Nigeria's 12 Tucano jets to fight Boko Haram won't be ready until 2024

2020 had been set as the initial delivery date of the jets but that has now been extended by four years.

The Nigerian government won't receive the 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets it paid the United States government the sum of $469.4 million for until 2024.

President Muhammadu Buhari had controversially withdrawn the sum in question from the excess crude account, without the initial approval of the National Assembly, for the procurement of the jets which the government hopes will improve national security and help in its fight against terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Even though the delivery date was reported to be set for 2020, the United States Department of Defence has revealed that the fighter jets won't be ready for delivery till 2024.

The Defence Department announced on Wednessday, November 28 that the contract for the jets has been awarded to Sierra Nevada Corporation. The contract, worth $329 million, includes Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) systems installed in six of the aircrafts.

The contract also provides for ground training equipment, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment and support services for personnel of the Nigeria Air Force.

The manufacturing of the fighter jets will take place in Jacksonville, Florida, according to the Department of Defence.

The late delivery date of the jets had previously nearly stalled the deal and the new date is expected to create further friction, especially with a resurgence in Boko Haram's activities in the northeast region.

Boko Haram's troubling resurgence

12 days ago, terrorists belonging to Boko Haram faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), overran the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele village in Guzamala local government area of Borno during an attack on November 18.

Even though many reports indicated that over 100 soldiers were killed in the attack with many others missing, the Army disclosed in a statement on Wednesday, November 28, that 23 soldiers were killed with 31 others injured.

The statement also revealed that terrorists staged a series of attacks on Nigerian troops between November 2 and November 17. The attacks took place in Kukawa, Ngoshe, Kareto and Gajiram, all in Borno, but were 'successfully repelled' by troops who killed 'several members' of the terrorist group. However, 16 soldiers were killed in the attacks while 12 were injured.

The Army also noted that despite systematically degrading Boko Haram in the past three years, the terrorists are staging a resurgence with daring moves that include the increased use of drones against troops' defensive positions and infusion of foreign fighters in their ranks.

Eliminate Boko Haram 'from face of the earth'

President Buhari was in Maiduguri, Borno State on Wednesday to declare open the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference as the guest of honour.

While delivering his speech, the president charged the military's leadership to ensure that their plans and programmes meet the nation's security challenges. He also urged the Army to remain committed to defeating Boko Haram.

"I want to encourage our troops not to be distracted by whatever speculations but remain focused and committed to the task of eliminating Boko Haram from the face of the earth," he said.

He said security remains one of the cardinal objectives of his administration and promised that no effort will be spared to support troops, including reviewing their welfare package.

"I want to assure you that, as your commander in chief, I will do everything within my powers to continue empowering you by providing all the necessary equipment for you to prevail on the field.

"I also want you to be aware that I'm currently looking into measures to improve your entitlements and welfare generally," he said.

Fashola explains why it took President Buhari six months to form his cabinet

Fashola says those who criticize Buhari for taking six months to put his cabinet together, don't know what they are talking about.

Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has responded to everyone who still criticizes President Muhammadu Buhari for taking forever to name his cabinet.

Inaugurated president in May of 2015, Buhari only revealed his ministers and their portfolios in November, as Nigerians railed and wailed against the delay.

Economic pundits partly blame the delay for why Nigeria headed into a recession as soon as Buhari assumed the reins, with investors waiting for policy direction from the new president before deciding whether to hedge their bets on Nigeria or not.

Speaking on Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsuji's TheSheetTV, Fashola said forming a cabinet is hard work as he found out at as Lagos Governor from 2007 to 2015.

"I think I must have taken about three months before I constituted my team. And it is a very painstaking process, first because of our constitution", Fashola said.

"And even by the time we constituted the team here (in Lagos), one local government came out and said, you didn't pick us and I said, Ok, I’m the Commissioner from your local government, don’t worry. Because the cabinet was full and I said there is no more chair!

"And they would now tell you, o, you didn’t pick from this place, you didn’t pick woman, you didn’t pick youth…there are too many politicians…too many technocrats. Those are all the interests. After they finish that, they will say the Muslims are more than the Christians, the Christians are more than the Muslims. After that, they will say the Pentecostals are more than the Orthodox.

"One day, I got so exasperated that I called my team and said just check for me. They say they are more Muslims in the cabinet. I didn’t set it out that way. But I just looked for good people. When they printed the list for me and I looked, it was a dead heat, divided in the middle. 50:50 Christians and Muslims. In that cabinet. Those are all the interests you have to deal with".

