Unknown attackers have blown up a country house of Nigeria's Vice-President elect Goodluck Jonathan, Nigerian security sources have said.
They said the house in the southern Bayelsa State - where Mr Jonathan in currently governor - was destroyed by dynamite in the dawn attack.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties. Mr Jonathan is not believed to have been in the house at the time.

The attackers also blew up a nearby police station, killing one officer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6660655.stm


what can the motive for this dastard act be?

Blew up? With a bomb or what?

You and BBC should stop sensationalizing issues.

If a police station was blown up as they claimed I wonder why only one policeman died.

Afam:

Blew up? With a bomb or what?

You and BBC should stop sensationalizing issues.

If a police station was blown up as they claimed I wonder why only one policeman died.

Sometimes I really wonder why these people are really out to distabilise that country. With their exagerated news. I really wonder why. 

Because we dont have work to do they try to sensationalise news if not you will not read.

If Naija is not blowing up or we are not dying in the Dozen very few are interested.

we need to know that BBC is a Military Weapon.

The typical of Nigerians, rather than be concerned that even the idea of attacking the Vice President elect (Select?) or his house paints some dangerous times ahead the polity, we are concerned on the language used to describe it.  

To the courts, murder can be "reduced" to manslaughter, but to the family of the victim the loss can never be replaced.  

Ok, let me help out: The house of the Vice President elect (Select?) was "carefully and kindly" dismatled. Also a nearby police station was "mercifully" pushed down such that only, I repeat only one un important live was lost.

I hope that makes it better.  

Now if I will be excused, let me quickly say that only a National Conference to be called Immidiately on how we want to live as Nigerians will save us from this brink.  The situation is getting worse.  

Getting worse?  Oh I a have "commited" the same crime as the BBC.  Please I'm sorry, "we are getting better".

@noblezone,

I am really disappointed that you cannot condemn what is condemnable. Exaggerating news and blowing things out of proportion is disgusting and amounts to a calculated attempt to mislead, misinform and yet you are here trying to justify this rubbish?

Afam:

@noblezone,

I am really disappointed that you cannot condemn what is condemnable. Exaggerating news and blowing things out of proportion is disgusting and amounts to a calculated attempt to mislead, misinform and yet you are here trying to justify this rubbish?

You should have known by now not to rely on me when it comes to trivialising isssues like discussing on "how the accident happened" rather than on rushing the victims to the hospital.  Do you really think that my post had anything to do with the BBC? Then read it again.  The BBC can exaggerate and blow the news to all I care and that fact is not as important to me than the fact that the house of the Vice President elect (Select?) was attacked.

By the way, the BBC news says it was dynamite then please apart from "blowing up" what else is the behaviour of dynamites?

A house is on fire which was caused by an electric spark, but somebody says the fire was caused by a bomb. Now the owner on hearing the news, instead of  seeing what he can do about the fire, is more interested in beating up the guy who said the fire was caused by a bomb.  

No wahala, let us not just condemn but if possible burn down the BBC and let me see how that will over turn the verdict that "Nigeria is on a brink".

You guys are hilarious. And that since you have put me in the mood, I feel like watching Tom and Jerry.  Somebody lend me a copy please?

well, I went to the site again and it seems the story has slightly changed and the story now seems more vague.

@nobblezone

You could not have said it any better.

Very soon we will all be homeless, I have posted on this site before that the Niger-Deltans of yesteryears who colluded with ex-army leaders may not have envisaged that where they once called home will turn into a war zone.

Nigeria is heading for anarchy if our leaders including councilors and LGA chaimen do not change their ways, we might turn to congo. I am so glad that the target was a politician.

When people openly endorse misinformation and lies then only God knows what can be expected of them.

People like these are ready to do anything to achieve anything in life and should be avoided at all costs. This is really disgusting.

Frankly I do have reservations about the BBC too, but those who say this info has been exagerated should do well to inform us properly on what happened otherwise I have no reason to take them any more seriously than the BBC.

The number of casualties does not determine whether a building was actually bombed or not, because it is possible to bomb a building with no one dieing especially if no one was in there at the time.

McKren:

Frankly I do have reservations about the BBC too, but those who say this info has been exagerated should do well to inform us properly on what happened otherwise I have no reason to take them any more seriously than the BBC.

