Reporters Press NG

Forget Biafra or face the consequences —
Lauretta Onochie, Buhari’s aide to Igbos

“If time is not taking, i see another operation python dance happening in the Eastern region again.

“Why will a particular group of jobless people not allow this country to have peace of mind. Terrorizing and killing force men on duty.

“Those saying President Muhammadu Buhari should dialogue with IPOB should know that Mr. President has lots of important things to attend to, than wasting time to dialogue with a group who sees nothing good in his administration. “Don’t quote me wrong, when Jonathan was on seat, where was IPOB and their criminal leader Nnamdi Kanu? Where were they? But immediately President Muhammadu Buhari defeated Jonathan, IPOB automatically became the mouth piece of PDP who are sponsoring them.

“Now they have an online Country called Biafra where Nnamdi Kanu is ruling them and also uses the platform to call Nigerian leaders unprintable names. All you hear in that his useless radio Biafra is Zoo, cowards, people without brain, Jubril Al Sudana, Prostitutes. Is that how a complete human being reason?

“I made it known to him and his followers few months ago that very soon something bigger than them will befall them. Now, it’s gradually looming and if time is not taking what happened in Abia State will repeat itself in the entire Eastern region “The earlier Ohanaeze ndi Igbo call them to order, the better for them” She said.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has said it wants a referendum to determine if its members still want to be a part of Nigeria while denying allegations that it attacked security operatives in the South-East and South-South regions.

IPOB is leading a movement of people largely of Igbo descent seeking to split from Nigeria over years of marginalisation, oppression and rights violations.

Emma Powerful, the group’s spokesperson, in a statement said the allegations that IPOB members carry arms and is attacking security agents was a lie merely targeted at giving the Department of State Services an excuse to go after its members.

The statement reads, “We are not armed and have no plans to pick up arms. But should we decide to go into arms struggle which is not an option on the table, it will not be a secret affair. We won’t depend on arms collected from any security agent to defend Biafra. That is childish and an insult to IPOB.

“Their latest lie is the allegation that IPOB is responsible for the purported attacks on security operatives in South-East and South-South. We find it amusing how these unscrupulous elements without any contact address would think they can come to limelight via untenable allegations against a globally recognized peaceful group like IPOB.

“We knew when and how the DSS recruited them to launch a verbal attack against IPOB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. But we want to inform them that IPOB is properly rooted and cannot be moved by false allegation and propaganda.

“These irritants have sustained their unwarranted attacks on IPOB through fabricated and blatant lies, and cheap propaganda to impress their paymasters, the DSS.

“Assuming but not conceding to this blatant falsehood: How can an unarmed man attack a fully armed security agent and escape unhurt? Doesn’t it sound funny? What a shameful allegation! We know their aim: to discredit IPOB before the international community which is now interested in the matters we have raised concerning the atrocities perpetrated in Nigeria.

“Ordinarily we wouldn’t have bothered to dignify these detractors with a response as we have since known their stock in trade, but for the sake of the gullible ones and some innocent minds. There is no iota of truth in this fictitious claim. IPOB is not responsible for any attack against any security agent.

“Unfortunately for them, the era of propaganda and cheap blackmail is gone. Frivolous and concocted allegations designed by DSS and the government of Nigeria to blackmail IPOB can no longer stand. The world now knows better. IPOB’s non-violent ideology about the Biafra project is well known and cannot change. But the inalienable right of the oppressed to defend himself against the oppressor is not illegitimate.

“We are not armed and have no plans to pick up arms. But should we decide to go into arms struggle which is not an option on the table, it will not be a secret affair. We won’t depend on arms collected from any security agent to defend Biafra. That is childish and an insult to IPOB.

“All we need is Biafra, our own country which has been in existence before Britain created Nigeria and unequally lumped us together with these murderous Fulani that value cows above human lives. Marriage isn’t by force. We are tired of this bondage and want a referendum to determine our fate. Simple!

“We are monitoring and taking records of every single attack on our people and how Nigeria government and her security agencies abduct IPOB members and use chemicals and acid to murder many of our people in their custody to conceal evidence while those inconsequential and unreasonable groups claim to be Igbo group won’t see the barbaric massacre of our people.

Nigeria Government and her security operatives, as well as Biafra traitors and saboteurs in Biafraland and elsewhere, must understand that IPOB cannot be decimated contrary to their erroneous calculations, and wishful thinking.”

