₦airaland Forum

The spokesperson for the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano, Lt Ikediche Iweha, has confirmed the death, in a JTF raid in the Hotoro area of the city, of one terrorist and the arrest of two others.

Speaking by telephone with SaharaReporters, Lt. Iweha said they JTF did not know the identities of the persons killed and arrested.

Earlier today, however, sources told Premium Times online that the one of the persons involved in the raid was the Boko Haram spokesperson known as "Abu Qaqa."

Also, a military operative involved in the raid said two of the commanders including Abu Qaqa were killed after exchange of gunfire as they tried to flee the Mariri neighborhood near Hotoro in a get away car.

Early last February in Kaduna, the JTF identified a Boko Haram man they had caught there as “Abu Qaqa,” asserting they had been trailing him for several months.

But that claim was swiftly challenged by the leadership of Boko Haram, which said the man under arrest was Abdul Darda, who was the head of the group’s enlightenment committee.

Since then, “Abu Qaqa” has been in constant touch with members of the press.

Security operatives carried out a successful raid against the sect’s leaders in Kano.

In what appeared to be a significant victory by Nigerian security operatives against the Boko Haram militant group, top commanders of the sect were arrested on Sunday.

Sources in the State Security Service, SSS, say Abu Qaqa, the sect’s spokesman and other top commanders were arrested when the Kano State Joint Task Force, JTF, carried out a sweeping raid on the sect’s hide-outs in Kano.

The Kano JTF has confirmed the raid and the arrests but could not confirm the identity of the arrested Boko-Haram leaders.

However, independent sources have told PREMIUM TIMES that the sect’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa was one of those arrested.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the non-disclosure of the details of the arrested officers was because the arrested members were refusing to co-operate with security operatives.

The Federal Government is also being careful about disclosing the names of the arrested officials apparently for fear of embarrassment, the type it suffered earlier in the year when the government disclosed that Abu Qaqa, the sect’s spokesman had been arrested, and it turned out to be false.

Spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, refused to comment on the arrests.

Fresh facts have emerged, showing that the disputed Bakassi peninsula which the International Court of Justice, ICJ, ceded to Cameroon, actually belongs to Nigeria.

Vanguard gathered that the jurists at ICJ might have been misled by the legal teams of Cameroon and Nigeria, who did not show vital information that clearly placed Bakassi as a territory within the geographical, political and administrative jurisdiction and control of Nigeria, contrary to the October 10, 2002, verdict which awarded the sovereignty of the peninsula to Cameroon.International relations experts, renowned historians, researchers and politicians told Vanguard in Lagos, last week, that contrary to the claims by the Cameroon and Nigerian legal teams that the first legal treaty on the Land and Maritime borders between Nigerian and Cameroon was the 1913 Anglo-German treaty, it was discovered that the limits of the Land and maritime boundaries between both countries went as far back as 1811 when the British made the treaty that went from the Lake Chad region down to the Atlantic ocean through the Rio Del Rey Estuary.

The Great Fraud

1. There are evidence to show that in 1994 when a dispute erupted between Nigeria and Cameroon, Nigeria asked the British government to attest to the true status of Bakassi Peninsula, the British government replied to assert that the Peninsula belongs to Nigeria.

2. This was when Alhaji Babagana Kingibe was Nigeria’s Minister of External Affairs but curiously that document was not tendered at the ICJ trial.

3. There are fresh evidence to show that in the March 18, 1961 plebiscite in Southern Cameroon, to determine areas that either wanted to stay in Cameroon or join Nigeria, Bakassi Penisular was not among the areas that participated in the exercise because it was given that it was not part of Cameroun.

According to Southern Cameroon gazette, Volume 7 no. 14, the areas that were asked to determine where they wanted to belong included Mamfe, Bamenda, Kumba, and Victoria. Also, the people of Bakassi have voted in Nigerian elections and the Nigerian Customs has been in control of the territorial waters since 1811.

4. The 1913 Anglo-German treaty which Cameroon rested its claim was not signed by both countries before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

5. Germany renounced all its terrirorial claims at the end of the war in 1919 and all the former territrories controlled by Germany came under the mandate of the League of Nations.

6. There were clear cases of ethnic cleansing in Bakassi peninsula in the past 10 years in violation of the Green Tree Agreement.

