Sunday, June 29, 2014

JANGLING TIMES IN A JANGLING STATE : Gov. Jang’s son sues State Assembly for probing dad ... PremiumTimes


Jonah Jang, Plateau state governor
The governor is accused of misusing public funds.
The son of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has filed a lawsuit asking a court to stop the state’s House of Assembly from an ongoing probe of his father.
Gov. Jang is facing allegations of mismanaging about N50 billion.
Last week, a nine-member committee named by the state assembly, began a preliminary hearing on the case.
The governor denies the allegation.
“If I see such an amount, the state will not remain this way,” Mr. Jang said at a recent public event.
But as the House moved to start the probe last week, Yakubu Jang, who also serves as a special adviser to his father, filed a suit in a state court, seeking an order to stop the House from initiating the processes of investigating his father.
The court has yet to fix a date for the hearing.
Musa Gondina, the chairman of the committee set by the Plateau state assembly to investigate the governor, however said that the suit would not stop the committee from doing its work.
Mr. Gondina said the committee was yet to receive any court notice to stop the probe.
The lawmakers are acting on a 10-page petition by a group called Plateau Patriotic Forum.
Among other alleged infractions, the group accused Mr. Jang of obtaining loans from banks without the approval of the House of Assembly.
The group also accused the governor of mismanagement in the disbursement of N50 billion SURE-P funds.

AS WE HARVEST THE FRUITS FROM "STEALING IS NOT CORRUPTION" : The $470m Waste: These Cameras, Just Metres From The Latest Abuja Bomb Blast Scene, Could Have Provided Clues ... LeadershipNews

