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WE’RE IN FINAL PHASE OF CAMPAIGN AGAINST INSURGENCY AND OTHER FORMS OF CRIMINALITIES — PRESIDENT BUHARI

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WE’RE IN FINAL PHASE OF CAMPAIGN AGAINST INSURGENCY AND OTHER FORMS OF CRIMINALITIES — PRESIDENT BUHARI

WE’RE IN FINAL PHASE OF CAMPAIGN AGAINST INSURGENCY AND OTHER FORMS OF CRIMINALITIES — PRESIDENT BUHARI

By: Femi Adesina

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Maiduguri, Borno State, urged troops of Operation Hadin Kai to remain steadfast as they go into the final phase of the campaign against insurgency and other forms of criminalities.

The President, who addressed the troops at the Airforce Base in Maiduguri, said the entire nation remains grateful for the gallantry displayed in ensuring gradual return of peace to the North East, while condoling with families that have lost loved ones, and the wounded.

“I urge you also to stay focused to achieve our strategic end-state which is the defeat of all adversaries and restoration of an economically viable North East Geo-political Zone and other parts of the Country where Nigerians are free to go about their activities without fear or harassment,” he said.

President Buhari assured families of soldiers who paid the supreme price for the nation and the injured that the Federal Government will cater for their needs, recognizing their sacrifices for all Nigerians.

“I am delighted to be with you today and to convey my gratitude and that of the entire nation to you all, as you continuously strive to secure our dear country.

“Your career is like no other because it is a conscious commitment and preparedness to give your best for the sake of others.

“I am therefore here on behalf of a grateful nation to thank and commend you for your service and sacrifices.

“Let me start by commiserating with you all on the unfortunate loss of Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkushu and other personnel of 25 and 28 Task Force Brigades, who died on 13 November 2021. 

“I do this mindful of the fact that we have lost others in this Theatre of Operation as well as other operational areas across the country.

“We pray for the repose of their souls and for the Almighty God to comfort the families that they left behind. The people of Borno State and indeed the entire country owe a debt of gratitude to our serving men in uniform for the huge sacrifices in the pursuit of peace,” he said.

According to President Buhari, the Government would continue to ensure that the widows and children of fallen heroes were well catered for,  to help them fully realize their potentials.

The President noted that the response exhibited across the theatre had shown extraordinary resilience and steadfastness in the face of adversity.

“That is the spirit, tenacity and resolve that the Nigerian Armed Forces is known for. Well done.

“Our country, just like all the others in the Sahel region, is faced with several security challenges that are largely characterized by the violent activities of non-state actors. This has necessitated several interventions aimed at ensuring the security of persons and property across the numerous hot spots.

“Further improvements in the security situation in Operation Hadin Kai have led to a corresponding rise in the confidence of our people who are now returning in significant numbers to their homes.

“Further to the reorganizations in the military leadership, concerted efforts are being made to improve your equipment holding. I am aware that you have started receiving some of the platforms procured by our administration while others would be received in the weeks ahead,” the President added.

While noting threats posed by criminals through the employment of Improvised Explosive Devices, he said substantial resources have also been directed at procuring equipment for explosive ordnance disposal.

According to President Buhari, similar attention is being given to Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Assets.

“These measures and the platforms being received would accord you the necessary reach, fire power and protection to project force across the Theatre and bring the fight to a logical and successful end.”

President Buhari told the troops that at the onset of the administration he emphasized the need to rejuvenate the Multinational Joint Task Force, which was in realization of the fluid and transnational nature of current threats and their propensity to hibernate in neighbouring countries.

“I therefore urge you to continue to further strengthen your cooperation with the militaries of the other countries under the auspices of the Multinational Joint Task Force in order to further optimize the mutual gains for our respective national security.

“As we step up the military efforts, our administration has remained conscious of the efficacy of the employments of other lines of effort in our drive to ensuring the return of lasting peace to the North East Region.

“The North East Development Commission continues to make giant strides at improving the economic and social welfare of Nigerians in the region.

Also Read: Data is crucial in accelerating Nigeria towards HIV…

“I am also happy with the increased level of cooperation between the good people of Borno State, other stakeholders and the security agencies. I urge you to continue to cooperate with other security agencies with a view to ensuring a full return to normalcy.”

He assured that the administration would continue to work with all well-meaning stakeholders including friendly nations, civil society organizations as well as other credible non-governmental organizations to bring peace to all troubled areas across the nation.

President Buhari expressed deep appreciation to  the Government of Borno State for its continuous cooperation with the Federal Government in multiple spheres.

Adding, “This has been critical to the furtherance of our mutual efforts at restoring peace to the State.

“I particularly commend Your Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, for your untiring commitment and cherished collaboration with my administration for the overall good of the people of Borno. Yours is a good example of the inherent benefits that are accruable from conscious positive interaction between the Federal Government and states.”

He also commended the Minister of Defence as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the heads of all other security agencies for forging a common front of collaboration and cooperation which continues to enhance operations.

“It was gratifying to observe some of these examples of collaboration during the Research and Development Exhibition at the recently concluded Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference and the launch of locally constructed Seaward Defence Ship at the Naval Dockyard. 