Buhari cut cost of governance, Fashola says

Fashola added that Buhari should rather be praised for cutting the cost of governance when he took over from Goodluck Jonathan .

"Now the president that they are talking about, he made it clear that he would listen to them on the issue of reducing the cost of running government. He collapsed 42 ministries to 24. You don’t do that just by waving a wand!

"You need to know what they are doing, which one you can merge with what and then he ended up with 24. That’s why my own ministry became three with a reduction in number of ministers. There should have been six. Minister of State and substantive Minister. That’s a cost reduction. And you are blaming him for that?!", the minister said.

No need to shuffle a working cabinet

Fashola insisted that those who are criticizing Buhari for not shuffling his cabinet in three years, have no idea what they are talking about.

"Now, let’s do the math. 42 days and each day, the president was taking one ministry to brief him. 42 days is one month and almost half a month. During that period, he travelled. He was doing Boko Haram, doing this, doing that, breaking down the ministries. Do you think you just get there and mix it up?

"Then you are talking about longevity of ministers and commissioners. One of the reasons why I think we sit here today is longevity. The rules in government are different from your everyday rules. You first have to learn.

"If they (the ministers) haven’t been changed, the person who appointed them is satisfied with the work they are doing for him.

"I want young people who watch sports, especially those who watch football, to see government teams the way they see football teams. You spend all your money to buy the best players in the world and in the first or second season, they don’t win the league, because they haven’t acclimatized, they have left their countries, they have to eat a different food, they have to play at a different speed.

"Ministers are no different. Many of them are just getting to Abuja for the first time. They don’t have homes, they need to settle. Some of them have never worked in government. They are human beings just like sportsmen!! Which entertainer gets on the stage and that night, he makes the platinum sale. In one night?

"The reason why some of us were able to settle down quicker was because we’ve been in government. It’s not the same structure. It looks the same—state and federal—but some things are different.

"This rush to change and change, go and survey all the states that changed, what did they deliver?", he said.

Some ministers in Buhari's team have been criticized for not pulling their weights and not knowing what their job descriptions essentially entail.

President Buhari is seeking a second term in office in 2019. Fashola has been campaigning for the president's re-election on his media stops, especially in his Southwest base.

Buratai says no Army can ever have enough equipment

He has charged Army leaders to be dynamic in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram while also minimising casualties of troops

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has told commanders and senior leaders of the Nigerian Army to adapt with changing situations in the Army's operations against terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the northeast region.

While speaking at the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference in Maiduguri, Borno State on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, the Army chief said no Army in the world can possibly have enough equipment to conduct its operations.

Therefore, he said the military leaders must be dynamic in the prosecution of the war against terrorists and minimise casualties of troops.

He said, "I must also add that no Army can ever have enough equipment to conduct its operations; hence, it is incumbent on all commanders and senior leaders of the Nigerian Army to recognise that we're involved in asymmetry warfare which calls for dynamism and flexibility if we're to succeed with minimal casualties.

"Therefore, commanders are to ensure that they show leadership at all times and continuously adapt with changing situations in order to surmount adversity in the conduct of operations."

Buratai's comment comes on the heel of the recent killing of over 100 soldiers which occured when terrorists overran the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele village in Guzamala local government area of Borno during an attack on November 18.

In the wake of the attack, several soldiers have complained about the lack of proper equipment to fight the terrorists who have made several attempts to overrun army bases.

A soldier told Premium Times, "We are being killed on daily basis as if our lives don't matter. Of course as soldiers we signed to lay down our lives in defence of this country, but certainly not in the manner we are being presented for slaughter without dignity. A soldier should die fitting and not being chased or overpowered.

"Our morale has been dampened so badly - not only because we are not given our due allowances; but for the fact that we have been outgunned by the Boko Haram.

"The situation has gone so bad that it has gotten to a stage that soldiers would be rushing to pack up their camps and flee upon hearing the news that Boko Haram fighters are advancing.

"We have suddenly lost our spirit of launching attacks because of lack of resources to prosecute the battle. Many of us are ready to do our best, but there has been no requisite support from those sending us out there."

The attack has fueled speculations about the nation's defence spending as the opposition has accused the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, of diverting the funds meant to arm the military to President Muhammadu Buhari's re-election campaign.

Army changing strategies against Boko Haram

During his address on Wednesday, Buratai also revealed that the Army is reorganising to align with some current realities in the war against the terrorist group.

"It is my belief that the Nigerian Army must start to plan and strategise on how to end the operations in the northeast.

