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How Buhari Negotiated With Terrorists and Lost

When terrorists attacked a train on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line in March 2022, it represented a new low for the Buhari administration. The terrorists bombed the rail line, killed nine people and kidnapped dozens of passengers.

The attack made a mockery of President Buhari’s supposed success in tackling insecurity. What Nigerians didn’t know at the time was that the government’s incompetence didn’t end there.

Buhari’s bold face

On August 11th, 2022, President Buhari met with representatives of the hostages in his castle in Abuja. He assured them that he was doing his best to ensure the release of the 31 hostages still left with the terrorists over four months after the attack.

The president also noted that the release of some of the hostages over the past few weeks was due to the efforts of his government.

The face of someone that’s proud of doing his best even when his best isn’t enough

But then, all the tea about how the terrorists continued to fool the president after the attack came from the mouth of his own senior special assistant, Garba Shehu.

What we thought was happening

Weeks after the train attack and abduction of the passengers, the terrorists demanded the release of their comrades in the government’s custody.

One of their known leaders, Abu Barra, also demanded the release of his children. He accused the government of forcefully keeping them in custody in Adamawa. The government didn’t respond publicly to these demands and maintained a bold face. This was in line with the government’s policy of not negotiating with terrorists and defeating them in press statements instead.

But the terrorists kept demanding ransom from the families of their hostages and lined their pockets with hundreds of millions of naira. This led to the release of some of the hostages in different batches over the past four months.

But new revelations show Buhari could have secured the release of the hostages without their families having to lose money in ransom. The only problem was the president tried and failed quite spectacularly.

ALSO READ: What Happens When Nigerian Police Officers Clash With Soldiers?

What really happened

The release of the hostages for ransom has attracted more ridicule for the Buhari government. To fight back against the accusation that it’s done nothing to help the hostages, Shehu spilled the beans on some details that should have probably stayed inside the pot.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on August 12th, 2022, Shehu said the government cooperated with the terrorists when they first took the hostages. They reached an arrangement that would allow the terrorists to get what they want so the government could get the hostages back. What could possibly go wrong?

For its part of the gentleman’s agreement, the government took care of the pregnant wife of one of the terrorist leaders. On the government’s watch, fully-funded by taxpayers, she delivered twins.

The government, feeling very generous, handed her over to her husband’s parents, fulfilling the demand of the terrorists for her release. This was the first time the government scratched the back of the terrorists and you’d expect the terrorists to scratch back. But what’s a little oath-breaking for terrorists?

When it was time to fulfil their own part of the bargain, the terrorists said:

Still marinating in his humiliation and (probably) concerned about the poor hostages, Buhari succumbed to more demands from the terrorists. Remember those children Abu Barra said were in detention in Adamawa? Well, the government sent a plane to pick them up and gift-wrapped them to the terrorists.

But did the terrorists give the president a reacharound for his troubles?

Instead, they started asking him for money. And this was the point Buhari realised the terrorists were hustling him like a JJC in Oshodi Underbridge.

We assume no one was holding a gun to Shehu’s head when he made these revelations, so why did he make them despite being very embarrassing to Buhari?

Well, he did it so that he could say, “People shouldn’t say the government is doing nothing.” And this only proves that if there’s one thing Buhari hates, it’s insult. But public humiliation is fine.

ALSO READ: Buhari’s Old Tweets That Have Aged Like Fried Rice

Samson Toromade

August 16, 2022

Citizen

abuja-kaduna, Abuja-Kaduna train, Muhammadu Buhari, terrorists
Even Buhari’s Convoy Isn’t Safe from Terrorists

If there’s anything remarkable about Nigeria’s problems under the Buhari administration, it’s that anything can land at anybody’s doorstep at any time; anybody can collect when they least expect it.

And with insecurity being one of the country’s biggest problems, even the president isn’t too big to have a taste.

What happened?