“I urge you all to stay the course towards ensuring that we become self-sufficient in the production of our defence equipment in no distant future.

‘To my dear troops, as your Commander in Chief, I am mindful of your selfless sacrifices which in some cases have entailed paying the supreme price. The nation owes you a debt of gratitude for your commitment, dedication and unalloyed loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Our Government will continue to work with your respective heads to ensure that your welfare receives priority attention and that our wounded comrades are given the best medical care possible,” the President assured.

The President said the  manpower challenges which have limited the rotation of some units from the Theatre would be addressed by concerted efforts to increase recruitment and ensure that the remaining units due for rotation were relieved as soon as practicable.

WE’RE IN FINAL PHASE OF CAMPAIGN AGAINST INSURGENCY AND OTHER FORMS OF CRIMINALITIES — PRESIDENT BUHARI

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Health

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria

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We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Medical Director of the ultra modern Police Hospital Damaturu Prof Bashir Tahir has said that his facility has one of the best Ophthalmology departments in North East Nigeria.

He made this declaration while speaking with this reporter in Damaturu recently.

Professor Tahir stated that having met the facility in a near comatose state, he and his team have been able to create a department of Opthalmology plus six others and set it on a very high standard ready to serve the people in the catchment area.

Tahir who spoke through his Director of Administration Mallam Hamza Saleh stated that “Our Opthalmology dept is one of the best in the North East of Nigeria and you can get a recommended glasses within an hour because of the state of arts machines in that very department in the hospital.”

Speaking on the current expansion going on in the facility the MD stated that “We have ENT and consultants coming from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH alternatively during the week to do routine consultations, ward rounds and even operations in the theatre.

“We recently spent about N10m to buy equipments in the ENT and we do hope that all the equipments will be available before the end of the year.

On the revitalization of the facility, he went on: “We actually met the three theatres in bad shape but we have been able to put them into functional use by restructuring them accordingly. For now all three are functioning including the O and G theatre where routine operations have been conducted.

“When we came on board also the hospital was not departmentalized. So we did that and opened the way for more doctors to come by creating these seven departments for them to work in an organized way.

“All the departments are functional with seven consultants who man these departments to the satisfaction of all the patients who visit the facility.

This new facility can also boast of two Eye Nose and Throat surgeons and others as the support staff to support the facility.

“We have about 100 nurses with one that is a police officer. We also have some of them with specialized techniques and that has contributed to the progress of the place.

On medical lab scientists, the MD posited that they now have six lab scientists in different areas, two pharmacists and a couple of technicians that assist them on the ground on a daily basis.

They have a solid Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a pharmacy company in the supply of drugs which is used to stabilize the availability of drugs in the hospital.

On supply of drugs, he noted that they make sure that people served well and patient are the priority of anything that happens in the facility adding that they now have satellite pharmacies in the facility to ensure quality time is not wasted.

The MD said that it was part of their plan to get most of the major equipments before any fresh employment of any professional commences so that all hands will be on deck to ensure the best.

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria

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The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

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The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

By: Our Reporter

A shocking revelation has come to light, exposing the true origins of foreign military deployment in Niger. Contrary to popular belief, it was not President Mohamed Bazoum who initiated the permanent presence of foreign troops in the country. Instead, classified documents and insider accounts reveal that it was the 2010-2011 military junta—the same type of government Niger is under today—that secretly invited French forces into Niger and granted them unrestricted military access.

The Secret Deal That Changed Niger Forever

On September 18, 2010, General Salou Djibo, then head of Niger’s ruling military junta, was preparing to leave for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before his departure, he held a closed-door meeting with his second-in-command, Colonel Abdoulaye Badié, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (FAN), General Salou Souleymane. The main topic of discussion? Whether to allow a permanent French military presence in Niger. Whether to permit French military aircraft to land, refuel, and operate from Nigerien soil.
At first, both Badié and Djibo rejected the idea of allowing a French military base in Niger. However, what they didn’t know was that General Salou Souleymane had already made promises to France behind their backs. Weeks before this meeting, General Souleymane had personally assured the French Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Édouard Guillaud, that Niger would approve France’s request to deploy its military forces.

This secret arrangement was not debated in public, nor was it disclosed to the Nigerien people. Instead, the decision was made in total secrecy, away from the eyes of the nation. With General Djibo about to leave for New York, the situation escalated. Prime Minister Mahamadou Danda and Defense Minister General Mamadou Ousseini were pressured into granting France full permission to deploy its forces in Niger. The final approval was given on the night of September 18, 2010.

Colonel Badié was personally tasked with informing French Ambassador Alain Holleville that Niger had given France the green light. The same night, General Salou Souleymane personally called the French Military Attaché in Niamey, Hervé Pilette, to confirm the authorization.

Within hours, the French military had already begun its deployment: Two Breguet Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft with five full crews. One Falcon 50 aircraft with two crews. A total of 115 French soldiers, including special forces and intelligence officers. By September 19, 2010, French forces were officially operating in Niger, under the justification that they were there to search for hostages kidnapped in Arlit a region rich in uranium, heavily exploited by French company Areva (now Orano).

