Baga clashes: Nigeria army seizes heavy weapons

Nigeria's army has said it seized rocket-propelled grenades during last week's fighting in Baga - believed to have been one of the first times Boko Haram has used heavy weapons.

It says 37 people were killed, while others maintain at least 185 died. The army says 30 members of the Boko Haram Islamist group, one soldier and six civilians died. The Red Cross has backed local officials who say the figure is higher but they have not been into the town.

An army statement said three rocket-propelled grenade launchers had been recovered, along with bomb-making material. The previous most deadly incident of the three-year Boko Haram uprising came last year when at least 160 people were killed in co-ordinated bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano.

The group is fighting to install Islamic law in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22270648

nuclearboy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/satellites-witnesses-counter-nigeria-denials-about-village-attack-that-killed-at-least-187/2013/04/30/d531261c-b1fd-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html

Rossikk: Shut the fck up and grow a brain, you stup.id animal.

Kajiang02: Just some days ago, the fed Rep from that region claimed death toll rose to 228, and El-rufai condemned Johnathan for ordering investigation.
I really wonder what these guys think.

So all the crap news about not allowing red cross and Nema access into the area was a lie!!

nuclearboy:

You are obviously a paid hack who has lost his conscience! If I support Boko Haram in any way, let God, Satan and life fight against me ELSE you will suffer it ALL!

You call me an ENEMY of my country because I said innocent people didn't deserve to die such a violent death? Count on it - you will remember this conversation the day you die violently for what you were NOT invollved in or better still, when you watch those close to you die senselessly because those with guns didnt care or do the right thing! I am in the heart of the southwest but emphathise simplly because I have a relative who was victim of accidental discharge and know how such "mistakes" can alter life.

In Jesus Name, you too will know the pain of the Baga innocents one day, as Jesus remains Lord of all! Callous Animal!

truth4meal: if u must knw thr is a media blackout in Baga. JTF restrict media coverage and the whole village is heavy guarded so the question is why is the government restricting media coverage if thr is cover up plan...this is what Human Rights watch ve to say: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/01/nigeria-massive-destruction-deaths-military-raid

BarryX: Most Nigerians were quite aware of the bloated casualty figures, That aside i have some pertinent questions to ask from a neutral point of view.
1) If the casualty figures were really not huge, Why budget more than 5 billion for rehabilitation? Who and what are they rehabilitating with such huge amount that can build a power plant.?? How are we so sure that large chunk of the amount release won't be used to finance the activities of this sect and the cycle continues? Please someone should oblige me an answer, it will go a long way. Thanks

BarryX: Most Nigerians were quite aware of the bloated casualty figures, That aside i have some pertinent questions to ask from a neutral point of view.
1) If the casualty figures were really not huge, Why budget more than 5 billion for rehabilitation? Who and what are they rehabilitating with such huge amount that can build a power plant.?? How are we so sure that large chunk of the amount release won't be used to finance the activities of this sect and the cycle continues? Please someone should oblige me an answer, it will go a long way. Thanks

nuclearboy:

Pity? Face the mirror - its not me or mine that require such but you who laugh at the pain of innocent others.

As its written "full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men return unto you"!

Morons that revel in the pain of others

Contrary to the claim by Nigerian military that only 30 houses were destroyed in a military raid in Baga, Maiduguri on April 16 and 17 after a soldier was killed when members of insurgent Boko Haram attacked an military vehicle, satellite images obtained by Human Right Watch has revealed “massive destruction of civilian properties.”
A statement released by the organisation said it identified 2,275 destroyed buildings, majority of which are likely residential, with another 125 severely damaged.Human rights Watch said its findings corroborate claims by the residents of the town that “counted 2,000 burned homes and 183 bodies” immediately after the attack.

[b]The organisation said the discrepancy in the figure given by the military and the its findings as well as the refusal of the military to allow journalists into the town has given rise to concern that the military is working on a cover up.
“The glaring discrepancies between the facts on the ground and statements by senior military officials raise concerns that they tried to cover up military abuses,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
“Since the attack, the military has restricted journalists’ access to Baga, a remote fishing community on the shores of Lake Chad, 200 kilometres northeast of the city of Maiduguri. Boko Haram has destroyed mobile telephone towers in the area, claiming that security services used mobile phones to track down its members, making communication particularly difficult for survivors of the attack,” the statement noted.Human Right Watch called on the government to “thoroughly and impartially investigate allegations that soldiers carried out widespread destruction and killing in the town.”
“The Nigerian military has a duty to protect itself and the population from Boko Haram attacks, but the evidence indicates that it engaged more in destruction than in protection,” said Mr. Bekele.Some residents who fled the town after the attack told Human right Watch that they saw soldiers in uniform kill residents and burn houses.[/b]

The statement quoted a “27-year-old woman, who stayed in her house after the gunfire erupted, described to Human Rights Watch how soldiers went door-to-door looking for any men that remained in her neighbourhood.”
“I saw the soldiers drag a man out of another house. They started beating him with their guns. They were beating him severely and he was crying,” she said. “The man then ran, and I saw the soldiers shoot him. I heard the gunshots and saw him fall. On the other side of the road the soldiers were beating other people.”Another resident said soldiers had threatened to treat habitants of the town as insurgent members openly before the attack.“We had heard the soldiers say before [the attack] that since you people are not cooperating with us and are hiding your brothers, we will treat you as one of them,” the fisherman told Human Rights Watch. “I heard the soldiers say this. Everyone heard them say this. They were saying this in the open.”