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Where are the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that purportedly gulped $470 million in the Federal Capital Territory? Questions about their existence and effectiveness within Abuja are being asked, as bombing of the capital city at will by Boko Haram insurgents has not abated.
Security experts and residents have at different times tagged the project dead on arrival and expressed doubts that the cameras ever worked. In several reports done by LEADERSHIP, the federal government had been called to question over the functionality of the cameras.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had recently granted an ex-parte application, seeking an order of mandamus to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the controversial contract awarded to Chinese company, ZTE Corporation by the federal government.
It was also reported recently that   the presidency following the failure of the CCTVs to contribute in the fight against insurgency had turned down a request by the Ministry of Police Affairs to pay additional N3billion to the contractor handling the project.
LEADERSHIP findings following the blast that rocked the EMAB Plaza in Wuse II on Wednesday afternoon, which left at least 24 people dead, show that if truly the CCTVs existed around the busy shopping complex, the suspected bombers would have been identified by now.
A senior police officer who spoke under condition of anonymity told LEADERSHIP weekend that only a few of the CCTV cameras are currently working. The reason for the breakdown of the cameras, according to him, includes lack of maintenance as well as power failure. “The truth is that some of them are not working. Definitely, not all of them can work. Some were faulty from day one. Others may suffer power failure. Moreover, not all parts of Abuja, even within the metropolis, are covered,” the source said.
The officer also pointed out that the terrorists always try to avoid areas where there are visible CCTVs. “Terrorists are very intelligent crooks. When they want to select their target, they select places where the eyes of the camera will not come. That’s where you hear things like CCTV cameras serving as deterrent. If they want to strike in Abuja I’m sure they will select their target away from the CCTVs,” the officer said.
Also, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr Mike Omeri, while giving an update on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls and the fight against insurgency, collaborated LEADERSHIP findings when he revealed that the FCT lacked adequate CCTV to monitor activities in the metropolis and called on private organisations and public-spirited individuals to install the CCTV in their premises.
“The minister of FCT has said they are working. He said they are working on improving them. CCTV is not everywhere in the city; that is why we are calling on citizens to install CCTV and that is one way they can contribute to the fight against terrorism,” Omeri said.
The coordinator, who is also the director-general of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, said the situation in the country demanded that everyone cooperate with the security agencies to rid the country of insurgents. He said though the CCTV cameras within the city are working, they are not in some parts of the city.
Experts express doubts over the functionality of Abuja CCTV
Meanwhile, security experts have expressed doubts over the operations of the several CCTV cameras installed in Abuja. Some of them who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday doubted the functionality of the CCTV in the capital city.
A former director of State Security Service (SSS), Mr Mike Ejiofor, was of the view that most of those installed in Abuja are not functioning.  “From what we have seen, I doubt if the installed cameras are really working. We had up to three bombings now and we have not been told of any outcome from investigations from the cameras. When incidents like this happens, the cameras are supposed to pick up people who are involved in the crime but, so far, I don’t know whether we have that facility or the existing ones are really functioning,” he said.
Also, a former commissioner of police in the FCT, Mr Lawrence Alobi, while responding to LEADERSHIP Weekend, said the importance of CCTV camera cannot be overemphasised in combating crimes. The ex-police boss questioned the sincerity of those who handled the installation of CCTV in Abuja.
“The CCTV in Abuja, how functional are they? Who awarded the contracts? Are they functioning?  Where are they located? How effective are they? What has been achieved from them and when were they installed? Are they CCTVs being maintained? These are the questions we should be asking,” he said.
He also urged the federal government to come up with a policy of making all offices, businesses both public and private install CCTV cameras to check crimes in the country. He reminded all that the terrorists who bombed Boston in the United Stated were apprehended through a CCTV installed in a private restaurant.
“If it can be replicated in Nigeria, it will go a long way in helping us to checkmate insurgency in Nigeria,” Alobi said.
FCT minister challenged to produce CCTV footage of bomber
Security expert Chief Gilbert Nwoko,   who spoke with LEADERSHIP on the CCTVs in the FCT challenged the FCT minister, Sen. Balla Mohammed, to produce the footage of the EMAB Plaza bombing images if truly the FCT has functional CCTV.
Another security analyst, Otunba Bamidele Shodeinde, queried why the FCT minister would claim that CCTV cameras were working when the Boko Haram insurgents have successfully carried out several attacks on the FCT without leaving any trace behind. “Nigerians are no longer fools; we have advanced very far. It is only our leaders who don’t want to advance and so they are always thinking that the people are as backward as them, if not even more backward.
“Everybody is asking the government how they spent billions of taxpayers’ money installing CCTV cameras which are not working and cannot help in the fight to eradicate terrorism in the country.
“The Nyanya bombing happened the first time and they told us that the CCTVs were not in the suburbs. Now it has happened in the metropolis and it is apparent that the CCTVs in the metropolis are not working.
“Nigerians want the government to prove that the CCTVs are working and capable of helping to identifying the terrorists and bringing them to book,” he said.
2 more victims die in hospital
Two more victims of the Wednesday bomb blast who were undergoing treatment have died at the National Hospital.
The minister of health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated this yesterday in Abuja when he visited the surviving victims of the bomb blast at the various hospitals in Abuja. He said that “one of the two victims that died at the hospital had 90 per cent burns which pose a great challenge in management”.
However, the minister who was referring to the Senegalese who died at the National Hospital Wednesday night said that “the second person apart from the burns had multiple organ injuries and was operated upon on arrival at the hospital but he couldn’t make it”.
He also said that one other of the victims is in critical condition and, as such, he has been kept under the Intensive Care Unit.
As at the time of the Minister’s visit to the National Hospital, there were six patients there. He also visited the Maitama District Hospital where a majority of the victims were initially taken to.
Chukwu said that only 13 of the victims remained in the hospital as most of them have either been discharged or referred to other hospitals.
He said that the level of healthcare delivery for the victims at the National Hospital is very satisfactory and that most major cases are brought to the hospital because of its facilities. He said that “the two people that were lost could have been lost anywhere in the world as their conditions were extremely difficult to treat”.
Meanwhile, survivors of the bomb blast currently receiving treatment at the hospitals have continued to pour out their heart to government to continue supporting them in their condition.
Eyewitness accounts dispute police arrest claim
After Wednesday’s deadly bomb blast at EMAB Plaza, Wuse II, Abuja, and the widely circulated claim by security agents of arrest of a suspect and killing of another fleeing the scene, accounts from some eyewitnesses who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend indicated that the claims might not be entirely true.
The eyewitness who does not want his name mentioned in print said that after the bomb went up, a few minutes before 4pm, exactly when Muslims’ call for prayers was on, “there was pandemonium everywhere as people were lying on the ground; some were dead, wounded and trapped in cars”.
“I saw others running as a far as their legs could carry them as thick smoke filled the skies; suddenly cars started exploding as more fire engulfed the area with people still inside some of the cars; I was confused as to what to do as I stayed flat on the floor.
At that moment, all I could hear and see were wailing for the first five minutes as emergency people from National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) were the first to show up. There was no policeman five to 10 minutes after the blast and so how come they were able to identify the bomber and arrest him in the first few minutes after the blast when there was total confusion all over the place?” the witness said.
Another eyewitness also told LEADERSHIP Weekend that policemen attached to some of the banks around Emab Plaza took to their heels as the bomb went off, questioning the credibility of the said arrest. “Maybe they did that to show Nigerians that they are working, as I do not see any truth in the claims by the security personnel,” he stated. “When did the military arrive the scene? The focus of everyone after the blast was to first save one’s head before looking for survivors; many cars were pushed from burning flames by spirited individuals who defied all odds to save people as well as cars from burning as the people from the fire service came 40 minutes after the blast.
“I didn’t see the police arresting anyone on bike moments after the blast. The police that arrived minutes later… how come they were able to identify the bomber and arrest him or did they scan the CCTV camera before arriving at the scene of the blast?
“Let us see the footage recorded from the CCTV camera mounted around the place to be able to ascertain the claims of arrest by the police. I don’t believe in this kind of public relations gimmicks of the police.”
In a related development, indications emerged yesterday that despite having found the part of the engine bearing the engine number as well as the number plate of the vehicle used for the second Nyanya bomb blast, security authorities are yet to link it to the owner of the vehicle.
When the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was contacted for information on whether the owner of the car used for the Nyanya bomb blast had been traced, a source in the commission’s public enlightenment unit asked LEADERSHIP to provide him the number plate of the car and “if it is a new number plate, the FRSC has the capacity to trace the owner”.
On the Emab Plaza attack, he also said it was too early to comment on the issue or know who the owner of the alleged motorbike used by the bomber was, as investigation was still ongoing and the commission was yet to get information on the incident.
Meanwhile, workers and business owners in Wuse II, Abuja, especially those on Aminu Kano Crescent where the bomb blast occurred, are yet to recover from the shock of the incident.
When LEADERSHIP visited the area yesterday, many shops in neighbouring plazas were still locked just as there were a few of hawkers around the usual points on the crescent where they used to stay to do their business.
At Omega Centre, a shopping plaza on Aminu Kano Crescent, it was observed that following the Emab Plaza bomb attack, the management had barred cars from going into the premises. The situation caused traffic snarl in the area as vehicles parked along the street.
A guard at the plaza told LEADERSHIP that it was closed for two days after the Emab incident and was only reopened yesterday but only a few shop owners were out for business.
The situation was however different at neighbouring K-City Plaza. Though vehicles were allowed into the premises, they were subjected to thorough search by the guards. However, the plaza was devoid of its usual bustle as it witnessed a low influx of shop owners and customers.
FCTA orders arrest of illegal users of power bikes
Meanwhile, as part of  efforts to stem the menace of terrorism and other crimes, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has directed the FCT Police Commissioner to promptly arrest and prosecute any person illegally using Power Bikes and Motorcycles in the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
This directive, which was conveyed to the FCT Police Commissioner via a letter dated June 27, 2014 and signed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Chukwu, reminded him that the ban on the use of power bikes and motorcycles in the FCC was still in force.
Muhammad  Sule, Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, who stated this through a press statement  said the reminder is underscored by the fact that one of the suspects in the recent bombing at the EMAB Plaza, Wuse II District, Abuja was seen on a Power Bike by Security Agents.

