FG Shuts Saharareporters.com
Againstbabangida.com
For daring to write unpleasant
stories about corruption in Aso Rock
that has consumed a presidential
adviser, President Olusegun
Obasanjo is exerting his powers
across the borders, as his legal
team has succeeded in shutting
down the fiery Nigerian news site in
New York, Saharareporters.com.
Publisher of the web site, Omoyele
Sowore, sent out a message to his
readers this morning, telling them
of how the Federal Government
has been fighting his organization
for news stories about Andy Uba,
the president's friend and adviser,
who is alleged to have smuggled
thousands of dollars into the United
States.
It wrote: "As you must have
noticed, our dear websites:
www.saharareporters.com,
www.saharareporter.com,
www.saharareports.com
" has (sic) been shut down. Since
we published the story effectively
and undisputably linking President
Obasanjo to the Andy Uba money
laundering scam, he has used
every means available to get back
at us.
"You are all aware that he has
been using a lawyer based in
Maryland, USA to harass our
publication, but since we sent an
appropriate response
commensurate with his legal threat,
they are possibly up to other
tactics.
"First, our site was shut down on
the day we published the Andy
Uba story for two hours.However,
we restored the site as soon as was
possible. Yesterday, just as
President Obasanjo admitted to
accepting close $46,000 "gift" for
his Obasanjo Farms from Andy Uba
And Loretta Mabinton through his
"International Legal Counsel on
Persoanl Matters" Mr. Kunle
Fagbenle, our webhosting company
complained to us that our website
was 'abusing their server and using
their cpu at 100%' and as such had
to shut down SAHARAREPORTERS
because it was rendering others
sites on their server 'inoperable'.
"Again, these are technical jargons
that points to one direction only:
There is a conspiracy to put our site
out of existence.However, this will
not happen, as such we will be
working round the clock to resume
our activities online ASAP. We
seeek your understanding and
patience during this time and
seriously implore all lovers of
transparency, accountability and
good governance who may be
willing to share their technical
knowledge on how to reinforce our
online presence to please contact
us , Ultimately we will need our
own server and SAHARAREPORTERS
will appreciate possible suggestions
and dedicated support from our
teeming readers."
Andy Uba, a physiotherapist
formerly resident in the United
States of America, was appointed
by President Olusegun Obasanjo as
Special Assistant, Domestic Matters
in 1999. According to Daily Sun:
"Most Nigerians don’t know how
powerful Andy’s job is, they don’t
know how close he is to Baba, let
me tell you he is the closest to the
man, he is like the man ’s first child,
ironically those of us in Aso Rock
hardly know the man or how he
looks like, he just enjoys doing his
job and this is what has kept him
well over seven years. ”
His closeness to President Obasanjo
is what makes the corruption case
about him a problem for Aso Rock.
The fight against corruption by the
administration is now under assault
from within. The president's own
man is believed to be very corrupt.
Understandably, Obasanjo is
moving to stop the bleeding.
The story that got
Saharareporters.com in trouble with
the Nigerian government was
published on its web site on
November 5 under the title: "Andy
Uba: President Obasanjo's love-vendor
involved in money laundry in the
US-THE NATION"
This is the full report:
Three years after allegedly
smuggling thousands of dollars into
the United States, American Secret
Service (SS) agents may still be
after President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
Senior Special Assistant on Domestic
Matters, Mr Andy Uba.
And for allegedly using a
presidential plane to smuggle the
money into New York on
September 22, 2003, Obasanjo’s
plane may be impounded "over
illegal importation of bulk cash into
the US the next time it lands on
