Tuesday 12 August 2014

FG BLOCKS SOURCE OF BOKO HARAM FUNDING – NSA


• 35 suspected insurgents escape jungle justice in Rivers
Federal Government says it has blocked all sources of funding for Boko Haram sect. This was disclosed by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki at the Nigerian Security Summit held at the Havard University in the United States.
In a paper he presented at the Summit, which was held at the weekend, Col. Dasuki said government had made it difficult for the terror group to access funding for their murderous campaigns.
He said: “When we started to deal with the Boko Haram threat, our laws were not so clear on a number of fundamentals. Through the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013, significant progress has been made.
“It has allowed us to not only define terrorism, but block avenues of financing for their activities while putting in place structures to deal with our current threats. This has included the establishment of a Counterterrorism Centre and working with key stakeholders, we have developed a National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST).
“The youth bulge is both a challenge and an opportunity which the Federal Government has recognised and initiated programmes to increase job opportunities.
“Insurgents seek to force fundamental changes on society, operating with impunity; they violate all decent human values in an effort to draw a commensurate response from authorities.
“Terrorists win when states respond to their attacks in ways that are incompatible with their values”, he said.
Col Dasuki pledged that Nigeria would abide by international practices as they relate to the fight against insurgency while noting that members of the armed forces were undergoing training on human rights.
35 suspected insurgents escape jungle justice in Rivers
Meanwhile, no fewer than 35 northerners on transit to Rivers State, narrowly escaped being lynched on Sunday at Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state as they were accused of being members of Boko Haram sect.
Nigerian Pilot learnt that the Northerners, who travelled from Nasarawa State, were intercepted by men of the Joint Task Force around 6pm on Sunday after some boys from Obrikom community near Omoku Town suspected the two Lorries coming from Owerri, Imo State.
A youth in the area told Nigerian Pilot that the boys had suspected the two lorries as they were covered with tarpaulin and when they were unable to stop the vehicles, chased them with motorcycles to a Joint Task Force, JTF checkpoint in Omoku, where they persuaded the security operatives to search the lorries.
The source further told our correspondent that the JTF on searching one of the lorries discovered some young men numbering about 35 inside the tarpaulin with some bags. The JTF, therefore, arrested the lorry and took it to the Omoku council secretariat, while the second lorry carried goods was handed over to the police.
Another source further told Nigerian Pilot that trouble started when the youths felt the suspects were likely to be freed by the JTF. According to the source, the boys would have carried out jungle justice on the suspects if not for the presence of the JTF at the scene “because they believed that the JTF was not going to handle the matter well.”
A source at the police in Omoku, who spoke under condition of anonymity told Nigerian Pilot that the JTF after discovering that the suspects were cobblers, Okada riders and other petty traders and were on their way to Rivers State for their normal business, decided to escort them to Ahoada around midnight to avoid them being lynched.
When contacted, Army PRO in Rivers State, Major Michael Etete, said he was not aware of the development.
Source: Nigerian Pilot

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