"To this end, I have directed for a change from a holy defensive posture to one where we defend in numbers and conduct offensive operations in smaller packets to simultaneously in different fronts," he said.

He also revealed that in-theater training for troops in the frontlines has been expanded to help troops operate and conduct effective operations.

He said the Army's leadership has opened the doors to provide local and foreign training opportuinities for all cadre of officers and soldiers. He revealed that 156 members of the Army have attended foreign courses in 2018, with 2,390 also attending local courses and training programmes including Masters degree programs, workshops and conferences.

Buhari lands in Maiduguri to boost troops morale against Boko Haram

The president will meet troops to restore confidence in the fight against terrorism.

President Muhammadu Buhari has landed in Borno State capital, Maiduguri, to declare open the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

The conference was initially scheduled to take place in Edo State on Monday, November 26, but was moved to Maiduguri.

The move is believed to have been in reaction to the recent killing of over 100 soldiers when terrorists overran the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele village in Guzamala local government area of Borno during an attack on November 18.

Moving the conference to Borno is expected to give the president the opportunity to visit troops who have been fighting the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast region.

NAPTIP arrests Ochanya's aunt for knowlegde about teenager's repeated rape

She's suspected of having knowledge of the repeated rape of the teenager without reporting to the appropriate authorities.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested Felicia Ogbuja, the aunt of Elizabeth Ochanya, a teenage girl that recently died after years of sexual abuse.

Ochanya died on October 18, 2018 after years of sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by Felicia's husband, Andrew Ogbuja, and their son, Victor, a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. The 13-year-old died of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) and other health complications at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

According to a statement by NAPTIP, Felicia was arrested on Friday, November 23, because she's suspected of having knowledge of the repeated rape of the late teenager without reporting to the appropriate authorities.

Felicia had been evading arrest for the past four weeks by escaping first to Lagos and then Abuja before returning to Makurdi where she was arrested.

NAPTIP's Director-General, Julie Okah-Donli, said Felicia will be investigated to ascertain her level of connivance before she's charged to court.

She said, "I am still pained by the tragic death of the late Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbaje and the only thing we can do to ensure that her groaning spirit rests in peace is to ensure that full dose of justice is served on all those that are directly or indirectly involved in the unwholesome act that led to her death.

"It is important to establish the status of people around the late girl who had knowledge of her ordeal and yet refused to report to the Law enforcement Agencies who would have rescued her.

"We cannot continue to fold our hands while our children are been sexually molested and assaulted by people that ought to have protected them. This case at hand will be a case that will be monitored and all those linked in one way or the other shall all be made to face the full weight of the law."

Ochanya had left her family to start living with the Ogbujas in Ugbokolo town in 2013 because there was no school in her village.

Before her death, Ochanya narrated how Victor first raped her when she was eight, a crime that was eventually brought to Andrew's attention who also started sexually abusing her afterwards. She was molested, defiled, drugged and abused for a period of five years.

Andrew has been remanded in custody till the charges brought against him are heard in court on November 29. Victor remains at large.

Kwara State Govt is wondering why it hasn't received its share of Paris Club refund

Kwara state is asking the federal government why it is yet to receive its share of the Paris Club refund.

The Kwara State Government is wondering why it has not received its share of the final tranche of Paris Club refunds from the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Commissioner for Finance in Kwara, Alhaji Demola Banu told The Herald this week that the government has done all the necessary reconciliations that are required for the refund to be made.

Banu also disclosed that while the state government has already made a fresh presentation on the refunds to the new Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, it is yet to receive the expected funds from Abuja, the nation's seat of power.

According to the Commissioner, since States like Osun, Benue, Oyo, and Delta have received their final tranches of the refunds, Kwara should also be getting hers.

What Paris Club refund will mean for Kwara

The Kwara state government had promised that when received, the bulk of the funds will be deployed towards assisting local councils in the payment of salary and pension arrears, as well as SUBEB and other liabilities at the state level.

The Paris Club refunds are simply monies accrued from over-deductions from each state by the federal government before Nigeria’s exit from the London/Paris Club of creditors.

The funds became available when Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in 2005.

Nigeria runs a pseudo federalism where monies generated from taxes and crude oil sale is shared among the three tiers of government based on a pre-agreed percentage.

Man kills his wife, in-law during divorce proceedings .

A police officer killed two family members before attempting to kill himself during a divorce proceedings, today, at the Durban Magistrates Court in South Africa

The officer and his wife were in court to file for divorce, when he allegedly opened fire during the adjournment. The woman and her brother died instantly while the suspect is in a critical condition in hospital.

