₦airaland Forum

The attack in the village of Dalori began when three female suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts in the name of Boko Haram.

Four hours later, after the jihadists had firebombed houses with local people locked inside, 86 men, women and children were dead.

“They came in through the bush, some of them riding on motorcycles and some in cars,” a resident of Dalori, in Nigeria’s violent north east, told Channels Television.

“People ran helter skelter for safety. Some crossed the river behind our village and we made distress calls to the soldiers but no help came. They started shooting and burnt the town. They even beheaded some of us and set the elderly, who could not escape, on fire,”

Boko Haram, the band of Islamists that has sworn loyalty to Isis and which wants to extend its writ across West Africa, is a group that President Muhammadu Buhari has previously said he has beaten. Its continued presence is an embarrassment for the retired army general. To make matters worse, as news of the attack filtered through, his government had been forced to go cap in hand to the World Bank and African Development Bank, asking for $3.5bn in loans as the fall in the price of oil has caused the Nigerian economy to falter. Last weekend was probably Mr Buhari’s worst since winning the election 11 months ago – and it capped an uncomfortable time in office.

He came to power on a promise of ending the endemic corruption that had become rife under his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, and offering his own guarantee as a military man that Boko Haram’s days were numbered.

He has largely over-promised and under-delivered.

“There is a difference between what he would like to do and what he is able to do,” said Richard Dowden, director of the Royal African Society.

“He made a promise to tackle corruption, in a country where the only way to get something done is to bribe somebody. Nigeria is almost ungovernable, but he has also been slow to make reforms.”

If Mr Buhari, “a straight talking military man” according to Mr Dowden, has had little time to cement changes in Nigerian society, he has been quick to laud apparent successes against Boko Haram.

In an interview at the end of last year, he said that the Nigerian army, criticised in some quarters for its ineffective performance against the insurgents, had “technically defeated” Boko Haram.

It is true that the military has enjoyed a number of successes, and Nigeria’s regional standing has gained currency – there is now more cooperation between Nigeria and its neighbours. But, as the attack in Dalori shows, the fight is far from at an end.

The war between jihadists and the Nigerian government has killed 20,000 people in the last six years and driven nearly 2.5 million from their homes.

Mr Buhari has promised “normalcy” for the people in the North-east areas around the town of Maiduguri, the worst affected area, but it appears that the normality is Boko Haram’s ability to act with impunity.

If the Nigerian president has been too quick to declare his successes against Boko Haram, he has had little chance to solve the other problem in his in-tray. Nigeria’s economy relies heavily on oil – about 70 per cent of national income comes from sales of crude – but the recent collapse in its price has caused the country’s deficit to grow. Just a third of Nigeria’s income is expected to come from oil revenues this year.

Gene Leon, the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Nigeria, told the Financial Times that Nigeria faced “significant external and fiscal account challenges”.

Africa’s biggest oil producer is looking to borrow up to $5bn to shore up its economy. Up to $3.5bn will be sought from the World Bank and African Development Bank, with the rest borrowed from the capital markets.

“We have held exploratory talks with the World Bank. We have not applied for emergency loans,” said the finance minister, Kemi Adeosun.

Some of this, at least, has been sheer bad luck for Mr Buhari. The price of a barrel of oil has halved since he was sworn in last May.

According to the IMF, Nigeria is expected to report growth of about three per cent for 2015. If accurate, it would be the lowest growth rate for more than a decade.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-exposes-nigerian-president-s-empty-promises-a6847781.html

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Amnesty International has criticized Nigeria's president for reinstating an army general it insists was among senior officers implicated in the mass murder of hundreds of detainees in northeast Borno state.

The rights group says President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to honor promises to investigate allegations of rights abuses and war crimes leveled against some army officials coordinating counter-insurgency operations in the Boko Haram-wracked northeast.

Major General Ahmadu Mohammed was retired from the army after troops under his 7th division mutinied on May 14, 2014 in Maiduguri, refusing to embark on an anti-Boko Haram operation.