According to Prof. Walter Ofonagoro, a historian and former Nigerian Information Minister, who did his Ph.d thesis on Southern Oil protectorate, “fresh facts have emerged to show that the Cameroonian legal team deceived the ICJ into believing that before the Anglo-German treaty of 1913 upon which it rested its case, there were no other treaties that delineated the land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon, which is a fraudulent claim”. Prof. Ofonagoro said that he has in his possession, 1822 documents which vested ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Old Calabar Chiefs, by extension to Nigeria, and debunked claims that the 1913 Anglo-German treaty was the first recognised treaty on the land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. Said Prof. Ofonagoro: “This is not true because as far back as 1811, the British had already established a strong sphere of influence over the territories that eventually became Nigeria in 1914. The Anglo- German treaty upon which Cameroon built its case was contestible because after the First World war ended in 1919, all the territories controlled by Germany were taken away from them and given to the League of Nations.He said: “There were other treaties between Nigeria and Cameroon on the Land and Maritime boundaries, which were entered into in 1884, 1885 and 1886, all of which clearly demarcated the land and maritime border between Nigeria and Cameroon from the Lake Chad region down to the Akwa Yafe River, which was the land border from Akwa Yafe to Rio Del Rey estuary to the Atlantic ocean.

He said: “When the Germans got to Akwa Yafe River, they discovered that they could not gain a direct access to the sea because going toward West of Akwa Yafe River will take them straight to the Calabar Sea Port. The Calabar Sea Port was clearly outlined in the treaty. This was the main port of entry for the British merchants, and later missionaries, who were the first to establish sphere of influence in Nigeria.” He said there was no way the British would have granted the Germans a boundary access that would have constrained their access to the Calabar power.

The British were fully in control of the Calabar Sea Port. The Germans went East of Akwa Yafe River, which took them to the Rio Del Rey estuary to the sea. This ensured that the Bakassi Peninsula was on the West, which put the Peninsula on the Nigerian territory. The predominant population on the Peninsula then were the Efiks and Efuts, who were of Efik kingdom which stretched up to Khumba, Victoria and Bamenda.
Grounds for Appeal for review

Although the Federal Government has been reluctant to listen to the calls from the National Assembly, the Judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association to appeal for a review, Prof. Ofonagoro said “Nigeria has very strong ground to ask the ICJ for a review of its decision because there were concrete material facts and documentary evidence that were not before the ICJ in 2002, which would have helped to guide the world jurists in their decision”.

According to him, the Cameroonians concealed other vital treaties during the trial and told the court that the treaties were for mere adminstrative convenience, but more suprising is the fact that the Nigerian team did not do their home work to debunk the claims of Cameroon; rather they went there to resurrect a dead treaty in their attempt to justify the 1975 Maroua Declaration which was also an illegal treaty.

He said: “If the ICJ should allow a judgment that was obtained by fraud and concealment of fact to stand, grave in justice would have been done to the people of Bakassi. The reputation of ICJ would have been tarnished because the whole world expects it to do justice at all time”.

Ofonagora said the Nigerian defence team went to the Hague to agree with the Cameroonians that before 1913, there were no other treaties between the two colonial powers, which is false. But more fallacious is the fact that the Cameroon of 1919, was not the Cameroon of 1913, because after the end of the First World War, Germany was forced to give up all its territories in Africa, which came under the mandate of League of Nations.

Germany renounced all its claims to territories and all the treaties it entered into which gave it control of territories, became a nullity. The League of Nations consisting of Britain, France and Italy, the territory of Cameroon was carved up by France which took the Northern part.

Senator Ewah Bassey Henshaw, in his reaction said: “We have evidence from the memoir of the German Ambassador in 1913, who negotiated the so-called 1913 Anglo-German treaty”. He said the treaty was not signed because of the distrust between Britain and Germany at that time and the conflict between the envoy and some officials of his own country.

“In 1961, when a referendum was conducted in Southern Cameroon to determine on which part of it wishes to belong to Nigeria or Cameroon, after the British ended its colonial rule, Bakassi Peninsula was not included because it was regarded as part and parcel of Nigeria. In the areas such as Issangale that were included in the referendum, they voted to be in Nigeria”.

Speaking at the Vanguard Conference Hall in Lagos, Senator Henshaw said the ICJ has a duty to review its judgment wich gave the sovereignty of Bakassi to Cameroon because it was obtained by fraud and deceits.

