The military high command yesterday, gave graphic details of how it overcame a 10-hour fire fight with Boko Haram insurgents to capture what it described as one of the largest cache of weaponry belonging to the group.

The revelation came as the Federal Government warned yesterday that the Boko Haram scourge was capable of crippling the economy of Northern Nigeria. At the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting yesterday the government urged prominent northern leaders to rise up in solidarity with the government in the battle, saying that the conflict was already casting negative indices on the regional economy.


Battle ready soldiers
Speaking after conducting reporters round what the military described as the destroyed weaponry of the Boko Haram group after yesterday’s gun duel, Army spokesman, Lt Ikediche Onyenonachi Iweha said: “A search on the premises revealed that the facility which was attacked is a bomb manufacturing factory as well as an operational warehouse with several unexploded IEDS.”

Lt. Iweha stated that the military on arrival at the suspected bomb factory came under fire from the Boko Haram fighters who also threw several Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) at them but were compelled by the exigencies of the operation to handle the situation with caution.

The three bedroom flat used as the base of the insurgents located on the outskirts of the Mariri neighbourhood of Kano was yesterday strewn with bullet holes. The flat was dilapidated.

The Army spokesman explained the insurgents had substantial fire power as they engaged security agents in sustained gunfire that lasted between 1700hours to 0340hours before they were subdued.

He revealed that four casualties were recorded on the side of the armed group during the combat operation, adding that a large cache of arms and ammunition including locally made bombs were recovered.

Items recovered included 10 AK 47 riffles with 27 loaded magazines; one pump action gun, 223 packets of live ammunition and several mobile police uniforms.

Also recovered from the flat were identity cards and several bags of urea fertilizer and assorted cables for detonating IEDs.

The Army spokesman appreciated what he described as the overwhelming support the military has received so far from the general public, and urged them to continue to support the operation for the good of the state.

Attacks harmful to Northern economy— FG

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, told State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, that the government was worried that the insecurity and terrorism recurring in some sections of the North could destroy the economy of the North.

He, therefore, harped on the need for Northern leaders, elders and other stakeholders to rally round the government and get involved in bringing this development to an end.
“If some names were mentioned by some media houses it doesn’t mean that it could be true. It could be false, we don’t just take it on the pages of newspapers because you report a story, whether it is NTA, radio or video it takes more than that to establish the veracity of a claim. So our doors are open to every formal channel of communication for the evolution of a process that should lead to a dialogue.”
“So the government is clear we are ready to dialogue already the President had said so”, .
The minister explained that, the North more than any region needs peace and stability as it is clearly lagging behind in infrastructure and other development indices; saying “If any region needs peace in the country it was the Northern Nigeria.”

Maku who reacted to consistent threats issued by Boko Haram group to bomb parts of the North, pointed out that “terrorism in places like Kano is destroying the North as it hits at the heart of the development of the region”.

According to him, Kano serves as a commercial nerve centre of not only the North but services neighbouring countries like Chad and Niger Republic whose traders also patronise the city.

”It makes no sense to attack innocent people and destroy the North. Sokoto is the spiritual headquarters of Islam inNigeria and the terrorist group claims they want to attack the city.”

In what way does that help Islam, or progress and development of the region if that is what they are fighting for?”, he said.

While assuring that government would continue to deploy resources and develop capacity to contain insecurity and terrorism, Maku urged Northern leaders, elders and other stakeholders to rally round the government and get involved in bringing this development to an end.

”A lot of arrests are being made, about 14 so far. The federal government is investing resources in intelligence and we are beginning to see results on a consistent basis. More security personnel are also being deployed to trouble spots”, he stated.
shedding more light on President Jonathan’s call for dialogue, he said:

“it is known to government that our children and citizens are involved in these terror attacks, and it has offered an opportunity for them to come forward and state their grievances”.

Maku pointed out that while the government is not pleased to deploy its military arsenal against its own citizens and that is why the door of negotiation remains very much open, lack of “coherent submission by those involved (Boko Haram) on what they want to do”, has not help matters either.

“If you go and attack Sokoto for example , Sokoto is the spiritual headquarters of all muslims in the country. The sultan of Sokoto is officially recognised as the leader of muslims in Nigeria.

He is the Prime leader and authority of islam, so if for example threaten to attack Sokoto what is the benefit? and that is why we continue to say that we do not see much of religion in what is happening, because if Sokoto is virtually an islamic centre and the headquarters of the caliphate that spreads islam to most part of Nigeria and even south-west so if you go and attack Sokoto in what way does it affect the course of Islam if it is Islam they are fighting for”.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/kano-how-we-subdued-boko-haram-army/

He is the Prime leader and authority of islam

bullshyyt. . . the Quran is my authority on Islam, not any human being.

i thought sokoto caliphate was Yoruba holy place as well??

may Allah bless the boko boys!!

