₦airaland Forum

Global Cocaine Trade Moves Into West Africa

ACCRA, Ghana -- West Africa is an unlikely center for the international cocaine trade. It is not a producer of the drug nor is it a consumer, as the vast majority of its people are very poor.

Yet a startling 50 tons of cocaine is transported through West Africa each year, according to the latest United Nations estimates. The value of this illicit trade dwarfs entire economies and has the potential to corrupt the region's fragile states, which are just pulling out of decades of bitter civil wars.

In the past Africa has been a treasure trove looted by covetous colonialists, voracious rebels and kleptocratic rulers -- over the last 300 years think slaves, ivory, gold, diamonds, tin and coltan. Now it is a transit point and storeroom for the cocaine trade.

"Drug money is perverting the weak economies in the region," says Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. The wholesale value in European streets of cocaine passing through West Africa is $2 billion, he says.

South American cartels used to transport cocaine to the big U.S. market via the Caribbean. But dwindling American consumption, stricter control of the West Indies drugs route, growing cocaine use in Europe and weak law enforcement in West Africa have conspired to bring the drug to the region. It is the path of least resistance.

Grown and processed in South America, the refined cocaine is transported by boat or plane across the Atlantic: The shortest line of latitude brings the cargo straight to West Africa. From there the cartels move the drugs onwards to Europe, along the way paying off West African officials in order to be able to operate freely.

The cocaine consignments can also be moved by corrupt officials in the army, customs and police forces. The packages are split up and distributed by criminal gangs who use boats, trucks, planes or human mules to transport the drugs to Europe, which is in the throes of a cocaine boom reminiscent of the U.S. in the 1980s.

Several West African countries risk becoming narco-states -- undermined by drug money their nascent institutions are stillborn. This is a global concern because this part of Africa provides resources that the world depends on, including oil. The U.S. gets almost one-fifth of its crude from Africa.

"Already we have seen how the impact of drugs has affected the judiciary, the police, customs and political parties," says Kwesi Aning at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra. He says Ghana and Guinea-Bissau are the two main cocaine hubs in West Africa. Aning says the drug trade is a threat to Ghana, which currently is an oasis of political and economic stability in a volatile region.

Individual shipments of hundreds of kilos of cocaine have been found in recent years in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone and elsewhere. But the seizures are more the product of luck than design, and prosecutions rarely follow.

Traffickers are frequently released for lack of evidence or jump bail, while hauls of cocaine locked in secure storage rooms disappear and senior officials implicated in the trade hold onto their jobs and buy flashy new SUVs to navigate their capitals' potholed streets.

The U.N. reckons that the traffickers might make $450 million each year, which would mean that the criminals have more financial resources than the states in which they operate. A policeman earning less than $50 a month is easily bribed, so is a customs official, a security agent or even a government minister.

At the other extreme is the example of Sierra Leone, where millions of dollars earned from the sale of "blood diamonds" -- another illegal trade -- helped prolong a civil war, leaving the country in bloody ruin when the fighting stopped in 2003.

The death of Guinea's elderly president, Lansana Conte, in late December sent shivers down the spines of drugs experts who fear a large failed state in the region will only encourage the cartels.

The threat is growing, but observers say it is not too late for concerted international action.

"We can break the back of this crisis, but we don't have much time," warns Aning. "We need to do this within the next two years otherwise , " And with that he shakes his head.

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Drug traffickers: ‘Number of Nigerians in foreign jails unknown’
By John Ameh, Abuja
Published: Friday, 23 Jan 2009
The Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Lanre Ipinmisho, said on Thursday that the number of Nigerians involved in the trafficking of hard drugs across international borders had taken a frightening dimension.

Lanre Ipinmesho, DG, NDLEA

He called for additional support for the agency by all segments of the Nigerian society to combat the problem, which, he said, was fast destroying the country.

Ipinmisho, who appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Diaspora, headed by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, disclosed that as at 2005, about 1,120 Nigerians were languishing in jails outside the country for drug-related offences.

The NDLEA boss admitted that the figures were grossly underestimated as the agency did not have the figures for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He blamed the lack of reliable statistics on the alleged non-compliance with Section 45 of the NDLEA Act by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ipinmisho said, “This section mandates all heads of Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad to forward to the NDLEA every six months, statistics of Nigerians in jail abroad for drug offences.

“Lack of cooperation stems from foreign countries particularly the Western world of United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

Reacting to the statistics provided by Ipinmisho, Dabiri-Erewa and other members of the committee expressed shock, saying that the situation demanded urgent intervention from government.

She said, “Obviously, this is not good for us as nation. It is not good for our image. The NDLEA needs massive support, in funding and logistics.”

“At the level of the committee, we shall try and assist by collaborating with the Committee on Foreign Affairs to overcome some of your challenges.”






“These countries refuse to provide relevant information relating to Nigerians involved in drug trafficking in their countries on grounds that double jeopardy exists in the Nigerian law –Decree 33 of 1990.”

Giving a breakdown of current available statistics, he said that over 600 Nigerians were in jail in Thailand as at 2002, out which 521 were transferred home between 2003 and 2008.

There were 229 in Russia (2001); 226 in Pakistan (2006); 28 in Indonesia (2003); another 12 in the same country in (2004); and 25 in Italy (2004).

“As can be seen from above, the statistics available are not up to date and very unreliable as the agency neither has the capacity nor the resources to gather these statistics.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very crucial role to perform in this respect”, he added.

But, quoting from the 2008 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for West and Central Africa , Ipinmisho stated that out of 1,357 couriers arrested, “Nigerian citizens were by far more detected nationally, accounting for about 57 per cent of the total arrested.”

He noted, “Between 2005 and 2008, at least 46 tons of Cocaine were seized in West African Sub-Region; this is alarming when compared with the fact that before then, the entire continent hardly seized a ton.

“About 3.4 tons of Cocaine were seized from 1, 357 West African couriers on commercial flights from West Africa to Europe between 2004 and 2008.

“53 per cent of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31 per cent of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.”

The DG, who told the committee that the “problem was getting more alarming”, said it had reached a point where out of every 100 suspects arrested, 55 per cent were Nigerians.

“Sadly, 90 per cent of these Nigerians are from the South-East, especially Anambra State .

“We have been engaging the South-East governors, traditional and religious leaders in discussions and they are doing something about it,” he stated.

Locally, he revealed that Kano State had the highest number of consumption of all illicit drugs, while the South-West supplied 90 per cent of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) in the country.


Meanwhile, the House in plenary, mandated the joint Committee on the Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and Justice to investigate within three weeks and submit a report on the circumstances leading to the killing of a Nigerian, Shefiu Salaudeen, in Ukraine on January .

http://www.punchontheweb.com/article_comments.aspx?theartic=Art2009012339235

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18 Nigerians face execution in Indonesia
From Terhemba Daka, Abuja

EIGHTEEN Nigerians are now awaiting execution for drug offences in Indonesia even as two have been executed for similar crimes. Another 50 have also been arrested for drug trafficking and are languishing in various prisons in the country. These figures were made public yesterday by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

One of the suspects was said to have died while being held by Indonesian officials.

NDLEA Director-General, Lanre Ipinmisho, in a submission to the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, said that the Federal Government had taken steps to have the death sentence commuted to jail terms.

Ipinmisho, who narrated the modus operandi of drug peddlers, said that 90 per cent of the convicts are lamentably from the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

He revealed that between 2005 and 2008 alone, at least 46 tonnes of cocaine were seized in the West African sub-region, describing the development as alarming when compared to the fact that before then the entire continent hardly seized a tonne.

The NDLEA chief explained that about 3.4 tonnes of cocaine were seized from 1,357 West African couriers on commercial flights from the sub-region to Europe between 2004 and 2008, he added that Nigerian citizens accounted for 57 per cent of those arrested. According to him, 53 per cent of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31 per cent of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.

Ipinmisho lamented that in spite of the concerted efforts by the agency to check the menace, the trade had continued to thrive because of the non- compliance with the relevant laws by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which mandates all heads of Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad to forward to NDLEA every six months, statistics of Nigerians jailed abroad for drug offences.

" Lack of cooperation from some foreign countries particularly the Western world, especially the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (U.S.A) affects our job. These countries refuse to provide relevant information relating to Nigerians involved in drug trafficking in their countries on grounds that double jeopardy exists in the Nigeria's Decree 33 of 1990,'' he said.

While calling for a strong political will on the part of the Federal Government in the fight against drug trafficking, he called on the authorities to adequately fund the operations of the NDLEA.

He also solicited assistance in the area of training and provision of logistics to motivate the NDLEA operatives.

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Abike Dabiri-

Erewa, called on all stakeholders to join the NDLEA and other relevant agencies in the fight against the menace. She said that the agency couldn't do any magic if it was not given the needed support.

Drug traffickers: ‘Number of Nigerians in foreign jails unknown’
By John Ameh, Abuja
Published: Friday, 23 Jan 2009
The Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Lanre Ipinmisho, said on Thursday that the number of Nigerians involved in the trafficking of hard drugs across international borders had taken a frightening dimension.



Lanre Ipinmesho, DG, NDLEA

He called for additional support for the agency by all segments of the Nigerian society to combat the problem, which, he said, was fast destroying the country.

