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Mr Caino twice ended his relationship because he was put on the spot of choosing between love and game consoles, surprisingly, he chose gaming.

“I am an addict…they got to understand that you don’t make a brother choose between his toys and your touch,” were his words.

The love for video games has over the years evolved from generation to generations. From the years of Atari by Atari, Inc; Nintendo’s Famicom; Sega’s Sega Mega Drive; to Nintendo’s Game Cube; Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s XBox.

What started out as a device for the young in heart, has now become a leisure platform for those in their 20s, and sometimes 30s depending on individuals.

These days people between the ages of 10 – at least 25 years, are actively seen engaging themselves in the act of competing against each other via gaming consoles.

In August 2013, Sony announced the placement of over a million pre-orders for the console before it was released. In the UK, the PlayStation 4 (PS4) became the best-selling console at launch, with the sale of 250,000 consoles within a 48-hour period. On November 22, 2013, Microsoft confirmed that it had sold one million Xbox One consoles within its first 24 hours of being available.

Also in December 2013, when the PS4 went on sale at a slashed price – Fall Yakata Christmas Sale – by an online store in Nigeria, it was sold out within minutes. The website reportedly crashed due to a traffic surge.

Arcade centres at Leisure Mall (Surulere, Lagos), Play Zone (Ikeja City Mall, Lagos) or E-Centre (Sabo-Yaba, Lagos) are places where you will find video gamers spend as much as N1,000 – N2,000/day on video games. These gamers also spend at least 2-3 hours of their time on these games.

Daniel, a 15 year-old who was at Play Zone said he spends at least N2,000 each time he came to play the PlayStation 3 with his friends. He said he could spend more depending on the money he had on him.

Tolu, 20, said that he has spent as much as N5,000 a day on playing video games.

“When you start playing, you don’t want to stop, there’s this excitement felt within. But when you run out of money, that’s when you realized you have just spent so much on game,” he said.

Arcade centres may not be biting hard on the pockets of many now as they were in previous years, as a lot of people are now opportune to have these consoles at home. This is very unlike the mid and late 90’s when having a game console was not that easy. Game lovers had to patronize arcade centres to satisfy their gaming desires.

The Video-Gaming experiences
In the late 90’s there were few Malls with arcade centres, but they were pretty expensive. Students had to rely on the local game houses around them, were they spent almost half of their day and blew up all their money. Few years after, the number of individuals, who now own consoles, have increased notably.

Caino, the Co.Owner of East Boys Entertainment. Abuja, gives an account of his video gaming experience; “I started spending money renting games right from the brick game/golden light era. Went on to Gameboy, then on to Nintendo’s Famicom. I remember trying to save N1700 to buy my own Famicom; It took me 8 months to realize N600, so, I gave up. I got flogged a couple of times for staying out late.

“I managed to get my own Sega, but technology won’t let me be. They had to bring out the PlayStation (PS). I started renting! Finally, got my own PS, but I was punished with PlayStation 2 (PS2). And then, I discovered a studio that offered some cool Nintendo Wii gaming. That became my second home. One time, I spent N25,000 in two days, on both days I sat there from 9 am till 9:45 pm. On other occasions my costs were about N4,000 daily.
“I broke up twice with my girlfriends because I chose gaming over them. But they gotta understand…. You don’t make a brother choose between his toys and your touch.

“Anyway, all that’s gone now. Obi is a man now, and can afford his own toys. I usually have friends over for a gaming night with my PS4.”

David Femi, who works for a private firm in Lagos said; “I spent lot of cash while learning to play when I was growing up but not any more. But I still spend time playing games – 2 to 4hrs depending on how free I am. Back in school, I used to spend at least N1,000 daily for games.”

Females are not left out of the gaming world as Deborah Onabanjo, a graduate from Babcock University said; “I play video games on my PC and don’t see anything wrong with it, as most girls do. I like playing “NEED FOR SPEED”, “CALL OF DUTY”, and spend a maximum of 3-4 hours.”

“I have never spent money on game centres before because I buy consoles. Right from the days of Famicom, Sega Mega Drive, up to Play Station 3, I’ve bought them all,” Wunmi, a Yaba College of Technology graduate in Business Administration said. When asked the number of hours he spent on gaming, he said, “It depends on the game that I’m playing. If it’s God of War (GOW) it can take a whole day.”

Rilwan Adesegun, a writer said; “In Yoruba, there is an adage that says “owo ti omode ba kokori akara loma fin ra” which means; “the first money a child get he uses it to buy beans-cake” I used mine to play PlayStation One. I didn’t have specific hours for playing because I played until my money finished. Most times I’ll play four games and wait for one free game to balance it.”

“I spent quite a lot of money in game centres. For the record, I was the best Street Fighter (SF) player in the whole of UNIBEN till I left the school. Even till now, no one can try me in that game. When it comes to SF, I am the king. I could beat anyone with any character…I had no respect for the second opponent… I didn’t care about ladies at all. I was just having my fun…connecting multiple super combos into one glorious kill to get a reward of three meteors smashing into the ground when they the game screams K.O,” Emmanuel Edet, an IT support worker in Lagos, said.

Why are video games important to gamers?
To some people, video games may be a waste of time and for unserious minds, but to lovers of these consoles, it is a way of escaping the troubles of the world and ease themselves of daily stress. Some believe it’s a way of increasing one’s intelligent quotient (IQ).

“I guess they make me become smarter and more aware of my thinking skills. And gives me the opportunity to live in a world away from reality…Where I have total control of everything that happens to me,” Caino said.

“I play video games because it helps ease my mind from Nigeria’s problems, which is a better option than nicotine,” said Wunmi Okebukola.

“For the fun of it. Competing with friends and basically to taste a bit of new challenge,” was the opinion of Ojiako Kenechukwu, a student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

“It’s sort of escapism from the real world. Plus I have fun doing it,” said Tunde Apalowo, a film maker.

It is an established fact that if you want to capture the market with any product, your target should be the young minds. This is evident in the fact that although the children of yesterday have grown to be responsible adults of today, there’s still that soft spot for games in their heart, which Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are still capitalising on.

A good business
Running a Game Centre (locally) is arguably one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria, because the target market has young gamers who are passionate about video games and always want to compete against each other.