The army announced on Jan. 14, 2015 that Buhari had ordered that the general be reinstated after he was cleared of charges.

Amnesty International on Monday said that no investigation has been done into its report released on June 3, 2015.

This had implicated Maj. Gen. Mohammed and eight other senior army officials in the March 14, 2014 execution of around 640 detainees following a Boko Haram raid on Giwa army barracks in Maiduguri, capital city of Borno state.

"The reinstatement of a senior Nigerian military general implicated in the mass murder of hundreds of detainees underlines the monumental failure of the government to stamp out impunity for war crimes at the highest level," Amnesty said.

Buhari, responding at the time to the Amnesty report, had promised the allegations would be "looked into" and that his government would "deal with all cases of human rights abuses".

Amnesty regretted that "this investigation is yet to begin".

The group recalled how its report had exposed a range of alleged war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the military in the course of operations against Boko Haram.

It claimed that, since March 2011, more than 7,000 people were starved, suffocated and tortured to death in military detention camps.

The Nigerian authorities have yet to respond to the latest statement by the rights body.

http://aa.com.tr/en/politics/amnesty-slams-nigerias-leader-over-war-crimes-general-/513582

Boko haram were technically defeated and they occupy some territories technically too, so it takes a technically inclined lair to technically give us a technical lie. You do not need a technical eye to see a technical lie all you need is a technically sound mind. It is those that are technically dumb and technically biased that can never know that the man and the government are technical liars and are already running the country technically aground.
Please let us all involve technically based spiritual prayers to save our beloved country from technical failures

I would like to know. As this government spend any money to buy any weapon?
Which weapon did they use to technically defeat boko haram

timunstopable:
Even the Catholic Church /bishop that demoted him are partisan

Why didnt they demote him when he was campaigning for jonathan nd openly endorsing him even mama peace was a frequent visitor to him

it for makes sense then

So as he change camp to Apc they remembered the laws of catholic church

having said that the church should remain apolitical

He campaign for GEJ and about few weeks after he campigned for PMB. So he could not have been sanctioned even in two months after the incidence.

The church may have taken a sentimental decision that favours FR. Mbaka.
He is lucky for not being de-robed

tartar9:
whatever..her action is still unIslamic.

I know your like would condemn this and prefer bombing or attacking the church
I hope your likes would not kill her. She is just trying to foster peace in an environment destroyed by religious conflict

NIGERIA’S government is in talks for concessionary loans worth $3.5 billion from the World Bank and African Development Bank to help finance a planned record budget this year, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said.

While discussions are going on, a formal request hasn’t yet been made to the World Bank for $2.5 billion and the AfDB for $1 billion, Adeosun said by telephone on Sunday. The government plans to tie them to specific capital projects, she said.

Infrastructure projects such as roads, railways and dams are among the most common examples of capital projects.

A request hasn’t been made for assistance from the International Monetary Fund.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is seeking to spend its way out of an economic crisis triggered by a collapse in oil prices. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer and relies on crude for almost all its exports and two-thirds of government revenue.
Record budget

Buhari has proposed boosting this year’s budget to a record 6.1 trillion naira ($30.7 billion). Adeosun said on January 21 that authorities will borrow about $5 billion in external debt from multilateral agencies and the Eurobond market to plug record budget gap of 3 trillion naira.

Lawmakers in Nigeria’s parliament will begin deliberations this week on the 2016 spending plan, Adeosun said on Sunday. Authorities will begin non-deal roadshow meetings with investors to sound out a potential sale of $1 billion of Eurobonds in February, she said.

Nigeria has issued dollar bonds twice, most recently in 2013. Crude oil prices have dropped about 46% since June last year and were trading as low as $35.14 a barrel in London on Monday.

