IF SOUTH AFRICANS LOOT AND KILL NIGERIANS,SHALL WE STRIKE BACK ON SHOPRITE MALLS AND MTN?

 

A Nigerian migrant comes under attack outside a church in Pretoria on Saturday [James Oatway/Reuters]

Nigerian community in South Africa calls for protection after reports of renewed ‘xenophobic’ violence in Pretoria West.

Members of Nigeria’s community in South Africa have raised concerns over renewed anti-immigrant violence, appealing to authorities to intervene before the situation gets out of control.

Nigeria’s presidency on Monday called the South African government to step in to stop what it said were “xenophobic attacks” following recent reports of violence against Nigerians and other nationals in the capital, Pretoria.

The Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) on Tuesday confirmed that Nigerian homes and businesses in Pretoria West had been attacked in several late-night incidents in recent days.

“Homes and shops of Nigerians were targeted and looted in the events of past few days,” Emeka Ezinteje Collins, national public relations officer of NUSA, told Al Jazeera, citing at least 10 such attacks.

He added: “Our people and other foreigners are apparently living in fear of the unknown as the hoodlums have promised” more attacks from Friday, when a group called the “Mamelodi concerned residents” is reportedly planning to hold a march against foreign nationals.

NUSA also said that some of its members had received threatening phone calls asking for payment to protect their houses and businesses.

“We have also received reports from our members of receiving threatening anonymous calls requesting that money be paid to avert destruction of their properties,” Collins said.

“We implore the South African and Nigerian authorities to intervene early and save the situation before it spills out of hand.”

‘Angry residents’

South African police said on Tuesday at least 20 shops possibly belonging to immigrants were looted in Pretoria overnight, but they could not confirm if the attacks had deliberately targeted foreigners.

“There are allegations that these shops belong to foreign nationals,” police spokeswoman Brigadier Mathapelo Peters told the Reuters news agency.

“It is alleged that the community members are saying that these shops were used for drug dealing, but that is unconfirmed. We will only be able to start a formal investigation once the shop owners come forward.”

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from locals and getting involved in crime.

“We are sick and tired of foreigners who are coming to sell drugs and kill our people, we can’t let the community go down like this,” an unemployed man in his mid-twenties, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

The attacks in Pretoria West come a few weeks after residents in Rosetenville, a suburb in Johannesburg, reportedly torched properties belonging to Nigerians and other foreigners which allegedly were being used for drug dealing and human trafficking.

“The Rosetenville unrest is replicating in Pretoria West,” the African Diaspora Forum said in a statement last week.

“Those who are living in the area are advised to be careful. Cars and houses are set alight by angry residents claiming to get rid of drugs and prostitution. No one has been arrested after two houses were set alight, various homes raided by Pretoria West community members.”

‘Dire consequences’

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigerian president’s adviser on foreign affairs and the diaspora, said on Monday the South African government must take “decisive and definitive measures to protect Nigerians and other African nationals” within its borders.

She also called on the African Union to weigh in on the violence, adding: “Further attacks without any reprimand may have dire consequences”.

Dabiri-Erewa said there was a need for the continental body to “intervene urgently”, claiming that in the last two years “about 116” Nigerians had been killed, including 20 last year.

“This is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria.”

There was no independent verification of the claimed number of deaths.

According to NUSA, there are about 800,000 Nigerians in South Africa, many of them living in Johannesburg.

The community was hit badly by the wave of xenophobic violence that hit the country in April 2015, but South African police said only seven Nigerians died.

An independent watchdog has said 640 people died from police brutality or in custody in South Africa.

In April 2015, Nigeria recalled its top diplomat in South Africa to discuss the anti-immigrant attacks that sent hundreds of foreigners fleeing to safety camps, as authorities sent in soldiers to quell unrest in Johannesburg and Durban.

Source: Nigerians in S Africa ‘living in fear’ after attacks | South Africa News | Al Jazeera

ARMY RECOVERS SHEKAU’S QUR’AN, FLAG IN SAMBISA – OFFICIAL

Maiduguri—The Nigerian Army yesterday said it had recovered Abubakar Shekau’s Qur’an and flag in Camp Zero, the Boko Haram’s Headquarters in Sambisa forest.

The Army also said it arrested about 1,240 suspected Boko Haram terrorists during a mop-up operation by troops inside the Sambisa forest.

This is even as Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who represented Imo North senatorial district between 1999 and 2003, described the fall of Sambisa forest to fighting Nigerian troops in the North East as a fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s electoral promise.

Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, disclosed this while giving newsmen update on “Operation Rescue Final” in Maiduguri.

“We believe that the Holy Book and the flag were abandoned by Abubakar Shekau while he escaped.
Shakau’s flag and Quaran recovered by Nigerian soldiers (NAN)

“The Book will be taken to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai, for onward presentation to Mr President.

“We have also made a lot of arrests. Our troops in Damboa arrested about 15 Boko Haram members. We also arrested one Musa from Potiskum on Christmas day which was Dec.25.

“On Dec. 26 our troops also intercepted two Boko Haram suspects in Maiduguri.

“We, therefore, warn residents of the state to be wary of people coming to hide in and around their houses.

“We are also warning residents to report any suspected Boko Haram members hiding in their houses to relevant security agencie. Any failure to do that would tantamount to supporting and sympathising with the sect’s activities,” Irabor said.

