Babangida Returns To Nigeria After Medical Trip To Germany

Former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), has returned to Nigeria from a three-week trip to Germany for medical treatment. Babangida arrived Minna Airport on Friday at about 3:30pm. Rumours of his death were awash in the social media last week before it was refuted by his son, Mohammed Babandgida. Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, said the country still needs Babangida, around for his counsel. Governor Sani Bello who welcomed the former military leader said “despite unfounded rumour about the life of our national icon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, we are grateful that it pleases Allah (SWT) to preserve his life and bring him back safely and healthier to continue in the good work of nation building. “General Ibrahim Babangida remains one of the few leaders in this country that we still need around to tap from their wealth of experience and knowledge and we are grateful he is back and kicking like the old soldier he is. “Your safe return has finally put a lie to the rumour and the evil machinations of those who are playing God. We are grateful to Allah (SWT) that he has silenced them,” he said.

FG Appoints Chiedu Ugbo As Ag. M.D Niger Delta Power Holding Company

The Federal Government of Nigeria has dissolved the Executive Management of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd. Consequently, the Managing Director and all Executives of the Company are directed to hand over immediately to the most senior officer in their respective departments. Also affected is the General Manager Audit, who has been disengaged and instructed to handover to the most senior officer in the audit department. While appreciating their services, the federal government has appointed Mr. Chiedu Ugbo a lawyer as the Acting Managing Director of the company. Before his appointment, Ugbo was a Senior Special Assistant (Power and Privatisation) to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo.

Acute waist pain: Metu admitted in LUTH

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh is now on admission at the Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), Lagos two weeks after he left the National Hospital, Abuja where he was once on bed rest. His lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN) disclosed this Friday at the resumption of proceedings in Metuh’s trial before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Etiaba, who tendered a letter dated June 8, 2016 to support his position, said Metuh opted for LUTH after following his failure to secure the court’s nod to seek medical care abroad as was recommended by the National Hospital. The letter from LUTH, signed for Consultant Neurosurgeon by Dr. Olufemi Bankole, said Metuh was under observation and management by the hospital and would need to be confined to bed rest for some time. The letter was silent on the duration of Metuh’s admission. Metuh last attended proceedings on May 23 when his 4th witness, Anthony Okeke commenced giving evidence. He was to continue the following day, only for Etiaba to inform the court that his client was on admission at the National Hospital and was on bed rest. Although Justice Abang noted that the duration of his treatment was not indicated in a medical report issued by one Dr. O. O. Oyeleye, a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National Hospital, Abuja, which Metuh submitted to support his request for adjournment, the judge adjourned to May 30. On Friday, Metuh was expected to resume his defence, but his lawyer to the court he was absent and was on admission in another hospital – LUTH. He tendered the letter from LUTH to support his claim, and urged the court to adjourn proceedings to a later date. Prosecution lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir queried the procedure adopted by Metuh, who relocated from one hospital to another without the knowledge of the court. “The last time we were here, this court was informed of the admission of the 1st defendant (Metuh) at the National Hospital, Abuja. I urged the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the 1st defendant is deemed to be on admission at the National Hospital. “If there is any case of referral for further evaluation of the 1st defendant, I would have thought that the hospital should have availed this court, out of courtesy, with a referral letter, showing the sequence of event, since the National Hospital earlier wrote this court about the admission of the 1st defendant. “The instant letter seems to be coming from LUTH. That creates doubt in my mind as to whether the information contained in it is reliable. The letter also did not show as to when exactly the 1st defendant shall be discharged for him to return for his trial, because the letter said he is under observation and management for the next few weeks. “The court has no idea when the 1st defendant was discharged by the National Hospital. One would have expected that the 1st defendant would have availed himself the opportunity of attending to his health between the last time we were here and now. The same issue of health came up when last we were here. “The letter is dated June 8. It is curious that on the eve of the resumption of the court’s business, another letter is written. The court being human being, like us, who are all mortals, we expect a demonstration of good faith such that will not give room for doubt. We most reluctantly concede to adjournment,” Tahir said. Responding, Etiaba denied the impression that his client was playing pranks. He explained that Metuh was actually ill and needed medical attention. Etiaba said his client could not procure a referral note from the National Hospital management, who he said claimed that their facility, being the best in the country could no reverse itself by referring Metuh to inferior Nigerian hospitals having earlier referred him for treatment abroad. “This trial will come and go, and God willing, we will all be alive to continue to work from the Bar. It is not a matter of life and death,’’ he said.

Immigration Recruitment Scam: Abba Moro overruled Jonathan, reversed employment of victims’ relatives – Paradang

A former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, David Paradang, has narrated how former Interior Minister, Abba Moro, reversed ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to employ relatives of the deadly 2014 Immigration recruitment victims. Mr. Paradang said the former minister described the employment of some family members of those who died in the stampede, as “illegal”. Only those who were qualified for junior positions out of 45 total family members of 15 victims, were given jobs, he told a court trying Mr. Moro on Friday. Mr. Paradang did not say the exact number of those employed. It was also unclear whether former President Jonathan was consulted by the former minister before the employment offers were cancelled. Mr. Moro and four others are facing an 11-count charge of money laundering, arising from the conduct of the tragic recruitment. They are accused of defrauding 676, 675 applicants of N676. 7 million being the aggregate of N1000 paid by each applicant to the recruiting agent, Drexel Nigeria Limited, a company Mr. Moro had ties with. Despite the huge amount realized from applicants, the recruitment was poorly organised, resulting in deadly stampedes across the country. Mr. Paradang, who is the first prosecution witness in Mr. Moro’s trial, told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that after a presidential directive of employment to victims’ relatives, Mr. Moro ordered the withdrawal of offer letters. “At the close of the day, we had 15 casualties and the office of the State Security Services later called to inform us that they were 165 persons injured nationally,” he told the court. Soon after the compilation of names of victims, the service received an order from the presidency, which was flouted by Mr. Moro, Mr. Paradang said. “Immediately after the letters were sent, the board (board of the Interior Ministry) asked them (the fresh applicants who were relatives of the deceased victims) to bring back the letters of appointment. The ministry said that the appointments given to them were illegal,” said Mr. Paradang. Mr. Jonathan had ordered the immediate employment of three family members each victim, while a fresh recruitment was to be conducted. The former president also handed out cheques of N5 million each to families of the deceased. It is also unclear whether the monies were cashed.

PDP could have produced Senate president, others — Akpabio

Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, while reflecting on what happened before June 9, which culminated in the election of Saraki as Senate President, said with what was on ground at that time, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would have produced the Senate President and other principal officers. He said though his party had the number of required senators needed to produce the Senate president, following the absence of some All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers, it decided to put the interest of the nation first. Akpabio who noted that some intrigues played out prior to the election of Saraki as Senate President, said: “You (Saraki) were jittery and sweating on that day. If we had wanted to take over the Senate, the PDP would have done that. We had the chance to take all the positions but because we are not greedy, we decided to allow the APC take over.” Speaking on the general state of affairs in the country, Akpabio warned that if something urgent was not done, Nigeria would be plunged into crisis. He said: “In the South-South, people have abandoned their homes because of activities of Niger Delta Avengers. The North is in turmoil; the South-East is boiling because of agitation. The South-West is the only peaceful area, but they still send mercenaries to other areas to fight. “I want to urge the APC to market this country very well. The way the APC is saying the country is full of criminals, investors will not come here to invest. They must change the way they talk about Nigeria. Things need to change.”