The West African nation’s economy probably grew 3.2% last year, the slowest pace since 1999, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. (Bloomberg)

http://mgafrica.com/article/2016-02-01-distressed-nigeria-turns-to-multilateral-lenders-for-35-billion-in-soft-loans/

Onele Vincent and his colleagues are fed up with the rising cost of living. So they decided to do something about it and led a noisy protest at a top Lagos hotel where they work.



“Things are more expensive, rent is high, food is high,” Vincent told AFP last week in the lobby of the Southern Sun hotel, a favourite of the monied elite, politicians and expatriates.
Ads by Buzzeff

Everything has increased and yet the staff salary has remained the same.”

Vincent and the other hotel workers are far from lone voices in Nigeria, where many are feeling the pain as Africa’s biggest oil producer struggles to adapt to the record lows of global oil prices and its naira currency is under devaluation pressure.

Daily newspaper headlines warn of “Hard times ahead”, while many billboards in the commercial hub of Lagos stand stark white, just blank signs, an indication that companies are trimming costs.

Even high fliers are taking a hit. Importers of French wine complain that demand has dried up. Luxury car dealers and real estate agents say business has dwindled.

Africa’s leading economy is projected to have grown by 3.0 percent in 2015, its slowest pace in over a decade, according to an International Monetary Fund report in January.

Unlike Norway, which invested hundreds of billions of dollars of its oil money into stocks, bonds and real estate, Nigeria spent its riches when times were good.

Now that crude prices have slumped more than two-thirds since $100 per barrel in mid-2014, Nigeria is exposed.

Dollar reserves currently stand at a low of $28 billion — $20 billion less than in April 2013. There is only enough for five months of imports for a country heavily dependent on foreign goods.

– ‘Lack of direction’ –

While the huge drop in oil prices is a major headache for Nigeria, analysts say it is the government’s response that is the biggest cause for concern.

The central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday dismissed calls to devalue the naira in his monetary policy committee statement.

Instead he chose to continue propping up the currency at 197-199 naira to the dollar and maintain foreign-exchange restrictions.

As a result, the naira on the black market is hovering around a record low of 305, fuelling complaints from domestic and foreign businesses who can’t access dollars needed for imports.

With little domestic manufacturing and years of under-investment, mismanagement and corruption in the oil sector, Nigeria depends on imports for almost everything, from milk and machinery to petroleum products.

Jittery investors, fearing the inevitable devaluation of the naira, have held off doing business in the country until there is a clearer monetary policy.

The situation right now is causing a lot of anxiety and uncertainty because no one knows how to plan for it,” said Anna Rosenburg, emerging markets analyst at Frontier Strategy Group.

Everyone is complaining about the lack of direction from the government.”

– Investment limbo –

Attempts to shore up the naira are designed to protect the nation’s dollar reserves.

But the tight forex controls have led to accusations growth is being strangled in Africa’s most populous country.

“At this stage, a weaker naira is less important for fostering the resumption of needed international investment flows than the lifting of the foreign exchange restriction,” JF Ruhashyankiko, a Goldman Sachs economist, said in an investor note.

Now Nigeria is in limbo, badly needing foreign investment but unable to get any.

“If you’re not attracting those inflows and you’re not generating a surplus from the export of oil, then it’s going to be more difficult to sustain foreign exchange reserves where they are,” added Razia Khan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank.

That could impact on its perceived credit worthiness, which isn’t a good thing when Nigeria is thinking of borrowing externally to fund some of its more ambitious infrastructure programmes.”

President Muhammadu Buhari last month announced a record six trillion naira ($30 billion) budget to avoid a recession, planning to pour money into massive road and railway projects.

But the budget is based on an oil price of $38 per barrel, above the current market price of around $33, and relies heavily on borrowed money.

After Buhari remarked in December that he would consider devaluing the naira, some investors took it as a sign the currency situation would be resolved early in the new year.

Yet on Thursday Buhari put those hopes on the back burner, saying on a visit to Kenya he will not have the naira “killed” and is “optimistic” his policies will soon stabilise the economy.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2016/01/nigeria-faces-currency-woes-in-wake-of-oil-price-plunge/

Less than a month after ending a less than successful loan spell at UAE champions Al Ain, striker Emmanuel Emenike has moved to Premier League club West Ham United.

