Presidency angry with CDS, Badeh, over Chibok girls’ sighting claim

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has reportedly incurred the wrath of the Presidency over his claim that the military has sighted the 270 girls seized from the dormitory by Boko Haram terrorists last month.
President Jonathan, it was learnt Wednesday, was unhappy with the claim by the defence chief, which he considers as a breach of military tactics capable of hindering the move to free the children, who have been in the kidnappers’ den for the seven weeks running.
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and President Jonathan
A top Presidency source told news agents last night that the Jonathan considered the CDS claim as an unnecessary outburst, which could frustrate ongoing efforts by the multinational team currently in the country to salvage the girls.
The source, which did not want to be quoted because he was not authorised to speak to the press on the matter, said President Jonathan was still at a loss as to why Badeh made the statement at a time he was expected to be more cautious over the contentious issue, which is generating interest across the globe.
“Indeed the President is really upset over the claim and we do not know what will happen,” the source said but did not give further details.
Our news agents further learnt that the claim by the CDS was the subject of analysis during the weekly security meeting between security chiefs and the President last Monday.
Badeh had during a solidarity rally organised by the Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness, led by its National Coordinator, Mr. Chidi Omeze, outside the Defence Headquarters, Abuja on Monday, said that the military was aware of the location of the Chibok girls and that something was being done to free them.
Badeh said: “The good news for the girls is that we know where they are but we cannot tell you, we cannot come and tell you military secrets here. Just leave us alone, we are working, we would get the girls back.”
He stated, “We want our girls back; we want our girls back; we can do it, our military can do it but where they are held, can we go with force?
“If we go with force, what will happen? So nobody should come and say the Nigerian military does not know what it is doing. We know what we are doing; we can’t go and kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back. So we are working,” he said.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, has also slammed Badeh over the claim, saying that it was unnecessary in counterproductive to the current move to free the children and reunite them with their parents.

#BringBackOurGirls: ’4 more abducted schoolgirls have escaped

The Chairman, Chibok Local government Council, Mr Bana Lawan, said on Wednesday that four more of the 221 abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) had escaped from their abductors.
Lawan gave the information in Abuja at a one-day stakeholders meeting for validation of draft humanitarian response plan for the abducted girls.
The meeting was organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
He said the girls escaped on Tuesday to bring the number of girls who had escaped to 57.
Represented by the council’s Director of Personnel and Management, Mr Musa Kolo, the chairman said the girls fell ill and were released by their captors.
Lawan commended Nigerians for showing concern and support for Chibok people, saying  the support had restored the hope and aspiration of the people for the return of peace to the community.
He commended the Federal Government’s prompt intervention through the provision of relief items for the people.
He urged the Federal Government to resuscitate the facilities destroyed by the insurgents and improve security in the affected school to boost the morale of the students.
Lawan explained that boys were encouraged to attend GGSS in Chibok because of the lack of education facilities in the area and appealed for the construction of boys’ hostels in the school.
He said the construction of the hostels would reduce the hardship faced by the students, who attended school from afar.
Lawan, who also decried the poor health facilities in the area, appealed for the deployment of medical personnel and teachers to the area.
He said the deployment of National Youth Service Corps members to the area would boost the educational and health needs of the people of Chibok.
Earlier, NEMA Director-General Alhaji Mohammad Sani-Sidi said the meeting was aimed at strengthening the coordination mechanism for humanitarian response in Chibok.
“While the Federal Government is working towards the safe release of the abducted girls, it is important that a sectoral response plan is prepared for their rehabilitation and reintegration back to normal life.
“The objective of the meeting is to integrate all sectoral response plans into one holistic multi-sectoral response plan to avoid duplication of efforts,’’ Sani-Sidi said.
He said NEMA and other actors had intervened in crisis occasioned by insurgency in Chibok by providing food and other items, water and medicaments for the affected people.
Also the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Dauda Toure, said the organisation had mapped out a 75 million-dollar intervention plan for states affected by the state of emergency in the north-east.
According to him, the UN system in Nigeria has developed an integrated response package to address the humanitarian needs in Chibok.
He said the UN system would intervene in the areas of health, peace and conflict resolution, water and sanitation, among others. (NAN)

Femi Otedola pledges N1bn support for education in Lagos

  Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Wednesday said that business mogul, Mr Femi Otedola, had pledged to make a contribution of N1billion toward  funding scholarships in the state.
Fashola announced the pledge at a programme organised by the state government to honour the business mogul’s father, the late Sir Michael Otedola, a former governor of the state.
The  programme, “Day of Tributes for Otedola,“ was attended by prominent personalities, friends and members of the Otedola family.
Some of the personalities present at the programme include another former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Osun State, retired Brig-Gen Olagunsoye Oyinlola and businessman Aliko Dangote .
Members of the Lagos State Executive Council and prominent community leaders from Odoragunshi, the deceased’s hometown, were also present at the occasion.
Fashola said that Otedola would disburse the funds through The Otedola Foundation and it would be mainly deployed to provide scholarships for indigent students.
The governor said the state government would work closely with the foundation to ensure the funds were  utilised strictly for the  purpose it was meant for.
“Femi Otedola, the son of late Otedola, has requested me to announce that he will be making a contribution of N1billion toward funding scholarships in the state.
“I have told him that our government will work with him and the Otedola Foundation to develop the modalities to ensure that that the funds achieve its purpose in a most transparent and sustainable manner “he said.
Fashola described the late Otedola as a great leader who did so much to promote the interest of the state and its people.
The governor said the strong convictions of the former governor, even in the face of uncertainties, made him even more remarkable.
He said the ideological message that the late Otedola sent by leaving his private business to contest the governorship election where the odds were stacked against him, meant he was a genius.
“In my view, it is the idea behind his foray into politics that endures beyond his physical contributions.
“An idea that every generation must borrow from. The idea that nothing is impossible and that convictions and hard work can make dreams possible.
“That is one legacy of late Gov. Otedola that will not die. It is a lesson for both the old and young that nothing can be considered impossible or lost until genuine attempts have been made to achieve it,“ he said.
Fashola described the late Otedola as a model of excellence, saying his choice of the sobriquet “Centre of Excellence “for the state when he was governor reflected his hunger for excellence.
The governor said that the programme was organised to celebrate the achievements of the late Otedola, with a view to drawing inspiration to further move the state forward.
Fashola thanked the widow of the deceased, Lady Doja, and other members of the family for allowing the state government to be a part of what ordinarily should be a family funeral programme.
“`I must thank her and commend her grace for allowing us to play a role. I say this because a funeral is first and foremost a family and personal affair.
“But in life`s journey, men and women renounce their personal space to undertake a noble calling of public service; when this happens, it changes many things, not only during their lifetime, but also in death“ he said.
Sen. Bola Tinubu, another former governor of the state, described  the late Otedola as a distinguished gentleman who served the state meritoriously.
Tinubu, who was represented by Mr Abiodun Ogunleye, a former deputy governor of the state, said his exemplary leadership would be sorely missed.
“We will miss him greatly. I thank God for his life and for his notable contributions to humanity.
“He was a distinguished gentleman. May his soul rest in peace,“ he said.
Another former governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, said that  Otedola`s demise was a great loss, noting that his imperishable record of service will be remembered for a long time.
Simialrly, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, a business mogul, described the deceased as man of dignity who did much to touch the lives of Lagosians.
“His death is a great loss but we thank the Almighty for granting him useful years that were most beneficial to mankind. We shall continue to pray for the repose of his soul,’’ he said.
One of the late Otedola`s daughters, Mrs Lola Segun-Idaho, described her father as a good listener.
She said he was an epitome of care, discipline and integrity, noting that he never took what did not belong to him.
“My father was a man of integrity who would not take what did not belong to him. I remember when he was given two vehicles by the state government after he left office as governor.
“We told him: You are not using these vehicles, why don’t you give them out? But he declined, saying the vehicles belonged to the state and not him.
“The two vehicles, a jeep and a car are still parked in his compound in Epe.  He was such an honest man“, she said.
Ms Julie Coker, a colleague of the late Otedola at Western Nigerian Television (WNTV), said he was a hardworking journalist who demonstrated excellence in all he did.
Coker said it was difficult to fill his position when Otedola left WNTV to work at Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited.
Alhaji  Surajudeen Badru, speaking on behalf of the people of Odoragushin, Otedola`s hometown, said the former governor did much to uplift the people of his community.
He said the giving of scholarships to indigent students from the area and the construction of a College of Education were some of the good things he did in his hometown.
Badru said the decision of late Otedola to settle down in Epe immediately after leaving office until his death reflected the great love he had for the town and his people.
The community leader said Otedola would be missed by all the people in his community for his generosity and care for the needy.
NAN reports that Otedola, who governed Lagos from 1991 to 1992, died on May 5 at  88.
He will be buried on May 30 at his hometown in Epe.(NAN)

