Thanks for that romano. The third point is the one that caught my attention and I did a quick search on it and here is something remarkable about the Sierra Leone Special Court:

"Following the successful completion of negotiations with the Government of Sierra Leone, on October 4, 2000, Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued his report to the Security Council on the Special Court for Sierra Leone. (2) As specified in the Agreement between the United Nations and Sierra Leone, (3) the Special Court would differ from the ICTY and ICTR in several notable respects. First, unlike the ICTY and ICTR, which were established by Chapter VII Resolution of the Security Council, the Special Court is a treaty-based court established by the Agreement between the United Nations and Sierra Leone. As a consequence, while it has primacy over domestic prosecutions in Sierra Leone and can issue binding orders to the government of Sierra Leone, the Special Court lacks the power of the ICTY and ICTR to assert primacy over national courts of third States or to order the surrender of an accused located in any third State. This is not expected to hinder the Court's operation since most of the suspected perpetrators are now in custody in Sierra Leone."

http://www.asil.org/insights/insigh53.htm

That clearly justifies Obansanjo's actions. Mrs. Sirleaf must have known this so I presume, and like romano said, she just trying to avert the attention and pressure to Nigeria by asking Nigeria to give Taylor to Sierra Leone. I hope all the big-mouthers can shut up now that Obasanjo has done what he said and quite rightly should do. Taylor's handover to Sierra Leone ain't Nigeria's responsibility but Liberia's. Let them clean their own shyt hopefully with their big brother, US help!

I can't believe that Nigerians are now siding with Charles Taylor. May I remind you that Taylor brutally murdered Tayo Awotunsin and Krees Imodibe, the 2 Nigerian journalists covering the Liberian war back in 1990 for no reason not to talk of countless Nigerian army officers? Or that he destablished Sierra Leone and the sub region?

@ramono
Those points are disjointed. One has nothing to do with the other.

If Taylor is quilt of all this crimes, where did he think he will escape to in the 1st place, he should be sent to face the music in Ghana must go bag. that Yoruba man saying is Finlay true the Ayipada olowo is not good.

Nigeria returns ex-Liberia leader
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4857628.stm

I hope that all those critics will be more objective next time and will now also apologise to all Nigerians (including President Obasanjo) who they have slighted by their ill considered sweeping statements.

thot i was going to be the one to put up the breaking newssssssss, hisssssssssssssss. nah wah for all u news mongers. anyway this is what i gathered.

ABUJA, Nigeria - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who vanished in Nigeria after authorities reluctantly agreed to transfer him to a war crimes tribunal, was arrested trying to cross the border into Cameroon, Nigerian police said Wednesday. He then was flown back to Liberia. Taylor was captured Tuesday night by security forces in the far northeastern border town of Gamboru, in Borno State, nearly 600 miles from the villa in southern Calabar from which he reportedly disappeared Monday night, Information Minister Frank Nweke said in a statement.

Hmn, we have to be very careful here o. I hope they really captured charlie bobo while he was trying to escape.


Anyway, I heard also, that it's because the heat is on OBJ to release Taylor or loose Third Term, that's why he buckled under pressure to ''release'' Charlie Boy.

Thank God "Baba" will now rest from those crucifying him and accused him of having hand in Taylor's hand.

Yes, Taylor should be in Monrovia as at the time of this post.

Do you think Monrovia is ready for Taylor? I say no.

He ia a bargaining tool for millions of dollars of aid.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=44137

@demmy
the points listed were in no particular order. The issue is not the points but the context. It is only then we can answer questions like 'was Nigeria guilty of his escape?'.