Anambra Indigenes Beg Senator Kalu to Run for President

Indigenes of Alor community in Idemili South local government area of Anambra state on Friday trooped out en mass bearing placards with various inscriptions pleading with Chief Whip of the Senate and former Governor of Abia state, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to run for office of the President in the 2023 general elections.

The elated indigenes held a peaceful procession at the palace of the traditional ruler of Alor , His Royal Highness Igwe MacAnthony Elibe Okonkwo chanting songs and calling on Nigerians to support South East to produce next Nigerian president.

Senator Kalu had visited Alor, home of the Honorable Minister for Labour and Employment for the funeral ceremony of late Chief Mrs. Priscilla Mary Ejiakardo Amolue

Sources close to the Senate Chief Whip revealed that the former Governor who was expected to pay a courtesy call on the traditional ruler had on a tip off from the state security services about the procession immediately reschudeled his visit to the traditional ruler to a new date.

It will be recalled that Kalu in a recent interview appealed to Nigerians to allow President Muhammadu Buhari concentrate on the completion of his tenure rather than distracting him with who replaces him in the future.

Meanwhile Kalu’s presence at the funeral caused an overwhelming sensation at the home of the Amolues’ . Shouts of Mmiririenyi Ndigbo filtered the air as he sang worship songs and danced with the women and youths .

With Kalu at the event were former Chairman Independent Democrats, Hon Edozie Madu; Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife of Anambra Central ; Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu ; Chief Chidozie Nwankwo, Barr. Sylvester Okonkwo , Hon. Osita Chidoka , Hon. Madukwe Ukaegbu and Hon. Chibuike Jonas .

With his entourage , Kalu proceeded to the home of Chief Chidozie Nwankwo in Oko where he was entertained by the astute business mogul and chieftain of All Progressives Congress(APC )

The former Governor later left for Enugu from Oko where he flew back to Abuja at exactly 7 PM.

A Nigerian Army colonel, M.Z Manu, has been killed bandits in Unguwar Doka Village under Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

SaharaReporters gathered that the colonel and some soldiers, who were on routine patrol, ran into an ambush by the bandits, which led to his death.

Two other soldiers and some civilians were also killed by the gunmen.

A security source said the bandits, armed with AK-47 rifles, invaded the village on motorcycles before launching the deadly attack.

The killing of Manu happened five days after another, colonel, D.C. Bako, was killed in a Boko Haram ambush in Borno State.

Katsina State had in recent months been grappling with security challenges posed by kidnappers, bandits and rustlers.

The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom WIKE has blasted the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for not attracting any good thing to the region.

The governor while speaking in P.H, the state capital wondered what Amaechi would be remembered for after his tenure as the minister of transportation.

According to him,

Since Ameachi took over as the Minister of Transportation, he has not attracted any single project to the Eastern region.

The already rail way line that link Port Harcourt to Enugu is nothing to write home about.

Yet Amaechi is proudly using the money gotten from our region to construct rail line to Niger republic while we have nothing!.

The federal government is still owing my state over N78B over federal projects I did in my state but instead of Ameachi to look back home and at least construct a rail line that would link Port Harcourt to Calabar, Uyo, Abia, ENUGU, ONITCHA, NNEWI, ASABA, Bayelsa back to Port Harcourt, he is busy behaving like a child.

With a rail line, it will be easy for our people to go to Ariaria, main market to buy their goods as easy as possible.

All the federal roads in South East and south south is nothing to write home about while he is a minister for 5 years now.

Tomorrow he will come to tell us how he love NIGER Delta and Igbo Land!.

A group identified as Igbos in Nigeria Movement (INM) has condemned the reported killing of soldiers and the growing spate of violence associated with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu.

The Igbo group made this comment in a statement signed by its President, Mazi Ifeanyi Igwe, on Thursday, where it added that the escalation of violence by IPOB is unacceptable.

This online news platform recalls that IPOB members attacked unsuspecting soldiers of the 144 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Asa, Abia State, southeast Nigeria, on Wednesday, reportedly killing two and injuring many. The development came barely two weeks after a similar assault on Police officers in Enugu.

In reaction,Reacting to this, the Igbo group said the attack, which also injured other soldiers, is an unwarranted provocation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and tha the escalation of violence by IPOB is unacceptable,” the statement said.

