I like the soldier so much I nickname him DESPERADO !

RANDOM PICTURES

Boko Haram loses 10 more camps in Sambisa-DHQ

The Defence Headquarters on Sunday said an unconfirmed
number of Boko Haram members fell to the superior
power of the military in the ongoing offensive in Sambisa
forest.
The military authority also said its forces on Saturday
captured and destroyed 10 additional camps used by the
terrorists.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of
Defence Information, Maj-.Gen. Chris Olukolade, on
Sunday in Abuja.
Olukolade said the `Dure’ camp which was one of the most
prominent camps in the forest witnessed the fiercest battle
as troops descended heavily on it before it finally fell.
He said four of the camps were located in a place called
`Iza’ within the forest, while three others were noted to be
recently established by the terrorists before the assault
began.“ One soldier died from one of the land mine encountered in the operation, while two others were wounded.
“The terrorists lost a number of vehicles mounted with
anti-aircraft guns as well as armoured vehicles.
“Some of the terrorists who escaped from the camps died
as they ran into troops’ ambush in some escape routes
from the forest,’’ he said.
Olukolade further said some of the fleeing terrorists had
engaged in suicide missions at Bitta where they
encountered the Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the
border in Niger Republic.
He said the operation to clear the terrorists in Sambisa and
other forests in the zone were ongoing, as troops in all
fronts were placed on guard for fleeing terrorists.
He added that the Nigerian Air Force had maintained an
active air surveillance to track the movement of terrorists.

CTION PICTURES;

Nigerian Army reports death of many terrorists, one soldier, as 10 camps falls in Sambisa forest.

WorldStage Newsonline—Nigerian Army said an unconfirmed number of terrorists died on Saturday as 10 additional camps were overran in the continuing offensive operations in Sambisa forest. 

However, one soldier was said to have died from one of the land mine encountered in the operation while two others were also wounded.

A statement by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information said the Dure camp, one of the most prominent in the forest witnessed the fiercest battle as the Special Forces descended heavily on it before it finally fell.

He said four of the camps were located in a place called Iza within the forest while three others were noted to be recently established by the terrorists before the assault began.

He said, “The terrorists lost a number of vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns as well as armoured vehicles.  Some of the terrorists who escaped from the camps also died as they ran into troops ambush in some escape routes from the forest.”

Some of the fleeing terrorists were said have also engaged in suicide missions at Bitta where they encountered the Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the border in Niger Republic.

The operation to clear the terrorists in Sambisa and other forests is continuing as troops in all fronts have been alerted to be on the lookout for fleeing terrorists,” the statement said. 

“The Nigerian Air force is maintaining an active air surveillance to track the movement of terrorists for appropriate action as the operation continues.”

NA SF SOLDIERS TRAINING IN RUSSIA.

COLONEL BARLOW, CHAIRMAN OF STTEP, REFUTES CLAIMS BY ‘SOLDIER OF FORTUNE’ MAGAZINE THAT ‘MERCS’ PLAYED A ROLE IN THE RESCUE OF SAMBISA HOSTAGES BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG.
“I note that the magazine “Soldier of Fortune” has now come out stating that STTEP played a role in rescuing the captives in Sambisa forest! What rubbish they can spew… Indeed, most of the article is based on assumptions,conjecture, lies and disinformation – something the writer gets paid for. Neither I nor STTEP have ever claimed anything other than our small role with 72 Mobile Force. Nor have we tried to intimate we were involved in any of the NA successes.” https://beegeagle./2015/05/14/south- african-mercenaries-and-nigeria-chairman-of-sttep-colonel- eeben-barlow-speaks-to-the-beegeagles-blog-community- on-on-pervasive-false-narratives/ END
BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG 18 May, 2015 QUOTE 2015/05/18 at 5:09 am

SMOKED BOKO HARAM MEMBERS

72 STRIKE FORCE (pic courtesy beeg's)

Slovak Bozena mine clearing units heading for Nigeria
BRATISLAVA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Slovak producer of minesweeping equipment, Way Industries, on Monday announced it signed a contract to supply five Bozena mine clearing units to Nigeria. "We've just received the results of a tender in Bangladesh in which Slovakia's Bozena won as well. We're analyzing the details of the tenders as we speak," the company's general director Bohuslav Lipovsky said Monday. Apart from regular supplies of mine clearing equipment, the firm specializes in consulting and training soldiers. "Our expert team recently returned from the Golan Heights (Israel), where we provide a tailor-made mine clearing system. Apart from project work, we also provide consultations and training," said Lipovsky.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-05/18/c_134249824.htm

The Slovakian BOZENA 4 Mine Clearing Vehicle

The Slovakian BOZENA 4 Mine Clearing Vehicle is a remotely
controlled light demining system designed for mine
clearance and for C-IED tasks assistance. Its size and weight
allow BOZENA 4 to work in space limited conditions (inside
forests and mountains, along plantations and obstacles).
Due to its exceptional resistance against anti-tank mines (9
kg TNT) BOZENA 4 can be used in zones with high-threat
contamination. There is a wide range of accessories and
attachments available to enlarge the efficiency in field
operations.
BOZENA systems successfully deal with any demining
challenge worldwide and as the real tool for the real job
have enjoyed the trust and satisfaction of end-user for more
than 15 years.