Football is no doubt the world’s most popular sport and fans all over the world follow the sport not only by watching, buying jerseys, betting and cheering but also by using their favourite teams on game consoles.

Felix, also known as Onile, runs a small game house in the heart of Lagos with the PS2 (two consoles), PS3 (one console) and Xbox (one console).

The arcade owner, who started the business four years ago, says that although some of the customers (most school children and adults mostly between the age of at most 18-25) have personal video game consoles at home, most of them still prefered to come to his centre, as it is a basis for competition among them.

Talking about the business opportunity, Felix said that he has more of the PlayStation because Nigerians are more acquainted with it than Microsoft’s Xbox. He charges customers N50 for the PS2, Xbox and N100 for the PS3 to play one game which lasts for 10 minutes.

Operating time for his games centre are from 10 am to 7 pm, sometimes 8 pm, depending on customers in his shop. (at least 9 hours).

He said the games mostly requested for is Football (ProEvolution, FIFA), while other customers loved playing Mortal Kombat, Street fighter and Car Racing.

On a good day, Onile makes N4,200 for the PS2s alone, N3,600 for PS3 and nothing less than N2,100 for the Xbox.

At the classy arcade centres, a game (Football – which is the most commonly played) costs as much as N500 for 10 minutes at Play Zone, while at Leisure mall and E-Centre its N200.

Purchasing these game consoles (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U) cost between N75,000 – N80,000.

Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger has said assured fans that there is no need to panic despite the Gunners looking depleted in the back four.

On Saturday, during the North-London match against Manchester City, Mathieu Debuchy, damaged an ankle ligament and will be out for two months.

The Gunners, who return to action Tuesday night (September 16, 2014) in the Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, will also be without the services of Nacho Monreal; with Calum Chambers struggling with a bout of tonsilitis.

While Kieran Gibbs will replace Monreal, much attention has been drawn to the righ-back position, as risking Chambers, who is the only cover at centre-back, may prove dangerous if any of the Center backs sustain injuries.

However, Arsenal have three possible players who can stand in for the injured Debuchy;

1. Hector Bellerin
A direct replacement for Debuchy, Bellerin is the most obvious stand in for the Frenchman. He’s capable of playing right or left-back and has the potential to be a first team regular for Arsenal in the future. He was in the squad photo for this season, so many fans are already anticipating his Premier League debut for the Gunners.

2. Isaac Hayden
Hayden is the least experienced option out of the trio suggested. He’s 19, English and can play in centre-back or defensive midfield. If Wenger opted to use Chambers as his right-back whilst Debuchy is injured, Hayden may well be needed at centre-back. He’s tall and strong.

3. Francis Coquelin
The forgotten man Francis Coquelin. His primary position is defensive midfield but many forget he debuted for Arsenal in a full-back position and has also played there while on loan in France and Germany. He’s not a natural full-back, but still has good ability in this position. He’s quick, aggressive and already has first-team experience with the club.

Wenger's optimism
Speaking on the clubs possible defensive lapses, Wenger said; “I don’t feel we are stretched. The Debuchy [ankle] injury put us in a position where we do not want more and hopefully we have good news after the scan that he can be back soon.

“We have Chambers who can play in different positions, Monreal who can play centre-back and Hector Bellerin, who I think now is ready to play. He’s a boy with personality who isn’t fazed by the pressure,” Wenger said.

After his trip to the United Kingdom to celebrate his 76th birthday, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi is back in the country.

The paramount ruler of Oyo Kingdom recently paid a private visit to the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, accompanied by his four wives.

And of course, a first class Oba knows that every private visit must be done in a private jet, no? Check him out in the pictures below:

Twelve soldiers were on Monday sentenced to death by a nine-member military tribunal in Abuja for attacking their commanding officer while on duty.

The soldiers, accused of mutiny, – a situation in which a group of people (soldiers) refuse to obey orders from their commander and try to take control of themselves – a crime in the military which is punishable by death, had on May 14, 2014, rebelled against their commanding officer during one of the battles involving military officers and insurgents in Borno state. Some of the soldiers were said to have fired shots at the General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mohammed, in Maiduguri.

Mohammed had to take cover as they aimed their guns at him – firing bullet-holes in his armour-plated staff car – but he was not injured.

Of the 18 soldiers accused of violation, 12 were convicted and sentenced to death, one was sentenced to 28 days in jail with hard labour, while 5 were discharged and acquitted.

Why these soldiers revolted
The convicted soldiers were angry after a convoy of military men were ambushed on a road frequently targeted by Islamist Boko Haram militants.

Also, there were reports last month of a group of soldiers in the north-east refusing to fight Boko Haram until they received better equipment. Front-line troops often complain that they lack adequate weapons and equipment to face insurgents, while others complained of not being paid or properly fed.

Coupled with the loss of colleagues, closed friends and family members, these probably triggered the human in them. For a second they forgot the rules of the military, which they had signed up for and let emotions override the directives of their commanding officer.

Mutiny is death
The Ultimate Military Rule is “Obey First Before You Complain”. Essentially, Military officers have no right to express their personal thoughts or feelings once a command is given by their commanding officer.

Some of the crimes punishable by death which are regarded as mutiny are;
-Coup d’etat
-show of cowardice while on duty
-Forcing a safeguard
-Striking a superior officer
-Disobeying in such a manner as to show a wilful defiance of authority or command given personally by his superior officer

This is not the first time military officers have been sentenced to death for mutiny in Nigeria. On 13th February 1976, Lieutenant-colonel Bukur Suka Dimka led a coup which claimed the lives of three officers; General Murtala Muhammed, Head of State, Col. Ibrahim Taiwo, Governor of Kwara State and Lt. Akintunde Akinsehinwa, ADC to Muhammed. This led to the arrest and subsequent execution of Dimka and his co-conspirators.

Also, on 22 April 1990, Gideon Orka staged a coup to unseat the government of Ibrahim Babangida. The coup failed. Following that failure, there was a trial and the largest execution of coup plotters in Nigeria’s history. Sixty-nine soldiers of various ranks were executed by firing squad.

