Don't Want This Message? Just delete, or send a return request to "Remove" your address, and we'll take it off the distribution list.
guardian.ng
From the Founder…
As we move into the second quarter of 2024, I was reminded that once upon a time the rest of the world looked to America as a shining example of freedom. America gave hope to the people of the world. It seems to this writer that the people of the world may now have second thoughts. It is certainly not the same nation it was not long after the founding. Our leaders have lost their respective grips on the sacred truths that our founders had boldly and bravely held.
Today, for the most part, American leadership has evaporated into the atmosphere. Cowardice has become contagious – perhaps more contagious than courage. And that is the real epidemic facing the people in the aftermath of the “plannedemic.” Today, the people of the world no longer can depend upon “We the People” because the people have surrendered the government to the enemies of freedom who toss around the word democracy as it is synonymous with freedom. It is not. Democracy as it has been understood from its inception in ancient Greece is much more synonymous with mob rule. Most Americans do not honestly know civics or history in such a time as this, or they would not be so easily fooled by such mental manipulation.
In this edition of the Founder’s Focus, we are initiating an effort to move outside our normal coverage mainly focusing on America in order to examine another nation’s problems. There is a whole world out there that is suffering too. We will begin from this edition to also include more articles that focus on the internal corruption and terrorism that ravages other nations. Thus, this edition of the Founder’s Focus is dedicated to the struggle for Freedom in Nigeria against the terrorism that threatens the very existence of the nation. It is now becoming increasingly clear that what is happening in Nigeria today, or in the Middle East, or in the Ukraine could happen in this nation.
The first featured article is from Douglas Burton, who has offered his articles to the Citizen Sentinels Network in the past. He is now managing editor of TruthNigeria. His article is titled: “Refusal to Rescue Kidnap Victims: Who’s Accountable?” Burton is a former State Department official, and he has written extensively. His articles have appeared in several publications, more notably the Epoch Times. He demonstrates a solid grasp of the global crises that exist in the world.
The second article is about Burton as he made news in Nigeria in March according to the article entitled: “Terrorism: Stop relying on US to save Nigeria – American expert on crisis reporting tells FG.” Itis truly tragic what has been happening in Nigeria for several years and terrorists are becoming much more capable than the “bandit” label. They need to be called what they are in honestly terms. Burton has had the courage to share what others may lack the course to say.
In the last Founder’s Focus edition, I made reference to the “history of how evil metastasizes and multiplies and people behind the evil continue to do as much as they can get away with until a force of good will end such regression.” This is not only true as Americans look at what takes place currently in our nation, but it is easily understood how it is rampant throughout the world.
Our newsletter is a humble offering of information and views focused on issues or promoting or threatening Freedom itself. It is safe to say that a threat to Freedom anywhere is a threat to the foundations of Freedom everywhere. This is why the Founder’s Focus is illuminating a very real threat to Freedom beyond our borders.
Americans have been greatly blessed in so many ways since our founding, and there are so many citizens over the years who have received substantial blessings. Such blessings came at great cost to others who were willing to protect and defend Freedom wherever threatened. The key has been brilliant and brave people who have stood up to those who have threatened to destroy our Freedom. Now, the nations of the world, who are ravaged by evils of all sorts, need home grown patriots to rise up to fight for Freedom in their lands,according to their own unique capabilities. Nigeria is a good example of this. Burton would likely agree. The good people of Nigeria need to look more within their borders for the bold and brilliant among them to secure the blessings of Liberty in such a time as this. May God help them.
Refusal to Rescue Kidnap Victims: Who’s Accountable?
Gov. Uba Sani with aides visits village of Kuriga on evening of March 7, 2024. courtesy of Twitter account of Uba Sani.
OPINION: The Deafening Silence that Speaks Volumes
By Douglas Burton 3/11/24
Approximately 287 elementary- and high-school children are being traumatized by some of the most psychopathic criminals in the world in the terrorist-owned Kamuku Forest three hours’ drive West of the metropolis of Kaduna. After weeks of captivity, the young people will return to their parents sick with dysentery and malaria, as seen in amateur videos of abductees who were held from 2021 to 2023. [See TIMELINE: Historic School Kidnappings by Terrorists in Nigeria]
The gangs are known to chain their victims under the shelter of trees where they suffer insect bites and the sweltering summer sun that has high’s close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The adolescent girls face rape; all the students likely are beaten daily with whips. We know this based on the historic behavior of other kidnap for ransom gangs that documented such torture with videos they put out on the web. The students were taken early in the morning as they were being lined up to say the morning pledge of allegiance to the Nigerian flag.
Two days after the school kidnapping in Kuriga, in Kaduna, a terrorist gang struck the village of Gidan Bakuso in the northern State of Sokoto snatching up 15 students at a school in Gada County (LGA).
