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:Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...lls-three.htmlThe 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.
Wikipedia for a map and background:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azare
davidbfpo
Seems a bit of creative journalism at hand. The very same scenario took place in 91 killing the French Ambassador to Zaire. As you pointed out, the objective was money.Nigeria al Qaeda group bomb attack on banks kills three....
by Our Foreign Staff
A nice twist also is the use of the word "explosives" and "unexploded bomb canisters" vs military ordnance.
If you want to blend in, take the bus
I don't doubt the story. Boko Haram has been known to rob banks to fund its operations.
However, we haven't established that Boko Haram is an Al Qaeda group.
Anxiety mounts over insecurity, poverty, others
http://www.informationnigeria.org/20...ty-others.htmlNIGERIANS 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.
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.
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.
KingJaja, I think this series of articles is very relevant and of interest. Can you please post the link to the article?
Part 1 is here:http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...-perspe-6.html
Part 2 is here: http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...ve-part-2.html
Part 3 is here: http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...ve-part-3.html
Part 4 is here: http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...0574&Itemid=55
Part 5 is here:http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...0574&Itemid=55
Last edited by davidbfpo; 12-07-2011 at 10:10 AM. Reason: Collect all parts in one post
Thanks -- A very interesting read.
Of special note on how one's ethnic background in Africa can be paramount or to one's very detriment.
If you want to blend in, take the bus
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).
Most Sub Saharan African militaries are to varying degrees, ethnic militias. That guy wrote about the Nigerian military when Babangida and Abacha ( Northerners) were in charge. So the military was heavily skewed towards Northern Nigeria then.Thanks -- A very interesting read.
Of special note on how one's ethnic background in Africa can be paramount or to one's very detriment.
The Nigerian army has some really bad traditions and the Nigerian army is one of the better militaries south of the Sahara.
There is a lot going on, but the present situation of things is not sustainable. We'll see how it all ends.
Having witnessed (even invited to watch) very similar cruelty to innocent civilians I can appreciate your concerns with the military in general. Even our military personnel are not perfect; although our system more than adequately takes care of such problem children. AFRICOM's training programs (actually the US Military's) is in fact aimed at those problems but is dependent on the host government to identify and request such training and maintain transparency. As that is nearly impossible with dictators we are back to square one.Originally Posted by KingJaja
Not at all different from Congo, Rwanda and Zaire. Just depends on where your current President resides from. Anyone from the Equator Province regardless of the branch of service and rank was afforded special benefits and that counted even if the individual was illiterate. The dumber the better !
If you want to blend in, take the bus
Oil is over $100/bbl and has been for some time... and still the government's financial position is weak? It would be interesting to know where the money goes.
Certainly that's trouble, and it's not trouble that any outside agency can solve. In fairness, I haven't seen anyone, anywhere suggest that AFRICOM or any other external force can or should try to solve such problems.
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”
H.L. Mencken
This should give some pointers:Oil is over $100/bbl and has been for some time... and still the government's financial position is weak? It would be interesting to know where the money goes.
Certainly that's trouble, and it's not trouble that any outside agency can solve. In fairness, I haven't seen anyone, anywhere suggest that AFRICOM or any other external force can or should try to solve such problems.
http://www.nigeriannewsservice.com/n...-25-of-n53626bCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi yesterday stood his ground that the National Assembly spends 25 per cent of the Federal Government’s overhead expenditure.
But the House of Representatives panels before whom he appeared said the CBN governor had been feeding Nigerians with misleading figures, probably to spite the lawmakers.
The CBN boss appeared before the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Appropriation, Finance, Banking and Currency; and Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes. He was invited to clarify his comment on the spending of the National Assembly.
Then we haven't gotten to the amount embezzled by government officials.
Sub Saharan Africa is ripe for something like a French Revolution. What we are waiting for is a unifying ideology, a unifying theme, a set of ideas that can adequately channel the frustrations of 800 million people. To get to that point, we will first have to learn (from experience) about the futility of Islamism and tribalism.
The revolution will come, but it may take two generations to finally arrive.
The present state of affairs is not sustainable.