Look beyond APC for solutions to economy, Senate tells Buhari

The Senate has vowed to hold accountable every appointee chosen by President Muhammadu Buhari to help him address the nation’s myriad of economic problems. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who made the declaration at the celebration of one year of the 8th Senate, sought the support and co-operation of the President to discharge this oversight task. Lambasting his colleagues for failing to take steps to come up with the necessary policy and legislation to put the economy on the right track, Saraki implored the President to look beyond his party, All Progressives Party, APC, to get the best brains to help him run the economy. He said: “We are confident that one year after, the President must by now have better clarity on the capacity of his appointees. The Senate would not hesitate to hold any appointee accountable for the work he has accepted to do. “We would like to seek Mr. President’s support and co-operation to enable us discharge this oversight task. “We have failed to take the necessary steps in policy and legislation that would set us on the path to developing the kind of economy we desire.’’ Senate worries over worsening economy, unemployment, militancy, others Saraki expressed concern about the worsening economic situation in the country, which had culminated in retrenchment, rising cost of living, unemployment, insurgency and renewed militancy in the Niger Delta. He said further in his address to his colleagues in the chamber: “These are serious challenges that require all hands to be on deck. There is no other time in our history than now, when the business of government needs to be conducted with great inclusiveness. “We must find a way to bring the best brains in our country on board wherever they may be found. Even those who did not vote for us but believe in the change that we all believe is necessary to move our country forward should be given a seat at the table. “If we are able to mobilize the best human resources that God has bountifully blessed our country with, I have no doubt that with God on our side, we shall overcome. “We note the Federal Government’s plan to invest N500 billion in social protection programmes in the current budget. We want to urge the government to ensure that appropriate mechanism is devised to ensure that the benefits of these programmes get to those who are genuinely in need. “It is important that, as we move forward in this fight, considerable attention is paid to strengthening the anti-corruption agencies to enable them discharge their functions with greater efficiency and fairness. “We want to assure Mr. President that the Senate will continue to play its part in the fight against corruption, which we believe is cardinal in our desire to improve governance in our country. We will also continue to broaden the scope for increased openness and accountability that we have promised at the legislative level. He tasked the Federal Government on fight against mass poverty, saying: “While government has made progress in the fight against Boko Haram and in the fight against corruption, the fight against mass poverty remains a daunting challenge. Rising cost of living, increased cases of retrenchment and corresponding rise in unemployment, inability of state governors to pay salaries and upsurge in ethnic-based agitation potentially deny government the full credit of the great strides it has made in other areas. “The same energy that has been invested in fighting corruption and Boko Haram must be invested in taking care of the people, in making life easier and better for them. We need to begin to assure Nigerians that the sacrifice that they make today will not be in vain. We need to begin to show them that there would be light at the end of the dark tunnel. So, we must not relent in our efforts in this area over the next years ahead. Speaking on the Nigrer-Delta militants, the Senate President said: “I cannot end this address without a note on the on-going security challenges we are beginning to witness in the Niger Delta area of our country. “We urge the warring militants to embrace our democratic institutions and channel their grievances through appropriate quarters as we can ill-afford further damage to the ecosystem of this all important region and any more disruptions in the system. “In the same vein, we also encourage government to adopt dialogue and engagement as a more lasting option towards resolving this challenge. We also call on the leaders in the area to play their part and ensure through mediation that this menace is comprehensively quelled. “The collapse in oil price has, without doubt, brought huge shock to our economy on a scale that perhaps, has never been experienced before. This requires us to develop creative strategies that would stimulate business and investments into other sectors. “For decades, we have talked about the need to diversify our economy. But we have failed to take the necessary steps in policy and legislation that would set us on the path to developing the kind of economy that we desire. “The Ease of Doing Business Report that ranks our country 167 out of 189 countries is not likely to attract business into our economy. This Senate understands this. With the support from our international development partners, the organized private sector, we commissioned an expert report which identified 54 extant laws that must be reviewed and brought in line with international best practices in order to open up our economy for private investments and business. “For too long, Nigerians have challenged us to justify our presence in this chamber. Many have wondered what exactly we do here or why we should be entitled to certain privileges. I believe that the best answer we can provide to all these is to continue to seek ways that would enable the ordinary citizen feel the impact of the Senate in their lives. “I dream of a day when the poor woman sitting in her house in rural Awka would be able to see the benefit of our work on her life. I dream of a day when a child going to school in Gusau would feel the benefit of the laws that we make. “I dream of a day when a young lady in Osogbo would be able to say how the Senate has helped her small business. I dream of a day when a farmer in Ogoja would see how those of us gathered in this chamber have helped to improve his life. I am confident that if we continue on the path that we have walked in the past year, that day will come soon. “

Only God gives power — Ekweremadu

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has

urged detractors of the Senate to leave the institution alone to work, saying it was only God that gives power. He said: “I am proud of our accomplishment as a Senate. On June 9, 2015, as I look back now, there are a number of our colleagues who were not here, but today everybody is here. “We were divided along the lines of Unity Forum, Like Minds and Non-aligned, but today we are united as one indivisible Senate, working for the progress of our nation. We can only remain patriotic. Our parties may differ, but we have one country and we have one constituency which is Nigeria.” Also speaking, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, who hailed the mutual trust and understanding of lawmakers, stressed that unlike in the past, senators have shown maturity and had been able to put their differences aside. “I want to add and commend the mutual respect and relationship that exist between the opposition and the ruling or governing party. In fact, your maturity level has gone to an extent that you rightly behave as minorities instead of opposition for democracy. “That is very commendable. Their number is so much as the Senate President says that he can be intimidated.” Also, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, urged senators to put the past behind them and proffer solutions to the myriads of problems bedeviling the country. He said: “Some things have not gone right in the last one year. If we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us. We need to tell ourselves the truth. We need to put our pasts behind us and work together. “No matter the political party we belong to, the country is in turmoil. The economy is in a bad shape; insecurity is very high; unemployment is unimaginable. The next one year must not be like the last one year. We must make a difference.”

Nigerian Army tackles Amnesty International on pro-Biafra killings

The Nigerian Army has rejected a report by Amnesty International on Friday accusing Nigerian troops of killing at least 17 unarmed pro-Biafra supporters in south eastern states. Amnesty International said it conducted extensive research on the attacks and could confirm 17 killings, but said the number could be as high as 50. In a statement following the report, H.A. Gambo, a colonel and deputy director, Army Public Relations, accused Amnesty International of not verifying its claims and seeking to discredit the Nigerian Army. “The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to insinuations of misdeed being leveled by Amnesty International against security forces during the MASSOB/IPOB violent protests in Onitsha and environs on 31 May 2016. Accordingly, it is deemed imperative for the wrong and misleading impressions with which the public is being fed to be corrected once and for all,” the statement said. “The synopsis of occurrence on that fateful day is that elements of MASSOB/IPOB engaged in violent protests which were featured with outright disregard for law and order. In the scenario of anarchy that ensued, the pro-Biafran protesters who had chosen the day to mark the 50th Anniversary of Biafra perpetrated a number of unimaginable atrocities to unhinge the reign of peace, security and stability in several parts of Anambra State. “A number of persons from the settler communities that hailed from other parts of the country were selected for attack, killed and burnt. 2 personnel of the Nigeria Police were killed, several soldiers were wounded, a Nigeria Police vehicle was completely burnt down while another of the Nigerian Army was vandalized. “The strategic Niger Bridge at Onitsha was at the verge of being captured particularly with the coordinated reinforcement of the violent protesters from the Asaba end of the Bridge. In addition, wanton destruction of lives and properties were brazenly carried out by the protesters who employed firearms, crude weapons as well as other volatile cocktails such as acid and dynamites. In consequence, law, order and security were grossly threatened across the State and beyond. “The Nigerian Army in synergy with other security agencies under its constitutional mandates for Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA) and Military Aid to Civil Power (MACP) acted responsively in order to de-escalate the deteriorating security scenario in-situ. Instructively, the military and other security agencies exercised maximum restraints against the odds of provocative and inexplicable violence that were employed against them by the pro-Biafran protesters. “The military and of course the other security agencies acted professionally within the extant Rules of Engagement to successful de-escalate the budding anarchy in-situ. It is rather inconceivable for any individual or group to have decided to inundate the general public with an anecdote of unverified narratives in order to discredit the Nigerian Army in the course of carrying out its constitutional duties despite the inexplicable premeditated and unprovoked attacks in the hands of the violent pro-Biafran mob.”