any territory where US law has
jurisdiction".
The President has visited the United
States several times since 2003.
Uba, who is described as a
"seasoned traveller" by a Special
Agent with the Department of
Homeland Security, Immigration
and Customers Enforcement (ICE),
Guy Gino, "remains under
surveillance whenever he steps
into the US for money laundering
and advance fee fraud."
Gino, who is assigned to investigate
the "Uba scam", was specially
trained at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Centre in
Washington D.C. to "detect illegal
methods used to smuggle
contraband and other undeclared
items, use of schemes to conceal
and launder proceeds of financial
crimes, federal criminal procedures,
federal criminal statutes, US
customs laws and regulations and
other federal laws, including, but
not limited to, statutes involving
the bulk cash smuggling of United
States currency into the United
States."
The President’s Temperance Farm
in Ota, Ogun State is also under
investigation because "$45,487.28
(about N6.5 million) from the
laundered cash was used to buy
assorted farm equipment that were
shipped to Obasanjo farms in Ota".
The Nation
learnt that Uba (also known as
Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba with
address given as 772, Ibrahim
Taiwo Street, Asokoro, Abuja)
smuggled $170,000 cash into the
US on September 22, 2003.
The money, among others, was
illegally deposited in tranches at
various banks in Portland, Oregon.
Miss Loretta Mabinton, Uba’s friend,
was used as a front.
Uba had accompanied Obasanjo to
New York to attend a meeting of
the United Nations.
Not only was the Presidential plane
used to smuggle the cash, Uba did
not report the fund to US Customs
and Border Protection and "a
portion of the money was later
used to purchase a Mercedes Benz
Car for Uba at $91,262.50 (about
N12.9 million)."
"Another sum of $45,487,28 (about
N6.5 million) was used to pay
Mabinton’s MBNA credit card
account which had been used to
purchase assorted farm equipment
that were shipped to Obasanjo’s
farms in Ota."
It was gathered that Uba, who was
listed as a "previous subject of a
Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud
scheme investigation", and
Mabinton did not wire the cash
through banking transaction which
would have drawn attention to
"origination, source and
destination."
Because of the "strong belief" that
the laundered money must have
been proceeds of corruption, the
vehicle and funds from Mabinton’s
bank account were
administratively seized on the
orders of a US District Court of
Oregon on June 12, 2006 "being
proceeds of bulk cash smuggling,
violations of currency and
monetary instrument reporting
requirements, currency transaction
reporting requirements and money
laundering".
District Judge Malcom F. Marsh
gave the order. Uba and
Mabinton’s lawyer was Douglas A.
Stringer.
The Presidential aide hails from the
popular Uba political family of
Anambra. His elder brother
Ugochukwu is a Senator. His
younger brother Chris is the
"godfather" of Anambra politics.
Andy Uba has a governorship
ambition.
It was gathered that the money
used to buy the Benz was
converted to cashier’s check.
When interviewed by Secret
Service agents on November 6,
2003, Uba confessed to bringing
the cash to the US. He did not,
however, respond to the question
on why he refused to file the
Report of International
Transportation of Currency or
Monetary Instruments Report
(CMIR).
The Atlanta branch of the Secret
Service had previously suspected
Uba as being involved in money
laundering deals but in his defence
of December 20, 2004, he said the
money was part of his "savings
and family money".
To show the seriousness of the US
government, a serious warrant was
issued to seize Uba’s Benz. The
warrant was served by Gino on
Delmos Shipping on November 18,
2003.
"The vehicle had already been
shipped and had to be returned to
Portland, Oregon from Singapore.
The vehicle arrived in Portland,
Oregon on January 15, 2004."
