Boko Haram and Eid Celebration - Tackling Boko Haram Recruitment Strategy by Temitope Olodo

Opinion: Boko Haram and Eid Celebration - Tackling Boko Haram Recruitment Strategy by Temitope Olodo

As Nigeria military continue to reassure the world that Boko Haram is now in the history books and governors of the most affected north-east states by Boko Haram insurgency visit IDP Camps to celebrated Eid; Boko Haram members were out in full force to prove they are still relevant.

https://youtu.be/WjE0JWPwEMI

Boko Haram under Shekau released video showing thousands of its members praying in 3 Eid grounds in Borno and the Lake Chad. Shekau conspicuously missing in the video but the 12 minutes plus was a narrative to prove that they still have huge followership and sympathisers to their quest to create an Islamic caliphate...

If indeed, Boko Haram still commands a huge followership and thousands of sympathisers across Northern Nigeria that are 'disappearing into the normal crowd' then the recent National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) needs to be proactive as we gradualky approach the final phrase of this whole saga to concentrate more on the soft approach of counter extremism management.

The National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) needs to address the issue of radicalisation and robust referral system adopting best practice from the UK Prevent Strategy and Morroco Intelligence based aporoach.

Until Nigeria security leadership concentrate on disrupting Boko Haram recruitment pool; they will continue to fight an unwinnable war. Nigeria military will kill one BH member that would be replaced by three new members brsinwashed to believe there have 70 virgins waiting for them in paradise and they are fighting a holy war.

How does Boko Haram recruit their members?

Is it possible to stop the recruitment process completely?

How do we identify vulnerable individuals receptive to that radical Islamic ideology?

It is possible to answer these questions and develop simple methodology to deliver this project....

Unfortunately, Nigeria Military is fully pre-occupied with the physical implementation  of the hard approach of the COIN and the other sister agencys like DSS, Police, Immigration and Customs do not have sufficient and co-ordinated capacity to add value to the ongoing war on terrorism when benchmark against world standard.

As we speak, Nigeria Prison establishment  does not have a comprehensive strategy to tackle radicalisation in Nigeria prison neither does Nigeria Immigration Service have a practical implementation plan to tackle birder security associated with terrorism.

There is no workable plan on transportation terrorism and Nigeria Rail Police are not fit for purpose.

So far, the steps taken under the dybamic leaders of Rtd Major General Mohammed Babagana Moguno, National Security Adviser, are impressive both the Rtd General needs more innovative and dynamic minds around him to draw up an effective security mapping in his quest to make Nigeria a safer nation.

Temitope Olodo is a Preventive Terrorism Expert, author and chairperson of Nigeria Diaspora Security Forum (NDSF) based in the United Kingdom

Temitope Olodo Esq.,

London, United Kingdom

info@ndsf.uk
www.nigeriadiasporasecurityforum.uk

UK awaits Nigeria in the recovery of Dan Etete's loot

 Nigeria’s inaction is stalling the process of returning $85million allegedly looted by Dan Etete

– The money was part of an illegal oil deal

– The UK is hoping Nigeria will take the necessary action to claim the fund frozen in a bank The United Kingdom is “begging” Nigeria to initiate process that will see to the return of $85million allegedly looted by Dan Etete who is a former minister of petroleum.



Dan Etete’s frozen loot is waiting to be recovered in the UK

The Evening Standard of London which is a UK newspaper explained that Nigeria’s failure to send a proceeds-of-crime submission to the judge of a UK court is slowing down the recovery of the fund.


The money is reportedly frozen in NatWest bank account in London.

The money is believed to be part of the proceeds from the award of the licence an oilfield containing an estimated nine billion barrels of crude by the former minister to malabu oil & gas for $20 million.

However, the federal government sold the oil field to Eni after a disagreement between Shell and Malabu over the ownership of the field.

The newspaper said: “Last week, the two governments agreed criminal assets stolen in Nigeria and seized in Britain can be returned to the West African country, but such breakthroughs are rare. 

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“Buhari’s governing style is also a source of frustration. Critics say he is slow in his decision-making, which allows the EFCC to wallow in indecision.