Trouble in EFCC as fraud suspect dies in custody

Desmond Nunugwo, a suspect under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, passed away Friday few hours after he was taken into custody, the EFCC said in a statement. Mr. Nunugwo’s death was confirmed at the hospital where he was rushed after he suddenly took ill. The EFCC said he fraudulently obtained N91 million from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business associates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who were at the verge of buying Nicon Insurance and convinced her of their disposition to help her stock fish business. Consequently, the acquaintance wired N91 million into Mr. Nunugwo’s nominated account (Mainagge General Merchants) in Diamond Bank. After the transfer of the funds, Mr. Nunugwo became evasive forcing the complainant to report the transaction to the EFCC. “Mr. Nunugwo was arrested in Utako, Abuja, at about 5.33pm on Thursday, June 9, 2016,” a statement signed by EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said. “His statement was taken, where he admitted receiving the money from the complainant, with the additional information that he transferred N30m of the said money to Norway. But he could not explain the whereabouts of the balance of N61m. “The suspect was detained at about 7.30pm, in the absence of anybody to take him on bail. “Six hours later, he suddenly complained of discomfort and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead,” the statement said. The commission said the incident had already been reported at the Wuse Police Station, where investigation into the cause of the sudden death has commenced.

FG to relocate govt offices to properties seized from looters

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has said that the Federal Government plans to relocate some of its Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDA) into some recovered looted properties. Mrs. Adeosun said this on Friday in Abuja while briefing journalists after the Steering Committee of the Efficiency Unit meeting. The government says in the last one year it has seized billions of naira in cash and properties from corrupt public officials. The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers had been advocating for adequate utilisation of confiscated properties. Mrs. Adeosun said the move to relocate the agencies was to reduce waste since the properties were empty. “The issuance of price guidelines and initiatives for reducing expenditure on rent on office and residential buildings will be the primary focus areas of the efficiency unit in coming months. “You may want to know that the average annual expenditure on rent for a three year period of 2012 to 2014 was N3.55 billion. “And to achieve that, we are already looking at using properties that were forfeited from recoveries and moving some of our agencies to occupy those properties rather than paying rent,’’ she said. Mrs. Adeosun said the Efficiency unit had already recorded success in cutting government overhead cost in areas such as travels, welfare, honorarium, sitting allowance, training, adverts and publicity as well as refreshments. “Major savings are expected when on-going engagement with the Bureau of Public Procurement on the pooling of MDAs demands for standard products such as vehicles, computers, diesel and others. “We plan to secure large discounts from suppliers and the issuance of Price Guidelines are developed and implemented. “Price Guidelines will ensure uniformity in the price at which MDAs purchase items, as well as transparency and value for money in the procurement process.’’ Mrs. Adeosun said she was working with states to ensure that they all established Efficiency Unit since 47.32 per cent of revenue that accrued to the federation goes to the states and local governments. President Buhari had set up the Efficiency Unit to review all Federal Government’s overhead expenditure to reduce wastage, promote efficiency and ensure quantifiable savings for the country. The Minister of Finance, Head of Service of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation and Director, Budget Office of the Federation are members of the committee. (NAN)

Abuja Hospital in trouble over Metu

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rebuked the National Hospital, Abuja, for transferring the treatment of the former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, to a Lagos hospital. Justice Okon Abang criticised the hospital when he ruled in an application for adjournment brought by Mr. Metuh’s Counsel, Emeka Etaiba, in Abuja on Friday. Mr. Abang said the matter was first adjourned on account of a medical report from the National Hospital, Abuja. He said though the National Hospital report did not state the bed rest duration, the hospital should have informed the court that the defendant had been transferred to another hospital. The judge decried the action of National Hospital, and threatened that because the court was treated with levity, it may not be inclined to receive any medical report from the hospital. “If I order investigation into the activities of the National Hospital regarding to Metuh’s medical report many heads will roll. “I have authority over the management of the hospital because they are under my jurisdiction. The management is not above this court and the law. “ They cannot treat this court with levity; National Hospital has a duty to explain to the court what led to the transfer of Metuh from National Hospital, Abuja, to another hospital in Lagos. “In any event, I have another medical report issued by Dr Olufemi Bankole from Lagos University Teaching Hospital that Metuh is on bed rest over back pains which he claimed,” the judge said. Mr. Abang said the medical report did not disclose the location of the hospital in Lagos. He adjourned till July 7 for continuation of trial. Mr. Metuh was arraigned by EFCC on allegations of receiving N400 million meant for fighting insurgency in the North-East from the office of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. At the resumed hearing Mr. Metuh’s Counsel, Emeka Etaiba, presented a medical report from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. The medical report was signed by Dr. Bankole, stating that Metuh was admitted in one of the private wards of the hospital. The report stated that the defendant was admitted on account of a waist pain he claimed to been suffering for the last two months, so he was currently on bed rest. Mr. Etiaba, therefore, appled for a two-week adjournment to enable Mr. Metuh recover and appear in court for his trial. The EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, did not oppose the application.

Nwabueze calls for confab of ethnic nationalities, truth commission

Renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN, yesterday, in his ancestral home Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state, said the only solution to the numerous problem facing Nigeria was the convocation of a national conference of ethnic nationalities, setting up of a truth and reconciliation commission and the restructuring of the federal system. He also said that the country should adopt a new constitution through a referendum as had been done in other countries of the world, for it to move forward. Prof. Nwabueze spoke during his 85th birthday celebration and his book presentation, entitled, ‘The National Question and Corruption.’ He said “although the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration convoked a national conference, but that is not the national conference I am suggesting. It is the one that will involve ethnic nationalities, where we have to sit down and tell ourselves the truth. Prof Nwabueze “We have to sit down and tell ourselves the truth, it is only when we sit down and look at ourselves and tell ourselves the truth, and it is only when we do that that we can move forward as a country.” He regretted that Igbo have suffered the consequences of not convoking restructuring of the federal system and not convoking a national conference of ethnic nationalities, adding that Igbo had been marginalized in Nigeria that they can no longer express their full potentials. The book reviewer, Prof. Charles Ilegbune in his speech said that Prof Nwabueze is nationally African, and globally acclaimed thorough bred law academician and intellectual. “He is an oracle, a progidy, an iroko, indeed a wizard, a star and a wonder-man in the discipline of law and especially in constitutional law exposition and application. “When Prof. Nwabueze writes or speaks in that area, the issue is definitely settled and any contrary view may well perch as an aberration or heresy. Prof. Nwabueze is indeed Nigerian Socrates, for a person in the frame of Prof. Nwabueze, it is not surprising that his writing and speaking enterprise radiate to all corners of the globe that have even the most tenuous connection with constitutional law. “As of this date, precisely for the past 53 years, since 1963, Prof Nwabueze has written and published a total of 32 books, all sole authored, including two in multiple volumes. His books share a common and abiding characteristics of being authoritative popular and incomparable, and there are no two Nwabuezes as yet in Nigeria in the discipline of law and academics. “I must here publicly acknowledge with pride and thanks that his very first two books, The Machinery of Justice in Nigeria and Constitutional Law of the Nigeria Republic, both respectively published in 1963 and 1964 were the books that ushered me into my law studies at the then University of Ife when I entered the university and provided me with the solid foundation that lubricated and assured my easy and unassailed progression to the end.” He said that Prof. Nwabueze seems to have been motivated to write his new book by the strong and abiding patriotic concern for the unity, stability and prosperity of Nigeria. He indicated this in the opening words of his preface to the book. Some of the Nigerians that graced the occasion were Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state, former Governor Peter Obi, Chief Ike Nwachukwu, Chief Ebitu Ukiwe, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Prof Elochukwu Amuchazi, Prof Emeka Ike, Chief Simon Okeke, Chief George Obiozo, and several others.