On July 5th, 2022, a group of terrorists attacked the presidential convoy near Dutsinma in Katsina State. But President Buhari was missing from the party because the convoy was actually transporting an advance team for the president’s imminent trip to his native Daura to celebrate Sallah. The convoy consisted of security guards and protocol/media officers of the presidency.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the terrorists were waiting for the convoy where the attack happened. They opened fire on the convoy and this turned into a gunfight with presidential security personnel. A joint force of soldiers, police officers and agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) contained the attack.

What’s the damage?

Fortunately, nobody died. Two people in the presidential convoy sustained minor injuries and have been treated, while everyone else made it safely to Daura where the president will join them later. The presidency didn’t say if security operatives killed or wounded any of the attackers.

What’s the exposure here?

Despite the escalating insecurity in Nigeria, Buhari has stuck to the claim that it isn’t much of a big deal compared to when he was inaugurated in 2015. In his May 2022 statement marking the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, the president said the battle against terrorists was approaching its end — a worn-out claim he’s used repeatedly since 2015.

It’s custom for President Buhari to spend Sallah in his native Daura. The terrorists definitely knew this, and the fact that they deliberately ambushed his convoy speaks volumes that even the president’s ears shouldn’t miss. But that’s being optimistic.

When he eventually lands in Daura, days from now, for the Sallah celebrations, Buhari should take the time to reflect on his inaccurate claims about how much more secure Nigeria has become under his administration. Because even the people paid to protect his life aren’t safe from the madness.

ALSO READ: How Buhari Has Freed 1,629 “Repentant” Boko Haram Members

Samson Toromade

July 6, 2022

Citizen

Buhari, Sallah, terrorists
Everything We Know About the Train Attack in Kaduna

Two days after terrorists attacked the Kaduna International Airport, Kaduna State is back in the news again over another attack.

What happened?

Terrorists attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train between Katari and Rijana in Kaduna on Monday, March 28th 2022. The attack started around 8 p.m.

The terrorists bombed the rail tracks to force the train to stop before they invaded it to attack passengers. Some of the passengers raised alarm on social media to alert the authorities of the developing situation.

A Facebook user, Anas Iro Danmusa, posted this:

Danmusa later posted that Nigerian military troops eventually arrived at the scene and chased the terrorists just before 10 p.m.

Another passenger, identified as Dr Megafu Nwando Chinelo, also posted on Twitter around 9 p.m. that she had been shot by the terrorists.

I'm in the train . I have been shot please pray for me.
— Chinelo (@nelo_x) March 28, 2022

Chinelo’s friends have announced that she didn’t survive the gunshot wound.

Dr Chinelo was making an honest living, she was working at St Gerald's hospital in Kaduna, she wanted more for herself and processed her papers to leave this hell-hole. She resigned last month to leave the country this Friday then this happened. Nigeria why???💔💔💔
— Big Steph (@stephadamu) March 29, 2022

The terrorists also kidnapped some passengers before the arrival of security forces.

ALSO READ: Everything We Know About the Terrorist Attack on Kaduna Airport

What’s the government doing?

The Kaduna State government announced around 11 p.m. that passengers had been secured and were being evacuated from the scene. The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, noted in his report that injured passengers were being rushed to the hospital.

Aruwan said in another statement on March 29th 2022 that the evacuation of all passengers had been completed. The commissioner admitted that there were fatalities but he didn’t reveal details of how many people have been confirmed dead from the attack.

The government is also taking financial responsibility for the medical treatment of those injured in the attack.

The Kaduna State government is coordinating with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to determine how many passengers are missing.

How Nigerians are helping victims

Dozens of injured victims of the Kaduna train attack are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals. Some of them urgently need blood, and there’s an ongoing campaign urging people to donate blood for them.

https://twitter.com/BubbaSadiq/status/1508773609711583235?s=20&t=RbzvUMabaDxVJyBGgoc5jg

NRC suspends service

The NRC has suspended operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route:

https://twitter.com/Official_NRC/status/1508685796051718146?s=20&t=4Jn4tPEjMLymPFns8W97fA

The exact number of people killed or kidnapped is still unknown.

