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Defence/Security

ECOWAS defence chiefs seek return of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chiefs of Defence Staff in West Africa on Friday, called for the return of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, made the call when he led other ECOWAS defence chiefs on a visit to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), on Friday in Abuja.

Musa, the Chairman of ECOWAS Committee of Defence Chiefs, said that the return of the three countries to the regional bloc was necessary to defeat the insecurity ravaging the region, especially insurgency.

He said that efforts were ongoing on their part to ensure that the three countries were back, adding that all hands must be on deck to curtail insecurity in West Africa.

“For us, we feel without security, there can’t be progress and the threats we are facing, especially on insurgency, are high.

“We think it is very important that we need to partner together to achieve success. No country can do it alone, and that’s why it’s important.

“We know we have three countries that have decided to step aside.

“We are making all efforts to ensure that they come back to the fold because we know even them, on their own, cannot withstand this.

“We know the relevance that if they fall, it will also drag us down and that is why it is important for us as West Africans to continue to work together,’’ he said.

The CDS appreciated the National Coordinator of NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, for doing a wonderful job in the nation’s counter-terrorism efforts.

He said the insurgency in the region was spreading wide and fast, urging the Defence Chiefs to leave no stone unturned to curb the menace.

“We are sure that we are going to work together to ensure that there is total peace in our own region.

“I had the privilege of being the theatre commander in the Northeast when this horrendous exercise started, and it started like a joke,’’ he added.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of NCTC said there was a need for cooperation among the West African countries to defeat terrorism.

Laka also said countries in the West African region must share experiences, adding that experience sharing remained one of the critical ways.

He said,”We hope to partner with our brothers in the West African sub-region and the Sahel. They say if your brother’s house is on fire, it can also reach yours.

“So we need to learn from one another. We don’t plan to make this place the only place. We plan to partner with Abidjan.

“While we are experts in the preventive aspects, we are going to partner with all those centres to address the threat of terrorism.

“Once the declaration is passed, we plan to visit your centre in Abidjan.

“We are in the process of talking about how we are going to come together to address this threat that is really stopping development and stopping our people from reaping the dividends of democracy,’’ he said.

Laka said the centre was well equipped to address the threat of terrorism, adding that the centre had put in place state-of-the-art forensic laboratories.

According to him, NCTC has toxicology labs, fingerprint labs, DNA labs, handwriting labs, and so on.

“These are things that will facilitate the threat of terrorism investigation and so on,’’ he added. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

ECOWAS secretariat in Abuja
Foreign

Nigeria express concern over withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger from ECOWAS

By Hadiza Mohammed

Nigeria has expressed concern over the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Francisca Omayuli, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Nigeria stands with ECOWAS to emphasise due process and shared commitment to protect and strengthen the rights and welfare of all citizens of Member States.

It said for half a century, ECOWAS has worked to promote peace, prosperity and democracy in the region.

Nigeria has worked sincerely and in good faith to reach out to all members of the ECOWAS family to resolve the difficulties being faced, the statement read.

“It is now clear that those seeking to quit the Community do not share that same good faith.

“Instead, unelected leaders engage in a public posturing to deny their people the sovereign right to make fundamental choices over their freedom of movement, freedom to trade and freedom to choose their own leaders.”

According to the statement, Nigeria remains open for engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger so that all the people of the region can continue to enjoy the economic benefits and democratic values that ECOWAS embraces.

Nigeria further appeals to the International Community to continue to extend its support for ECOWAS and the vision of closer partnership, co-operation and integration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic on Jan. 28 announced that they had quit their membership of ECOWAS.

The three countries, which are currently under military rule, said they ceased to be members of ECOWAS as the regional body had allegedly “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy/Business

Immigration foils attempt to smuggle 7 Nigerian girls to Burkina Faso

 

By Chiazo Ogbolu

Personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Lagos Seaports and Marine Command, have foiled an attempt to smuggle seven Nigerian girls to Burkina Faso.

The Comptroller of Immigration, Lagos Seaports and Marine Command, Malam Mohammed Saddiq, disclosed this at a media conference in Lagos on Friday.

According to Saddiq, the girls were intercepted on Nov. 12, at about 19.00 hours.

He said that the prime suspect, Miss Helen Dandam Nanbyen, 26, hails from Wadata village in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau.

“The suspects have been under the command’s radar for about two months following intelligence gathered by our operatives.

“That led to their arrest by Badagry Marine Border Patrol Team along Pashi waterway bordering Nigeria and Benin Republic.

“It was uncovered, during the course of investigation, that the seven smuggled victims, whose ages range from 19 to 23, hail from Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau.

“It is important to state that the girls willfully consented to the journey under false identities with intent to indulge in prostitution while in their country of destination,” he said.

The immigration boss, however, noted that the suspects neither had any valid travel documents nor financial means to sustain themselves during the journey.

He pointed out that under interrogation, Nanbyen narrated her role in the illicit business and admitted her involvement in prostitution.

“She also admitted facilitating the transportation of potential sex workers into Burkina Faso.