The Slovakian BOZENA 4 Mine Clearing Vehicle Spec’s

Length total 5280mm

Length of Prime mover 3305mm

Length of Flail unit 2000mm

Width of Prime mover with tracks 1985mm

Width of Flail unit 2840mm

Height of Prime mover 2270mm

Weight total 6983 kg

Weight of Prime mover 5576 kg

Weight of Flail unit 1407 kg

Engine DEUTZ BF 6L914, turbo Rated power at 2 500 RPM

110 kW (147 HP)

Torque at 1 600 RPM 550 Nm

Fuel consumption average/max 13,2 / 19,5 l/h

Mine clearance width 2,2m

Mine clearance depth max 250mm

Blast resistance 9 kg TNT

Operating RPM of the Flail unit 350 – 500

Working efficiency (max) 2 500 sq m/hour

Vegetation cutting diameter/height up to 30 cm / 4 m

Fuel tank capacity 140 litres

Maximum speed 9 km/h

Remote control range/battery life 5 000 m/11 hrs

Below are pictures of bozena 4;

CION PICTURES.

1st pic shows soldiers cleaning,preparing and loading there weapons before action
2ns pic shows soldiers awaiting briefing and there orders !

Egyptian-Libyan War of 1977

Reason for War Between Egypt and Libya :

Egypt and Libya had at one point been on fairly good terms, as both enjoyed Soviet support in the ongoing Arab-Israeli Conflict. After the 1973Arab-Israeli war, (in which Libya and Egypt were allies),Egypt turned toward the West,ejected their Soviet advisors, and became friendlier with the United States. Also, Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat began to make initial peace moves toward Israel. Libya’s leader, Colonel Muammar Khaddafi, still strongly allied
with the Soviet Union,expressed his displeasure at Egypt’s moves toward peace with Israel by expelling 225,000
Egyptian workers from Libya and by organizing a “March on
Cairo,” in June, 1977, to protest against Egypt. The march was halted by Egyptian border guards.

Analysts also believed that this Libya-Egypt conflict was part of a larger Soviet-sponsored plan to destabilize not only Egypt, but also other pro-Western nations in north-east Africa; Sudan and Somalia. Libya had sponsored a coup attempt against Sudan’s leader in 1976, and Marxist-led (and Soviet allied) Ethiopia was engaged in a border conflict with Somalia’s President Muhammad Siad Barre, who had, like Sadat, recently ejected the Soviets from his country.

Course of the War Between Egypt and Libya:

After the march was halted,Libyan artillery fired at the Egyptian border town of
Sallum, and Libyan troops
carried out a raid at Sallum.
The raid was carried out by
Libya’s 9th Tank Battalion and
supported by the Libyan Air
Force with French-built
Dassault Mirage 5 aircraft.

Egyptian President Sadat and military commanders ordered
three fully army divisions to the Libyan border in reaction
to the Libyan attacks. The Egyptian Army beat back the
Libyan Army attack, destroying most of their equipment in the ground battle around Sallum. Tanks and mechanized infantry units of the two divisions of the First Egyptian Army, which normally protect the Egyptian capital of Cairo, effectively mauled the three Libyan Army brigades Khaddafi threw into the border battle.
The Egyptian Air Force and the Egyptian Army then went on
the offensive, crossing the Libyan border and capturing
some key border towns. Three squadrons of Egyptian
war planes bombed Libyan military bases at Al-Adem, Al-
Kufra and Umm Alayan, as well as a training camp for Libyan-sponsored African terrorists near Al-Jaghbub, which was attacked by Egyptian commandos delivered to the
battlefield via helicopter assault. These terrorists were
believed to be training for various Libyan-sponsored
insurgency in Africa, such as the ongoing rebellion in
northern Chad.

Libya reportedly suffered 400
dead and wounded combined,
lost 60 tanks, 40 armored
personnel carriers, and 21
aircraft. The 1,500-strong Soviet
military advisory. contingent,
who operated Libya’s radar
network, suffered three dead
and one wounded in Egyptian
air raids. Egypt’s losses came to
about 100 dead and wounded,
while losing up to six military
aircraft.
Other Arab states negotiated a
cease-fire between the two
battling North African
neighbors, and convinced
Sadat to not launch a full-scale
invasion of Libya. Egypt, and
the world at large, consider this
war to have ended in Egyptian
victory.

