In Abuja, there was confusion over the number of suspects arraigned in secret before a magistrate court in Wuse Zone 6. While the News Agency of Nigeria put the number at five, some television stations said the accused were between six and seven.



NAN, however, gave only the names of Charles, Ernest Orlu (younger brother of Chima Orlu), and Edmund Ebiware.



It was learnt that Okah’s son, Boloebi; Sola Ladoja; Charles’s securityman, Felix; and his friend were among those arraigned.



When our correspondent contacted the former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, to confirm if Sola was his son, he replied that no member of his family was arraigned before any court on Thursday.



The accused persons were brought to the magistrate court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja in two tinted buses amidst tight security by officials of the State Security Service.



Our correspondent learnt that as early as 5am, SSS operatives numbering over 50, arrived the court premises and cordoned off the nearby Makeni Street to ensure that nobody, including lawyers, gained entrance to the court premises.



Moments after the accused emerged from the closed-door session, the SSS operatives only allowed journalists a photo opportunity to capture the accused as they re-entered their vehicles.



A secondary school pupil, Nelson Akula, who was making a telephone call in front of his house on the street was beaten and whisked to an unknown destination by the operatives when they were driving off after the session.



A Naval officer who challenged them was threatened with guns. As at 7pm on Thursday, the whereabouts of Akula were unknown.



It was not clear whether the SSS brought them before the court for an order to remand them in custody pending the conclusion of investigations.



When our correspondent called the SSS Assistant Director, Public Relations, Mrs. Marylyn Ogar, to ascertain why the arraignment of the suspects was done in secret, she replied, “If you were in court you need not ask me why it was a secret affair; as such I don’t have any reason for the why, no further comment please.”



Chief Magistrate Oyetunde Oyewunmi adjourned the case till November 24 and ordered the prosecution to ensure that the suspects were allowed access to their lawyers in the interest of justice.



The suspects were accused of carrying out terrorist acts, conspiracy to cause bodily harm as well as felony against the state.



NAN quoted the counsel to Charles, Mr Oghenevo Otemu,as having told journalists after the short court session, that he was surprised at the secret trial.



He said that Okah’s trial in South Africa was more transparent as his counsel and journalists were allowed access to the court.



Also speaking, Mr Onyechukwu HighKing, lawyer to Ernest wondered if the case was transferable.



HighKing said it was wrong to arrest and join Ernest, an oil company worker in Port Harcourt, for prosecution in an offence allegedly committed by his brother.



On his part, Mr Ugochukwu Ezekiel, counsel to Ebiware, said the government was denying the accused persons their fundamental rights to representation and fair hearing.



“The accused should have the right to access to the counsel of his choice. We will fight it legally in court,’’ Ezekiel said.



The SSS had earlier arraigned nine suspects in connection with the blast, thus bringing the total number of accused persons standing trial to 14.


http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101022348873

chosen04:


A secondary school pupil, Nelson Akula, who was making a telephone call in front of his house on the street was beaten and whisked to an unknown destination by the operatives when they were driving off after the session.

A Naval officer who challenged them was threatened with guns. As at 7pm on Thursday, the whereabouts of Akula were unknown.

Is making calls a crime now?

chosen04:


NAN, however, gave only the names of Charles, Ernest Orlu ([/b]younger brother of Chima Orlu), and Edmund Ebiware.



It was learnt that Okah’s son, [b]Boloebi; Sola Ladoja; Charles’s securityman, Felix; and his friend were among those arraigned.

One day Abacha may become a saint due to the characters of others.

chosen04:

Is making calls a crime now?

This is Nigeria my brother, what if the young boy was there to describe the suspects, do you even realise the weight of this investigation.

Someone may really be interested in knowing who and who the SSS have in custody, the investigation here still involves people the SSS may not know abt, the masterminds may be working on eliminating the direct accomplices of those in custody.

Who says a secondary school student can not be making calls describing the details of the suspects, the SSS may have felt compromised by his position and would need to fully debrief him check who actually he was talking to.

We want Nigeria to move forward yet we dont want people to their jobs.

The SSS is interested in solving and getting to the root of this matter, terrorists acts are not the same thing as armed robbery or even bank robbery, what more can I say?

chosen04:

Is making calls a crime now?

