Security agencies are on red alert in six
northern states following last weekend
alleged killing of 185 civilians, including
children and women in Baga, Kukawa Local
Government Area of Borno State, during a
bloody clash between Boko Haram
insurgents and a combined team of soldiers
attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) and
their counterparts from Niger Republic and
Chad.
In effect, more military personnel and arms have
been moved to the affected areas.

Saturday Sun gathered that the nation’s security
high command took the decision to put law
enforcement agencies in Borno, Yobe, Kano,
Kaduna, Gombe and Bauchi states on red alert
following widespread local and international
condemnation of the heavy civilian casualty
recorded in the clash that claimed many lives.
“Intelligence reports coming in indicate that the
condemnations of the military action in Baga
may serve as a moral booster to the Boko Haram
terrorists to launch simultaneous and
coordinated devastating attacks in the six
identified states in the coming days.

This is the basis for the directive to all armed
commands in the states to beef up their
intelligence gathering and be ready for rapid
response. In essence, they were all put on red
alert,” a source involved in the coordination of
the Federal Government anti-terrorism efforts in
Abuja disclosed.
The officer said some of the military formations in
the concerned states have “been reinforced with
more personnel and their armoury beefed up in
the coming days because of the advancement
noticed in the firepower and weapons used by
the insurgents so that they can respond
appropriately to any incursion.”
This development, it was gathered, is hinged on
the return and regrouping of islamist militants
earlier dispersed in northern Mali through the
aerial bombardments of their strongholds by
French troops. “Since the French left Mali a few
weeks ago, the rebels in the North of the country
have again been regrouping to wreak havoc in
countries that participated in the war against the
rebels in Mali. An instance of that was what we
saw in the massive bombing of French embassy
in Tripoli this week.

The popular belief is that they have moved into
some northern states with a lot of the
sophisticated weapons taken out of Libya,” the
source added. Meanwhile, there are indications
that a group of northern leaders have concluded
plans to drag President Goodluck Jonathan and
other senior officials of his administration before
the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war
crime offences.
One of the leaders, who confirmed the
development to Saturday Sun, said: “While we
would not condone the excesses of the Boko
Haram sect, we condemn strongly the senseless
killing of innocent women and children in Baga
and to forestall future occurrence of things like
this, some of us have decided to file a petition at
the ICC for war crime charges against the
president and some of his lieutenants.
Former President Obasanjo committed the same
crime in Odi, Bayelsa and Zaki Biam in Benue
State and went free. We won’t allow this to go
without someone being brought to book, either
now or in the nearest future.” Another northern
leader and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF)
chieftain, Senator JKN Waku, told Saturday Sun
he is aware of such move and will support the
petitioners. According to him, “we value every
single life, but what right has President Jonathan
to encourage this kind of massacre of villagers,
who are not Boko Haram members.
Why didn’t the president order JTF to do the
same thing in Bayelsa when MEND killed 12 JTF
men at a go? This is surely a calculated attack on
the North and someone must be made to
account for these crimes some day very soon.”
Also speaking on the same issue, ACF
spokesman, Anthony Sani, said the killing in
Baga is an “unsavoury incident,” adding that the
pro-North group will wait to get the outcome of
investigations launched “to unveil the facts
behind the killing.” At the international level,
Washington-based Human Rights Watch (HRW)
told Saturday Sun it has commenced
investigations into the allegations of massacre in
Baga.

According to the organisation’s researcher on
Nigeria, Eric Guttschuss, “Human Rights Watch
is investigating allegations of extra judicial killings
by soldiers in Baga, Borno State in Nigeria. The
outcome of our findings will determine our line of
action.” He spoke in a telephone interview with
Saturday Sun from his head office in Washington
DC, USA. In the same vein, an official of the ICC
has said that the alleged killing of women and
children in Baga has made it imperative for the
world body to review its preliminary report on its
initial examination of developments in Nigeria.
The ICC had, in its 2012 report, relied largely on
findings by the HRW. The official said: “The
preliminary examination of a situation may be
initiated by: (a) a decision of the Prosecutor,
taking into consideration information on crimes
under the jurisdiction of the Court, including
information sent by individuals or groups, states,
intergovernmental or non-governmental
organisations; (b) a referral from a State Party or
the United Nations (“UN”) Security Council; or (c)
a declaration pursuant to article 12(3) of the
Statute by a State which is not a Party to the
Statute.”