Ipinmisho, who appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Diaspora, headed by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, disclosed that as at 2005, about 1,120 Nigerians were languishing in jails outside the country for drug-related offences.

The NDLEA boss admitted that the figures were grossly underestimated as the agency did not have the figures for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He blamed the lack of reliable statistics on the alleged non-compliance with Section 45 of the NDLEA Act by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ipinmisho said, “This section mandates all heads of Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad to forward to the NDLEA every six months, statistics of Nigerians in jail abroad for drug offences.

“Lack of cooperation stems from foreign countries particularly the Western world of United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

Reacting to the statistics provided by Ipinmisho, Dabiri-Erewa and other members of the committee expressed shock, saying that the situation demanded urgent intervention from government.

She said, “Obviously, this is not good for us as nation. It is not good for our image. The NDLEA needs massive support, in funding and logistics.”

“At the level of the committee, we shall try and assist by collaborating with the Committee on Foreign Affairs to overcome some of your challenges.”






“These countries refuse to provide relevant information relating to Nigerians involved in drug trafficking in their countries on grounds that double jeopardy exists in the Nigerian law –Decree 33 of 1990.”

Giving a breakdown of current available statistics, he said that over 600 Nigerians were in jail in Thailand as at 2002, out which 521 were transferred home between 2003 and 2008.

There were 229 in Russia (2001); 226 in Pakistan (2006); 28 in Indonesia (2003); another 12 in the same country in (2004); and 25 in Italy (2004).

“As can be seen from above, the statistics available are not up to date and very unreliable as the agency neither has the capacity nor the resources to gather these statistics.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very crucial role to perform in this respect”, he added.

But, quoting from the 2008 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for West and Central Africa , Ipinmisho stated that out of 1,357 couriers arrested, “Nigerian citizens were by far more detected nationally, accounting for about 57 per cent of the total arrested.”

He noted, “Between 2005 and 2008, at least 46 tons of Cocaine were seized in West African Sub-Region; this is alarming when compared with the fact that before then, the entire continent hardly seized a ton.

“About 3.4 tons of Cocaine were seized from 1, 357 West African couriers on commercial flights from West Africa to Europe between 2004 and 2008.

“53 per cent of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31 per cent of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.”

The DG, who told the committee that the “problem was getting more alarming”, said it had reached a point where out of every 100 suspects arrested, 55 per cent were Nigerians.

“Sadly, 90 per cent of these Nigerians are from the South-East, especially Anambra State .

“We have been engaging the South-East governors, traditional and religious leaders in discussions and they are doing something about it,” he stated.

Locally, he revealed that Kano State had the highest number of consumption of all illicit drugs, while the South-West supplied 90 per cent of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) in the country.


Meanwhile, the House in plenary, mandated the joint Committee on the Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and Justice to investigate within three weeks and submit a report on the circumstances leading to the killing of a Nigerian, Shefiu Salaudeen, in Ukraine on January .

http://www.punchontheweb.com/article_comments.aspx?theartic=Art2009012339235

Drug traffickers: ‘Number of Nigerians in foreign jails unknown’
By John Ameh, Abuja
Published: Friday, 23 Jan 2009
The Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Lanre Ipinmisho, said on Thursday that the number of Nigerians involved in the trafficking of hard drugs across international borders had taken a frightening dimension.

He called for additional support for the agency by all segments of the Nigerian society to combat the problem, which, he said, was fast destroying the country.

Ipinmisho, who appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Diaspora, headed by Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in Abuja, disclosed that as at 2005, about 1,120 Nigerians were languishing in jails outside the country for drug-related offences.

The NDLEA boss admitted that the figures were grossly underestimated as the agency did not have the figures for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He blamed the lack of reliable statistics on the alleged non-compliance with Section 45 of the NDLEA Act by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ipinmisho said, “This section mandates all heads of Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad to forward to the NDLEA every six months, statistics of Nigerians in jail abroad for drug offences.

“Lack of cooperation stems from foreign countries particularly the Western world of United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

Reacting to the statistics provided by Ipinmisho, Dabiri-Erewa and other members of the committee expressed shock, saying that the situation demanded urgent intervention from government.

She said, “Obviously, this is not good for us as nation. It is not good for our image. The NDLEA needs massive support, in funding and logistics.”

“At the level of the committee, we shall try and assist by collaborating with the Committee on Foreign Affairs to overcome some of your challenges.”

“These countries refuse to provide relevant information relating to Nigerians involved in drug trafficking in their countries on grounds that double jeopardy exists in the Nigerian law –Decree 33 of 1990.”

Giving a breakdown of current available statistics, he said that over 600 Nigerians were in jail in Thailand as at 2002, out which 521 were transferred home between 2003 and 2008.

There were 229 in Russia (2001); 226 in Pakistan (2006); 28 in Indonesia (2003); another 12 in the same country in (2004); and 25 in Italy (2004).

“As can be seen from above, the statistics available are not up to date and very unreliable as the agency neither has the capacity nor the resources to gather these statistics.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a very crucial role to perform in this respect”, he added.

But, quoting from the 2008 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for West and Central Africa , Ipinmisho stated that out of 1,357 couriers arrested, “Nigerian citizens were by far more detected nationally, accounting for about 57 per cent of the total arrested.”

He noted, “Between 2005 and 2008, at least 46 tons of Cocaine were seized in West African Sub-Region; this is alarming when compared with the fact that before then, the entire continent hardly seized a ton.

“About 3.4 tons of Cocaine were seized from 1, 357 West African couriers on commercial flights from West Africa to Europe between 2004 and 2008.

“53 per cent of those arrested in South Africa in 2005 were Nigerians while in 2006, 31 per cent of those arrested for drug trafficking in France were Nigerians.”

The DG, who told the committee that the “problem was getting more alarming”, said it had reached a point where out of every 100 suspects arrested, 55 per cent were Nigerians.

“Sadly, 90 per cent of these Nigerians are from the South-East, especially Anambra State .

“We have been engaging the South-East governors, traditional and religious leaders in discussions and they are doing something about it,” he stated.

Locally, he revealed that Kano State had the highest number of consumption of all illicit drugs, while the South-West supplied 90 per cent of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp) in the country.


Meanwhile, the House in plenary, mandated the joint Committee on the Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and Justice to investigate within three weeks and submit a report on the circumstances leading to the killing of a Nigerian, Shefiu Salaudeen, in Ukraine on January 18, 2009.

http://www.punchontheweb.com/article_comments.aspx?theartic=Art2009012339235

The Varnishing tribe of glamorous politicians
By Chidi Obineche
Monday, January 19, 2009

•Late M.K.O Abiola


From the pre-independence days up to the second republic, Nigeria’s political firmament was awash with highly gifted orators, colourful politicians, whose flambuoyance and theatricals often lit up the electoral space, and added to the lexicon.

They were legion. They inspired as, they came, and made politics, and its race mate; elections, a favourite pet subject for many, every bend of the way.

The soapbox was an avenue for great thrills, as people, the old, the young, cutting across sexes, thronged campaign venues not to listen to promises of eldorado thereafter, but to be witnesses to moments of healthy ribaldry, soothing jibes, and exhilarating sweet nothings.’
For effect, some of the political actors of those hey days spoke gibberishly in high sounding words and rocked campaign venues with high decibels of rancorous laughter and mirth.

Their names resounded in far-flung areas of the nation, with attendant media celebration. They made quotable headlines.

They eased their way to become icons; as Nigeria waltzed through its confusions, crises and rivalries. Those were the days. The incursion of the military into politics stopped all the fun. By the turn of the aborted third republic, too many self censored, selfish driven, laconic politicians emerged on the turf.

But for the late Chief M.K.O Abiola, whose legendary proverbs enriched the lexicon, the whole enterprise became dry, stiff, and disquieting.

Electoral malpractices were on the rise, and politicians no longer felt the need to hone their skills and appeal to the people’s sentiments. The obsession was power through the backdoor, with the willing acquiescence of the electoral bodies, and the security agencies.

The field was also taken over by the affluent class, whose only qualification to run for position, apart from their background is connections to the ruling class.

That bade goodbye to the rage of intellects and entertainment. It welcomed the prevailing stage of classical pedestrian politicking; and culture of impunity.

Busari Adelakun
Reputed as the strong man of Ibadan politics, the late Adelakun bestrode the pre-independence politics like a colossus with his rave making declarations that rattled the colonial rulers. Although he did not make it to the nation’s independence in 1960, his philosophy and political cracks outlived him. The gallery of the Western House of Assembly was usually packedfull as people yearned to herald his unique language style and presentation. Today, people still remember him for “penkelemesi,” which is an adaptation of his pronounciation of “peculiar mess” in a speech he delivered to the people on the floor of the House. He was a “lion” of Nigerian politics, loved and adored by his people and dreaded by the British rulers.
He died suddenly in 1958.

Mbonu Ojike
A man of high intellect. An iconoclast and rights activist. Mbonu Ojike took his politics from the angle of persecution and fought his battles with elevated elocution. He was the pride of the East, whose burning desire was freedom, from colonial clutches. He spoke with passion and deep from the heart. He was the boycott king, who relished in passive resistance made popular by the late Mahatma Ghandi.