Even our colonial masters have not been spared of the occasional mutiny. The biggest wartime mutiny (disobedience) in the history of Britain’s armed forces occurred in September 1943. Military officers of the 51st Highland Division and the 50th Northumbrian Division who had been injured in the North African campaign were told that they were to be returned to their colleagues in Sicily, but once they boarded a ship, they were told they weren’t actually being returned to their original units at all and were instead being taken to reinforce US troops in the fight for Salerno. A total of 600 men refused to fight. It later transpired that the order to send them to Salerno had been given in error. 191 men were found guilty of treason, and three sergeants were sentenced to death. In 1982, the British government refused to offer a pardon, stating, “There are no grounds for doing so which could not be applied to many other mutineers and deserters . . . Nor which would not denigrate the actions of the many millions who fought bravely and obeyed orders at all times.”

So, there is no two way about the decision taken by the court martial in Abuja on the convicted soldiers. Although the charges were denied by the convicts, once again, in the military, it’s obedience before complain. These soldiers will have to face their death sentence before they can ‘have the chance to defend their actions’.
Court President, General Chukwuemeka Okonkwo said that while the sentences were subject to confirmation by Nigeria’s military authorities, there was no doubt about the seriousness of the offence.

The sentencing panel took into account the “likely effect on counter-insurgency operations” of the incident as well as its “implications on national security”.

A baby was found alive and abandoned at Iba, along the Lagos-Badagry Express Way a few minutes ago. Two women found the baby, which was abandoned in a sack.

The baby is currently weak and suffering from exposure, as seen in the video.

People have already gathered at the scene to try and help.

Details to follow as we get them

The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the huge loans obtained by the administration is used in financing capital intensive projects as the Light rail, expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Express Way, Mile 12 – Ikorodu, among others.

Fashola, who spoke while inspecting progress of work at the Iganmu Terminus of the Lagos Light Rail Mass Transit project, said the projects embarked upon by his administration was aimed at adding value to the life of the average Lagosian.

“So if the people of Lagos want rail, if they want to see a 10 lane highway on Badagry Express Way, if they want the work we are doing in Mile 12 into Ikorodu expansion to continue, if they want to see all of the developmental works that will add value to their lives, that is the only way to finance it,” he said.

He argued that getting loans was the only way to finance such projects, adding that if the State does not borrow, it means it has to wait every month for those who want to pay rent, Land Use Charge, Tenement Rate, Drivers License or a parcel of land and other rents pointing out that no government could accomplish rapid development at that rate.

“If we wait, it is a bit-by-bit income. If you look at all our IGR, it is all secured against these assets. I can’t tell our contractor that wait, let me go and collect money from licensing office to come and give you. This is how it works because a contractor has designed a project which is going to benefit our people, it would cost billions of naira to do”, he said

Also speaking on a recent publication about the state’s huge amount of foreign debt, the Governor noted that his administration had never borrowed secretly.

“When we were doing the DPO you were there. I have been to the House of Representatives to say that we have a loan application with the World Bank for $600 million”.

Fashola maintained that Lagos is the only sub -national government in Africa that has benefited from such a facility.

“Of all the sub-national governments in the whole of Africa, we are the only beneficiary government. The only other two countries where their sub-nationals have benefited is in Brazil and in India.

“The thing to understand is that there was a debt of about one billion dollars which is roughly around N160 billion. I could not decipher the intent and purpose of the publication, but if it was to inform the public, the State has always kept the public informed every time she borrowed money and if there were other intentions, only those who make the publications will know what their intentions are,” the governor said.

He added that when people talk about debt of a state like Lagos, they forget that after Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt and one other country in Africa, Lagos is the fifth largest economy in the whole of Africa.

Fashola noted that the first tranche of the bond that was taken during first tenure has been paid, adding that the next one would fall due around 2016 or 2017. And that there has been no support by way of direct cash support from the federal governor for any of its big projects.

Several reports have suggested that the next version of Windows smartphone will kill off the name "Windows Phone" and "Nokia".

According to a report by GeeksOnGadgets, which claimed to have an internal Microsoft document, the PC company is planning to phase out both the "Nokia" and "Windows Phone" brands for "Lumia" and "Windows" respectively.

The Nokia brand name kill-off has been expected for a while, since it was purchased for about $7 billion-plus. Microsoft clearly stated that it won't be using the name going forward. It's still a surprise to many that it has maintained the brand name - despite releasing several Smartphones - even after the purchase.

The new surprise is Microsoft's plan of killing the "Windows Phone" name.

The reason is not far-fetched as the company plans on merging both the Windows Phone OS (Nokia Lumia OS) and the Windows R.T (Windows tablets OS) into a single OS that spans both device types.

Microsoft executives had publicly stated that the company won't have three versions of Windows going into the future.

The Windows Store and Windows Phone stores would be also merged into one universal Windows apps store. That has been a big focus for Microsoft in recent months.

Here, we present the top 10 political quotes that caught our attention.

"Orji Uzor Kalu is not member of PDP. The fact that he visited some friends at the national secretariat of party in Abuja and later took photograph with some unsuspecting national officers and former political office holders as published in two national dailies does not make him a member of the PDP." - Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) National Vice Chairman, South East zone, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), reacting on rumours concerning Orji Uzor Kalu's return to the party

“We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

“Although Senator Sheriff himself has already given the lie to that claim through his Media Adviser, the Presidency wishes to affirm, for the purpose of emphasis, that the former Borno State governor was not on President Jonathan’s delegation to Chad." - The Presidency speaks on the accusation made by the APC over GEJ's picture with Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, an alleged Boko Haram sponsor.

“PDP is afraid of the will of the people that gave us their mandate. They used their antics to subvert and steal the will of the people and I know God will punish them for what they have done." - David Umaru, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Niger East Senatorial by-election, Niger State.

"I also appeal to my boss not to be too hard on me as I promise to stop knocking him. Let us talk politics, especially the development of the state." - Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, on his reconciliation with former governor of the state, George Akume

"The festering Boko Haram attacks on the North East and massacre of innocent citizens is a concrete proof that Nigeria has no government.” - Former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, questions the FG's competence

“May we remind him that he has lost his credibility, if there was indeed any, and he has lost the trust, confidence and respect of Nigerians. We do not need the lenses of prophets to remind Prof. Jega that he is spending overtime on the INEC chair, having shown his tendencies for ethnic bigotry, partisan parochialism and primordial chauvinism.” - Southern elders question the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Attahiru Jega, over the proposal of new polling units.