“It is on record that IPOB vowed revenge against law enforcement agencies in the aftermath of its August 24, 2020, bloody clash with the DSS and the Police. Even though the group has cowardly not come out to claim responsibility, It is repulsive that they decided to launch their attack first in a state that is not the scene of their previous clash and secondly against the personnel of an institution that is not responsible for whatever these terrorists are angry about.

“This attack, masterminded by IPOB, should be condemned by all peace-loving Igbo and entire Nigerians, especially since it is coming after an attack on Policemen at checkpoint by fifteen gunmen from the same group in Abia State.

“Nigerians should especially be concerned by IPOB’s quest to increase its arsenal as confirmed by the theft of the deceased soldiers’ weapons. The modus operandi is consistent with the threats made from pro-IPOB social media accounts online where IPOB members vowed to build their war arsenal from the weapons they will take from government forces.”

The Igbos in Nigeria Movement urged “elders and leaders to call IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, Emma Powerful and their terrorist members to order before the group’s growing violence turns into a conflagration.” The group also appealed to the Nigerian Army not to abandon the region in spite of this recent provocations as that will translate into falling for the trick of IPOB.

“We therefore call on our elders and leaders to call IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, Emma Powerful and their terrorist members to order before the group’s growing violence turns into a conflagration in the south-east. Our region, owing to its dense population and highly built-up nature cannot survive the kind attacks that those in the desert, creeks and forests unleash on their own homelands in the name of being terrorist,” the statement added.

“INM warns that Igbos should not be misled by the utopic dream of sending the Nigerian Army out of the south-east since this would be suicidal. It is the series of the military operations put up by the Army that freed the south-east from the grip of kidnappers. This is even as the military operations were bundled with free medical outreaches that have brought succour to communities.

“We appeal to the Nigerian Army not to abandon the south-east in spite of this recent provocations since that will translate into falling for the trick of IPOB, which wants the military to leave the geopolitical zone so that it can again resume terrorizing the people. The last quarter of the year that used to be characterized by the kidnapping of Igbo sons and daughters is here and the presence of the Army is key to keeping people safe.

“The international community, including NGOs like Amnesty International and InterSociety are urged to note the terrorist acts being committed by IPOB so that they will not accuse security and law enforcement agencies of being high handed when they conduct clearance operations to rid Igboland of terrorists.”

The UK Government has said it is surprised by the federal government’s stance, that it would consider disrespectful to Nigeria’s sovereignty, for any outside authority to sit in judgment over the conduct of its citizens and apply punitive measures such as visa restriction, unilaterally.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, stated this while speaking at an orientation programme for people with disability seeking Chevening scholarship opportunities in the United Kingdom.

Laing who was replying the Nigeria government on the issue of visa restriction on perpetrators of electoral violence, said that it was the UK’s visa policy and they determine who travels to the country.

“It is our visa policy, the UK, and we can determine who comes to the UK. So, that is a non-sovereign right.

“And all we are saying is that in line with Nigerian policy, that those who commit violence or who incite violence, there may be an implication for that person when they apply for a visa in the UK.

“So, I think it is actually completely consistent with the Nigerian policy. This is our visa policy, but obviously, it is for Nigeria to determine how they deal with these perpetrators in Nigeria,” Laing said.

The United Kingdom has threatened to ban politicians who resort to electoral violence, ahead of the Ondo and Edo governorship elections.

Garba Shehu, Senior Assitance on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, wrote to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It reads;

“Another, signatory to the letter, is well-known to be associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a Nigerian-blacklisted terrorist group.

The IPOB is running a well-known international campaign intended to damage the reputation of Nigeria and its government in order to further their cause of “independence”. He jumped bail in Nigeria. He frequently travels on a Nigerian passport but urged his supporters to burn their passports!

READ ALSO: BIAFRA: Stop Interfering on IPOB issues- Presidency warns British lawmakers

“The IPOB barely mentions their aims in their publicity; neither do they mention that their own leadership does not claim to be Christian. Yet, their media and lobbying campaign has focused near-exclusively on promoting matters related to Christianity in Nigeria, promulgating false claims that a government with 50 percent of its cabinet and 50 percent of its State Governors who are Christian somehow works against Christians, Shehu added.

Note: Now they know how formidable we are. We are not anything they have seen before. The Zoo must fail! #Culled from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu page. Let share it.