Like America’s Martin Luther King, whose “I have a dream” treatise still resonates round the world four decades after his brutal killing, Ojike is best known for his “boycott the boycottables” theory. But it was not just a mere theory. He personally practicalised it by adopting native names, clothes, food, wife, etc. He lived his dream to the fullest, enjoining others to emulate him in the psychological battle against while rule. He passed on in 1956.

Nnamdi Azikiwe
He is regarded as Nigeria’s leading Pan-Africanist, whose oratorical skills and grandiloquent political speeches made hey from the pre-independence days up to his death in 1996. His best moments, however lasted up to the second republic, when he contested elections under the banner of the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP).

Zik’s niche lay in his language construction. He usually avoided clichés, riling more in high vocabulary. He captured attention and held audiences spell bound.

In 1978, he said “he was not enamoured by the tintinnabulations of nitwits, who are toying with the destiny of the nation.” There were loose Street talks of illiterate country folks who bought newspapers to read Zik’s outbursts and were caught with the paper turned upside down, with euphoric exclamations of “Zik Ekwue aru” (Zik has spoken evil, literally).

K.O. Mbadiwe
Famously known for his own coinage as a man of “timber and caliber.” Mbadiwe, perhaps, boasts of the largest corpus of political jargons in the nation’s history. Although he was not totally successful electorally, his rallies and those he attended as guests were filled to the brim with people expectant of new releases from him. And, he did release many.

To his credit and memory are jargons like “political caterpillars and juggernauts.”
“If the come, comes to become.” Etc
He died in 1990.

Maritama Sule
He easily approximates as the intellectual power house of the North. With a superfluous overflow of the garb, Sule, who has been in politics since the first republic speaks with elevated diction. His speeches are laced with innuendoes and wisecracks. Most of all, he appeals to sentiments, characteristically driving his point home with alliterative sarcasm. Sampler.” The North will continue its conquest from the deserts to the Atlantic.”

As the nation’s permanent representative to the United Nations in the second republic, he brought honour, and respect to Nigeria through his sartorial speeches, and responses to global issues. Though, ageing, Sule still remains his essential self, with an even more profound prowess in oratory. A Nigerian once described him as the North’s gift to Nigeria.

Festus Okotie Eboh
The circumstances of his slaying in the January 1966 coup may have suppressed the immense personal flambuoyance of his politics. Okotie-Eboh had a flair for what his people in the then Midwest called “good talk.” He exuded brilliance and had an uncanny way of hitting target without much prevarications. He loved his people and they loved him. He earned epaullets through his speeches. He could in a cavalier style sell ice to the Eskimos, to borrow a phrase most suited for the times. He easily electrified audiences beyond basic comprehension. Above all, he was a man of the people.

Sam Mbadwe
Among the club of 19 governors in the second republic, Mbakwe, who was governor of the old Imo State (comprising Abia and Imo States) caught the most headlines in his style and approach to politics. Often referred as the “weeping governor,” Mbakwe who only died in January 2004 was full of humour. He could break ribs. Virtually all his political speeches were laced with humour. He often used it to disarm his political opponents. He often mocked his physical appearance as he was not well endowed. But his swift response to such reminders brought out his bag of humour.

He was also a bulwark of resilience. His response to common remarks about his acclaimed ugliness was laced with humour “Mbakwe is ugly. Mbakwe is ugly. Let your handsome fathers come and displace me and govern Imo State.”

Barkin Zuwo
He took the political stage by storm in 1983, winning the governorship seat of old Kano State. The three months he was in the saddle were dramatic. A stark illiterate. He drank from its fountain, and unleashed very famous sayings that are yet to die with him.

He was alleged to have turned his house into a bank, preferring to keep large government funds under the bed. He was also said not to have distinctly separated mineral resources as against soft drinks (minerals). For instance, when he allegedly spoke on the abundant mineral resources in his state, he identified them as coke, and fanta.

Chuba Okadigbo
A political scientist, who combined elegance with intellectual style, Okadigbo, a former university don, happened on the political scene in the second republic when he was appointed political adviser to then president Shahu Shagari.

His keen sense of alertness and understanding of the atmosphere soon made him an issue. He brought in strategies, and an interplay of vision and competitiveness into the arena. His political discourses were masterpieces. He played politics along the line of the late K.O. Mbadiwe, but only on a different vista,
He had the magic wand to unlock hearts. He, too, was a master in oratory and use of words.
His legendary description of the great Zik’s speech as “the rantings of an ant,” brought him on collusion course with the Igbo political elite, who felt he was too small to insult Zik.
He died in 2003, shortly after running for the vice-presidency on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, (ANPP).

Aminu Kano
He was an apostle of talakawa politics. He lived and practiced politics of “example.” Till his death, he never was associated with wealth. He owned no house and demonstrated simplicity in all spheres.
Aminu Kano had a cult followship.

Waziri Ibrahim
Though rich, he was simple in his approach to politics’ and is best known for his philosophy of “politics without bitterness” which his Party Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) adopted as slogan in the second republic.

M.K.O Abiola
Essentially he was a business man who later prayed into politics of the third republic. He contested for the presidency under the banner of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP).
A stammerer, his proverbs which he used before, during, and after his annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election are still relevant today as they were in those days.
“You cannot clap with one hand,” No one should shave another’s head without his consent.” A bird cannot fly with a wing.” Etc. He died in 1998.

Ladoke Akinola
He was a great Orator and wordsmith. He was also politically ingenious.

Abubakar Rimi
A marverick. Rimi thrives on controversies. A highly courageous politician, as governor of old Kano state he ignited several putschs that rocked the nation.
Alive and still kicking, he remains about the only man standing in glamour in the vast political oasis.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/politics/2009/jan/19/politics-19-01-2009-001.htm

Oshiomhole revokes PDP chieftain’s contract, orders refund
From TONY OSAUZO, Benin
Monday, January 19, 2009


Comrade Adams Oshiomhole


Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, peeved at the substandard materials used in the construction of the General Hospital in Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of the state, has revoked the N98 million contract, awarded to former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state chairman, Prince Solomon Aguele and ordered that money already paid for project be refunded to government coffers immediately.

The Governor who revoked the contract after inspecting the project, also told the supervising engineer to contact the contractor in his own interest to return the sum of N34 million being the total sum of money paid him since the contract was awarded.

The governor, who visited the site after a reception organized in his honour by the people of Ewohimi who are also his in-laws, wondered how people did shoddy jobs and the supervisory ministry issued bogus certificates for the completion of such jobs.
Incidentally, the contractor, Prince Aguele hails from Ewohimi. So also is the supervisor who said he graduated from the University of Benin Law Faculty.

An apparently furious Oshiomhole after examining the quality of materials used for the job, while speaking to the contractor and the supervisor thundered: “Even my grandfather’s family mud house is stronger than this and you people from this community are part of this fraud? Is this what you will do for a community like yours? What is your background; Lawyer? As a lawyer, you know the meaning of agreement and specification? If you do this for your community, what will you do for other community?
“Look at the poor job. Profit already built into it and you are part of this fraud? Ask the contractor to return the money; there is no compromise at all.”

While addressing the ministry engineer handling the project, the governor said: “Is this job ok by you? On what basis are you supervising this job? You can only remain at work if you earn it. I am ready to dismiss anybody who is not ready to work and engage competent hands who are ready to work.
“Is this thing ok, engineer?,” pointing and breaking pieces of block with his hands.

“Money is spent and building collapses. Have you not heard of collapsed building arising from substandard materials? Those bad days are gone now that I am the governor. Why do you people deceive the community? When did Aguele become civil engineer to design this project?
“If you want to do bad job go far; not in your community. Government has given you hospital, look at it now. Tell the contractor to return the money for this contract in his own interest”, the governor ordered.
According to him; “We intend to ensure that there is no reason why a man who steals a goat and a secondary pupil who robs another guy of N5000 is sent to Oko Prisons and those who stole N98 million in the name of executing project go free. They must be punished.

“And when we start punishing them, let nobody say we are persecuting them because each day people steal public funds and run away and nothing happens, they are encouraging other people to resort to more stealing.”

Commenting on the Ewohimi-Ewatto-Ohordua project executed by the Osunbor administration, the governor also disclosed that the sum of N620 million was already expended out of the N1.3 billion budgeted before it was abandoned.

“We have to measure this figure because sometimes only half of the truth is told to our people. If money is judiciously spent on projects beneficial to our people, some of the cries that are carefully and eloquently presented to us would have been addressed by now.”
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/jan/19/national-19-01-2009-01.htm

Gunmen storm Ekiti lawmaker’s home
•Beat guard to pulp
From BOLU-OLU ESHO, Ado-Ekiti
Monday, January 19, 2009


More Stories on This Section
A lawmaker in Ekiti State House of Assembly, Abiola Olowookere was said to have escaped from what looked like assassination attempt in his Ado-Ekiti residence on Sunday.
The unidentified assailants were said to have stormed the lawmaker’s residence around 8:00am but met his houseboy, Reuben, who was seriously beaten by them.

According to Reuben, the vehicle in which the assailants came was parked close to the fence of Olowookere’s Ekute residence in Ado-Ekiti as early as 8:00am.

He said when he opened the gate of the house for one of the tenants to drive out of the compound, one of the occupants of the vehicle parked by the fence walked towards him and pointed an assault rifle to his head.