When I spoke against the beating and unfair incarceration of the taxi driver that ran into Jonathan's convoy most did not get my point. A "more of the same" President , in the mould of OBJ et al, will be casually comfortable with dictatorial and unjust behaviour. Jonathan does not have the conviction to challenge the old way of things because, deep down,  he is a believer in the old order. This is why virtually every ruinous hand that has gotten us where we are today are behind GEJ. In him they have found a 'kindred spirit.  It was the same with Yar Adua. OBJ has a knack for recognising malleable and compromised individuals who do not possess enduring integrity.

Yar Adua , even with his "servant leader" beginning , ultimately wen't on to be the same President using the SSS to arrest and jail Journalists who spoke against his health challenges. Folks were arrested and detained without access to family or legal representation routinely !!! Every security aparatus takes it persona and operational ideology from the C in C  of the day. Jonathan is very jittery and desperate . I would thus expect the SSS to be even more cruel and sinister under GEJ in an attempt to cower everyone.

marvix:

This is Nigeria my brother, what if the young boy was there to describe the suspects, do you even realise the weight of this investigation.

Someone may really be interested in knowing who and who the SSS have in custody, the investigation here still involves people the SSS may not know abt, the masterminds may be working on eliminating the direct accomplices of those in custody.

Who says a secondary school student can not be making calls describing the details of the suspects, the SSS may have felt compromised by his position and would need to fully debrief him check who actually he was talking to.

We want Nigeria to move forward yet we dont want people to their jobs.

The SSS is interested in solving and getting to the root of this matter, terrorists acts are not the same thing as armed robbery or even bank robbery, what more can I say?

Dude, did you read what was written? The young man was making a call in front of his house for god sake !!! He has every legitimate reason to be where he was and making a call !!!! As usual what is simple is made complicated in the attempt to exonerate wrongful actions we are seeing under GEJ. This Presidency is very jittery and desperate. It is logical that the SSS may have been given 'Carte Blanche' to act with impugnity if that will get Jonathan what he want's . It is not inconcievable given that , daily, we are seeing that Jonathan is capable of 'ungentlemanly' and undemocratic conduct.

A secondary school pupil, Nelson Akula, who was making a telephone call in front of his house on the street was beaten and whisked to an unknown destination by the operatives when they were driving off after the session.

. . and how re you guys  able to establish  that the sole reason the dude was taken away was because he was making calls in front of his house?. .

putting so much weight on Nigerian press gets you misinformed this days

What Is Sss Turning Into Under President Goodluck Jonathan?

If anything, i would think they ve shown themselves much more capable. . .high profiled assassinations and acts of terrorism under previous administration had gone unresolved.

marvix:

This is Nigeria my brother, what if the young boy was there to describe the suspects, do you even realise the weight of this investigation.

Someone may really be interested in knowing who and who the SSS have in custody, the investigation here still involves people the SSS may not know abt, the masterminds may be working on eliminating the direct accomplices of those in custody.

Who says a secondary school student can not be making calls describing the details of the suspects, the SSS may have felt compromised by his position and would need to fully debrief him check who actually he was talking to.

We want Nigeria to move forward yet we dont want people to their jobs.

The SSS is interested in solving and getting to the root of this matter, terrorists acts are not the same thing as armed robbery or even bank robbery, what more can I say?

You have said it all. Please dont be drawn into any long debates on this issue  with  GEJ haters who are  "sponsoring" this thread.

The fact that the boy was in front of his house and a teenager is not sufficient to rule out giving away some useful info to some background team. SSS would have taken over that area at least 2 hours before the arrival of the suspects to track any untoward behaviour from any quarters. Just let them say what they like, we will get to the root of this matter, no matter the "blackmail".

na_so:

You have said it all. Please dont be drawn into any long debates on this issue  with  GEJ haters who are  "sponsoring" this thread.

The fact that the boy was in front of his house and a teenager is not sufficient to rule out giving away some useful info to some background team. SSS would have taken over that area at least 2 hours before the arrival of the suspects to track any untoward behaviour from any quarters. Just let them say what they like, we will get to the root of this matter, no matter the "blackmail".

you people will defend anything

there is no difference between the actions of the sss and mugabe's security services

your government is giving its security apparatus a license to act with impunity and arrest bystanders without trial, and this is the best you can come up with?

it may be you tomorrow who is standing by the corner when the sss are passing through.

it is now an offence to stand outside your house

i wonder how low you people can go.

if these sss people break int houses of people in the vicinity because they are up late you will find an excuse for that as well

violent:

. . and how re you guys  able to establish  that the sole reason the dude was taken away was because he was making calls in front of his house?. .

putting so much weight on Nigerian press gets you misinformed this days


If anything, i would think they ve shown themselves much more capable. . .high profiled assassinations and acts of terrorism under previous administration had gone unresolved.

it is only because this was an act of terrorism in the eye of the foreign media we are seeing all this demo.

did three people not die in the warri bombings? why was our cinc and sss silent then ?

hypocrites playing to the gallery

oyb:

it is only because this was an act of terrorism in the eye of the foreign media we are seeing all this demo.

did three people not die in the warri bombings? why was our cinc and sss silent then ?

hypocrites playing to the gallery

GEJ is riding on the politics of convinience. Simple. His country home was also bombed. Has anyone been arrested for that?