He said: “We are not asking for too much for the ICJ to take a second look at the fresh facts and our action is covered by Artcle 61 of ICJ which empowers people to come back for a review of their judgment if there were fresh facts that surfaced after the decision was made, which have substantially affected the judgement.

The president who has sworn on oath to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the constitution should assist the people of Bakassi by asking the AGF to appeal for a review of the ICJ verdict.”

omoeso: U need to watch CNN now, most Arab and northan Africa nations are damostrating now setting cars and buildings on fire.
SUDAN- German and American embassies on fire
LEBANON- KFC and other American companies on fire. 20 dead and over 30 injured.
IRAQ- police having tough times with protesters
YEMEN- police using tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters
EGYPT- hundreds wounded as protest continues
LIBYA- more buildings on fire
PAKISTAN- violent on streets burning American flags
TUNISIA- US embassy breached. Building on fire

I just pray say nothing of such happens here in 9ja and our security officers will be ready incase of any uprising...

Nigerian we stand, lets pray and hope such won't happen here..

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin, has pointed out that the Armed Forces have no competence to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect.

Speaking in Maiduguri, Borno State, which is the principal enclave of Boko Haram, he said that the armed forces are trained for purposes related to absolute protection of Nigeria’s sovereignty and territory.

“It is the federal government who has people who can talk, who can sit at the table and deliberate, we are not trained for that,” Air Chief Marshall Petinrin said. “Federal government is federal government; they own everybody and everything, if they decide to dialogue they can dialogue, but what I am saying is that as far as the security forces are concerned, ours is to ensure there is peace, nobody has told us to dialogue with anybody and we work based on order. We are not trained to conduct dialogue as soldiers.”

He further noted the complexities of terrorism, saying of terrorism and issues of criminality, “Once people get it introduced to the society, the society continues to be on the guard, it is like armed robbery, after the civil war, armed robbery started in the country and till now it is still with us.

Nevertheless, he warned the Boko Haram sect that they cannot triumph in their insurgency, and urged them to be better citizens and demand change by forming their own political party.

He urged Nigerians to be vigilant and for everyone to play his part in the quest for stability. What is now required is that everyone should be aware of their environment and continue to monitor their surrounding so that no one comes to destabilize their environment, it is a continuous thing and all of us should be involved in it,” he said.

Air Chief Marshall’s statement seems to be aimed at the Nigerian government, which seems confused about whether to have dialogue with Boko Haram, or not, or how it should do it. Top government officials are studiously avoiding Borno State for fear of being assaulted, and it is a possibility that the military, as part of the Joint Task Force, are being asked to arrange or commence talks with the militants.

In recent times, there have been indications that government officials are being routinely duped by contractors and 419-ers who have found in the security crisis an avenue for duping the government of funds by claiming to be capable of setting up meetings with Boko Haram.

Following a categorical denial by Boko Haram that it is in talks with the government, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, issued a press statement on August 25 in which the government backed off its claims.

First, Dr. Abati said that the Boko Haram denial could not be believed because it had come only from one of its “factions.”

And then he admitted there was no dialogue in the normal sense.

"When government says it is already talking to Boko Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood,” he said. “I think a lot of people are under the impression that the dialogue involves a situation whereby government officials are sitting on one side, Boko Haram persons are sitting on the other side in an air-conditioned room and there are negotiations across the table.”

With today’s statement by the Chief of Defence Staff, the process seems to have come full circle. Not only is the government not talking to the militants, the military seems to be saying that if the government wants to do so, it must do so itself and not expect soldiers who are trained only to shoot to do its talking and negotiating.

Idokojimmy: Twitter Mallam doing his thing. If no one advertises your credentials, Organised a kangaroo interview and sell yourself. Elrufai must be commended for this ingenuity. But is he sellable? Obviously not. Thus, his gimmick is an activity in futility.

BABA take am easy with my guy El, haba now his broke again!!! Meanwhile El with all the attacks and noise from you about these present government you still have the gods to hold your tail between your legs and beg for position. What we are going to hear next from you is GEJ now performing wonders and you Elrufai wants to be part of it. Stay away from these government you so much criticized and let competent people work for either mother land for you had yours chance and you render us homeless and you now want to come and put us in bottomless pit of darkness..... GO HOME WE DON'T NEED DARKNESS ANYMORE

SaharaReporters learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Abuja last night after abruptly departing from a three-day tour of Malawi and Botswana. A source within the Presidency reported that the president retired to his private quarters at Aso Rock Villa after telling some close aides that his wife, Patience Jonathan, is still alive. Mrs. Jonathan was airlifted more than a week ago to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Mr. Jonathan hastily left a state luncheon organized for him in Botswana and headed straight for the airport. After a short visit to a mine by helicopter, he met with the Nigerian community at the airport, and then boarded his presidential jet bound for Abuja.