At this point, Reuben said the gunman asked for his boss, who he said was not around. Not convinced by his answer, the gunman, who had been joined by another five armed men, demanded to see the wife of Olowookere, who was also not at home.

Commanding Ruben to open the door to the main building, he said he lived in Boys’ Quarters and didn’t have the keys to his boss’ apartment.
In their determination, the assailants broke the door to gain entry into Olowookere’s apartment and his bedroom was also broken into.

Reuben, who said he was locked up in a room while the operation lasted, disclosed that the assailants left a message behind for his boss, promising they would come back some other day.
He said they were armed with assault rifles he identified as AK-47.

Olowookere, was said to have left Ado-Ekiti for the burial ceremony of the late mother of his counterpart in the House, Bisi Kolawole at Efon Alaaye on Saturday and didn’t return until Sunday around 10:00am.

Men from the Criminal Investigation Department of the state police command were seen at the scene of the incident.

It would be recalled that some men believed to be assassins had on January 3 killed Mr Kehinde Fasuba, General Manager (Finance and Administration) of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) at Odo-Odo area of Ado-Ekiti around 9:00pm.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/jan/19/national-19-01-2009-10.htm

lol.

omotola.

Fasuba’s killing: Ekiti no longer safe for workers —Labour
Written by Victor Ahiuma Young
Saturday, 17 January 2009
ORGANISED Labour in the nation’s electricity industry, under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), yesterday, declared Ekiti State unsafe for workers especially Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), workers, following the recent Mr. Kehinde Fasuba, Head (Finance and Accounts), PHCN Kaduna Zone in Ekiti State by yet to be identified persons.
NUEE in a statement by its General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, called on the Inspector-General of Police to professionally intervene in the matter and fish out the killers of Mr. Fasuba and warned that the killing of Mr. Fasuba would be the last violent attack the union would take.

The statement entitled, “Killing of Kehinde Fasuba, PHCN staff: Ekiti State is not safe”, read in part: “The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) mourns the murder of Mr. Kehinde Fasuba, Head (Finance and Accounts), PHCN Kaduna Zone in Ekiti State by yet to be identified persons.

“Mr. Fasuba 49, who grew from the ranks to the position of Asst. General Manager (F&A) was a symbol of dedication to duty and contributed in no small measure to the development of the electricity industry and the nation in general.”

The death of Fasuba and the inability of the State with all its apparatus to apprehend those that perpetuated this dastardly act is an indictment to the State Government and the Police Authorities.

It is clear that the Government of Ekiti State can no longer guarantee the safety of lives and properties of innocent citizens; Electricity workers inclusive.”

“The Union wishes to caution its members in Ekiti State to sleep with their eyes open. Ekiti is no longer safe. We call on the Inspector General of Police to professionally intervene in this matter and fish out the killers of Mr. Fasuba.

The Inspector General of Police is also urged to discountenance every information and report from the State Authorities since they have failed to raise to the occasion. This killing whether politically or socially motivated will be the last the Union will take in Ekiti State.”

Where are Second Republic Governors?
01.13.2009


After 13 years of military regime, Nigeria returned to a democratic country on the 1st of October 1979. The ensuing period of civilian government known as the Second Republic (1979 – 1983) produced 31 civilian governors. Ademola Adeyemo traces the governors during that era and reports that 13 of them are dead while 18 are alive