"My own idea is this; if you understand the ways of God, you will know where Jonathan is coming from; a tiny village, which was why they (the PDP leadership) had the confidence to pick him as deputy governor because they believed he could not rock the boat. From there he became governor; from there he became a person looked down upon as the Vice-President; from there he became President without election; and then an elected President, and he has done better than any President of Nigeria in our living memory. Who would stop him from continuing in 2015? Tell me." - Third Republic Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, speaks on the state of the nation, and the 2015 general election

“So you see the posture and unfortunately, I am not happy about it, but that is why Buhari is in a deep shit because he did not move to the APC with the real CPC structure. It is a naked fact that Buhari is greatly disadvantaged and no matter what anybody says, he would not win under a free and fair primary.” - The founding National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Senator Rufai Hanga on Rtd. Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari's chances of picking the APC's presidential ticket

“We really have no apology to offer to anyone in our mission of showcasing the verifiable landmark achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan. We expected the opposition to fault us on that score but because of the dearth of evidence against what we are heralding; they now choose to chase shadow by dishing lies to Nigerians." - Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), respond to criticism from the APC over its campaign rallies across the country

"I will repeat what I said, when I was sworn in as governor in 2007. I said, if the Federal Government refuses to provide legitimate source of livelihood for Nigerians in our state, Nigerians will provide for themselves illegitimate source of livelihood. And that include kidnapping, robbery, stealing by people who will hire or provide police or military uniforms. And that illegitimate source of livelihood becomes its own economy which automatically frightens the legitimate economy.” - Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi

On Thursday, 11 September, during the burning of illicit drugs worth N300m by the Kano State government, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, disclosed that a village head in the state had been dethroned for using illicit drugs.

He said, “We have deposed a village head who was found consuming illicit drugs. We took the decision because as a traditional ruler, he should be a role model to others and not to be promoting ills in the society.”

The Emir, however, failed to reveal the name of the deposed village head, but added that any traditional ruler or district head found guilty of ‘criminal acts’ would be similarly deposed.

“We are urging the state government to take similar measures against government officials who are in the habit of consuming drugs, because leaders are supposed to be role models and not the other way round.”

“We are advocating the enactment of laws that would protect the rights of women including right to education. We are in a situation where divorce cases have became so rampant that they are threatening family institution. Laws that would recommend stiffer penalty for anybody who divorces his wife without any genuine reason should be put in place,” he added.

This is not the first time a village head would be deposed in the state. In August, the Emir had also dethroned the village head of Mumai in Kunci Local Government Area over drug abuse and other related offences.

While the Smartphone world clamoured over the release of Apple’s new flagship devices, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+, Dell quietly announced the world’s thinnest laptop.

Dell Venue 8 7840 is a sleek device which features an edge to edge display and multiple cameras for true 3D images.

The screen of the tablet which is described as ‘Infinity Display’, by Dell, stretches almost from edge to edge.

It comes with four cameras – three on the back, with the main one being eight megapixels. The other two enable use of Intel’s RealSense technology.

The RealSense technology is used to allow 3Dnimages to be finely tuned, with a user able to adjust focus after an image has been taken. It can even be used to measure the distance between two points in a photo so, for example, by taking a picture of a table you could work out its dimensions with a few taps.

An optional adapter will also enable the device to be connected to a keyboard and mouse.

Below are specifications of the tablet;

Screen size: 8.4 inches (21.3 cm)
Resolution: 2560 x 1600
Thickness: 0.24 inches (6 mm)
Operating system: Android 4.4
Processor: Quad-core 2.33 GHz Intel Atom Z3580
Storage: 32GB

The tablet is expected to go on sale in the 4th quarter of 2014. A price is yet to be announced.

Just when it seemed we had seen the last entertainer hop aboard the bandwagon of politics, Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, has followed suit.

The actor whose campaign slogan is ‘for that change you desire’, is apparently determined to run for the Lagos state ‘House of Assembly’ at the 2015 elections, under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Elliot’s campaign banner and manifesto have surfaced on the web, and he now joins entertainers like Julius Agwu, Kate Henshaw, Bob Manuel, 9ice, Richard Mofe Damijo, Nkiru Sylvanus, and others, in the political fray.

Pictures of Microsoft’s next operating system, Windows 9, leaked on the internet today (September 11, 2014).

It has been rumoured that Microsoft is planning to announce its next operating system on September 30, with a developer preview arriving on the day or shortly after, and the finished OS expected to appear in the first quarter of 2015.

The Windows 9 appears to have significant changes from the Windows 8, with the return of the start menu; addition of Modern UI apps running on the desktop, notifications center, virtual desktops and more.

It appears that Microsoft have taken users back to the days of early Windows, as the tiled screen will be taken off.

Windows 9 is being designed to adapt to the hardware it’s running on – traditional PCs will have the desktop and no Start screen, while tablets will have the Start screen and no desktop.

The Presidency has claimed that it was not aware of the #BringBackJonathan2015 campaign banners, despite those banners being placed around many parts of Abuja, the federal capital.

Bowing to the pressure of public opinion, Reuben Abati, the special adviser to the president on “Media and publicity” released a statement to this effect, urging the sponsors of the banners to bring them down immediately.

Many believe, the reaction is in response to the Washington Post Op-Ed of Tuesday, 9 September, ‘This may be the most inappropriate political hostage of the year,’ which criticised President Goodluck Jonathan over the campaign slogan in support of his re-election in 2015.

Abati’s statement said in part, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant be brought down immediately. President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #Bring Back Our Girls hash tag.”

Although the presidency’s statement suggests that the banners were designed without its knowledge, a prominent member of the presidency, Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the President, has been at the forefront of the Twitter campaign of the #BringBackJonathan2015 hashtag, even tweeting it repeatedly on Friday, 22 August.

His tweets (Screenshot above) sought to sponsor and promote the hashtag, which is in sharp contrast with the presidency’s denial of having no ‘knowledge nor approval’ of the campaign banner. Before the tweets get deleted, here are some screenshots.

From the aforementioned facts, if the presidency was indeed unaware of the campaign, Doyin Okupe must have been working alone, which further validates his reputation as a ‘loose cannon’.

But since the campaign banners are all over the capital city, then the cars of members of the Presidency must have really dark tinted glasses, which must have prevented them from noticing the banners.