Friday, June 27, 2014

JISOS! JISOS!! JISOS!!! : Enugu ‘pastor’ nabbed for impregnating 20 church members ... ‘I sleep with them with their husbands’ consent’ (SEE PHOTO OF THE DANGEROUS MAN HERE).... WeeklyTrust

Timothy Ngwu Bella Naija
Timothy Ngwu (in yellow) and two of his “concubines”
The arrest and subsequent prosecution of one pastor Timothy Ngwu for alleged sexual harassment and indiscriminately impregnating both married and single women in his church, has again raised the issue of clerics whose stock-in-trade is to have carnal knowledge of female members of their church.
Timothy Ngwu, said to be a self-proclaimed pastor, who also doubles as the Leader and General Overseer of Vineyard Ministry of the Holy Trinity, Ihe-Owerre, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, is currently remanded in Enugu Prison for impregnating over 20 female members of his church.
The bubble burst when Mrs. Veronica Ngwu, wife of the pastor, could no longer bear the randy lifestyle of her husband and blew the whistle.
At the time of filing this report, Ngwu has put over 20 female members of his church in the family way, insisting that he was “obeying God’s injunctions”.
Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Mr.  Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the arrest and eventual arraignment of the cleric. “The pastor claims to be obeying prophetic and spiritual injunction to do the will of God, which is to impregnate any one chosen and revealed by the Holy Spirit, irrespective of whether the woman is married or not,” he said.
Besides getting the female members pregnant, Ngwu also harbours mother and child inside his church immediately the pregnant woman gives birth. “When the woman is delivered of the baby, the child remains in the ministry with the mother for life,” Weekly Trust was told.
It was further disclosed that while acting under the same alleged will of God, Ngwu got his wife’s niece pregnant. Also, some of the members’ wives are now living with him after he impregnated them, Weekly Trust was told.
But Ngwu said he has about five wives with thirteen children, besides other concubines, who came as a result of the “prophetic will of God”. He claimed that he does not do anything with any married woman until full consent and agreement is reached between him and the husband in “accordance with the directives of the Holy Spirit”.
Two of the women, who had left their husband and are currently living with the General Overseer, Calista Omeje, and Assumpta Odo admitted  that they left their husband and went to Ngwu based on a “prophetic injunction”. 
The stories of the impregnated church members were as varied as they were bizarre: Calista, in particular, said that she is married with 10 children, but later got impregnated by Ngwu, although the baby later died. Mrs. Omeje said that she also gave her daughter out to the General Overseer to impregnate “in fulfilment of God’s prophecy”. Assumpta Odo admitted that she is also married with eight children, but the pastor impregnated her, as well as her daughter.
Amaraizu  added that Vineyard Ministry of the Holy Trinity, located at Umudikwere, Ihe-Owere Nsukka in Enugu State was not known until DSP Gloria Udoka and her operatives from the Anti-Child Trafficking Unit of the state Criminal and Investigation Department, stormed the place based on the complaint they received from Mrs. Ngwu.” He said the complaint had to do with sexual abuse of people in the ministry, which has brought about indiscriminate pregnancy among married and single women there.
“According to Veronica, her husband used to be a well-known catechist in Nsukka Catholic Diocese,” said the PPRO.