Nigeria was divided into 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)on February 3rd 1976 by the then military government of late General Murtala Muhammed who was assassinated on February 13, 1976.
General Olusegun Obasanjo who took over the government however fulfilled his promise to hand over power to an elected civilian government on October 1, 1979.
He consequently organized a general election which produced Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari as the first executive president and a total of 31 civilians as executive governors who governed the then 19 states of the country during the second republic. Nigeria which got her independence from Britain in 1960 had democratic government under the first republic up to January 15, 1966 when that republic was sacked by the military. The country returned to a democratic order after 13 years of military interregnum with the dawn of the Second Republic in 1979.
The democratically elected executive governors during the four years and three months republic included, Alhaji Abubakar Barde and Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (Gongola State), Alhaji Tatari Ali (Bauchi), Mr. Aper Aku (Benue), Alhaji Muhammed Goni and Alhaji Asheik Jarma (Borno), Dr. Clement Isong and Chief Donald Etiebet (Cross River), Professor Ambrose Alli and Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia (Edo), Chiefs Jim Nwobodo and Christain Onoh (Anambra), Chief Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe (Imo), Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, Alhaji Abba Rimi and Alhaji Lawal Kaita (Kaduna).
Others are Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Abdu Dawakin Tofa and Alhaji Sabo Bakin Zuwo(Kano), Alhaji Adamu Atta and Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo (Kwara), Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (Lagos), Alhaji Muhammed Anwal Ibrahim (Niger), Chief Bisi Onabanjo (Ogun), Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin (Ondo), Chief Bola Ige and Dr. Omololu Olunloyo (Oyo), Chief Solomon Daushep Lar (Plateau),Chief Melford Obiene Okilo (Rivers), Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa and Alhaji Garba Nadama (Sokoto).
However, out of the civilians who served as governors during the period 13 are dead while 18 are alive. The deceased are Abubakar Barde, Tatari Ali, Aper Aku, Clement Isong, Ambrose Ali, Samuel Mbakwe, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Adamu Atta, Bisi Onabanjo, Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Bola Ige, Melford Okilo and Shehu Kangiwa.
Late Alhaji Abubakar Barde (Gongola)
Gongola State was created on 3 February 1976 with Yola as its capital. It existed until 27 August 1991, when it was divided into two states Adamawa and Taraba. Alhaji Abubakar Barde of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) became the first executive governor of the state after winning the gubernatorial election, courtesy of the understanding reached by the re-alignment of political forces in the state. He was in power between 1979- September 1983. Alhaji Barde died in June, 2002
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (Gongola)
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur who contested the governorship under the umbrella of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) took over from the late Abubakar Barde in 1983 and was in power for three months when the military took over power in a coup de tat of December 31st 1983. Tukur, a prominent businessman and politician, later served as Minister for Industries during the administration of late General Sani Abacha. He also contested the presidential election under the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the third republic, He is the president of the Africa Business Roundtable and a member of the New Partnership For African Development (NEPAD). Also, Tukur is currently the chairman of the Police Equipment Foundation (PEF). He is a top member of PDP from Adamawa State .
Late Alhaji Abubakar Tatari Ali (Bauchi)
Bauchi State was created in 1976 and on October 1, 1979, the first democratically elected executive governor, Alhaji Abubakar Tatari Ali took over the leadership of the toddling state under the umbrella of the defunct National Party of Nigeria(NPN). Many of the late Tatari’s policies began to manifest before the military coup of December 1983, which put paid to whatever dreams Alhaji Ali had for the old state which comprised today of Bauchi and Gombe states. When the military took over in 1983, Alhaji Ali and some of his colleagues were clamped into detention. He later died of health complication shortly after his release from jail.? ?Late Aper Aku (Benue)
Late Mr. Aper Aku was the first executive governor of Benue State between October 1979 and December 1983. He was elected under the NPN. Aku was regarded as the father of modern Benue who laid the foundation and structures that successive governors after his demise have improved upon to get the state to its present level of development. However, Aku died in 1989.
Alhaji Muhammed Goni (Borno)
Alhaji Muhammed Goni the governor of Borno State during the era, in office from October 1979 until December 31st 1983 when the military struck. Goni was said to have left a legacy of hard work, honesty, humility and accountability in the state. Throughout his tenure as governor, he never lost sight of his philosophy of government which was justice to the people. After his tenure as governor, Goni was appointed as a member of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of the 1995 Constitution. He was also appointed as member of the National Political Reform Conference in July 2005 as a delegate from Borno State . He also served as the Vice presidential candidate to Chief Jim Nwobodo in 2003 under the United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP). He is present inactive politically.
Late Dr. Clement Isong (Cross River)
Late Dr. Clement Nyong Isong a great economist became the first executive governor of old Cross River State in 1979 under the umbrella of the NPN. Before his election, late Isong was the second Nigerian Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria from August 15, 1967 to September 22, 1975 during which he introduced a new organizational structure for the bank which took account not only of the existing complexity and volume of the CBN’s activities, but also of prospective expansion. Isong died in year 2000.
Chief Donald Dick Etiebet (Cross River )
Chief Donald Dick Etiebet was governor of Cross River State for three months between October 1983 and December 31, 1983. He succeeded late Dr. Clement Isong. Before his election under the umbrella of NPN, Etiebet, an Annang man, was among the 95 senators who served in the first Senate of Second Republic between 1979 and October 1983. Politically, he is presently in the background.
Late Professor Ambrose Folorunso Alli (Bendel)
Professor Ambrose Alli was elected the governor of the then Bendel State now Edo and Delta states in 1979 under the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria founded by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Late Alli was one of the most vibrant governors in the Second Republic. It would be recalled that during his tenure in office, he was in constant conflict with former President Shehu Shagari over the issue of the rule of law and constitutionalism. On several occasions, the late governor took Shagari to court. On one such occasion, a judgment by Supreme Court in a suit filed by Ambrose Alli held up the implementation of the national budget. His health deteriorated after his release from military incarceration and he died in 1988.
Ambrose Alli University formerly Bendel State University , which he established during his tenure, was named after him.
Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia (Bendel)
Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia became the governor of Bendel State for the second time under the umbrella of NPN in October, 1983. His first time was as a military governor from September 1967 to July 1975. During his first coming, the then Bendel State witnessed rapid social and economic growth. He is currently a member of Board of Trustees of the PDP representing Edo State .
Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo (Anambra)
Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo became the governor of Anambra State in October, 1979 under the platform of the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) founded by the late great nationalist, Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe. Nwobodo, one of the flamboyant governors of the second republic became the first Executive governor of Anambra State at the age of 39.
Before then, he became the Chairman of Rangers International Club in 1975, and held that position until 1979. Within one year as Club Chairman he propelled Rangers to capture the Africa Cup Winners’ Cup. After leaving office in 1983 as governor, he was later appointed as a Minister of Youths and Sports in 1995.
He was also in 1999 elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he served till 2003. He was the presidential candidate for the UNPP in the 2003 General elections. He is presently a stalwart of PDP in Enugu State .
Chief Christian C. Onoh (Anambra)
Chief Christian Onoh took over from Chief Nwobodo in October 1983. He won the election under the NPN in controversial circumstances. He is no more in active politics.
Late Chief Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe (Imo)
Late Chief Samuel Mbakwe was the first executive governor of Imo State under the umbrella of the NPP. Dr. Mbakwe began his career as a lawyer in Port Harcourt before his election as governor. When the civil war broke out, Mbakwe was appointed as the Administrator of the Okigwe Province of the then Republic of Biafra . He was a member of the 1978 Constituent Assembly and member of the 1995 National Constitutional Conference (NCC).
Mbakwe was a man easily given to emotion, which led to his being referred to as “the weeping governor.” However, when the military took over the government in 1983, Mbakwe and other political leaders were herded into jail.
He returned when the then military President, Ibrahim Babangida lifted the ban on partisan politics and joined the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) .He also featured in the late General Sani Abacha and General. Abdulsalami Abubakar’s transition programmes as a chieftain of the All Peoples Party (APP) now All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Sam Mbakwe died on January 5, 2004.
Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa ( Kaduna )
?Alhaji Balarabe Musa became the first executive governor of Kaduna State in 1979 under the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) a party founded by the late defender of the masses, Mallam Aminu Kano. He was in office for one year as he was removed in 1980 through impeachment.
Because of his irreconcilable differences with the NPN-controlled Federal government, the Kaduna state house of assembly dominated by the NPN legislators was incited to impeach him, thus becoming the first governor to be impeached from office.
Alhaji Balarable Musa operated without a cabinet for almost two years due to refusal of
the NPN legislature to ratify any of his party’s (PRP) nominees because he refused to appoint members of NPN, which had a clear two-third majority in the State House of Assembly. Since he left office Alhaji Balarabe Musa has been participating in politics, holding aloft the progressive ideology. He contested for the presidency during the 2003 and 2007 general elections and he is now the chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).
Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi (Kaduna)
Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi was the deputy governor of Kaduna State between 1979 and 1981. He became the governor following the impeachment of his boss, Alhaji Balarabe Musa in 1981. He served till October, 1983
After leaving the office of governor, he had also served as an Adviser to General Abdulsalam Abubakar‘s government. He is a holder of Commander Order of the Niger (CON). He is currently inactive politically.
Alhaji Lawal Kaita (Kaduna)
Alhaji Lawal Kaita became the governor of Kaduna state in October 1983 under the platform of NPN. After leaving office as a result of the military coup of December 1983, he had also contested the emirship of katsina in 1982 after the death of the late Emir Usman Nagogo. Alhaji Kaita a founding member of the PDP later left to join others in forming the Action Congress (AC).
Alhaji Abubakar Rimi (Kano)
Alhaji Abubakar Rimi became the elected governor of Kano state under the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in 1979. A product of Aminu Kano’s Ideological school of politics, Rimi was first Deputy National secretary at the PRP.?He became governor of Kano State at the age of 39, and his tenure witnessed fundamental changes in the state. In 1993, he was appointed Minister of Communications during the Abacha regime. Rimi is one of the foundation members of the PDP. He left the party and joined the AC in 2007. He recently returned to the PDP.
Alhaji Abdu Dawakin Tofa
He was the deputy governor of Kano State between October 1979 and May 20 1983. He became the governor in May 1983 when his boss, Alhaji Rimi resigned from office and held forth till October 1983. A quiet and unassuming man, he is totally out of limelight.
Late Mallam Sabo Bakin Zuwo ( Kano )
Late Mallam Sabo Bakin Zuwo, a member of NPN was elected governor of Kano state in October 1983 and was in office till December 1983. He was arrested by the military government of General Mohammed Buhari and detained in prison on allegation that a sum of N4.5million belonging to the government was found in his room.
Late Alhaji Adamu Atta (Kwara)
Late Alhaji Adamu Atta was the governor of Kwara state between October 1979 and October 2003, an Ebira man Atta was a close political associate of the prominent Kwara state politician Dr Olusola Saraki before they fell out politically. When Saraki withdrew his support for Atta’s second term bid, he lost to the opposition party in the state. Chief Cornelius Adebayo became the governor.
Chief Cornelius Adebayo
He became the governor of Kwara State on the platform of UPN in October, 1983 having defeated Alhaji Atta of the NPN. During the first term of Obasanjo’s presidency, he served as Minister of Communications.
Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (Lagos State)
Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande became the executive governor of Lagos State in October 1979 under the umbrella of UPN. Politically, he is a member of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo school of thought which believed in welfare of the people. He was a member of the defunct Action Group (AG) and served as General Secretary on 1950-1966, He later became the National Treasurer of UPN. ?He was re-elected in 1983 but the Buhari/Idi Agbon Military coup that took place that year truncated the administration. After been in the political cooler for some time , ister of Works and Housing by late General Sani Abacha in 1993 and Chairman, Finance and Economic Committee of the Federal Government from 1993 to 1995. He is among the founding leaders of the Action Party of Nigeria (APN). He is out of active politics.
Alhaji Muhammed Awwal Ibrahim ( Niger )
Alhaji Muhammed Awwal Ibrahim is the first executive governor of Niger state. He was elected under the umbrella of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).He was in office from October 1979 to December 1983. He is presently the Emir of Suleja in Niger State .
Late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo (Ogun)
Late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo was the governor of Ogun state between 1979 and 1983. He was also a strong member of Awolowo political family. Late Onabanjo was a journalist before becoming the civilian governor of Ogun state; He Had edited the Nigerian Citizen and the Daily Service in the 1950s. But it was his stint as editorial director of the Daily Express that led to his popularity. He wrote a popular column, ‘Aiyekoto’. After the 1983 military coup , Late Onabanjo was thrown into Prison on the allegation that he and his UPN governor colleagues took N2.8 million bribe from a company to enrich their party (UPN). The General Omu’s panel sentenced Onabanjo to 21 years imprisonment. He later died from health complications after his release from prison.
Late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin ((Ondo)
Late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin was elected the first excecutive governor of Ondo state in 1979 under the platform of UPN. He was a founding member of the Action Group (AG) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). During the nation’s independence period, he was a member of the House of Representatives. Prior, to that, he was the principal of Imade College , Owo. After his exit from office as governor, Late Ajasin dedicated his life to the struggle to restore democracy in the country. He was the leader of NADECO a pro-democracy group; he had several brushes with the military government due to his principled opposition to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections. He died in 1996 at the age of 88
Late Chief Ajibola Ige (Oyo)
Late Chief Ajibola Ige became the governor of Oyo state in October, 1979. He was one of the UPN governors and also a prominent member of Late Awolowo’s school of ideology. Late Ige was a member of the Action Group and one of the founders of UPN. A lawyer, Late Ige was known for his civil rights and democracy activities. He was among the second republic governors incarcerated by the military government following the December 31, 1983 coup. Following the restoration of democracy in 1999, Ige continued to be politically prominent and was a foundation member of some political parties. He was appointed the Attorney General and Justice Minister by Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000. He served in that position until December 23, 2001 when he was brutally murdered in his house in Ibadan at the age of 71.
Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo (Oyo)
Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo became the second civilian governor of Oyo State in 1983 when he defeated Late Bola Ige in the gubernatorial election in October 1983. He contested under the umbrella of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). A renowned mathematician, Olunloyo was booted out of office during the December 31, 1983 military coup. Since his exit from office 26 years ago he has remained a strong factor in the politics of Oyo state. He is presently a leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Chief Solomon Daushep Lar (Plateau)
Chief Solomon Dashep Lar was the first executive governor of Plateau state. He became the governor under the platform of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in 1979; he won the governorship seat for the second time in October 1983 until his administration was abruptly terminated by the military coup. After he left office, he emerged as a kingmaker in the politics of Plateau State . He later became the pioneer National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Chief Solomon Lar, is one of the remaining old guards that have continued to fight for true democracy.
Late Melford Obiene Okilo (Rivers)
Late Melford Obiene Okilo was elected the first civilian governor of Rivers state in 1979. He was one of the NPN governors, Okilo as governor of old Rivers State established the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) and the Independent Power Plant at Imiringi in Ogbia local government area which turned out to be the only source of electricity supply in Bayelsa at the creation of the latter from Rivers State in 1996 by the late Gen Sani Abacha Late Okilo’s second term of office was terminated by Buhari/ Idi Agbon military coup in 1983 .After he left office He went to the Senate to represent Bayelsa East senatorial district between 1999 and 2000. Other political offices held by the late Okilo included member, Constituent Assembly (1977- 78); Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Rivers State branch (1978-1983). Okilo died in year 2006 at the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa following a protracted illness at the age of 74.
Late Alhaji Shehu Muhammed Kangiwa (Sokoto)
Late Alhaji Sheu Kangiwa became the civilian governor of Sokoto state in October, 1979. A lover of Polo sports, Alhaji Kangiwa’s tenure was cut shot by his tragic death on 17th November, 1981. He fell off a horse and died during the 1981 Kaduna Annual Polo tournament.
Alhaji Garba Nadama (Sokoto)
Alhaji Garba Nadama became Governor of the Sokoto State after the sudden demise of the late Governor Shehu Kangiwa. Quiet, urbane and principled conservative politician, Alhaji Nadama left office after the 1983 military coup. He was a member of the National Political Reform Council. Alhaji Nadama is now a prominent member of PDP.