The suspect remains under police guard at a nearby hospital. He attempted suicide after fatally shooting his wife and brother-in-law in courtroom O on the eighth floor at the court..

KZN police spokesperson Thembeka Mbele says the motive is still being investigated. The suspect will be charged with two counts of murder.

Presidency says Boko Haram remains 'technically defeated' despite Metele attack

The presidency believes the recent attack in Borno does not mean that the terrorists are back in charge.

Despite a recent attack by terrorist group, Boko Haram, that led to the reported death of over 100 soldiers in Borno State, the presidency has insisted that the group remains 'technically defeated'.

Even though President Muhammadu Buhari declared in 2015 that Boko Haram had been technically defeated, the group has carried out several deadly attacks since then, with an increase in the number of attacks on troops happening in 2018.

In its latest attack, terrorists overran the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele during an attack on Monday, November 19, 2018, carting away large cache of arms, ammunition, and military equipment after leaving the base strewn with the corpses of dozens of soldiers.

An account by a soldier who survived the attack noted that their location was invaded after Boko Haram allegedly issued a threat letter that it would soon take over four strategic military locations around the Lake Chad region.

Even though several reports have indicated that the number of troops casualties might be as high as over 100, the Army has failed to release an official figure even though it dismissed the figures.

While speaking about the recent attack during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, November 25, 2018, President Buhari's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the attack does not mean that the terrorists are back in charge.

He noted that the recent attack was a breach that doesn't mean the war has tipped in the favour of the terrorists.

He said, "Nigeria, we can say, is at war in that side of the country. For some time, things had eased, Nigerian Army had had the upper hand; and like the term goes, the insurgents had been technically defeated.

"But then, there's this sudden upsurge and there's that casualty figure which I do not know but which people say is on the high side. The military is the one that can tell us what actually happened."

When quizzed over if the statement that Boko Haram has been technically defeated remains accurate, Adesina replied, "I believe so. That (the recent attack) was maybe a breach in security but it does not mean that Boko Haram is having the upper hand.

"And like the president said in the statement we issued yesterday, we will still get to the end of this Boko Haram insurgency."

"This is one isolated case after a long time of the military being in charge. The military has been in charge for a long while. I agree with you this is a breach; it is sad and it is unfortunate but then, it does not mean that Boko Haram is now in charge. They are not," he later added.

In light of the criticism that has trailed the killing of the soldiers, President Buhari warned against politicising the incident in a statement on Sunday. He promised that the circumstances surrounding the Metele attack will be comprehensively addressed.

Fayemi urges South-West to reward Buhari's "juicy appointments" by re-electing him

Fayemi said the election would present an opportunity for the region to reciprocate President Buhari's gestures.

Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has urged the South West region to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election because he saved the region from going into political oblivion.

Fayemi said the February 16, 2019 election would present an opportunity for the zone to reciprocate Buhari's gestures by re-electing him.

He also stressed that the administration of President Buhari addressed the trend of neglect the region suffered under former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, "Under President Jonathan, we saw how the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the minister of finance, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Chief of Staff to the President among others were all concentrated in just two zones in the South while the South-West was abandoned.

"But when President Buhari came on board, he made a South-West person his Vice-President; the Minister of Works, Power and Housing is from this zone. The Minister of Health and other juicy positions were also allotted to the region.

The Governor disclosed this while playing host to Ekiti Chapter of the Artisans, Traders and Allied Technicians' Association on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

Fayemi also stressed that the coming election is for the liberation of Yoruba race and only Buhari's presidency can bring about the actualisation of this dream.

"Fake copies of my book are now online, please beware!", Jonathan cries out

Former President Goodluck Jonathan raises alarm over fake copies of his book online and in WhatsApp groups.

If you are currently reading an online version of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s book, ‘My Transition Hours’, chances are that you are reading a fake version that has found its way through thousands of WhatsApp pages to yours.

Jonathan launched his book on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 in Abuja, with the paper back and hard cover versions now in bookstores near you.

But hackers have not only latched onto the soft copy, they have edited the book to suit their narratives, Jonathan says.

“We have just been informed that a fake document contrived by mischief makers is being passed on as the e-version and hard copy of the just launched ‘#MyTransitionHours”, Jonathan wrote on his Twitter page.

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Goodluck E. Jonathan

✔@GEJonathan

2. We advise the general public to ignore such publication as the chapters and contents are not the same as the book publicly presented two days ago in Abuja. #MyTransitionHours

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“We advise the general public to ignore such publication as the chapters and contents are not the same as the book publicly presented two days ago in Abuja.