Jos bombing: One suspect arrested

Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence Information, on Wednesday, said security agents had arrested one suspect in connection with the May 20 bombing in Jos Central Market, Plateau.
He made the disclosure at a joint news conference by the National Information Centre, Abuja.
He said the suspect was already providing the lead for subsequent aspects of investigation into the incident.
According to him, security agencies are carrying out nationwide surveillance and that the surveillance is yielding positive results.
Olukolade said “a number of persons, who are planning to continue the bombing spree, have also been arrested.
“But as a mark of vigilance of the security agencies, as well as the citizens who are giving useful information, the bomb planners were apprehended.
“Troops have continued to raid locations and in the course of which, a number of arrests have been made in places like Kachia in Kaduna State and Zamfara.’’
The defence information director said arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects, adding that the raid would continue so as to check violence in the country.
He also confirmed the killing of 25 security personnel, comprising 12 soldiers and 13 policemen at Buni Yadi town, Yobe, by the Boko Haram insurgents on Tuesday.
He said “I wish to confirm to you that there was a massive attack on Buni Yadi town in Yobe, where some gallant soldiers and policemen lost their lives.
“The casualty stands at 12 soldiers and 13 policemen, as revealed by initial investigations into the incident.’’

Tenant arraigned for owing electricity bill, rent

Mararaba -  A civil servant, Patrick Yani, 45, on Wednesday appeared in a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State for refusing to pay electricity bill and rent.
Joseph Yelwa, 50, his landlord, who lives in Kwuchikawo, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, dragged Yani to court for
refusing to pay his 15 months electricity bill of N30,581.
Yelwa, through his counsel, Ms Joy Wolu, told court that the last time Yani paid his rent was on March 6.
She told the court that Yani moved out secretly, without informing her client.
The counsel said that Yani was also owing energy bill of 15 months.
She prayed the court to assist her client to recover his money.
The counsel, also prayed the court to order Yani to pay N25,000 legal fee.
Yani who had no counsel to defend him, accepted owing the energy bill but raised an objection on the two months house rent.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Habila Abundaga, ordered Yani to get legal representation.
Abundaga then adjourned the matter until June 18 for hearing.(NAN)

Gunmen strangulates Kogi monarch

LOKOJA – Unknown gunmen on Tuesday night invaded the palace of the Ojikpada Egume, in Dekina Local Government area of the State, killing the traditional ruler, Chief Isah Edimeh and one other vigilante leader in the area, Mohammed Wada.
Confirming the incidents Wednesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Sa’idu Madawaki said the killers who struck around 9 pm, dragged Edime; a former Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial aspirant in the state, to the road and shot him dead.
The CP disclosed that Edime; who was also a former Director of FRCN, had last year reported to the police of a threat to his life; a case file Madawaki said he was about to re-open before the assassins took the monarch’s life.
According to the CP: “It is confirmed. The case is still under investigation. The man had come to report about a case of threat to his life in 2013. I came to know about it today. Because I was not the CP then.
“He was shot. I saw signs of blood, there was blood stain. They took him from the village and took him near the road. When they came they were speaking Igalla language.” Madawaki stressed.
The gunmen who were said to have came in a Sienna car also attacked the house of the head of the village vigilante group, Mohammed Wada where he was killed while observing his night prayer.

Omeruo extends chelsa stay

Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo has signed a new contract which will keep him at Chelsea FC until 2018.
The 20-year-old defender, who is part of the Nigeria World Cup squad, said: ‘I’m thrilled to sign a new contract with Chelsea and am really excited about the future.
‘To play at such a fantastic club is a real honour for me and I’ll be working incredibly hard to be successful. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in England so far and can’t wait to get going.’
Omeruo operates mainly as a centre-back but is also comfortable on the right. He made one appearance for Chelsea Under-21s in November having recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined at the beginning of the campaign. He then spent the second half of the season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, where he made 14 appearances.
The Nigerian has already gained significant experience at international level, becoming an African champion last January before appearing in last summer’s Confederations Cup in Brazil

Nobody is safe in this country- Kwakwanso

Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso said the country was unprepared for the level of violence from Boko Haram Islamists, saying, “everyone is tired of our situation now because nobody is safe in this country.”
Gov kwakwanso
Gov kwakwanso
He disclosed this in an interview with AFP, yesterday. Kwankwaso said the insurgency was fuelled by social and economic inequalities in the region compared to the richer, oil-producing south.
He said Jonathan, a Christian from southern Bayelsa state, had failed to heed advice and address the problems.
“There is a very strong correlation between poverty, unemployment and illiteracy on the one hand and of course the issue of insurgency or insecurity on the other,” Kwankwaso said.
“A very poor man who is looking for something to eat can easily be persuaded by the insurgents to be recruited. So, also, the unemployed and the illiterate. And that is exactly what is happening.
“The president has been warned by many people in and outside the country, including (former US) secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
“I’m sure there are many people that told him that long before now but he didn’t take the advice and now we are reaping the consequences.”
Kwankwaso said he welcomed the help of “friendly countries” in the search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters last month.
But he questioned why Nigeria was no longer able to tackle the situation on its own, given the military’s history of involvement in peacekeeping operations overseas.
“Under normal circumstances, Nigeria should be strong enough to defend itself. We don’t have to ask our friends — the US, UK and so on — to come and help us.
“I have to say that it is very disappointing today that we have to ask some countries to come and help us because as at the time I left office as the minister of defence, we had the capacity to protect every square metre of this country.
“I don’t know what went wrong but this is where we have found ourselves. We have to look for support from elsewhere and that is what those in the saddle of leadership are looking for,” he said.
Kwankwaso said the five-year insurgency had left everyone a target, from ordinary civilians to the police, military, government officials and traditional rulers.
His own father narrowly escaped injury after gunmen attacked a mosque in his village in January, killing three worshippers.
The range of people attacked put paid to claims that politicians in the north were stoking the insurgency as a way of destabilising the government in Abuja, he added.
“Every class is a victim and we hope the government works as tirelessly as possible to end this state of insecurity we are now facing.”

Muslim clerics speak on return of Jesus?

Shiek Abdul Fatai Muhammed Buhari Inakoju is a Director, Religion and Operation, Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board. He speaks on the coming again of Jesus.
Islam as a religion believes in the second coming of Jesus Christ.  I believe in Jesus Christ as the messenger of Allah and as the son of Mary. (may the blessings of God be upon him).
The teachings of Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w) explains that Jesus Christ is coming this time to propagate the word of God and importantly to do things he was unable to do during his life time on earth due to the direction and assignment given to him by his Master, Allah.
But his second coming will give him the chance to marry and give birth to children.  The second coming of Jesus Christ signifies the end of time and there will be a great fight between him and Dajjai (anti Christ) and Christ will overcome.
Jesus will be buried in Medina
Alhaji Lateef Laguda is the Chairman, Ansar-ud-een Society of Nigeria, Festac Branch. He bares his mind on the issue of Jesus return.
“Christianity and Islam both hold to the firm conviction that Jesus Christ, who lived in the land of Israel nearly twenty centuries ago, was raised alive to heaven and will return to earth in the fulness of time.”
“It is universally accepted in the world of Islam that Jesus Christ will eventually return to earth. Jesus  will descend in the Middle East where he will destroy the Dajjal (Antichrist), that he will lead the whole world to embrace Islam, that he will marry and have children, and that he will die after forty years and be buried in Medina alongside the tombs of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Umar.
The Qur’anic text invariably referred to in support of the doctrine that Jesus will return to earth towards the end of human history.”
“And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): Therefore have no doubt about the (Hour) but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way. Surah 43.61″
“There are obviously key differences between Christian and Muslim beliefs regarding the return of Jesus from heaven but the fact is universally agreed on. Christians do not accept that he will come to live again as an ordinary human being on earth, least of all that he will die and be buried. Nevertheless, Jesus is coming the second time to make the ungodly believe in Allah.”
Jesus was not crusified— Alh Jamiu Adeyanju
“All Muslim believes in the coming back of Jesus before the Day of Resurrection. He will return to become a leader of the Muslim nation as has been revealed in the Quarn and Hadith of the Holy Prophet.”
“First, Allah made it clear in the Qran that every single soul shall died (according to Q62:8, 63:11 etc) and fully understood our Holy Book that surely Jesus as a living soul will die too but until he returns to this earth. While we (Muslim) believe that Jesus did not die; we strongly believe according to our Holy Book that he was raised up by Allah and would descend in time to come for other special assignment from Allah before he died.”
“Allah almighty says in the Quran:”And their saying (in boast): We killed the Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the semblance of Jesus was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no (certainty of) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjectures”  Q4:157.”
“For a surely; they killed him not (i.e Jesus) but Allah raised him up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heaven), And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All Wise”  Q4:158″
“I so much love a verse in the Bible that testified a word from Jesus about his coming back as well but was misconceived and misinterpreted by the claimed followers of Jesus.”
“Jesus said: “A little while and ye shall not see me; and again a little while, ye shall see me, because I go to God”  John 16:16
“Lastly, Our Holy prophet also told us about his coming back an Hadith Narrated by Abu Huraira (Ra): Allahs Messenger (s.a.w) said: “By Him (Allah) in whose Hands my soul is; Surely Jesus will shortly descend amongst you (Muslims) and will judge mankind justly by the law of the Quarn and will break the cross and kill the pigs and abolish the Jizya (Tax levied upon non-Muslims who are under the protection of a Muslim government), then there will be abundance of money and nobody will accept charitable gifts” (Sahih Al-Bukhari).”

