[size=14pt]SSS detains 5 with ‘Al Qaeda-links’ over German kidnap[/size]
On March 27, 2012 · In News
5:42 pm

KANO (AFP) -The Nigerian security operatives have detained five men, including a Mauritanian, believed linked to Al-Qaeda’s north African branch over the January kidnapping of a German, two security sources said Tuesday.

Four of the suspects were arrested in a raid on a supermarket in the northern city of Kano owned by the Mauritanian on Thursday, while the fifth was held in a separate raid, the sources said.

“Guns and a laptop were recovered in the store and the documents found in the computer, including an AQIM operation manual, showed that the suspects are linked to AQIM and were involved in the kidnap of the German engineer in January,” one of the sources said in describing the supermarket raid.

AQIM is the abbreviation for Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the extremist group’s north African arm.

It has not been known to operate directly in Nigeria, though some have suggested links between AQIM and Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram.

German engineer Edgar Raupach was kidnapped on the outskirts of Kano in January. AQIM said last week it was holding the German and that it wanted to swap him for a jailed Muslim woman, a private news agency in Mauritania said.

A video obtained by the ANI agency and seen by AFP showed Raupach, his hands tied behind his back, surrounded by masked gunmen.

Germany has confirmed one of its nationals was kidnapped in northern Nigeria, and the German construction company Bilfinger Berger has said he is one of their employees.

“The arrests are an important lead that could help in resolving the kidnapping of the German,” one of the security sources said.

The initial raid on the store was carried out on suspicion that the suspects were tied to Boko Haram, but investigations after the arrests led authorities to suspect they were linked to AQIM and the kidnap, the sources said.

The second source, speaking of the Mauritanian, said “he turned the upper floor of his store into a hideout where he housed his three Nigerian accomplices.”

Nigerian authorities have come under intense pressure over the kidnapping as well as violence blamed on Boko Haram. They also faced criticism after a failed bid to rescue an Italian and a British hostage earlier this month.

The British and Italian hostages were killed by their captors before they could be rescued in a joint operation with British security forces, authorities said.

Nigerian authorities blamed the kidnap of the British and the Italian on a faction of Boko Haram, which had not been previously known to carry out abductions. A purported Boko Haram spokesman denied any involvement.

A security source however had offered an explanation that implicated the group by association, alleging that the mastermind was a man named Abu Muhammad who was affiliated with AQIM and Boko Haram.

The source said the kidnappings were aimed at collecting ransoms which could be used to finance Boko Haram activities, and that in return Abu Muhammad would be given security cover by the group to carry out further abductions.

Abu Muhammad died in custody after being wounded in a raid which led to his arrest, Nigerian authorities have said.

There has been speculation that criminal groups may be seeking to profit from the security situation in northern Nigeria, where authorities have been unable to stop scores of bombings and shootings blamed on Boko Haram.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with 160 million people, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/sss-detains-5-with-al-qaeda-links-over-german-kidnap/

The al qaeda connection seems to be getting clearer with each passing day. The reasons Nigeria has become fertile ground for al qaeda are; the lack of education, religious extremism and poverty in the core-North. It is the same reasons that attracted them to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
It has taken several decades of wickedness and misrule by the core-Northern elite to get things to such a horrid level. There are no opportunities for the people, children are abused and turned to beasts as almajiri's, girls as young as 10 are "married" of to senile old men etc.

Two things are needed in the core-North:
1. The ouster of the current "leaders" who have only taken them down the path to destruction and sold the people for a nickel and a dime.
2. A revolution in education (including adult litteracy).

Beaf: The al qaeda connection seems to be getting clearer with each passing day. The reasons Nigeria has become fertile ground for al qaeda are; the lack of education, religious extremism and poverty in the core-North. It is the same reasons that attracted them to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
It has taken several decades of wickedness and misrule by the core-Northern elite to get things to such a horrid level. There are no opportunities for the people, children are abused and turned to beasts as almajiri's, girls as young as 10 are "married" of to senile old men etc.

Two things are needed in the core-North:
1. The ouster of the current "leaders" who have only taken them down the path to destruction and sold the people for a nickel and a dime.
2. A revolution in education (including adult litteracy).

Seconded.

Beaf: The al qaeda connection seems to be getting clearer with each passing day. The reasons Nigeria has become fertile ground for al qaeda are; the lack of education, religious extremism and poverty in the core-North. It is the same reasons that attracted them to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.
It has taken several decades of wickedness and misrule by the core-Northern elite to get things to such a horrid level. There are no opportunities for the people, children are abused and turned to beasts as almajiri's, girls as young as 10 are "married" of to senile old men etc.

Two things are needed in the core-North:
1. The ouster of the current "leaders" who have only taken them down the path to destruction and sold the people for a nickel and a dime.
2. A revolution in education (including adult litteracy).

If it were only that easy to do as much as it was to say.
BH phenomenon is a symptom of a larger disease, you cannot keep taking malaria drugs every time you fall ill from malaria. You can improve your chances of survival by dealing with the environmental imbalances that favor the growth and survival of mosquitoes thereby reducing costs on drugs and guaranteeing a better healthy future for generations to come. It is a simple analogy but in the context of the Nigerian situation, it is a daunting challenge, you are dealing with a myriad of complex socioeconomic conditions that cannot be addressed with a double-barrel approach as suggested above.
1: Justice System: A key institution critical in any "real" democracy, must be devoid of inequity and autonomous; free from influence at the Executive and Legislative levels. It is not what we see these days. If the Justice System is even half-reformed, other key Institutions will not be at this level of stagnancy where corruption is the only activity that has a positive geometric progression.
2: Security: A true benefit of democracy is that lawful citizens are guaranteed the freedom to exist in Nigeria given the protection of its armed and civil forces. Obviously that is asking for too much as it is no longer unfounded public perception that these agencies are rotten to the core. divided along ethnic, social and religious lines - a very dangerous trait especially in the armed forces
3: Economy (International Trade, Agriculture, Financial Services, Local industry,Human Capital etc) is the bedrock of a sustainable Democracy, If you cannot treat your economy properly, you are only asking for the restive Generals to come in and take you out. It is very common in Africa and the restive citizens who are tired of your stagnancy will have no choice but to support the new regime.
4: Health/Education: No explanations here, it is evident looking at the state of health and education in this country, we care only for importing drugs and breeding dullards. Just take a look at the budget the past 20 years
5: Religion: A tacky but influential piece of society. Religious leaders are often the flaring point for Nigeria's worst religious conflicts.they more often than not fuel the crisis by either keeping silent or speaking brashly. We need to come to terms with the FACT the Religion is under the Constitution not the other way around.

There is still much to be done (If it is not too late)