₦airaland Forum

BUT for fears by Europe that the United States of America might establish a military base in Bakassi Peninsula to the strategic and socio-political disadvantage of Europe, Nigeria would not have lost Bakassi to Cameroon.

The fear, according to a new book; "Fraud at the Haguei: Why Nigeria's Bakassi was ceded to Cameroon," was worsened by the then closeness of Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo to his USA counterpart, President George Bush. Thus "keeping Nigeria out of Bakassi is securing the area against the American military base under the AFRICOM initiative."

Author of the 138-page book, Mr Adebayo Adeolu, told Vanguard that the October 10, 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (World Court), The Hague, ceding Bakassi to Cameroon was pre-determined and fraudulent.

Insisting that geographically, historically, linguistically and politically, Bakassi had always been part of Nigeria, he described the ICJ decision as imperialism at its worst.

Ownership of Bakassi

Ordinarily, he argued that there should not be any doubt concerning Nigeria's ownership of Bakassi because "Nigeria had been in physical control throughout the many centuries as the place is home to the Efik people. Nigeria administered the region.

There were hospitals, police stations, post offices - everything you can see in a modern state was provided by Nigeria. Cameroon never had possession...The 1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty (which supersedes other treaties) is a binding agreement between Britain on one hand and the Obong, chiefs and people of Calabar on the other.

Accordingly, anything done by either party in breach of the terms of that treaty violates not only Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the law of treaties but also the fundamental customary international law principle of pacta sunt servanda.

"During the case concerning Bakassi and Cameroon, in the advisory opinion in relation to Western Sahara case, the International Court of Justice pointed out that in the period of 1884, before, during and after the advent of the colonialists from Europe, neither the Bakassi Peninsula nor any other part of Efik territory was virgin land that belonged to anybody or state.

The Bakassi Peninsula and other parts of Efik territory had long been under effective occupation, and this granted ownership to the Efik people who for centuries had formed social and political organizations that were controlled by the leadership of the Obong."

In spite of the flaws that might have arisen from the legal team representing Nigeria at The Hague, and non-consultation of Bakassi indigenes and security agencies in the prosecution of the legal battle with Cameroon, Adeolu argued that the facts before the court showed that Bakassi Peninsula belonged to Nigeria.


He urged the Federal Government to utilize the remaining 33 days out of the 10 years window allowed for an appeal to appeal the judgment. The time allowed for appeal will expire on October 10.

According to the book, the ICJ was presented with a number of treaties, points and arguments, which led to the final decision of the French Judge, Gilbert Guillaume.

It should be noted that France colonized Cameroon and both countries are still bonded socio-economically and politically. It was the French government that prompted Cameroon into taking the matter to the Hague, where British, French and German judges decided. the case.

The treaties and points of arguments include:

* The 1884 Anglo-Efik Treaty;

* The 1885 Anglo-German Treaty;

* The 1913 Anglo-German Treaty

* The 1975 Maroua Declaration between Nigeria and Cameroon

* The law of treaties

* The Vienna Convention, 1969 (Article 26).

The book read in part: "The European superpowers have known for over a century the strategic importance of Bakassi, as a region.

The region is a danger to the nations of the world if any superpower controlled the region with military bases. The region was forbidden for military bases and garrisons because it could be used for intrigue.

It could cause a blockade for commerce and shipping of any kind and could also be used as military outpost for striking other nations around and far away. "The British, French, Belgian and German governments are well aware of this fact. The European continent as a whole has this information.

“It was because of the Germans and their expansionist and militaristic stance and approach to its neighbours and other nations that it was barred after the First World War from the region. This was the decision reached by the League of Nations. African military bases would not be tolerated by members of the League of Nations, as it would pose a danger for all Europe and Asia and the world at large.

"The military posture of President George W. Bush in his fight against terrorism, which he promoted globally after the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2011, and his unilateral decision to invade the sovereign state of Iraq without the full approval and support of the United Nations brought about the international conspiracy.