Human Rights Watch Analysis of satellite images suggests that the fire that swept across the town was intentionally started and not sparked by rocket-propelled grenades fired by the insurgents as claimed by the military
“Because of the number of buildings destroyed by fire as well as their distribution across large sections of the town, Human Rights Watch believes that such fires were intentionally set and not inadvertently sparked by the detonation of rocket-propelled grenades or improvised explosive devices. Such weapons could not ignite fires on such a wide scale, nor could they set fire to non-attached structures. Small arms and light weapons do not contain the amount of explosive or incendiary material to produce such a scale of damage,” Human Rights Watch said.

Sincere 9gerian: Shame on BBC!

Shame on AFP!!

Shame on all the international media organisations that contributed to this grave mis-information!

Shame on Nigerian media organisations that broadcast unsubstantiated casualty figures!!

I always tell people that these western media organisations have sinister motives with regards to Nigeria. How did they arrive at a casualty figureof 185 deaths?

Almighty God will punish all the enemies of Nigeria

Prof Corruption:

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/132165-satelite-imagery-shows-2275-houses-burnt-in-baga-human-rights-watch-says.html

thelastPope:

Has any media house claimed they were prevented by the military from going to Baga?

The military does not use media houses. The media always come on their own. It is their job. They crave such news. The job of the military is to cooperate and provide necessary assistance, where requiresd. But the Nigerian media is useless and lazy. They prefer to sit in their offices and copy stories from the Internet. Inst it a shame that Nigerian media are quoting foreign sources for a news story that happened in Nigeria? Pleeeeaaaase!

thelastPope:

Isn't that a self indicting statement from Human rights watch? If they are restricted from ground zero, how did they get a 185 people and 2000 houses figure they have been peddling. No one is in doubt that some innocents could have been caught in the cross fire. But where did they get 185 from. It is becoming clear they have an agenda!

thelastPope:

There are two things wrong with your post.

1. There is no media blackout anywhere. Such claims are only spread by lazy media people who would rather sit in Lagos or Abuja and cook up stories.

2. If we, for one minute, agree with you that there is a media blackout, how did the same media get the figures they have been publishing. Your statements are not adding up

thelastPope:

Has any media house claimed they were prevented by the military from going to Baga?

The military does not use media houses. The media always come on their own. It is their job. They crave such news. The job of the military is to cooperate and provide necessary assistance, where requiresd. But the Nigerian media is useless and lazy. They prefer to sit in their offices and copy stories from the Internet. Inst it a shame that Nigerian media are quoting foreign sources for a news story that happened in Nigeria? Pleeeeaaaase!

Omexonomy: especialy media houses from the western part of nigeria. In a village with less than one thousand thacth houses three thousand blocks houses where set on fire. If the media houses dont sell lies how will they feed thier family. How are they going to succed in bringing tinubu and fash into asorock. Finaly nigerians love to hear and read lies.

thelastPope:

5 Billion cannot build a serious power plant. That being said,

1. The government had to react to that initial outrage based on the spurious media report so they dont look insensitive. You have to understand that they are trying to manage both a physical war and a media war here. They are trying to manage public opinion. You cannot fight this battle effectively without public support. That is why the president had to announce an investigation and promised to punish any one found guilty.

It is sad that while the FG is fighting terrorism on one side, it is also fighting an evil and partisan media [/b]on the other side. Very sad!

The army has effectively blocked many journalists from getting to Baga – it is in a zone where Boko Haram exercises partial control – and it kept out relief agencies until the middle of last week. Cellphone service has been cut off. In a brief statement a week after the episode, Brig. Gen. Austin Edokpaye, the commander of the multinational joint task force – Nigeria shares intelligence with neighbouring countries, though its soldiers generally do the shooting – said one soldier was killed “while 30 Boko Haram terrorists lost their lives” and “unfortunately six civilians” were killed. Ten “other civilians were injured in the cross-fire,” he said.


The village, Baga, found itself in the cross hairs of Nigerian soldiers enraged by the killing of one of their own, said survivors who fled here to the capital of Borno State, 100 miles south.

Capnd143: I dnt believe most nigerian media houses and western news sources these days when it comes to issues of terrorism, the just cook up stories without even getting 1 mile close to the combat zone, the worst of them is saharareporters a nigerian own media house reporting all the from New york by just using unconfirmed news sources. As much i kinda distrust the FG bt i belive the military account whole heartedly. . . Their own part of the story is nt always heard.

Rossikk:
What you should realise is that there are people with interests in the total destruction of Nigeria. Some of them are Nigerians. They are willing to lie and lie all day to bring the govt into disrepute in order to further the next stage of their programme.

awodman:
When you say 5 billion budgeted for renovation,I hope you are not mistakenly referring to the money released for rehabilitating victims of POST-ELECTION violence.I can't remember govt releasing such amount to BAGA victims,instead NEMA was mandated to provide succor to them.Pls if you have a source quoting the 5 billion you mentioned,can u kindly share with us .

thelastPope:

How does that sattelite picture show 185 people dead and 2000 houses burnt? You mean somebody looked at those sattelite pictures and counted 185 dead people and 2000 burnt houses in a village?

You are an enemy of Nigeria. You and your gang are evil people trying to sabotage the system because of your selfish interest. You have failed, woefully!