Politics

Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 1992

Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 2109

Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 2045

Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 1697

Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 2190

Niger officials say thousands of people have left their homes in the Western African country’s southeastern and frontier town of Diffa over fears that Nigeria-based Takfiri Boko Haram militants may launch an attack on the town. A local politician, requesting anonymity, said the flow of people out of Diffa, which is located approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) east of the capital, Niamey, continued on Thursday even though the town was calm. “Everyone wants to get as far from Boko Haram as possible,” the politician said. The International Rescue Committee country director in Niger, Matias Meier, also said hundreds of mini-busses, coaches and trucks have transferred people out of Diffa, and the cost of a seat in any vehicle traveling to Zinder, the second largest city in Niger and situated some 450 kilometers (280 miles) west of Diffa, has jumped nearly threefold to 15,000 Communauté Financière Africaine (CFA) francs, which is equal to USD 26.

“Those who went on the trucks are the lucky ones. Bus tickets are sold out until the end of next week. Many are just walking or going by bicycle,” Meier said. Niger has declared a 15-day state of emergency in Diffa. The declaration gives troops in the border town increased powers to search homes without a warrant and impose a curfew. The curfew will force the Diffa residents to stay indoors between 20:00 and 06:00 local time (19:00 and 05:00 GMT). Niger’s army, backed by Chadian forces, on several occasions engaged in battles with Boko Haram militants in Diffa this week.The Nigerien military says its forces have killed 260 Boko Haram militants and have arrested others in fighting since February 6. “We have taken the steps necessary to guarantee the peace and security of the population. We call on people not to panic,” a spokesman for Niger’s armed forces, Colonel Moustapha Michel Ledru, said.

As the war against Boko Haram intensifies, the perception that it is wedged by disaffected and jobless youths who oppose and hate Western Education is becoming pedestrian. The sophistication of the command and operational structures of Boko Haram leaves no one in doubt about this reality.    The weapons deployed to commit the ongoing pogrom appear to have been acquired and brought to the war zones through a complicated network. It is hard to believe that a conflict of this magnitude can occur without a complex network of individuals and organizations supporting Boko Haram’s criminal war effort. It may be reasonably suggested that it is a political establishment serving distinct interests in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Nigeria, it has never sought ransom for the many victims it has abducted. In Cameroon although officially classified as a nebulous or illusive enemy, it has turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative business. 

Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

Hits: 804