“Buhari’s critics say his approach means that much-needed funds from corruption cases are not bringing in revenue for an ailing economy ravaged by low oil prices, and the oil blocks themselves are not being developed.”

The Malabu Oil deal resulted in the siphoning off of $1 billion from a $1.3 billion international investment in the oil block through ‘fees’ to Etete’s company and middlemen.


Justice Justice Edi said: “Given the large sums of money involved that are effectively paid to a former minister to a bank account in the Middle East, the whole exercise is backed by murky instructions.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s ex-first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan cried out over her $31.4 million being tied down by the EFCC.

The Guardian reports that the account is being fingered as one of those involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos but Mrs Jonathan’s counsel, Gboyega Oduwole has filed a case before the court, informing that his client is unhappy with the EFCC over the recent move to freeze the account.

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By Naij.com

CBN Officials in Multi Billion Naira Fraud: Allegedly Launder Foreign Exchange Through Fictitious Companies

A major scandal has hit the new foreign exchange policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as it is now riddled with sharp practices.
The policy, which was introduced in March and implemented in June this year to help stabilise the the nation’s currency, the naira, it was gathered, is being consumed by the ‘Nigerian factor’
The Street Journal learnt the policy is being circumvented by government and CBN officials, who have turned the policy into a big time fraud through fictitious companies.
According to informed source within the bank system, government officials in an unholy alliance with some senior CBN staff, use different means to purchase dollars from the CBN and interbanks at a cheap rate only to resell at the parallel market rate.
This magazine gathered that to bye pass the policy, government officials, with fictitious company, would approach the CBN with tales of why they should be allowed to purchase dollars at a certain rate. With connivance of an insider, this easily sails through, only for the dollars to reappear at the streets, selling at the prevalant rate.
In announcing the new policy on March 24, which abolished the old policy which fixed official exchange rate at between N197 and N199 to USD1, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had said there would be a window to purchase dollars at lower rate specially designed to fund specific projects.
He said the apex bank would retain a special window to fund critical transactions in foreign exchange, which would likely attract a concessionary rate. By this development, the interbank foreign exchange market, which had been dead for sometime, was revitalised on unrestricted exchange rate basis.
Emefiele explained that “the MPC voted unanimously to adopt a flexible exchange rate policy to restore the automatic adjustment properties of the exchange rate,” adding that it voted also to “retain a small window for funding critical transactions” and that “details of operations of the market would be released by the Central Bank at the appropriate time.”
It was learnt that it is this ‘small window’ that is now abused.
According to the source, “Sometimes they (government officials) arm twist the CBN men through subtle threat and blackmail to do their bidding. This is by providing a company’s name that deals in essential need for the country. Through collaboration of an insider, the company is given a concession to buy dollars at cheaper rate, then resell at the parallel market”
Another window of opportunity that presented itself was when the Federal Government on August 5, directed banks and authorised forex dealers to sell to the Pilgrims Travelling Allowance, PTA, to intending pilgrims to Mecca at a concessionary exchange rate of N197 to $1
According to CBN, “Each pilgrim is entitled to purchase a minimum of $750.00 and maximum of US$1,000.00 as PTA.
“The Federal Government has approved that intending pilgrims are to be sold the PTA at a concessionary exchange rate of N197.00 to the US dollar.
“No commission shall be charged by the banks for the sale of the PTA to the intending pilgrims.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria shall sale the PTA to the designated banks in Lagos and Abuja and the accounts of the respective banks shall be debited as soon as the funds are disbursed”.
Meanwhile, this was when the naira dipped to N400 to $1 at the parallel market.
Many who were not pilgrims and could press the right button, rushed to authorised dealers and banks and bought huge amount of dollars undermining the $750 peg per pilgrim.
“This was mostly carried out by government officials who came with all manners of excuses why dollars should be sold to them. At times you cannot ignore or refuse them because they will blackmail you into it”, said the source.
In unveiling the new foreign exchange policy the CBN had on June 15 formally took off flexible foreign exchange policy that would allow the foreign exchange interbank trading window to be driven purely by market forces.
The new policy effectively removed controls on the naira, allowing increased dollar supply that would help strengthen the country’s weak economy.
Emefiele had said in Abuja at the formal commencement that the new framework would operate a single trading window, with about 10 primary traders, to be appointed by the bank.
The CBN took the measure following severe pressures on external reserve and foreign exchange supply crisis.
Emefiele said the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, was retained at 12.
“In the face of severe pressures on external reserves and foreign exchange supply crises, the CBN abandoned its fixed rate policy in favour of a flexible and multiple market model, which implied a floating exchange rate regime.
The apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, which made this decision, chose to retain its Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, at 12 per cent, Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, at 22.5 per cent and Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent”, Emefiele had said.
Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okoroafor, said this was not possible because all the interbanks the CBN sells foreign exchange to are required to publish them in the newspapers. Through this they are monitored.
“Look, I don’t normally answer this kind of question. But let me tell you that all the inter banks the CBN sells foreign exchange to are required by law to publish them in the newspapers. This is to check and monitor them. So, if anyone notices or is suspicious of shortfall of any inter bank he should report the bank to us, such bank or individual who engages in the sharp practices will be dealt with”, Okoroafor said.