Adeboye denies cursing pastor for remarrying

GENERAL Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday, warned mischief- makers who had capitalised on perceived frosty relationship between him and a  former pastor of his church, declaring that he did not curse Pastor Ituah Ighodalo.
Speaking publicly for the first time on the controversial exit of the former pastor of Christ Church Parish of RCCG, who was suspended from the pulpit after as second marriage to former beauty queen, the RCCG helmsman warned those he described as trouble-makers to desist from such acts.
Addressing worshippers at the Redemption Camp on the  Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the end of the November edition of the Holy Ghost Service, Pastor Adeboye acknowledged that there was a little disagreement between the church and Ighodalo over certain doctrinal differences, but said he had no quarrel with him.
According to him,  Ighodalo left the church a few months ago to establish his own ministry, as a result of that doctrinal disagreement, but he remains “a wonderful man of God. Ituah is my son and he remains my son.”
He said he was making the clarifications to dispel rumours making the rounds that he had placed a curse on the chartered accountant who remarried two years ago after efforts to bring his first wife to join him in Nigeria failed 10 years after their wedding in the UK.”
Ighodalo  was suspended early this year, two years after his marriage to former beauty queen, Ibidunni Ajayi, in  Ibadan because, according to sources, he had by that action contravened the church’s doctrines and laid down doctrine of not remarrying.
He remained an ordinary member of the church until last July when he decided to establish his own ministry, Trinity House.

Driver docked for stealing employer’s car

LAGOS— A 39‑year‑old driver, Ayodele Adeleke, yesterday, appeared before an Igbosere magistrate’s court in Lagos for stealing his employer’s car.
Adeleke, who resides at 199, Sagamu Express Road, Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, is facing a one-count charge of stealing.
The prosecutor, ASP Charles Odii, told the court that the driver committed the offence on December 8, 2013 at 11, Unity Drive, in Akowonjo area of the state.
He said the defendant, stole an unregistered Honda CRV car valued at N1.3 million belonging to his employer, one Iseoluwa Elkana.
Odii further stated that Adeleke stole the car on the pretext of cleaning the car, at the residence of his employer and absconded with the vehicle.
According to Odii, the offence is punishable under Section 285(10) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
Section 285(10) prescribes a jail term of seven years for anyone found guilty of stealing a motor vehicle.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
Magistrate E. Kubenje granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate adjourned the case till June 18.

4 monarchs, councillor, 10 others arraigned over theft of voters’ cards

LOKOJA — THE Kogi State Police Command, yesterday, arraigned four traditional rulers and 11 others for allegedly carting away some permanent voters’ cards being distributed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state.
The traditional rulers are Mallam Ibrahim Mamud, the Okatama of Jamata and a third class chief; Alhaji Jubril Idris, the Ogidiga of Ohono; Mallam Musa Abu, the Ohiho of Iziho and Mallam Shaibu Momoh, the Ohiho of Gbaude
Others are Hon. Musa Adekeke, Musa Amodu, Gambo Audu,Yakubu Alli, Salisu Musa, among others.
The suspects were charged for trying to truncate the 2015 general election, criminal conspiracy, screening offender, and theft contrary to Sections 97(e), 167 and 287 of the Penal Code Law.
Police prosecutor said one Buki Ezekiel of the ‘B’ Police division, Lokoja reported that the suspects attacked one INEC official by name Onwajeheri Gabriel, who was issuing permanent voters’ cards to members of the public at Ijiho Primary School and in the process conspired and forcefully carted away a carton containing some permanent voters’ cards.
The Police prosecutor, who prayed the court to deny the accused persons bail owing to the weight of the offence and the fact that the Police have not concluded their investigations, said only 433 have so far been recovered from the accused persons while 535 cards are still missing.
All the 15 accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty.
Bail application
Counsel to the accused, Moses Enwerem, who appeared for the first to the sixth accused persons and one M. J. Samuel who appeared for the 7th-15th accused persons, both opposed the submission of the prosecution, saying the offence was not a capital offence.
Samuel specifically said the traditional rulers were never arrested by the Police at the scene but were only picked up when they volunteered to make peace in their respective domains.
He said they were at home at the time of the incident and were the actual persons who retrieved the stolen voters’ cards from their subjects who ran away with the carton of voters’ cards only for them to be arrested and detained.
He also said the councillor went to bail the traditional rulers when he too was subsequently detained.
The trial judge, Levi Animaku, who in his ruling said bail was a constitutional matter and the right of the accused persons, noted that the court was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the traditional rulers were men of integrity most of whom he said are advanced in age.
He, therefore, granted the accused bail in the sum of N30,000 each with a surety in the like sum.
He  adjourned the case till June 23 for further mention.

Facebook ‘block’ shakes coup-hit Thailand

BANGKOK – Facebook users in coup-rattled Thailand reacted with alarm Wednesday after experiencing widespread problems accessing the social networking site, but the junta quickly denied imposing a block.
“Urgent: Facebook has been suspended,” one user wrote on Twitter.
“Surely that would be suicide. Whole country would protest,” wrote another user.
But just minutes later users celebrated: “Facebook is back!!”
The military regime which seized power on May 22 said it had not pulled the plug on the site.
“We have not ordered a block of Facebook — it’s not our policy,” said army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree.
“Facebook experienced a slight technical failure and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is working to fix it now,” he said.
But some users were unconvinced, speculating that it could have been a trial run for a possible blackout in the future, or a warning shot to social media users not to criticise the coup.
Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are hugely popular in the country.
The junta has warned it would block any social media platforms found to carry content that incites violence or is critical of its military leaders.(AFP)

Viewing centre blast: Evil mission partially aborted

SEVENTY-TWO hours after Jos, the Plateau State capital, experienced twin blasts which left about 100 dead and several injured persons still lying critically ill in hospitals, another explosion occurred at the Bauchi road axis of the town at about 9pm on Saturday. This time, the target was a viewing centre where about 300 youths were watching the European Champions League final.
The lone bomber who was prevented from the targeted spot, detonated the bomb, apparently in annoyance, killing himself and three other persons in the process. Two others were injured and are now receiving treatment in hospitals.