Lets join hands togeda and pray to God to help us stop dis dreadful killings.Islam is a religion of peace and will continue to be no matter how some people sees it.It is easy to be brain-washed with lies if things are not going as expected.I belief d level of poverty in the country and d mismanagement by d Govt could make some frustrated beings to turn against d Govt, if offer a good package by d group.It's high tym our Govt start doing d right thing or else i fear for what to come next after BH. God bless Nigeria and protect Us

Religion of peace my bottom

abiolag:

Lets join hands togeda and pray to God to help us stop dis dreadful killings.Islam is a religion of peace and will continue to be no matter how some people sees it.It is easy to be brain-washed with lies if things are not going as expected.I belief d level of poverty in the country and d mismanagement by d Govt could make some frustrated beings to turn against d Govt, if offer a good package by d group.It's high tym our Govt start doing d right thing or else i fear for what to come next after BH. God bless Nigeria and protect Us

You guys don't need to keep shoving it down our throats that islam is a religion of peace when the exact opposite is what we keep seeing. if it were, you don't need to keep announcing, we will say it ourselves! That said, is it only in the north that there is poverty? Can you please stop heaping blames on government already? the family is the main unit of raising people---train a child in the way he should go and when he grows, he would not depart from it. northerners should learn to raise their children in LOVE and TOLERANCE of other peoples' beliefs. they should teach them how not to keep relying on others for means of livelihood. they should give birth to only children they can cater for---and not send them off to almajiri to turn them to beggers. surely, you dont need government to do this for you!!! please go enlighten your people.

Islam is one of the worlds major problem
its a satanic religion.A religion that kills
women and children and calls it jihad.
A religion that has left a trail of bloodshed
and sorrow accros worlds history.
Watch these links to understand Bokoharam.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoT8jruvj3s&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN2fqe4oWsI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zrzbdPKnhk&feature=related

papa giddy:

may Allah bless the boko boys!!

May this blood-thirsty allah demon which you serve also "visit" you too.

Notice some of the magazines are painted with the police color, How did the Boko haram members get them?

Muslims are yet to convince the world that their religion is peaceful

papa giddy:

may Allah bless the boko boys!!

A TYPICAL BOKOHARAM NAIRALANDER. YOUR TYPE AND THE SATANIC BOKO BOYS ARE THE MAIN PROBLEM HINDERING ISLAMIC RELIGION. MAY ALLAH SHOW YOU THE LIGHT TO SEE AND REALISE THAT PEACE AND TOLERANCE IS ALL WHAT ISLAM PROPAGATES NOT VIOLANCE.

^^ you being dishonest by suggesting Islam is a united house, there are too many divisions within it with widely different thoughts. Boko haram, Al Shabab, Al Qaeda are examples of doctrines that believe all humans must be under God's rule.

Its a pity. God save us from these blood thirsty evil people called boko haram.

papa giddy:

may Allah bless the boko boys!!

I know you are just joking. Well, your Allah has already started blessing them one after the other and will continue to bless them along with those who support and sympatise with them.

The government should adopt the method it used to stop the  Osisikanku menace in Aba. There should be arrests of imams, mallams and muslim individuals living within the regions occupied by boko haram members. Since they fail to expose all of them then they should all be arrested and be tortured untill they will be ready to tell the truth. Religion should be removed from this issue. If one cannot practice his religion peacefully, then he should be arrested and killed if possible because he is a treat to other people's peace and freedom. I hate the unneccesary fear and sentiments used in handling this islamic menace. If muslims want to save their religion in Nigeria, this is the time.They should not allow hipocrites and occultic men like Atiku, IBB, Adamu Ciroma , Buhari and their likes to inflict disaster to their land and the religion they so much cherished. Otherwise, they will see their land destroyed like Afghanistan and their religion which is meant to give meaning to their lives would become a curse on them. Once the north gets to the level of afghanistan, every rich man there would relocate to another place. IBB, Atiku, would flee to another country to look after their investments while the ordinary northern man would live in constant fear, poverty,neglect and regret. Those sponsoring Boko haram are not even living according to sharia law. You can not tell me that IBB. Atiku etc does not drink beer nor sleep with other peoples's wives of daughters. Their agenda is to make Nigeria ungovernable to the detriment of the ordinary northener. So, my advice to you muslims is to begin to enlighten your bredren to expose and reject boko haram. There is no way boko haram would succeed in islamising an ordinary state in the north not to talk of islamizing Nigeria. They would only succeed in destroying the image of islam in Nigeria and convert the North into a desert

saying that islam is a religion of peace to me is like saying that bh is a non violent group.