Four hour raid and banks appear to be the target
Local residents talking to correspondents, so maybe not 100% accurate and I've checked other on-line news reports:
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The attacks by suspected members of the radical Boko Haram sect, which also seriously injured two other policemen, happened in the town of Azare and lasted four hours, they said.
The attackers armed with heavy machine guns, threw explosives and fired heavy machine guns into a regional police headquarters and an adjoining police station in the town, setting fire to the buildings, residents said.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...lls-three.html
Wikipedia for a map and background:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azare
Anxiety mounts over insecurity, poverty, others
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NIGERIANS holding the short end of the stick seem near their wits end now. The unraveling ogre of anomie on all fronts is enervating to say the least. Armed banditry and insecurity, unemployment and poverty, poor power supply and low capacity utilisation by industries, kidnapping for ransom and trepidations over fuel subsidy removal, all and more combine to set both the rulers and the ruled on edge.
Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, in an interview with The Guardian, put it succinctly: “There is a disconnection between the people and the leadership, hence the leaders have no capacity to motivate or to inspire the people or restore confidence. Because of this disconnection, our institutions have collapsed. I thought it was bad enough that our public institutions alone were collapsing, but with the story of the failure of banks making the rounds, I am now alarmed.”
But Lamido also said: “If the average Nigerian wants the roads repaired, power supply regular, he will need to make some sacrifices. The choice is ours. The President is talking to people, political leaders, and opinion molders about the reality of the situation.”
In fact, The Guardian can confirm that the there are several high-level official meetings going on, especially at the Presidency, to square up to these challenges nationwide.
Some of the critical stakeholders engaged in the current efforts to stem the nation’s slide include security experts, religious and political leaders as well as civil society groups and media chieftains.
However, in a development that seems to be the first breech of the strained dam, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday called out it members in universities nationwide for “a total, comprehensive and indefinite industrial action from today.”
There was palpable fear yesterday that the ASUU strike might open a floodgate of similar actions by other trade unions in the country.
http://www.informationnigeria.org/20...ty-others.html
The air is pregnant with fear. The possibility of a hike in the cost of living triggered by the removal of fuel subsidies is heating up the atmosphere. The Government's financial position is weak and we are saddled with 43 million unemployed youth and 1.8 million entering the labour market every year.
Nigeria is in trouble.
Nigerian Army: Reality As Seen From A Soldier's Perspective
I'm not sure whether I should post this in this thread, seems slightly tangential. But it illustrates the life of an enlisted soldier in the Nigerian Army. He discusses his hopes, his frustrations, the relationship between enlisted soldiers and officers, tribalism, low literacy levels and Nigeria's performance in peace keeping missions.
The account may be biased, but helps you see what goes on behind the scenes.
Quote:
Reading the thoughts of Retired Generals on the Army can be very misleading as the thoughts and opinions they expressed are self-serving and very far from the reality on the ground. I also laugh anytime I hear Generals crow about the 'combat-readiness' of the Nigerian army or the armed forces in general. Maybe the Generals are parroting what they have been told by their subordinates but truth be told, Generals also passed through the system and are aware that they are being fed lies but because of the need for self-preservation and 'espirit de corps', they prefer not to rock the boat because any investigation of the rot in the armed forces will tarnish the careers and names of all the officers (both retired and serving) in the armed forces above the rank of Lieutenant. This article will be in three parts. The first part deals with a brief description of life before joining the army as a recruit, the journey to Depot Nigerian army in Zaria and life as a typical recruit. The second part deals with life as a soldier while the third part provide an insight into the peacekeeping missions from the perspective of soldiers who bore the brunt of these missions and not from the perspective of senior officers who sat in their offices, lived in mansions and generally enjoyed themselves and became richer by short-changing soldiers at every turn. This part is where I will explain the beginning of the end of my military career and my final disengagement.
Nigeria: Military / Civil Relations
Nigerian Navy personnel brutalizing a young woman in broad daylight in Lagos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHdkyvn41us
Nigeria's problems are way beyond what AFRICOM can solve and you can appreciate why many of us grow up to hate the military (Nigerian, American, French or from wherever).
Why I Served and Why I left the Nigerian Army
Another soldier's story:
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Many of us were converted to house boys, gardeners, babysitters, that is how some “soldiered” and protected the country. I recalled that on a particular occasion a particular soldier was instructed to fetch water for a particular captain who earlier on had instructed all soldiers on parade to stop calling me Charles. The reason, his name was Charles too, though I told him, he could as well instruct Prince Charles of Wales to refrain from being called Charles.
To return to the story, in order to fill the drum fast, Ayeni (the soldier) took along his girlfriend to assist in drawing the water. As soon as they emerged at the residence of the officer with the buckets of water, the officer’s wife took the buckets of water they brought and drenched both of them. The officer then ordered the poor girl out, instructing the soldier to start doubling. The officer's wife then also became the soldier’s officer. Nigeria my Nigeria.
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...-nigerian.html