By the way, why are so many Nigerians negative about anything Nigerian?

baby4u2:

ABUJA, Nigeria - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who vanished in Nigeria after authorities reluctantly agreed to transfer him to a war crimes tribunal, was arrested trying to cross the border into Cameroon, Nigerian police said Wednesday. He then was flown back to Liberia. Taylor was captured Tuesday night by security forces in the far northeastern border town of Gamboru, in Borno State, nearly 600 miles from the villa in southern Calabar from which he reportedly disappeared Monday night, Information Minister Frank Nweke said in a statement.

let'shope this is true,all these (mis)information ministers we have these days. anyway, it'll be a shame if he is not caught and sent for trial.

ono:

Anyway, I heard also, that it's because the heat is on OBJ to release Taylor or loose Third Term, that's why he buckled under pressure to ''release'' Charlie Boy.

u see why i hate these americans, they are actually after charles taylor and not really interested in democratic nigeria. i hate it when people say bush should intervene and stop obasanjo from doing 3rd term. i hate the 3rd term but i don't want US intervention in our politics b/c they will end up achieving one secret aim or the other of theirs and leave the country.

demmy:

I can't believe that Nigerians are now siding with Charles Taylor. May I remind you that Taylor brutally murdered Tayo Awotunsin and Krees Imodibe, the 2 Nigerian journalists covering the Liberian war back in 1990 for no reason not to talk of countless Nigerian army officers? Or that he destablished Sierra Leone and the sub region?

demmy, it is not a question of siding with Taylor. It is a question of defendiing one's (i.e. Nigeria's) ground. A deal is a deal and they were part of it brokers. The West and it's media are very good at shifting the goalposts to suit themselves.

@rof-lmao: i also tried to post my comments on the BBC website and whittled it down to their 500 character limit  yet mine wasn't published either. I have long said it that the BBC is anti-Nigeria or at least love dishing the dirt on us and wrote to them personally about this. Obviously, they denied it. I believe u a right: they cherry-pick comments on the "have-your-say" board to suit their views.

Brother Tosh!! Hey man! what's up? These folks here think they can bamboozle me with some Nweke story. Thesame Nweke who told all of us some negative stories about the Bellview plane crash site until AIT came to the rescue.

Abeg, nowadays until I see and read news on CNN, AIT, BBC, SKY, I will not believe a thing from Nigerian minister of (mis)information

infact i give more validity to nairaland information than to that (mis)information minister.

Charles Taylor, hiding under the pseudo-name "Henry Brown" is owing the Water Board in Calabar, a bill debt of N18, 000. 00.  He refused to pay up, after several threats and disconnection.  He has therefore left the land, with this unrecoverable debt hanging on his neck.  This is very painful, considering the fact that he denied the ordinary people of Liberia, safe drinking water; he even denied some of them the 'mouths' with which to drink.  Right here in Calabar, the Water Board supplied him with pure, clean, potable water, round-the-clock, 24/7 yet he refused to pay the bill.  That he escaped in the night, travelled thousands of kilometers by land, was put on the run and has been caught is good riddance to bad rubbish.  Other people who take delight in killing and maiming innocent people just because they hold d levers of power should learn a lesson from this.  In life, you can run but you cannot hide.  My question is, what happens to those assets including Trailers, Ships, Aircraft, Houses, Farm, Jeeps (the best of their kind) and so many other things he amassed and kept here in Calabar?  

celemel:

My question is, what happens to those assets including Trailers, Ships, Aircraft, Houses, Farm, Jeeps (the best of their kind) and so many other things he amassed and kept here in Calabar?

they should forward it to my house;i can give them the address

celemel:

Charles Taylor, hiding under the pseudo-name "Henry Brown" is owing the Water Board in Calabar, a bill debt of N18, 000. 00.  He refused to pay up, after several threats and disconnection.  He has therefore left the land, with this unrecoverable debt hanging on his neck.  This is very painful, considering the fact that he denied the ordinary people of Liberia, safe drinking water; he even denied some of them the 'mouths' with which to drink.  Right here in Calabar, the Water Board supplied him with pure, clean, potable water, round-the-clock, 24/7 yet he refused to pay the bill.  That he escaped in the night, travelled thousands of kilometers by land, was put on the run and has been caught is good riddance to bad rubbish.  Other people who take delight in killing and maiming innocent people just because they hold d levers of power should learn a lesson from this.  In life, you can run but you cannot hide.  My question is, what happens to those assets including Trailers, Ships, Aircraft, Houses, Farm, Jeeps (the best of their kind) and so many other things he amassed and kept here in Calabar?  

Hmn, interesting question from celemel. But, have you ever thought of OBJ and his households using Charlie Boy as a front for keeping such luxurious goods in Calabar? How could he have amassed so much goods to himself without OBJs aid?