The leader of Yoruba ethnic group, Professor Banji Akintoye has said that Yoruba ethnic group is in dire need of its own country out of the present Nigeria.

Akintoye said that over 55 million people of Yoruba extraction, will get their freedom without breaking the law of the country or shedding blood.

The renowned historian made these declarations during the celebration of Kiriji war held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Wednesday.

DAILY POST gathered that Kiriji war happened in Yoruba land many decades ago.

Present at the celebration included Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun who represented the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Otunba Deji Osibogun, Wale Alabi, Comrade Olu Omotosho, Opeoluwa Elisha Ademoyegun and Iyanda Wasiu.

Akintoye while insisting that nothing would stop the liberation of Yoruba from its enemies, awakened the youths, who he said, were very important in the fight for struggle.

He said, “We have been saying we will have a Yoruba nation of our own. Yoruba World Congress is committed to helping Yoruba nation to secure its position in the comity of nations.

“They do say I don’t compromise. It is not every time. But once we say, we will take a common stance, I don’t know how to betray. We will get Yoruba nation free without violence, we will not break the laws of Nigeria. If there is anyone who wants to be violent, we will tell them, no.

“If you are violent and there are dead bodies on the streets, you are circumventing our purpose. We are telling the world that we want our own country. We have the rights to demand for our rights. When we launched Amotekun, was there any arrest, violence? If you want to stage a rally, do so. It’s your rights but no violence.

“I have passion for the youths. If you don’t have people who can take after you, no matter the amount of wealth you have it’s nothing. These youths are important. We elders can only guide and lead you. We can write letters but it is you who will do it. It must succeed. Anybody saying contrary, I’m not part of that idea.

“In the past of 30 and 40 years ago, the youths have not been the same again. I graduated from the University College Ibadan in the morning and by evening my wife and I were employed. I can’t do the things I’m doing now if I don’t have the youths around me.

“We are hurting our future in a very vicious way. Yoruba are 55 million, 74 percent are 40 years and. Step forward and. They have the authority of the land to say you can’t do it. Go back home. No violence. Go to market places, mechanic workshop, farmers on their way to the farms. If you can do this, getting our resolve done will not be difficult.”

“We don’t force our will on people. Explain to those organizations who don’t understand what you want. Yoruba will not suffer. We are the most populous in Africa. We want to take our own country and begin to build it. Nothing more,” he concluded.

In his own contribution, the leader of Movement for Oduduwa Republic, Architect Akin George explained how they had mobilised other people in Yorubaland.

“We went to Okemesi where the Kiriji war started. We saw the king. From there, we went to Imesi Ile and Igbajo. At Igbajo, we noticed disunity between Imesi Ile and Oke Imesi, between Igbajo and Ibadan people there.

“We reconciled them. We can’t fight the enemies if home front is divided. We may have misunderstanding but should not lead to quarrel,” he revealed.

Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Thursday, empowered members of his Abia North Constituency of Abia State with motorcycles and sewing machines.

The distribution exercise, which is second phase of the OUK’s empowerment scheme, kicked off at Isukwuato Local Government Area of the State.

Our correspondent, covering the ceremony, witnessed Senator Orji Kalu, a former Governor of Abia, hand over several empowerment kits to his constituents.

As at the time of filing this report, the OUK empowerment programme was still on, with a live broadcast on the Senator’s Facebook page, Orji Uzor Kalu.

Senator Orji Kalu had in August distributed over 400 motorcycles, 150 generators and several sewing machines to his constituents, in the first phase of the empowerment exercise.

The former governor confirm that the gesture was part of efforts to fulfill his campaign promises of providing an improved living standard to the people.

He had pledged to distribute more additional items to other constituents that didn’t benefit, saying he has concluded plans to also rebuild Aro-Ikpa road in the next few months.

According to Kalu, the idea behind the empowerment was to support the mobility of the youths and give them motivations in their farming activities.

The senator said such motivations will reduce the rate of unemployment and over-dependence among youths, hoping that such motivations will encourage productivity.

Details shortly….

BIAFRA- The Presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has warned the British Lawmakers not to interfere on the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, issues in the British Parliament.

Shehu said Nigeria is not yet ripped to be split into a different country, because, Nnamdi Kanu has no knowledge of what the present government is doing to strengthening development among the six geo-political zones in the country.

He discarded the assumption that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had been folding its arms while structures collapse in the country, saying that the administration had been devoting quality attention and resources to all the issues raised in the letter.