It’s the second Kaduna train attack in five months

This is not the first terrorist attack on trains along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. Terrorists similarly bombed rail tracks in October 2021 and shot at passengers while the train travelled between Dutse and Rijana. There were no casualties.

The latest attack continues a trend of violence and bloodshed that has lasted for a few years in Kaduna State. Government records show that terrorists killed 1,192 people in dozens of attacks in 2021. They also kidnapped 3,348 people for ransom.

Many of the attacks have been happening in rural areas and on highways, but the terrorists have started targeting infrastructure like the airport and railway. The latest trend of attacks is adding an extra layer of worry for Nigerians who have to travel around the country as the government struggles to contain escalating insecurity.

Who’s responsible for the train attack?

Terrorists operating in Kaduna State, and the northwestern region, don’t have a distinct identity like, say, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorising the northeastern region. The terrorists are different armed groups who are mostly still referred to as “bandits” because of the lack of ideological angle to their terror activities.

The terrorists typically kidnap people for ransom by directly contacting the families of their victims. The Kaduna State government notably stays out of ransom transactions. The state’s governor, Nasir El-Rufai, believes paying terrorists enriches them, and has called on the Federal Government to bomb the forests where the terrorists hide with their hostages.

ALSO READ: How Buhari Has Freed 1,629 “Repentant” Terrorists

Samson Toromade

March 29, 2022

Citizen

Abuja-Kaduna train, Kaduna State, terrorists
Once Again, Shekau Has Risen From The Dead

Whenever the name ‘Shekau’ is mentioned, the picture of the loud-mouthed leader of despicable terrorist group, Boko Haram, only comes to mind.
The most interesting fact, however, is how Shekau has come back to life after the Nigerian Army has reported his death more than 3 times since the onslaught against Boko Haram started in 2011.

To be fair, in 2016, the Nigerian Army has made commendable efforts to bring an end to insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria. In fact, some of the people who fled the war are returning to Borno and a few schools have been re-opened.

Although they reported his death or serious injury in August, he recently released a video claiming he was well and alive.

Na wa o! Is he Lazarus?

How many lives exactly does he have abeg?

Please, men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces, wyd?

He needs to make up his mind if he’s going to die or not because this his resurrection game has become really boring.

Maryam

September 26, 2016

Gist

boko haram, shekau, terrorist, terrorists
A Nigerian Soldier Executed By Boko Haram Is Being Honoured By Czech Republic For His Sacrifice

Boko Haram terrorists, in the past 5 years are responsible for the death of thousands of Nigerians. As a result of their several violent attacks, over 800,000 Nigerians are currently displaced including orphaned children.
Gallant soldiers such as Air force Commander, Chinda Stephen Hedima, chose to protect Nigerians by fighting off these terrorists.

He and his co-pilot were sent on a combat mission when their aircraft was shot down by Boko Haram terrorists.

He was captured and later executed by the terrorists but unfortunately, the Nigerian military refused to acknowledge his death even after members of Boko Haram released a video of his execution.

The late commander had his combat simulator training on the Alpha Jet with Aero Vodochody in Czech Republic.

And two years after his death his widow, Dr Hedima was awarded a post-graduate scholarship to study Epidemiology by the Czech Republic government.

The Czech government recognised her late husband’s sacrifice for his country especially because of the great diplomatic relations the country has with Nigeria.

Although the Nigerian military authorities are just confirming his death after two years, we wish her all the best in her studies.

There are scores of widows whose husbands died while serving and protecting Nigeria and its citizens from the brutal terrorists. It’s sad that it takes an international country to appreciate one of them.

We hope the Nigerian government honours these soldiers for their sacrifice.

Maryam

May 17, 2016

Gist

boko haram, Nigeria, Nigerian soldiers, Nigerians, soldiers, terrorists, war