WORTHY OF NOTE AS THE HEDGING FOR 2015 IN APC BEGINS : 2015: Dark Horse May Be APC’s Presidential Candidate ... LeadershipNews

apc logo
The dust raised by the just concluded national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to settle, but the party is set for another showdown: the camps of General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar may clash over the party’s presidential ticket.
Although only the posters of Atiku and those of the founder of LEADERSHIP Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, were sighted during the party’s maiden convention, sources say that a surprise candidate stands a very good chance of clinching the presidential ticket.
Because of the intense tussle for the ticket among known leaders of the party and the mutual distrust such is breeding, said a source, the different interested groups within the party may settle for a fresh face that would be acceptable to all.
This, the source added, may be the final solution so that the unity of the party may be conserved and enhanced.
“The ambitions of our leaders such as General Buhari, Asiwaju Tinubu, Governor Kwankwaso and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar are threatening the unity of the APC as we have witnessed during the convention, but some people are seriously considering searching for a dark horse like Sam Nda-Isaiah who would be acceptable to all the divides that make up the country,” the source stated. “That was the strategy adopted by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) when it adopted Alhaji Shehu Shagari as its presidential candidate at the expense of the like of Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Maitama Sule and Alhaji Abubakar Saraki, which gave them victory over the celebrated politicians such as Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Aminu Kano and Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri.”
With some in the APC  still smarting from the outcome of the convention, not a few pundits agree that it is no longer at ease for the party rated as the biggest threat ever to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999.
Although some of its chieftains are still aggrieved over the convention which seemed to have been tilted in favour of one of the five main groups that make up the party, the new leadership seems to have made up its mind to leave that behind and face the 2015 presidential election primaries.
Those who are not happy with the outcome of the convention include Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Sam Jaja, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi who have all expressed reservations publicly. This has further buttressed the fact that a dark horse may benefit from the outcome of the convention.
It was Chief John Odigie Oyegun who was declared the consensus candidate and eventually declared the winner at the expense of former governor of Bayelsa State Timpreye Sylva and Ikimi.
Oyegun was sponsored by the duo of Buhari and Tinubu; Sylva was backed by most of the APC governors, while Ikimi had the support of Atiku.
Speaking with our correspondent, another informed party source disclosed that the new leadership of the party is trying to heal the wounds of the convention before that of the presidential primaries comes in.
He said: “It is unfortunate that some of our founding leaders are still angry over our last convention. People like Chief Ikimi, Sheriff and Governor Amaechi have even publicly criticised the outcome. This is not good enough because there is internal mechanism to address whatever problems anyone could be having.
“You heard Oyegun saying that a good member of the party would not go to the media and the court to seek redress. Whatever the new leadership could do to appease them would be done as we approach the 2015 presidential primaries.”
Speaking further, he explained that the crises that characterized the convention had to do with the presidential poll, especially over who would be the APC candidate among the leading aspirants.
He continued: “APC parades big names in Nigeria who could easily overrun whoever the ruling PDP presents, possibly President Jonathan. All we need is the unity of purpose and we would become the ruling party.
“Those who are interested in the race are General Buhari, Governor Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, your former chairman Sam Nda-Isaiah, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and a few others who are yet to come out,” while those interested in being the running mates are Tinubu, Okorocha, Governor Amaechi, Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Kayode Fayemi. “Again, who among them could you ask to step down and he would do so willingly? We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said.
LEADERSHIP checks show that some people who feel threatened with the presence of Atiku in the party are planning to use his PDP connection to stop him the way they did against Ikimi.
As for Kwankwaso, “Their plan is to outsmart the APC governors who may want to use their machinery to impose him on the party. Since they have the delegates, the plan is to adopt our candidate before the convention as it was done during the last convention; the fear is that this could tear the party apart before the general election.”
The APC governors too are not watching doing nothing, having lost their bid to have Sylva as the chairman: they are believed to be making use of the national secretary who is their own candidate through the governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam; “he would be their eyes on whatever plot being made against the governors.”

JUSTICE OPUTA'S CHEQUERED FINAL RITES 2 : Charleyboy humiliates Gov. Okorocha at burial of Justice Oputa ... TheScoop

By Dare Lawal
During the burial ceremony of the late Supreme court justice, Chukwudifu Oputa, things turned dramatic when the son of the late judge, Charles Oputa popularly known as Charleyboy humiliated the governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha.
The event occurred at the Sacred heart catholic church, Oguta. Charleyboy emphatically refused to allow the governor make his speech.
Immediately the governor held the microphone to speak, Charleyboy jumped up from his seat to snatch the microphone from him. Not even pleas from Bishop Matthew Kukah could dissuade Charleyboy.
This isn’t the first time Charleyboy is having issues with Gov. Okorocha. He also walked out on the governor during the Imo State organized Day of Tribute in honour of the late Justice, when the governor climbed the podium to make his speech.
On Friday, Gov. Okorocha was so upset by Charleyboy’s behaviour that he walked out of the service together with his commissioners and security aides.
Immediately after that, the crowd began to disperse for apparent fear of possible breakdown of law and order as security men battled to bring the situation under control.

Boko Haram leader claims recent Nigeria attacks in new video

JUSTICE OPUTA'S CHEQUERED FINAL RITES : How Charly Boy Stormed Out During Imo State Govt Organised Tribute For Late Dad .. PrimeChronicle



You recall CharlyBoy had earlier on warned politicians against turning his late father's burial into a party thing. Turns out he kept true to his word. Because last Wednesday, Charlyboy stormed out with his family during a colloquium organized in honour of his late father by the Imo State government.Speaking with journalists in Owerri yesterday, Charley Boy explained why he had to do that, and according to him, Governor Rochas Okorocha was trying to use his father’s burial to score cheap political points.He said the government held a colloquium in honour of his late father and that despite his earlier warning that the burial should not be politicized, Governor Okorocha gathered all the members of his political party and wanted to turn the event into an APC rally.

