Nigeria

Nigerian Air Force to induct JF-17 fighter aircraft, Mi 35 Helicopters

16, June 2016

Nigerian Air Force to induct JF-17 fighter aircraft, Mi 35 Helicopters 0

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has started expansion works on airbase facilities at Yola International Airport as it prepares to receive new aircraft, including Russian-made Mi-35 helicopters as well as JF-17 Thunder fighters and Super Mushshak trainers from Pakistani Aeronautical Company (PAC). Addressing government and military officials who gathered for the commissioning of the projects in the city of Yola earlier this month, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said works include the expansion of existing airport aprons, pilot and crew rooms as well as the construction of new office and residential accommodation and recreational facilities.

He said the country will soon take delivery of an undisclosed number of JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and Mi-35 helicopter gunships to provide additional air support to ongoing counter-terrorism operations against the Boko Haram militant group in the north-east. “Due to this expected fleet expansion, it has become necessary to expand existing ground facilities at the military airport. These include the aprons, pilot and crew rooms, office and residential accommodation and new recreation facilities to enhance the welfare of the personnel and reposition the NAF for effective and efficient air operations,” Capt. Famuyiwa said.

Apart from the Jf-17 which Famuyiwa confirmed as due for due delivery shortly, Nigeria is seeking up to 10 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft from Pakistan to beef up its trainer fleet. Capt Famuyiwa said there are strong indications that the US could soon allow Nigeria to acquire Brazilian-made A-29 Super Tucano light attack and trainer turboprops to replace its aged fleet of Alpha Jets. According to a leaked copy of Nigeria’s 2016 budget which President Muhammadu Buhari presented to a joint session of the National Assembly in December 2015, the Nigerian Air Force aims to acquire three JF-17s this year, and has budgeted $25 million towards this. N2.06 billion ($10.2 million) was allocated for 10 PAC Super Mushshak basic trainers, and N11.6 billion ($56 million) for two Mi-35M helicopters as well as N5 billion for the JF-17s.

Meanwhile, the German government has pledged to supply the Nigerian armed forces with new navy vessels, mobile health units, ground surveillance equipment and mine detection and disposal equipment as well as specialised training programmes for counter-terrorism special forces. Addressing Nigerian media on the sidelines of the Nigeria-Germany Bi-National Commission Meeting in Abuja earlier this month, the Permanent Secretary of the German Foreign Office Markus Elderer said Germany would also train Nigerian military engineers in the handling and maintenance of equipment set for donation.

“The Nigerian government requested equipment support and military training so we are incorporating all of these in this agreement. We are doing this through training, through equipment supply like the ground surveillance radar systems and mine clearing equipment.  “We will also supply mobile health units for the security forces carrying out the difficult tasks of combating terrorism. We are almost at the finishing line and we are just awaiting the signing of the agreement so that we can begin implementation, I think everything will be done this year,” he added.

The Nigerian army is already receiving counter-terrorism training and equipment from the US, the UK, France, Russia as well as Pakistan as it struggles to defeat Boko Haram militants. Western powers have doubled their assistance to the war-ravaged West African nations since the election of former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari as president over a year ago.

 

Defenceweb

13, June 2016

Buhari administration agrees to Cameroon’s return of 80,000 Nigerian refugees 0

The Nigerian government says it has agreed to Cameroon’s return of some 80,000 Nigerian citizens who fled the country following the insurgency by the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group. Nigerian emergency agency spokesman Sani Datti said on Sunday that Abuja signed an agreement with the UN Refugee Agency, also known as the UNHCR, and Cameroon for the return of Nigerian refugees “voluntarily and in a dignified manner.”

Nigerian officials have said that the neighboring Cameroon was threatening to force the repatriation of tens of thousands of Nigerians who left their homes in the eastern regions to flee from Boko Haram’s terrorist activities. Last month, Cameroon dumped a large number of Nigerians at the border though people did not have enough water and temperature soared over 42 degrees Celsius.

The UN said that some 600,000 Nigerians are displaced in the region. An estimated 20,000 people have been killed and more than two million others made homeless since the beginning of the bloody Boko Haram militancy in Nigeria in 2009. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to Daesh, which is primarily operating in Syria and Iraq.

