“Senior Military Officers Are Scheming To Overthrow Buhari” – Militants

A consolidated group of militants, Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), yesterday, claimed that some senior military officers were scheming to overthrow the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari through a coup d’état.

The militant group, which was behind threats of missile launch that created panic in the Niger Delta region, said persons behind the coup plot, were planning to instigate civil unrest as part of their strategies to actualise the scheme.

The group in an electronic statement said already the top military officers involved in the scheme approached its leaders with an appeal to continue with the ongoing attacks on oil installation.

It claimed that the “coup plotters” said they wanted to use sustained attacks on oil facilities as a genuine reason to take over the government.

The statement was signed by persons who identified themselves as ‘General’ Torunanaowei Latei (Creek Network Coordinator); ‘General’ Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro (Pipeline Bleeding Expert); ‘General’ Akotebe Darikoro (Commander, General Duties) and ‘General’ Pulokiri Ebikade (Intelligence Bureau).

The group said: “We are constraint to let the cat out of the bag today that PresidentMohammadu Buhari should be wary about the security of this country as some military men are making move to remove him from power by instigating civil unrest in the country.

“Some top military men through their civil agents approached us to cause and continue the vandalization of the oil and gas pipelines in the Niger delta region so as to use as an excuse to take over the government from democracy to military rule in the country.

“We said no as such plan will not work and not in conformity with our genuine desire of agitation.The military want to disgrace him now and let him quickly look into the

issues and make pronouncement for his administration to be in peace.

“Let president should analyze certain memo from the military concerning Niger delta region before taking action or otherwise the military will use that as a platform to remove him. We know the issue of Niger delta is political and we preferred

political solution to resolve it but if the president refused”.

The group further advised the President to adopt holistic approach in resolving the problems of the Niger Delta.

It named the ongoing corruption probes in the military as one of the reasons why like minds had gathered to plot the removal of the President adding that most officers behind the scheme were above the ranks of major-generals.

“We received several calls unknown to persuade us to continue the bombing and that when succeeded in overthrowing the government we will be placed on a better position, we said capital NO!

“When asked of their names they are above Major General’s level. They refused to disclose their names but their intonations seem like yoruba and Hausa. Our agitation is not for selfish interest but for the overall benefit of the Niger delta region.

“We’ll not kidnap any person, kill or hostage taking of any expatriate in the country but will continue our agitation with clear determination to actualize our course in Nigeria.

“We believe their sinister plan because their is ceasefire in the region for dialogue, but since then the attitude and actions of the service chiefs show that such plan could work for them”, it said.

The group also accused the military of invading Ijaw communities in the Niger Delta, harassing, chiefs and women during the period of ceasefire.

It asked the President to quickly implement their demands which it listed as immediate release of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Dr. Nnamdi Kanu.

Others are directing the EFCC to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant

leader, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo; resuming the academic sessions of the only Nigerian Maritime University sited in Okerenkoko and immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference report.

They asked the President to clean up all the oil-polluted land in the region and to remove Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as an Amnesty Coordinator.

According to them Boroh should be re-placing with Dr. Felix Tuodolo who it said had been in the struggle of non-violence since 1980 and the designer.

It said: “Why all these attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the region is that the Pharaoh of Nigeria (Buhari) made a childish statement that, he will develop those areas that gave him 95% votes during his presidential election last year.

“We the Niger Delta people only gave him 5% hence we vowed that our oil money will not be used for the development of any other region. The President should change his mind set towards the region, if not this will continue”.

Nigeria military sentence 54 soldiers to death for mutiny

A military court in Nigeria has sentenced 54 soldiers to death after they were found guilty of mutiny. The soldiers were convicted Wednesday in Abuja on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny. Four other soldiers were acquitted.
The convicted soldiers, mostly officers involved in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in Northeast Nigeria, are to die on stakes, by firing squad. The soldiers, attached to the 7 Division, Nigerian Army in Maiduguri include two Corporals, Cpl, nine Lance Corporals, LCpl and 49 Private soldiers. The charge sheet said the soldiers conspired to commit mutiny against the authorities of the 7 Division on August 4, at the Mulai Primary School camp, opposite AIT Maiduguri, Borno State. The soldiers are the second batch of Nigerian soldiers condemned to death by Nigerian Military courts for mutiny. The trial of the soldiers began on October 15 on allegations they disobeyed orders to join operations against the extremist group, Boko Haram. All the accused soldiers pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecutor, J.E. Nwosu, an army Captain, alleged that the accused soldiers had on August 4, in Maiduguri, refused to join the 111 Special Forces Battalion troops, commanded by Timothy Opurum, a Lieutenant Colonel for an operation. Mr. Nwosu said the operation was meant to recapture Delwa, Bulabulin and Damboa in Borno State from the Boko Haram terrorists. According to him, the offence is punishable under Section 52(1) (a) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The prosecution called the commander of the 111 Special Forces, Lt.-Col. Opurum, as one of the witnesses. The statement of the commander was admitted by the court and marked Exhibit P1. Mr. Opurum, in his testimony in October, said the Special Forces were tasked with advancing to recapture Delwa to clear the way for other battalions to pass through to recapture Babulin and Damboa from the insurgents. He said he took off for the operation with only four officers and 29 soldiers as “tasked” after majority of the 174 soldiers in the unit refused to join the operation. The witness said after he took charge of the Special Forces, he addressed and assured them that they could achieve the task given to them.
He, however, said the soldiers were “hesitant to partake in the operation” in spite of the assurances. Under cross examination by Femi Falana, who represented the accused soldiers, Mr. Opurum said 47 of the soldiers who initially refused, later re-joined the forces for another operation. Mr. Opurum said the 47 soldiers joined, after he called for reinforcement, as they came under attack from terrorists, who out-numbered them and had superior weapons. Asked if the soldiers refused to fight or refused to join the operation because of lack of superior weapons, he said all units in the North-East had requested for weapons. On the disciplinary measure taken against the 47 soldiers, who initially refused, he said the process for that was to begin when they were court-martialled. Mr. Falana in an oral application asked to the court for the record of weapons recovered from the 47 soldiers, when they initially refused to join the operations.
The President of the Court, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yusuf, said the application had been noted “for action’’. The General Court Martial was inaugurated on October 2 to try 97 soldiers, including 15 senior officers for mutiny.