The event, tagged Day of Tributes for Late Oputa, which saw Governor Rochas Okorocha, his deputy, Eze Madumere; Senator Chris Ngige; national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Odigie Oyegun, former deputy governor of Imo State, Dr. Douglas Acholonu, and many dignitaries present held at the newly built International Conference Centre in Owerri.
Trouble however started when the master of the ceremony announced that the next person to speak would be the national chairman of APC, Oyegun. No sooner had the APC boss mounted the rostrum than the angry Charley Boy fumed about how his father’s burial was being turned into APC event. He suddenly rose from his seat and stormed out of the event taking his siblings and family members along.

PRIME CHRONICLE

SORROWS TEARS AND BLOOD ... ABUJA BOMB BLAST : VICTIM'S ACCOUNTS : ABUJA BOMB BLAST: “I thought my head was blown off” – Victims recount ordeal ... TodayNews

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Following the Wednesday afternoon bomb blast at the Emab Plaza, Abuja, some of the hospitalised victims at the Maitama District who survived the disturbing incident recounted their experience while speaking with Punch. Amongst the survivors are Donald Tyokasi (student), Sulaiman Ademola (fashion designer) Michael Ojeh(vendor) 
Bomber pretended to be drunk –Tyokasi Tyokasi, a 22-year-old student of the National Open University of Nigeria, said, “I am studying Business Entrepreneurship and Management. “On that fateful day, I just crossed over to buy corn because I was a bit hungry. I bought the corn but when I turned back, I saw the man (bomber) driving a Toyota Sienna and trying to get into the plaza through the exit gate. The security men told him to go back and follow the right way but he was behaving as if he was drunk. “Within seconds after I left that point, I heard a big bang and found myself on the ground. My right leg was affected. Presently, I can’t stand with it. I saw corpses everywhere – 

Ademola Twenty four –year-old Ademola, who is a fashion designer, also said the bomber insisted on going into the Plaza through the exit gate. He added, “When he (bomber) was challenged by the security men at the exit gate, he insisted on going ahead. As he bent his head towards the Sienna that he was driving, I told my friend that we should get away from there. “Within a few seconds, there was an explosion. Many people died and that is why I give thanks to Almighty God. I saw many corpses on the ground. Heads, hands and legs littered everywhere. I thought my head was blown off 

–Olatunji Olatunji, a student of Biology/Integrated Science at the Federal College of Education, Kontangora, Niger State, said he arrived in Abuja from Oyo State on Wednesday only to be welcomed by the blast. He said, “I came from Oyo State yesterday (Wednesday) to hussle and make some money for my school fees before the end of the strike by Polytechnics and colleges of education workers. “As a casual staff with Glo, I normally get Sim cards to sell and make some money. The incident happened when we were going to the mosque to observe the 4pm prayer. On our way, we saw some people arguing and they didn’t allow a car to enter the plaza. “As the argument continued, I heard an explosion and immediately, I saw human flesh and bones littering everywhere. I was confused and I din’t know what I was doing again. I thought my head had been blown off by the blast. I touched my head while on the ground and realised that it was there. I stood up and was looking for help, but help didn’t come immediately.  

The bomber bought newspaper from me –Ojeh Nineteen -year-old Ojeh said the bomber first bought a newspaper from him and asked irrelevant questions before leaving to enter his vehicle. “One man wearing caftan came to buy a newspaper from me and was asking me irrelevant questions. Even when I wanted to give him his change, he wasn’t ready to collect it. He kept asking me irrelevant questions. If I answer him, he would laugh and ask another question. Afterwards, he left and entered his vehicle close to the exit gate of the plaza. It was not long after he left that there was an explosion and I saw myself on the road before the police came .”  

I’m still searching for my husband –Uche Ojeh Mrs Ojeh, who is Micheal’s mother , said she was still searching for her husband, Rufus. She said, “My husband left home around 5 am on Thursday. My son, Michael helps someone to sell newspapers by the plaza. “I have seen my son but I have not seen my husband. My son told me he saw his father as he went to pick a passenger. He gave Michael some money and said after dropping off the passenger, he would go and watch the Nigeria- Argentina World Cup match at home. “He wanted Michael to follow him but the boy said no. Micheal said a man who came to buy newspaper was using delay tactics by asking him questions and immediately he (bomber) left, the bomb exploded. The blood of the bomber was all over my son’s body. As I talk to you now, I don’t know where my husband is. We are still searching for him.

JUST A STROKE OF LUCK OR PROVIDENCE? ... BENUMBING DISCOVERY : 13 bombs found near mosque •Targeted at Friday worshippers (SEE PHOTOS HERE) ... TribuneNews