Emenike, 28, arrived at Al Ain in the summer and was handed the unenviable task of filling the void left by Ghanaian forward Asamoah Gyan following his move to China.

A record of nine goals in 15 appearances was deemed not good enough, and Al Ain swiftly replaced the Nigeria international with Brazilian Douglas during the winter transfer window.

Emenike’s return to parent club Fenerbahce has not lasted long, however, with West Ham completing a loan move until the end of the season.

“I have always known West Ham as a great club. I have always been watching them. West Ham’s a great club and I am very, very happy and very, very excited that I am here,” Emenike told West Ham TV.

“I’ve known Slaven Bilic for years. When he was at Lokomotiv Moscow, I was at Spartak Moscow, then he came to Besiktas and I was in Fenerbahce, so we have known each other for a long time.”

Emenike has played 37 times for Nigeria, featured at the 2014 World Cup and was part of the squad which won the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

He began his career with Delta Force in Nigeria before moving to South Africa with Mpumalanga Black Aces and Cape Town.

In 2009, he moved to Turkish football with second division Karabukspor, where his 16 goals helped the side to promotion.

He then scored 14 goals in the top flight with Karabukspor before a brief stay at Fenerbahce in 2011 was followed by a switch to Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow where he hit 24 goals in 51 games.

A return to Fenerbahce in 2013 led to the league title in 2014 before Emenike’s loan spell in the UAE.
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/english-premier-league/from-al-ain-to-london-nigeria-striker-emmanuel-emenike-signs-for-west-ham-on-loan

A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, among 86 people officials say died in the latest attack by Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists.

Scores of charred corpses and bodies with bullet wounds littered the streets from Saturday night's attack on Dalori village and two nearby camps housing 25,000 refugees, according to survivors and soldiers at the scene just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and the biggest city in Nigeria's northeast.

The shooting, burning and explosions from three suicide bombers continued for nearly four hours in the unprotected area, survivor Alamin Bakura said, weeping on a telephone call to The Associated Press. He said several of his family members were killed or wounded.

The violence continued as three female suicide bombers blew up among people who managed to flee to neighboring Gamori village, killing many people, according to a soldier at the scene who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.

Troops arrived at Dalori around 8:40 p.m. Saturday but were unable to overcome the attackers, who were better armed, said soldiers who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. The Boko Haram fighters only retreated after reinforcements arrived with heavier weapons, they said.

Journalists visited the carnage Sunday and spoke to survivors who complained it had taken too long for help to arrive from nearby Maiduguri, the military headquarters of the fight to curb Boko Haram. They said they fear another attack.

Eighty-six bodies were collected by Sunday afternoon, according to Mohammed Kanar, area coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency. Another 62 people are being treated for burns, said Abba Musa of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.

Boko Haram has been attacking soft targets, increasingly with suicide bombers, since the military last year drove them out of towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria.

The 6-year Islamic uprising has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.

———

Umar reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/boko-haram-burns-kids-alive-northeast-nigeria-witness-36624404

ABUJA-President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said that Boko Haram sect was embarrassing his government with their renewed onslaught against the people of the north-east.

Speaking against the backdrop of plethora of suicide bombings in Chibok market, Dolari Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camp in Borno State and the Gombi market in Adamawa State in the passing week, president Buhari said that the insurgents had become more desperate, saying that the recent bombings were attempts to gain public sympathy and attention having suffered terribly in the hands of Nigerian military.

President Buhari said the terrorists had been rendered weak, confused and homeless after repeated bombings and ravaging of their camps and hide outs by the military, forcing them to find their way back into the society to wreak havoc, like the case of the Dolari IDP.

The President also noted that the materials for the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were locally sourced by the insurgents.

He therefore urged Nigerians especially residents of the north-east region to be more vigilant and circumspect.