Several sources in Malawi and Bostwana earlier told SaharaReporters that Mr. Jonathan’s surprise departure for Abuja left some members of his contingent wondering if the First Lady had passed on.

“Before he went into his residence today, the president told some of his senior aides that it is his wife is still alive,” said a source in Abuja.

Calls and text messages to Mr. Jonathan's spokesman, Reuben Abati, were not answered.

Speculations remain rife in Abuja that the condition of the president's wife may have taken a dire turn.

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Tuesday said its members were not on strike as being widely-speculated.

NUPENG said it could be held responsible for the shortage of petroleum products currently being experienced in Abuja and Lagos.

The union in a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Aberare, said Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) were working but had no products to lift in some depots due to the refusal of some oil marketers to import fuel over non-payment of their subsidy claims.

The union, which maintained that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) alone cannot meet up with the huge demands of fuel importation in the country, called on the Federal Government to intervene on the lingering issues so that the shortage of petroleum products would not spread to other parts of the country.

It further advised government to put appropriate security arrangements in place to nib the activities of vandals of pipelines in the bud while calling on the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to release money to verify claims by marketers so that they can import fuel and meet the shortfall.

“NUPENG is not responsible for the growing queues in filling stations as it is being speculated. The union is not on strike and the petroleum tanker drivers are ever ready to lift products.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fuel-scarcity-nupeng-denies-being-on-strike/124116/

– Nokia lottery is a scam. I said it a second time just to be clear. Nokia doesn’t do the lottery, or give away large sums of money. Nokia scam seems to be an increasingly popular search term and whilst people are becoming increasingly aware, scammers continue to bait innocent people to part with their hard earned money. Nokia lottery is a scam (there, a third time, just to be super clear). We’ve been lucky on Conversations where plenty of readers, and inquisitive potential victims have kindly pasted the details of the scam letters, emails and textsthey’ve received on our story about the Nokia Lottery Scam. If you haven’t seen them, the story and comments are worth checking out.

We’ve even had comments (unapproved) from the folks behind the scam saying that they’ve received their winnings and moved from London to live in Mexico with their £350,000 winnings. Funny then, that their IP address originates in Lagos, Nigeria.

Nokia is a trusted brand and it’s not nice when people misuse it to scam innocent folks with the lure of a lottery win. The scam, known as an advance fee fraud, nearly always follows the same format. Users get a text or an email saying they’ve won in the Nokia Lottery and that they need to send money, or airtime vouchers (which is like money) in order to receive their winnings. Nokia doesn’t do the lottery, or scams, so please, as Charlie said before, beware.
These came on my phone just 3 mins ago "(NOKIA UK) YOUR NUMBER HAS QUALIFIED YOU FOR 55,000 POUNDS FOR CLAIMS SEND NAME, NUMBER & COUNTRY TO THIS E-MAIL: nokiacashclaims@admin.in.th". IT"S A SCAM. Delete the message. Do not post your personal information if it comes to you

The police have made another breakthrough in their investigation into the murder of Nasarawa State Graduate student Cynthia Osokogu.

Miss Osokogu, 25, was last month lured to Lagos by two men she met on a social media site, who lodge her in a hotel in Festac, where they allegedly murdered her.

Four men are in custody in connection with the murder.

Lagos State Police Commissioner Umar Manko said the late Miss Osokogu’s blackberry Bold 5 (9910 model) handset was recovered from Nonso Ezike in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said Ezike is a graduate of Mathematics and Computer Science of the Federal University of technology (FUTO), Owerri.

Manko said the development is due to the painstaking investigative effort of the Area Commander ‘E’, Mr. Dan Okoro, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Recounting how the phone was tracked, Okoro said: “We were having problems on how to get the late Cynthia’s phone. We met her father who gave us Cynthia’s pin number from there, we started chatting with the person using the phone and he told us he bought it from someone. We told him that we needed the phone and we pledged to pay him for it. But the buyer said the phone was giving him problems and he intended to send it back to the person who sold it to him.