A major disaster was averted on Friday in Kano as 13 high-calibre Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) targeted at Juma’at worshippers were discovered near a mosque by the state police command. 
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Adenrele Shinaba, displayed the devices to newsmen in the state capital on Friday. 
He said the explosives were discovered at about 1.30 p.m. in a rickety car parked near a mosque at Sauna-Fafunga in Dakata area of Kano metropolis.
“When we got the information, we quickly moved in to the place and in the course of screening the vehicle, our anti-bomb squad discovered the explosives. The explosives were primed to explode when the Juma’at prayer is going on and they can destroy a whole neighbourhood because they are of high calibre,” he said.
Shinaba said the police had to detonate one of them but the Anti-bomb Squad advised that they should be removed from the area. 
“While we detonated one of the explosives, it shook all the buildings around the area and even left cracks in one of the buildings in the vicinity. 
“The cylinders discovered are of high calibre as they can ruin and destroy a whole village,” he said.
Shinaba commended the people of Kano for the timely information they gave to the police which saved the situation.
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He also urged the people to continue to give security agencies useful information to enable them carry out their duties effectively. 
50 terrorists killed in BornoIn a related development, the Defence Headquarters said on Friday that more than 50 suspected terrorists died during a raid on a makeshift camp used by terrorists in Miyanti and Bulungu, Borno. 
In a statement posted on its website, the Defence Headquarters said 53 terrorists died in the encounter, while the troops lost two of their men, and five others sustained injuries.
The statement said that a fuel dump used for storing fuel as well as vehicles, including Toyota Hilux vans, and seven motorcycles; were destroyed in the raid.
It also said that 15 rifles, 11 machine guns and ammunition were recovered  by the troops.
“In a separate encounter around Duguri, near the Nigeria-Niger border, troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force stormed a terrorists’ hideout in a raid. The troops recovered 18 rifles, five general purpose machine guns, 25 hand grenades and IED(improvised explosive devices)-making materials,” it stated.
The statement said a suspected gun runner was apprehended and was being interrogated in connection with the seizures. It said the suspect was arrested during a cordon and search operation by troops.
It said further that 15 other suspects were being detained in Abuja after a raid that led to the recovery of seven rifles, pistols, swords and other weapons. It also said that military operations to track armed gangs would be sustained in various locations.
On Wednesday’s bomb explosion in Abuja, the statement said more explosives were seized from two suspects believed to have coordinated the bombing of the Emab Shopping Plaza in Wuse.
“Bystanders at the scene of the explosion alerted soldiers on patrol to the two suspects who were speeding off on a power bike. The soldiers pursued the fleeing suspects and shot at one who fell off the bike with his bag, while the rider escaped through the crowd.
“The bag recovered from the suspect was later confirmed to contain a package of IEDs and other accessories.
The statement said that the accessories included stop clock, mobile phones and other materials used for setting off explosives.
The statement said the suspect who was shot later died in a hospital while yelling: “People will die! People will die!”
Twenty-one persons were confirmed dead following the explosion, while the wounded are receiving treatment in various hospitals.

JUST A STROKE OF LUCK OR PROVIDENCE? : 13-year-old boy discovers massive bomb near Kano Mosque ... PremiumTimes


The bomb was defused by the police.
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A 13-year-old boy, Friday, discovered a massive bomb placed in a car near a Jumuat Mosque in Kano and promptly alerted the police.
The police spokesperson in Kano, Magaji Majiya, informed PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the boy became suspicious after noticing the abandoned car looking “heavy with loads.”
“The bomb targeting worshippers was placed inside a Toyota Tercel car near a Mosque in Sauna Pfanuga area of Nasarawa Local Government, Kano metropolis,” Mr. Majiya said.
He also said after the boy discovered the bomb he alerted the police nearby and the anti-bomb squad were invited.
“They successfully defused the bomb and site and the car had been taken to Police Headquarters for further investigations and analysis,” he said.
The police spokesperson said no one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
A bomb explosion, which claimed eight lives, took place on Monday at the School of Hygiene in Kano. The Police said they have arrested a suspect in connection with the school bombing.
No group has claimed responsibility for any of the incidents although the insurgent Boko Haram is considered the major suspect.

FOR THE RECORDS ... PRESIDENT JONATHAN WRITES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST : Goodluck Jonathan: Nothing is more important than bringing home Nigeria’s missing girls ... TheWashingtonPost

June 26 at 7:47 PM
Goodluck Jonathan is president of Nigeria.
I have had to remain quiet about the continuing efforts by Nigeria’s military, police and investigators to find the girls kidnapped in April from the town of Chibok by the terrorist group Boko Haram. I am deeply concerned, however, that my silence as we work to accomplish the task at hand is being misused by partisan critics to suggest inaction or even weakness.
My silence has been necessary to avoid compromising the details of our investigation. But let me state this unequivocally: My government and our security and intelligence services have spared no resources, have not stopped and will not stop until the girls are returned home and the thugs who took them are brought to justice. On my orders, our forces have aggressively sought these killers in the forests of northern Borno state, where they are based. They are fully committed to defending the integrity of their country.
My heart aches for the missing children and their families. I am a parent myself, and I know how awfully this must hurt. Nothing is more important to me than finding and rescuing our girls.
Since 2010, thousands of people have been killed, injured, abducted or forced by Boko Haram, which seeks to overwhelm the country and impose its ideology on all Nigerians. My government is determined to make that impossible. We will not succumb to the will of terrorists.