Outcome of War Between
Egypt and Libya:
Tensions
between Egypt and Libya
continued, but Egypt had
taught Khaddafi a lesson, and
no more overt attacks on Egypt
occurred. Egypt moved even
closer into an alliance with the
United States (which continues
into the early 21st century),and signed a peace treaty with
Israel in 1979.

War Dates: July 20-24, 1977

Location: Egypt-Libya Border region

Nations Involved:

Egypt vs. Libya (with Soviet military support)

Egypt and Libya War Casualties:

Egypt: Libya: Soviet Union:

Dead & Wounded: 100 Dead &

Wounded: 400 Dead: 3

Wounded: 1.


Picture below shows the border between egypt and libya

A NA MLRS IN FAR NORTH-EAST

bidexiii:
A NA BERYL RIFFLE

But what still puzzle's me is still why they are not fixed with there opticaal sight accessories it will 100% optimize hitting the targets,kill and goes a long way op timing each round of ammo !
If i where ask to choose: I would rather use a rotten/obj AK with an optical sights than a modern riffle without optical sight ?
I'll go for the rotten ak47 with optical sights !


Picture below is a NA beryl riffle .

This is the Polish Beryl M762 chambered with 7.62 X 39mm its essentially an upgraded AK47 with a picatinny rail and an improved butt stock, that should considerably control the recoil and allow for better accuracy. However that will not increase the range or change the impact or velocity of the 7.62mm bullet even with an optical sight. The effective range in battle condition remains the same no more than 150 metres in the hands of an experienced operative.

Consider that the Beryl Karabinek wz. 96 5.56x45mm was adopted in the late 1990's to replace the AK47 and is Polish army standard issue for its armed forces. Here we are 25 years later still talking about the virtues of the AK47 that most countries including eastern block have left behind.

Its like saying that a Peugeot 404 pick up is better than a Toyota Tundra V8 5.7, because it's easier to maintain, that would be irrational sentimentality.


Superior equipment particularly precision arms give you clear cut overriding advantage and increase your survivability in the battle field. The casualty rate of the NA is simply way way too high amongst other issues is our reliance on the AK47 that doesn't give out troops any clear cut advantage over the enemy. Operation Serval with 4000 French soldiers in Mali literally ousted the Islamic insurgency in a few weeks in an area possibly bigger than the whole of Nigeria. To date French casualties stand at no more than 14 after 2 years and 5 months not even a single officer has been killed.

I am afraid to speculate on how many brave gallant officers have been lost to Boko, hundreds and NCO's its probably at least a thousand.

Costings the Beryl we procured will not be more than $450.00 per unit, however add the possibility of egunje and it will be near $600, Poland has big issues with corruption and our top brass will find them very compliant to sharp practices.

To procure the German super reliable Heckler & Koch G36 will with good diplomatic bargaining cost no more than $500 dollars with twin optical sights per unit, that means 20,000 units will cost $10million add to that a transfer of technology licence 0f $3/5million and we can produce them locally with at least 70% local product content.

Below a video from Andy McNab former somewhat rogue SAS officer widely acknowledged officially and unofficially on the merits of the optical scope and its advantage even for him as an 18yr old combatant in first fire fight in Basra Iraq. Its possible you may consider my anonymous view as being without authority.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj_6zYb_roU

Nigeria customs service men with Steyr Stg.77 AUG assault rifle.

komekn:


This is the Polish Beryl M762 chambered with 7.62 X 39mm its essentially an upgraded AK47 with a picatinny rail and an improved butt stock, that should considerably control the recoil and allow for better accuracy. However that will not increase the range or change the impact or velocity of the 7.62mm bullet even with an optical sight. The effective range in battle condition remains the same no more than 150 metres in the hands of an experienced operative.

Consider that the Beryl Karabinek wz. 96 5.56x45mm was adopted in the late 1990's to replace the AK47 and is Polish army standard issue for its armed forces. Here we are 25 years later still talking about the virtues of the AK47 that most countries including eastern block have left behind.

Its like saying that a Peugeot 404 pick up is better than a Toyota Tundra V8 5.7, because it's easier to maintain, that would be irrational sentimentality.


Superior equipment particularly precision arms give you clear cut overriding advantage and increase your survivability in the battle field. The casualty rate of the NA is simply way way too high amongst other issues is our reliance on the AK47 that doesn't give out troops any clear cut advantage over the enemy. Operation Serval with 4000 French soldiers in Mali literally ousted the Islamic insurgency in a few weeks in an area possibly bigger than the whole of Nigeria. To date French casualties stand at no more than 14 after 2 years and 5 months not even a single officer has been killed.

