continued.

By MMuhammad Sabiu

The Nigerian Army has released the dates for the 83 Regular Intake 2022 screening process for non-tradesmen and women applicants.

“The state recruitment screening exercise is scheduled to commence from 28 June – 11 July 2022 in all the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory Abuja,” the Army says in a tweeted public statement on Tuesday.

“A high standard of discipline is expected from all candidates. Candidates who violate any instruction during the Recruitment Screening Exercise would be disqualified,” the tweet added.

Applicants have also been advised to visit the recruitment portal at https://recruitment.army.mil.ng for the online application form.