Fear grips North over drone attacks

THERE is a growing disquiet in northern Nigeria over the commencement of operations of American drones now stationed just across the border in the Niger Republic.
Drones are unmanned, remotely controlled aerial vehicles fitted with guns and missile launchers.
Investigations in the last two weeks showed that northerners in North-West and North-East regions are worried about the presence of the drone base in Niger Republic and the implications of likely drone attacks on Boko Haram targets in their states. This, it was learnt, was the reason behind the current pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to grant amnesty to the insurgents.
Many Arewa leaders are said to be particularly worried that recent killing of foreigners and increasing kidnapping of expatriates may in due course justify international intervention in the ongoing Islamic insurgency in northern Nigeria.
Niger Republic has just announced the arrival of US MQ-1B Predator unmanned drone aircraft on its territory. The spokesman of the Nigerien government, Marou Amadou, was quoted as saying that the American drones would enhance the capacity of Niger in terms of intelligence and help combat the threat of Boko Haram Islamists operating in Northern Nigeria.
“It is very crucial for us to possess this kind of aircraft to better secure our borders.  Our intelligence capacities are very weak,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Amadou added that without the drones and the reconnaissance flights, the Nigerien army would not be able to ensure the security of the border, which is a large one and not far from where the Malian military operations are currently carried out.
Security experts had variously reported that the drone aircraft had extensive coverage area, a capability said to have put the entire northern Nigeria under coverage of the sophisticated unmanned craft.
The reality of drone station next door is also said to be known to many in the North as Aljazeera television, said to be the most popular in the region, covers drone warfare in Pakistan on regular basis.
Saturday Tribune investigations further showed that leaders from the North had calculated that an amnesty for the Islamists would facilitate the resolution of the insurgency and thus save the region any future possibility of drone action on Nigerian territory, with or without the approval of the Nigerian government.
A leader from the region, who spoke with the Saturday Tribune on Thursday, noted that while the United States cannot treat Nigeria like Pakistan or Yemen, “nothing can be put off the table if the insurgency continues,” adding “that is why we are worried.”
While the American government has described the drone craft in Niger as unarmed, the gradual expansion of its military activities around Nigeria is seen as encircling Nigeria from both Niger and Cameroonian sides. A contingent of American military just commenced joint exercise with the Cameroonian armed forces.
It was reported that Islamic militants are operating in Northern Cameroon with a Cameroonian Boko Haram commander. Recently, some French citizens were kidnapped in northern Cameroon and taken to northern Nigeria.
The climate of fear in the North is said to have been compounded by a statement credited to the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCuley, that Islamists move freely between Nigeria and northern Mali – regarded as an indirect comparison between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The ambassador, who did not elaborate on the utility of drones vis-a-vis Nigeria and Niger Republic, was also said to have confirmed many official reports linking the Nigerian Boko Haram with al-Qaida international networks.
Meanwhile, there are indications that tribal affinity between Niger and northern Nigeria is already creating a common sense of fear and solidarity between citizens of the two areas. Racially affiliated tribesmen moving into and out of the two countries are said to be afraid of the drone base and its consequences for the future.
Reports confirmed by the US embassy in Niger Republic showed that there have been several cases of low level demonstrations against Western interests since the drone base was announced. This has prompted the embassy to issue a warning to its citizens in Niamey, capital of Niger Republic.
“This message is to inform US citizens of recurring protests in and around Niamey.  There have been cases of protesters throwing rocks and burning tyres at cars, and some indications show that protesters may have targeted Westerners. The embassy is temporarily restricting all non-essential travel of its employees, including travel within the city of Niamey, based on the fluid security situation.
“The embassy reminds US citizens that demonstrations intended to be peaceful can quickly turn confrontational and escalate into violence,” it said, urging US citizens to avoid crowds, political gatherings, and street demonstrations, even if they appear to be peaceful, and exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.
A letter to the US Department of State from the Nigerian Embassy in the US July last year contained concerns that the American government could deploy drones in northern Nigeria with innocent people as victims.
“The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria presents its compliments to the United States Department of State and has the honour to acknowledge the news of the implementation of Section 1B Executive Order 13224, by which the State Department declared Abubakar Shekau, Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi as specially designated global terrorists. The designation, according to the order, is designed to diminish the capacity of these men who are members of Boko Haram to execute violent attacks.
“While the facts contained in the order are not in dispute, the embassy hereby expresses its sadness that the Boko Haram episode has led to such a declaration. The embassy, however, wishes to assure that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is firmly resolved in its determination to bring an end to the destructive activities of this group. We shall continue our efforts in this direction with the active cooperation and assistance of our friends and allies, especially our host government.
“The embassy, however, wishes to appeal that whatever action that is eventually taken against these individuals, their immediate neighbours who have felt most the impact, but are very much vehemently opposed to the activities of Boko Haram, should not be affected. The embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the United States Department of State the assurances of its highest consideration.”
It was learnt during the week that Nigeria made the appeal having realised that several persons in other countries similarly classified in recent years as terrorists under Order Section 1B Executive Order 13224 were hunted down by the United States with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, otherwise called drones. Analysts cite the killing, through drone attacks, of American-born cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, who was similarly classified under Order 13224 as a proof that America could have a similar plan up its sleeves.
At about the time the US Department of State announced the classification of the Boko Haram leaders as terrorists, The Guardian of London reported that there had been concerns on the huge collateral deaths from drone attacks ordered by the United States.
For instance, Al Awlaki’s 16-year-old son was killed along with him when he was attacked by a drone. In August 2009, a drone attack on leader of the Pakistan Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, not only killed him, it also killed his father-in-law, his mother-in-law, his wife, his uncle and eight others.
The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which runs a drone-monitoring project, estimates that the United States has used drones against targets in Pakistan up to 332 times in the past eight years, with a huge jump in activity under President Barak Obama. The bureau believes up to 800 civilians may have been killed in the attacks. It has also monitored scores of drone attacks in Yemen and Somalia.
Saturday Tribune was told that northern leaders are rushing to plead for amnesty for the militants to avoid a spill over of the growing demonstrations in Niamey into volatile northern cities.
“The drone thing is a source of concern. We want the insurgency to end to avoid this drone problem. We are in a bad state already; we don’t want it to get worse,” a moderate Islamist from Bauchi said.