I am afraid to speculate on how many brave gallant officers have been lost to Boko, hundreds and NCO's its probably at least a thousand.

Costings the Beryl we procured will not be more than $450.00 per unit, however add the possibility of egunje and it will be near $600, Poland has big issues with corruption and our top brass will find them very compliant to sharp practices.

To procure the German super reliable Heckler & Koch G36 will with good diplomatic bargaining cost no more than $500 dollars with twin optical sights per unit, that means 20,000 units will cost $10million add to that a transfer of technology licence 0f $3/5million and we can produce them locally with at least 70% local product content.

Below a video from Andy McNab former somewhat rogue SAS officer widely acknowledged officially and unofficially on the merits of the optical scope and its advantage even for him as an 18yr old combatant in first fire fight in Basra Iraq. Its possible you may consider my anonymous view as being without authority.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj_6zYb_roU

What am saying simply is all the beryl riffles issued to NA soldiers do not come with the optical sight, that's my question ?
Why is it that the way NA or we nigerian do things has to be questions !
The beryl riffle is a very effective riffle ,its effective range is between 400-600mtrs !
But with the optical sight you can get up to 600 -1000mtrs!
Now wen our top brass knows these why wouldn't they give these gallant men basic accessories,@ least our special force if these new weapon do not come with these accessories ? My point is they are as good as the AK's !

bidexiii:


What am saying simply is all the beryl riffles issued to NA soldiers do not come with the optical sight, that's my question ?
Why is it that the way NA or we nigerian do things has to be questions !
The beryl riffle is a very effective riffle ,its effective range is between 400-600mtrs !
But with the optical sight you can get up to 600 -1000mtrs!
Now wen our top brass knows these why wouldn't they give these gallant men basic accessories,@ least our special force if these new weapon do not come with these accessories ? My point is they are as good as the AK's !

We need to establish some facts that are clearly substantiated and not in any doubt. Firstly the weight of the 7.62x39mm bullet has a maximum velocity that will not allow the bullet to go beyond 300metes effectively. That is the bullet that is chambered in the Beryl M762 the NA have procured and what is used in all of our antiquated AK47's. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVE RANGE BEYOND 300 METRES

The Beryl range of assault rifles has a number of variants, the Beryl Karabinek WZ96 chambered with the 5.56x45mm bullet has an effective range of up to 1000 metres dependant on barrel length and other variables, battle tested in the theatres of Afghanistan it has been proven to be reliable, robust and accurate. However , we decided to buy a dressed up AK47, it still is antiquated and crude, why did the Polish, Russians , etc discard it if it was so good.


How much will it cost to ensure that our gallant troops are not riding around in suicide soft skinned pick ups and every combatant has a fit for purpose modern precision assault rifle, and go into battle zones strictly in armoured vehicles, probably less than the allowances of the National assembly for 6 months.

There has to be a complete rethink in our battlefield management, infrastructure and weaponry acquisition. Battles are not won by sheer numbers alone things have changed lets get updated.

bidexiii:
Nigeria customs service men with Steyr Stg.77 AUG assault rifle.

This is an Austrian derived assault rifle stupendous range in excess of 1000metres, those ones we have don't look very new possibly refurbished as they were first introduced in the late 70's. Currently can be picked up for peanuts as there are several variants that supersede the first generation.


Good decision by the Customs to procure this rifle, also the issue of stray bullet hitting innocent passers by should not arise with its inbuilt scope.

CION PICTURES :

1st pic is a NA hilux being ferried across a river.

2nd pic is a kind of hidden bunker where BH hide some of there weapons in sambisa forest.

3rd and 4th are NAF assessts being guarded by soldiers.

.

SOMALIA FORCES;

CION PICTURES

3rd and 4th pictures are NA women soldiers @ the front-lines, kudos to dis brave women !

Nigeria set to deploy two more battalions to battle Boko Haram .

WorldStage Newsonline—Nigerian Army has confirmed that two battalions are currently undergoing training and will soon be deployed against terrorists in addition to personnel of the 151 battalion which has already completed its training and are helping to defeat the insurgents in the North East.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman was quoted to have spoken at monthly Army Media Briefing in Abuja that “within the last month, 481 personnel of the Armed Forces Special Forces which comprises personnel of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police have completed their training and inducted in to the theatre of operations within 7 Division Area of Responsibility.  Recent achievements recorded in the North East can be attributed to the exploits of this elite force.

