Soldiers (6)

Did Libyan soldiers kill 6 Nigerians ?

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & LAIDE AKINBOADE INDICATIONS emerged, weekend, that no fewer than six Nigerians had been killed in the ongoing political crisis in Libya while more than 12,440 others were trapped in Tripoli and Benghazi.Gaddafi2%5B1%5D.jpg?width=300

This came as 1,243 Nigerians who had been stranded in Tripoli were evacuated, yesterday, with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, using three aircraft for the operation.

Vanguard learnt that the six Nigerians were killed on their way to Tripoli from Benghazi after a bus they were travelling in came across Libyan soldiers who ordered the driver to return to where he was coming from. When the driver reportedly refused, the soldiers opened fire on the bus and the six Nigerians were killed instantly.

It was gathered that the whereabout of the only survivor remained unknown, though he was believed to have managed to join other trapped Nigerians at the Tripoli airport.

Giving details of the predicament of Nigerians in Libya in a statement, a group named Destinymakers Community Christian Campaigns & Action Network, DCCCAN, said that of the Nigerians stranded in Tripol 1000 were women; 170 babies; 5,720 youths, and 235 men, giving a total of 7,125. The group said that in Benghazi, there were 306 children; 2, 502 women and 2, 507 men, giving a total of 5, 315.

The statement said: “In the wake of crises in the Mid-east, none has posed more danger to Nigerians like the on going onslaught and massacre in Libya. Statistics put together by our organization through, Mr. Ben Igbokwe, and Mr. Solomon Okoduwa, both Nigerians at the Tripoli airport shows the figure of Nigerians stranded in Tripoli as women 1000, babies, 170, youths 5, 720, men, 235 giving a total of 7,125 Nigerians at Tripoli airport alone. Also, another Nigerian in Benghazi, Mr. Samson Aja, gave the latest figure of Nigerians in Benghazi as, children 306, women 2, 502, men 2, 507, giving a total of 5, 315 Nigerians in Benghazi.

“In the same vein, six Nigerians were reported to have died today (Saturday) on their way to Tripoli from Benghazi. We gathered from the only survival, that on their way to Tripoli on a bus they came across Libyan soldiers who ordered the driver to return to where he was coming from, but the driver refused, only for the soldiers to open fire on the bus and six Nigerians were killed instantly. The where about of one is unknown as the only survivor managed to join others at the Tripoli airport.

FG evacuates more Nigerians

The Federal Government, yesterday, evacuated more Nigerians from crisis-turned Libya. Director General of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the coordinating agency for the operation, Muhammad Sani_Sidi, said three aircraft arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday, with 1243 Nigerians who had been stranded in Tripoli due to the on_going political crisis in Libya.

He said: “The operation has witnessed the deployment of four chartered planes with capacity to accommodate 500 passengers each as well as a commercial aircraft that could accommodate around 200 passengers. So far, the total number of Nigerians that had been evacuated is 2278.”

The agency targeted 2000 Nigerians initially, but discovered that more stranded Nigerians continued to troop out from remote areas of Libya to Tripoli Airport, seeking to be evacuated back to Nigeria.

Director, North and Horn of Africa Division, Mr. Timloh B. Nkem, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr Odein Ajumogobia, said about 3000 additional Nigerians had been registered with the Embassy official in Libya, indicating their desire to be evacuated.

The returnees, who looked exhausted and tired from the stress in Libya, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for initiating the move for their evacuation. Two of them delivered babies at Tripoli Airport while awaiting the arrival of chartered aircraft from Nigeria.

Another pregnant, woman among the returnees, who simply gave her name as Mary, said “if not for the evacuation, I wonder how I could deliver in that hard condition in crowded open camp.


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Military arrest soldiers over Jos killings

Military authorities handling the peace operations in Plateau State have announced the arrest of five soldiers over Tuesday's attacks on Kuru-Tasha village in Riyom Local Government. Charles Ekeocha, the spokesman for the Special Task Force (STF) charged with maintaining peace in Jos said on Wednesday that the attacks carried out by unidentified persons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. left some 13 people dead and many others injured.

 

The military spokesperson, who confirmed that the soldiers were just few metres away from the scene of the attack, but chose to be unconcerned and "refused to act as expected," said the military authorities were shocked by the soldiers' behaviour and promptly reported the matter to the Defence Headquarters, who ordered their arrest, detention and investigation. "We have also arrested five soldiers for ‘laxity' during the attacks.