Ekiti , A Haven For Killers?

By Hakeem Jamiu


Babafemi Ojudu, Managing Editor of The News Magazine and an indigene of Ado-Ekiti was about embarking on a trip to Ekiti to attend a meeting when his wife asked him in Yoruba, se Ekiti ti won ti n paniyan yen ni e tun nlo? (Are you going to that Ekiti that is a haven for killers?) But he assured her nothing would happen to him. I cannot but express my disgust and pains through my writings about what a dangerous place my own dear native Ekiti had become since 2003 when the mainstreamers hijacked the leadership of the entire south west.

Before then, Ekiti was the most peaceful state in Nigeria and residents could go to bed with their two eyes closed. However all that changed with the advent of the PDP fascist-like regime in 2003 when all the noble core values hitherto identified with Ekiti were replaced with anything goes and - 'the end justifies the means' syndrome. Since then, assassination and attempted assassination of political opponents debuted in Ekiti and this has continued till now. Only last week, the twin brother of the erstwhile Chairman of Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Kehinde Fasubaa, General Manager of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Abuja, who was holidaying in his town, Ado -Ekiti, was gunned down by yet to be identified killers few meters to his house. The killing of Kehinde Fasubaa has all the trappings of a political murder.

Eye witnesses during the assassination recounted that it was like a scene from a movie. Kehinde and three other occupants of his car were blocked by the assailants (six in number) who were in two 2008 Toyota Camry models and ordered them out of the car. Immediately Kehinde was identified by the assailants, other occupants were told to lie face down while Kehinde was dragged to the middle of the road and shot several times. The assailants were said to have waited for about five minutes to watch him die before escaping with his car.

Residents who watched the horror movie in disbelief did not know who was killed but one passer-by later identified Kehinde and raised an alarm but it was too late as Kehinde gave up the ghost few minutes after being taken to the Hospital. The assassination threw the whole town into mourning and confusion. Angry youths made bonfires and embarked on protest march through the streets of Ado-Ekiti. They went to the palace of the King to express their dismay over the murder of an illustrious son of the town. At the palace, angry youths and some members of the ruling PDP accused the present deputy governor of the state of masterminding the murder of Kehinde because of the Senatorial slot of the Ekiti Central district in which both he and Kehinde were said to be interested. The deputy governor promptly denied his involvement in the killing. The head of the Fasubaa family in a press conference also pointed accusing fingers at certain top officials of the ruling PDP.

The assassination of Kehinde is more worrisome because it is making Ekiti to increasingly become a haven for killers. It is as if the devil is let loose on Ekiti. In 2004, Taye Fasuba, late Kehinde's twin brother, narrowly escaped from assassins who invaded his house. Mrs. Jolaade Onipede, PDP women leader was lucky to escape from the bullets of assassins twice at a popular hotel in Ado Ekiti and at her home in 2007. Mr. Ropo Adesanya, former PDP Chairman was also lucky to escape from assassins bullets at a popular hotel in Ado Ekiti and was later attacked at the Governor's office. Few weeks ago, a High Chief of Ado-Ekiti was bathed with acid in his house and he is still recuperating in a hospital. But others were not so lucky. Tunde Omojola was murdered in broad daylight in Ifaki during a local government election in 2004, Dr. Ayo Daramola, a World Bank consultant who aspired to contest for the office of governor under PDP in 2007 was assassinated at his Ijan-Ekiti home in August 2006 .In 2007, during the local government primaries of the PDP, a chairmanship aspirant was killed in Aramoko-Ekiti and houses were burnt. During the recently controversial local government elections, one man was killed in Ijurin Ekiti while in Ilawe, two members of the PDP were knocked down and killed by vehicles belonging to the PDP which was the only party that contested in the election. The latest in the strings of politically related murder is that of Kehinde Fasubaa who had a Senatorial ambition against 2011.

Judging from the above catalogue of assassinations within the PDP, it is not out of place for the family of Fasubaa and any discerning observer to look in the direction of the PDP formation as the major suspect in the murder. But one wonders why somebody must be killed in 2009 for an election coming up in 2011? If it is true that Kehinde was killed because of a senatorial ambition, what gives the killer the confidence that he or she would survive even 2009? Why is the PDP living to its billing as, 'a nest of killers'? Why must all scores be settled not by dialogue but by assassination and other roughneck tactics? Why are political assassinations limited to the PDP not only in Ekiti but in Nigeria? Why has the police not been able to nab the killers of Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshal, A. K. Dikkibo, three members of the PDP killed in Ogun State recently, Daramola, Omojola and now Fasubaa?

This brings us to the tardy manner in which the Ekiti Police Commissioner handled the murder of Kehinde. Mr. Chris Ola, the Commissioner has lost the confidence of Ekiti people. His ability to only nab the killers of Kehinde but to protect lives and property of Ekiti people is in doubt. He is alleged to be insensitive in the murder of Kehinde as he reportedly behaved as if killing a citizen he was paid to protect is a normal occurrence.

Many prominent citizens of the state and Fasubaa's family have called for the removal of the Commissioner to allow for proper investigation into the murder. The theory of armed robbery put forward by Mr. Ola is not only ridiculous but hasty, unprofessional and suspect. Armed robbers don't wait for their victims to die after shooting them. They also rob their victims of cash and other valuables but this was not the case with Kehinde who was singled out and shot severally.

Crime rate in the state has soared in recent times and is getting worse by the day. First, it was armed robbers who virtually took over in the state as they robbed not only banks but individuals. It was so bad that the governor's office was burgled. Many government cars have been snatched. Only last week, a female teacher in Ekiti was dispossessed of her vehicle by armed robbers right inside her school premises in broad daylight. Now it is assassins that are having a free reign.

Mr. Ola had not deemed it fit to visit the scene of the crime and the family days after the murder incident and when the family visited him in his office he snubbed them saying on television that he didn't invite them! This is the same man who went extra mile to flood Ekiti with mobile policemen to harass and intimidate members of the opposition during the controversial local government elections. When Mr. Ola said he had to import about six thousand policemen into Ekiti for the local government elections because his command has zero tolerance for violence, a friend joked that 'but his command has a hundred per cent tolerance for armed robbers'.

If he had tackled the issue of security of lives and property with the same zeal he handled the vexed local government elections, Kehinde would still be alive today. The question everybody is asking is who killed Kehinde Fasuba? The Inspector General of Police must take over the investigation immediately so that Ekiti would not recede from being a fountain of Knowledge to a haven for killers.

http://www.independentngonline.com/oped/article01/0901

T.B. Joshua Predicted My Victory’—Ghana’s Leader
January 12, 2009 16:40, 204 views

By Simon Ateba


Newly elected president of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, yesterday, narrated how prophet Temitope Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun, Lagos, predicted his victory.


The 64-year-old law professor had come to T.B. Joshua’s church for his first thanksgiving service outside Ghana since he emerged winner of an incredibly tight run-off presidential election on 3 January.

Mills narrated that when he informed prophet Joshua before the contest that the presidential election in his country will take place on 7 December, 2008, he added that he expected the results to be out a few days after.

But, he said, the man of God, as Joshua is fondly called in his church, looked at him for some time and told him with authority that the election will not be decided until January 2009, adding that this will be after three contests.

T. B. Joshual & Prof. John Atta Mills

“He (T.B. Joshua) looked at me for some time and smiled and said, ‘I can see three different elections ahead of you and that the results are going to be declared in January,’” Mills recounted.

“And the results were announced in January!” he exclaimed.

The Ghanaian president prayed to God to give him wisdom to lead his people in unity, peace and prosperity.

“My prayer to God is to give me wisdom to undertake my responsibility. To give me a big heart to play the role that he has given me,” he said.

Talking directly to prophet Joshua, Atta Mills said: “Man of God, I want to thank you and I want to thank the Almighty for using you and many others. God, we thank you. May your name be praised for ever and ever.”

Mills also disclosed that he had been a member of Joshua’s church for over 10 years, adding that he has known the man of God since he was Vice President of Ghana.

“I am no stranger to this church. I have known the man-of-God for more than 10 years. I first met him when I was Vice President of the Republic of Ghana”

He also disclosed that T.B. Joshua showed special interest in his election as he organized prayer sessions for him. Mills called on the church members to continue to pray for him and Ghana for unity and prosperity.