 “Army Headquarters Task Force Group is currently in the last phase of their training while Nigerian Army Armoured School, Bauchi has intensified training of Tank Crew personnel”, Kukasheka said while noting that “personnel training on Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the United Kingdom and United States are ongoing.”

He was said to have attributed recent successes recorded in operations against terrorists in the North East and indeed other operations within the country to the infusion of these specially trained personnel and are manifestations of Nigerian Army’s huge investment in human and material resources within the period.

The Army Spokesman said the Nigerian Army Administrative Policies and Procedures which was last reviewed in 2005 had recently been reviewed to be in line with current and future realities.

 “To ease the problems associated with retiring Nigerian Army officers, a one-stop documentation procedure was devised recently. An office of the Deputy Director Retirement and Documentation was established at the Army Headquarters Department of Administration with a 90 day time line of documenting and processing retiring officers’ benefits,” he said.

“Similarly, a system of annual update of Nigerian Army personnel Next-of-Kins has been devised.  This is intended to eliminate the hardship hitherto experienced by families and in particular, the Next-of-Kins of our fallen colleagues.

“In April, 20 next-of-kins received cheques for payment of Group Life Insurance entitled to them while a total of 235 next-of-kins benefitted from the special assistance by the office of the National Security Adviser.

“Similarly, over 2000 children of deceased personnel were screened and passed for NA scholarship for 2014/2015 academic session.  Furthermore, up to 20 families have also benefitted from the official burial expenses within the last month in addition to the Chief of Army Staff’s token which was intended to provide immediate succour to the families.”

Usman also noted that two separate Court Martial’s are currently ongoing at the Army Headquarters Garrison and 81 Division Nigerian Army with a view to ensuring quick dispensation of justice, discipline and professionalism.

Random pictures

FIELD IMAGES ;

Nigerian army 'relocates' 275 Boko Haram survivors

The Nigerian army has relocated 275 women and children recently rescued from the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, officials say.
They said they were taken from a camp in the north-eastern city of Yola and flown to an unknown destination.
Camp officials said there were suspicions some of the women had been communicating with militants.
Nigeria's military, which has not yet commented, has put increasing pressure on Boko Haram in recent months.
Backed by soldiers from Chad, Cameroon and Niger, the Nigerian army has managed to liberate a number of towns from the militants since they launched a military operation in February.
However, sporadic attacks and violence have continued, with thousands killed in the last year alone.
'Serious humanitarian crisis'
The group of women and children were brought to Malkohi camp in Yola on 2 May, after their rescue from a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa Forest.
At the time, the women said some members of their group were killed when the militants pelted stones at them because they refused to run away as the army approached.
A spokesman for the government body managing the camp, Sani Datti, told the AP news agency that he was aware soldiers had removed the group. But said he had no more details of what he described as an "entirely military affair".
Separately on Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the Boko Haram insurgency had caused "one of the most serious humanitarian crises in Africa".
"Whole communities have fled their villages and endured unimaginable suffering... even if the fighting stopped tomorrow, it will take years of investment and painstaking work to rebuild livelihoods and services," ICRC president Peter Maurer said.
He has just returned from a trip to the two north-eastern cities of Maiduguri and Yola, where thousands of people have fled the violence.
He said the charity was seeking an additional $65 million (£41m; €58m) to support its operations in Nigeria as well as in Chad, Cameroon and Niger, where the fighting has spread.
Further support was also needed for the victims of sexual violence, he said, amid widespread evidence the militants raped some of the kidnapped women and girls.
About 1.5 million people have been displaced and hundreds more abducted since the group launched their violent uprising in 2009. More than 15,500 people have been killed in the fighting.
The group is still holding many women, girls and children captives including 219 schools girls it kidnapped from a school in Chibok in April last year.
The name Boko Haram, loosely translated from the region's Hausa language, means "Western education is forbidden".

CION AND UN MISSIONS

The Destruction And Revival Of Boko Haram
   
Despite their rather obvious defeat (losing control of dozens of towns and villages in the northeast and thousands of men killed or captured) Boko Haram is still active. The thousands of surviving Islamic terrorists need food, fuel and other supplies and depend on robbery to survive. Thus Boko Haram raids in the last two weeks have left over a hundred dead. Some of these raids were on military bases, either in an attempt to steal weapons and ammo or simply a desperate move that might succeed and embarrass the army. In addition the Islamic terrorists continue sending out suicide bombers and these have killed over fifty people in the same period. Boko Haram maintains a presence on the Internet and a network (somewhat depleted by all the news of Boko Haram atrocities) of supporters in the northeast and elsewhere in Nigeria and abroad (among Nigerian expatriates).