Following the appearance of #BringBackGoodluck2015 campaign banners and billboard in parts of Abuja, FCT, and the subsequent backlash and criticism of the President by Nigerians across board, his spokesperson, Reuben Abati, has released a statement condemning the billboard and distancing the presidency from the campaign.

A Pro-GEJ group called ‘Goodluck Initiative For Transformation’ reportedly put it together, imitating the #BringBackOurGirls, a hashtag developed to create awareness for the Chibok girls.

The Presidency has now given a directive that the banners should be brought down immediately.

Read below, the full statement released by Reuben Abati.

[b]President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant be brought down immediately.

President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #Bring Back Our Girls hash tag.

While President Jonathan appreciates the enthusiastic show of support for his administration by a broad range of stakeholders, he condemns the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs which appear to make light of the very serious national and global concern for the abducted Chibok girls.
The President assures all Nigerians and the international community that his administration remains fully engaged with efforts to rescue the abducted girls and that he will not knowingly promote any actions that will fly in the face of the seriousness of their plight and the anguish of their families.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 10, 2014[/b]

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland has accused World Football Governing Body of interfering with the internal running of football in Nigeria.

The court ordered status quo ante (the way things were before) in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership crisis until the determination of the petition filed by Vice-President (of the Chris Giwa led faction), Chief Obinna OgbaObinna Ogba, Yahaya Adams and five other stakeholders.

In a letter issued to FIFA, CAS gave FIFA till 12.00 noon Swiss time to explain why it would sanction the NFF. The letter stated that the suspension threat by FIFA had been removed as the NFF will now operate without undue threat from any quarter.

Ogba has described the new development as divine intervention as he thanked Nigerians for their patience.

“We promised Nigerians that FIFA will not suspend us and to God be the glory, the suspension had been averted,” said Ogba.

FIFA had last Friday threatened to suspend Nigeria Football Federation if by Monday Giwa and his executive committee members did not vacate the football federation office. The directive was respected yesterday, as Chris Giwa-led NFF board did not report at the glass house.

With the new development, Giwa may just be returning to the glass house rather than Aminu Maigari.

Herbalists have given the Federal government an ultimatum to probe the alleged sponsors of Boko Haram, else they would personally deal with them.
The Northern Nigeria arm of the Council of Babalawos (native doctors) has urged the federal government to promptly probe the alleged involvement of General Azubuike Ihejerika and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff in the activities of Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

The pair were accused of funding the Boko Haram sect by Dr. Stephen Davis, an Australian negotiator, who worked with the federal government to get the abducted Chibok girls released.

The herbalists released a statement in Bauchi State at the weekend, through the chairman of the council, Fabunmi Aiyesoro, who stated that if no probe was conducted after 40 days, the group would pursue legal action against Sheriff and Ihejerika for the destruction of their shrines in three states and claim monetary compensation for the destruction of forests which serve as a source of livelihood for their members.

The statement read, “The Council of Babalawos in Northern Nigeria has suffered unquantifiable human and material loss as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency like other Nigerians and feel deeply pained that Boko Haram is gradually forming another country within the Nigerian state. Our members source herbs from forests like Sambisa, Biu, Gwoza and Hong and the taking over of these areas by this retrogressive group has denied us the opportunity of treating our clients.”

The herbalists also called on the Federal government to chase the insurgents out of the forests they currently operate from, while also stressing that they deserve to be awarded compensation for their shrines that were destroyed by the members of the sect.

“We call on the Federal Government to dislodge Boko Haram members from all towns and forests in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. This will restore our member’s right to freedom of worship as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. Babalawos are Nigerians and deserve the same recognition accorded imams and pastors by the government. Many churches and mosque have received compensation from state governments for the destruction of their place of worship, but not one Babalawo has received a condolence message or any form of monetary compensation since the Boko Haram problem started three years ago.”

Aiyesoro also added that if the federal government does not investigate the duo, the group will embark on special prayers for 21 days for God to deal with Sheriff, Ihejerika and other collaborators.

Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan took to Twitter some hours ago to talk about the insecurity issues of Nigeria in a rather … enterprising way.

Below are his tweets and response from Nigerians;

1) Doyin Okupe - My bible tells me I am fearfully& wonderfully made, an annointed of God A royal priesthood. I am special my friend

@flavagasted - Now @doyinokupe is trying a new career #PastorDoyin.

2) Agbanilagbatan: He who delivers totally, Agbeninijakerubaonija: He fights our wars fearfully, Akomatikalehin: Neverbcksdwicked JEHOVA is His Name

@alayaabdul1 - @doyinokupe Sure- God will not back Govt that stole $20B, N1.5 Trillion subsidy, N250B pension fund, N45B SURE P. they'll burn in HELL. Amen

3) Elijah was a man like me.B4 God whom I serve my pronouncements over Boko Haram shall come to pass IJN.Alewilese will answer us.Thanks folks.

@ucheabolo - @doyinokupe We elected GEJ to solve our problems, when we see elected officials 'committing' our problems to God, it smacks of inefficiency

@apcyouthomoodua - @doyinokupe Even the DEVIL knows the scriptures!

4) I am not corrupt in anyway. There is nothing I hv I cannot account for.

@JanguzaArewa - @doyinokupe yep just like Jona tried 2 convince us dat $20blln didn't disappear from national accnts bcuz "America will know". please, return 2 ur hosanna tweets. Even armed robbers after "successful" operations thank God 4 the bounty!

5) #JehovahExposeBHsponsorsin40days #JehovahAriseDefeatBokoHaramIJN #JehovahBBOGIJN Lets all say dis prayers dly for 40days God will answer us

@mcspella - @doyinokupe so after queuing up in d sun 2 vote u in, we still have to do fasting and praying 4 God 2 solve d same problem we voted u in 4?