The number of casualties does not determine whether a building was actually bombed or not, because it is possible to bomb a building with no one dieing especially if no one was in there at the time.

My catious nature of taking BBC news serious came with the last election. In their headlines there was nothing good about the last election its either 150 people have died and more coming or its is badly marred, but pick up your phone call realtives and friends in the areas mentioned by BBC and u hear a total different story, and if there was any riot at all, u would immediately be told by your own source it was'nt that bad. Elections in Africa would not be hinge free anywhere in the next 10 years. But saying any effort to move a step forward came to nothing at all is in no way acceptable from the BBC.

And this same people that will not waste any time in pointing out our mistakes have not perfected there own elections even though its there own creation.

From some comments on this issue I am reminded of a senior international officer ( I can't remember whether it was a US, EU or UN official) who claimed that was happening  in Rewanda during the 1994 genocide was not yet genocide, and the Journalist asked something like "when is it genocide ? Is it when one person is killed or thousands are killed?"

I ask the same question here- when is it clear that there is a crisis of grave proportion starring us in the face in Nigeria ? Is it when the house of the VP elect is partially destroyed by militants or is it when it blown to pieces by the same militants?

It doesn't matter the gravity of the damage. What matters is the ability of the militants and what it could portend. One life lost in a police station attack is as important as a whole town wiped out. We are talking human lives here. Every life is important

Lets stop bickering about the language used by the BBC and face the issue. Ordinary militants are attacking the house of our VP to- be and destroying police stations. What can be done about it ? That is the issue, not whether they blew the window of the house or it was the door that was blown off.

The man who can shoot your leg can also shoot your head. You better address the issue quickly before he shoots you in the head instead of arguing whether you were shot with a .22mm bullet or a .35mm bullet. They can both kill.

funloving:

From some comments on this issue I am reminded of a senior international officer ( I can't remember whether it was a US, EU or UN official) who claimed that was happening in Rewanda during the 1994 genocide was not yet genocide, and the Journalist asked something like "when is it genocide ? Is it when one person is killed or thousands are killed?"

I ask the same question here- when is it clear that there is a crisis of grave proportion starring us in the face in Nigeria ? Is it when the house of the VP elect is partially destroyed by militants or is it when it blown to pieces by the same militants?

It doesn't matter the gravity of the damage. What matters is the ability of the militants and what it could portend. One life lost in a police station attack is as important as a whole town wiped out. We are talking human lives here. Every life is important

Lets stop bickering about the language used by the BBC and face the issue. Ordinary militants are attacking the house of our VP to- be and destroying police stations. What can be done about it ? That is the issue, not whether they blew the window of the house or it was the door that was blown off.

The man who can shoot your leg can also shoot your head. You better address the issue quickly before he shoots you in the head instead of arguing whether you were shot with a .22mm bullet or a .35mm bullet. They can both kill.

What u dont really understand is that the language used could trigger a response that will be higher in magnitude than the action itself or its intent. Its a matter that concerns a lot of people so how it is reported matters. No one is saying that murder either by a sword or gun is not murder. But please let the relatives of the murdered know exactly how the victim died, so that when it comes to consolation or reconsiliation, our job would be easier.

na wah oh , when will i hear good news 4m this my fathers country , and y r people so concerned about how sum1 exaggerated the issue than the issue itself

Ikomi

I think our governemnt should spend more time working out solution to Nigerian problems and thus youth restiveness than the semantics with which BBC reports its news.

I suppose we can blame this act on Obasanjo too, it must be his grand design for 4th term. . .

I am from Delta State and while I sympathized initially with MEND and all the other agitators,
I can not stand to hear or see their names in print anymore. This is just pure criminality and
thuggery at its best.

Ask yourself, what exactly will any sensible individual from Baylesa or from the Delta have against
Mr.Goodluck? Odili has been there for 8 years and these thugs have not dared to lay a finger on
him. What's Goodluck's crime? For goodness sake, Baylesa is producing the next VP in the country,
while not wait and see what he can deliver before planning on extinguishing him? Come May 29
who understands their problems more than one of their own in Aso Rock? Who else in Aso Rock
will know what it is to come from a state producing the most wealth in the country but with little
or nothing to show for it? What are they gaining now by killing their fellow kinsmen?

Like I said at the beginning, lets blame this act on Obasanjo because that's what absolves each
individual Nigerian from taking personal responsibility for their negative actions.