The army fears that Boko Haram will now revert to guerilla war and attempt to rebuild. The foreign (Chad, Niger, Cameroon) troops will soon return home, in part because Nigerian commanders have been uncooperative and seem to resent the presence of foreign troops. That is unfortunate because there are still too many incompetent and often corrupt Nigerian officers and there is no quick fix for that. The army needs help because they are spread thin in the northeast and cannot protect everything Boko Haram can still raid or attack.

The senior Nigerian generals want to declare victory in the northeast by May 29th when the new president (retired general Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Moslem) takes power. The new president was elected on promises to do something about corruption and it is agreed that one of the most corrupt government institutions is the military leadership. The military and police commanders are key to security in the northeast and there are simply not enough police and soldiers to provide security for all the communities in the northeast where there are active, armed, angry and hungry Boko Haram men. But one reason Boko Haram survives is because of the corruption, which hits young men the hardest (no jobs and no money to pay bribes to get anything from the government). Boko Haram may be defeated, but it is not destroyed and the anger against the corruption and mismanagement of the economy is still there to create more Islamic terrorists. Buhari has a four year term in which to make a difference and he made it clear he knew what the problems (mainly corruption) were and that one of the main targets would be the many corrupt officers who made the growth of Boko Haram possible.

Even before the new president takes power the military high command has ordered an investigation, and possible prosecution of 30 senior officers serving in the northeast. Tales of corrupt officers crippling counter-terror operations have been louder and louder over the last few years. More than 30 officers were involved, but the senior generals want to show they are aware of the problem and doing something about it.

The fighting in the northeast and the growing pressure to deal with corruption has left the armed forces with about 600 officers and soldiers jailed and awaiting trial (court martial). This is taking so long because it is feared that some of the accused will accuse superiors of misbehavior during their trials. This became an issue in December 2014 when an army court martial convicted 54 soldiers of mutiny and sentenced them to death. The soldiers, from units operating against Boko Haram in the northeast, said they refused orders because the necessary weapons and equipment were not provided. Some of the soldiers came right out and accused their commanders of being corrupt and ineffective. Actually executing these soldiers (by firing squad) has proved to be difficult because of the growing realization that the complaints of the convicted soldiers were probably accurate and the army leadership could be accused of trying to kill these men for exposing the corruption.

Then there is some good news, sort of. By early May the army had freed over two thousand women and (mostly) children from Boko Haram captivity and questioned all the adults before freeing them. Nearly a hundred adults are still being held because other captives accused them of supporting Boko Haram during their captivity and continuing to support the Islamic terrorists even now. The army has said little publicly about this other than to mention that some captives are being given additional medical treatment and counseling. It is known that many women and older girls are still being held for investigation of criminal activity while in captivity.

Another bit of bad news that came and went was the issue of foreign mercenaries. In December news stories began to appear that the government had decided to act on a suggestion that had been bouncing around (and leaking) for months and hire some foreign mercenaries to train and advise (lead) a task force of elite Nigerian troops to quickly crush the most determined Boko Haram resistance. After denying it for months the government eventually admitted that it had used a small number of South African mercenaries to help defeat Boko Haram in the northeast. Nigerian officials went shopping in South Africa, the country where the military term “commando” was invented over a century ago because that is where these fellows can still be found. In January a South African security firm (STTEP, for Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment) was given a three month contract (worth nearly $4 million) to assemble a force of a hundred combat experienced trainers to help Nigeria deal with Boko Haram. The men STTEP sent consisted of whites and blacks but all were experienced (often former special operations) combat vets. A few were from outside Africa although most were South African (or from neighboring countries like Namibia). In a few weeks the STTEP force had expanded by selecting competent Nigerian troops and these few hundred men, moving quickly in trucks and a few armored vehicles as the 72nd Mobile Force Battalion, with Nigerian aircraft overhead (some with STTEP men aboard acting as spotters) quickly smashed one “troublesome” Boko Haram group after another. Boko Haram had up to ten thousand armed men in the north organized into dozens of smaller units led by charismatic men of varying military skill. The STTEP force went after the most effective Boko Haram battlegroups, which not only greatly weakened Boko Haram overall demoralized the less competent Boko Haram leaders and gunmen. This made it easier for the troops from neighboring countries to go after the remaining Boko Haram fighters. By late February Boko Haram was weakened sufficiently for the Nigerian troops to go in and carry out the final push against the demoralized and thoroughly unnerved Boko Haram fighters. STTEP was so successful that Nigeria did not extend their contract and in March the STTEP personnel left as the Nigerian Army was advancing into Boko Haram strongholds and freeing hundreds of women and children the Islamic terrorists had captured in the last year.  Nigerian officials now admit they used STTEP and there are few complaints because it worked and the mercs have gone home (where the South African government is threatening to prosecute, but that’s another story.)