A handout photograph made available by the World Economic Forum shows President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, speaking during the opening plenary session of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Abuja, Nigeria. (Benedikt Von Loebell / World Eco/EPA)

The abduction of our children cannot be seen as an isolated event. Terrorism knows no borders. This month, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Britain and the United States established an External Intelligence Response Unit to share security information on such threats in West Africa. I propose that we build on this step to establish an enduring, worldwide commitment to destroying terrorism and those who finance or give safe haven to the terrorists.
In September, I will urge the U.N. General Assembly to establish a U.N.-coordinated system for sharing intelligence and, if necessary, special forces and law enforcement to confront terrorism wherever it occurs.
In Nigeria, there are political, religious and ethnic cleavages to overcome if we are to defeat Boko Haram. We need greater understanding and outreach between Muslims and Christians. We also know that, as it seeks to recruit the gullible, Boko Haram exploits the economic disparities that remain a problem in our country. We are addressing these challenges through such steps as bringing stakeholders together and creating a safe schools initiative, a victims’ support fund and a presidential economic recovery program for northeastern Nigeria. We are also committed to ridding our country of corruption and safeguarding human and civil rights and the rule of law.
Something positive can come out of the situation in Nigeria: most important, the return of the Chibok girls, but also new international cooperation to deny havens to terrorists and destroy their organizations wherever they are — whether in the forests of Nigeria, on the streets of New York or sanctuaries in Iraq or Pakistan. Those who value humanity , civilization and the innocence of children can do no less.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Kutigi chases journalists out of conference ... VIDEO FOOTAGE

RESPITE FOR A NATION UNDER SIEGE : Update: Adamawa explosion “just roadside bomb” – Police ... PremiumTimes


The Adamawa police on Tuesday said the explosion that occurred at the Kasuwan Kuturu market in Mubi area of Adamawa State was just a roadside bombing.
The Adamawa State Public Relations Officer, Othman Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES that the explosion did not kill or injure anyone.
He also said information received from the Divisional Police Command indicate that no building or infrastructure was destroyed. He said the explosion occurred at 10.45 am.
“We thank God it was just a roadside bomb, there were no casualties, nobody was injured either,” Mr. Abubakar said.
A bomb explosion occurred at Kasuwan Kuturu market in Mubi area of Adamawa State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Adamawa Commissioner of Police, John Abakasanga, had said the explosion targeted a police patrol team.
Adamawa is one of the three states under emergency rule as a result of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.

CHANGING TIMES AND PERCEPTIONS : Jonathan cuts short Equatorial Guinea trip, to return Thursday over Abuja blast ... PremiumTimes


President Goodluck Jonathan has immediately suspended his plan to attend an African Union, A.U., summit in Equatorial Guinea, and will return to Nigeria Thursday after a car bomb killed at least 21 people in Abuja Wednesday.
The president travelled to the Central African nation Wednesday for the A.U. meeting just as a blast hit Emba plaza, a busy shopping complex in Wuse 2, Abuja.
Police said 21 persons had been confirmed dead and 17 injured. Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, said one suspect was arrested.
Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, contacted PREMIUM TIMES late Wednesday to react to an earlier story about the president’s decision to continue the trip amid the explosion.
Mr. Abati denied that the president travelled while Abuja was attacked.
He said the president departed Abuja 3.30 pm Wednesday, which would mean about 30 minutes before the blast. Witnesses had said the bomb occurred at about 4p.m.
He said the president and his entourage were arriving at their hotel in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital, when they received news of the attack.
The president took an immediate decision to return to Nigeria early Thursday, Mr. Abati said.
Mr. Jonathan travelled left to participate in the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Summit of Heads of State and Government, Mr. Abati said in a statement.
He was accompanied by his wife, Patience, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Water Resources, Health and Industry Trade and Investment.
The president planned to return on Friday.
In an earlier statement, Mr. Abati said the discussion at the summit would focus on the evolution and implementation of fresh strategies and measures to improve agricultural production and food security in the continent, among others.
He said this is keeping with the AU’s declaration of 2014 as the Year of Agriculture and Food Security.
The president and other African leaders, participating in the summit, will also deliberate on the appointment of judges of the African Court of Justice, the statement said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
“They will deliberate on the appointment of judges of the African Human Rights Court of Justice and the appointment of the President and Vice-President of the Pan-African University,” the statement had said.
“The African heads of state and government will also consider and adopt the decisions and recommendations of the 25th Regular Session of the African Union’s Executive Board.
“They will also consider the Declarations of the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Conference of the union.’’
The presidential delegation is expected back in Abuja at the end of the summit on Friday.

TODAY'S ABUJA BOMB BLAST ... AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT : “I’ve neva seen so much body parts”: Heartbreaking story of how Abuja shopping plaza was bombed (TWEETS, PHOTOS) ...(Viewer Discretion) ... YNaijNews

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An eyewitness who was at the scene of the bomb blast which, according to the police, has killed twenty one people and injured seventeen others today has given an account of the deadly incident via the social media network, Twitter.
The witness tweeting from the handle @LuchyLuccious  explained the terrifying incident which reportedly damaged properties including 17 cars parked close to the entrance of the plaza.
According to the twitter user, “The bomb blast was from a Red Volkswagen Golf. Driver and passenger parked between Banex and Emab, ran out and moments later, explosion occurred.
“Met this guy that helped pack bodies. According to him the car with the bomb couldn’t get into the plaza, because a learner blocked the entrance of the plaza. The driver of the said vehicle parked at the exit and took off in a waiting power bike.” She continued, “The zenith bank, diamond bank, pizzarama, pathcare windows and buildings around there all affected by the impact.”
Read the eyewitness account of the bomb blast which happened around 3:55pm:
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One suspect has been arrested in connection with the bombing.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

WHEN A STRONG MILITARY IS A COMPLEMENT AND NOT A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY ... LET'S FIX NIGERIA : With 56m People in 1970, Nigeria Had a Military Strength of 250,000 and the Arsenal; In 2014, with 170m People, the Country has 100,000 Troops and a Depleted Armoury. How Do We Expect to Defeat Boko Haram? ... ThisDayLive

