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Nigerian Army Redeploys Generals, Appoints New Commander for Boko Haram War

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The Nigerian Army has announced yet another set of postings which centred largely around the Boko Haram war in the North-east.

The reshuffle, which took effect from August 14, comes amidst pressure on the military to end the 10-year insurgency that has cost the nation much hardship in human and asset toll.

According to official details seen by PREMIUM TIMES, top officers affected in the latest exercise include Bulama Biu, a major-general and commander of the Boko Haram war.

He was immediately replaced by AK Ibrahim, a brigadier-general who was transferred from the Army Headquarters to 7 Division Headquarters in Maiduguri. Mr Ibrahim was made the theatre commander of Sector 1 Operation Lafiya Dole and acting-general officer commanding (GOC) of 7 Division, the main formation overseeing the Boko Haram war.

Mr Biu has now been transferred to Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole and Sector 3 Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to act as commander for both units.

The removal of Mr Biu as the GOC of 7 Division and theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole comes two weeks after PREMIUM TIMES reported that he threw a lavish party in the wake of the killing of a colonel, a captain and five other soldiers by insurgents.

Mr Biu’s action raised serious concerns amongst military officers and security analysts, who largely saw it as insensitive towards the families of the fallen heroes and demoralising for other uniformed men still risking their lives to chase away terrorists from Nigerian borders.

Mr Biu was appointed as the GOC of 7 Division and head of Boko Haram war in May 2018, and President Muhammadu Buhari gave him accelerated promotion as a major-general only last month.

The president cited the general’s “extraordinary feats, exemplary leadership, commitment and valour” for the recognition. It was also last month that Mr Biu was made the substantive GOC of 7 Division, having led the war in acting capacity for over a year.

It was not immediately clear whether the Nigerian Army considered other operational and moral lapses against Mr Biu before removing him from the top job.

A spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Sagir Musa, did not return calls seeking comments about the postings.

Others affected by the reshuffle, which appeared the first to affect the Boko Haram war since February, included BA Akinroluyo, who was moved from theatre command headquarters Operation Lafiya Dole to training and doctrine headquarters, Minna, for deployment.

Another major-general, CG Musa, was sent from Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole to training and doctrine headquarters, Minna, for deployment. O Adeniyi was asked to remain in theatre command headquarters and appointed theatre commander.

The army sent IA Ajose, a colonel, from 5 Brigade headquarters to training and doctrine headquarters, Minna, for deployment. OA Awolo, a colonel, was transferred from 707 Special Forces Brigade to 5 Brigade Headquarters and appointed acting commander there.

From Nigerian Defence Academy, AS Bugaje, a colonel, was transferred to 707 Special Forces Brigade as its new commander.

Premium Times

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Shaibu Eats Humble Pie, Apologises to Obaseki, Says ‘I Missed My Gov’

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Call it the eating of a humble pie, and you may not be wring as the embattled Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, apologised to Governor Godwin Obaseki amid a face-off between them.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Benin City, Mr Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki to forgive his “mistakes” for them to continue to work together, Channels TV reported.

“I use this medium to appeal to Mr Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together,” he said.

“We have just one year to go. We have been the envy of the entire country. So, Mr Governor, if there is anything you feel that I have done, please I am sorry. I need us to work together to finish well and strong,” the deputy governor added.

When asked if he had resumed at his new office, Mr Shaibu said, “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there.

“There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have always tried to prove, I am a loyal servant and nothing has changed.

“I took a personal vow to support my governor and you can see my Catholic people are here. When I took a vow with God, nothing can change it and I wish that the relationship that we had will come back in the next few days and weeks.”

Mr Shaibu also said he has been missing the governor since their rift began, and expressed hope that God will “touch the governor’s heart” to forgive him.

“I mean well. If there is any mistake I have made as a human, it is not out of wickedness because I know I’m not wicked. I have a very clean heart.”

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Tinubu Moves to Stop Release of Academic Records, Appeals US Court Judgement

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President Bola Tinubu has appealed against the ruling of  Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert, sitting at the United States’ District Court of Northern Illinois which ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release all relevant records pertaining to him.

SaharaReporters had reported how the federal court in Chicago, while ruling on the civil case filed by Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday granted the applicant’s request to the court, stating that former Nigeria’s vice-president had been able to sufficiently satisfy the purpose for seeking the records.

In the judgement documents seen by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Gilbert also ordered a deposition of designated CSU officials within two days after the records have been released, noting further that the process can be conducted during the weekend if necessary.

However, as the school prepared to surrender the papers, Tinubu filed an emergency motion in the district, requesting a higher judge to reconsider Mr Gilbert’s September 19 ruling and postpone the execution until at least September 25, according to People’s Gazette.

“Due to the timing for compliance by Chicago State University – later today – Intervenor is filing this motion separately from its challenge to the Magistrate’s ruling on the application,” Mr Tinubu’s lawyers, led by Christopher Carmichael, said. “Intervenor intends to file, by the end of the day, a substantive brief addressing the errors in the Magistrate’s decision.”

SaharaReporters

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Boy Whose ‘Intestine Went Missing in Lagos Hospital’ Dies

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Twelve-year-old Adebola Akin-Bright, whose small intestine went missing during surgery in the hospital has died.

A close member of the family confirmed the tragedy to BBC News Pidgin, adding that Adebola suffered from internal bleeding.

He was subsequently rushed to the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) but he did not make it.

Adebola had been battling to survive after multiple surgeries were performed on him and it was confirmed that his small intestine was missing.

His mother, Abiodun Deborah had decried the non-intervention of the Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Nigerian Medical Association in the mysterious disappearance of the small intestine of her 12-year-old son while receiving treatment at LASUTH.

Deborah who spoke to SaharaReporters earlier in September narrated how her son, Adebola, was referred to LASUTH from a private hospital, Obitoks Medical Centre situated at Ileepo in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the state on June 17 following a complication from surgery to correct intestinal obstruction.

According to the mother, her son was said to have a ruptured appendix and he had surgery at Obitoks Medical Centre in February 2023.

“After the surgery, he was fine until June when he kept saying he had pain in the stomach. This made us go back to the hospital and the doctor said he had intestinal obstruction and he underwent another surgery,” the mother told SaharaReporters.

She revealed further more than seven days after her son had the second surgery, they noticed that he was still draining bilious fluid.

“We went back to the private hospital and the Chief Medical Doctor told us the boy would undergo another surgery and it will be with the help of a professor from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.

“This was why we decided to move to LASUTH since the professor is from there so that they can have total management,” she said.

She added the management of LASUTH told them the boy should not undergo another surgery immediately but they kept nursing him.

SaharaReporters

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