Jos Blast
Viewing centre
Operatives of the Special Task Force, STF, keeping the peace in Plateau State as well as the State Police Command confirmed the incident during a chat with Vanguard Metro, VM. The Media spokesman of the STF, Capt Ikedichi Iweha told VM on phone that some vehicles and property were burnt during the incident.
He said: “We are putting the findings together but for the record, three persons have been confirmed dead and two others injured, that is the figure for now. The bomb was targeted at a viewing centre in the area but fortunately, it exploded without hitting the target”.
The Plateau State Police commissioner, Mr. Chris Olakpe affirmed this, adding that: “A lone bomber carried the bomb in a car and was heading towards a television viewing centre, the target of his attack.
”He was unsettled by the presence of youths and security operatives and detonated the bomb before getting to his target. I can confirm to you that three people were killed and three others wounded.
The dead included the loan bomber while the death included one Alhaji Bello, the owner of the house in front of where the bomb went off and his friend”.
However, the North Central Zone, Principal Planning Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mohammed Suleiman gave a different figure. According to him: “During our search and rescue, we discovered three bodies that night but in the morning we discovered one more body and two persons were injured. The injured persons were taken to Al-Isan hospital in Angwan Rogo and the other one is at Gambaji Hospital in Yan Shanu”.
Speaking on the death of Alhaji Bello the owner of the house where the suicide bomber blew himself, the younger brother, Ibrahim Shehu Masala told MV: “Around 8:30pm I came into my elder brother’s compound and met him arguing with someone about the presence of the person’s car in his premise. He asked the driver of the car to remove the car but the man refused.
“He went into the house and instructed his wife and children to leave the house. After they had gone, he came back and called a neighbour, telling him that he suspects the vehicle.
“They insisted that the driver removed the vehicle but he refused but later agreed to do so. As he entered the car, they insisted that he must drive away.
”Though I had gone into the my own compound, but I could hear them. When he started the car, the bomb exploded and my brother and his friend who had come to talk to the driver were killed”.
Shehu added: “Five minutes after I left the scene, the bomb exploded, I was just lucky not being there as I would have been affected”.
The late Bello has two wives and eight children, according to the viewing centre owner
Another eye witness, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed who told VM he overheard the argument but his mind was on the match said: “Many of us did not really pay attention to what was happening but thank God for those people who stopped the evil man; many of us would have been dead by now”.
Businesses in town
Meanwhile, the owner of the Viewing centre, Salamanu Ahmed Ali, told VM on phone he is not interested in running the viewing centre any more as he would not have been able to live with guilt had his patrons perished.
He said: “The situation is very unfortunate, I don’t know what to say or how to describe it. I lost my elder brother, Alhaji Bello, in the incident because he was suspecting the driver; now see what happened.
Jos Blast
Jos Blast
”I am not interested in the business any longer. I am a Marine Engineer by profession and I’m running other businesses in town, I will concentrate on those ones because I’m so scared now. If the driver had had his way and many people died, I don’t know how I would have lived with the situation”.
He confirmed that the family of the late Bello are taking refuge with relatives as their building was destroyed by the explosion.
Reacting to the incident, Member representing Jos North-North Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Baba Hassan, said: “It is a very terrible situation; at times I lack words to express myself. It just happened some days ago at terminus market and now it has happened again on Bauchi road.
“We condemn this act; this is something we only watch on television and now we are seeing it even here in Jos North. I’m calling on the youths to come together and fight this thing, because this is a war on Nigerians. Bauchi road is 100% Muslims, and the target was the viewing centre not this house. So as you can see, it is a war on everybody”.
Also, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Mallam Idi Waziri stated thus: “This war is not for the government alone, it is for everybody. These people are living with us, they are within us and we must fish them out.
“Government cannot provide security to all households in Nigeria, everybody must be a partaker in ensuring that we fight this war. It is not the issue of religion or tribe, but it is an issue that some people have made up their mind to kill their fellow human beings and they want to continue.
“It is a deliberate attempt to frustrate government’s efforts towards development. We will continue to call on citizens of Plateau State in particular to remain calm, resolute and firm towards ensuring that we fight and win the war and collectively, and celebrate it, God’s willing”.

Aftermath of Jos blasts: Fear grips Bauchi resident

Just when everybody thought that the spate of bomb attacks in the North-East part of the country was gradually fizzling out, residents of Jos in Plateau State were once again rattled by two fresh bomb attacks in less than a week. In the first incident which happened on the May 20, 2014, two bombs exploded one after the other at a business-busy area packed with commuters and traders, leaving at least 118 people dead.
Jos-blast-viewing-centre1
The second explosion occurred on a Saturday along Bauchi road, close to a football viewing centre by University of Jos. Eyewitnesses said the bomber approached the viewing centre while sports fans were watching the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, but could not get there before his car exploded.
However, with the frequent occurrences of bomb attacks in some targeted parts of the North, most neighbouring states close to Plateau State are constantly living in fear of the unknown as nobody knows which state is the next target. This is presently the case in Bauchi State as everybody has become extra security conscious in response to the ugly experiences of bomb attacks.
Just last week, there was a bomb scare at a shopping complex in Wunti market where items suspected to be improvised explosives were concealed in a bag. When an alarm was raised in the market that a bomb was about to explode, everyone took to his or her heels. This, however, later turned out to be a false alarm as it was discovered that the suspected items were three kerosene stoves and not explosives devices.
It took the intervention of the security agents dispatched in the area to restore law and order as rumours spread fast in the state metropolis that Boko Haram had invaded Bauchi town. In fact, some residents in the state metropolis who spoke to VM about their fears, said government should intensify security checks throughout the state.
A Tailor at the Wunti market, popularly called Amaka Chidibere said she has been contemplating relocating from the North completely, adding that her husband prevailed on her to tarry a while to enable them gather enough capital to settle in his state, Anambra. According to her: “I thought the bomb attacks have ceased, but from what I’m seeing now, Bauchi may be the next target”.
An Indigiene of Bauchi State from Dass local government, Garba Maigani, said that he has nowhere to run to because Bauchi is his home state. He said: “Where am I going to run to? This is my home state and I can’t say that I want to relocate my family because of insecurity. The way out of this challenge is for the Federal and state governments to rise to the occasion; if not, we are all going to perish”.
Ali also said that fervent prayer at this perilous times is what is needed because security agents can no longer provide security of lives and property.
However, security has been beefed up in Bauchi as the war against the Boko Haram intensifies. Just last week, the Nigerian military bombed Boko Haram camps located in parts of Bauchi State, local and security sources have disclosed.
As early as 6 ‘O clock in the morning, locals said that they heard loud sounds of explosives in the forest where insurgents camps were reportedly located.
It has been reported that a sizeable number of gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect are operating in the Balmo forests in Darazo,  Burra in Ningi, Soro in Ganjuwa and Yugda between Zara-Miya. Another camp is believed to exist around the Bauchi –Gombe border in Alkaleri.
Some of the locals in the forest communities who pleaded anonymity, for security reasons, said the vibration shook their houses to their very foundation, adding that shortly after the explosive sounds were heard they saw military aircraft bearing Nigerian flags hovering in the sky.
A reliable security source in the state confirmed that the army has started operation in the forest but did not give details of the operation, adding that the exercise was carried out without creating panic among the inhabitants of the forests.

Ritualist rapes woman, kills her son

Police recover 20 human heads, arrest 7 suspects
In recent times, Ogun State seems to be under attacks by ritualists who were on the loose in some parts of the state. The recent discovery of their dens and subsequent arrest of the suspected operators and their accomplices reveal that both the dead and the living are not safe in the hands of the ritualists.
Many cemeteries in Ogun State have been reportedly visited by these wicked souls who do not only exhume the contents, but, also dismember the remains of the dead and sell them. Bizarre.
Police recover 20 human heads, arrest 7 suspects
This development has forced many families in the state to avoid porous cemeteries for the secured ones. So far, more than 20 human heads including that of a-two-year-old boy as well as other parts of human bodies including tongues, intestines among others have been severed by the ritualists who have been on the prowl in the state.
Sequel to this development, palpable fear has gripped residents of the state over the incessant reports of kidnapping by ritualists. Many of them succeed while nemesis catch up with some of them.
On March 11,2014, a-38-year-old man, Adelani Ayomide was caught with a bag allegedly containing 18 human skulls. The suspected ritualist was arrested at 6:48am during a stop-and-search operation along Ado-Odo, Owode road by Policemen attached to a division in Ado-Odo in Ado-Odo-Ota local government area of the state.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi , Policemen attached to Ado-Odo division, while on stop- and -search along Ado-Odo Owode road, sighted a pedestrian, Adelani Ayomide, 38, of Ilaro, Ogun State with a bag containing 18 human heads. “The suspect will be transferred to the State Department Of Investigation, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for investigation. The Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye has assured the general public of a thorough investigation and will make sure the suspect face the wrath of the law and assist in getting other suspects in connection with the crime,” he said .
On April 2, the Ogun State Police command discovered a ritualists’ den in Iyana-Egbado village in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state.   The Police subsequently arrested a suspected ritualist simply identified as Gbenga who would have been lynched if not for the prompt intervention of the Police that stopped the irate mob. Adejobi disclosed that some human parts including decomposing intestines were found with him before he was whisked away.
Other items found at the ritualists’ den include; knives, various non – functioning electronic parts, assorted soft drinks suggesting that the suspect and other ritualists were indeed living under the bridge.
The suspect reportedly confessed to have come from Ado- Ekiti in Ekiti state.
A week after, another five suspected ritualists including two women, were nabbed with some human heads and other human parts in Joju area of Ota Ado-Odo-Ota local government . Adejobi in a statement said the suspects were arrested in a joint operation between men of the state Police command and the Special Anti Robbery Squad Lagos Command. The suspects who included Kubura Salami, Tantolorun Abimbola, Kafaya Popoola, Wahid Ibrahim and Adamu Rafiu were reportedly caught following a tip- off from the people of the area .
According to the PPRO , the Divisional Police Officer in charge Otta Division of the command, CSP Gabreal Idibie, led a team of operatives to assist policemen from the Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS, Lagos, who got the first hand information on Joju area where the five suspects were arrested and the exhibits recovered for further investigation and prosecution.
“The suspects arrested include; Kubura Salami, Tantolorun Abimbola, Kafaya Popoola, Wahid Ibrahim and Adamu Rafiu. The exhibits recovered from them were; one complete human head and pieces of human flesh in a container stained with liquid substance suspected to be human blood.”
More shocking was the story of a two-year-old boy who was beheaded in the presence of his mother after the same man raped his mother. The suspect, Mamodu Bashir Ibrahim, in his 30s, wrecked the havoc at Mowe area of the state. He reportedly killed the boy and then severed his head and sold it afterwards.
According to the PPRO, on Saturday 12th April at about 9: 30 pm , the suspect who had earlier raped the mother of the deceased, fled the scene immediately he killed the boy and cut off his head. “Police operatives deployed to the area placed him under surveillance with the help of the members of the community before he was arrested at Mowe where he was hiding. The suspect has confessed to the crime and he is assisting the police in their investigation.
In the same vein, no fewer than six pupils of a private school in Obantoko area, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital escaped from the vehicle in which they were kept by suspected kidnapers. It was gathered that, the suspected kidnapers, after a failed attempt the previous day, went back the following day to the same spot in the morning to kidnap the school children.
An eye witness told security agents that the pupils were returning from their holiday lesson in the school when four men in a tinted glass SUV allegedly kidnapped the victims one after the other and tied their hands and legs and put them in the vehicle.
The source further explained that one of the victims whose hands were not properly tied removed the twine and untied his colleagues who later escaped and alerted the people in the area.
Narrating their ordeal, one of the lucky pupils Oreoluwa Adebayo explained that one of the kidnapers, dressed like a religious man, begged for water to pour into the radiator of their vehicle which he claimed was overheating. He said, “as we were making efforts to get them water, we were grabbed and bundled into their vehicle and they tied all of us. Mine was not tight due to the lack of enough twine, so, I was able to untie others and we ran away because they were not there.”
Meanwhile, one of the teachers in the school, Gabriel Adesoga, has assured that some suspected kidnapers had beckoned on a pupil, Adebayo, who screamed and alerted the school and the neighborhood.
In his reaction, the state commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye assure the general public that the police would not condone any act of criminality within the state.
Okoye said that the command was ready to harness all available resources to have robust intelligence- driven policing.