While noting that so far more than 15 petitions
on war crimes had been received from Nigeria,
the ICC said: “During the reporting period, the
OTP (Office of the Prosecutor) has maintained
and developed contacts with senders of article
15 communications, academics and researchers
specialised on Nigeria, and Nigerian NGOs as well
as international human rights NGOs.”

While declaring that “Boko Haram has committed
the following acts constituting crimes against
humanity: (i) murder under article 7(1)(a) and
(ii) persecution under article 7(1) (h) of the
Statute,” the ICC submitted: “Although
allegations against Nigerian security forces in the
context of their operations against Boko Haram
may reflect serious human rights violations, the
information available at this stage does not
permit a finding of a reasonable basis to believe
that such acts were committed pursuant to or in
furtherance of a State or organizational policy to
attack the civilian population.

There is also currently no reasonable basis to
believe that the confrontations between the
security forces and Boko Haram amount to an
armed conflict.” The body, however, stressed:
“These initial assessments may be revisited in the
light of new facts or evidence.”
The ICC official added: “If the allegations that
women and children massacred in Baga are
therefore, confirmed, that may constitute new
facts or evidence to establish crimes against
humanity against some government officials and
security commanders.”

kudos to nigeria military top heirachy for putting all formations on red alert.we wont like to be caught unaware again

these norther buffoons are wicked. so it's now they realize how important this life is. all these while bk has been throwing bombs,killing thousands of church attendants they were clueless.

well the people that have been murdered in churches and christain gatherings are also Nigerians!

Why are they not angry about those?

Hypocrites, was it federal government that created boko haram? was it federal government that promised to make Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan? For the past 40 years that northerners have been killing the Igbos at will this hypocrites have never been angry with federal government.

mikeansy: well the people that have been murdered in churches and christain gatherings are also Nigerians!

Why are they not angry about those?

and Muslims and Northerners r nt killed by BH? And y must u b a bigot in everythng?

FG should bring in the Air Force, BH needs to be smoked out.

ecosanders: and Muslims and Northerners r nt killed by BH? And y must u b a bigot in everythng?

How many muslims were killed? If I slap you eeh. So its now these clowns recognized how sacred life is? Why where they not angry when coppers were killed in 2011? Why haven't they condemned the killing of over 4000 innocent souls by their creation called Boko Haram? I say enough of these mind games. The North can go to hell for all I care. More fire for JTF, more fire

slimghost:

How many muslims were killed? If I slap you eeh. So its now these clowns recognized how sacred life is? Why where they not angry when coppers were killed in 2011? Why haven't they condemned the killing of over 4000 innocent souls by their creation called Boko Haram? I say enough of these mind games. The North can go to hell for all I care. More fire for JTF, more fire

if i Aluu dat ur mouth ehn! Lik it or nt, more Northerners n muslims hav bin killd by BH, wen xtians were killd, didnt CAN speak up? Oloshi

ecosanders: and Muslims and Northerners r nt killed by BH? And y must u b a bigot in everythng?

its amazing how you people try to turn the tables and accuse your victims of bigotry. A group of people who attack and kill their fellow countrymen because they pray to a different god while the local population looks the other way turns around to accuse others of bigotry?

How many times has Boko Haram's attack on Emir/Mosques been attempted attacks that misses its target while attacks on churches and christain gatherings has been launched at the deadliest of times to maximise effect?

I think your response, your claim that BH's attack on christains equates to those of Muslims is the kind of bigotry I am talking about. It is very disgraceful and you should all hide your heads in shame

mikeansy:

its amazing how you people try to turn the tables and accuse your victims of bigotry. A group of people who attack and kill their fellow countrymen because they pray to a different god while the local population looks the other way turns around to accuse others of bigotry?

How many times has Boko Haram's attack on Emir/Mosques been attempted attacks that misses its target while attacks on churches and christain gatherings has been launched at the deadliest of times to maximise effect?

I think your response, your claim that BH's attack on christains equates to those of Muslims is the kind of bigotry I am talking about. It is very disgraceful and you should all hide your heads in shame

Well said!