Nigerian govt. insists on ‘masked’ witnesses in ex-NSA Dasuki trial

The federal government has again applied to the federal high court in Abuja for the protection of witnesses billed to testify against the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the criminal charges of unlawful possession of firearm arms and money laundering. In a motion on notice brought to the court on Wednesday, the government prayed the court for an order to shield the identities of the witnesses and that the record of proceedings not to be made accessible to the public. In the motion filed by federal government lawyer, Oladipo Opeseyi, the government also applied for an order to permit the witnesses to be addressed with pseudo names in the cause of the trial of the ex-NSA. The trial Judge, Adeniyi Ademola, had in February dismissed a similar motion on protection of witnesses brought to the court by the Federal Government on the ground that the motion was baseless and unwarranted. The judge said that the same government cannot ask for protection of witnesses having filed the charges and proof of evidence along with the names of the witnesses and put the same at the public domain for public consumption. Justice Ademola said in the ruling that the purpose of seeking protection in the earlier motion had already been defeated by government, having published the names of the witnesses and circulated same to different parties. The new motion premised the request on 10 grounds among which are that “Dasuki as a former NSA, a retired senior military officer and a crown prince of Sokoto Caliphate commands large followership throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria who maybe aggrieved by his trial.” The government also claimed that most of the witnesses were security personnel and had expressed fears of being identified by members of the public who are sympathetic to Mr. Dasuki. The government also claimed in the motion that Mr. Dasuki, while in office as NSA, imported into the country a large cache of highly sophisticated arms and ammunition for national security purposes that have not been accounted for. Besides, the government also alleged that a large amount ammunitions is believed to be in the possession of persons sympathetic to the former NSA. The government also said that the security of its witnesses would be violated if they are made to testify publicly without any protection. In a five paragraph affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Ikpebe in support of the motion, the government said Mr. Dasuki served in the intelligence unit of the army and that a large quantity of ammunitions was found in his house when searched, in addition to various foreign currencies that the defendant could not explain the source. However, counsel to Mr. Dasuki, Joseph Daudu, told Justice Adeniyi Ademola that he had just been served with the motion and that he needed time to respond.

Ex-President Jonathan’s cousin, wife get N1 billion bail

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday admitted former President Goodluck’s cousin, Azibaola Roberts, and his wife, Stella, to bail in the sum of N500 million each. The Roberts were arraigned on Tuesday on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering of 40 million dollars. The money was alleged to have been paid into their company, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had listened to arguments from both parties on Tuesday as to why bail should or should not be granted. The prosecuting counsel, Aliyu Yusuf, had argued that the defendants should not be granted bail and that the court should rather order an accelerated hearing of the case. Defence counsel Chris Uche, however, urged the court to grant them bail since the offences for which they were standing trial were bailable offences. Mr. Dimgba, in his ruling, held that there was no material evidence before the court to show that Roberts or his wife would jump bail or frustrate their trial. He said that the “Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, enjoins that the bail conditions shall not be excessive. “All things considered, I grant the defendants bail on the following terms: the defendants are admitted to bail in the sum of N500 million each and two sureties in like sum. “The sureties shall, in turn, enter a bail bond of the sum of N500 million; the sureties must be owners of property in Asokoro or Maitama District of Abuja,’’ Justice Dimgba said. The judge also said that the defendants would remain in prison custody until their bail conditions were met. The commencement of hearing in the case was adjourned till June 28, July 4 and July 5. A

Killing of woman in Kano: Northern govs, Ohanaeze, Okorocha, APC chairman meet …Condemn herdsmen’s menace & killings in the name of religion

By Chidi Nkwopara Governor Rochas Okorocha, his Kaduna and Bauchi States’ counterparts, Mallam Nasir El Rufai and Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, and the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Oyegun, met yesterday, with leaders of Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo led by its President-General, Chief Gary Igariway in Owerri. Vanguard gathered that the discussions centred mainly on the beheaded Igbo woman in Kano State, the issue of herdsmen and the unity of the country. All of them harped on the need for the government and all patriotic Nigerians to see those behind these unlawful acts as criminals and common enemies of the nation and her people. In his contribution, Governor Nasir El Rufai said that “the Northern governors totally condemn the murder of the Igbo woman in Kano, stressing that the matter should be treated as a case of murder, while those responsible must be brought to face the wrath of the law”. Continuing, El Rufai said: “We will not accept a situation where people, either Christians or Muslims, hide under the umbrella of religion to commit crime. If someone had insulted God, the person should be left for God to take care of. I have advised the Kano governor to publicly deal with the people involved to serve as a deterrent to others.” He commended Ohaneze Ndigbo for choosing the path of peace and unity, pointing out that people are now using religion as a tool to divide and even defraud people. “That necessitated the introduction of religion bill in Kaduna so that people can be stopped from using divisive languages in the name of religion”, El Rufai said. Addressing the issue of herdsmen, the Governor said “it is a problem that is affecting the whole nation, adding that it is not a case of Fulani invading other tribes but a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud”. Speaking also, the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar said “the killing of the woman in Kano was an evil act, pointing out that he had liaised with the Kano governor and he assured that arrests had been made and those responsible will face the full weight of the law.” On the herdsmen problem, he said, the problem has been in the North over the years and its occurrence in the South should not be seen as an act of invasion, but a criminal act that must be treated as such, adding that the traditional Nigeria Fulani herdsmen are not known to be criminally minded, but because of the country’s porous borders, herdsmen from other African nations, especially after the fall of Libya, entered Nigeria. The APC National Chairman, Chief Oyegun in his contribution said there were proofs that most of these crimes are being committed by foreigners and gave an instance of a Catholic priest in Benin, who was kidnapped and out of the number of those involved in his abduction only one was a Nigerian. “The nation has to rise to face these challenges squarely. I commend the leadership of Ohanaeze for their maturity in handling some of these sensitive issues,” Oyegun said. Earlier in his speech, the President-General of Ohaneze, Chief Igariway, expressed satisfaction with the way the governor of Kano State is handling the case of the Igbo woman beheaded in his state, and cautioned against inciting statements from leaders, even as he commended the goodwill demonstrated by the Kaduna and Bauchi State governors. Governor Okorocha said the killing of the woman in Kano State was an outright case of murder and has nothing to do with tribe or religion because what is criminal is criminal and must be treated as specified by law.