 

They have been locked up and are being investigated. They shall be court-martialed if we have found them truly culpable. That prompt action only shows that the military authorities cannot condone such behaviour by its men. If they are indicted, you can be sure that they shall be dealt with decisively," he said. Mr Ekeocha, however, rejected the suggestions that the soldiers took part in the killings.

He also denied allegations that soldiers were using maximum force on helpless civilians and also dismissed as "simply impossible" the allegations that the soldiers were "bias" in the handling of the crisis. Political crisis
The governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang described the recent spate of bombings across the country as political. He also said those behind the crime are only trying to paint a picture of insecurity to achieve political gains.

Speaking to journalists at the presidential villa, yesterday, Mr Jang painted a picture of a secure state, stating that security operatives are looking into all the security issues and hopefully they will come out with measures to apprehend those behind the atrocities. Speaking on the turn of events in the state, the governor said those behind it intend to make the country ungovernable for the government.

 

"Let me just say this, these bombing across the country is deliberate, to create an impression that the country is ungovernable so as to stop the general election," he said. "It is the plan of some desperate politicians who feels that if they don't get it, the whole country should go down but I can assure you that the government is in control." The governor, who also admitted that there is still some element of suspicion in the state assured that the situation in the state is getting better as calm is gradually returning to the once peaceful state.
Meanwhile, a Magistrate's Court on Wednesday granted bail to seven officials of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who were arrested and charged to court over Saturday's violence in Jos. They were arraigned on a five-count charge of unlawful assembly, falsehood, public disturbance, negligence and conspiracy.

The suspects were said to be responsible for the violence that rocked parts of Jos in the last four days. The Chief Magistrate, Ishaku Kunda, who granted the suspects bail, adjourned the case to February 10.
The suspects include: the state's CPC Chairman, Mudashiru Aliyu; Deputy Chairman, Sunday Dul; Vice-Chairman, Henry Nenyel; Secretary, Johnson Podak and Legal Adviser, Paul Kopdin. Others include Assistant Publicity Secretary, Jamilu Baba, and the Organising Secretary, Mr Labaran Antashi.
The counsel to the suspects, Garba Pwol, described the ruling of the court as "very fair."

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The Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa, Dr. Sule Yakubu-Bassi, on Wednesday alleged that Nigerian soldiers who participated in the ECOMOG peace operations in Liberia fathered over 250,000 children.

Nigeria and some member-states of the Economic Community of West African States contributed troops to the ECOMOG peace operations during the civil war that ravaged the West African country, beginning from 1990.

Yakubu-Bassi made the disclosure in Abuja during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, which is chaired by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

According to the DG, the soldiers abandoned the children in Liberia when they returned to Nigeria.

He added that the children's mothers were now worried over the development and had made series of failed attempts to trace the soldiers.

Yakubu-Bassi called on the committee and the Federal Government to intervene in the matter by re-uniting the children with their fathers in Nigeria.

"Their mothers are trying to make sure they are properly documented and so on.

"The Nigerian Embassy in Liberia is doing something about it.

"Definitely, you can't run away from your people. These are our people; they are still young and they need to go to school and they will also need to be nurtured just like every other Nigerian," he stated.

The DG expressed the support of his agency for the proposed Nigeria Diaspora Commission, adding that such a body would help in reducing the lack of coordination between Diaspora Nigerians and their people back home.

According to him, an estimated $17 bn was remitted home yearly by Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Some Nigerians resident in Gabon also complained to the committee that their host government was about repatriating around 210,000 Nigerians.

The leader of Nigerians in Gabon, Mr. Babatunde Yekini, said that the authorities just wanted to send the Nigerians home because of their rising numbers.

Dabiri-Erewa assured the two groups that the committee would look into their complaints by drawing the attention of the appropriate government agencies to their plight..
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Two soldiers (names withheld), are now being detained in connection with a case of burglary in the home of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of Nigerian Army Enugu, Major General Muhammad D. Isah.

Saturday Independent gathered that the burglars removed $250,000 belonging to the GOC.

Isah, who was said to be out of town when the burglary was carried out, returned to discover that the money was no longer where he kept it.

Upset by the discovery, the infuriated GOC was said to have vowed in ‘Allah’s name’ to fish out those behind the nefarious act and deal with them mercilessly.

Our sources disclosed that the Army chief immediately set up an investigation team comprising of military police officers and ordered the interrogation of some soldiers known as “his boys” in the barracks.

It was learnt that under serious interrogation, two of the soldiers confessed to the crime.