On June 3, 2005, the customs said
Uba’s statement on his source of
money was not legitimate.
On April 4, 2006, Uba and
Mabinton’s lawyer Stringer filed a
"verified statement of Interest in
Defendant Property".
Another "Answer to Complaint,
Affirmative Defences and
Counterclaim against the United
States of America" was filed by
Uba and Mabinton on April 24,
2006.
On August 31, 2006, a move was
made by the duo to settle the
matter out of court.
On September 27, 2006 Judge
Marsh ordered:
"Based upon the Settlement
Agreement filed on August 31,
2006 between the United States
and claimant’s Loretta Mabinton
and Emmanuel Uba, and upon the
records and files in this action;
"It is ordered that this court has
subject matter jurisdiction in this
action and the sub res defendant, in
rem, $26,000 in United States
currency, is forfeited to the United
States of America, free and clear of
the claims of any and all persons,
including Loretta Mabinton and
Emmanuel Uba.
"The United States Customs and
Border Protection is directed to
immediately seize and transfer the
custody and possession of the sub
res defendant, in rem, $26,000 in
United States currency, to the
secretary of Treasury of the United
States for disposition in accordance
with applicable statutes and
regulations and provisions of this
judgment."
Gino, in a 21-page affidavit, said it
was not the first time Mabinton
would deposit such funds allegedly
on behalf of Uba at Electra Federal
Credit Union (EFCU).
"The vehicle registered in the state
of Oregon to Loretta Mabinton.
Seattle ICE (Immigration and
Customs Enforcement) agents
spoke with bank officials, who
informed the agents of recent
deposits by Loretta Mabinton
totalling approximately $200,000.
The bank officials also indicated
that several of the deposits
appeared to have been structures,"
he said.
EFCU officials, he said, reported that
they first observed suspicious
activity by Mabinton on September
2, 2003 when she structured a
deposit in US currency.
"On September 23, 2003, bank
officials told me that Mabinton
brought $160,000 in United States
currency to the bank in a purple
plastic grocery bag. The currency
consisted of 1,600 new $100 FRN
stamped with the phrase ‘AL
GULAM’.
"Mabinton opened a second
account in her name at the EFCU
and deposited the $160,000. Bank
officials advised me that Mabinton
added Emmanuel Uba’s name to
the account several weeks later,"
Gino said.
When a ‘freeze’ was placed on
Mabinton’s account, she on
November 5, 2003 contacted the
Secret Service, Portland, Oregon
President Office and spoke with
Special Agent Mark Kehoe upon
receiving notification of the frozen
funds.
She revealed to Kehoe that any
notes stamped with the words "AL
GULAM" came from a bank in
Nigeria that is used by her fiancée
Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba.
"Mabinton stated that she flew to
New York on September 22, 2003
and received $170,000 in United
States currency from Uba while at
the UN Plaza Hotel, Mabinton stated
that Uba had flown into the United
States with the currency on the
Nigerian President’s aircraft.
"Mabinton stated that Uba is the
‘Special Assistant to the President’
of Nigeria and that he was not
required to declare any currency if
he was flying on the President’s
plane.
"Mabintton stated that she needed
the $170,000 to handle Uba’s
personal/business affairs.
Additionally, he asked her to buy a
Mercedes Banz SL 500 with some of
the money and ship it to him in
Nigeria. Mabinton said she
deposited $160,000 into a joint
account with Uba at Electra Federal
Credit Union and deposited $10,000
into her own personal account,"
Gino said in the affidavit.
The special agent said since Uba
was not "an accredited diplomat
with the Nigerian government," he
has no official diplomatic standing
in the United States and even "if
the money had been transported
into the United States via a
diplomatic pouch, the money could
only be used for official purposes of
the government of Nigeria.