Bombing threats: Osinbajo meets S-South govs, service chiefs, others

Apparently moved by the threats of Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, to bomb major government buildings in Abuja starting midnight today, the Federal Government, yesterday, called for an emergency security meeting. The meeting, which appeared to be a strategic one, had in attendance the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; governors of oil producing states; service chiefs; Minister of Defence, Dan Ali; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme, Gen. Paul Boroh, among others. The meeting came on a day the main co-ordinator of attacks on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, oil and gas installations in Delta State was paraded by the Navy. Governors in attendance at the meeting included Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia). Service chiefs at the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. Held at the conference room of the Acting President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the meeting which started at about 10a.m. ended at about 3p.m. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said they took briefings of the situation in the Niger Delta by the security chiefs and Minister of State for Petroleum. He said the meeting particularly noted the unhealthy developments in Delta and Bayelsa states, saying a solution was underway. The governor, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, also revealed that there would be a stand-down of military action in the zone. He said the outcome of the meeting, which extensively sought collaboration with the states, would be implemented immediately. His words: “We, governors of oil producing states, security chiefs and ministers who are concerned, met with the Vice-President and I believe we had a very fruitful meeting. “One thing we identified, which is the synergy between the Federal Government and the states, which is very important, is that this meeting has raised a lot of issues and we believe that the collaboration will help us to tackle the issues in the Niger Delta. “Of course, we were briefed by the service chiefs and the governors also have their own perspectives along with the Minister of State for Petroleum. “We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states, particularly Bayelsa and Delta. We believe we are going to find a solution to it. Need to share intelligence “One of such is that there is a need for us to share intelligence which is very important and for us to be proactive, working together with the various stakeholders in the states to achieve a better result going forward. “We have also agreed that there is a need to distill military operations by helping communities where the military needs to actually remain on our waterways to ensure that we adequately man the waterways, while we engage the communities and that engagement will start any moment from now. “Right from today, there is a meeting right after this and we are going to be collaborating, even as we return to our various states.” On amnesty programme Asked when the amnesty programme would be revisited, the governor said it was still ongoing. He said: “I don’t think the amnesty has been put to a stop. I think the process is still ongoing, we have a Special Adviser in charge of amnesty and he is doing very well. “I am aware that he did come in to talk with some of the communities and along with the advocacy team that was put up in Delta State. He did brief us today and I believe it is going to be maintained,” he said. In a similar vein, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, also corroborated the stance of the Delta State governor on the issue. Nigeria not at war He said: “We agreed that we all have to work together to refocus on development issues, economic issues, military issues and community issues. Whatever he has told you there, that is what we have agreed to do. “This is a government elected by the people to govern for their own good. You can’t govern that person without talking to that person. It is common sense. That does not mean humiliation. “You must engage your people. Nigeria is not at war and we cannot be at war with ourselves. If we have conflicts, we will talk through those conflicts.” Navy parades bombing kingpin, others Meanwhile, the main coordinator of attacks on the NNPC, and Chevron oil and gas installations in Delta State was paraded in Warri, yesterday, by the Navy. His arrest came barely 24 hours after the Federal Government extended the olive branch to militants in the Niger Delta, who had been blowing up oil and gas pipelines in the region through a two-week ceasefire to create room for dialogue. Parading the suspected coordinator of attacks on NNPC and Chevron facilities at the Naval base in Warri, yesterday, Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Commodore Ramie Mohammed, said he was arrested in connection with the attack on SPDC 48-inch export pipeline onshore Forcados. The commander, who did not want to be drawn into comments on whether the suspect was a member of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, or not, said what was of interest to him was that the suspect carried out the attacks. He said: “The Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with other security agencies, has arrested the main coordinator of attacks on NNPC and Chevron oil and gas facilities we have witnessed since May 4 with the attack on Okan Valve Platform offshore Escravos. This arrest came after several weeks of trailing and arrest of several of his foot soldiers. “This suspect is also deeply involved in pipeline vandalism to steal crude oil. He steals crude from about 35 abandoned oil well heads and pipelines in Okpoko and Obodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State. Navy believes with his arrest, attacks on Chevron/NNPC oil and gas facilities will abate.” Also paraded by the NNS Delta was a suspect arrested on May 29 for the alleged role he played in a gang’s killing of a soldier, police officer and one other victim. Both the suspected killer of security operatives and the alleged mastermind of the NNPC and Chevron oil and assets attacks were hooded. Commodore Mohammed said the identity of the suspects were shielded so as not to compromise ongoing investigations that would lead to arrest of his collaborators. When interrogated, the suspected killer of a policeman and soldier, arrested in Sapele, told Vanguard that his friend, identified as “Oyile” was the mastermind. However, the suspect arrested for co-ordinating blow-up of pipelines, told reporters he and his fronts bought stolen crude from one William, who allegedly siphoned products from abandoned wells in the Delta waterways. JNDLF yet to fire missiles Meanwhile, the JNDLF, which caused panic in the Niger Delta in the last few days, with its warning to test six missiles, did not launch any as at 5.00 pm, yesterday. Findings by Vanguard showed that there was calm in the region and as at 5.00 p.m in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states, there was no information on the launch of any missile. Residents went about their normal duties, seemingly unperturbed by the threat, while airlines conducted their normal businesses, despite the threat by the militant group that any aircraft found in the airspace was flying at great risk. The JNDLF in a statement by its Commander, General Duties, General Akotebe Darikoro, and three others, had on Monday warned that the group in its final meeting resolved that the Nigerian communication satellite orbit would be shut down to avoid the cause of electronic radiation to human lives. Don’t politicize crisis, stakeholders warn However, stakeholders in the Niger Delta have cautioned the Federal Government not to politicize but engage proper participants for the planned dialogue with militants in order not to jeopardize the brave intention. Notable leaders and groups, who spoke to Vanguard, however, applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering a two-week ceasefire on military operations in the region. They spoke just as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, warned that extant principles of international and/or municipal law during conflict do not shield communities in the Niger Delta harbouring criminals such as members of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA. Involve leaders of other tribes —Emami Former chairman of Delta State Waterways and Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, and Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayiri Emami, who initially opposed dialogue with militants, who he tagged criminals, said: “Surely, everyone will support the Federal Government’s two-week ceasefire and every other measure that will bring peace as well as development to the Niger Delta. “But it is important to stress that as at this moment, the identity of the so-called Niger Delta Avengers and its allied militant group is yet unknown. The Federal Government cannot dialogue with faceless persons, except if those giving Federal Government conditions for dialogue will publicly tell Nigerians that they are speaking for the militants. Engage true stakeholders— IYC Reacting to the two-week ceasefire, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, urged the Federal Government to engage the right stakeholders in its plan to dialogue with Niger Delta militants. IYC spokesperson, Mr. Eric Omare, said: “The IYC feels that the most important thing is for government to demonstrate sincerity and engage the right stakeholders without political considerations. This is the only way the two weeks period for dialogue can achieve meaningful result.” Good initiative – Ijaw in USA Coordinator of Ijaws in USA, Dr David Ogula, said: “We have numbers of reports, communiques and resolutions that have documented the problems of the Niger Delta, what is needed is action, driven from a high-level on a massive scale similar to a Marshal Plan.” The group called on well-meaning Niger Delta people, home and abroad, to pledge commitment to collaborate with the government to break the cycle of violence and dysfunction, and build a stable, secure and prosperous region, which would translate into a stronger economy. Stop shielding Avengers – MEND MEND, which in a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, confessed that many members of the Niger Delta Avengers involved in the current attacks were mostly its former commanders and fighters that accepted amnesty from the Federal Government in 2009 without clear understanding, said the bombings were unprovoked and pointless. It stated: “However, we hereby remind our communities which harbour criminals such as members of the NDA that their communities are not protected by the extant principles of international and/or municipal law during a conflict.” Shell suspends repairs of Forcados export pipeline In a similar development, hope of an increase in Nigeria’s crude oil export was dashed yesterday, as Shell Nigeria said repair works on the Forcados export pipeline had been discontinued due to rising insecurity in the Niger Delta. Chief Financial Officer of Royal Dutch Shell, Simon Henry, who spoke at the company’s Annual Capital Market Day, said the company had to withdraw repair crews last week after a second attack against the 48-inch Forcados export pipeline that linked onshore storage tanks with an offshore port. According to him, the company cannot operate or repair the facility if its people are threatened. He added that it was no longer possible at this time to complete the repair work this June, as earlier scheduled. Henry described the current attacks as more destructive that the ones that took place in the past, stating that there was clearly better organization and targeting in the recent attacks. Nigeria’s oil export dips below 1.3mbpd But Kachikwu, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, said Nigeria’s current total crude oil output was around 1.6 million, adding that after deducting the 445,000 barrels allocation meant for the refineries for local fuel consumption, the amount left for export was less than 1.3 million barrels daily. He said: “In terms of exports, you know that usually, we tend to have a 60-40 per cent Joint Venture, JV, the 1.6 million barrels is a mixture of Production Sharing Contract, PSC, and JV production. “The first is the 445,000 barrels which goes into our local production for the refined petroleum products that we see. If you take that out, we are probably at less than 1.3 million barrels in the export volume.” Bend backwards to end crisis, Saraki pleads with FG As renewed militancy in the Niger Delta cuts oil output by nearly half, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has appealed to the Federal Government to bend backwards and end the raging crisis in the region. Although he condemned the destruction of oil facilities by the militants, Saraki said Nigeria must take urgent steps to stabilise the Niger Delta. Saraki, who spoke to some journalists in Abuja, as part of activities marking his one year in office, said such peace effort didn’t necessarily need to be anchored on a new amnesty programme for the militants. We are concerned about N-Delta Violence —US Reacting to developments in the Niger Delta yesterday, US Mission to Nigeria said it was monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the region. The Mission said in a statement: “We share the concerns of all Nigerians about these attacks. Furthermore, the United States remains supportive of efforts, including the promotion of dialogue, to address grievances in the Niger Delta. ”We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasize that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected. “We continue to call on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals: to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements; to establish conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region; and to provide economic opportunity and needed services for residents of the Niger Delta.” Fayose lauds Buhari On his part, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for choosing to negotiate with the Niger Delta militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and suspending military action. “The President must face the reality that democracy is about negotiation and concession,” Fayose said. He, however, said there must be display of absolute sincerity from the Federal Government such that the militants would have trust in the process. According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said: “The Niger Delta as at today, is still the golden goose laying the golden eggs on which all other regions are surviving and it will be suicidal for military action to be sustained against the militants.”

