PHOTOS: PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S VISIT TO YOLA, MUBI, BAGA AND MAIDUGURI

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ON THURSDAY VISITED ADAMAWA AND BORNO STATES WHERE HE ADDRESSED NIGERIAN SOLDIERS IN  MUBI, BAGA AND MAIDUGURI.
HE ALSO VISITED THE EMIR OF MUBI, DR ABUBARKAR ISA AHMADU. HE  MET WITH GOV. KASHEEM SHETTIMA OF BORNO AND THE GOVERNOR OF ADAMAWA.

Courtesy: State House Photos

Photos: Inauguration of Presidential Committee on Save School Initiative

2 President Goodluck Jonathan left  Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, Yobe State Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam  and Alh Aliko Dangote at the Inauguration of Presidential  Committee on  Save School Initiative by the President at the State House Abuja  on Wednesday 9th July 2014

President Goodluck Jonathan 5th right, left Director General NEMA Alh Mohammadu Sani Sidi,Education Minister of State Onyeso Wike, Women Affairs Minister  Hajia Zainab Maina Vice President  Namadi Sambo  flank by Yobe Governor Ibrahim Gaidam,Adamawa Governor  Murtala Nyako and Representative of National Coucil of Women Society at the Inauguration of Presidential  Committee on  Save School Initiative by the President at the State House Abuja  on Wednesday 9th July 2014

Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Yobe Governor Ibrahim Gaidam,Adamawa Governor  Murtala Nyako Vice President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan  at the Inauguration of Presidential  Committee on  Save School Initiative by the President at the State House Abuja  on Wednesday 9th July 2014

Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Yobe Governor Ibrahim Gaidam,Adamawa Governor  Murtala Nyako Vice President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan  at the Inauguration of Presidential  Committee on  Save School Initiative by the President at the State House Abuja  on Wednesday 9th July 2014

50 TERRORISTS DIE AS TROOPS AVERT RAID ON COMMUNITIES

DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI                                                                                                   9 June 2014

 PRESS RELEASE: 50 TERRORISTS DIE AS TROOPS AVERT RAID ON COMMUNITIES

Troops conducting anti-terrorists campaign in North-Eastern Nigeria have successfully averted attempted massive raid on villages in Borno and Adamawa States during the weekend.  The terrorists who were on their way to attack selected communities were ambushed by troops along  Bilta, Borno state on receiving intelligence report of the terrorists’ intention.

The attack was launched on the terrorists as they filed out of the forest to embark on their mission at about 10pm on Saturday.  Over 50 terrorists died in the fierce encounter that ensued, while 30 rifles, 36 Hand Grenades, 7 Machine guns and 11 Rocket Propelled grenade tubes were captured by the troops.  Also recovered from the terrorists were over 3,500 rounds of ammunition, 6 smoke grenade canisters and locally fabricated guns as well as 4 vehicles used by the terrorists in the foiled attack.

The four soldiers who were wounded in the operation are currently receiving medical treatment in the military medical facility.

CHRIS OLUKOLADE
Major General
Director Defence Information

#BringBackOurGirls: Why we want dialogue option — Abati

In this interview with Ben Agande, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, speaks on why the Federal Government will not swap Boko Haram detainees with the Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14, some 50 days ago.
He, however, says government is ready to integrate Boko Haram members who lay down their arms and renounce terrorism back to the Nigerian family.
Excerpts:
The President has met with several world leaders since the abduction of the Chibok girls. What have these meetings produced?
The reach out to the international community and the acceptance of offers of support and expression of solidarity by various countries and multilateral institutions has been very productive and fruitful.
The President welcomes any offer of assistance and help. What has been achieved with all these efforts: the Paris meeting, the meeting with the President of the Republic of Congo and the meeting in South Africa on the sidelines of the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma is that the President of Nigeria has been able to mobilise international cooperation.