According to Shehu, the petition filed against Buhari’s administration neither General Danjuma nor Nnamdi Kanu deserved not to be taken seriously, citing their personal antecedents, including the fact that Danjuma, as Minister of Defense, between 1999 and 2003, supervised the putting down of both ethnic-religious uprisings, while Kanu had been using religion as a guide.

“At the same time, as we take note of the lawmakers’ letter, it is also important to stress to our partners and colleagues in the United Kingdom that not all who press them have the best interests of either democratic governance or peaceful coexistence in mind.

READ ALSO: We Don’t Need Your Investments in Biafraland – VOICE OF THE EAST

“For example, the former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, named and quoted in the letter as a source on military matters, relinquished that position some 40 years ago – in 1979. He was last in a government position 17 years ago in 2003 (as Minister of Defence).

“At that time, religious and ethnic riots erupted in two states of the federation, (2001 and 2002), these were violently and ruthlessly put down by the military under his authority, leading to the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of some further 50,000 persons. He is, therefore, not a natural source of pressure for good governance.

“Another, signatory to the letter, is well-known to be associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a Nigerian-blacklisted terrorist group. The IPOB is running a well-known (source-of-financing-unknown) international campaign intended to damage the reputation of Nigeria and its government in order to further their cause of ‘independence’.

“He jumped bail in Nigeria. He frequently travels on a Nigerian passport but urged his supporters to burn their passports! The IPOB barely mention their aims in their publicity; neither do they mention that their own leaders do not claim to be Christian.

“Yet, their media and lobbying campaign has focused near-exclusively on promoting matters related to Christianity in Nigeria, promulgating false claims that a government with 50 percent of its cabinet and 50 percent of its State Governors who are Christian somehow works against Christians. We call on our British friends and colleagues to join us in addressing genuine solutions not pander to agents of anarchy,” said Shehu.

Why Nigeria May Divide This Year, 2020, Thirteen members of the House of Lords, United Kingdom, have expressed concern over the killings by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt region.

The upper house of parliament members said the failure of the Federal Government to protect Nigerians was a breach of the Commonwealth Charter.

They requested the Commonwealth to raise the killings with its Ministerial Action Group.

This was contained in a letter to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, dated September 14, co-signed by Baroness Cox, Baroness Kennedy, Jim Shannon, Fiona Bruce, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams and 14 others.

They cited a report by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, which accused unnamed officials of being complicit in the bloodshed in the country.

The referenced report was titled, ‘Nigeria: Unfolding genocide?’

According to the parliamentarians, the APPG’s concerns reflected the findings of a report by Amnesty International, ‘We dried our tears: Addressing the toll on children of Northeast Nigeria’s conflict’, which concludes that the Nigerian armed forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during their operations.

The lawmakers wrote, “The Nigerian army’s former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, whom some of us have met and spoken to, says the armed forces are “not neutral; they collude” in the “ethnic cleansing in… riverine states.”

“The state’s failure to protect the citizens is a clear breach of its obligations under the Commonwealth Charter in respect of human rights,” the Lords submitted.

The letter added, “There is now an urgent need to ensure adequate protection and aid for those suffering the loss of family members and the destruction of their homes and livelihoods, and to end impunity by ensuring that complaints related to human rights violations are promptly, independently and impartially investigated, and those responsible are held to account after fair trials.”

The group requested the Commonwealth scribe to raise the urgent concerns with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

“We would be very willing to meet in person (or perhaps more practically, online via zoom) to discuss how we might proceed,” they said.

The former governor of Abia state and the senator representing Abia central, Theodore Ahamefule Orji has warned Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu to take his IPOB out of Abia.

Orji while speaking to news men in umuahia in reactions to the Edo election did blamed Oshiomhole for not being smart like him and Tinubu who are the greatest Godfathers.

According to him;.

“I have been seeing reactions of people on the Edo election where they claimed Godwin Onaseki defeated Godfatherism. That is arrant nonsense. Oshiomhole was not a smart politician.

“Take a look at Lagos State and how Tinubu is controlling it. That is smartness of him.

“I also heard that IPOB members are trying to go against me in 2023. Let me warn them that Abia is not Edo.

“Whoever I want to rule will rule just like Tinubu is doing in Lagos…

“Edo is not Abia state because if IPOB tries rubbish with me in 2023, I will use the military on them!.