Niger Delta Avengers rejects talks with Nigerian govt

The new militant group known as Niger Delta Avengers, that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on oil and gas installations, has rejected an offer of talks with the Nigerian government. The group said on Twitter on Wednesday that it would have nothing to do with a committee authorized by the government to hold talks with its members. “This is to the gen(eral) public we’re not negotiating with any committee. If Fed(eral) Gov(ernmen)t is discussing with any group they’re doing that on their own,” it said on Twitter. The minister of state for petroleum, Ibeh Kachikwu, had said on Monday that President Muhammadu Bubari had ordered a two-week cessation of military operations in the area to allow for negotiations. On Tuesday, the government ordered the immediate withdrawal of troops from Niger Delta communities amid allegations of harassment and indiscriminate arrest of locals. The Avengers, which previously attacked Chevron, Eni and Shell facilities, says it wants a sovereign state of Niger Delta, and has vowed to reduce Nigeria’s oil production to “zero”. On Wednesday, the group announced that it had blown up a Chevron well called “RMP 20” located next to Dibbi flow station in the Warri local government area of Delta State at 1 a.m.

SPECIAL REPORT: Inside the massive extrajudicial killings in Nigeria’s South-East

It happened in quick successions. The day was December 17, 2015. News had just come over the radio of a court ruling in favour of the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Jubilant crowds poured out into the streets of Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State. A group of soldiers stationed at the Head Bridge Market opened fire on one of the crowds. By the time the smoke cleared, three people laid dead with over a dozen sprawled on the ground with gunshot wounds. The soldiers fled the scene but not without taking with them the three corpses. Later in the afternoon, five more bodies were discovered meters away from the scene bringing to eight the number of people killed on the spot. Of wounded victims taken to hospitals, four later died, bringing to 12 the total number of victims who perished in the fatal shooting. Three of the dead men were identified as Michael Nweke, 37; Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo, 26; and Mathew Ndukwe Kanu, 25. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that until his death in the hands of soldiers, Michael Nweke was a private security guard employed by the Catholic Reverend Sisters’ Convent at Nkpor in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State. He was a native of Aguekka Village in Ekka Community of Ezza North LGA of Ebonyi State. Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo, an Onitsha-based trader, was a resident of Ezenwankwo Street in Ugwuagba Layout, Obosi. He hailed from Amaokpo in Nssakra Omege Community of Ezza South LGA of Ebonyi State. The third victim Mathew Ndukwe Kanu was an artisan in Onitsha and a resident of Obosi. He was a native of Ndiodo Community in Akanu-Ohafia LGA of Abia State. Anxious family members went from police stations to mortuaries in search of missing or dead relatives. The search continued into the New Year. Leaving no stone unturned, the search party that included members of IPOB and a human rights organization, Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, hired divers to search the River Niger fearing the corpses might have been dumped in there. On February 15, 2016, two months after the killings, 31-year old Sunday Nweke, younger brother to Michael Nweke, received a phone call directing him to hurry to the Onitsha General Hospital with a photograph of his late brother. There he met some IPOB members who led him to a mortuary attendant. Sunday identified the body of his late brother. The attendant, whose identity was not revealed, disclosed that some soldiers of the Onitsha Army Barracks, accompanied by some police personnel from the Onitsha Central Police Station, deposited the bodies on December 21, 2015. The attendant claimed he and his colleagues were warned not to say anything or release the corpses to anyone. Similarly, Frank Chijioke Nwankwo and Grace Onyinyechi Kanu, relations of Peter Chukwuma Nwankwo and Mathew Ndukwe Kanu respectively, received phone calls to come over to the Onitsha General Hospital. They too were able to identify the bodies of their brothers killed two months before. Traders at the Onitsha HeadBridge Market told PREMIUM TIMES that the ill-fated crowd shot by the soldiers were neither armed nor protesting. Azu Okwuashi, a trader at the market, said there was nothing provocative about the activities of the crowd. “They were mostly young men who ran out into the street to jubilate when they heard a court had ruled in favour of the release of Nnamdi Kanu. They were not protesting. Why would they protest what for them was a good news?” Mr. Okwuashi said. Nnamdi Kanu, director of London-based Radio Biafra and leader of separatist Biafran organization, IPOB, was arrested in October 2015 by the State Security Service. The news of his arrest generated mass protests across parts of Enugu State, Delta, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State. Despite meeting bail conditions, Mr. Kanu is still held, a situation that has continued to agitate his supporters within and outside the IPOB. Prior to the Onitsha killings, PREMIUM TIMES had on December 2, 2015 reported the Inspector General of Police ordering his anti-riot force to ‘maximally’ restrain pro-Biafran protesters. Earlier, on November 16, 2015 the General Officer Commanding 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Hassan Umaru, at a press conference in Maxwell Kobe Cantonment, Rukuba, Plateau State, warned “all those threatening and agitating for the dismemberment of the country that we shall apply the ROE (Rule of Engagement) to the fullest”. From Onitsha to Aba, Enugu to Umuahia, activists say, ‘maximum force’ has been the operational code for the unprecedented police and military brutality that has led to the extrajudicial killings of an unknown number defenceless civilians across the zone. Human Rights organisations like the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), the Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, Amnesty International, Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA), and Forum for Justice have for years been documenting cases of extra-judicial killings in the South East, including what has been termed the murderous excesses of the special police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), stationed in Awkuzu, Anambra State. Between August 2015 and February 2016, about 170 “unarmed citizens” were shot dead or critically injured while about 400 others were arrested, charged or detained without trial. The right groups allege “torture, inhuman and degrading treatments in the hands of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)”. There are scores of reported cases of disappearances, abductions and pretrial killings of suspected members of IPOB or MASSOB (Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra). Statistics made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the rights groups show for example that four people were killed in Awka and Onitsha on August 30, 2015; 13 killed in Onitsha on December 2, 2015; 12 killed in Onitsha on 17th December 17, 2015; eight killed in Aba on January 18, 2016; six killed in Aba on January 29, 2016 and 22 killed in Aba on February 9, 2016. Among the four citizens killed in Onitsha and Awka on August 30, 2015 were Ebuka Nnolum, a native of Enuguabo-Ufuma in Anambra State; and Obasi Maduka of Oshiri in Ebonyi State. Of the 13 citizens killed in Onitsha on December 2, 2015 were Anthonia Nkiruka Ikeanyionwu (Anambra State), Kenneth Ogadinma (Abia State), Chima Onoh (Enugu State), Angus Chikwado (Anambra State) and Felicia Egwuatu (Anambra State). And of the four citizens who later died in hospital after being shot by soldiers on December 17, 2015 for jubilating Nnamdi Kanu’s court victory, only one had his identity revealed as Okwu Friday. The identities of the three others were not made public as requested by their respective families. Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head of Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law told PREMIUM TIMES that human rights groups were not always able to detect and capture every case of extra-judicial killings or torture by policemen or soldiers in the South East. “Some of the victims’ families are too afraid to come forward to report to us even when they know the identities of the policemen or soldiers that took their sons away,” Mr. Umeagbalasi said. Massacre in school compound What nobody was afraid to talk about was the mass killings by soldiers and policemen on February 9, 2016 of 22 IPOB members during a prayer session in a school compound in Aba, Abia State. Human rights activists have called it an execution. Emma Nmezu, IPOB spokesman, said to avoid unprovoked attacks of the type witnessed on December 2015 at the Onitsha Head Bridge, members of IPOB were advised to keep their activities off the road. Following this advice, over 100 IPOB supporters had on the fateful day assembled for a prayer meeting at the National High School, along Port Harcourt Road, Aba. Survivors said that about 30 minutes later, at noon, the group was singing when a detachment of soldiers, policemen and naval personnel from a joint task force stormed the school compound and without much altercation began to shoot into the crowd. Twenty-two people were shot dead on the spot. Over 30 others were left with various degrees of gunshot wounds. Among the 22 victims of the massacre were Uche Friday (30), from Asa in Abia State); Emeka Ekpemandu (35), from Owerre Nkwoji in Imo State; Chiavoghi Chibuikem, from Obingwa in Abia State; Nzubechi Onwumere (from Orlu in Imo State); Peter Chinemerem Ukasoanya (27), from Isialangwa North in Abia State; Chigozie Cyril Nwoye (23), from Umuna in Ezeagu, Enugu State; Chukwudi Onyekwere (26), from Aboh Mbaise in Imo State; and Chibuzor Maduagwu (28), from Amauzari in Mbano, Imo State. Survivors’ accounts also had it that 12 of the 22 dead bodies were taken away by the soldiers who came in Hilux vans. The killer soldiers were said to have come from the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, located at Asa in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia. At the time of the massacre, the 144 Battalion was commanded by Lt Col Kasim Umar Sidi. The soldiers were joined by men of the Abia State Police Command as well as naval ratings from the Finance & Logistics Command of the Nigerian Navy, stationed in Owerre-Nta, Abia State. The Abia State Police Command was headed by Commissioner of Police Habila Hosea of service. The Area Commander was an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Peter Nwagbara. The two officials declined to comment for this story. While Mr. Hosea did not answer or return calls, Mr. Nwagbara insisted all questions on the matter should be directed to the public relations officer of the command. The Abia State Police Command publicly admitted to shooting and killing two IPOB members “for disturbing students of the National High School in Aba”. Among the survivors of that shooting incident were Ikechukwu Ugwuoha, Amos Ezekiel, Okechukwu Nnebedum Nkume, Abia State Zonal Coordinator, Donatus Okeke and Joseph Okolie who had come for the IPOB meeting from Port Harcourt. They were arrested by the police, arraigned for “treasonable felony” along 15 other IPOB members and are currently remanded in Aba Prisons. Bodies found in borrow pits Four days after the killings at National High School, scavengers on February 13, 2016 raised the alarm upon finding 13 dead bodies in a borrow pit located along Aba Port Harcourt Road. The borrow pit was months earlier converted to a refuse dump by the government of Abia State. IPOB claimed the bodies in the pit included those of its members arrested and taken away by soldiers who stormed the prayer meeting in the school premises. The dead men were obvious victims of extra-judicial killings. Photographs seen by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that the men were lying face down with pieces of clothes tied over their eyes. The bodies were dumped in a group of eight, three and two respectively. We put most of the photographs gathered during investigations for this story in this link because they are too gory to be displayed without warning. Click on this link to view them. (Warning: Images are gory) Eight of the dead men had their hands tied behind their backs with Biafra flags said to have been among personal items taken away by the soldiers after the school compound shooting days earlier. An amateur photograph earlier taken with a mobile phone captures some soldiers and other unidentified persons dumping fresh corpses from a van into a mass grave. The 144 Battalion military barracks is about 10 kilometers away from the Borrow Pit. Concerned members of IPOB and the human rights organization, Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, were among the first people to visit the borrow pit on Sunday, February 14, 2016. As words spread, representatives of Amnesty International came to the site on Thursday, February 18, 2016. Three more corpses were discovered in another borrow pit behind a mosque located between the Timber Market and the Arewa Onions Market, near Uratta Junction, along Aba-Port Harcourt Road. The three corpses were covered with leaves after being doused with chemical substances suspected to be acid and embalmment fluid. The choice of chemicals was probably to shrink the corpses to the bones, make victims’ identification difficult while keeping the bodies odourless. Amnesty research group, led by Justine Ijeomah, was reported to have said they were “investigating the strong allegations of excessive application of force by the Nigerian security forces against peaceful and nonviolent IPOB protesters during their protests in Anambra, Enugu and Abia States”. The Amnesty team had on that Thursday, February 18, when they first visited the burrow pit, taken photograph and video evidences. However when the team returned on Wednesday, March 2, they were shocked to find that the 13 corpses had been set on fire and were smouldering. Obviously, someone was determined to destroy the evidence. Amnesty International has video recordings of the burning skulls and skeletons. Petitions to UN Rights Commission Following the discovery of burning corpses, human rights groups working in South East Nigeria have petitioned the National Security Adviser, Chief Justice of Nigeria, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, United Nations Chief Repertoire on Extra Judicial Killings, the European Union, among others. Following expressions of concern by international bodies of extra-judicial activities against indigenous groups in the South East, the Nigerian Army announced on February 21 that it had dispatched an investigative team to Aba to ascertain claims of massacre of 22 IPOB members. The announcement was made by the Provost Marshal, Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Ayuba Tedman Hamman, during the commissioning of the newly established Human Rights Desk, Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Army Headquarters, Abuja. “I want to say that since COAS (Chief of Army Staff) was appointed I have been inundated with complaints of human rights reports,” Mr. Hamman said. “I think there is a lot of gap, and that’s why this desk was established… “We have sent an investigative team to ascertain the issue in Abia State about the complaint that our men shot some people involved in peaceful protests. I have confidence in our team and I know this was a joint operation but since we are part of it, we still need to verify. We investigate and at the end of the day prosecute the culprits.” Over three months after, the outcome of the military investigation is yet to be made public. Human rights observers say the military investigation was dead on arrival given that three days before Mr. Hamman’s public assurances, the Nigerian Army had announced it had temporarily relocated the tactical headquarters of its 14 Brigade headquarters from Ohafia to Aba in an effort to curb the activities of IPOB and MASSOB. The Commanding Officer, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Brigadier General Lawrence Fejoku, told newsmen he was in Aba to put in check the menace of pro-Biafra agitators and other violent crimes. Mr. Fejoku also used that opportunity to deny that the military shot and killed 22 unarmed pro-Biafran supporters during a prayer session in Aba. The killing continues The Nigerian Army and the police on May 30 admitted killing no fewer than five persons when members of IPOB and MASSOB trooped out across the South-East states in marches to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the defunct Biafra Republic by late warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu. Activists said the crowds were unarmed and that many more people were killed than the security agencies are ready to admit. But the army claimed that in killing the pro-Biafra activists and wounding several others, its troops acted in self-defence as well as in defence of lives and property of peace-loving Nigerians. The Nigerian government is yet to investigate the killings.