I have said it before now and I will repeat it anywhere that OBJ is the most corrupt ruler Nigeria has ever had.

Men, these are indeed interesting times. Chineke help us.

and the worst of it all is that the securiy operatives were handed over to the police i mean he could have said he was going anywhere so the security operatives shouldnt be blamed

We continue to make a mockery of ourselves in the international community. We went into Liberia in the first place because our Military ruler then (IBB) had vested interest in there, not because our nation had any interest.
We keep claiming that we stopped the war in Liberia! Tell me, how did we stop the war? When our soldiers were busy looting the country. I was in the barracks then when the war was on and I was ashamed of our military when soldiers who went on mission started coming back with Refridgerators, TVs, Typewriters, Electric cookers, etc. The Air Force and the Naval officers were the major culprits because they had the means of transporting their loots back home (using the C-130 and the naval ships).  I actually had some neighbours who were court-marshalled because they were siphoning petrol from vehicles and selling to the rebels for diamonds. YAK!!  We didn't stop the war. The war extinguished itself.
It was a good means of our leaders then to rob our treasury under the guise of funding the ECOMOG mission. It was even the assistance of foreign powers (the US, UK, etc) that put a check on the senseless war. We sent boys that were not motivate to fight. I think we should actually ask the military to account for the number of innocent soldiers we lost. At a point, when it became embarrassing, and the press was becoming inquisitive, the bodies of our dead soldiers were being brought it at night and dumped at the  mortuary at Air Force Base Ikeja.
When other nations were busy evacuating their nationals from Liberia, we ignored our and most Nigerians were butchered, amputated and dehumanised.
IBB sent our boys there because he wanted to protect Samuel Doe but unfortunately we couldn't and we got trapped in the war. And we lost so man gallant and fine officers. May the soul of my late friend Lt. Jibo who was ADC to Major Gen. Victor Malu rest in perfect peace.  Nigeria is a big theatre, a comical one. The biggest in the black world. I weep.

For all I know, he came to calabar with an aircraft-load of the US Dollars (mint).  He also had a Beechcraft that was permanently parked at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, before he leased it out for commercial purposes.  Am told that he came with lost of diamonds too.  You must know that he was given freedom to take anything he wanted from Liberia before departing.  In fact, I have a neighbour who works for him in his several estates.  The guy says he exchanges the $ for Naira only when he wants to buy anything or shop for anything.  The summary is, he came to Calabar with Millions of Dollars, and a war-chest of exotic cars.  At least, I've seen him drive 2 different Hummer Jeeps in town here, and at the Obudu Ranch Resort.  So, OBJ might not really b part of this particular dirty money.

rottweiller, so u think the "foreign powers" intervened because of sympathy? of course not! yes, we went to Liberia partly because IBB had vested interests and to Sierra Leone because Abacha owned the refinery and other businesses there. I am not disputing that. But the West should stop its double standards and manipulation. I know that's impossible but they should at least stop being so blatant about it.

And Nigeria is the way it is partly due to the British. it is in their interests. FACT!

www.libertas.demon.co.uk

Rotty and Celemel, you both got me punching the air at all these new info about our rulers, oh, Jesus, what type of country is this!!!!!!

I can't type a thing again, I'm going home.

Vongauche:

And Nigeria is the way it is partly due to the British. it is in their interests. FACT!

FACT

@CELEMEL,
how is calabar? i miss that town. i am an ex malabite. how is my darling unical?
cheers mate

The capture of mr charles taylor has saved nigeria from the international embarrasment his escape had already started causing nigeria.  why is he running away from justice  if he is innocent? he was captured at gamboru ngala frontier close to cameroun border by our vigilant and great nigerian customs after beating the nigerian imigration one would begin to ask what is wrong with our naija immigration service? If not for our nigerian customs who smellt and found large amouts of dollars in taylors diplomatic number plated range rover jeep he would have escaped! INFACT 3 GBOSAS FOR OUR COSTOMS GBOSA! GBOSA GBOSA!!!! another 3 GBOSA 4 OBJ 4 HANDING TAYLOR OVER! GBOSA ! GBOSA! GBOSA!

interesting, not only the immigration, I raise a question yesterday that what do you think the 26 security guards attached to his government house were doing while he escape? 1 did he used JUJU on them, i don't Blvd in that, 2 did he pay them off in $ and thirdly how did what travelling documents was he using, and how did he secure it. Those are questions that should be ask.