Afam:

When people openly endorse misinformation and lies then only God knows what can be expected of them.

People like these are ready to do anything to achieve anything in life and should be avoided at all costs. This is really disgusting.

I assume (mark my word, I only assumed) that you are referring to me about endorsing misiniformation, and hence will gladly like to be put right on what the proper information is.  Mind you I did not in any way endorse the BBC! I only said that our concern should be more on the fact that our "house is fire" (perhaps started by a candle) rather than pursing the guy who said the fire was  started by a "bomb".  

In your typical way of avoiding issues, you have left the only point (just one) I raised and is going "ga-ga" on the politics of "exclusion" (again typical of Nigerian political "elite" that hate the truth ).  Your good self  and all the other men who are unifluenced "free thinkers",  who would rather be discussing "whether the number of people killed by the oil war" in Nigeria was reported correctly rather than "how to stop the occurences" can avoid me.  Just know that it will not change these facts:

1. That the house of Goodluck Jonathan was attacked. (May be it is normal for you)

2. That the attack tells you that our polity is geting more and more poluted and perhaps its also pointing to where we might be heading to from here.

3. That lives were lost in that attack: ofcourse those of the disposable Nigerian policemen who have nothing whatsoeve to be proud of serving their fathers land.

4. That the chances of more attacks are there, except we accept that indeed we have a problem and thereby start taking meaningful steps towards solving them.  Remeber your argument that the so called militants should "do an in house clean up"?  Perhaps they have heard you voice.

5. That Anambra State is under stage and being held hostage by a few power intoxicated individuals who stole their way to power.

6. That Nigeria is sick and needs an urgent attention.

7.  That the BBC can blow and exagerate their news to the skies, yet is is incosequential to our domestic approach on solving our problems.  By the way is it not better to prepare to fight a lion only to meet with a goat? Than to hear that there is a snake in the cupboard and say, "Ah, it must be a lizard".

8. That the "PDP" won land slide in the just concluded madness of an election is also a type  exageration carried by the NTA.  

9. That even if the CNN, AIT, VOA and BBC stop reporting at all about the terrible (am I exgerating?) situation here (especially in the Niger Delta), it will not stop our downward acceleration as a country.  

10.  That we can ignore the BBC and any other exagering media outfit, and focus on how to answer the "Nigerian Question".

Else, we can leave it  just like the case of Rwuanda, where the UN was busy trying to define "genocide" while innocent men, women and children were being slaughtered in a manner that even goats have more dignity.

Finally, could you please tell us exactly what happened in Bayelsa? It is even possible that there was not even an incident at all.  BBC must have "organised" the show the way the Jeff of CNN "organised" the kidnapping of Philippinos and the subsequent show thereof.

@McKren,

It is not just the BBC, it is in the nature of man to exagerate and celebrate bad news. In fact, bad is the NEWS for it brings with it sensation.  If a Pastor wins a soul, who cares but hear that a Pastor imprenated a church member, that is hot news. There is something on the inside of man that craves for bad news, that is why crime movies are great hits.  Even those accusing others of exageration do exagerate when it is ther own turn.  

Afam exagerated headlines one day "It Appears the PDP is not Power Hungry After All", events showed that PDP is actually both Power Intoxicated and Power Hungry.

Finally, if you are waiting for them to tell you the other side of the news, you will be disappointed.  They dont know what happened or what is happening.  They only reacted out of sentiment against the BCC.

And finally rather than listen to the NTA, I will listen to the BCC or better still, listen to TOM and JERRY, they have "better news" that suits the nerves.

It is not the gibberish BBC,CNN and all other imperialist mouthpieces sprout that should bother us but the undeniable ominous conflagration insidiously consuming our makeshift nation.

If one have to rely on this foreign news media, I bet their news should always be taken with caution. Having said that, the act on the part of the militant is surely a warning to Yar'adua incoming government to be aware of what is waiting for him. Chances are that, Yar'Adua could be very tough than OBJ himself, some people even swore they can see it in his face. Is it not high time that this Niger Deltans militants shield their sword? They now have the VP in thier kitty, isnt that an achievement for their uprising?