Mass sack: FG threatens to withdraw licences of recalcitrant banks, telecom firms

The Federal Government, yesterday, expressed shock that employers in the financial sector, especially banks, were breaching its directives to stop further retrenchment, threatening to withdraw the operating licence of any bank or telecommunication company in breach. Speaking to Nigerian journalists at the ongoing 105th session of the International Labour Congress, ILC, in Geneva, Switzerland, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, warned that government would sanction erring companies because government had a duty to protect jobs in a harsh economy. Ngige was responding to questions on alleged breach of his earlier directive to banks and other financial institutions to stop further retrenchment of workers, pending the stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for next month. The minister, who spoke after his speech to the ILO National Assembly, said: “We will go a step further if they continue. We know what to do. After all, the banks have the licences given by the government. We know what to do. They need to comply. They need to come to the negotiation table. We did (halted the spate of sack to hold a stakeholders meeting) in the oil industry and we succeeded. Even if you are going to lay off, there is a way to declare redundancy, there is a process. Section 20 of the Labour Act says it. You must call the unions and discuss with them. You don’t just treat them as slaves in their own country and you want us to keep quiet. “We want them to maintain the statusquo. As far as I am the minister of labour, I will protect the interest of workers; same to the telecommunication companies, they are also talking about compiling lists without discussing with anybody.” On the position of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, that the companies in the private sector had the right to hire and fire and that power did not reside in the government, Senator Ngige said organised private sector, represented by NECA, was protecting its own members, and merely expressing its opinion. He, however, warned that this could not be done tot the detriment of the workers and the law of the land. “The organised private sector, NECA is protecting its own interest. NECA is a leg of the tripod, nothing stops it from having its own opinion. It is the section that protects private investors. It is employers’ body and the people I am talking to are also employers. ‘’The bank’s boards, the banks chairmen, the bank’s managing directors, are the people I am talking to. I also talk to unions whenever need be. In the same order, I also asked the unions not to picket the banks. They had mobilised to picket the banks. It is the job of the government to maintain a peaceful milieu on both sides and that is why I issued the directive. “From investigation and preliminary report available to us, the banks, the insurance companies, other financial institutions are all laying off. And in some cases, they do not allow their workers to unionize and that is wrong and against the ILO principle,” he said. According to the Minister, they have not entered into collective bargaining agreement, CBA, a first step to laying off workers. Earlier in his address to the assembly, the minister said: “Nigeria is not insulated from these challenges which are daily manifesting in the socio-economic crises of today. “’The current challenges in the country are connected with the historical neglect of past administrations to address the consequences of a mono-product economy that had so far depended on revenue from crude oil. “The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, of Nigeria however declined to comment on the development. According to the CBN Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, “The CBN will not want to comment on the issue.”

