Two North East Governors on Military Radar over Boko Haram

Military Places Tab On 2 Govs, Key Northerners

Some prominent northerners, including two state governors in the North East zone have been placed under close security watch and are being screened to determine the level of their involvement in alleged efforts by some unscrupulous individuals to undermine the military.

The security alert followed complaints by the military high command about attempts by certain prominent northerners to cast the military and other security forces in bad light to whip up negative public sentiments on allegations of genocide against a dominant religious group in the north, so that people will demand cancellation of ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Daily Newswatch learnt that the scope of the discreet observation spans a wide range of activities involving the prominent people who are mainly politicians, retired and serving military personnel and civil servants.

The military high command last week raised alarm over alleged plans by un-named powerful northerners within and outside the country to discredit the armed forces in the eyes of the international community by accusing the Army of religious-induced genocide in the hope of undermining the on-going counter-insurgency manoeuvres.

Many of those implicated were alleged to have direct or indirect sympathy for the Boko Haram insurgents and may have been questioned by detectives working on the case but the sheer number of names on the official list has made it impossible to move swiftly with the matter, according to high level Defence sources.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, who issued a statement on the activities of the group last week, said a well hatched negative campaign plan targeted against the armed forces was recently discovered by the military.

“The campaign, which is to rely heavily on doctored and falsified audio visual materials, some of which are already trending in the social media, is to be coordinated and funded by a prominent political leader whose state is presently under the state of emergency,” he said.

He stated that the campaign was aimed at sufficiently politicizing the counter-insurgency operations in the North East through negative publicity to generate local hatred against the military and support from the international community with the hope of scuttling the counter-terrorism operation in the place.

When the issue was raised at the joint security briefing on Monday, General Olukolade, who addressed newsmen, confirmed that investigations have commenced in the matter to determine the level of culpability of those involved.

He declined, however, to state whether the military would press that the culprits should be charged for treason since those involved were alleged to be engaged in efforts to subvert the state by inciting the civilian population against the military.

Olukolade advised Nigerians to wait and see what happens with regards to ongoing investigations in the next few weeks.

However, a key suspect in the bomb explosion that rocked Kabang community in Mubi, Adamawa State, on Sunday evening has been arrested by troops who cordoned the area in a swift response to the explosion.

The Director of Defence Information confirmed at the briefing that 18 people were killed while 19 others were wounded in the explosion, adding that those wounded are already receiving treatment in several hospitals in the state.

He also said that troops on patrol successfully repelled an ambush by Boko Haram insurgents at Buratai community in Biu in Borno State. Two AK 47 rifles and two vehicles used by the terrorists were also said to have been recovered.

“The troops who fell into the ambush laid by the terrorists while on patrol engaged the insurgents in a decisive fire fight killing four of them and capturing one alive. Also in Kawuri in Borno State, troops on patrol killed five terrorists in a shootout,” he said.

Olukolade appealed to members of the public in the north to spare themselves sudden death by reducing their patronage of viewing centres, especially now that the World Cup season has commenced, stressing that the insurgents regard such viewing centres as prime targets for attacks.













































Daily Newswatch.