I wonder why this people cannot leave what is written on the taxi and enter inside the taxi
How could you dwell on trivial issue like why  BBC exaggerated the extent of the damage, instead of putting heads together to find solutions to our problem.
If care is not taken this country will turn to Iraq(God forbid) and we will still be here blaming BBc.

Our country will not turn to Iraq. Nigerians are not fools; we love our lives.

I have just read the news but there is equally a good quote that the President and VP. Select must hold fast unto.
"It is not clear why the militants attacked, but analysts say they are trying to remind the incoming president Umar Yar'Adua that the crisis in the region is far from over."
I haven't been back to Nigeria in a while but i do understand that be it in socio,economy or polity,hunger is the basis of all the problems. . I wonder what our situation would be like if a policeman can caution or arrest an influential politician, soldier or fellow policeman bearing in mind he and his family will still be able to afford two good meals a day should he be sacked for doing tthe right thing.
All in all, BBC and other western media may be biased in reporting only problems or very sad story about Africa, but they report some fact ,though sometimes exagerated. I will like to see the two employ policies that will attend to mass production of food. this will eventually works its way into all problem and reduce them to normal as is seen in the west.
I'm happy that it happed and reported. Whoever was commisioned to carry out the attack must have or be experincing lack of three square meals day.

May, God have mercy on us. This is coming after a day or two that Mr president led a prayer group that went and cleased/healed the land of Niger Delta. I think this is to drive it home that what they need is food, shelter, hospital, education, good road (good standard of living) etc and not prayer.
Goodluck is lucky again but he should know that one day, his name may fail him. He should start addressing the problem of his kinsmen before the problem dress him. This is not political issue.

I am surprise that no Nigerian daily have shown it in its website even as a breaking news.

Whether the story is exaggerated or not, for the fact that it happened makes it real and believeable.

US report in 2005 said that Nigeria may seize to exist in the next 15 yrs from then, the report was highly debunked and criticised but today, what are we seeing, we are gradually heading towards disintergration. The last election has hastened it much. Each last national assembly member will get more than N6m as serverance package when about 50m nigerians leave in less than $1 a day. About 460 persons sharing more than 2.8b. What will the rest of 144m people share? Put such money in healthcare in Umar will not go to Germany for treatment. Where are we heading to?
Again, May God have mercy on us.

The truth about Odili is that he is giving the militants ransom. For election to hold in his state 360m was disbursed to militant. So why will they not be empowered to create more chaos.
The money meant for development is been spent on trivial issues. Even the security personnel are now part of kidnaping.
Not until the so called PDP that stole the peoples mandate gives it back to them, nigeria is heading towards anarchy.

Ikomi:

My catious nature of taking BBC news serious came with the last election. In their headlines there was nothing good about the last election its either 150 people have died and more coming or its is badly marred, but pick up your phone call realtives and friends in the areas mentioned by BBC and u hear a total different story, and if there was any riot at all, u would immediately be told by your own source it was'nt that bad. Elections in Africa would not be hinge free anywhere in the next 10 years. But saying any effort to move a step forward came to nothing at all is in no way acceptable from the BBC.

u should undesrtand that nigerians are very resilient people so being told by ur people that it wasnt 'that bad' does not necesarily mean so. i was in nigeria myself during the elections and believe me i was frightened it might degenerate into something else!
as far as riots are concerned, yes there were riots. women came out naked in ondo state to protest besides protests in other states. so frankly, the situation was bad.
that is not to say that these wetern media do not exaggerate but maybe not quite as much as we would like to believe.

noblezone:

Afam exagerated headlines one day "It Appears the PDP is not Power Hungry After All", events showed that PDP is actually both Power Intoxicated and Power Hungry.

With all your education you are yet to know the meaning of exaggeration, pity! Why don't you post the link to the thread or better still reproduce the content if you have no shame.

It seems that once you tell a lie it doesn't matter whether you tell 100 or 1000.

Iyke-D:

I suppose we can blame this act on Obasanjo too, it must be his grand design for 4th term. . .

I am from Delta State and while I sympathized initially with MEND and all the other agitators,
I can not stand to hear or see their names in print anymore. This is just pure criminality and
thuggery at its best.