CAF condoles with NFF, Nigerians on Keshi‘s death

CAF President, Issa Hayatou, on Wednesday condoled with the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, and Nigerians on the death of former Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi. This is contained in a statement on the association’s website. Hayatou expressed his “dismay” and “immense sadness” at the sudden death of the former Nigeria international. He paid glowing tribute to the deceased, who emerged as the only African coach to have qualified two African teams to the World Cup – Togo in 2006 and Nigeria in 2014. “’His other enviable record is being the only African trainer to have steered a team to the Second Round of the FIFA World Cup, with Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “He had achieved the same feat as a player with the Super Eagles at their maiden participation at the Mundial in 1994, in USA. “’The CAF President conveyed the condolences on his own behalf, the CAF Executive Committee and African football family on the demise of Keshi, who was a jewel to his family, friends and the Nigerian football family, who are badly affected. “This is a man, who was twice winner of the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria; in 1994 as captain and in 2013 as a coach, with the latter earning him the distinction of Coach of the Year at the Glo-CAF Awards,” the statement read.

Hillary Clinton emerges first female U.S. presidential flagbearer

Hillary Rodham Clinton, daughter of a naval officer turned textile salesman and a maid turned clerk typist, is on track to becoming the first female president of the United States of America. With 2,497 delegates as of 11:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton had convincingly clinched enough votes to become the nominee of the Democratic Party. Her opponent, Bernie Sanders, trails behind with 1,663 delegates. Democratic Party rules require the winning candidate to secure a minimum of 2,383 delegates. The delegate count for both candidates will change as results filter in from primary elections held Tuesday in the states of Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and California. With the majority of the votes in from five states, Mrs. Clinton was the projected winner in New Mexico, New Jersey and South Dakota. Senator Sanders was projected to win Montana and North Dakota. Mrs. Clinton is also on track to a win in California, the largest electorate in the country. With a cache of 475 delegates, a win in California will take her way above the required number of delegates and secure her place in history. Hillary Clinton’s victory came exactly eight years after she conceded the 2008 primary election victory to then Senator Barack Obama. She gave her concession speech and endorsed Mr. Obama on Saturday June 7, 2008 during a final campaign rally at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Born into a conservative household, Mrs. Clinton’s journey to her nomination as the Democratic Party’s flagbearer began in 1964 when she worked as a volunteer for Republican Presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater, in Chicago. Her father, Hugh Rodham, contested unsuccessfully in the Republican Party. Her transition to the Democratic Party found initial expression in her involvement with the Civil Rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War which put her against the dominant strain in the Republican Party. She co-organized a two-day student strike following the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 and served as an inquiry staff advising the Congressional House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate Scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon of the Republican Party. Hillary Rodham met Bill Clinton at Yale Law School in 1971, they got married in 1975 and had Chelsea, their only child in 1980. Mrs. Clinton is as well-known for her legal acumen as she is for her political astuteness. In private and public life, she is also known for her calm disposition in troubled times, a disposition she displayed to the hilt during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, to the dismay and annoyance of many declared feminists. She was lauded for her diligence as a senator representing New York and as Secretary of State. The Clintons enjoy the support of many African immigrant communities, especially Nigerians. Bill and Hillary have both visited Nigeria in their different official capacities. Bill Clinton visited Nigeria at least twice, once during the last year of his presidency in 1999 and in 2013 for the groundbreaking of Eko Atlantic City. The Clintons’ relationship with Nigerians has not been without controversy. President Bill Clinton has been condemned several times over the past two decades for the Clinton Foundation’s relationship with Gilbert Chagoury whose family business is indicted in many financial crimes in Nigeria, including the Abacha loot. Similar questions were raised about donations to Hillary’s 2008 campaign by Kase Lawal, a Nigerian-American Oil merchant based in Texas who was then under scrutiny for illegally pumping and exporting 10 million barrels of oil.

BREAKING NEWS… MASSOB backs Niger Delta Avengers, says Biafra goes beyond the Gulf of Guinea

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Saturday, threw its weight behind the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, whose unrelenting onslaught on crude oil pipelines and installations in the Niger Delta region has plunged production capacity to below 800BPD. MASSOB equally expressed satisfaction with the consistency, selflessness and pragmatism of pro-Biafra groups and revealing that their doggedness during last Monday’s Biafra anniversary which turned bloody has proven their firm belief

on Biafra secession. A statement signed and made available to Vanguard by MASSOB leader,Uchenna Madu, it explained that the activities of Niger Delta Avengers is a natural confirmation that Biafra stretches towards the gulf of Guinea. “The natural inhabitants and indigenous people of these lands are Biafrans by birth but Nigeria by citizens. MASSOB have made it open that we want Biafra though we chooses non violence approach, we shall also support every genuine and legitimate methodology,approach chosen by any group towards Biafran self determination. “Because of our non violence approach, the Nigerian security forces have killed thousands of MASSOB members and other group members since 1999 when the current struggle started. These extra judicial killings of non violence and unarmed Biafra agitators have gone unchecked by the Nigerian Government and international watchdogs against human rights abuses, brutalities, genocides and pogroms including United Nations. “The western world seems not to react against the Ethnic cleansing of our people because of economic and diplomatic interest in Biafra natural treasures which they aligned with Nigeria, they kept their hypocritical eyes closed against the fate of over 60 million Biafrans. “Nigeria and her likes understand the only language of violent, today, Buhari’s military soldiers are being disgraced, economic power block being dismantled, diplomatic relations being shattered, his Government in disarray even himself is confused because of the activities of Biafran agitators in the Eastern region. Our comrades from Niger Delta who are more United and focused than groups from Igbo based hinterland should not relent as the knees of our oppressors shall bow soon. They will beg Nnamdi Kanu”the statement reads.

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Nigerians mourn Mohammed Ali

Chuka Momah, a prolific boxing analyst on Saturday described Mohammed Ali, who died on Friday, as a boxer of exemplary humanity, whose legacy would always be remembered and cherished. Ali, 74, one of the greatest legends of the sport, passed away on June 3. at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona,U.S., after being admitted on Thursday. He had contracted a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by his years of suffering the Parkinson’s disease. Momah in Lagos said that one of the ways that the upcoming boxers could immortalise Ali as the `greatest boxing legend’, was by imbibing his ethics and morals, which made him outstanding all through his boxing career. “All aspiring boxers should strive to be half as great as he was. They should be honest about it. “Ali had worked hard to reach the top of his profession as amateur and pro-boxer and was humble; his death is so heart breaking, because he was not just a boxer, he was a human rights activists. “He changed the face of boxing and paved a way that, upcoming boxers should take advantage of to also reach the top,” he added. Renowned sports analyst Mitchel Obi of Mastersports International, Lagos, who also acknowledged Ali as the greatest boxer of all time, said he gave boxing a meaning. “Ali was phenomenal. He was superman. A man who refocused our mind to who black Americans were and advocated the virtue of racial equality; he reminded us of what humanity was all about’’. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and an apostle of Ali, during his days as a student in the U.S., said he was not just great but the greatest legend of all times. “Ali was not just a boxer but a spiritual and political leader, who was at one time, the conscience of all the oppressed peoples of America, particularly the African Americans. He said the legend redefined boxing and made it a proper sport for the world to admire. According to him, Ali described the likes of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Joe Frasier as `jet pilots’ and he an `astronaut’. Ikpeazu, an Abuja-based lawyer, recalled that it was amazing that Ali, who was disqualified from the Vietnam war draft because the eveluators said he possessed low Intelligence Quotient (IQ), turned out later in life to become a philosopher of note, that the world acknowledged. A li, born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr, remained the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Between Feb. 25, 1964 and Sept. 19, 1964, Ali reigned as the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion. Nicknamed `The Greatest’, Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches of time, notable among these were the first Liston fight, three with rivals Joe Frazier and `The Rumble in the Jungle’ with George Foreman, at which he regained titles he had earlier been stripped seven years earlier.