International conspiracy

"The European Union had to keep him out of Africa, especially Nigeria, which the Europeans saw and still see as their 'colony.' Britain did not want America meddling with its former colonies, especially Nigeria where a wonderful relationship had existed for years and was being rekindled.

"The president of Nigeria at the time was very close to George Bush. In fact, he was like Bush's 'African cousin' since former President Obasanjo of Nigeria was a regular guest in the United States.

“The Europeans felt that if he gave the nod for a military base to be established, Bakassi could be used. This prompted the judgment against Nigeria from all evidence that was presented and further discussed... President Obasanjo had consented to prejudgment conditions in a closed-door meeting convened by the French President, Jacques Chirac and this did not imply the collective will of the people of Nigeria."

THE gruesome killing of Cynthia Osokogu, the only daughter of Maj.-Gen. Frank Osokogu, (rtd) by two undergraduates on July 22, 2012, in Festac Town, Lagos State, has highlighted the frightening danger behind befriending strangers on the social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, e.t.c.

Investigations by Crime Alert into the web of criminality associated with social networks revealed startling cases worse than that of Cynthia Osokogu. Such cases, unfortunately, involved mostly married women who out of adventure or deprivation, got engaged to male friends on the social network only to end up being photographed nude.

Checks carried out in and around Lagos revealed that those that befriend the mature women are usually young men who capitalize on the naivety of their victims to lure them into hotels or exclusive guest houses where they would end up being drugged. After which photographs of their nude encounters would be recorded and used to fleece them off millions of naira.

Many of these victims, over time, have found it increasingly difficult to confront their blackmailers for fear of having their nude photos posted on the internet or having their clandestine activities exposed to their husbands. Those who braced up to the challenge by damning the adverse consequences to lodge a report to the police always insisted on holding it close to their chests. They pay the police handsomely urging them not to reveal thier secret.s

Police sources who took part during investigation of some of these cases told Crime Alert that some of the suspects arrested during investigations of these blackmail cases were young men who were formally into internet fraud commonly known as Yahoo Yahoo. They reportedly resorted into blackmailing and robbing innocent unsuspecting social media users since internet scams became difficult to reap from.


Sources also added that these cases are common within Festac Town, Satellite Town and Amuwo Odofin areas of Lagos State and they are perpetuated in hotels situated around obscured parts of these areas, the source who craved anonymity, stated.

It was discovered that most of these crimes are usually aided by some staff of the hotels where they are perpetuated. These hotels and guest houses are located in hidden corners of the estates or in some cases positioned at the end of street closes.

Normally, they are not easily identifiable as the owners deliberately or otherwise do not place signboards for easy location, especially by their victims. A Commercial motorcyclists who also spoke under the guise of anonymity narrated scaring stories about the physical condition of their passengers after visiting such hidden resorts.

According to one of them who identified himself as Innocent: "The problem is that police detectives do not want to use us to crack all these criminal cases. Any Okada man that tells you he does not know that such thing happens and where they normally happen is a liar.

"Those of us that are permanently in Festac and Amuwo-Odofin axis know both the women that have fallen victims and perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Women that fall victims are mostly those that go for young and appealling handsome men, either for fun or out of desperation to cheat on their spouses.

"They always go about with very flashy cars and when you see them, you do not need to be told that they are in desperate need of fun. There is a very strategic eatery positioned at Apple junction. This is where most of them book appointments and at the end of their meeting and end up in one hotel or guest house.

"Their male counterparts are always smartly dressed and some usually come with cars to ferry their victims to the hotels or they take over the steering from those rich women while going for rendezvous. We that know their exploits always notice the outlook of their female victims after the show because they will not only be looking unstable.

"Those of them that we carry normally forgot their residential addresses because of the fact that they were not only drugged but dispossessed of their valuables and they are always afraid of raising alarm because they called for it. Some even abandon their costly cars for days in such hotels until they recover from their stupor and go back to recover them."

Police sources also hinted that they also carry out their nefarious activities by going through a potential victim's profile and photos, making sure that she is suitable for them. Then they would engage them into any manner of conversation that would attract such woman to them.