“Also, note that the e-copy of #MyTransitionHours ’is not being marketed, as such, the fake online version could only have been created by those out to deceive the unsuspecting public”,Jonathan added.

A scan through online versions of the book, which comes in PDF format, shows that ‘My Transition Hours’ has been edited.

'Inaccurate information added'

According to a report in Punch, some inaccurate information has been added to the original textwhile some vital information contained in the real book has been expunged.

Punch adds that while the online, fake version is 254 pages long, the physical, authentic version contains 194 pages.

Some chapters are also glaringly missing from the online version.

playGoodluck Jonathan delivers a speech abroad (Facebook/Goodluck Jonathan)

Jonathan’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, has  urged members of the public to be wary of the misinformation contained in the online version of the book.

‘My Transition Hours’ has received plaudits and knocks from either side of Nigeria’s political divide, ahead of an election year in which incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on retaining his throne. The book details Jonathan's accounts of the final moments of his first term.

Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election to Buhari—the first time an incumbent president would be losing the popular vote to the opposition in Nigeria’s history.

Report says Nigeria is home to an estimated 6,900 terrorist fighters

Nigeria is one of many countries experiencing significant violence due to terrorist activities.

A report by a United States-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), estimates that as many as 6,900 terrorists may be operating within Nigeria's borders.

According to the CSIS Transnational Threats Project report, titled "The Evolution of the Salafi-Jihadist Threat: Current and Future Challenges from the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, and Other Groups", the terrorists are spread across three groups, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Ansaru.

The report constructed a data set of terrorist groups and fighters from 1980 to 2018 and estimated Nigeria's number of terrorist fighters to be between 3,450 and 6,900.

Other countries with the highest number of terrorist fighters include Syria (between 43,650 and 70,550 fighters), Afghanistan (between 27,000 and 64,060), Pakistan (between 17,900 and 39,540), Iraq (between 10,000 and 15,000), and Somalia (between 3,095 and 7,240).

President Muhammadu Buhari declared in 2015 that Boko Haram had been technically defeated, but the CSIS report noted that Nigeria still belongs in the group of countries experiencing significant violence due to terrorist activities, most notably from Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Boko Haram's insurgency escalated in 2009 after a crackdown by security operatives led to the death of hundreds and the extra-judicial killing of its spiritual leader, Mohammed Yusuf.

Under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, the group has killed tens of thousands of Nigerians as well as displaced millions who are scattered in internally displaced person's camps.

The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in 2015, after which Shekau's brutal leadership style was questioned and internal strife led to a factional group, ISWAP, breaking away to be led by Yusuf's son, Abu Musab al-Barnawi.

The report read, "In 2016, Islamic State leaders in Syria and Iraq endorsed a schism within the organization, siding against Shekau and in favor of al-Barnawi.

"In August 2016, an Islamic State newsletter published an interview with al-Barnawi that broke with Shekau and discouraged violence against Muslim civilians.

"Implicitly criticizing Shekau and his support for needless violence, al-Barnawi remarked that 'the (Islamic) State has forbidden targeting the mass of people who belong to Islam, and it is innocent of that action.

"Al-Barnawi then explained that the group would focus on targeting Christians and the Nigerian state."

Roughly three quarters of ISWAP's over 400 terrorist attacks in 2015 took place in Nigeria, according to the report.

Ansaru also started as a Boko Haram faction and became officially independent in 2012. The group is more ideologically-aligned to Al-Qaeda and known for kidnapping and killing foreigners.

Ansaru has been largely dormant since 2015 and its leader, Khalid Barnawi, was arrested by security operatives in 2016. He's been charged with the kidnapping and killing of 10 foreigners.

The CSIS report also disclosed that Boko Haram had used drones for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in Nigeria and Cameroon in 2017.

The report noted that most countries, including Nigeria, who are most impacted by terrorist activities are at or near the bottom 10% of countries worldwide in terms of government effectiveness.

"Most are also in the bottom 10% of countries worldwide in other governance indicators, such as control of corruption," the report read.

The report concluded that poor governance indicators make it difficult to be confident that terrorism and insurgency will end in the foreseeable future.

The CSIS report comes just days after the Nigerian Army raised alarm over the emergence of a new terrorist group, identified as Jama'Atu Nus'Ratul-Islami Wal-Muslimina, in the northeast region.

Not much is known about the new group yet, but the Army said it's led by a certain Abul- Fadl Iyad Gali.