@chosen04, why did u chose to extract the portion thats suits your argument from the article, you should have pasted the entire article so that people can make informed opinions. While I share the opinion that the SSS may be have been overbearing if truly they beat up the boy, i see nothing wrong in them taking him away for interogation. What if the boy is sent on a hatchet job of remotely setting up a bomb within the vicinity.  One should not loose touch of the delicacy of the issues at hand.The trial at South Africa has revealed the true state of issues. Its only a matter of time when the "BIgger Boys" behind all this are revealed.

you people will defend anything

A secondary school pupil, Nelson Akula, who was making a telephone call in front of his house on the street was beaten and whisked to an unknown destination by the operatives when they were driving off after the session.

This isn't an attempt to defend anything, i just think the information is too vague to conclude on! . . you would expect Journalists to include some form of investigative journalism in their approach. . .why is it so hard to put a call across to the SSS public relations to find out why the kid in question was arrested?

. . didn't some Newspaper report three bombs in the recent Abuja blast?. .wouldn't you be careful to believe what the same paper report in the near future?

oyb:

it is only because this was an act of terrorism in the eye of the foreign media we are seeing all this demo.

did three people not die in the warri bombings? why was our cinc and sss silent then ?
hypocrites playing to the gallery

Dis one just dey jump from pillar to post. you be goalkeeper ?

So what is your recommendation? That the FG should not investigate this because it happened in warri and was not investigated , hence for consistency this ABJ blast should toe same path?

na_so:

Dis one just dey jump from pillar to post. you be goalkeeper ?

So what is your recommendation? That the FG should not investigate this because it happened in warri and was not investigated , hence for consistency this ABJ blast should toe same path?

dude, sorry o, no ves, thank you for confirming that the lives of nd people are worth far less than those of abuja residents

i will save this for future reference

the point is that your fg is following this case simply because they were humiliated in the eyes of the world, and your hero has also seen an opportunity to truncate his opposition

kep defending mugabesque thuggery because your person is calling the shots

So because Newspapers reported different number of suspects arraigned in court, then the President is to blame for whatever lapses the SSS has?

Gbawe:

When I spoke against the beating and unfair incarceration of the taxi driver that ran into Jonathan's convoy most did not get my point. A "more of the same" President , in the mould of OBJ et al, will be casually comfortable with dictatorial and unjust behaviour. Jonathan does not have the conviction to challenge the old way of things because, deep down,  he is a believer in the old order. This is why virtually every ruinous hand that has gotten us where we are today are behind GEJ. In him they have found a 'kindred spirit.  It was the same with Yar Adua. OBJ has a knack for recognising malleable and compromised individuals who do not possess enduring integrity.

Yar Adua , even with his "servant leader" beginning , ultimately wen't on to be the same President using the SSS to arrest and jail Journalists who spoke against his health challenges. Folks were arrested and detained without access to family or legal representation routinely !!! Every security aparatus takes it persona and operational ideology from the C in C  of the day. Jonathan is very jittery and desperate . I would thus expect the SSS to be even more cruel and sinister under GEJ in an attempt to cower everyone.

Names and jail terms?

Give us right here or we conclude your insinuations are made up. We are waiting.

GEJ is desperate to become what? Hitler?

oyb:

dude, sorry o, no ves, thank you for confirming that the lives of nd people are worth far less than those of abuja residents

i will save this for future reference

the point is that your fg is following this case simply because they were humiliated in the eyes of the world, and your hero has also seen an opportunity to truncate his opposition

kep defending mugabesque thuggery because your person is calling the shots

You are just being funny here. Where in my post did i insinuate that?

Even GEJ admitted that not unearthing those behind the warri and PH bombings was not proper, and that must have emboldened the bombers to think that they can hide under the umbrella of MEND and walk free after the bombings.