“I will urge that we continue to pray not only for Atta Mills, but for mother Ghana” The Synagogue Church choir, waving Ghana’s red, yellow and green national flag, welcomed the Ghanaian leader with a song: “This is your day Atta Mills. The day you have always dreamt of. Remember to make God’s word the standard for your life.”

Asking rhetorically, the choir added :“Are you a president? There are many presidents out there without a difference. But the promise of God is to make you one with a difference.”

Joshua, on his part, said Mills represents the hope of Ghananians. He explained that the impressive turn out during Mills’ inauguration in Accra, last week, was an indication that Ghanaians are full of hope that his government would ameliorate their plight.

He called on the new president to totally depend on God and nothing else. “Our Excellency, the only reason God gives power to rule nations is when we see him as the only king.

”He reiterated that the foundation for the stable political and economic growth now enjoyed by Ghana was laid more than two decades ago by former President Jerry Rawlings, a member of his National Democratic Congress (NDC)

“When there is total dependence on God, there is hope for the weak, the lonely and the physically-challenged,” Joshua said. The man in the synagogue also admonished the new president to conduct a free-and-fair election when his mandate is over, adding that he must support charity organisations in his country.

Ken Nnamani lobbied to head interim govt – Iwu
…Wanted elections shelved
From MODESTUS CHUKWULAKA, Abuja
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, alleged on Monday that former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, had lobbied for the postponement of the 2007 presidential election so that he (Nnamani) could become acing president of Nigeria on the expiration of the tenure of then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Iwu said through his press secretary, Andy Ezeani, in a statement in Abuja, that the former Senate president, who was next in the line of succession to the president and vice-president, had pleaded with him to tell Nigerians that the elections were not feasible at the scheduled time due to a combination of political and logistic reasons.

“According to Nnamani, if the elections were postponed and the tenure of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo expired on May 29, 2007, he (Nnamani) being Senate president and number three person on the hierarchy of political leadership, will automatically become president of the country in an interim government arrangement and will preside over the country until a new time table was worked out for the elections,” the statement said

Alleging that Nnamani had deployed “the most pitiable appeal to base sentiment,” the INEC chairman said the former Senate president had reminded him that both of them come from the same part of the country and his (Nnamani0 being president of an interim government of Nigeria will benefit “our people.”

Ezeani, who was responding to a recent criticism of the commission by Nnamnai, said the “then Senate president mounted pressure for his ambition to be Interim Government president for quite some time,” but maintained that his boss had “politely but firmly resisted the pitch by Chief Nnamani, always reminding him that there was no provision in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for an interim government.

“Furthermore,the INEC chairman insisted as he promised Nigerians that the 2007 elections must be held “even if it involved voters voting by raising their hands.”
Once it became clear to Chief Ken Nnamani that “his outlandish plot was not acceptable to Prof. Iwu, and that his permutation on interim government had no prospect,” the statement said, “he became very belligerent, with a determination to get even with Prof. Iwu. This is the basis of the bitterness in Chief Ken Nnamani, which he is yet to overcome.”

According to the INEC boss, the first step Nnamani took when his pitch for interim government leadership failed was to launch “a ridiculous probe of the election expenses of INEC barely few weeks after the elections. He pulled back from the misadventure of the election expenses probe when it was brought to his notice that the commission was still in the middle of paying for services for the elections.”

He said, however, that “Nnamani’s posturing over election contracts came face to face with reality when certain contractor-proxies were traced back to the Senate president,” adding that while the former Senate president “is regretting in his recent newspaper interviews that he did not arrest the leadership of INEC using powers he never had, the electoral commission still intends, with the completion of the work of the election petition tribunals, to prosecute the likes of the Chief Nnamani whose electoral offences in the 2007 elections are well documented.

“His being linked with the waylay of electoral materials made for the governorship election in Enugu State was not only unbecoming but will surely face due trial. Now that it has become necessary for the Nigerian public to be told in greater detail the true background to the frustration which such politicians as Nnamani face with Prof. Maurice Iwu and INEC, the commission is ready to let the world know the facts.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/jan/13/national-13-01-2009-01.htm

Sex barter!
Nigerian shares wife with American for green card
Sunday, January 11, 2009

This may sound like fairy tale, but it is real. A Nigerian couple that migrated to God’s own country in search of greener pastures resorted to pseudo marriage to secure the green card believed to be a ticket to heaven. First, the man introduces his betrothed wife to his American darling as his sister to pave way for his marriage to the American lady.


When the marriage crashed, his wife marries an American to secure the life ticket. So how did it fail? Attempt by a friend to sleep with his pseudo sister (Nigerian wife) foiled the deal. His ‘oyibo wife realized she was a guinea pig and quit the affair.

Nigerians at a recent function in the United States were informed about the travails of fellow countrymen in a bid to get the coveted green card. A was asked: “Can a man betroth his wife to another in exchange for U.S. green card or a woman disguise as sister to the hubby under the same roof with another woman to enable him get a green card?

“Oh yes!” KK, a Nigerian, responded at the event, adding: “We know some people here who have married and divorced up to 18 times,” he jocularly remarked at the end of year party in Silverspring, Maryland, last December.

“In fact, there are some people here that betrothed their wives to other men to get papers,” the man fondly called KK said.

According to him, the craze for green card defies the sanctity of the biblical injunction that “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

To validate his point, he paints a gloomy picture. “One of our brothers who lived in the US for 28 years was deported last October after he handed his wife to another man to get papers.”

The man in his early 50’s identified as Johnson, from the South Eastern part of the country, may have to live with the psychological torture for the rest of his life. After 28 years of sojourn in the U.S., he was deported as an illegal alien.

How did it happen? He had gone to the Immigration office for green card interview after several failed marriages. After the interview, he was asked to go with his wife. As he stepped to the door, the immigration officer ordered him back and instructed him to look at the volume of file about him on the table. When he opened the file, he discovered that he had been advised to report for voluntary departure, which he failed and was placed on deportation status for violation of the order.

Johnson’s case is a bitter pill for the couple. He arrived the U.S. with his betrothed wife from Nigeria, but the couple cohabited as brother and sister under the same roof to accommodate the man’s American wife married to secure papers with the hope that once it was successful, Johnson would file a divorce and remarry his betrothed wife. The union lasted until the man’s friend attempted to date his real (Nigerian) wife. His resistance incurred his friend’s wrath and the latter spilled the beans by reporting him to the American wife. The wife lived with this emotional torture for years until the burble burst and they parted ways, yet the green card could not be secured.

Having exhausted the man’s option, the alternative was for the woman to move in with an American man as husband with the same intention. Since the woman and her hubby were at the mercy of the American, the woman appeased her new heartthrob with material and human needs in a bid to get papers. Interestingly, after several years of savouring the woman and milking her of hard-earned dollar as fees for the services, the Americana hubby declined on the interview date, leaving the woman in the cold at the Immigration and Citizenship Services that concluded that the marriage was contracted for immigration purposes.

But that would not deter the couple. With the couple’s fate hanging in the balance, the wife filed a divorce with her pseudo American husband and re-married another. This time, the process was thorough but short-lived. The snag was that having secured her green card, the attempt to file for her original husband landed them in trouble, resulting in the deportation of her husband by immigration officials. Efforts by his town union and lawyers to rescue the man were unsuccessful.

The joke that led to the revelation was initially intended to lighten the mood at the dinner party. However, it stirred various reactions from the audience and offered an insight into the trauma many Nigerians experience abroad. For many, it evoked feelings of anguish, nightmare, depression, and helplessness that characterize their daily life as they struggle to secure the ‘the green card’ perceived as ‘the life card’ in the United States of America. For some, the joke was reminiscent of the murky waters they swam to acquire the green card, widely believed to be ticket to heaven.

Shortly after the discussion that dominated a chunk of the discussion settled, further probing by Sunday Sun opened the floodgate of gory tales from the Nigerian comedian in his early 50’s, who is a chauffeur in a popular state in the US.

“My brother, I have lived in more than five states. I first lived in New York 23 years ago, when I arrived U.S. I married a lady but that didn’t work out, and because of the fear that she might report my illegal status to the immigration, I moved to Tennessee. Again in Tennessee, I remarried another lady. The marriage also crashed,” he told Sunday Sun.

According to him, the failure of the second marriage worsened his problem.

How? “After the necessary protocol by our attorney, we were invited for green card interview by the immigration. On the appointment day, I was full of joy, hoping for the ticket for a better opportunity to access educational grants that would transform my life.”

Unfortunately, KK’s dream never materialized. He was denied the green card. Worst still, he was requested to report for voluntarily deportation on a fixed date. The voluntary deportation warrant by the immigration sent jitters into his spine, having left Nigeria eight years then. He eloped. “I relocated to Missouri with cab driving as the only option of surviving, since I could not get work permit for employment” he further disclosed.

Twenty-five years down the line, KK was yet to visit home because that would amount to his voluntary departure. To persuade him to visit Nigeria, his brothers sent a mail purporting that his father had passed on, but that would not bring him home. Now in his early 50’s, KK still has no wife or child. But, he believes it shall get better someday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0_oK7Ic1wg&feature=related

old schol talent.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNdK_3rU-I


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0SIPraA1s4&feature=related


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AOB8IJDqBw&feature=related


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WorkonZhYTE

Ekiti deputy gov denies role in PHCN official's murder
From Ifedayo Sayo, Ado-Ekiti

FOLLOWING rumours that the slain General Manager (Finance and Administration), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Mr. Kehinde Fasubaa, was assassinated for political reason, the state deputy governor, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, has denied having hand in his murder.