Is this not an old news

@Poster, are you sure you have your info from the correct source? The Nigerian government has NO RIGHT To shut down a website. No, it does not have that power and cannot do that.

Kobojunkie:

@Poster, are you sure you have your info from the correct source? The Nigerian government has NO RIGHT To shut down a website. No, it does not have that power and cannot do that.

. . .guys Am terribly sorry mehn, I made a mistake. I think the publication is old.
However, lately, some Nigerian news site including Sahara have either been shut down or rendered inaccessible. Anyone has any idea what is going on??

Most of these sites are not hosted in Nigeria, and so all the politicians can do is complain or try to pay hackers to hack them. Fortunately, hosting companies are intelligent enough to fight back. But legally, government has no right to shut down websites.

toba:

Kobojunkie:

Most of these sites are not hosted in Nigeria, and so all the politicians can do is complain or try to pay hackers to hack them. Fortunately, hosting companies are intelligent enough to fight back. But legally, government has no right to shut down websites.

. . .that is the best explanation to the problem I guess. Sb was saying most of these news sites do not own the websites that they use, and most of them can easily be brought down by any good kid hacker. Am sure the problem is connected to the anti-IBB articles and news by some of these news sites. We are close to 2011 and everyone is playing very dirty.

@koboj
I migt have to support rhmyz on this one.

A few days ago, other newspaper site were also shut down for about a week. What is really going on?

If any website is shut down in the US, they must have broken American laws. Obj cannot order any website be shut down in the US, Sowore's claims are preposterous or at best, ill-informed.

Ileke-IdI:

@koboj
I migt have to support rhmyz on this one.

A few days ago, other newspaper site were also shut down for about a week. What is really going on?

Even Obama has little right when it comes to websites online. Remember wikileak? The US government cannot stop the website from publishing the leaked documents, they can attempt it but I doubt with much luck.

Nigerian government is powerless when it comes to these things. They can attack the hosting companies if in Nigeria but most of them are no longer hosted in Nigeria and so all the attackers can do is try to hack and bring them down and even at that. These publishing companies can easily switch hosting companies and be back online within minutes.

Kobojunkie:

Even Obama has little right when it comes to websites online. Remember wikileak? The US government cannot stop the website from publishing the leaked documents, they can attempt it but I doubt with much luck.

Nigerian government is powerless when it comes to these things. They can attack the hosting companies if in Nigeria but most of them are no longer hosted in Nigeria and so all the attackers can do is try to hack and bring them down and even at that. These publishing companies can easily switch hosting companies and be back online within minutes.

And you think that Nigerian politic knows the "Limit of power"?

If Nigerian Govt wants it shut down, they'll find a "quiet" way to have it shut down.

Ileke-IdI:

And you think that Nigerian politic knows the "Limit of power"?

If Nigerian Govt wants it shut down, they'll find a "quite" way to have it shut down.

I think you need to visit the reality of these things. Your Nigerian politicians have no clue how to even power a computer, let alone come up with a way or idea on how to shut down a website. ROFLMAO!!!!

Seriously, shutting down a website is easier said that done . . . ask the CIA or MI6 . . . . ROFLMAO!

Kobojunkie:

I think you need to visit the reality of these things. Your Nigerian politicians have no clue how to even power a computer, let alone come up with a way or idea on how to shut down a website. ROFLMAO!!!!

Seriously, shutting down a website is easier said that done . . . ask the CIA or MI6 . . . . ROFLMAO!

Are you saying they dont have the money to hire a brain to do all that and more?

And I remember someone saying Nigerian news site IPs can be cracked by a 5yrs old [exxageration]. How strong and skillful are are the site makers [dnt know what to callem] with blocking a third party from going into their system?

Ileke-IdI:

Are you saying they dont have the money to hire a brain to do all that and more?

And I remember someone saying Nigerian news site IPs can be cracked by a 5yrs old [exxageration]. How strong and skillful are are the site makers [dnt know what to callem] with blocking a third party from going into their system?

Sites hosted in Nigeria definitely are probably going to be prone. But if you build a site in Nigeria, and build it right, and then host OUTSIDE of Nigeria, say with RackSpace or GoDaddy, it is likely that a 5 year old hacking it will face big challenge.
IP addresses are not created by Nigerians and so hacking a site is not about insecure IP. The sites themselves are likely not built correctly and that is a problem but if a site is built by people who know what they are doing and hosted with a hosting company that has the knowhow on security, hacking is not that easy.

our webhosting company
complained to us that our website
was 'abusing their server and using
their cpu at 100%' and as such had
to shut down SAHARAREPORTERS
because it was rendering others
sites on their server 'inoperable'.
"Again, these are technical jargons
that points to one direction only:
There is a conspiracy to put our site
out of existence.

Are they trying to politicise their incompetence at website management?

Kobojunkie:

Sites hosted in Nigeria definitely are probably going to be prone. But if you build a site in Nigeria, and build it right, and then host OUTSIDE of Nigeria, say with RackSpace or GoDaddy, it is likely that a 5 year old hacking it will face big challenge.
IP addresses are not created by Nigerians and so hacking a site is not about insecure IP. The sites themselves are likely not built correctly and that is a problem but if a site is built by people who know what they are doing and hosted with a hosting company that has the knowhow on security, hacking is not that easy.