@ogundamisi - New Minister of Defence in Nigeria arcording to @doyinokupe is "Jehovah" he (Jehovah) also "waks" from the 1 Trilion Naira security budget

@Aruwa - @doyinokupe mr man, it's not Jehovah dat consumes the tax payers money!!! So please don't try to come here to brainwash pple

@bunmola2010 - @doyinokupe Oga Doyin let us allow God rest on this sabbath day and divert this request to service chiefs

@ogbeche77 - @doyinokupe But the leaders in the most advanced countries don't demand it citizens 2 pray 40 days instead of doing their job

6) Brother I hv 2dy received all this cos I blv(believe) & rely on d(the) Almighty God.Keep yr cool & see what God will do. I know d God I serve

@thinkertoon - @doyinokupe - Can SOMEONE tell DOYIN to SPELL fully/correctly? This is a PUBLIC MEDIA

7) Resorting to God on issues is not abdicating responsibility or cluelessness. Prov 3v6' acknowledge Him in all yr ways& He ll direct yr path'

@diran_kamar - @doyinokupe nothing pains me than seeing clowns in aso rock......gain d world and rot in hell fire

@kaytemmy123 - @doyinokupe Millions of Nigerians are already praying against BH, the physical requirement is for GEJ to pin down & destroy BH and sponsor.

We run you through those who won and lost in the news cycle this week!

LOSERS

Kashim Shettima
The Borno governor is the governor of a state under the Boko Haram siege. The militants have continued to grow strong spreading violence from the inner recesses of the state to Bama, Borno’s second largest city.
With more states going under Boko Haram occupation, it might not be long before the Islamic militants have their boots in Maiduguri.

Buba Marwa
The former military governor of Lagos State contested against the Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri to represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost.
Marwa got only 54 votes in the election which saw Fintiri polling 624 votes.

Nuhu Ribadu
Of course, we want to believe that this is all a temporary set-back and the many cynics were not right that his move to the PDP would not yield truth. And in the murky waters of Nigerian politics, this might index just be a slight delay. Still, it doesn’t look good for Ribadu that he didn’t emerge governorship candidate for the Adamawa bye-elections. Unless he brings a rabbit out of the hat soon, taking him seriously will be a hard task moving forward.

Sunday Onyebuchi

The chickens finally came home to roost for the now former deputy governor of Enugu. Laugh all you want at the grounds for his impeachment, but the lawmakers did indeed send him away from Government House for running a chicken farm. And while he sought to recover from that, there was another blow: the man who left the civil service as Permanent Secretary was sent back… but as a civil servant on Level 15. Can’t be easy to swallow.

Tom Ikimi
He left the All Progressives Congress (APC), not like a winner, but like a woman scorned, slashing and cursing, hissing and spitting. And the APC was quick to lash back, via a lethal op-ed written by its National Leader, Bola Tinubu. Unfortunately, there is no scent of a winner coming from the corner of Mr. Ikimi, who now resumes time in the desert searching for who will love him.

WINNERS

Umaru Fintiri
Was he going to impeach the former governor only to let someone else take the glory? The former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly who became the Acting Governor following the impeachment of Murtala Nyako.

Fintiri roundly beat all his opponents including former governor Buba Marwa, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, Umar Ardo and others.
With support from the Presidency, observers believe Fintiri will get an easy ride into the Adamawa Government House – this time in a substantive capacity.

Shem Zagbayi Nuhu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently declared Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of Niger East Senatorial by-election.

He defeated Barrister David Umaru of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Returning Officer for the by-election, Professor Wole Morenikeji at about 2 am on Sunday in Minna said at the end of both the by-election and the supplementary, Nuhu polled 92,056 votes to defeat APC candidate who had 87,405 votes. This makes Nuhu, an all out winner any day.

Goodluck Jonathan
The man who has not yet declared his intention to run for a second term as President of the Federal Republic continues however to be pushed and prodded, clearly (cough!) against his will. Even as the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria continue to sweep through the country like a virus, and South-South “elders” threaten to arrest him if he doesn’t run, he has been declared Grand Commander of Nigerian Students by the national body of university students.

Adebayo Alao-Akala
Who woulda thunk it? The former governor of Oyo is back – and he is rearing to go. Mr. Alao-Akala insists he is coming into the race only after the fervent cries of his state citizens who have been oppressed, repressed and dare we say depressed by the present governor. He immediately garnered headlines across the country, hailed as a credible contender against the incumbent. Showing, again, that in politics, anything really is possible.

PDP
Tom Ikimi left the APC, Umaru Fintiri won the Adamwa primaries in peaceful fashion, with the troops gathered behind him as he rides to victory, and then in the Niger-East Senatorial bye-election, the PDP’s Shem Zagbai screeched past the APC candidate to victory – that’s what we call a good week, people.
We look forward to another week of excitement!

1) In Nigeria nobody runs for president. You just sit and you become president – Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers State governor.

2) I have heard people who said Jonathan was not performing. There will be a shocker in 2015 because it will not require any form of rigging for Jonathan to win with landslide margin. – Senator Ayo Adeseun.

3) ASUU should go on strike if nothing is going well in the country there is no problem with that but when you go on strike based on documents we produced to address the decay in institutions, then it is worrisome. – President Goodluck Jonathan.

4) In the 21st century, education will remain the most valuable currency that every nation will desire but which no central bank can print – Governor Babatunde Fasholsa of Lagos State.

5) As Governor of Borno State, I am unforgettably aware that for every life that is lost in Borno State, I will account before Allah on the Day of Judgement if that life is lost on the basis of deliberate failures on my part – Kashim Shettima, Borno State Gorvernor.

6) We have the resources to combat this health issues, all what we need is good leadership, but not the type of leadership PDP provides, we must continue to support APC because our country needs a change. – Former Vice-president, Atiku Abubakar.

7) A leader must be ready to sacrifice his life for his country. And if I was the president of Nigeria, I would not because I want to win election split this country into two religious lines. – Rotimi Amaechi.

You are the ones responsible for the posters – Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, denies presidential ambition.

9) Let it be known to those who did not know that I remain one of the unrepentant loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan and I will continue to work with him even after he might have left office as our president. – Bauchi State governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda.

10) The deed is done, Niger East senatorial district electorate have spoken through the ballot box and no amount of blackmail which was started by APC long before Nigerlites casted their votes last Saturday will deter our electorate from completing that statement of support and victory for PDP come next Saturday – The publicity secretary of the PDP, Hassan Mohammed Saba.

Colombian striker, James Rodriguez has been voted the sexiest man of 2014.

The World Cup Golden Boot winner, who made an estimated €80 million transfer to Real Madrid, was awarded the sexiest man by People En Espanol magazine.