Arms trafficking: Rtd Police officer arrested with driver

Security agents stationed along the ever-busy Enugu – Makurdi Expressway recently, apprehended a retired deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a commercial driver who were conveying live ammunitions to the northern part of the country.
The retired police officer whose name was simply given as Abu Aruna, hails from Kogi State and resides at Ikom, Cross River State while the driver was identified as Onuwa Attaka.
The suspects were allegedly conveying ammunitions to Taraba State from Ikot Ekpene, Cross River State when the military men on duty along Orba axis at the Enugu-Markudi express way intercepted them. It was learnt that the soldiers wanted to know the contents of the bags loaded in their vehicle especially as they were seen on the road late in the night.
How they were arrested
Crime Guard gathered that as soon as the soldiers led by one staff Sergeant Maurice opened the baggage inside the vehicle, they sighted four boxes of Ak 47 live bullets of 7.62mm special and they quickly ordered the four occupants of the vehicle to alight.
One of the occupants who was dressed in full police uniform as a corporal reportedly came down and pretended as if he was going to ease himself. He took to his heels and disappeared into a nearby bush together with another occupant.
Security sources intimated Crime Guard that after their arrest, the retired police officer gave the name of the fleeing police corporal simply as Solomon but could not disclose the identity of the second person.
The sources further alleged that the retired DSP has been into the arms deal since his retirement from the police force till his apprehension, adding that their unaccomplished mission to Taraba State was to supply the last batch of their consignment, after the buyers in Taraba sate paid them.
During interrogation, retired DSP Aruna reportedly admitted having supplied the first batch but the buyer complained that they did not supply in full hence they were on their way to Taraba State when the military men intercepted them around 11pm, last Saturday. He said that the fleeing corporal was a serving police officer but bluntly refused to disclose where he serves. However, the driver of the vehicle said he was merely hired from Owerri to Taraba State at the cost of N30.000 adding that he never knew they were conveying ammunitions to Taraba hence he did not question the content of their luggages.
Items recovered
It was gathered that 100 live cartridges, 40 pieces of Ak- 47 magazines, charms and Denny mopol uniform neatly wrapped in a suit case bag, four boxes of the Ak- 47 live ammunition containing 2,500 bullets making a total of 10,000 bullets, were recovered from the suspects.
When Crime Guard visited the scene of the crime, the two alleged arms traffickers were seen being driven away by the military men with their hands tied at the back for further interrogation.
Police react
In his comment over the arrest, the Area commander, Nigeria Police Command, Nsukka, Ros-Amson Musa Haladu (ACP), commended the efforts of the military men that apprehended the alleged suspected arms dealers, stating that both the military and police share one common interest in crime detection and prevention in the University town of Nsukka and its environs.
ACP Haladu appealed to the general public to assist the police by giving useful information as security of the nation is the business of everybody, not just the police and military, especially now that Boko Haram insurgency is terrifying the entire public in the country.

Obasanjo moves to free abducted Chibok girls

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a move to free the more than 200 girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

Obasanjo, who confirmed this to Vanguard last night, however, dismissed reports credited to a foreign news agency that he held talks with representatives of the sect in his Ota farm last weekend.

A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.
A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing.
He nevertheless confirmed that he was set to open explorative talks with the Islamic sect, having re-established contacts with a lawyer who mediated his discussion with the sect three years ago. Chief Obasanjo, however, regretted that efforts he made to end the insurgency at that time came to nought after President Goodluck Jonathan dismissed the conditions and capacities of the group.

President Jonathan’s dismissal of the group’s capacities, he said, was despite the willingness of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State to do all that was required by the sect for peace to reign.

Obasanjo, who has been globally acclaimed for his role in peace mediation especially among troubled African countries also played down claims that the insurgency would not have reared its head were he in power.

The foreign news agency had reported, yesterday, that Obasanjo held talks with representatives of the insurgents in his farm at Ota, Ogun State last weekend.

Asked to confirm the veracity of the report yesterday, the former president said: “Three years ago I tried to reach out to Boko Haram to find out what their problem was and if there was a leader one could talk to.

“I got a lawyer who provided the link between members of the group and I. They told me what the government should do to stop insurgency.”

He said that he subsequently passed on the conditions set by the insurgents to Governor Shettima who pledged his willingness to do all and more of what the insurgents required.

“He told me he was willing to do all that was stipulated and even more, but that his fear was that once he implemented those conditions he would be accused by the president and his people of being a member of Boko Haram,” Obasanjo quoted the governor to have said after the initial talks three years ago.

The former president, however, did not disclose the conditions laid down by the insurgents.

The former president said that following his discussions with the governor of Borno State that he followed up by briefing President Jonathan who he claimed, played down the capacities and conditions laid down by the insurgents.

He said that at that point he withdrew as he lacked the executive powers to proceed further.

Obasanjo said that given the present situation, the need to resurrect talks with the group had become expedient.

“In this instance, there are now two issues involved, the insurgency and the kidnap of the girls and I want to find out if the same lawyer would still mediate,” the former president said.

He said that having confirmed that the lawyer is alive, he had now set machinery in motion to reach out to the group towards releasing the kidnapped Chibok girls and thereafter ending the insurgency.

Asked if the insurgency would have risen to the present stage were in power, Obasanjo said: “My friend go away, go away, go away.”

Obasanjo’s secret talks is besides a secret effort by the administration to engage the Boko Haram group through three individuals reported to be close to the group.

A national newspaper, yesterday, quoted presidency sources as disclosing the enlistment of a former journalist Ahmad Salkida; a Tiv, Benue State born former adherent of the insurgent group, Aliyu Teshaku and an Australian negotiator Steve Davies to negotiate on behalf of the Federal Government.

The government’s decision to negotiate for the release of the kidnapped girls is reportedly informed by fears of a possible harm to the abductees in the event of a full scale military onslaught to effect their release.

EFCC investigates alleged scam in Assemblies of God Church

THE crisis rocking the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria has taken another dimension as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun a probe into the financial transactions of the church following allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds coming from the warring parties.

EFCC 21 Top on the alleged scam is the purchase of N220 million property in Germany by the church through a loan obtained from a commercial bank.
Our news agent gathered that some key members of the church have been interrogated by operatives of the commission while others suspected  to be involved in the alleged scam have gone into hiding.

The probe is sequel to a petition by a faction of the church led by the Assistant General Superintendent, Rev Chidi Okoroafor, alleging that the  Executive Council of the church was neither privy to the property bought in Germany nor gave approved the purchase.
They alleged that the said property whose purchase was said to have been completed in 2011 was non-existent, adding that its embattled General Superintendent, Prof Paul Emeka, single-handedly handled the transaction.