Address to Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners, May 22

Address by
The Hon. Minister of State, FCT
On the Occasion of  Visit by
#Bring Back Our Girls Campaigners
Thursday, 22nd May, 2014
PROTOCOLS
1.          Good afternoon, my dear brothers and sisters.  As the Minister of State of this great City, Abuja and as a mother like some of you, I, on behalf of Mr. President welcome you all home to the seat of the Federal Government.
2.          The Federal Government is appreciative and supportive of the efforts of your group amongst so many other groups around the world, who have taken out time to demonstrate their disgust and solidarity against the wicked kidnapping of innocent school girls and the senseless mayhem of the Boko Haram terrorists.
3.          Many other groups have sent messages of solidarity and support to the Federal Government in writing and we want to use this opportunity to thank them.
4.          For a government that has placed so much premium on addressing major areas of reform and development in the nation, especially the development of women and the girl-child through increased investment in girl-child education and added opportunity for women, this wicked act has been indeed very painful.
5.          Our present world is under the grip of terrorism. Yesterday, a market in China where ordinary people go to shop was bombed. Two days ago, terrorists visited our beautiful town of Jos and detonated bombs killing scores of people.

Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide
FCT Minister of State

6.          The communities of Kano, Maiduguri, Abuja, Nyanya, Madallah, amongst others, have at various times been bombed. Churches, mosques, parks and newspaper houses have not been spared.  Terrorists and their sponsors have brought terrorism to our land. This is sad.  This we must resist.
7.          In the last three weeks, our country has been in the spotlight. Some evil individuals who call themselves Boko Haram abducted our daughters, the future mothers of our nation, and have refused to release them. This evil act has sparked protests all over the world. This is as it should be. There must be a united movement for the release of our daughters and that movement must now be turned into a united action against terrorism.
8.          Government has mobilized available resources, Military and diplomatic in the search for our girls who have suffered so much trauma in captivity by agents of terror.
9.          From the very first day this kidnapping occurred the Federal Government took action, directing our security services to go after the abductors.  The search for our daughters has now assumed regional and global proportion and our nation has received strong support from our neighbouring countries and the international community including the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, among others.
10.     The security forces also reached out to the Borno state government and community members for support and collaboration to bring back our innocent daughters. So far, the campaign to bring our daughters back home is on, and is receiving global support.

How Boko Haram Ambushed, Killed Some Of Nigeria’s Finest Soldiers Near Sambisa Forest

On May 12 2014, a group of soldiers selected from the Special Operations Battalion of the Nigerian Army headquarters were asked to proceed on an operation in Bita, Borno State. The mission, according to military sources who spoke to SaharaReporters, was informed by actionable intelligence showing that Boko Haram militants had been sighted in the area.

The village of Bita had witnessed numerous attacks by Boko Haram insurgents to the point that the residents had fled since February of this year to other locations, abandoning their community to the militants.

The selected soldiers had been taken from their operational base in Mubi, Adamawa State, and made to join some soldiers from the “213” battalion from the newly created “7 Division” of the Nigerian army stationed inside Maimalari Barracks.

I have information on abducted girls – Shettima

The governor of Nigeria’s Borno state says he has information on the whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram.
Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification.
Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.
Earlier, France’s president offered to host a summit on Boko Haram.

Chibok girls: Bisi Akande reaction irresponsible – Reuben Abati

First, we consider it most unfortunate that the chairman of the APC will use the opportunity of ​the ​situation ​in the country ​namely the abduction of the ​​girls ​of GSSC, Chibok ​to engage in partisan blackmail.
The issue of national security should go beyond partisan politics. This is a very serious moment requiring seriousness. But to reduce all of that to partisan politics is in bad taste, ​irresponsible​ one-upmanship.​ ​
One, Nigeria is not on auto pilot. There is a government in place, there is a President who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He is doing his very best to provide quality leadership and to reassure Nigerians that government stands ready always to defend their best interest.