This is not true. practically all Nigerian websites have no concept of security, regardless of where they are hosted. At least 90% of them are vulnerable to XXS and SQL Injection attacks; and thats a function of poor coding, not where the server is located.
The easiest way to have a laugh at the weekend is to write a few scripts and let your eyes pop out at how easy it is to download whole databases from 9ja websites, even worse are the unprofessional horrors they contain.

About a year ago, the very same Sahara Reporters website would take several minutes to load on some computers; they just don't care.
Same goes with most Nigerian companies and govt parastatals; they just don't give a damn about PR or presenting a professional face, talkless of ensuring that their websites are robust and locked down.
This is the Supreme Court of Nigeria's "website" (very funny); http://www.scn.gov.ng/
Contrast with Ghana's Judicial Service, http://www.judicial.gov.gh/
The UK version http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/

Beaf:

This is not true. practically all Nigerian websites have no concept of security, regardless of where they are hosted. At least 90% of them are vulnerable to XXS and SQL Injection attacks; and thats a function of poor coding, not where the server is located.
The easiest way to have a laugh at the weekend is to write a few scripts and let your eyes pop out at how easy it is to download whole databases from 9ja websites, even worse, are the unprofessional horrors they contain.

About a year ago, the very same Sahara Reporters website would take several minutes to load on some computers; they just don't care.
Same goes with most Nigerian companies and govt parastatals; they just don't give a damn about PR or presenting a professional face, talkless of ensuring that their websites are robust and locked down.
This is the Supreme Court of Nigeria's "website" (very funny); http://www.scn.gov.ng/
Contrast with Ghana's Judicial Service, http://www.judicial.gov.gh/
The UK version http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/

True!

Anyway the subject is old and very inaccurate.

Another person crying wolf unnecessarily-

Seun:

Are they trying to politicise their incompetence at website management?

. . . Seun, you own Nairaland and I am guessing you built the site yourself hence you probably have a mastery of web security technicalities. Hope you won't mind explaining to us besides the big use of technical jargons, in layman's terms, what you think is going on. I find some contradictions in Beaf's and Kobo's explanations, while Beaf blames the problem entirely on the lack of technical details like security when building the websites irrespective of the "host", kobo placed the problem more on the "host"- if they are in Nigeria, they are more likely to be attacked by almost any technically savvy internet user but outside might be quite difficult-implying that most Nigerian host do not know much abt cyber security like their counterparts in the US and Europe. However, I find that line of arguement a bit confusing because many of these Nigerian sites are not hosted here in Nigeria in the first place yet they are taken down by almost any hacker.
So what exactly is going on? Is it a case of politicians paying hackers and programmers to bring down news sites that are susceptible to just any attack or them going further to those host companies to lobby them to shutdown those sites( which I strongly suspect). Anyone can be compromised be you white, black or green( aliens. .lol).

Beaf:

This is not true. practically all Nigerian websites have no concept of security, regardless of where they are hosted. At least 90% of them are vulnerable to XXS and SQL Injection attacks; and thats a function of poor coding, not where the server is located.
The easiest way to have a laugh at the weekend is to write a few scripts and let your eyes pop out at how easy it is to download whole databases from 9ja websites, even worse are the unprofessional horrors they contain.

About a year ago, the very same Sahara Reporters website would take several minutes to load on some computers; they just don't care.
Same goes with most Nigerian companies and govt parastatals; they just don't give a damn about PR or presenting a professional face, talkless of ensuring that their websites are robust and locked down.
This is the Supreme Court of Nigeria's "website" (very funny); http://www.scn.gov.ng/
Contrast with Ghana's Judicial Service, http://www.judicial.gov.gh/
The UK version http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/

YOu just like to YAP without reading do you? What is the difference between what you have above and what I had posted initially on this ?