Presstv

12, June 2016

Boko Haram kills 4 women in Nigeria 0

Four women have been murdered in an attack by Boko Haram in Nigeria. The attack was carried out on Friday night at Mairari, a remote village located 80 kilometers from Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.

Cameroon Intelligence Report learned that fifteen Boko Haram fighters on motorbikes raided homes and slaughtered the four women at the time of breaking fast during this period of Ramadan. The women were killed because their husbands refused to join the ranks of the Nigerian Islamic sect.

Boko Haram has been greatly weakened by a joint multinational force consisting of 8700 men of the different armies of the region (Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin) but continues to carry out attacks in the north east of Nigeria and Cameroon.

CIR

12, June 2016

Nigeria: Several senior army officers relieved of their duties in the fantastically corrupt nation 0

Several senior officers of the Nigerian army have been relieved of their duties for their alleged involvement in numerous dodgy arms deals. The decision was made public by Colonel Sani Usman, spokesman for the Nigerian army.

Cameroon Intelligence Report learned that many more are already under investigation by the National Commission for the fight against corruption. However, the identities of the officers have so far not been revealed. Our source in Abuja also indicated that the number of army generals involved in the scandal was still being kept like a nuclear secret.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in power since May 2015, has made it a priority to fight corruption in the fantastically corrupt West African nation.

CIR

10, June 2016

Biafra: Amnesty International says Nigerian army killed 17 unarmed separatists 0

Amnesty International said on Friday that Nigeria’s army last month killed at least 17 unarmed members of a group calling for secession from Africa’s most populous nation, but the military dismissed the allegations as unfounded.An army spokesman said Amnesty’s accusations, the latest in a series of allegations of impropriety levelled against Nigeria’s military in the last year, revealed a bias that undermined its credibility. Amnesty’s report — which it said was based on details from eyewitnesses, morgues and hospitals — says soldiers opened fire on members of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and their supporters in the southeastern city of Onitsha during the build up to a march in late May.

The human rights group said the killings took place during a security operation in the early hours of the morning shortly before the march when the military raided homes and a church where IPOB members slept. The army issued a statement in which it said troops had to “resort to self defence” after IPOB members attacked security agencies with “firearms” and various weapons including dynamite. It said five members of IPOB were killed, eight wounded while nine were arrested. “These efforts were in order to de-escalate the palpable tension as well as ward off the apparent threats to lives and property in the general area,” it said.

Secessionist feeling has simmered in the southeast since the Biafra separatist rebellion tipped Nigeria into a 1967-70 civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people. It flared up again last year after IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested and detained on charges of criminal conspiracy and belonging to an illegal society. He remains in detention.
Amnesty said its investigation showed at least 17 people were killed and nearly 50 injured, adding that “the real number is likely to be higher”. “Information gathered by Amnesty International indicates that the deaths of supporters and members of IPOB was the consequence of excessive, and unnecessary use of force,” said Amnesty, which urged the government to investigate.

The contents of the report were rejected by army spokesman Sani Usman. “The allegations are unfounded,” he said.
The report is the latest in a series of accusations levelled at the army by Amnesty. Last year, Amnesty said more than 8,000 people died in detention during a crackdown on Boko Haram and that soldiers killed hundreds of Shi’ite Muslims in the northern city of Zaria in December. “Amnesty is losing credibility,” added Usman, who accused the group of being biased against the army.

Reuters

9, June 2016

“IBB is alive and active” 0

The rumors that former Nigerian Head of State,Ibrahim Babangida is dead has gone viral across Nigeria. Babangida in an interview granted recently, debunked the rumors, promising to return to Nigeria soon. The former military dictator who institutionalized corruption was speaking from Germany, where he is receiving treatment and observed that he is alive.

IBB broke the silence on a live broadcast on June 8 saying he is hail and hearty and not dead as being alleged. He told Babajide Otitoju of the TVC that he would soon return to Nigeria and that he enjoyed viewing the station and praised them for a job well done.