It could be business, romance or what have you. After a while, they would cunningly lure them to any of the resorts either at Festac Town, Satellite Town or Amuwo Odofin area, where they operate safely. Then they would drug their victims and strip them naked after which they would take shots of them in their nude.

The sources said: "These blackmailers don't usually go public with these photos, they contact their victims demanding huge sums of money with threats to make public the photos if their victims don't cooperate. Meanwhile, some of their victims pay huge sums of money to these blackmailers, but they usually don't stop asking.

We got some of these reports. They ask the victims to cooperate with them and also ask them to meet at a particular location, from where we arrested them. But one disturbing factor is the fact that we don't have the right laws to prosecute some of these cases logically."

It was gathered that one of the victims paid close to a million naira to her blackmailer before she reported the matter to the police recently. The victim who spoke with Crime Alert over the telephone said that she thought she was chatting with a normal human being on facebook before they met, and he got her drugged.

She said: "I thought he was a reasonable man when we started chatting on facebook. He was the one who aided me and was continually sending romantic messages to me. Each time I felt bored, I would call him to come online and we would chart for long hours.

"I stay in Port Harcourt with my family and on a day I had some business in Lagos, I called him to say I was coming and he was very glad. He begged I should stop at Mile 2 when I finished with what I came for. I was filled with anticipation over the meeting and I quickly rounded up my business and proceeded to see him. After we met, we went to a bar for drink. I don't know how he did it, but after a few hours I started feeling very dizzy.

"He told me that he would get me into a hotel where I could get some rest and I agreed. That was all I could remember. I woke up the next day when the hotel officials knocked on my door only to discover I was completely naked. I don't know how it happened. I managed to leave the hotel back to Port Harcourt and he started calling me.

First, he said I should pay N200,000 into an account or he would post my nude photos on the internet. I pleaded he shouldn't do that and I ran quickly to the bank and paid the money. The extortion continued for almost one year and he took over N900,000 from me before I got the police involved and he was arrested."

Crime Alert learnt that the recent arrest of some of the scammers, the police in Lagos have intensified efforts at rounding up perpetrators of this crime.

Owners of guest houses

To this effect, the State Police boss, Mr. Umar Manko has directed that a meeting of all the hoteliers and owners of guest houses in such identifiable areas should urgently be convened, where he is expected to read the riot act to them on their code of conduct and the possible resultant action the police would take against any of them whose outfit was discovered to be the rendezvous for such criminal acts.

The Police boss has also reportedly ordered a 24-hour surveillance and patrol of those areas suspected to be beehives for such act and has vowed to discipline any of his officers under whose jurisdiction such crimes are committed.

He said: "So far, undercover detectives have been deployed to all nooks and crannies of these areas especially Festac town, to fish out, not just potential victims but people who have fallen victims in the past, with a view to rounding up all those involved in the act."

ON July 10, America's top diplomat for Africa in opening remarks before a congressional sub-committee hearing said Nigeria has the second largest Muslim population and in a few years will surpass Egypt to become the largest "Muslim state" in Africa. Anyone listening to Assistant Secretary of State Carson's remarks then and also at the Centre for Strategic International Studies in April would be forgiven for assuming that Nigeria is a "Muslim state."

Barely three feet behind him, sat the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who leads Nigeria's estimated over 80 million Christians. It was jarringly symbolic of the administration's near total black out and slight on the plight of Christians in Africa's largest country who have been bombarded by a mass-murdering Islamist insurgency.


But there is an even more sinister undertone. Boko Haram the Islamist anti-western jihadist group that bombed half a dozen churches in June alone had just hours before taken credit for a massacre that left close to a hundred people dead. The group reiterated its often-repeated ambition to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria. Carson's statement that in a few years Nigeria will be Africa's largest Muslim state essentially comes across like a prediction that the jihadists agenda will succeed in northern Nigeria as it has in northern Mali. In Carson's mind, Nigeria is and has been a "Muslim state."


