347 Corpses Plus 55 Shallow Graves

The verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi: Email: olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

After reading several rave reviews, I decided to watch the movie, “Eye in the Sky” which essentially centres around the ethical dilemma of the use of drones in modern warfare. Released last September, it features a British military officer (played by Helen Mirren) who, in the process of commanding a joint (British and American) operation to capture some Al-Shabaab terrorists in Nairobi, Kenya, discovered that not only did they have explosives, the insurgents were also preparing two suicide bombers for a fresh attack.

While that changes the dynamics of the operation, the officer would need authorization to equally change the objective so she could kill the terrorists by drone, especially when a British citizen was among them. Meanwhile, an American Reaper Drone controlled from an Air Force Base in Nevada had been providing aerial surveillance on the Nairobi building with the proceedings in the house monitored.


Eventually, the British commander secured the authorization to attack the building but just as the pilots were ready to strike, they ran into another dilemma, this time a moral one: an innocent nine-year old girl had entered the kill zone. The pilots could see the girl selling bread outside the targeted building and were almost certain she would end up as collateral damage if they released the missile. All attempts to use the spy on ground to buy the entire loaves of bread on her counter so she could leave the vicinity failed at about the time the battery of the surveillance video ran flat; and with it, the image from the scene.

Islamist Boko Haram ready to swap 219 girls with 70 detainees

The Islamist Boko Haram sect has demanded the release of 70 of its members in detention as a condition to free the Chibok girls, it emerged yesterday.

The sect is also asking the government to give amnesty to its members. A lawyer close to the armed group, Hajiya Aisha Wakil, told AlJazeera English that the sect said only when these conditions are met would it release the abducted girls.

No fewer than 276 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State on April 15. The Boko Haram leaders deceived the girls that they were soldiers who came to protect them from attack.

There are 219 girls in their custody following the escape of 57 from their enclave.

Boko is haram plainly: How Boko Emerged

"From my interaction with him, he never said boko is haram plainly. In fact, the name Boko Haram came to being during the crisis. What he always said was, as long as anything that contradicts the teachings of Islam (in his own view) exists in the educational system then it is haram to go to that school unless such things cease to exist. As members of the sect realised, they cannot ensure such change, especially in a secular state like ours; they withdrew from schools completely. But I am aware that the late Yusuf had plans to set up a school, a hospital and a market in the future to complement the sect’s micro finance scheme and other Laginas."

The History Of Boko Haram - By Ahmed Saldika

Ahmad Salkida, a former journalist with the Daily Trust, was with the Boko Haram sect from inception and had a close relationship with the sect’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf. Accused of being a Boko Haram accomplice, Salkida was detained and almost got killed in the clash between the Boko Haram and security agencies in 2009 during which the sect leader was captured and later killed in police custody. This article written in 2009 by Salkida, who is now believed to be on exile, gave an insight into the evolution of the Boko Haram group. He also made reference to Abubakar Shekau who later emerged the sect’s leader after Yusuf.

Insurgence, religion, extremism and the challenges of the Nigerian Army in the fight against Boko Harram - by: Comrade Jasper Azuatalam

The origin of Boko Harram

In 1995, the group was said to be operating under the name Shabaab, Muslim Youth Organization with Mallam Lawal as the leader. Members were taught and encouraged to deepen their knowledge in Islam and become devout Muslims. When Lawal left to continue his education, Mohammed Yusuf took over leadership of the group. Yusuf’s leadership allegedly opened the group to political influence and popularity. The group was originally established at Ibn Taymiyyah mosque, which was named after Boko Haram's spiritual head.

Yusuf officially founded the group in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri with the aim of establishing a Shari'a government in Borno State under then-Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. He established a religious complex that included a mosque and a school where many poor families from across Nigeria and from neighboring countries enrolled their children. He started wooing the poor and feeble with his philanthropy and began to teach inciting sermons.

If President Jonathan Is Not A Terrorist..(II): Boko Haram Are Not Ghosts and Faceless

Read first:  If President Jonathan Is Not A Terrorist.(I)

The Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan last year vehemently said, the Boko Haram Islamist Sects are Ghosts and faceless and as such the federal government under his command cannot offer or grant an amnesty to the Ghosts and faceless group like Islamist terrorists called Boko Haram.

The acclaimed Ghosts and faceless Islamist Mass Killers (IMK) known as Boko Haram also rejected the amnesty offer of President Jonathan when he later admitted that given them the amnesty was an option.

Who is Boko Haram?

NIGERIA revels at copying.  We copy a lot and add our own dimension to things.  Sadly, one of our latest imported craze is the phenomenon known as Boko Haram.   Some of our young men have allowed themselves to be turned into terrorists and stone cold killers.  But how did we get to this sorry pass?  Why did we start keeping company with Afghanistan and other such funny places?  How did we get here, and who are these people?

Back in 2011, when it was looking like Boko Haram was going to careen out of control, former president Obasanjo stepped-in and attempted to unravel the Boko menace.

Off went OBJ to Borno State, the capital of Boko Haram.  OBJ got there on September 15, 2011 ostensibly on a condolence visit to the family of a man who was killed back in July 2009.  Obasanjo had a full and useful chat with one Baba Kura Fugu who christened himself representative of Boko Haram and spokesperson for the Fugu family.  Two days later, Mr Fugu was dead, cut down in the same manner his father, Baba Fugu Mohammed, and his brother-in-law, the founder of the original Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, were cut down.