In addition to the 72nd battalion the military activated a new unit of special forces (481 specialists from the army, navy, air force and police) to handle special situations in the northeast. These range from Boko Haram use of hidden bombs and suicide bombers to hostage situations and any new tactics the Islamic terrorists come up with. For example it is believed that the Islamic terrorists now have a number of children (6-10 years old) trained to transport bombs that are triggered remotely as well as some young women who are willing to be suicide bombers.

Meanwhile Chad has been quite public in its criticism of the Nigerian military leadership in the northeast. Chad sent in 2,000 soldiers and these proved to be the most effective foreign troops involved in defeating Boko Haram. Contingents from Niger and Cameroon were also effective but many of the Chadian soldiers had a lot of combat experience and very aggressive commanders. The Chad officers were dismayed to find that there was no effort by their Nigerian counterparts to coordinate operations against Boko Haram. The Chad troops were simply told to move into a particular area and deal with any Boko Haram they came across.

Aside from the danger of attacks from the remaining Boko Haram gunmen in the northeast there is a larger problem with hunger and starvation. The UN is trying to sort out what it will take to cope with the food shortages and nearly two million refugees. Over 200,000 Nigerians fled to adjacent countries since 2009 to avoid Boko Haram violence and those nations want the refugees to go home as soon as possible. Niger is accused of forcing thousands of refugees to move back to Nigeria. Most of these refugees fled in the past year. Current estimates are that it will take over a year and nearly a billion dollars in emergency aid to deal with the refugees and the economic disruptions caused by all the Boko Haram violence in the last year, especially in Borno state. It will take years to get over all the trauma and disruptions.

Over a million other refugees found sanctuary inside Nigeria. Most are reluctant to return home until they are sure Boko Haram is gone for good, many also fear their Christian neighbors. While a minority in the north, there are still many largely Christian villages and neighborhoods where defensive militias have been formed and Boko Haram has been kept out. But stories (some of them real) of Moslem neighbors turning on nearby Christians (often to avoid retribution from Boko Haram) has many Christians seeking (and exacting) revenge on their returning Moslem neighbors. It will take a while for these hatreds to subside. Meanwhile Boko Haram has caught the attention of Christians worldwide. That’s because in 2013 over 2,100 Christians were killed worldwide for their beliefs and that number more than doubled in 2014 and continued to grow in 2015. In 2013 some 29 percent of those deaths were in Nigeria and that rose in 2014 to more than half. The hardest hit community in the northeast are the several hundred thousand Christians living in and near Maiduguri (the capital of Borno state). Boko Haram sought out Christian towns, villages and neighborhoods and killed over 5,000 Christians (mostly Catholics) in Borno state.  A disproportionate number of the kidnapped women and girls were Christian. Some 90 percent of the worldwide Christian deaths (for religious reasons) were at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Boko Haram and ISIL are the worst offenders accounting for over 80 percent of the martyred Christians in 2013 and 2014. Nearly a third of the world population is Christian and at least 100 million of them are constantly threatened by anti-Christian militants. Nowhere is the threat more intense right now than in northeast Nigeria.

May 20, 2015: In central Nigeria (Plateau state) several hundred Fulani tribesmen attacked two Christian villages killing 26 people and stealing cattle. The Fulani are angrier than usual because soldiers have been catching up with some of their raiding parties, killing some of the Fulani and returning stolen cattle. This time police responded by imposing a night time curfew a week ago but the security forces have not got the manpower to enforce it everywhere in this largely rural area. So far this month there have been several hundred casualties from these raids, including at least 70 dead. Tribal violence in this area has been a problem for generations because Moslem and Christian tribes do not get along. The violence has gotten worse in the last few years. Moslem nomadic Fulani tribesmen have been fighting with Christian and pagan farmers in Plateau State and outside the city of Jos for years. The violence has gotten worse now and there were over a thousand casualties in 2013 and nearly as many in 2014. Boko Haram has claimed involvement, but that appears to be marginal and in recent incidents apparently done by Fulani warriors simply to terrorize their victims further. The Moslem tribes have long claimed that the government was sending Christian soldiers and police to persecute them because of their religion (not because they were constantly attacking Christian farmers). The settled (farming) tribes have been there a long time and in the last few decades more Moslem tribesmen have come south looking for pasturage and water for their herds and have increasingly used force to get what they want.

May 19, 2015: In the northeast (Adamawa state) a Boko Haram suicide bomber killed six people in a cattle market.

