US spends $24.7 million in humanitarian support

The United States government yesterday said it has so far spent about $24.7 million in support of essential humanitarian aid to refugees, internally displaced persons, and other populations of concern impacted by Boko Haram-engendered conflicts in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

Briefing White House correspondents in Washington DC, spokesperson of the US Department of State, Ms. Jen Psaki, added that the aid included support for protection, food, agriculture, and livelihoods, health, humanitarian coordination and water sanitation and hygiene assistance.

The United States official further revealed that the Barrack Obama-led government would release more funds to further assist the victims.

“We are committed-we continue to assess and are committed to doing more. There is, as you know, a multinational joint task force that we also continue to support,” she said.

In a related development, the United Nations secretary-general, Mr Ban Ki Moon, has warned leaders against discarding moral compasses and giving into fear in the fight against terrorism.

Mr Ban who was in Washington D.C. for a summit hosted by the United States on countering violent extremism, called for cool heads and common sense in dealing with what may very well be the greatest test the human race faces in the 21st century.

“Let there be no doubt,” Mr Ban proclaimed to a room full of high-level delegates including US Secretary of State, John Kerry, “the emergence of a new generation of transnational terrorist groups including Da’esh (or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and Boko Haram is a grave threat to international peace and security.”

Among those joining Mr Ban on the panel of the White House summit on ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ were US deputy national security adviser, Tony Blinken, deputy director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Nicholas Rasmussen, French Interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, Jordanian minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Judeh, Professor at London’s King’s College, Peter Neumann, and commissioner for Peace and Security at the African Union, SmaïlChergui.

In his address, the Secretary-General said no cause or grievance could justify the “unspeakable horrors” that terrorist groups are carrying out against innocent people, majority of whom are Muslims. Women and girls, he added, are particularly subject to systemic abuses – rape, kidnapping, forced marriage and sexual slavery.

“These extremists are pursuing a deliberate strategy of shock and awe- beheadings, burnings, and snuff films designed to polarise and terrorise, and provoke and divide us,” the UN chief added, commending UN member states for their political will to defeat terrorist groups and at the same time, urging them to stay “mindful of the pitfalls.”

“Many years of our experience have proven that short-sighted policies, failed leadership and an utter disregard for human dignity and human rights have causes tremendous frustration and anger on the part of people who we serve,” the UN chief said.

Boko Haram Kills 74 In Adamawa, Borno Attacks About 40 people are feared killed in attacks on two villages of Hong local government of Adamawa State in the last 48 hours.

Leadership Weekend gathered that rampaging Boko Haram insurgents struck the villages in the early hours of Thursday and Friday, killing dozens and setting houses ablaze.

Also, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists had in separate attacks on villages around Konduga and Chibok towns of Borno State, killed 34 villagers and injured several others on Wednesday and Thursday, according to security officials.

A source who witnessed the attack on Tamsu-Shehurivillage which is under Konduga local government area, said the gunmen descended on the village Wednesday night, killing more than a dozen villagers, mostly aged ones who could not escape.

Locals said that the insurgents had earlier struck Gaya village in Adamawa State where they killed 30 indigenes and later proceeded to another village, Zang where they continued their killing spree.

Some of the fleeing villagers said the insurgents had been wreaking havoc in the area for almost two days as there were no security operatives to disperse them.

A fleeing resident of the area who spoke to our correspondent on phone said the villagers had earlier repelled the initial attack on Zang on the first day but the insurgents later remobilised, came back and started shooting people indiscriminately.

“We were able to repel them on Thursday, but they later mobilised and re-launched an attack on Zang, as I am talking to you they are there killing people,” he stated.

According to the residents, the insurgents burned down many houses and looted foodstuff and household items.

Another fleeing resident who simply identified himself as Peter said that, the attackers may be insurgents that were on the run from the intense military onslaught against them.