“Having lost the war, they are seeking ways and means to gradually find their way back into society. They are not returning to contribute but to cause more havoc. They are so desperate to embarrass the government and the people that they have no qualms attacking isolated communities and markets.

“I urge all citizens wherever they live to own the war against terror and to be part of the fight because it is the only way we can finish the remaining work that needs to be done to make our country safe again,” the President said.

A statement by the senior special assistant on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu stated that President Buhari “extended his condolences to all the people of Chibok, Gombi and Dolari who lost loved ones in the recent attacks and prayed that the Almighty God will comfort them and grant the injured persons quick recovery.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/boko-haram-is-embarrassing-my-govt-buhari/

Toktee:
[color=#000000][/color]So,anybody that speak against your insensitivity is a muslim?
For ur info,i do not insult you,i insult the lazy criminals in the niger delta,are you one of them,if yes,so shall it be.

You are judged by your statements. You started by using the word your Jesus and you see nothing wrong with your exalted boko haram. Boko Haram and Niger delta militant which is worse? What degree of laziness exist in your region compared to the south. If the insult was not directed to me,fine.
One thing is sure both Boko Haram and Niger Delta Militants are criminals. So you don't show sectionalism by condemning one and refuse to condemn Boko Haram in the same way.

Tribalism is exhibited by those who suffer from complex

Toktee:
So buhari wantto negotiate with terrorist that is why you criminals took arms to attract negotiaton from gvt?you will be diappointed,pmb will deal with you misreants in the way you ever regret returning to the creeks like acquatic animals.
Lazy fools think they will succeed now that gvt is at war with bokoharam not knowing that we have enough manpower.

Your Islamic murderers are not criminal, they are fighting for your god.
You call people Lazy without looking at yourself and your people. You have no issue based comments to make than to keep abusing people and calling people fools as if you are acting wisely.
Anytime comments are made that are at variance or opposing your comment the next thing you do is to abuse because that is what you have in your brain. You can only bring out what you have. Keep on abusing it is your way of life

JoyPaulLaw:
Nice question... But you NEVER can judge a HIM now until he faces similar situation.

I didn't judge him on that but can authoritatively said he never accepted defeat when he went to court for about three or four occasions he lost elections.
I would like to see a situation whereby when people lost election to accept defeat

ayemerbarth:
The reason you conceded victory to PMB Was because you were defeated.

That is a good reason by a sound mind. How many times did Buhari go to court after being defeated.
He is in government now because somebody lost the seat and relinquish it, If Buhari as an incumbent para-venture lost in the next election( if he contest) would he relinquish and accept defeat?

Alikote:
how about the calabar high way awarded by buhari for 600 billion last year u no dey nigeria abi na moon u dey stay

I would not like to say you lied probably you got it wrong or missed informed.
Buhari was only invited by Cross river state government to launch the project. The project was conceptualized by the Gov. Ben Ayade and awarded by the state government. I don't think Buhari's government have awarded any road contract yet.

read about the road project here. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/buhari-launches-260km-super-highway-project-pledges-speedy-completion/

modath:
That's the horrible thing about indoctrination & illiteracy combo!!

Willing & foolish tools in thousands!!!!

God will see this nation through..

On this you blame it on indoctrination and illiteracy, but on the bombing of pipeline in bayelsa this is what you said

Environmental pollution of their lands & some believe they are fighting the government!!! cool

So you gave excuse for the serial murder in the north orchestrated by Islamic believes but for the ss whose militants attack pipelines mostly you went vindictively .
Hmm different strokes for different folks

Toktee:
Yours jesus did nothing to them,they were busy enjoying gvt money yar adua gave them without working for it,we cannot negotiate with terrorist if they want war,they will get it.

Your mohammed did something, for trying to negotiate with terrorist up north that commits murder religiously but according to you can not negotiate with those that targets pipeline but not murderers. I see the tribal and religious angle in it.