Also, the family of the deceased has accused the state police boss, Mr. Chris Ola, of professional misconduct in the handling of investigation into the murder.

The family has, therefore, asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to replace Ola with a competent police officer to unmask those behind the killing of their son.

Fasubaa, before his demise, was rumoured to be nursing senatorial ambition which Lawal was equally alleged to be interested in. Fasubaa was an indigene of Ado-Ekiti where Lawal hails from.

Denying the allegation that his boss masterminded the killing of Fasubaa, Special Assistant on Public Communications to Lawal, Mr. Joseph Ogunsemi, said Lawal could not have contemplated killing Fasubaa for any reason.

Ogunsemi noted that since the death of Fasubaa, he has been inundated with text messages and phone calls that Lawal allegedly masterminded the killing over the 2011 election.

He added: "I wish to state categorically that my boss, a sitting deputy governor, could never have been part of such dastardly act".

He said five days after the murder, the police boss has not visited the scene of the incident.

"Dr. Lawal has unabashed antecedents. He is a man of proven integrity and has never exhibited traits of criminality or displayed criminal tendencies.

"The deputy governor's pre-occupation for now is to complement the efforts of Governor Segun Oni in implementing the various people-inclined programmes.

"It must be stated clearly that the sharing of political positions in 2011 is not yet the contemplation of the deputy governor. Even if he has interest in going for the Senate in 2011, he does not have to eliminate a promising son like Kehinde Fasubaa or anybody for that matter", he stated.

Ogunsemi added that such allegation against the deputy governor is callous and can only come from people who do not wish the Oni administration and Ekiti people well.

He commiserated with the Fasubaa family on the murder of Kehinde Fasubaa and urged law enforcement agencies to carry out investigations on the murder.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, the head of Fasubaa family, Elder Yemi Fasubaa and the twin brother of the deceased, Mr. Taye Fasubaa, said the state police boss was not competent to handle the investigations into the murder, alleging a lackadaisical approach.

Both of them claimed to have visited the Commissioner of Police yesterday but were snubbed by Ola after two hours of waiting in his office.

Elder Fasubaa said that when they eventually saw the commissioner, he was asking them to go and call the Assistant Commissioner of Police, CID.

But Ola, who claimed that police investigation was progressing, said anyone with useful information should come forward and assist the police.

EFCC probes Abia Gov
Written by Anayo Okoli
Thursday, 08 January 2009
Umuahia—ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has responded to the invitation of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State to probe him.

Orji had about two months ago invited the two anti-crime bodies, EFCC and ICPC to investigate various allegations, including money laundering leveled against him by a magazine. In his letters to them, he said he would waive his immunity to enable them probe him.

He also asked them to make public whatever their findings could be. The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Hart confirmed to Vanguard that the EFCC had interviewed the governor on the various allegations.

Hart said the EFFC had requested Orji to choose a venue for the interview. The governor, he said, chose Abuja and the interview took place but the anti-crime body also insisted on coming to Umuahia which he said they were obliged and they also interviewed the governor in Umuahia. Hart said that Orji still reminded the EFCC of his request to make the result of their investigations public.

Meanwhile, Governor Orji has warned that any contractor in the State that fails to perform to the satisfaction of the government will have his contract terminated. He gave the warning while inspecting the progress of work on the resurfacing of Calabar Street in Umuahia being handled by Yuba Quality Services (Nig) Ltd
http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view

Protests over Ogun council chief's death
Written by Kolade Larewaju
Wednesday, 07 January 2009

CRISIS erupted in Sagamu, yesterday, over the death of the Treasurer of the Ijebu East Local Government Council, Mr. Tunde Fajemgbesin, as protests marred the election into various offices of the state Chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
To stem the tide of violent reactions to the death, the state police command stopped the election while three people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Activities at the Sagamu Local Government secretariat and adjoining communities were disrupted as the protesters blocked entrances to the complex to register their grievances over the controversial death of Fajemgbesin.

Delegates to the election were charged and spoilt for war, alleging that some people who were against their popular choice were behind the death of the treasurer who was seen as the main backer of the candidate.

The state police command swiftly moved in to stop the election to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.

Fajemgbesin, sources said, had lodged in a popular hotel in Sagamu but died in controversial circumstances on Monday night.

The Director of Information of the council, Mrs. Olusola Dixon, however, denied that he died from poisoning, saying Fajemgbesin “slumped and died at the venue of the election.”

Dixon’s position was, however, not in consonance with the explanation of the Chairman of the local government, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, who said the council had ordered an autopsy on the body of Fajemgbesin to determine the cause of his death.

Oladunjoye, who aligned with the explanation of the state police command, added that it would be premature to guess the cause of the death of the council treasurer.

“Only the autopsy will determine what killed him. It has been done today and we learnt the result will be ready tomorrow (Wednesday),” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the death of Fajemgbesin, but said he was not a contestant in the election. Adejobi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, added that the police were working on the theory that the deceased was drugged, saying the police had arrested three people for interrogation in connection with his death.

War on ranson kidnapping in Abia
Thursday, January 6, 2009

For some time now, the language of scape goating and choleric engagement has defined the discourse on crime and security situation in Abia. Antagonists and the opposition including, a fickle section of the print media have stingily criticized the state government for being cavalier in confronting the ransom kidnappers.


These and other sundry accusations, have been spiteful, irascible and demonstrate a crashing failure of judgment on the aetiology, sociology and origin of kidnapping. It smacks of mischief, ignorance, or a combination of both to the posit that the malaise is exclusive to Abia.

What we have on ground today albeit localized and is limited to some 2/3 local government areas, is an alien, copycat criminal behavior whose origins are traceable to violent cross border,urban terrorist sub culture, Time and space will not permit an in-depth analysis but a few historical and contemporary examples would elucidate an understanding and management of the problem.

Between 1879-1919, in the United States of America, child stealing, abduction, and kidnapping were widely reported in the Mississippi, New York, New Jersey areas. In 1932 the baby girl of Charles Lindberg,{then reputed to be the most famous man in the world} was snatched by a kidnapper who after collecting a ransom got the hapless child killed.

In Mexico, kidnapping is big business, with an average of 900 abductions in 2007, translating to one kidnap victim every 90 seconds .The hot topic in Manilla, Philippines today is your money or your life situation. The Chinese –Filipino kidnap gangs recently abducted a University of Philippines, student daughter of a plastic and foam manufacturer who reportedly paid $1 million (USD) . The examples are legion: from the Somalian pirates, to the bandits in Kashmir who in 1995 kidnapped five european tourists they brought to grief .

Back home,militant groups in the oil rich Niger-Delta region fuelled by ransom takings, went haywire with kidnap of foreign oil workers. In 2007 they seized over 150 foreigners including a 3 year old British girl (Miss Margaret Hill). Nigeria is now rated as second to Iraq as the country with the greatest risk to oil workers.

The original motive force of driving attention of the horrendous living conditions in the Niger Delta has gone to the dogs. For a better part of 2006/2007, Rivers State was under siege from all, manners of gangsters, who feuded, maimed, kidnapped, in the Port Harcourt killing fields.

Like a creeping cancer; entrepreneurial kidnapping spread to neighboring states like Imo, Anambra, Abia, and Enugu where Igwe Uche Nwachime, a Royal Father in Nkanu West local government was abducted and butchered in cold blood.

The proprietor of Grand Riveri Hotel, Enugu was kidnapped but was released after the ransom payment of five million naira.The younger brother of the NAFDAC chieftain was recently captured. His captors are reportedly asking for thirty million naira.

In Abia a few example could be cited such as the snatching of the ENYIMBA club chairman Anyasi Agwu, and ersthwhile ASUBEB Chairman Comrade Iruke, and a host of Abia state top functionaries ,fueling speculations that some nefarious anti government saboteurs, could be the ragamuffins perpetrating this abominable behavior.

Man kills mother for suspected ritual
Sylvester Eze, Awka
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
THE murder of the Director of Nursing Services in the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Anthonia Achugamonye, allegedly by her 24-year-old son last Sunday, in Okpoko has kept many tongues wagging as people who spoke on the incident suspected ritual murder.


According to the husband, Sir Cajetan Achugamonye, who spoke to newsmen on Monday, “my wife was killed at our house at No. 9 Mission road in Okpoko, near Onitsha on Sunday, under circumstances that had pointed fingers to our son.”



He said the son was alleged to have killed the mother with hammer and later took her to Borromew Hospital where she was certified dead and that being the chief suspect, he was already in the police net with his wife.



Sir Cajetan, who spoke to newsmen in tears, disclosed that his late wife was to be given Sir Henry Dunant Merit Award by the State Red Cross Society and that they held a party for the investiture the previous night before she was reportedly killed by the son.



The late Mrs. Achugamonye was said to have given birth to her only son who allegedly murdered her in 1984 at the Waterside Hospital and Maternity, Oseokwedu, Onitsha, now in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State.