However, I have asked you a very simple question, should the FG stop all investigations now becuase warri was not investigated? straight answers please.

na_so:

However, I have asked you a very simple question, should the FG stop all investigations now becuase warri was not investigated? straight answers please.

oyb, ngwa, answer.

Gbawe:


Dude, did you read what was written? The young man was making a call in front of his house for god sake !!! He has every legitimate reason to be where he was and making a call !!!! As usual what is simple is made complicated in the attempt to exonerate wrongful actions we are seeing under GEJ. This Presidency is very jittery and desperate. It is logical that the SSS may have been given 'Carte Blanche' to act with impugnity if that will get Jonathan what he want's . It is not inconcievable given that , daily, we are seeing that Jonathan is capable of 'ungentlemanly' and undemocratic conduct.

How do u expect the SSS to know that he was infront of his house,moreova he chose the time for this weighty trial to make calls.
If this investigation is left unsolved and no culprits caught,its you people that will talk.Now something is being done when evil is perpetrated in Nigeria,and you people are still talking.Na wa for una sef.

marvix:

This is Nigeria my brother, what if the young boy was there to describe the suspects, do you even realise the weight of this investigation.

Someone may really be interested in knowing who and who the SSS have in custody, the investigation here still involves people the SSS may not know abt, the masterminds may be working on eliminating the direct accomplices of those in custody.

Who says a secondary school student can not be making calls describing the details of the suspects, the SSS may have felt compromised by his position and would need to fully debrief him check who actually he was talking to.

We want Nigeria to move forward yet we dont want people to their jobs.

The SSS is interested in solving and getting to the root of this matter, terrorists acts are not the same thing as armed robbery or even bank robbery, what more can I say?

My guy, you are sounding off as one that doesn't look beyond the obvious.

Anyone interested in details of those arraigned can get it from their lawyers or even the press conference by the same SSS.
Now the phone cal was being made while they were on their way back, to defend this act would mean that they can as well arrest anyone along their route that was making a phone call, as such a person could have been speaking to interested parties too.

We do want Nigeria to move forward, but definitely in the right direction. If you are backing your destination, moving forward is negative! What Nigeria needs is properly movement in the right direction - a time when rule of law prevails and human rights are respected.

Terrorist acts are not solved by gangster acts to arrest indiscriminately.

phraoh:

How do u expect the SSS to know that he was infront of his house,moreova he chose the time for this weighty trial to make calls.
If this investigation is left unsolved and no culprits caught,its you people that will talk.Now something is being done when evil is perpetrated in Nigeria,and you people are still talking.Na wa for una sef.

I can't believe you wrote the above!
So the SSS cannot know that the court premises is not within the guy's compound or that where the boy was is a private residential place?
Hmmm, so once there is a weighty trial, nobody should make calls? How very inhuman and crass can you be.

na_so:

However, I have asked you a very simple question, should the FG stop all investigations now becuase warri was not investigated? straight answers please.

Nope, the investigation should NOT stop!
However since he has come to the realization that this are criminal acts, equity dictates that he should order an investigation into the previous bomb blasts.
I do wonder why GEJ was not interested in investigating the people that bombed his own country home? Or maybe he does know.

na_so:

However, I have asked you a very simple question, should the FG stop all investigations now becuase warri was not investigated? straight answers please.

we expect the fg to conduct investigations in a professional manner that will leave no room for doubt or leave us with impressions of a badly orchestrated witch hunt , which is how the whole 'investigation' is shaping out

secret trials - does that bode well?

LouisThoru:

Names and jail terms?

Give us right here or we conclude your insinuations are made up. We are waiting.

GEJ is desperate to become what? Hitler?

Abeg take your pedantism elswhere. Upon all the dictatorial gra gra did Yar Adua turn out to be greater than God?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7686119.stm

News blogger detained in Nigeria   

A US-based Nigerian news blogger is being held without charge by Nigeria's secret service.

Jonathan Elendu was taken into custody on Saturday when he arrived in the capital, Abuja, on a family visit.

The State Security Service (SSS) has refused to allow his lawyers access to him and denied him a medical visit.

Elendureports.com is one of a number of diaspora-run "citizen reporting" websites about Nigeria and is known for publishing controversial stories.
According to Nigerian law anyone arrested must be charged in court within 48 hours, but correspondents say the rule is frequently broken.

The SSS told Mr Elendu's lawyer that Mr Elendu had not been "arrested", but "invited" for talks at their headquarters.