James' wife insisted that his personality is what makes the attacking midfielder so alluring, not necessarily his boyish good looks.

"He's a very attractive man," Daniela Ospina said. "But what I most like is the way he is, his personality. It's what I really love."

james joins a list of celebrities that have won the English language version of the award. They include Hollywood actors Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon and Ryan Reynolds.

Recently, James became the new “face” of Bronzini Black, a Colombian underwear brand. He has a 15 month-old daughter.

Android devices have been known to be very affordable, compared to other devices – Windows and Apple OS.

However, a new Windows Tablet is looking to put an end to Android’s intimidating dominance with the Toshiba Encore Mini, which runs Windows 8.1.

The Toshiba Encore Mini has a quad-core Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a microSD card slot. The 7-inch screen is of the 16:9, 1024 x 600 variety. There are of course front- and rear (2MP)-facing cameras, a micro USB 2.0 port. It also comes with a one-year subscription to Office 365 and 1TB of cloud storage via Microsoft’s OneDrive.

Microsoft promised cheaper Windows tablets with its “Windows 8.1 with Bing” option for manufacturers, and they’re now starting to arrive. This new device is priced for just $119.99 (N20 000).

If you’re a Windows fan this is probably the smallest device capable of running a full version of Windows seen so far.

Android OS presently has 61.9 per cent of the tablet market; Apple OS has 36 per cent, while Microsoft is in a staggering third with 2.1 per cent. The release of cheaper tablets is hoped to increase its market share as its devices will become more affordable to users.

Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Alaafin of Oyo(Pictured above with companions), was recently photographed in one of the largest and most expensive shopping malls in the UK, the Westfield Mall in London.

The Alaafin travelled outside Nigeria to celebrate his 76th birthday, and he went shopping with his four wives.

Royal flamboyance
Several Nigerian royal fathers live flamboyant and extravagant lifestyles, which has over time, prompted queries of the source of their income and immense wealth.

Nigerian monarchs do not pay tax, despite receiving monthly payments from local governments, state governors and the federal government.
The exact figure being received by the royal fathers has never been officially disclosed in public, but there have been reports that it’s as much as ‘tens of millions.

In 2008, former military governor of Kaduna, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, revealed that the Emir of Kano was paid about N86 million per month from the 43 local governments in the state.

He said, “Kano State has 43 Local Government areas. Each, Local Government pays the Emir of Kano two million naira every month, gratis. The Emir of Kano has about N86 million a month. That money comes from the oil revenue of the Niger Delta.”

In recent time, the issue of taxation of royal fathers has come to the fore.

In 2012, the Olubara of Ibaraland, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Jacob Omolade, said royal fathers and other influential Nigerians should be compelled to pay tax.

The 72-year-old monarch said this during his 20th year coronation anniversay. He revealed that he had spoken to fellow mornachs about it, but while some of them shared his point of view, majority of them opposed him.

The 2014 football transfer window recorded some major signings of quality players between European clubs.

Premier League clubs smashed the record for spending on transfers in the summer window after splashing out £835m on new players. Manchester United led the way, with a record for an English club of £150m spent.

Some of the headlining moves includes the transfer of Luiz Suarez to Barcelona (from Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas to Chelsea (from Barcelona); Di Maria to Manchester United (from Real Madrid), Falcao to Manchester United (from As Monaco), Balotelli to Liverpool (from Ac Milan), Alexis Sanchez to Arsenal (from Barcelona) and many more.

Nigerian players were also involved in the transfer heat across Europe. Although none of them made any headlining move.

Below is a list of Nigerian players and their transfer escapades;

Brown Ideye to West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion broke their club transfer record to sign Brown Ideye from Dynamo Kyiv in a £10 million deal.

Ideye who was part of the Super Eagles triumphant team at the 2013 African Nations Cup, made his full debut for the Baggies in a 3-0 defeat against Swansea over the weekend. Despite his slow start to life in England he has been back by manager Alan Irvine to come good.

Victor Moses to Stoke City
Nigerian winger Victor Moses joined Stoke on a season-long loan from Chelsea. Moses, who was on a season loan at Liverpool last season, has already made two impressive appearances for the Potters so far this season.

Although, the winger was accused of a drop in form during the Super Eagles campaign at the World Cup in Brazil, it is believed his move to Stoke will give him more playing time, a feat he didn’t enjoy at Anfield.

Kenneth Omeruo to Middlebrough
Nigeria international defender Kenneth Omeruo returned to Championship side Middlebrough for a second consecutive season-long loan spell from Chelsea. The 20-year-old, who featured for the Super Eagles at the World Cup, was expected to remain in the English Premier League following his impressive display at the World Cup but Jose Mourinho had other ideas.

Nnamdi Oduamadi to FC Crotone
The 23-year-old moved from AC Milan to join Serie B side Crotone on a season-long loan deal. Oduamadi will spend his fifth consecutive loan spell in the Italian lower division in an attempt to convince the San Siro officials that he is ready to put on the famous Red and Black shirts.
Oduamadi was a dropped out of the Super Eagles final team that made it to the World Cup earlier this year. A move to the Serie B is what he needs to have more playing time, something he has not been enjoying at AC Milan.

Other transfers include;
Odion Ighalo (from Serie A side Udinese to Watford on a season loan)
Macauley Chrisantus (from Spanish second division side Las Palmas to Sivasspor)
Tom Adeyemi (from Birmingham City to Cardiff City)
Jordon Ibe (from Liverpool to Derby County on a season loan)
Jonathan Obika (from Tottenham Hotspur to Swindon Town)
Abiola Dauda (Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian SuperLiga to Vitesse Arnhem)
Joseph Akpala (from Werder Bremen to Turkish side Karabukspor)

Some of the surprises for most Nigerians was the decision of Jose Mourinho to keep Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi.

There were speculations of the Portuguese born Coach, letting go the midfielder after major signings, and his dismal display at Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup but it wasn’t the case. Mikel appears to be very much in the plans of the Special One.

The £835m spent by the EPL in the transfer window is about £200m more than the previous record of £630m, also by Premier League clubs in 2013.

Last month, a policeman shot an African-American youth in Missouri six times and killed him. It caused an international uproar concerning racial injustice against black people in the United States.