May 18, 2015: The army reported they had seized ten Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest over the weekend. This follows the capture of more than twenty other camps in the week before. Troops continued searching for the thousands of Islamic terrorists known to have fled into the Sambisa Forest when they were chased out of towns and villages they had occupied in the last year. As soldiers advanced deeper into the Sambisa Forest they encountered older and better protected (with landmines and traps) camps and these slowed things down as engineers deal with the mines and traps. These devices are causing more casualties than Boko Haram gunfire as the Islamic terrorists apparently have orders to keep retreating until they find a hideout the troops are less likely to discover. Troops have been in this large (60,000 square kilometers), hilly, sparsely populated area for a month now. The forest straddles the borders of Borno, Yobe and Adamwa states and has long been a hideout for Boko Haram. Since 2014 the forest has been under constant aerial surveillance by Nigerian and American aircraft. Thus the troops on the ground had a lot of information, but were warned to be careful about things you cannot spot from the air, like minefields and ambushes. It will take months to carefully search the entire forest and the small (a few dozen gunmen) bands of Boko Haram will keep moving.

May 16, 2015: In the northeast (Yobe state) a Boko Haram suicide bomber in a bus station killed seven. Elsewhere in the northeast (Adamawa state) several dozen Boko Haram gunmen raided a village in an area declared free of the Islamic terrorists two months ago. The raiders killed three people while kidnapping seven women and looting several houses. In nearby Borno state a group of Boko Haram raided the largely deserted town of Marte and announced that they had reoccupied it. But there were no security forces in the deserted town and the Boko Haram men fled when some soldiers did show up in response to the media announcement that Boko Haram had reoccupied Marte.

May 14, 2015: In the northeast (Yobe state) a Boko Haram suicide bomber was prevented from getting into a college campus because of suspicious security personnel and students. The attacker set off his explosives, killing only himself. His two associates were spotted and arrested.

May 13, 2015: Over 10,000 refugees have returned from camps in Niger to reoccupy their homes in the north.

May 10, 2015: In the northeast, on the Cameroon side of the border two Cameroon soldiers were killed when they confronted a group of Boko Haram gunmen. Three of the Islamic terrorists were killed and the rest fled back into Nigeria. In the previous week at least twenty people have died because of Boko Haram raids on Cameroon villages near the Nigerian border. Boko Haram groups have also been raiding in Niger, but not nearly as much as in Cameroon, whose border is adjacent to areas of Borno state where Boko Haram has been most active for years.

Nigerian Air Force Inducts New Pilots May 21, 2015 - Uncategorized - Tagged: Africa, Africa Defence, African Defense, African Military, Nigeria The Nigerian Air Force Tuesday, inducted 11 new Pilots with their ‘Wings’ after completion of flight training within Nigeria and abroad with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu charging the young pilots to be prepared for the huge task of fitting into the operational flying environment (fighting terrorism) prevalent today. Declaring that pilot training and general training is one of the key drivers of his vision, the Air Chief said, “To this effect, we have spared no effort in ensuring NAF personnel are well trained to carry out their constitutional duties. For now we have 32 Student pilots in various flying institutions in Nigeria and USA who expectedly would be winged before the end of the year.” Amosu while decorating the pilots made up of 3 Group Captains, one Wing Commander, one Squadron Leader and 6 Flying officers, advised them not to rest on their oars by assuming they have arrived saying, “Flying operations involved a lot of discipline, hard work and diligence for you to succeed”. He said the young officers were being inducted as pilots at a period NAF platforms are being reactivated and new ones acquired, noting “you must therefore key into the developmental strides of the service and be ready for duty whenever it calls”. On Boko Haram insurgency, Amosu said, “As you are aware, the Nigeria Air Force has done creditably well in discharging her duty at the ongoing operation Zaman Lafiya in the north East. The crops of pilots undertaking daring mission in the midst of real danger are testimonies of the qualities of training provided by the NAF”. “My administration deliberately focused on training and re-training of our personnel in order to bequeath to the NAF, a cream of well trained personnel that are combat ready and meet international standards”. The pilots are Group Captains Micheal Ekueme, Essien Effanga and Olayinka Oyesola; Wing Commander Dan Apyeyak, Sqr. Ldr Uchenna Ihediwa, Flying Officer Babatunde Balogun and Flying Officer Mohammed Ndakun. Others are Flying Officers Kabiru Gwandu, Jude Nwaedozie, Tobenna Makata and M. Abdulhameed. Earlier, Director of training, NAF, AVM Emeka Okoye recalled that 15 pilots who graduated from pilots training from FSI, Vance AFB USA and IAC Ilorin were winged on the 15th of April. As reported by Kingsley Omonobi for Vanguard

BATTLEFIELD IMAGERY FROM THE LIBERATION OF GWOZA

1st picture is a trail of destruction left behind by Boko Haram terrorists .
2nd picture shows NA soldiers apprehending a suspected insurgent in the beautiful mandara mountain towns of gwoza.

CONTINUATION ....