7, June 2016

Nigeria receives another Alpha jet 0

The Nigerian Air Force has received another second hand Alpha Jet from the United States, joining several other aircraft received from Air USA Inc. The latest aircraft was seen transiting Iqaluit Airport in Canada on 2 June and then Reykjavik, Iceland, before arriving in the United Kingdom on June 3. It refuelled at Manchester Airport and then continued its journey to Nigeria.  Two Alpha Jets were delivered from the United States in March and May 2015, with four aircraft apparently being acquired by Nigeria. It is not clear if the latest delivery is part of the original batch of four, or a fifth example. (Serials of the three known to be delivered are NAF475, NAF477 and NAF478 while the latest delivery is NAF478.)

Earlier this year the Nigerian Air Force revealed it had armed two of the Alpha Jets. Nigerian Air Force (NAF) spokesman Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa in January said the Alpha Jets bought from the United States could not be deployed on operations because they could not deliver weapons, thus relegating them to training. He said the NAF had earlier looked overseas for assistance to get the aircraft reconfigured for combat but foreign companies were asking for $20,000-30,000 to carry out initial assessments of the project, so the NAF decided to form its own team to carry out the work.

“The model worked on the ground, and has since been mounted on the Alpha Jets, and test flown successfully,” he said. “This feat is a major research and development breakthrough for the NAF and the nation as a huge foreign exchange saver, given the project only cost about N400,000 [$2,000].” Two Alpha Jets were subsequently armed, with photos showing what appeared to be a 68 mm SNEB rocket launcher pod and a 250 kg unguided bomb attached to the aircraft. The Alpha Jets acquired from the United States were flown by Air USA Inc, which specialises in military air combat readiness training and flies Hawks, Alpha Jets, MiG-29s and L-59 Super Albatroses. They were originally flown by the Luftwaffe before operating in the States.

Air USA Alpha Jets were converted for night vision goggle (NVG) operations, according to the company, and flight certified for operational use of TER, IMER and SUU-20 bomb racks. However, armament capability was removed prior to their sale. Nigerian Alpha Jets have been used in the ground attack role to strike Boko Haram targets and a couple have been lost on operations: one crashed in Niger, killing two pilots, in May 2013 while another went down in September 2014. The NAF has recently reactivated a number of its Alpha Jets. A total of 24 were acquired in the 1980s but several have been lost in crashes. Apparently 11 have been made flyable again.

 

Defenceweb

6, June 2016

Nigeria: International Crisis Group sounds a note of caution on military reform 0

Nigeria’s military is in distress. Once among Africa’s strongest and a mainstay of regional peacekeeping, it has become a flawed force. The initially slow, heavy-handed response to the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency raised serious concerns, and its human rights record underscores a grave disconnect with civilians. President Muhammadu Buhari has taken some steps to reverse the decline and has recorded significant gains against Boko Haram, but ongoing prosecution of former chiefs for graft have further deepened the military’s reputation as poorly governed and corrupt. The government and military chiefs, working with the National Assembly, civil society and international partners, need to do much more: implement comprehensive defence sector reform, including clear identification of security challenges; a new defence and security policy and structure to address them; and drastic improvement in leadership, oversight, administration and accountability across the sector.

The decline began during 33 years of military dictatorship that took a serious toll on professionalism, operational effectiveness and accountability. Return to democratic rule in 1999 raised hopes the institution could be restored, but successive civilian governments’ pledges of much-needed reforms proved largely rhetorical. Presidents, defence ministry and parliament lacked the commitment and expertise to implement significant changes. They left the military badly governed, under-resourced and virtually adrift. Administration and accountability deteriorated throughout the sector. Poor, indeed lacking senior leadership has been compounded by equally poor legislative oversight and defence headquarters coordination and planning.

Until recently, the military was under-resourced, with comparatively low budgets, disbursed irregularly and unpredictably. From 2000 to 2008, its budget was less than 3 per cent of overall government expenditure. From 2009 to 2014, it increased to an average of 7.2 per cent of government spending ($5-$6 billion); but, as in the past, this was still allocated disproportionately to recurrent expenditures, leaving very little for crucial capital investment.

Corruption is system-wide. Legislators often manipulate the appropriation process at the National Assembly to serve private business interests rather than benefit the armed forces. Dubious procurement practices, fraudulently bloated payrolls, poor financial management and weak auditing systems at the national security adviser’s office, the defence ministry and armed services headquarters often mean funds are diverted to private or non-military purposes; arms, ammunition and other equipment are sometimes substandard and not always delivered. Inadequate funding, corrupt procurement and poor maintenance result in serious equipment and logistics deficits.