The two GOC boys told the investigators that they removed the money in installments in order to beat the security network in the home of their boss who was away when they struck.

Saturday Independent gathered that the two thieving soldiers would face a court martial soon.

Efforts by this reporter to speak with the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu, Lt. Colonel Sagir Musa, yielded no fruits as at the time of going to the press on Friday.

At several occasions, the reporter called his two GSM lines and the response was “not available.”..

However, the news of the burglary in the GOC’s home has created anxiety in the barracks.

A soldier, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday Independent that he has never heard such a despicable story in his 25 years of service in the Nigerian Army, saying people could conclude that the Army was harbouring criminals.
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Army denies Dambazau’s alleged statement .. Action speaks louder than words ! but who deployed soldiers to Airport ?
By Nicholas Ibekwe

The Nigerian Army has denied the statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau that “he is only loyal to President Yar’Adua and no one else.”
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In a


statement signed by Chris Olukolade, the director of army public relations, the army described the comment made by Joe Igbokwe, the publicity secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress (AC), as “completely unfortunate”, adding that Mr. Igbokwe’s comments is a “denigration of the person of Gen. Dambazau and the Nigerian Army as a whole” and “were meant to put words in the mouth of the army chief”.
PHOTO: Dambazu shaking hands with his Liege
The statement further said that Mr. Igbokwe was yet to state “when, where and to whom Gen. Dambazau made the statement they now attribute to him.”

Click here to listen to the interview

Who said it?

Interestingly, in a telephone interview with NEXT, Mr. Igbokwe sounded incoherent and was unable to state where and when Mr. Dambazau made the statement.

“I read it em... I read it em... just like any other ... I wasn’t the first to say it,” Mr. Igbokwe stammered. “It’s all over the place now.”

When pressed further to state specifically at what venue Mr. Dambazau made the statement, Mr. Igbokwe asked our reporter to go and search for it on the world wide web.

“Go to the internet,” he said. “Before I even said it, Ijaw people led by Clark... yes, it is David Clark. Quote it as it is. Quote what you saw there. Use what you saw there.”

Getting bolder, he added: “Go and do more investigation. “If you don’t know that there is a power game going on in Abuja, I won’t tell you.”

When asked if he personally interviewed Mr Dambazau, he retorted, “Am I a reporter? I’m not a reporter; I am a spokesperson of the party. Is not that I cannot remember. Just ignore me.” Meanwhile, the army’s statement proceeded to “reassure Nigerians that it has not shifted from its commitment to the tenets of democracy and absolute loyalty to constituted civil authorities”.
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Yar’Adua’s absence: Military on alert • No holidays for commanders • Politicians wooing soldiers By PHILIP NWOSU “No commander is allowed to travel during the celebrations. Stay with your troops and celebrate with them. The Nigerian Army is not unaware of recent remarks in the press literally calling for what they term military solution to the political affairs of the country. While taking cognizance of the current democratic dispensation that respects the freedom of speech, the Nigerian Army dissociates itself from such remarks, as we are collectively resolute in operating within the confines of our constitutional roles. advertisement “Whatever political disputes that may exist in our society, like they exist in all human society, they are best settled through constitutional means. Please the military should be left out of this.” These are the words of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau to men and officers of the military at a recent Chief of Army Staff Conference. Consequently, the Nigerian Armed Forces may have been placed on high alert during this festive season to forestall any move to truncate President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration. The alert, Sunday Sun, gathered may not be unconnected with the raging controversy over who governs the country in the absence of ailing President Yar’Adua and the fear in some quarters that the confusion may give the room for some extremists and mischief makers in the military to take over government. It was gathered that the Service Chiefs have placed commanders of their troops on alert, urging them to cancel every trip that will take them away from their men. Sunday Sun also learnt that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau, had reiterated his warning to Brigade and Battalion Commanders to stay at their location during the Christmas and New Year celebration. Dambazau had during the Chief of Army Staff Conference warned Brigade and Battalion Commanders to celebrate the Sallah and Christmas festivities with their troops. A key Nigerian Army source told Sunday Sun that the warning was re-emphasized by the force and that a signal was reportedly issued to that effect. The Army Chief had also warned the force’s personnel against working with politicians to undermine democracy, explaining that emerging security reports indicate that soldiers were being wooed by politicians to work against the country’s democracy. He told senior military officers that intelligence reports indicated that politicians have been courting some military personnel to get involved and find a military solution to the political problems of the country.
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