If you ask me, i would say he was never lost. I think the government once again played a stunt on Nigerians for political gains. It is funny how he is missing one day and found the next day. Why go thru Maiduguri on his way to Cameroon? He could have gone thru Ikom which is a lot closer, or even Oban in Cross River State. I think this is all some phony ploy for political points and 'Third Term Agenda".

well political gain or not the most important thing is that nigeria has been saved of the international stigma and embarrasment of allowing one of the world most sort after war criminal escape under its very nose .It shows the international community that nigeria  as a country can live up to its word. Let justice take its due course! THOSE WHO LIVE BY THE SWORD WILL DIE BY THE SWORD!

Old Glory:

If you ask me, i would say he was never lost. I think the government once again played a stunt on Nigerians for political gains. It is funny how he is missing one day and found the next day. Why go through Maiduguri on his way to Cameroon? He could have gone through Ikom which is a lot closer, or even Oban in Cross River State. I think this is all some phony ploy for political points and 'Third Term Agenda".

No offence, but do some of you guys ever stop to think about how ridiculous you sound sometimes? How can you hope to link this now with third term? HOW? Where is the connection? SHEESH! 

[SACARSIM]
I'm sure it all goes back to the assylum offer in the first place right? Even the war in Liberia was part of third term as well. Yes this is all somehow Obasanjo's fault. Obasanjo is the cause of everything bad in the world.
[/SACARSIM]

Twinstaiye,

I always had that feeling too, that George Weah won the election but other African leaders felt he wasn't qualified because of his lack of education & exposure, and chose the highly educated woman instead. Weah seemed to know it too, as he protested at the Nigerian embassy there. I hope that after America pays whatever they promised to pay Liberia for Taylor, Mrs. Sirleaf would not give in to them again in any other situation. This is not just politics, it's blackmail. I hope she'll be able to deal with it when next it happens, because America would probably do something like this again.


It's so sad that America can push African leaders around, when they obviously don't care very much (except when their interests are affected). I wonder what their real agenda is in this case, as they refused to get involved in the heat of the war.

america has surely put the liberian leader in their pocket. when the fire was on, they let nigeria do the dirty work,now there is relative peace and they want to take the glory of stopping the war in liberia and make nigeria look bad(for the delay in handing taylor over). the liberians know who the real heroes in their history are;the unknown nigerian soldiers who fought and died in their civil war.
now that US has come in the lead for post war trials, they will surely find ways of containing the african leaders and we've started seeing the signs already.

Blue2,

OBJ didn't exactly personalize this whole thing. Nigeria had to take the initiative, no other country came forth with a viable solution. We should be proud of what we/OBJ accomplished in Liberia. Come to think of it, we'd spent $15 billion already. At least we can now say the money achieved something - the war has ended. If he didn't bring Taylor over and the war had continued, we'd have continued spending money there and we can't imagine how things would have gone.

Even though CNN and other foreign media may misrepresent the facts, the truth remains that Taylor wasn't toppled out of office. Nigeria invited him over and made some promises. I read 2day that they weren't sure till that day that he would accept the proposal. If you watched his arrival in Nigeria, u'll see he came here as a president (or ex-), certainly not as a criminal/wanted man etc.

I don't think the Nigerian govt. was against his going on trial. They probably just didn't want American interference.

very true, very very true. OBJ came in and coax taylor to come to Nigeria, something very good to stop the war in Liberia. Nigeria has always been a big brother to other african countries which is very good.

On the other hand - there was alot of politics behind it, there was already a warrant on taylors head before he came to Nigeria, Bush was putting pressure on him to step down and the LURD rebels had encirlced monrovia and was bombing everywhere. Innocent people were dying and that is why he was coax to leave, if he hadn't, he would have died all right but still as a president and many civilians would have lost their lives in the process.

No Taylor has tried to escape with the help of Obasanjo ,but the coup failed due to the stand the american government took about this issue. Crooked businesses don't win when Mr Bush stands up.
Shame on Obi