Like I said at the beginning, lets blame this act on Obasanjo because that's what absolves each
individual Nigerian from taking personal responsibility for their negative actions.

the buck stops on obasanjo's table. nobody is blaming him exclusively for anything but i think we can safely assume here that the Niger Delta is upside down because government has refused to put people-friendly policies in place that will better the lot of the rural-dwellers.

the few schools that exist in the delta creeks are rundown and understaffed, atimes not even staffed at all. i know this. i lived in akassa-land for several years and i have travelled extensively in bayelsa and rivers states. What a lack of foundational education implies is that the kids are f**ked up and bereft of hope even before they have started out in life. the nigerian society is powered on paper qualifications so am sure what am driving at is quite obvious. the oil companies cant enlist everybody into their skill acquisition programmes. they have even made the problem worse by agreeing to pay 'sleeping salaries' ( a form of protection money) to the youths of these coastal vilages to keep them quiet and comfortably unemployed.

it is these same kids who grew up without a foundation in either the arts or sciences that have finally morphed into the NDPVF, MEND and associated criminal elements. we can safely conclude that these militant groups are an indirect, albeit unwitting creation of the federal government of nigeria.

why has the government turned a blind eye to illegal oil-bunkering activities in the creeks for the past eight years? proceeds from illegal-bunkering accounts for an estimated 25% of nigerian annual crude exports, completely off the books, and these funds go into the pockets of the militants and other accomplices such as naval officers and task-force soldiers. MEND and co have been able to build an impressive arsenal of sophisticated weapons with which they are now holding the security forces at bay. They sack police stations in Port Harcourt at will, outgunning and killing scores of policemen in cold blood. They carry out daylight attacks on commercial banks, stealing tens of millions of hard cash to further fuel their operations. Make no mistake about it the delta is a time-bomb just waiting to explode

@ Iyke-D: I am just curious, why you do you  feel you are qualified to make excuses for President Obasanjo?
are you a beneficiary of government patronage or what? are you related to him? it's easy to live in denial of the actual issues on ground when you are in far away united states. but not everyone has been (un?)fortunate enough to hide away from their fatherland. Some of us have to deal with the situation of things on ground here and i believe we are far more qualified criticise (constructively) than the economic, educational, and political exiles ( choose the category you fit into)

I hope some factual statements here won't rattle some nerves?

The producer of World Have Your Say on the BBC News called me yesterday to ask for my opinion on the Niger Delta crisis. And I told them, the Nigerian government and oil majors are responsible for the Niger Delta crisis and not the militants.

I have given the details of the reason for the attacks on Goodluck Jonathan here.

If president-elect Governor Omar Yar'Adua and vice president-elect Governor Goodluck Jonathan are very confident that they won the elections, why are they not going to the Niger Delta to thank the communities for voting for them?

Why is Alhaji Omar Yar' Adua going on a world tour to beg world leaders to attend his installation on May 29?

Did the new President of France, Sarkozy go on a world tour to beg world leaders to attend his swearing-in ceremony today?

That Hausa barawo is wasting our oil revenues flying from one country to another to beg world leaders to attend his installation and he thinks he can go on fooling ignorant and gullible fools?

The April polls were massively rigged by the notorious ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and we rejected the fake results of the fraudulent elections. But the Federal Government and the PDP went on air to broadcast lies that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and allied freedom fighters have endorsed the presidential election of Alhaji Omar Yar' Adua and Dr. Jonathan. So, to put the records straight that they have rejected their fraudulent election, they launched the recent attacks and more attacks will follow until justice is done.

MEND will bend the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies into submission.

No justice, no peace

In reply to Orikinla. I can understand how passionate you are about the situation in Ogoni land. I myself feel for them. I have never been there but i hope to be there soon.What i will like you to understand is that violence at this stage has shown the whole World that there is a problem and it stems out of iniquality and curruption from nigerian government (state and federal).
Its quite wrong of O'mar to look for support first outside than from home.i'll blame this on the advisers. Hugo Chavez of Nicaragua relies on home front and therefore confident to stand against U.S.A. My question to you now Orikinla is imagine there is Ogoni state, imagine that Oil companies pay Ogoni land tax. Who will be responsible for the welfare of the people?, will Ogoni land become a Mecca of West Africca, will there surpluss of food?. As the saying goes a hungry man is an angry man.

i hear over ray power 100.5 that two people died at the police station; an officer and an inspector.
but i want to believe that jonthan is with yar'adua as he globe-trotes. and the di not say with what the house was blown up!!! that is what i wnt to know,