It is arguable that this was not the intent of the diplomat and that he is guilty of exceptionally poor phraseology. On April 9, 2012, Carson had said Nigeria "is home to the sixth largest Muslim population in the world, Nigeria's Muslim population is larger than any Arab state" again ignoring the equally significant Christian population. At the time I cautioned him not to characterise Nigeria in religious terms, especially since he not only did not get the facts right but was in denial that the extremist attacks were "religious" in nature.


However, the trail of pseudo diplomatic gaffes by Ambassador Carson goes back even further. On April 28, 2011, speaking after Nigeria's elections, he said, "It is also the most populous country in Africa with 150 million people. It's also the second largest Muslim country in Africa after Egypt."


Carson apparently did not heed my advice in April when he appeared before Congress in July but what was most disturbing of all is that his official statement was supposed to read Nigeria has "the sixth largest Muslim population in the world, and Nigeria is the world's largest country to have approximately equal number of Christians and Muslims." For whatever reason, Carson has consistently read something entirely different from what was contained in his official policy remarks. He has progressively called Nigeria a "Muslim country" and a "Muslim state" with very worrisome connotations for a U.S. diplomat.


But Carson doesn't stop there. He claimed that one arm of Boko Haram exists solely to embarrass and discredit the government of Nigeria. But Boko Haram has consistently said it seeks to abolish democracy, annul the constitution and impose Islamic sharia rule on the nation. Blowing up police stations and killing scores of police officers is not merely an effort at "embarrassment." Interestingly the very week of Hilary Clinton's visit, widows of over 1,000 policemen, many killed by Boko Haram in the last seven years, were also in Abuja protesting for their death benefits.


Carson's crowning spectacle was during the question and answer part when Congressman, Chris Smith asked why only the state department was opposed to "Foreign Terrorist Organisation" designation when all others were in favour. Ironically in his responses, Carson kept calling them "terrorists."


In his prepared remarks, Carson said bank robberies and other crimes had been blamed on Boko Haram, which may not have been committed by them. When Smith asked how the terror group was being funded, Carson said it was from extortion and other crimes, to ripples of laughter from the packed committee room audience that saw the obvious contradictory testimony.


When Carson tried to tug at heart-strings with tear-jerker stats about poverty in northern Nigeria as an apologetic for the extremist Islamism that has claimed thousands of lives in the last few years, Rep Smith said, "that's an insult to poor people."


However, what was by far Carson's most insidious contribution to the hearing went largely unnoticed. Asked by Rep Smith if there was any Iranian arms connection to Nigeria, Carson said, "I am not aware of Iranian arms coming to northern Nigeria." Now this was either a bold-faced lie or inconceivable incompetence. Here's why.


In 2010, a shipment of arms from Iran was confiscated by authorities in Nigeria. It comprised sophisticated weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, etc. The weapons were reportedly linked to staff of the Iranian embassy in Abuja, Nigeria. The Iranian foreign minister flew into Nigeria and, invoking diplomatic immunity, rescued a suspected Iranian official from hiding in the embassy and flew him home.


Now here is where it gets interesting. The Nigerian government, embarrassed and miffed by this total violation of diplomatic norms, reported this arms shipment to the United Nation's Security Council as a violation of resolutions and sanctions sought for and obtained by the U.S. against Iran.


When ambassador Carson denied knowledge of arms shipments from Iran to Nigeria, he was either being economical with the truth or he was being inexcusably negligent. The top diplomat for Africa cannot claim not to know of a serious international incident rising to the level of the UN Security Council on an issue driven by the U.S.


The question therefore arises that if ambassador Carson could be so wrong on Iran arms given his background in intelligence, what else has he been wrong on and why isn't anyone catching it? The U.S. newly released International Religious Freedom Report for 2011 does not contain data on the over 700 churches destroyed in 48 hours after the elections. Carson has spoken only of "elites" as victims again not mentioning the overwhelming Christian casualties in systematic attacks across the 12 northern sharia states.