But in a swift reaction, Emeka said his predecessor, Rev Charles Osueke, commenced the process of purchase of the property with an initial deposit of N20 million, adding that his administration continued with the transaction when it came on board four years ago.
He stated that the transaction was completed from a loan secured from the GT Bank, adding that the entire thing was based on the decision of the executive council of the church.

Chibok and America’s blame game

BY the time the Chibok girls were abducted, it was clear to the whole world that the Nigerian forces, do not have the capacity to contain the Boko Haram insurgents and so, many countries volunteered their assistance.

This is not unusual because Nigeria has in the past, been in the habit of sending troops to countries requiring stability in their systems – Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone, Mali, Somali and so on. The response of the whole world to assist us is indeed good.

However, we must frown at the methods of the Americans in the Chibok issue. So far, what we have seen is a continuous demystification of the Nigerian armed forces. Every day, they have gone to the press, condemning one aspect of our operations or the other, even in their House of Assembly, this is indeed bad.

Even with our poor military capabilities, we are still an independent nation. If we reject their request to assist, they will not be in this country, so since they elected to assist us, it is expected that, they will be in top level discussions with our senior military and government personnel and, any observations made handled confidentially at that level.

The whole world knows that Nigeria does not have the capacity to engage in this type of guerrilla warfare, so, going to the media every now and then, to harp on the shortcomings of our military, will not do the operations any good. First, it serves to glorify the strength of the Boko Haram forces and secondly, it is a dampener to the morale of our troops. And if this situation persists, it will affect relationship between the Americans and our Nigerian troops. The two sides must co-operate to get the job done.

America is not the only country involved in the operations.We have France, Britain, Canada, Israel, China and others. America should not assume an imperial disposition, as if they are infallible. It took over ten years to get hold of Osama bin laden, up till today, the continuous insurgency in Iraq is the product of America’s mishandling. They were in Afghanistan and had to withdraw, when they found the going too costly to handle. Pakistan, Yemeni, Syria are a few examples of countries America failed to bring insurgents under control, why are they making so much noise about Nigeria’s military shortcomings.

It would be recalled that if action had been taken by America and the rest of the world, when the Boko Haram insurgency was at its tutelage stage, the situation would not have degenerated to this level.

The CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) and other focussed and forward looking Nigerians, did cry out to the world to declare Boko Haram a terrorist organisation but America, with the same Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State, claimed that it was a localised uprising, caused by poverty and other negligible factors. Today, the wool has been removed from their eyes. Pastor Ayo Oritsejeafor, the President of CAN, was in America parliament to lobby for America’s prompt action but his pleas were ignored. Why is America now playing the saint in this instance.

Because of her role as the policeman of the world, America is indirectly culpable in the present situation that we have found ourselves. When they were to take action, they prevaricated and when they were to prevaricate, they acted hastily. That is why Syria is where she is today.

Those who condemn the Nigerian authorities today, were the ones who advised President Jonathan, not to be too hard on the Boko Haram Islamist, when the situation was within control. We all know President Jonathan as one that is easily swayed, he has even come out publicly to say that he is neither a lion or a general, so he takes his time.

Because they know that he listens and takes his time, they go to him with different proposals, when he adopts their recommended approach and it fails, the blame is placed on him.

The Americans once advised Jonathan to deal tenderly with the Boko Haram insurgents, others advised that they should be granted amnesty. This is after they (Boko Haram) have committed heinous crimes like the bombing of the United Nations office, the Police head quarters attack and the attack at the mobile police base at Abuja. Several bombings of churches and innocent citizens, they claim it is a local thing, now the whole localised thing has gone out of proportion and we are now trading blame.

The army retaliated hard on the insurgents when Ihejirika was Chief of army staff, the shameless northern elders forum threatened to take him to the United Nations special tribunal for genocide. The whole world watched and nobody said anything to condemn such statements.

Whole towns have been destroyed by these mindless insurgents, very important professional institutions like the School of Agriculture, Mubi, were attacked and innocent students slaughtered, the leadership of the north found nothing wrong in such actions. Instead of settling down to find viable approaches to the enormous challenges facing them, they went about trading blames and lobbying countries like the United States to tow their line.

If the people whose lands are being destroyed, are not interested in protecting the lives and properties of their people, who will help them?

Boy shows his father photos of his mother in bed with another man

A boy was furious when he discovered that his mother was having an affair with another man.

The boy of Zimbabwe, allegedly found nude photos of his mother with another man on her cell phone.

The boy then showed the photos to his father, Dumisani Ndebele. After seeing the photos, Ndebele became furious, saying that his wife had refused him sex for almost a year.

The man attacked his wife at their home in Pumula Bulawayo. He bit her on the cheeks and ripped a piece of her cheek out after he discovered the series of nude photos of her with another man having sex.

Keziya Ndebele denied the allegations that she was cheating on her husband. Instead, she said that her husband went crazy after he was served with divorce papers to end their 18 year marriage.

The woman, who appeared in front of judge Marylene Mtshina with bandages on her face, was granted an order of protection against her husband.

Chibok: Much ado about a phantom visit

IN security matters, it is difficult to describe a planned event as phantom, because the men who create the events are likely to un-create it and put the uninitiated in a state of doubt, as it was in the much reported planned trip of President Goodluck Jonathan to Chibok.

When it was first announced, and observers and commentators gullibly swallowed the bait, forgetting that official visits are usually confirmed by presidential spokesmen, it should have been obvious that something was amiss; more so when the spokesman to the President, Reuben Abati, announced a visit to Paris earlier than the rumours of the Chibok visit began.

Pained that what was considered a news break was nothing other than an unconfirmed report which did not take place, journalists, observers, and commentators, as well as the irascible All Progressives Congress (APC) went to town seeking to knife the image of the President. Even if there was such a trip in the first place, was it not the prerogative of the organisers to cancel since it was not officially announced? So, why the ballyhoo? All the noise is just part of the same grand design to make the government look incompetent by lazy thinkers whose stock in trade is mischief.

The APC statement showed a lack of depth about the workings of government at the highest level. Being local champions in the troubled South-West region of the country is not the same as running Nigeria. According to the party, the President’s aborted trip to Chibok was symptomatic of his administration’s policy flip-flop in the fight against the terror group Boko Haram. Interesting! The party is so ignorant that it does not know that in matters of guerrilla warfare and terrorism, you must be careful to be amenable to changes as is the case all over the world.

To drive home the crass ignorance that permeates the confused opposition, it does not know that it is more important for the president to find the lost girls than to be a consoler-in-chief. The parents are not interested in seeing the president before their children and only a callous group will prefer a visit to finding the girls. Curiously, the opposition continues to insist on Jonathan visiting the troubled area as if it is planning something sinister against him there,

APC suggests that the sitting government at the centre has resorted to lying, when actually it was the party and others like it who bought a dummy sold to them by sources that are yet to be disclosed. To justify its gullibility, the APC asks whether presidential advance teams are deployed at will.

The fact that an advanced team moves does not mean that the president is on the move. It is only when the president moves and he is seen on ground that he has moved; so, there was no lying because the president or his aides did not make any announcement as to his movement. You don’t justify gullibility and an ignorance of the workings of the presidency by falling prey to either a dummy or a non-event. APC thinks running Nigeria is like running a disorganised and uncoordinated party like it.

The president’s statement that he was more interested in rescuing the girls above the visit option was read thus by APC : ‘’This statement shows that President Jonathan does not understand the demands of his office, and that in good/bad times, he is to be seen and heard as the lead celebrant/lead consoler for his compatriots…. As usual, a trip – belated as it was – that could have gone a long way in redeeming the battered global image of the Jonathan administration in the handling of the abduction issue has turned out to be another albatross for the President. Again, a president who is demonstrably averse to success has snatched defeat just when he was on the cusp of victory.”

APC’s definition of success is not bringing back the girls but paying a visit for the sake of it. No wonder many with the temperament of APC like Asari Dokubo, are wondering whether the abduction did not have connivance at some level of the APC-controlled state government. For this party of extremists and rude characters who would not mind denigrating a presidency it continues to dream to occupy, just as the goat dreams to be the king of the jungle someday, nothing can be short of decency than to seek relevance by insulting the head of government of your country. But since we have been told of the Janjaweed nature of the party, it is not a surprise to watchers the resort to violent language like the violence that plagues the three APC states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.

If Jonathan has waffled and wavered on the overall Boko Haram crisis before the terror group gained enough strength to become a runaway monster, how would the rest of Nigerians describe the monumental incompetence of the APC states that brought us to this pass? It is on record that the violence that rocked Borno and Yobe was a balance brought forward by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) of APC that now wants the PDP to clear its bloody mess. Adamawa was relatively safe until its sailor governor joined the APC. So why wont the APC kill the monster it created for political reasons rather than the uncouth language that has become its lot?