About a week later, while trying to suppress riots in the same place, another police officer was captured on camera pointing his gun menacingly to someone and yelling, “I’ll fucking kill you!”

He was promptly fired once the video went viral.

In the same month, this journalist observed a police officer at a security post in Lagos assaulting a suspect, cock his gun and say, “I’ll shoot you now! I’ll kill you and nothing will happen. I’ll prove to you that I’ve served the police for 14 years!” On the same day, my boss also witnessed a display of police excess.

Such blatant disregard for human life and dignity might be shocking. But historically, it’s a normal part of the way policemen do their job in Nigeria.

When the Nigerian Police Force was formed in 1930, it was effectively a tool of colonial rule. They brutally enforced obedience to the colonial leadership of the time, and the same operational model was retained after independence in 1960.

Between 1960 and 1999, soldiers kicked out the civilian government two times and governed the country for about 27 years. They threw out the Constitution and imposed decrees and edicts, which often disregarded standard human rights and gave the police a lot of powers. With that in place, the police were brutal. They beat people on the streets like animals. They locked up and tortured people unjustly, and they flagrantly used firearms without respect for human life.

Nigeria has been a democracy for 15 straight years now, and though the brutality is not as widespread as it used to be, it’s still very rampant and going largely unchecked.

The Nigerian police force has tried to redeem its image and portray itself as a friend and protector of the people. But this continuous history of cruelty and oppressive behaviour has ingrained the image of the police in the minds of the masses as a group of oppressors whose intent is to harm them and take from them.

On another occasion, I observed suspects being hurled into a courtroom by police for a trial. They were manhandled, made to sit on the floor and treated without any dignity. Clearly, not one of them had been allowed to have his bath for days while in police detention.

Chapter 4, Section 34 of the Nigerian Constitution expressly states, “No persons shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment.”

The Code of Conduct and Professional Service for Police Officers also says very clearly, “[E]very police officer will refrain from unnecessary infliction of pain or suffering and will never engage in cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment of any person.”
But evidently, a typical Nigerian police officer shows no regard for the citizen or her rights, and he treats him as if to show that he can do anything to him and get away with it. This is evident when a police officer says to a person, “I’ll shoot you and nothing will happen!” a statement I have heard policemen say several times.

ASP Oluwadare Babalola is the Police PRO, Zone 3 Command. He says, “Where everyone knows their rights, it’s difficult for someone to assault them. Police get trained on civil behaviour and respect for persons. So a policeman who acts unlawfully does so not because he hasn’t been trained to do the right thing, but because he simply chooses not to do the right thing.

“In the police force, every offence has its own disciplinary measures. Any policeman who unlawfully uses force or firearms on anyone will be dealt with according to the law.

“If a police officer commits such offence and the police finds him guilty, the police will try that person and punish him accordingly. The punitive measures range from demotion to outright dismissal, depending on the degree of the offence.”

No punishment
In January 2012, a police officer named Segun Fabunmi shot an unarmed youth in Lagos and killed him. That month, policemen shot several people to death nationwide during the subsidy protests. The officer in question, Fabunmi was fired a year later, but today, two years later, his prosecution still has not been completed.

The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials says, “Government and law enforcement shall ensure that all law enforcement officials are selected by proper screening procedures [and] have appropriate moral, psychological and physical qualities…”
“In the training of law enforcement officials, governments and law enforcement agencies shall give special attention to issues of police ethics and human rights..”

This means that people who’re admitted to police college must not just be physically fit, but they must have the right attitude to ensure and protect the rights of all people to justice and just treatment.

It also means police colleges must have lessons on human rights and the rightful use of force and firearms incorporated in their curriculum, so that policemen who are getting trained would learn about these things. Up till this year, there were no human rights courses in the police training curriculum.

The Police Act (1943), Criminal Code Act and the Criminal Procedure Act form the legal framework by which the police discharge their duties.
The law permits the police to use excessive force when it’s “reasonable”. This gives the policeman a lot of leeway and room for abuse of power.
For instance, Section 261 of the Criminal Code Act says that in making an arrest, it’s lawful for an officer to “use such force as is reasonably necessary to overcome any force used in resisting arrest.”

Section 276 permits police to use “such force as is necessary” to suppress a riot.

Section 271 even says that if a felony suspect tries to escape arrest, an officer “may kill that person if he cannot by any other means effect an arrest.”

For this, some people have called for the reform of the legal framework for policing. A draft Bill was presented to the House of Representatives in 2006 and passed the first and second reading. But the tenure of the members of the House ended the next year when fresh elections were held. Since then, the Bill has remained on the shelf.

The police force says that one of its missions is to “build a people’s friendly Police Force that will respect and uphold the fundamental rights of all citizens.”

This is a noble thing to do, and it’s what the Nigerian people are asking for.

In reaction to reports over an alleged N100 million given to parents of the abducted Chibok girls by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) has labelled the claims to be completely false.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the association said that its main objective was/is to secure the release of the remaining 219 abducted girls.

“It is with deep sadness that we are addressing you today to state that the claim is completely false, malicious and unfounded. Our primary priority has and remains the rescue of our abducted 219 daughters. Our Association has been at the forefront of calling for decisive measures to secure their release.

“We took the moral high ground as a Community Association that represents the Chibok people in Abuja to facilitate the recent visit of parents of our abducted daughters and 51 of the 57 that escaped. We helped make that visit possible despite our misgivings that it was a poor substitute to our expectation that Mr. President should have visited Chibok even before the visit of our people for a tragedy that is now 107 days old,” the statement read.

Addressing the rumour that the association had received money from the President, it said; “It is noteworthy that our primary and only goal is the safe return of the girls that are still in captivity. It is sad that we are losing sight of this to the allegation of sharing of money. We therefore want the world to understand that we, KADA stand by our earlier position and DID NOT DEMAND, RECEIVE OR HANDLE ANY FINANCES throughout the process of the visit”.

The group revealed that on the 22nd of July – the day the President met with parents of the abducted Chibok girls – the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Dan Adebiyi, visited the hotel where the parents were hosted and gave the sum of N200,000.00 each to 61 parents out of the 122 parents that came on the visit. 51 Parents were also given N100,000.00 each on the basis that the money given to him was not enough to go round at N200,000.00. The remaining 10 parents were not given any amount of money.