Cruelty against civilians in the US military is not institutionalised. In fact, the posse commitatus law forbids the use of the military on US soil (National Guard does that job).Having witnessed (even invited to watch) very similar cruelty to innocent civilians I can appreciate your concerns with the military in general. Even our military personnel are not perfect; although our system more than adequately takes care of such problem children. AFRICOM's training programs (actually the US Military's) is in fact aimed at those problems but is dependent on the host government to identify and request such training and maintain transparency. As that is nearly impossible with dictators we are back to square one.
African armies originated from the British, French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish colonial armies. The colonial armies were formed to keep the natives in check, brutally suppress insurrections and enforce the will of the colonial masters. Those traditions have been carried forward till today - the operation of the Nigerian Army in Odi (in the Niger Delta) in 1999 isn't very from Admiral Sir Harry Rawson's punitive expedition in Benin in 1897. Both towns were captured, burned and looted.
You can also see the legacy of the notorious Force Publique in the modern Congolese Army.
The African public will be better served if the US Government and US Military takes a firm stand against brutality against African civilians, instead either standing by or actively cooperating with these human rights abusers.
I've always admired the US Army and the concept of the citizen soldier. The British Colonial Army and its successors were not built on citizen soldiers. So if I have the opportunity to rule Nigeria, one of my ambitions is to mould the Nigerian Army on the US model (not the British).
I just finished part one. Wow, I wonder what the reaction, if any, this piece got from military and/or government.
Of wonder to me was the comments following this first article. People took it as funny, and were amused. Not sure if they are amused at a soldier being beaten for not given much food (as in "they deserve it") or just the kind of embarrassed laughing that goes on when a terrible situation with seemingly no solution is recounted. Kind of a hopeless laugh.
Actually I would argue that the U.S. Army has traditionally not been made up of citizen-soldiers, but instead of professionals. Post Civil War and pre-WWI the Army was a small professional body augmented by volunteers as needed. Post Vietnam, the Army is exclusively professional. The closest thing to the ideal of the "citizen soldier" are National Guardsmen and reservists, but they do not in any way formulate policy or direct anything.I've always admired the US Army and the concept of the citizen soldier. The British Colonial Army and its successors were not built on citizen soldiers. So if I have the opportunity to rule Nigeria, one of my ambitions is to mould the Nigerian Army on the US model (not the British).
My Bad -- I thought we were referring to AFRICOM military on African soil.
There's obviously enough evidence to suggest that civilians end up in bad situations both at home and abroad by military.
And, BTW, contrary to popular belief, the Act does not prohibit members of the Army from exercising state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order"; it simply requires that any orders to do so must originate with the United States Constitution or Act of Congress.
The statute only addresses the US Army and the US Air Force. Although it is a military force, the U.S. Coast Guard, which now operates under the Department of Homeland Security, is also not covered by the Posse Comitatus Act.
If you want to blend in, take the bus
But the U.S. Army is not responsible for internal security. The National Guardsmen do that.Actually I would argue that the U.S. Army has traditionally not been made up of citizen-soldiers, but instead of professionals. Post Civil War and pre-WWI the Army was a small professional body augmented by volunteers as needed. Post Vietnam, the Army is exclusively professional. The closest thing to the ideal of the "citizen soldier" are National Guardsmen and reservists, but they do not in any way formulate policy or direct anything.
Having said that, Americans understand that their military are not a separate class in a way the class obsessed British don't. The G.I Bill encourages US military personnel to attend college and interact with ordinary Americans. Many US soldiers are short service, they get back to civvy street after a few years.
It's the latter, we have a way of laughing at misfortune. If we didn't our suicide rates would be sky high. There's more than enough in a days job to drive one mad.Of wonder to me was the comments following this first article. People took it as funny, and were amused. Not sure if they are amused at a soldier being beaten for not given much food (as in "they deserve it") or just the kind of embarrassed laughing that goes on when a terrible situation with seemingly no solution is recounted. Kind of a hopeless laugh.
Why I Served and Why I left the Nigerian Army
Another soldier's story:
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...-nigerian.htmlMany 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.
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