The Army said it arrested about 1,240 suspected Boko Haram terrorists during a mop-up operation by troops inside the Sambisa forest.

Maj.-Gen. Irabor, who also disclosed this, said 413 of the suspects were adults; 323, female adults; 251, male children; and 253 female children.

He said the suspects were apprehended during a mop-up operation against the sect members in the forest.

“We are interrogating them to know whether they are Boko Haram members, because there is no way somebody that is not their member would live inside Sambisa forest.

“We are still on the trail of the terrorists and I want to assure you that all escape routes have been blocked. Within this period, also, about 30 fleeing suspected Boko Haram members have surrendered to the Niger Multinational Troops on the shores of the lake Chad and we learnt that they were taken to Difa in the Niger Republic.

“The suspects include; 24 male and six females.

“We would like to use this opportunity to encourage the terrorists to give up the fight because the window is still open,” the commander said.

Meanwhile, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has described the fall of Sambisa Forest to the hands of fighting Nigerian troops in the North East as a fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s electoral promise.

He expressed optimism that the country’s ailing economy would bounce back fully in no distant time, following the defeat of Boko Haram and subsequent take over of Sambisa forest by the military.

Araraume, now a chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, described the liberation of Sambisa forest as a landmark achievement for Buhari’s administration, insisting that the development would propel economic recovery in the short run.

The former lawmaker said in a statement yesterday: ‘“President Muhammadu Buhari has accomplished a major electoral promise to defeat Boko Haram and enforce national security.”

Araraume, who is also commissioner at the National Communications Commission, said: “The take over of Sambisa forest is a symbolism of a new dawn in the security sector, which will now prepare ground for economic recovery. Enhanced security will create enabling ground for flourishing of economic activities.

“Booming economic activities will result in new jobs and controlled inflation. Pain of recession will be gradually eased off and Nigerians will bountifully reap dividends of democracy.

“I call on Nigerians to support the Federal Government as it now focuses on economic recovery after it has crippled and wiped out that devastating insurgency. A Buhari who delivers on security promise will also deliver on economic recovery.”

He said with the fall of the forest, investments, both local and foreign, would be attracted by a more secured investment environment, adding that the 2017 budget, tagged Budget of Recovery, would now have peaceful environment for implementation.

“We must commend the officers, men and women of the armed forces for their gallantry . The Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari, deserves accolades on this historical occasion, “ he said.

Source: Army recovers Shekau’s Qur’an, flag in Sambisa – Official – Vanguard News

NIGERIAN ARMY ARRESTS 40 FOREIGNERS AFTER FALL OF SAMBISA FOREST

More than 40 foreigners have been arrested in the last one week, following the fall of the dreaded Sambisa Forest, The Nation has learnt.

The profiling of the foreigners has started to determine whether or not they were working in cahoots with Boko Haram insurgents, who are fleeing their former stronghold.

The military has blocked all known entry and exit points to Sambisa Forest to hem in the remnants of the insurgents.

According to a military source, the identities of the foreigners and their missions in Sambisa Forest will not be revealed until after a thorough screening has been completed.

Intelligence officers are profiling the foreigners, who are suspected to be providing “back-up” for Boko Haram.

The source said: “”In the last one week since we launched massive operations in Sambisa Forest,  we have arrested over 40 foreigners.

“We will come up with the details later after the profiling of these suspects. They are all being debriefed. But we discovered that there were so many foreigners in the midst of Boko Haram.

“We have also rescued  a lot of people who are being screened too.”

Responding to a question, the source explained the significance of the military routing of the insurgents in Sambisa.

He said the troops’ success was no fluke.

He added: “As for the operations in Sambisa Forest, our gallant troops have successfully taken over Camp Zero and Camp S (Shape) which are the headquarters of Boko Haram.

“The success of the operations is significant because there is no habitation beyond these areas in Sambisa Forest. The area is about 66,000 sq kilometres and there are so many parts uninhabited.

“Many insurgents, including their leaders, were killed and many were captured. Many insurgents are now fleeing. The situation now is that Boko Haram insurgents have been dispersed and dislocated.”

On the fate of the remaining Chibok girls, the source said: “The fleeing Boko Haram insurgents must have relocated them from Sambisa Forest but we are already hunting for them.”

Director of Defence Information Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said: “The operation in Sambisa Forest is still ongoing. Troops are not relenting. We are now all over the place. We’ll ensure no entry to Sambisa Forest; no exit.”

“We have advised Nigerians to be wary of fleeing insurgents who may likely disguise.”

A source in the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday said the invasion of Sambisa Forest had entered the second phase, which is the pursuit of the fleeing insurgents.

The source, who admitted that the operations in Sambisa were both intelligence-driven and military onslaughts, said the elimination of the insurgents from the forest was 90 per cent completed.

The security chief added: “We have finished almost 90 per cent of the job with Boko Haram. We are now in the second phase which is the most difficult. We are pursuing the fleeing Boko Haram insurgents.

“The good thing is that we prepared for this fallout (the fleeing of the insurgents) long before the takeover of Sambisa Forest. We are trained professionals to curtail the effects of Boko Haram insurgency, especially the fallout of routing them out.

“We are apprehending the fleeing insurgents. Even yesterday, we took some of them in.”

http://saharareporters.com/2016/12/28/nigerian-army-arrests-40-foreigners-after-fall-sambisa-forest