Kobojunkie:

Sites hosted in Nigeria definitely are probably going to be prone. But if you build a site in Nigeria, and build it right, and then host OUTSIDE of Nigeria, say with RackSpace or GoDaddy, it is likely that a 5 year old hacking it will face big challenge.
IP addresses are not created by Nigerians and so hacking a site is not about insecure IP. The sites themselves are likely not built correctly and that is a problem but if a site is built by people who know what they are doing and hosted with a hosting company that has the knowhow on security, hacking is not that easy.

rhymz:

. . . Seun, you own Nairaland and I am guessing you built the site yourself hence you probably have a mastery of web security technicalities. Hope you won't mind explaining to us besides the big use of technical jargons, in layman's terms, what you think is going on. I find some contradictions in Beaf's and Kobo's explanations, while Beaf blames the problem entirely on the lack of technical details like security when building the websites irrespective of the "host", kobo placed the problem more on the "host"- if they are in Nigeria, they are more likely to be attacked by almost any technically savvy internet user but outside might be quite difficult-implying that most Nigerian host do not know much abt cyber security like their counterparts in the US and Europe. However, I find that line of arguement a bit confusing because many of these Nigerian sites are not hosted here in Nigeria in the first place yet they are taken down by almost any hacker.
So what exactly is going on? Is it a case of politicians paying hackers and programmers to bring down news sites that are susceptible to just any attack or them going further to those host companies to lobby them to shutdown those sites( which I strongly suspect). Anyone can be compromised be you white, black or green( aliens. .lol).

For me, it is too easy to claim that the programmers in Nigeria lack technical know-how when it comes to site security. However, hosting of websites does not in itself guarantee non-hackability of the application. However it does help a great deal, especially when applications are hosted in environments where security is a priority and I know most of the Nigerian hosting companies( I presume there are still very few of these) I have encountered in my past have little knowledge in that area.

It has nothing to do with security. Seems they are hosting their blog with a cheap web host
which can't handle the level of traffic their website is attracting, so their site was suspended.

Other websites were mysteriously not working as well like the Daily Sun, do they fail on schedule?

Traffic issues seem to apply only with some sites. Many have actually been hacked/taken over. eg FME, Stock exchange etc

Kobojunkie:

YOu just like to YAP without reading do you? What is the difference between what you have above and what I had posted initially on this ?

Of course it is lost on you that you actually mentioned locating the server outside Nigeria as a way of protecting against hacking. Lets remind you again. . .

Kobojunkie:

Sites hosted in Nigeria definitely are probably going to be prone. But if you build a site in Nigeria, and build it right, and then host OUTSIDE of Nigeria, say with RackSpace or GoDaddy, it is likely that a 5 year old hacking it will face big challenge.
IP addresses are not created by Nigerians and so hacking a site is not about insecure IP. The sites themselves are likely not built correctly and that is a problem but if a site is built by people who know what they are doing and hosted with a hosting company that has the knowhow on security, hacking is not that easy.

You were caught talking crap and thats why you reacted very rudely.
You have clearly claimed that websites hosted in Nigeria are more prone to hacking (which is patently false); it simply doesn't matter where a website is hosted.

So, never mind that I mentioned Building the sites RIGHT and probably hosting with reputable companies as protective measure, all you want to do is yap on claiming I said HOSTING IS THE ONLY WAY?  Sigh!

I suggest you spend more time READING POSTS AND UNDERSTANDING REASONS FOR RESPONSES than jumping to make baseless accusations thinking to score brownie points of some kind.

Kobojunkie:

So, never mind that I mentioned Building the sites RIGHT and probably hosting with reputable companies as protective measure, all you want to do is yap on claiming I said HOSTING IS THE ONLY WAY?  Sigh!

I suggest you spend more time READING POSTS AND UNDERSTANDING REASONS FOR RESPONSES than jumping to make baseless accusations thinking to score brownie points of some kind.

Dude you better cool down, if you had taken my harmless post for what it was, your shortcoming would have gone unnoticed. . . But you had to be rude to try to cover up, so take the result on the chin and stop the senseless bellyaching, especially when what you said is there in black and white for all to see.
I will repeat; server location has no bearing on a websites security. Period.