But just 13 days ago on Feb. 28, a unit of terrorists went from house to house in a large suburb of Kaduna, collecting 17 men, women and babies and killing two civilian guards died defending their neighborhood during a nighttime blackout. As TruthNigeria reported, the 17 hostages were But just 13 days ago on Feb. 28, a unit of terrorists went from house to house in a large suburb of Kaduna, collecting 17 men, women and babies and killing two civilian guards defending their neighborhood during a nighttime blackout. As TruthNigeria reported, the 17 hostages were
forced to walk through the forest for 30 miles to an Islamist terrorist stronghold in neighboring Niger State. Dozens of Nigerian soldiers in the town to battle the 50 invaders did not give pursuit, according to locals who spoke to TruthNigeria.
Yet in Nigeria’s Lake Chad region, more bad news: in the Northeastern State of Borno, more than 200 women and girls were abducted by elements of the Boko Haram Insurgency on March 6 as they were gathering firewood, according to a UN report.
Terrorists Running Amok in Kaduna
Nigerian media is currently agog about whether Kaduna’s Gov. Uba Sani has hired a private investigator to negotiate a return of the children snatched in Kuriga Village of Chikun County on March 7. The Governor flatly denies it, and it is against state law to pay ransoms. However, security experts have said that when abductees return to their families, there is always a ransom.
What no Nigerian lawmaker or elected official has asked for since four mass kidnappings have been reported in 13 days is: “Where is there accountability of the Nigerian army and air force, supplied with fighter aircraft by the United States?”
“Kuriga village is 40 minutes to 1hr drive to the Kaduna Air Force Base and the First Division HQ of the Nigerian Army,” says Abuja-based architect Polycarp Gbaja to Truth Nigeria.
“There is more than enough air and ground power to have been scrambled to go after these already well known terrorists,” Gbaja went on to say. “Same terrorists who have attacked military and civilians, with total impunity, in the past three years and more, yet Kaduna has over 15 security agencies, combat and Intelligence units domiciled strategically. How were they caught so flatfooted?” Gbaja asks.
It’s a fact that no Nigerian Air Force helicopters were seen following the Islamist Fulani terrorist gang with their 287 hostages into the forest in broad daylight. No armed drones, no fighter aircraft, no armored column heading from the military base. Why?
Reaction from Thought Leaders
“The lack of a response by the Nigerian Military to the spike in kidnappings over the last 30+ days is both concerning and problematic,” according to Marine veteran and terrorism specialist Scott Morgan.
“The response times to events shows that the current chain of command has problems. Whether it’s the time frame in the issuance of orders to provide a timely response or other concerns regarding the number of terrorist/bandits, it is becoming difficult to show how efficient the current Nigerian Military leadership currently is at this task. These problems are being exploited by the bandits to their advantage and why this isn’t being discussed more is a concern,” Morgan texted to TruthNigeria.
Chief Femi Fani Kayode, a thought leader in the ruling All Peoples Congress Party, is among the first to cite the root cause of the rash of mass abductions.
“There are two reasons for the mass abductions and kidnappings that we are witnessing in our country today.
Firstly to garner cash which is then sent abroad to buy more arms and fund terror and secondly to destabilise our country and to discredit and undermine the credibility of our President and the Federal Government,” Kayode wrote in a widely syndicated column on Friday.
Kayode hints of a dark conspiracy of nations seeking to undermine Nigerian sovereignty:
“Those that think it is only about the acquisition of money are naive and ignorant. There is far more to it than that and there are numerous shady and sinister characters, international criminal cartels, foreign Governments and intelligence agencies and local accomplices and facilitators that are involved in this great evil.
“Nigeria has been targeted for destruction, division and disintegration by those that see us as a threat to their regional hegemony, strategic national interests and imperialist aspirations but most of us still don’t get it and perhaps never will,” Kayode argues.
The victims of the kidnappings in Sokoto and in Birnin Gwari are virtually all Muslims; the victims in Gonin Gora are all Christians. There is no obvious political motivation, which doesn’t’ rule out the possibility that the Nigerian government is slowing being swept by the current of lawlessness toward a waterfall. Nigerian government is in the death grip of armed gangs abducting masses of its citizens and marching them into jungle redoubts with impunity.
This has happened for 10 years, beginning with the infamous kidnapping of the Chibok high school girls in 2004, and with varied results: some girls escaped, some were rescued, some died in captivity, and sadly, about 100 of the girls were sex-trafficked to terrorist soldiers.
For the moment, the commonsensical solution is clear, according to Garba.
“Mr President and Executive Governor of Kaduna State, the demand of your constitutional task here is simple, even if not easy.