“She said that it was with the support of her madam, an indigene of Edo, who operates a beer selling spot in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso capital.

“She also admitted working with one Miss Ella, who she claimed recruited four out of the girls, but is currently at large,” the controller said.

He added that the arrest was a fallout of the command’s renewed commitment to the directive of the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Caroline Wura-ola Adepoju, toward curbing migrant smuggling, human trafficking and all forms of crimes within the maritime space.

“I want to commend the role of the intelligence community in this endeavour. I also call on parents to be more concerned about their children’s activities,” he said.

Saddiq said that the smuggled migrants would be reunited with their families through the Plateau Government, while the suspect would remain in their custody for further investigation and prosecution.

 

From left: Mohammed Saddiq of immigration hands over documents of the girls to Mr Emmanuel Sebu from the Plateau State Liaison Office.
From left: Mohammed Saddiq of immigration hands over documents of the girls to Mr Emmanuel Sebu from the Plateau State Liaison Office.

Nanbyen said she told the girls about job opportunities in Lagos because they were enticed with the way she was looking and the fact that she was coming from Burkina Faso.

The suspect regretted taking the girls out of the country without valid documentation.

A 19-year-old victim, name withheld, said she wanted to travel with them because she was not working.

According to her, she was told she had an offer of a job to serve drinks and food in a pub and was not aware that she was being taken to Burkina Faso.

“I met Nanbyen in Plateau, she asked for my number and if I was married or even working, before offering me a job in a pub in Lagos.

“She told me to also invite a friend and they lodged us in a hotel and later took us on the journey,” she said.

She added that it was in the boat, when they were accosted by immigration officers, that the woman told them to tell the officers that they were going to Burkina Faso.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Religious

Catholic Priest missing in western Burkina Faso

A catholic parish priest of Our Lady of Peace parish in Soubaganyedougou commune in western Burkina Faso, on the border with Côte d’Ivoire, has gone missing since Tuesday.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Bishop Lucas Kalfa Sanou of Banfora, capital of Comoé province, named the missing priest as Rev. Father Rodrigue Sanon.

It said that Fr. Sanon left Soubaganyedougou for Banfora to attend a meeting, but he never arrived at his destination.

“We implore the competent authorities who are doing everything possible to search for him. We ask anyone who has any information to notify the police of Soubaganyedougou, Banfora or the bishop or a priest of the diocese,” said Bishop Sanou. (PANA/NAN)

Football

Mali kick-off CHAN on winning note, defeat Burkina Faso

Mali kicked off their 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over a tough Burkina Faso side in Cameroon on Saturday.

The Eagles won the West African clash in Group A thanks to an amazing 70th minute header by enterprising left-back Siaka Bagayoko at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.

The defender, who plays for local giants Djoliba but previously featured for CS Sfaxien in Tunisia, settled the tie via an extraordinary long-range header after the Stallions failed to clear a corner-kick.

The victory takes Mali equal on three points with hosts Cameroon who beat Zimbabwe by a similar margin in the opening match of the tournament earlier in the day.

After a well-balanced contest in the first-half with several missed chances, it was Mali who made sure they pinned their opponents to get the goal and defend with a lot of caution.

Burkina Faso’s Soumaila Quattara, Illias Tiendrebeogo and Clement Pitroipa all had their attempts blocked, while Demba Diallo missed the target for Mali in what looked an easy chance to finish.

The deadlock was broken when Issaka Samake’s corner-kick was headed from behind the penalty box by Bagayoko, leaving Burkina Faso’s goalkeeper Babayoure Aboubacar Sawadogo stuck to the ground.

The Stallions team tried to push forward but failed to get the chances to even trouble the Malian defence.

With a minute remaining, Mali’s goalkeeper Cheik Abdoul Cadri blocked Claver Kiendrébéogo’s well-taken free-kick to protect his side’s lead.

The next matches will prove decisive in the group as Saturday’s winners will meet on Wednesday, while Zimbabwe will take on Burkina Faso.

The top two sides from the group will progress to the knockout stage of the competition.

The competition was initially set to be held in April 2020 but was postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is Africa’s major football event since the outbreak of the deadly disease.

Speaking after the game, Mali’s coach Nouhoum Diane said the game was not an easy ride for his team.

”I think the game was not easy, especially on the technical side. This is the first game for both teams who were under pressure to win.

“In the first half, our opponents created problems for us and it was only in the second half that we corrected ourselves and created chances.

“Against Cameroon, we hope to see a good match between two teams playing good football.”

On his part, Seydou Zerbo who is the coach of Burkina Faso said they have learnt lessons and were hopeful of correcting them before their next game.

“The editions follow one another but are not alike. It’s true that we lost our first game, but the tournament is still long.

“Now it’s up to us to correct our mistakes in order to have good matches in the future and achieve our goal of qualifying to the second round.

“Now we have to think about the game against Zimbabwe which is very important to us. After that, we will focus on the last match against hosts Cameroon,” he said. (NAN)