For a country of over 170 million people, facing several security challenges – from an Islamist insurgency in the north east to a resource-based conflict in the Niger Delta – a military numbering less than 120,000 personnel (all services) is clearly inadequate. Under-staffing reflects poor planning and a dubious recruitment system, but also is further aggravated by over-stretch induced by deployments in over two dozen internal security operations. Training institutions are short of facilities and instructors, lack training modules, and because they are largely focused on conventional operations, somewhat outdated. Personnel are under-motivated due to low pay, poor welfare services and bleak post-service prospects.

The military’s poor human rights record has had a debilitating impact on effectiveness. Serious abuse of civilian communities, from the Ogoni (in the mid-1990s) to Odi (1999) and Zaki Biam (2001), and more recent extrajudicial killings, mostly in the context of countering militant and separatist groups from Boko Haram and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), have alienated citizens, whose cooperation is crucial for successful internal security operations.

The cumulative effect is a military deeply challenged in its primary function of defending the country and its citizens. It has been able to reverse Boko Haram’s advance since early 2015 only with help from the forces of Nigeria’s poorer neighbours and support from foreign technicians and mercenaries.

Since assuming office in May 2015, President Buhari has appointed new and more competent service chiefs, relocated the military command centre dedicated to the fight against Boko Haram to the north east and probed past weapons procurement. These actions have had salutary effects, but the benefits will be short-lived unless they are followed by formulation and implementation of a comprehensive reform program that encompasses the entire defence management spectrum, including leadership, oversight and administration. Failure to implement such reforms would leave the military distressed and Nigerians vulnerable to the current and future security challenges.

 

International Crisis Group

3, June 2016

US says Boko Haram-Daesh collaboration on a rise 0

The rising collaboration between the Daesh and Boko Haram terrorist groups has raised alarms that the two are working together to wreak more havoc in northern and central Africa. US Brigadier General Donald Bolduc, the commander of the US military’s Special Operations in Africa, said Wednesday that a Daesh weapons convoy departing from Libya was intercepted on its way to the Lake Chad region, an area devastated by Boko Haram.

The shipment was seized near the Chadian border with Libya on April 7 and included small-caliber weapons, machine guns and rifles, officials said. US military officials said the convoy hints at a direct link between the two terror groups. Last year, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to Daesh.

Bolduc added that the two groups were also sharing “tactics, techniques and procedures.” Nigerian General Lamidi Oyebayo Adeosun, the commander of the regional group of African countries fighting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area, echoed Bolduc, adding military officials were still trying to learn more about relations between the two groups.

The disclosure came during a tense series of meetings between Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, and top Chadian officials, including President Idriss Deby. US President Barack Obama has been increasingly asked by some of his top military and intelligence advisers to authorize a broader US military presence in Libya and Nigeria.

Earlier this month, Obama admitted that his “worst mistake” in his presidency has been the mishandling of the crisis in Libya after the US-backed ouster of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Pentagon has proposed a $200 million budget for this year to train and equip security forces in north, central and west African countries. The US is also constructing a $50 million drone base in Agadez, Niger, that would allow aerial surveillance of the region.

An estimated 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.6 million others made homeless since the beginning of the Boko Haram bloody militancy in Nigeria in 2009. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” has spread its attacks from northeastern Nigeria, its traditional stronghold, to the neighboring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Presstv

3, June 2016

Nigeria: Deadly explosion kills 5 0

A deadly explosion has claimed the lives of five people in northeast Nigeria, where the Takfiri Boko Haram militant group has been operating for years.According to Nigerian military officials, the incident occurred on Sunday morning when a rickshaw driving close to a military checkpoint on the outskirts of the town of Biu in the country’s northeastern Borno State ran over an improvised explosive device (IED).

“The preliminary investigation shows that the IED was buried a long time ago without being detected. It exploded when the tricycle erroneously stepped on it,” said Sani Usman, the Nigerian military spokesman. “The IED exploded instantly killing four persons, comprising of a woman with her baby and two other male adults,” Usman said, adding that a soldier injured by the blast died later in hospital.

While he did not explain whether the IED had in fact been planted by Boko Haram, the spokesman did say that the military would continue to counter Boko Haram undeterred.

Culled from Presstv

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