First: Rescue immediately these defenseless citizens, under your care & duty, as your primary mandate.
Second: Neutralize the dastardly crew of terrorists, including their camps in Shiroro, Birnin Gwari & other sites in the Kaduna & Niger States axis.
Nigerians expect no less, Sirs.”
Douglas Burton is an award winning conflict analyst, a former U.S. State Department official who was stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq. He writes news and commentary from Washington, D.C. and is managing editor of TruthNigeria.
Terrorism: Stop relying on US to save Nigeria – American expert on crisis reporting tells FG (Federal Government)
The General News March 31, 2024
An American Citizen who is an expert in reporting crisis, Douglas Burton has called on the Nigerian Government to stop depending on the United States of America for the country’s human and territorial security.
Douglas said this during a Webinar conference organized by the General News (Tgnews) on a topic:”Navigating the Crisis: “Understanding the Epidemic of Kidnapping in Nigeria and Mitigating High Ransom Demands”.
Douglas revealed that Americans are also suffering from their own share of insecurity challenges and no country has ever won the battle with the support of the US government.
Douglas who has been writing articles on issues relating to Nigerian insecurity, good governance, the unheard and abandoned communities and gave strong advise to the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stand firm by shaming the culprits of what crime under whichever guise going on unabated in many parts of the country.
Douglas is currently the Chief editor of Truth Nigeria, an online newspaper giving indepth reporting and analysis of many of the heinous crimes of kidnapping, bandits, Boko Haram and ISWAP in recent times.
Haven worked in so many countries around as a crime reporter in the world, Douglas have visited Nigeria in many occasions and affirmed that the country is blessed with both human and natural resources but high level of insecurity is halting developmental strides.
He said the Islamist Insurgencies beginning in 2009, responsible for Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014, Dapchi school kidnap in 2018 and smaller mass kidnaps since then has remained a major challenge that Tinubu must stand firm to fight.
He worried that the permanent outlaw class of “bandits” emerging into prominence in 2011 and swelling to 2015 due to government complicity is the root reason of the prolong fight against the criminals in the country.
He revealed that many kidnaps are sectarian in nature and not purely for profit as high percentage of priests and pastors kidnapped, very few Fulani people are kidnapped and all kidnap gangs in Northwest are self-identified Fulani men.
He proffered solutions that the freedom of reporting accurately and cogently who are those behind any kind of crime.
“Change laws on guns ownership to allow ALL citizens to carry arms. Many terrorist invasions of towns in Middle belt involve targeted kidnapping of selected person. or groups such as schools or churches. Armed guards are needed.
“Religious leaders should pivot from religious quietism toward civic and social activism to expose and remove corrupt elected leaders at all federali offices and to subvert corruption at the local level. Religious leaders who accepted bribes from officials should be forced to step down,” he said.
CONTINUE TO SEEK THE TRUTH AS THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
Onward and Upward!
From From The Gateway Pundit (w/ video): WATCH: Son of Hamas Co-Founder Demolishes Islamist Terror Apologist So Thoroughly He Leaves Her Mouth Gaping in Shock – 4/4/24
From The Telegraph: Iran is at war with the West, but only Israel is fighting back – 4/2/24
From TV7 Israel News: Israel's Northern Arena : Iran's Military Preparations for War, Israel at War – Jerusalem Studio 846 – 3/27/24
From WION - Gravitas: Red Sea War: US to remove Houthis from terror list? | Has American strategy failed? – 4/4/24
From WION Dispatch News: J&K forces foil infiltration bid in the Uri sector – 4/5/24
From Guardian TV: India: 13 Maoist insurgents killed ahead of election – 4/4/24
From Guardian TV: Erdogan’s AKP suffers biggest election setback in decades – 4/2/24
Recommended Reading…
From TruthNigeria. After 24 hours, 30 Children Abducted by Bandits Reunite with Families - Truth Nigeria – 4/3/24
From TG News: Poor Ransom: Terrorists slaughter 5, release 51 abducted victims in Kaduna South – 4/5/24
From BBC News: Nigeria's mass abductions: What lies behind the resurgence? – 3/8/24
From Military Times: Houthis may be running low on weapons stocks, U.S. commander says – 4/4/24
From Breitbart: Biden Dumps Israel on Eve of 'Quds Day,' as Iranian Attack Looms – 4/4/24
From Canada Free Press by A. Dru Kristenev: UN pressures Israel as modern Jewry, whites, and colleges wallow in self-hate – 3/29/24
From The Guardian: Taiwan rescuers try to reach scores trapped in tunnels after quake – 4/4/24
From The Christian Post: Christian group brings Bible translation tools to 35 language groups in Indonesia, Southeast Asia – 3/24/24
PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS TO SPARK & SUSTAIN COMMON SENSE