Nigerian military retracts claim on releases

Kano, Nigeria (CNN) - The Nigerian Defense Ministry retracted Thursday a report that nearly all the 129 girls kidnapped this week from a school by suspected Boko Haram militants had been released.
Amid the "ongoing frantic efforts" of security forces, vigilante groups and hunters to find and free the students, "a report was filed in from the field indicating that a major breakthrough had been recorded in the search," said Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, director of defense information.
"There was no reason to doubt this official channel, hence the information was released to the public immediately. Surprisingly however, the school principal, one of the sources quoted in the report, has denied all that was attributed to her for whatever reasons. This is an unfortunate development indeed."

Army kills 11 B’Haram members, arrests 31

The Special Forces have arrested 31 fighters of the Boko Haram Sect who were attempting to flee the country through Taraba State and Gumti in Adamawa State into Cameroon.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Thursday that one of those arrested was a mercenary claiming to be a citizen of Chad and Burkinafaso.

Olukolade also said that 11 insurgents were also killed during shootouts with troops in the  border communities.

He said that the terrorists who were involved in the encounter with the Special Forces were trapped and were forced out of their hideout by hunger.

Army captures Boko Haram armoury, kills 10

Special Forces captured a massive armoury with arms and ammunition in one of the camps of Boko Haram insurgents near Lake Chad.
This was contained in an electronic mail sent to journalists on Saturday by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade.
Olukolade said the Special Forces captured the large cache of arms and ammunition from a dump in one of the camps of the insurgents on Friday night.
He said the arms and ammunition were still being evacuated from the site where several of the insurgents were said to have died during the raid.

President Jonathan’s Social Media Aide Reno Omokri Exposed As Author Of Fake Document Linking Ousted CBN Governor To Boko Haram

Reno Omokri, the outspoken Special Assistant on Social Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, was today unmasked as the brain behind a fraudulent attempt to link Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to the recent spike in Boko Haram violence in Borno and Yobe States. In one of the recent attacks, Boko Haram terrorists slaughtered some 60 secondary school students at their boarding house.

Posing as “Wendell Simlin,” Mr. Omokri circulated a Word document linking the former CBN Governor to the recent attacks. The ruse was however uncovered when some Internet-savvy Nigerians traced the IP address of the source document and it turned out that it had been authored and circulated by Mr. Omokri.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF COLLEGE STUDENTS, SAYS FG WILL CONTINUE TO VIGOROUSLY PROSECUTE WAR AGAINST TERROR

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDEMNS KILLING OF COLLEGE STUDENTS, SAYS FG WILL CONTINUE TO VIGOROUSLY PROSECUTE WAR AGAINST TERROR

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has received with immense sadness and anguish, news of the callous and senseless murder by terrorists of scores of students at a college in Yobe State in the early hours of today.

On behalf of himself and the Federal Government, President Jonathan extends heartfelt condolences to the parents and relatives of the murdered students.

The President wholly condemns the heinous, brutal and mindless killing of the guiltless students by deranged terrorists and fanatics who have clearly lost all human morality and descended to bestiality.

He assures the nation that his administration will not relent in its ongoing efforts to end the scourge of terrorism in parts of the country which has sadly claimed more innocent lives today.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies will continue to prosecute the war against terror with full vigour, diligence and determination until the dark cloud of mass murder and destruction of lives and property is permanently removed from our horizon.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
February 25, 2014

Boko Haram gunmen kill 12 at wedding party

Twelve people died in a suspected Boko Haram attack on a wedding party at the weekend, police and health officials in the northeast Nigerian state of Borno said on Monday.
Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire in the mainly Christian village of Tashan Alade, 230 kilometres (over 140 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, on Saturday, said police commissioner Lawan Tanko.
“The attackers, who were obviously Boko Haram insurgents, arrived at the open-air venue of the party around 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) and opened fire, killing seven people and injuring five others,” he told AFP.