Sadly, the last time Carson made his decidedly odious remarks, it was the day after 40 people were killed in attacks targeting Easter Sunday services. This time, it was two days after about 100 Christians were killed. Ignorance and or deceit continues to claim lives as the state department plays hide-and-go-seek with the truth. Exactly a week after Carson's botched testimony before Congress, BBC news reports that a Rocket Propelled Grenade attack occurred in Jos, Nigeria. It's the first of its kind.

As U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton visits Nigeria, can she see 17 Christians were killed in church, dozens of Muslims were arrested for not fasting and widows of slain policemen are protesting neglect and still say its "economic" not "extremism"?

* Ogebe is an analyst on U.S.-Nigeria Affairs based in USA.

Any time Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde speaks about her husband, her face lights up in a smile. And then, no question about the sort of relationship they both share is complete without the shapely actress saying, “If I had not married him, I would not have married anyone else.”

And this is quite understandable, as their union of 16 years has weathered the storm and is one of the few in the industry that is scandal free, thus far.

Surprisingly, the actress says scandals are expected when an individual is famous. As such, they add up in making her life story more interesting. She adds that she is not bothered because her husband is very understanding.

“It would have been extremely painful if my husband takes things to heart, then it would have been a roller coaster ride for me and then I have to go through the problem again and again. God has been great you know, ‘the guy no get wahala,” She quips.

As a veteran in the marriage business, Omosexy, as the actress is fondly called reveals that the love was not instantaneous. “I always tell people that when I met him I was not in love with him but he says for him it was love at first sight so I had to grow to love him. I was attracted to him because of his maturity. I saw the ability for him to see me. I mean, he knows me more than I know myself. It is just weird I can’t explain. You just can’t get it. But he feels my pain, it is easy for him.

When their paths first crossed, a young Omotola had just lost her father; hence the emotional trauma she was experiencing at that time was overwhelming.

Then her husband showed up with a ray of hope and then she fell for his charming nature. “In those days I was young so there were ways I particularly handle things that were immature so I would snap very fast because I was short-tempered. So many people will think I was very difficult even my mother. But he would tell her to leave me alone. Even then, my mother will say ‘you will not marry, there is no one that will marry you,’’ She says with a smile.

Describing her husband as her love ‘therapist’, Ekeinde attributes her spiritual growth to her husband. “I have even gone closer to Christ because of his exemplary behavior and the way he handles things. With the maturity I find in him, I can admire that and then emulate him. That is the connection and the way I have been able to live with him.”

Tinubu: Mimiko Is An Ingrate, Disrespectful – Akeredolu

By CHARLES KUMOLU

AKURE-THE Rotimi Akeredolu Campaign Organisation in Ondo State has berated Governor Olusegun Mimiko for describing National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as an emperor, describing the statement as a sign of ingratitude.


A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, called on the Labour Party, LP, to quit mudslinging and focus on issue-based campaign.

He said: ''The equally baffling subsequent tactless tirade made by Governor Mimiko, now referring to the much-respected Nigerian democrat and political strategist, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as an emperor smirks of gross disrespect and crass ingratitude.

”One only hopes that the transient aroma of political power has not deluded the governor's mind-set into forgetting, so soon, all the moral support he enjoyed from the latter in his most trying times.''

He also frowned at another statement credited to the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, who allegedly said ACN was campaigning to impose imported administration on Ondo people, noting that such statement was capable of stirring bad blood in the polity.

''To have said that Ondo people do not want an imported administration in the state, ahead of the October 20,2012 gubernatorial poll, apparently alludes to the increasing impact of ACN in the state. It is unsavoury and unbecoming of a man occupying that exalted political post.''

''As recently exhibited by the ACN-led administration in Edo State, performance is the watchword for any politician to gain the peoples’ confidence and votes. Not undue media hype over the construction of market stalls and ill-equipped hospitals and schools while infrastructural development that touches tellingly on the quality of life of the average Nigerian is criminally neglected.''

Rossikk: You have no brain. This has NOTHING to do with ''developing our country''. Are Chinese in Nigeria doing business because they need to ''develop their country'' or are they there because of market saturation in China?

Nigerian business people overseas are there because they reckon they can make more profit from the greater demand in non-saturated markets like Ghana.