  There haven't been many really controversial stories about the president on Elendureports.com in the last few months

Lawyer Ugo Muoma
An SSS spokesman said he was being investigated for "acts of sedition", but refused to give details.

Spokesman Kene Chukwu also told the BBC that Mr Elendu's detention had followed legal rules.

"I am telling you all the legal rules were followed, and you have to accept it," Mr Chukwu said.
]
Mr Elendu's lawyer says he has not spoken to his client since his arrest.

"They have not pressed any charges and have not allowed anyone to see him," said Ugo Muoma.

He said he was filing papers in court to force the SSS to charge or release Mr Elendu.

Elendureports.com operates from Lansing in Michigan and publishes often controversial stories about Nigerian politicians, accusing some of them of corruption and other crimes.

http://www.nigeriancuriosity.com/2008/09/channels-tv-shut-down-by-yaradua.html

CHANNELS TV SHUT DOWN BY YAR'ADUA
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Nigerian television station, Channels TV, was shut down by Yar'Adua today. Yar'Adua sent Nigeria's State Security Service (SSS) to shut down the station and its [b]senior staff were arrested because the channel reported that Yar'Adua would step down because of his health.[/b The report by Channels TV was attributed to information received from News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

^^^^^

So these things you have quoted amounted to jail terms?

I hate people who makes un guarded statements just in a bid to make a point! How is this true """Yar Adua , even with his "servant leader" beginning , ultimately wen't on to be the same President using the SSS to arrest and jail Journalists who spoke against his health challenges."""

Thats what he said.

^^

is it ever possible for u to pass points across without coming off as rude?

bookface:

^^

is it ever possible for u to pass points across without coming off as rude?

It is the common nature of those who support GEJ . In any case he is just pedantically holding on to the word "jail" when I use it to mean that people were arrested and detained in Jail . What I wrote clearly illustrates my thinking :

Folks were arrested and detained without access to family or legal representation routinely !!!

The taxi driver who crashed into Jonathan's convoy was held in jail for over three months and I am not even sure he has been released. Obviously my point, hijacked by obdurate pedantism, is that high-handed behaviour from the SSS is always indicative of the real mentality of the current Government. Yar Adua may claimed to be a "servant leader" but he was completely at ease ordering Nigerians to be locked, detained and deprived of fundamental human-rights because he disliked what they wrote.

oyb:

we expect the fg to conduct investigations in a professional manner that will leave no room for doubt or leave us with impressions of a badly orchestrated witch hunt , which is how the whole 'investigation' is shaping out

secret trials - does that bode well?

you are just shouting for no cause. Witch hunt? and who is the victim here okah or dokpesi? There is no way everybody would applaud the procedure, yes even if you  outsource it to FBI. So far they are doing very well with the investigations .

The trial has not started,  the suspects were only taken to court for the SS to obtain permission to still retain them for further interrogation. Once you look beyond GEJ see clearly that this is a National security concern, you will agree that they(SSS) have not done badly.

Akainzo:

Nope, the investigation should NOT stop!
However since he has come to the realization that this are criminal acts, equity dictates that he should order an investigation into the previous bomb blasts.
I do wonder why GEJ was not interested in investigating the people that bombed his own country home? Or maybe he does know.

And what are you saying? How much can you chew at any given time? After this october 1 case is concluded, yes govt could look at the previous ones, or better still this recent  bombing and the attendant investigation could throw up leads to the previous cases which can be looked at in greater detail, but the call for parrallel investigation into previous cases at this time is laughable.

May be you need to be reminded that OBJ was the president when GEJ's house was bombed or maybe you think GEJ could have ordered for a probe as VP if his boss UMYA was not positively disposed to the idea.

Gbawe:

It is the common nature of those who support GEJ .

You don start abi?

I think the lawyers should approach a court and seek injunction compelling SSS to grant them access to their client, the injunction should also compel SSS to state in clear details what these boys were arrested for.

The reason they are acting all this film is simple, their investigation methods is very basic and they have no evidence whatsoever. What they seem to be doing is sending forwarded sms messages and e-mail messages to those they want to arrest.

They usually have evidence of BOMB suspects who recieved text messages or who recieved forwareded messages but never have bomb suspects who sent these messages. It makes you wonder whether if it is the same people making the arrest who are sending these messages in the first place?

na_so:

You don start abi?

My brother, you know I don't include you in that category. It is a shame you support Jonathan because you conduct yourself well while his other fans give team GEJ an uncouth image with their 'agbero' behaviour on Nairaland.