The Junta’s Internal Crisis: How The Truth Was Buried

Upon returning from New York on September 26, 2010, General Salou Djibo found a top-secret report on his desk from his special staff. The report was alarming:

It said “The positioning of French troops on Nigerien territory seriously harms the image of Niger and the credibility of the Armed Forces (FAN). It creates the perception that our military is weak and unable to defend the country from threats like AQIM without French intervention.”
The report further warned that the French presence was no longer necessary, since it had become clear that the kidnapped hostages were already in Mali, not Niger. In other words, the original justification for allowing French troops into Niger was no longer valid.

However, by this point, the junta was trapped. The French military was already in Niger, and any attempt to remove them would have led to a diplomatic crisis. The truth was buried, and the Nigerien people were never informed of the secret deal that had been made.

This one decision set off a chain reaction that led to years of escalating foreign military presence: 2013: The United States established a drone base in Niamey to conduct operations across the Sahel. 2017: The U.S. expanded its presence by constructing Air Base 201 in Agadez, one of the largest drone bases in Africa. 2014-2019: France launched Operation Barkhane, stationing thousands of troops in the region, including in Niger. 2022: Following France’s expulsion from Mali, French troops redeployed to Niger, solidifying their military footprint.

By the time President Mohamed Bazoum took office in 2021, the foreign military presence was already deeply entrenched, making it nearly impossible to reverse.

The Hypocrisy of the Current Junta

Fast forward to 2023: General Abderrahmane Tiani overthrows President Bazoum, claiming that his government was too dependent on foreign powers. However, the same military elite that now calls itself “patriotic” was directly involved in the original plans to bring in foreign partners starting from 2010-2011.

It the military is so opposed to foreign troops, why did they allow French forces into Niger in 2010? Why has the military remained silent about its role in secretly authorizing foreign military deployment? Why did it take a coup d’état for them to suddenly oppose a policy that they themselves initiated?

A Nation Deceived for 13 Years

For over a decade, Nigeriens have been misled into believing that foreign military forces were imposed on them by civilian governments.
The truth is far more sinister: Niger’s own military leaders were responsible for inviting foreign troops in the first place. Today, General Tiani and his junta claim to be “restoring sovereignty.” But their own predecessors men they once served under were the original enablers of foreign intervention.
Foreign military forces never left instead, they expanded their presence under different pretexts. The so called betrayal of Niger’s sovereignty did not start with Bazoum or Issoufou it started in 2010, under military rule.

Nigeriens must ask themselves: If this was covered up for 13 years, what else has been hidden from them? If military rule brought foreign troops, why should you trust them to remove them now? If sovereignty is truly the goal, why has no one been held accountable for the original betrayal?

The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

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Lula Extends Invitation to President Tinubu to Visit Brazil

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Lula Extends Invitation to President Tinubu to Visit Brazil

By: Michael Mike

A high-level delegation from Brazil, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Viera arrived in Abuja on a visit aimed at boosting cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil in a move towards strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

The visit was also used to deliver an invitation of Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva known mononymously as Lula, to President Bola Tinubu to Brazil in the nearest future.

The bilateral relations between the two nations dates back to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

During the visit, the Brazilian delegation is expected to engage in high-level talks with Nigerian officials, exploring opportunities for collaboration in areas such as agriculture, energy, and infrastructure development.

The two countries are also expected to sign several agreements aimed at strengthening their bilateral ties.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, while hosting his Brazilian counterpart in his office on Wednesday, noted that Brazil was the only Latin American country to attend Nigeria’s independence celebration, underscoring the strong historical ties between the two nations.

He said: “We share a lot in common, from our size and economies to our population and culture. This visit is a natural progression of our partnership.”

Tuggar, while citing their robust engagement between the two countries since independence, referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Brazil last year, where he attended the G20 summit and engaged in activities to strengthen bilateral ties.

Tuggar emphasized the significance of the visit, saying, “We welcome you and your delegation warmly, and we’re happy to see you here in Abuja.

This visit is a continuation of our efforts to strengthen the bond between our two countries.”

In response, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Viera, recalled his first meeting with Nigerian officials in Dubai in 2023 and the subsequent meeting between President Lula and President Tinubu in Addis Ababa in 2024.

Viera praised President Tinubu’s participation in the G20 summit in Brazil last November, valuing Nigeria’s contributions to the forum.

He also extended an invitation from President Lula for President Tinubu to visit Brazil in the near future.

This visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations, building on previous engagements since President Lula took office in January 2023.

The Brazilian minister emphasized the importance of strategic dialogue and exploring deeper relations in various areas, including culture, economics, cooperation, education, and more.

He highlighted the close contacts between Brazilians and Nigerians, as well as the significant presence of Nigerians in Brazilian society and culture.

He thanked the Nigerian government for hosting the Brazilian delegation and expressed his enthusiasm for a productive day of work to further develop bilateral relations.

This visit marks a significant step in strengthening ties between Brazil and Nigeria, with potential collaborations in trade, investment, and cultural exchange on the horizon.

Lula Extends Invitation to President Tinubu to Visit Brazil

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