US troops deploy to Chad in hunt for Nigerian girls

The United States has deployed a drone and 80 troops to Chad to help with regional efforts to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in neighboring Nigeria, officials said Wednesday.

“These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” President Barack Obama said in a letter to Congress.

“The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required,” he said, without mentioning the type of aircraft deployed.

A US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP the troops will oversee at least one unarmed surveillance drone to try to track those who kidnapped the Nigerian schoolgirls.

Last month, Islamist militants from the Boko Haram extremist group seized more than 200 Nigerian girls from school dormitories in the northeastern community of Chibok, near border with Chad.

Nigerian and international authorities were slow to react but, after concerned citizens launched social media campaign and the group threatened to sell the girls into slavery, offers of help have multiplied.

France also has forces in Chad, and Britain and the United States have sent small teams of specialists to Nigeria to assist President Goodluck Jonathan’s government in the search for the girls.

Washington recently began surveillance drone flights over northeastern Nigeria to try to track down the location of the kidnapped girls.

Meanwhile, the violence has continued, with attacks on villages attributed to Boko Haram leaving scores dead and a bomb attack on the Nigerian city of Jos killing at least 118 people Tuesday

TEACHER WHO DEFILED MINORS SAYS: One of them made passes at me

IBADAN — The nursery school teacher, Mr. Olayinka Oluwadare Folarin, who allegedly defiled three under‑aged pupils in a toilet, yesterday, said it was one of the girls that made advances at him.

Folarin, aged 38, who claimed his illicit romance with the minors was a demonic attack which had been affecting him for a long time, said: “One of them made advances at me. You know how children play with you in a funny way. This thing is beyond me.”

Folarin

This came as he challenged policemen and newsmen interviewing him to throw the first stone at him if they had not sinned before. He was being detained at Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Though he showed remorse for being involved in the act, he intermittently flared up, saying nobody is beyond demonic attack.

Calls for help

He said: “I have been doing this for a long time. I feel terribly bad each time I did it but I could not stop it. Why don’t you find a way of helping me. Is this meant to expose me?

“Some people should just think and reason with me. The person who has not sinned before should cast the first stone. If God did not forsake some people, I know he would not forsake me. I am a changed person now.”

Method of operation

Tearfully, he recalled how he invited the girls into the toilet and put them in the wash hand basin in the toilet and then fondled their private parts.

He confessed that he always used his hair cream to lubricate them. However, he denied using his manhood to penetrate any of the girls.

When asked why his claims contradicted the medical report which revealed that the hymen of the girls was not intact, he said it might have been broken elsewhere.

“I never penetrated them. I only used my manhood to rub their private parts. Yes, I used my hair cream to lubricate my organ to stimulate myself.”

He lamented that since the incident happened, the school management had sacked and abandoned him, noting: “When the attack started, I called them.”

Though, he reportedly wrote in his statement that he used to abuse them on Saturdays, he said it was once a while.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olabisi Okuwobi‑Ilobanafor said: “The suspect had engaged in multiple defilement and all the victims said the same thing that he always abused them twice a week since last year. The third girl was lured by the suspect to cover his illicit affairs.

“The third girl he abused saw a note he wrote to one of the two girls when she was sweeping the floor and asked what was happening. The teacher then collected the paper; for fear of being exposed, he recruited her into the group.

She said the case would be transferred to the state Police headquarters because of its seriousness.

Court strips Jonathan of powers to okay Judges’ salaries

ABUJA – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Monday, held that in line with 81(2) and section 84(1), (2), (3), (4) and (7) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the President, has no power to approve funds for the remuneration, salaries, allowances and recurrent expenditures of the judiciary.

The Court maintained that such funds are constitutionally guaranteed charges (or “First Charge”) on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation.jonathan-court

Delivering judgment in a suit that was filed by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, directed that henceforth, funds belonging to the judiciary in the Consolidated Revenue Fund should be released to the National Judicial Council, NJC, in full, for disbursement for the needs of the various courts across the federation.

The court stressed that the continued dependence of the judiciary on the Executive Arm of government for its budgeting and release of funds was directly responsible for the present state of under-funding of the judiciary, corruption, poor and inadequate judicial infrastructure and low morale among judicial personnel.

According to Justice Mohammed, “It is beyond doubt that funding of the judiciary is provided for and guided by the constitution. The practice whereby the Minister of Finance control funds meant for the judiciary clearly offends the provisions of the constitution and undermines the financial independence of the judiciary.

“Times without number, budgetary estimates for the judiciary are being tampered, and this affects the dispensation of justice in the country.

“It is a cardinal principle in law is that clear words of a statute should be given its ordinary meaning.
In this regards, the words of sections 81(2) and section 84(1), (2), (3), (4) and (7) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, are very clear and devoid of ambiguity and should therefore be accorded its ordinary meaning.

“Consequently, the provision of the constitution in sections 81 and 84 of the constitution involving the funding of the judiciary should be given the ordinary meaning.  It is also worth mentioning that the constitution established the principle of separation of powers.

“Taking a look at the prolonged practice where the Ministry of Finance which is under the executive approve the funds to be given to the Judiciary I asked myself, is the Judiciary also a Ministry, agency or department under the Executive? If so, why then did the constitution provide for separation of powers?

“I am unable to find any provision in the constitution that makes the judiciary financially subservient to the Executive. Checks and balances do exist but that does not in any way amount to control.

“That the practice had been going on for a while does not make it legal. If the National Assembly does not submit its budget estimate to the Executive, why then should the Judiciary be made to do so?

“Section 1(1) of the constitution underscores the importance and binding effect of the constitution which is supreme.

“The constitution does not recognize the practice of the judiciary submitting its annual budget to the Executive for approval and the court has the powers to arrest such unconstitutional act.

“In the final analysis, this court has found merit in the plaintiff’s suit and I hereby grant all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.  That is the judgment of this court” the Judge ruled.

Earlier, the court dismissed all the preliminary objections that were raised against the suit by the National Assembly which challenged the locus-standi of the plaintiff to institute the action.

The National Assembly which was joined as the 3rd defendant in the suit had in its preliminary objection sought the dismissal of the suit on grounds that it was incompetent and also constituted an abuse of court process.

Describing the plaintiff as “a busy-body and meddlesome interloper”, the National Assembly, argued that the suit was an invitation to anarchy, saying it was nothing but an attempt a by one arm of government to stop another arm from performing its constitutional duty.

It further challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter, adding that the plaintiff failed to prove that his constitutional rights were impugned upon or showed any legal injury he sustained as a result of the budgetary system for the judiciary.

Besides, the National Assembly told the court that the case was capable of resulting into a constitutional crisis in Nigeria, just as it contended that the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission, RMFAC, ought to have been joined as a party to the suit.

However, Agbakoba maintained that as a tax payer in Nigeria and a Senior Advocate, he had sufficient interest to file the suit in order to protect the constitution.

He argued that the suit was for the court to interpret relevant sections of the constitution.

Meantime, while dismissing all the objections yesterday, Justice Mohammed stressed that every tax payer in Nigeria has sufficient interest to approach the court to enforce the law.

“I have no hesitation to come to the conclusion that in the peculiar nature of the case, the plaintiff has the locus-standi to institute and maintain this action

“The plaintiff has shown prima-facie that the suit is not frivolous. He has disclosed a reasonable cause of action”, the Judge held.

Aside the National Assembly, the Federal Government and the NJC were also joined in the suit as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

Specifically, Agbakoba had in his bid to secure financial autonomy for the judiciary, prayed the court to among other things, determine whether by section 81(2) and section 84(1), (2), (3), (4) and (7) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the remuneration, salaries, allowances and recurrent expenditures of the judiciary, being constitutionally guaranteed charges (or “First Charge”) on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation, form part of the estimates to be included in the Appropriation Bill as proposed expenditures by the President as is the present practice

He equally urged the court to determine whether in-line with the provisions of the aforementioned sections, “The NJC ought to send its annual budget estimates to the Budget Office of the Executive Arm of Government or any other Executive Authority as is the present practice; or send the estimates directly to the National Assembly for appropriation?

Agbakoba contended that besides independent budgeting, the funds belonging to the judiciary in the Consolidated Revenue Fund ought to be released to the NJC in full for disbursement for the needs of the courts.

We’ve located abducted Chibok girls – Defence Chief

ABUJA—FORTY-THREE days after more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State by insurgent sect, Boko Haram, the Military High Command, yesterday, had cheering news for the traumatised parents as it said it has located where the girls were being held hostage but would not use force to rescue them.

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh disclosed this in Abuja even as UK media reported, yesterday, that but for the last minute change of mind by President Goodluck Jonathan, the abducted Chibok girls would have been freed.