Now to the topic, very bad, we don't need another conflict with this economic crises and boko haram to content with. If not checked now the hunger and suffering would not be quantified

mcee1:
"Ineffectual Baboon" must be probed.


*To all you IPOB TOUTS,FRUSTRATED HUNGRY WAILERS and other enemies of our dear nation progress quoting and insulting me yesterday due to a typing error about "SAW instead of SEE" asking me to go back to school?.I Want you guys to know I am better that all of you

God bless Nigeria.

Hmmm!!! When a lizard jumps from a height and no one praises it, It nods it's head in self praise.

bokohalal:
Transparency International is being mischievous or downright ignorant of the war against corruption in Nigeria. No African country has taken on corruption headlong as Nigeria. The mind-boggling amount mentioned is more than the GDP of the named countries.

They do not believe in media and political and propaganda accusations

dammytosh:
When last did you check your blood pressure and your thinking capacity ?

So you expect him to transfer Millions of Dollars to an account overseas bearing Akpabio ?

Metuh also boasted till his account officer came out to tell us how he gave out 2million dollars cash for exchange before investment.

If your benefactors are part of the people stealing our Common Wealth, You will go to jail together.

Did I hear or read you saying common wealth?

adimoh99:
Those are just words that can only be accepted by a fool. Simply common sense which I still assume is not common to most people should tell us that such funds cannot bear their names this is 21st century for crying out loud. Let's give it some time the truth will surely uncover itself. "you cover lies with more lies"

Truely common sense is not common, if it were to be common even the fools would have read that[b] he was accused of trying to withdraw $7.2b through channels from CBN[/b].
It was a direct accusation not referring to any proxy.

TimeManager:
Contrary to the thought that he had resigned. For pdp to have kept that office for an embattled accused in the wake of glaring & overwhelming evidence. It further confirms the odiferous stench of corruption in pdp is of a gargantuan proportion. How could a party denigrade an exalted office, if such exists, for a frustrating figure. Its a proof among others that pdp institutionalised corruption in nigeria. Well let the wailing buffoons enjoy their buffoonery like its a club trip.
The truth has spoken!

Is the evidence of corruption more glaring that that of a borehole being dug for N173m?
Any one that is caught or accused by government is a thief, so it depends on the government in power, could you imagine that the governor that stole the highest money is a minister, yet he is not accused but exalted by APC.
Almost all politicians are thieves

frisky2good:
Goje should have shut Akpabio up by mentioning some of his achievements as a governor.

I agree with you but does he really have? I think Akpabio was too direct. I think It was in response to Goje's defence of the 30% capital increase in the budget and by accussing the past administrations of being interested in siphoning funds rather than channeling them into development programmes.
Instead of asking for apology he should have proved Akpabio wrong by presenting what he did.
Akpabio coming in defence of his party did not ask for apology but decided to attack him directly for making that comment.

Let the battle go on, so that we would know who and who actually worked.
I love Akpabio's boldness.
EFCC invited him he floored them probably an attempt to gag him, but the man is still waxing strong.

He who wears the shoes knows where it itches. The lecturer a northern native, living in the north knows what is happening.
Look at the content it makes sense and it is the truth but the reason of posting it is what I don't know. If he is just expressing himself then I don't think he is wrong.
But If the lecturer was a Muslim and wrote same thing against the minority in the north and PDP would he have been purnished?

Not at all. A people so biased in everything.
May God help us from these tribal and religious bigots, who don't believe in freedom of expression

Ameboperoo:
PDP is only dreaming. What have they achieved in the past 3 tenures? Kogites are not fools now.
We don't want you anymore simple.

The PDP in Kogi state messed up governance big time, but the issue at hand now is not about PDP but about the position of the law. The issue in Kogi state is very dicey because the court would eventually decide and with the court no one is sure because a little fact can swing the pendulum to another direction.

In my own view, I think Faleke should be the Governor because i feel the election was already won and loss ( there was nothing inconclusive about it)
That is my view the courts decision may be different. What ever is the court's decision that would be the best decision