WSJ

Breaking: Confusion spreads as North Korea’s biggest Nuclear Test rocks US, China. Earthquake, markets slip across Asia

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 Edit

US and China have recorded an 5.3 magnitude earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear test site. Japan confirms explosion was nuclear test and lodges protest. Meanwhile, an official news agency says after latest missile tests that leader wants nation to ‘continue making miraculous achievements in bolstering the nuclear force’

Ads by AdClickMediaThe North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has called on his military to continue nuclear weapons development after issuing orders for the latest test-firing of ballistic missiles.

Kim Jong-un talking with North Korean nuclear scientists and technicians. Photograph: KCNA/EPA

Asia Pacific markets slip

Stock markets in the Asian time zone suffered in the wake of what Japan and South Korea have now confirmed as a fifth nuclear test.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% in the morning session to 16,927.20.
South Korea’s Kospi lost 1.3% to 2,036.07.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.5% to 24,026.89, while the Shanghai Composite slipped nearly 0.2% to 3,090.58.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.8% to 5,342.102.

Japan’s government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, has told reporters that the government had determined that Friday’s earthquake was caused by a North Korean nuclear test. Suga did not explain how Japanese officials had arrived at that conclusion.
The Japanese have also lodged a protest with the North Koreans, the Kyodo news agency said.
By 04:00hrs in the early of Friday, still no word from North Korea though. North Korean state TV did not, as some had speculated, confirm the test had taken place during its noon news broadcast, according to Martyn Williams who runs the North Korea Tech blog. Williams said the next broadcast was not due until 5pm local time. Confirmation could come from other sources, however, including the country’s state news agency KCNA.

Kim Jong-un with members of his military. North Korea last conducted a nuclear test in January 2016. Photograph: KCNA KCNA / Reuters/Reuters

The South Korean president has spoken to US president Barack Obama about the North Korea nuclear test, according to the local Yonhap news agency.




Obama and Park discussed the situation while Obama was flying back to the United States from the Asean summit in Laos.

Park condemns apparent N.K. nuke test

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday condemned North Korea’s apparent nuclear test, saying that its provocation would only invite stronger international sanctions, deeper isolation …

source: english.yonhapnews.co.kr

The official told reporters that the test’s explosive yield was estimated at ten kilotonnes, which would make it the most powerful of North Korea’s five nuclear tests, KBS added. The regime’s previous nuclear test in January yielded six kilotonnes

Describing the performance of the rockets as “perfect”, KCNA said Kim expressed “great satisfaction over the successful successive firing drill of ballistic rockets”.
South Korea’s defence ministry said they may have been Rodong missiles with a range of 1,000km (620 miles), and that they were fired without navigational warning to Japan.

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North Korea’s nuclear programme, which has brought sanctions from the UN, began in the 1980s and the first nuclear bomb test was in 2006.