030614F.Nigeria-Defence-Hea.jpg - 030614F.Nigeria-Defence-Hea.jpg
Defence Hqs

  •   Presidential c’ttee indicts military over Chibok kidnapping
Roland Ogbonnaya รข€¨
The story of Nigeria’s military is a microcosm of the country: One that started on an enviable slate but has ended up a shadow of its former self, THISDAY investigations have revealed.
Starting from 1970, immediately after the civil war, Nigeria with a population of 56.132 million boasted a military strength of 250,000 troops, which was by far the largest in West Africa.
Retired military officers, who spoke to THISDAY with a history of the country’s military might, added that in the early 1970s, the armed forces also had the arsenal to boot.
Today, however, a retired army general said that with a population of 170.2 million, a little over 100,000 armed forces personnel that are ill-equipped, poorly trained and poorly motivated troops are expected to defend the territorial integrity of the country from internal and external aggression.
With Nigeria currently at war with the terrorist group, Boko Haram, he wondered how the federal government expects to win the war against a deranged group that has killed over 12,000 innocent citizens of the country in a space of five years and is lusting for more blood.
Going down memory lane, the general said the decimation of Nigeria’s military started in the 1980s after the overthrow of President Shehu Shagari.
“Shagari was the last president that made a conscious effort to equip the military adequately. Before he was overthrown, his administration ordered 50 Chinook helicopters for carrying equipment and armed forces personnel. He also ordered several armoured vehicles and ensured that the armouries in all the divisions were well equipped.
“But when a succession of military rulers took over, starting from Major-General Muhammadu Buhari to General Ibrahim Babangida and the late General Sani Abacha, they went out of their way to demobilise the army for their own selfish reasons,” he revealed.
He added that even when former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general who should have reversed the rot, assumed office in 1999, he continued on the same path as his successors in order to weaken and depoliticise the armed forces and prevent over-ambitious officers from overthrowing his government.
To buttress the general’s point, globalsecurity.org, a website dedicated to defense, military and weapons systems news and information on armed forces worldwide, described the Nigerian military as “a large, complex organisation: The Nigerian military contains a number of contradictions, incongruities, and internal disjunctions.
“It is the largest, most capable military in West Africa with major foreign deployments under ECOWAS and the AU, as well as extensive UN peacekeeping commitments.
“At the same time, chronic under-resourcing has led to low operational readiness, lack of training, and relatively poor conditions of service.
“These problems, along with endemic corruption, have made the Nigerian military somewhat of a hollow giant resting on its reputation -- more capable than any other force in the sub-region, but considerably less capable than it should be with tens of thousands of troops and a large stock of major weapons systems and other equipment.
“A high percentage of the heart of the force -- the 60,000-soldier strong army's 25 infantry battalions -- are capable of little more than basic defensive operations.”
It is on this same premise, THISDAY gathered, that the Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, in its report submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan last Friday indicted the military for the kidnapping of 276 female students from their school.
According to a source on the committee, the report by the committee led by Brigadier-General Ibrahim Sabo (rtd), came down heavily on the military for not responding to intelligence reports before the attack on the Chibok community and the abduction of the schoolgirls over 70 days.
The committee, which advised the federal government to keep its report classified for the sake of national security and so as not to jeopardise the release of 219 schoolgirls who remain in captivity, also said in the report that the military also failed to respond to the attack on Chibok because the soldiers were ill-equipped and ill-motivated.
Also, contrary to expectations, the fact-finding committee absolved the Borno State Government of complicity in the kidnapping of the schoolgirls and failure to provide security at the Government Secondary School, Chibok, on the day of the attack as it was one of the five designated centres in Borno State for the West African Examination Council School Certificate (WAECSC) that was holding at the time.
The source on the committee further revealed that the report stated that apart from the 219 girls that remain in captivity, 57 who had at different times escaped, two policemen were also kidnapped on the night of April 14.
He said the report, however, stated that the two policemen who were kidnapped alongside with the girls had since regained their freedom when security forces attacked a village said to have been occupied by the Boko Haram sect.
When contacted on the issue, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, refused to discuss the report of the fact-finding committee, stating that it was a classified document and could not be commented on.
He explained that he was unaware of the findings of the committee report and as a result, could not deny or confirm THISDAY inquiries.
However, a presidency source denied that two policemen were kidnapped alongside the girls, stating that the report of the committee never made a reference to policemen.
The committee was inaugurated by the president a few weeks after the abduction of the schoolgirls.
Its terms of reference included to liaise with the Borno State Government and establish the circumstances leading to the school remaining open for boarding students when other schools were closed; and to liaise with the relevant authorities and the parents of the missing girls to establish the actual number and identities of the girls abducted and to interface with the security services and the Borno State Government to ascertain how many of the missing girls had returned.

TEN STEPS TO DEFEAT BOKO HARAM

  •   Equip the military
  •   Commence an aggressive recruitment drive
  •   Establish the Nigerian Armed Forces Reserves
  •   Invest in new technologies and training
  •   Build barracks and pay the troops a living wage
  •   Plug leakages and stem corruption
  •   Reintroduce professionalism and de-emphasise federal character
  •   Enter into military alliances with friendly nations
  •   Court martial traitors and sympathisers of Boko Haram
  •   Adequately compensate families that lose troops at the warfront