Badeh, while addressing members of the Citizen Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA), an NGO on a solidarity campaign to the Defence Headquarters, said that the military will not use force in the rescue operation. He, however, assured that everything was being done to ensure their safe rescue.

His words: “We want our girls back, I can tell you our military can do it, but where they are held, do we go with force? Nobody should say Nigerian military does not know what it is doing. We can’t kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back. So we are working. The President has empowered us to do the work and no one should castigate the military.

CHIBOK—The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (L), speaking during a protest over abducted Chibok school girls in Abuja, yesterday.
CHIBOK—The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (L), speaking during a protest over abducted Chibok school girls in Abuja, yesterday.
We know where the girls are — CDS

“The good news for parents of the girls is that we know where they are but we cannot tell you. We cannot come and tell you the military’s secret. Just leave us alone to do our work. We are working to get the girls back”.

The CDS disclosed that the fight against insurgency was quite different from a full scale war, pointing out that “if we are fighting an external war, Boko Haram would have been begging us to withdraw.

He said: “Nigerian military had proved its worth in the civil war, Liberia and Sierra-Leone wars and in the process returned democracy to those countries”.

On operations in the North-East, the CDS said the challenge was that the military was fighting its fellow brothers. “We are not happy at all because we are killing our own and we are killing mostly youths. We cannot afford to eliminate our youths. Who are we going to handover Nigeria to? We can’t continue to kill them.”

While noting that the military in Nigeria is the strong arm of democracy, he said it (military) holds the constitution very dear, adding that the constitution is represented by the President.

“We are using our lives to defend this democracy. Democracy must thrive in Nigeria whether anybody likes it or not. People have finally realised that you don’t have another military than this one and it is either you support your military or you are looking for anarchy”, he said.

He noted that the war should not be fought by the military alone, but by all Nigerians, adding that Nigeria is at war and all hands must be on deck.

Badeh also confirmed that the military was recovering arms and ammunition that are alien to the Armed forces “which shows that people from outside were supporting the insurgents”.

Expressing the belief that it was Al-Qaeda in West Africa, the CDS said: “I know people from outside Nigeria are in this war, they are fighting us, they want to destabilise us. But this is our country and some people in this country are standing with the forces of darkness; we must salvage our country, we must bring sanity back into our nation”.

Coordinator of the group, Chidi Omeje said the group represents the ordinary Nigerians on the streets who understand that no nation can stand on its own without a strong military.

He stated that the group was spurred into action because of the myriads of media attacks championed by mischievous politicians and some interest groups that have ulterior motives.

“We are not politicians or religious bigots and we appreciate our military and we know they are doing their best. We are trying to tell the leadership of the Nigerian military that ordinary Nigerians are behind them, and appreciate them”.

Jonathan’s call stopped last minute deal to free girls —Report

Meanwhile, but for a last minute change of mind by President Jonathan, the abducted Chibok girls would have been freed, UK media reported yesterday.

A deal for the release of some of the abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria was close to being secured when the Federal Government called it off, BBC and Daily Mail said.

Some of the girls were allegedly set to be freed in exchange for imprisoned Islamist militants.

The papers reported that officials held talks with the group to secure the release of the schoolgirls.

An intermediary met Boko Haram leaders earlier this month and visited the location where the girls were being held, the reports said.

The deal was to set some of the girls free in exchange for the release of 100 Boko Haram members from detention, according to BBC.

But the government cancelled the planned agreement shortly before the swap was due to take place.

Though reasons for the withdrawal are unclear, The Mail on Sunday said: “A Nigerian journalist trusted by both the government and extremists from Boko Haram acted as go-between, risking his life on a one-man mission to enter the gunmen’s lair and broker an agreement, according to security sources.

“But last Saturday, at the eleventh hour, officials scrapped the exchange in a telephone call from a crisis summit in Paris where President Goodluck Jonathan met foreign ministers including those from Britain, the United States, France and Israel.

“It was agreed there that no deals should be struck with terrorists and that force should instead be used against them.

“The U-turn is said to have enraged Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. Insiders believe that the cancellation of last Saturday’s plan and the ensuing stand-off now puts the girls’ lives in even greater danger.

“An intelligence source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The next video we see from the terrorists could show the girls being killed one by one.’

“Sources in Abuja described how Shekau had agreed to bring the girls out of their forest camps in the remote North-East of the country in the early morning and take them to a safe location for the prisoner swap.”

The sources were quoted as saying: “They would have been dropped off in a village, one group at a time, and left there while their kidnappers disappeared. There was to be a signal to a mediator at another location to bring in the prisoners.”

Continuing, The Mail on Sunday said: “About 2,000 Boko Haram members are currently detained.

“One hundred non-combatant, low-level sympathisers were to be freed and the two groups brought together in a convoy of buses accompanied by a hand-picked go-between, respected Nigerian journalist Ahmad Salkida.

“The plan had been agreed in tortuous negotiations in response to worldwide outrage over a night-time raid on a school in the town of Chibok on April 14 when the girls were abducted from their dormitories.

“Mr Salkida was born in Borno State, where Boko Haram originated. He has known its leaders all his life and has unprecedented access.

“He has been arrested on several occasions accused of being a Boko Haram sympathiser, and he fled with his family to Dubai two years ago.

“But two weeks ago, he was summoned out of exile by President Jonathan’s aides. He initially feared he might face arrest, but was then given a letter of indemnity signed by the President when he flew to Nigeria.

“Sources said Mr Salkida was able to travel by taxi to the group’s forest camp to talk to Shekau two weeks ago. ‘His mission was secretive and dangerous,’ they said.

“He is probably the only civilian with access to Shekau. There is trust between them and Salkida had only one aim – to get the schoolgirls out.

“He reported afterwards that the group of girls he saw were alive and well, and being adequately fed and sheltered. They told him all they wanted was to go home.

“Salkida’s mission was complicated by the chaos surrounding government’s pronouncements about negotiations with the terrorist group.

“Shekau has released two shocking videos showing the girls dressed in hijabs and reciting verses from the Koran.”

Chinelo Huma,22-yrs-old Mother in Enugu State sales her own baby for N430,000

Twenty-two-year-old Chinelo Huma, who sold her one-month-old baby for N430,000 has been arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.
Three other women, Nkechi Ugochukwu, Maria Asomba and Esther Obi, who allegedly played roles in the sale of the baby were traced to Onitsha, Anambra State and arrested by the police.

Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu who disclosed this, told our source that Huma got pregnant while she was engaged in prostitution. Her boyfriend who was not quite ready to bear the responsibility of fatherhood rejected Huma’s pregnancy.

Incidentally, Huma already had two children, who were being cared for by her mother. So having another child out of wedlock was not an idea that appealed to her one bit and she decided to relieve herself of the burden of caring for the baby.

Her words: “I am a prostitute. When I became pregnant and it was close to nine months, my boyfriend rejected it. I decided to sell the baby. When I gave birth on April 13, 2014, one lady whose name is Maria Asomba, arranged for the baby to be sold to Mrs. Nkechi Ugochukwu, and she paid N430, 000, but Asomba gave me N150,000.

“When the police arrested Ugochukwu, I told them I didn’t want the baby again, because I already have two children and my mother is taking care of them.”

Adamu explained that 43-year-old Ugochukwu had for long desired to have a child of her own but was unable to conceive. The arrangement to source the baby was facilitated by one Esther Obi, who nursed the newborn for two weeks before handing her over to Ugochukwu.

The Commissioner of Police further revealed that Asomba, 35, specialized in looking recruiting pregnant ladies that were willing to dispose of their babies after giving birth.

The police learnt about the ignoble act, Adamu said the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Supol Gloria Udoka (DSP) and her team swung into action and traced the suspects to a jungle in Onitsha, where the one-month old was rescued. The police team also arrested Ugochukwu.

Giving more insight to the sordid affair, the deputy head of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol Anyai Dennis (CSP) expressed disgust that even after the baby was recovered, Huma insisted she didn’t want to keep the baby.

Supol Dennis added that Ugochukwu was reluctant to hand over the baby as she had led her neighbours to believe she had given birth and would feel a deeply embarrassed, given that she had made arrangements for the baby already named as Chinasa.

Expressing her pain at the turn of events, Ugochukwu lamented: “I have been barren for years and I needed a child. My husband’s kinsmen have been maligning and making jest of me because I don’t have a child. I borrowed N430,000 to buy the child; my husband is aware of the baby. The baby was brought to me on April 17, 2014. When I took the baby to my compound all my neighbours congratulated me over the new baby; policemen came and took the baby from me. I don’t want my money back. I need the baby. I have named the baby Chinasa and I am already planning to dedicate her in church.”

That desire now appears to be a pipe dream as the Commissioner of Police has given a firm assurance that all the suspects would be charged to court soon for human trafficking.