“I’ve suffered and now I have the right to enjoy. There are countries where someone has rule for over 30 years.

“Abia state will not be different because it is my assets and I will pass it to my children!.

“That boy called Nnamdi Kanu should be warned!”

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of alleged plot to Islamize Nigeria.

Kanu alleged that Buhari was plotting to use nepotism and Islamic terror to Islamize Nigeria.

He made the allegation in a tweet on his verified Twitter handle.

The IPOB leader explained that the alleged Islamization move was responsible for the nepotism in the appointment of Nigeria’s security forces.

Kanu tweeted: “The nepotism by @NGRPresident and the ISLAMIC terror sweeping #Nigeria are part of a secret plot to Islamize Nigeria.

“It’s not by accident that Nigeria’s security forces are led by extremist Fulani Islamists in uniform. If Northern Christians are cowed, the South can stop it.”

The nepotism by @NGRPresident & the ISLAMIC terror sweeping #Nigeria are part of a secret plot to Islamize Nigeria. It’s not by accident that Nigeria’s security forces are led by extremist Fulani Islamists in uniform. If Northern Christians are cowed, the South can stop it.

— Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (@MaziNnamdiKanu) September 23, 2020

Mr Wali said the Boko Haram insurgency started getting bad after the government of President Muhammadu Buhari took over power in May 2015.

A former minister of foreign affairs under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Aminu Wali, has stated that the previous government brought the Boko Haram insurgency to an end at the tail end of the administration.

Mr Wali, who was Nigeria’s ambassador to China between 2009 to 2014 stated this in an Exclusive Interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the Boko Haram insurgency started getting bad after the government of President Muhammadu Buhari took over power in May 2015.

The electoral umpire, INEC, had, in 2015, announced a postponement of the 2015 general election.

While citing security reasons in the North East, the then Chairman, Attahiru Jega said the elections had to be postponed after the nation’s security agencies indicated to the commission that they were not available to support the elections earlier planned for February 14 and 28.

Security agents, within that period, said they were commencing a six-week special operation against Boko Haram insurgents in the north eastern corridors of the country and would rather not be distracted by the elections.

Mr Jega announced that the security forces also said the operations are due to commence on February 14, the date INEC had planned for the presidential and federal legislative elections.

How We Eliminated Attacks

The former minister, while speaking on how the Goodluck Jonathan administration defeated the Boko Haram terrorists when the election was postponed, also said they were sabotaged by the then state government of Borno State.

“There is no way a government would say we do not want assistance from any quarters. It was something that was being said to blackmail the sitting government at the time.

“What happened in Chibok, if you go deep, you would not even blame the central authorities. This was something that happened in Borno State and most of the persons involved were persons that were in [the state] government and they knew when this started happening.

“As far as Boko Haram is concerned, I can boldly say, by the time we left government, we had brought down Boko Haram to a standstill.

“If you recall, when the election was postponed for four weeks, it was because of insecurity. At that time, our operation in the North-east was succeeding.

“We brought Boko Haram where we want them that is why there was no single polling unit in the northeast where elections did not take place.”

“It was after we had left that a lot of things started to get bad again. Goodluck Jonathan’s government did a lot to stop Boko Haram,” he said.

He also said though they had their misfortunes with Boko Haram, they eliminated all forms of attacks before leaving office.

On why the then Government was unable to procure arms from foreign countries, Mr Wali said the opposition parties then painted the government in a bad light which countries like the United States of America fell for.

He said this brought about many problems the government faced in the fight against insurgency.

“You see, we discussed the problem of Boko Haram with various countries especially those who are in a position to give us some kind of support. But unfortunately, the approach in Nigeria now, which I believe it is still when it comes to insecurity in the country, the opposition (parties) wants to always be blasting the sitting government.

“They don’t give the right support and advice. They portray the whole thing as the fault of the government such that the western countries fell for this kind of propaganda, and we entered lots of problems.”

“For example, we (wanted) cobra helicopters from the U.S. they refused to sell it to us during my time. We headed elsewhere to get these helicopters. I visited Turkey. They said they are willing to sell to us those types of aircraft but, unfortunately, they cannot go ahead and sell to us because the engines are American, therefore, they have to have a license from the US. But the U.S. was not prepared to help,” he said.

He said the main concern of the US then was about the (then) coming