“I believe that those who attacked the community were dislodged from Sambisa forest by the on-going raid being carried out by the Air Force.” Our correspondent gathered that barely 24 hours after the attack on Tamsu-Shehuri village, in Borno State, another gang of gunmen attacked a nearby village, Ladi-Shehuri, where they killed and burnt a man in his car before soldiers from Konduga salvaged the situation there, killing about a dozen of the attackers.

“The soldiers in Konduga were able to avert another major attack on Ladi-Shehuri on Thursday when some Boko Haram gunmen were attacking the town,” said Aisami.

“They killed a man and burnt him inside his car while he was driving into the village. The soldiers in Konduga did well when they arrived on time to engage and killed the 12 gunmen riding on four motorcycles.”

Soldiers in Konduga have over time, enjoyed the reputation of foiling dozens of attacks launched by Boko Haram on the town. Konduga is 35km southeast of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Also, Boko Haram terrorists had on Thursday, attacked and killed 20 villagers in communities around Chibok town where the missing 219 school girls still under the captivity of the Boko Haram were kidnapped by the terrorists on the 12th of April, 2014.

Sources in Chibok said at least 20 people have been killed in coordinated attacks on communities around Chibok.

Suleiman Ali, a local government official, told journalists in Maiduguri that Boko Haram terrorists who rode into the town on motorcycles had attacked Gatamarwa, Lehu and Makalawa villages near Chibok on Thursday, killing 21 people in the process.

Ali said the insurgents invaded Gatamarwa market at about 9am on Thursday, opened fire on traders in a crowded part of the market, adding that more than 10 people were killed there.

“The insurgents proceeded to Makalawa and Lehu, shooting sporadically and thereafter set fire on houses. Many of the houses in the three villages were also burnt after the terrorists looted their belongings.

“My brother and two other members of my family who went to Gatamarwa market to sell grains and were shot by Boko Haram, and we haven’t even gone to pick their corpses,” he said.

Military Helicopters Drop Anti Boko Haram Messages in Adamawa Less than 48 hours after the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau threatened to disrupt the conduct of the rescheduled general elections, residents of Adamawa north-central senatorial zone have said they sited helicopters in military colours dropping pamphlets which contained messages by repentant Boko Haram insurgents expressing regret for their involvement in insurgency.

Residents of Girei, Song, Gombi and Hong local governments all attested to seeing the pamphlets at various locations in the area.

A resident of Gombi who does not want his name in print said he saw a helicopter in military colours dropping the pamphlets in massive quantities at various locations in the town.

Our Yola correspondent who saw copies of the pamphlets noted that they were written in three languages-Hausa, Arabic and English and printed on a glossyprint material.

A bold picture of the leader of the sect wielding an AK 47 rifle was placed on the cover of the pamphlet, with “Jama’atuAhlisSunnahLidda’awatiwal jihad”emblazoned just above the picture.

The content of the pamphlet which was signed by names of towns, not persons, reads in part: “We started this jihad of Ahlissunnaliddaawati together as one. We sleep together, we eat and drink together. We studied the Holy Quran and prayed together in the early days of this Jihad.

Those of us that are doing the work of God for the past 5 years, we have realised today that we are being used for selfish and corrupt reasons. We have reached a situation whereby our leaders are enjoying and we are suffering in the name of jihad.

“Brothers, it is time for us to rethink our actions and stop this aimless destructions and wanton killings under the disguise of religion and jihad.

Look at the way they made us to destroy our key towns of Gamborou, Marte, MallamFatori, Damasak, Baga, Monguno, Maiduguri and even Gaidam that hosted us when our late leader, Mohammed Yusuf made declarations to start this jihad in 2009.

For those of us from Northern Borno, we are quitting this tacit and senseless destruction of our livelihood and reverting to the undiluted teachings of our faith. How long shall we be used in the name of religion?” the statement queried.

A resident of Song told our correspondent that when the incident occurred, they called security personnel who confirmed to them that it was actually the military who was trying to spread a message of peace.

The public relations officer Adamawa State police command, DSP Othman Abubakar said the DPOs of the affected areas have confirmed the development, adding that an investigation into the incident would be launched.