Fresh attacks: Reveals, block insurgents’ sources, ISWAP funds, Defence tells EU, others

The Defence Headquarters has called on the international community to reveal and block sources of funding for Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and other insurgency groups in Nigeria.

The Defence Headquarters disclosed this as Maiduguri residents, in an exclusive interviews with The Punch on Monday, raised the alarm that rebels were surrounding the state.

Also, the apex northern group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, supported the North-East residents as it expressed concern about fresh attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on travellers on the Damaturu – Maiduguri road.

Reacting to a statement by the European Union parliament that there had not been progress in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents, the acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, on Monday, maintained that the military had made progress in the war against the terrorism group.

The EU parliament, in its resolution on January 16, 2020, said the security situation in Nigeria had declined significantly.

It deplored the spate of attacks and killings by the insurgents in the past weeks, and called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to fulfil his campaign promises.

The insurgents had also launched several violent attacks on troops, including an attack on the convoy of the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole,  Major General Olusegun Adeniyi.

A day before Christmas, a faction of Boko Haram affiliated to the Islamic State West Africa Province killed 11 Christians in Borno State.

It said the action was taken to avenge the killing of a leader of an international terrorist group, Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and its spokesperson, Abul-Hasan Al-Muhajir,  in Syria in October.

Terrorists in Nigeria blew up the Gamboru Ngala bridge in Borno State, killing about 30 people on January 5.

On Wednesday, a terrorist group, Ansaru, attacked the convoy of Emir of Potiskum, Yobe State, Umaru Bubaram, on Kaduna-Zaria road and killed six people.

Reports said Before Wednesday, the terrorist group last carried out an attack in February 2013 when about seven foreign nationals were kidnapped from a company, called Setraco, in Kano.

On Friday and Saturday, 17 soldiers were killed on the Bama-Gwoza highway during two isolated clash between insurgents and troops.

Besides attacks by the terrorist groups, there have been cases of killings and kidnapping by bandits in the North-West and parts of North-Central, particularly Niger State.

Reacting to the EU parliament’s statement, the defence headquarters spokesman said the military had been innovative in handling the security challenges in the country “in the face of conspiracies to deny Nigeria requisite military ware that will enhance the fight against terrorism and insurgency.”

Nwachukwu said violence by non-state actors was on the increase globally, noting that Nigeria was not the only one facing the challenge.

He noted that the security situation in the country had improved compared to 2013 and 2014, adding that the military had pushed back the insurgents to the environs of the Lake Chad Basin.

DHQ spokesperson said, “The emerging security challenges are mostly novel and are being robustly tackled by the military and other security agencies. The bandits in the North-West have approached the negotiation table to seek peace and abandon their struggle.”

Brig gen. Nwachukwu said the military were able to overpower the conspiracy which sought to deny the nation the military hardware needed to fight the insurgents.

“The Nigerian military have been very innovative in handling these security challenges in the face of conspiracies to deny Nigeria requisite military ware that will enhance the fight against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

“The international community must do its bit in addressing the sources of funding for known terrorist groups and issues of arms proliferation across the globe,” Nwachukwu said.