“We traced the mast and discovered he was chatting from Port Harcourt. He told me he bought the phone from Lagos. A few days later, he called to say he had returned the phone to the actual person he bought it from. We urged him to ask the person to return the phone to our office in Area E Command, Festac. The person eventually came to our office with a lawyer to drop the phone and I asked my men to arrest him immediately. “Coincidentally, the man who came to drop the phone with us is a junior brother to the prime suspects who are being arraigned in court. He confessed to the police of having sold 3 telephones given to him by his brothers at several occassions. He also confessed that he sold Cynthia’s Blackberry telephone for N68, 000.00.

“The Commissioner of police gave us express instructions to ensure that no person who has a role in this dastardly act is left unpunished. The driver to the killers has also been arrested sequel to information given by the suspect in our custody”, Okoro narrated.

The driver was said to have been hired to convey them around anytime and anywhere they have a victim. He was also said to have been moving their loots to where they were sold.

Manko said the suspects would be charged to court.

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

Checks carried out in and around Lagos revealed that those that befriend the mature women are usually young men who capitalize on the naivety of their victims to lure them into hotels or exclusive guest houses where they would end up being drugged. After which photographs of their nude encounters would be recorded and used to fleece them off millions of naira.
Many of these victims, over time, have found it increasingly difficult to confront their blackmailers for fear of having their nude photos posted on the internet or having their clandestine activities exposed to their husbands. Those who braced up to the challenge by damning the adverse consequences to lodge a report to the police always insisted on holding it close to their chests. They pay the police handsomely urging them not to reveal thier secret.s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We got some of these reports. They ask the victims to cooperate with them and also ask them to meet at a particular location, from where we arrested them. But one disturbing factor is the fact that we don't have the right laws to prosecute some of these cases logically."
It was gathered that one of the victims paid close to a million naira to her blackmailer before she reported the matter to the police recently. The victim who spoke with Crime Alert over the telephone said that she thought she was chatting with a normal human being on facebook before they met, and he got her drugged.

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

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

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

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

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

Owners of guest houses

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

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

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

VEHICLE owners in Imo State are now finding it extremely difficult to procure Petrol in what consumers of premium motor spirit, PMS, called “inexplicable hike in pump price of the petroleum product in the state”. Vanguard investigation revealed that 15 out of the 27 local government areas of the state with exception of the mega stations run by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, other filling stations were either selling above the approved pump price or under-dispensed.

All the filling stations visited, including the major marketers, sold petrol at between N100 and N110 per litre.
Already, prices of essential commodities in the markets have gradually shot up beyond the reach of the ordinary man in the street.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/fuel-now-n110-in-imo/

Ten days after the oil spill at Qua Iboe fields operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MPN, more spills have been sighted on the Atlantic coastline at Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State.

Fishermen and residents of coastal communities at Ibeno and Esit Eket Local Government Areas of the state, who noticed oil spills on the shoreline, reported the development to the oil spill agency.

An official of National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, said the agency got the report of fresh oil spill on the shores.

He said: "As soon as we got the report we deployed personnel to the site, though we are still investigating the earlier incident of August 13. I understand they saw tar balls at the coast.

"As we speak, our men are still in the field and their findings will help us to know the nature and extent of the deposits. It cannot be business as usual."

Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, MPN, has maintained a studied silence over its claimed investigation into the source of the oil spill found within its operational area on August 13.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201208290513.html

A 28-year-old man, Bestwood Chuckwuemeka, was arraigned on Monday at a Karu Magistrates’ Court for sodomy.

The police prosecutor, Cpl. Umar Mohammed, told the court that on August 8, a man from Gidan Mangoro, Abuja, reported to the divisional headquarters, Karshi, Abuja, of the action of the accused person.

Mohammed said that the accused had sexual intercourse with the complainant on his bed when the complainant was fast asleep.

The prosecutor said that the offence was contrary to section 284 of the Penal Code.

When the charge sheet was read out, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The accused said “I came back drunk from the night club and thought I was sleeping on the same bed with my girl-friend and I started romancing her.”

The Magistrate, Nafisat Buba, said that alcohol should not be seen as an excuse for committing the offence

’’Despite being under the influence of alcohol, the accused should not use that as an excuse to commit the crime,” she said.

The magistrate granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She said that one of the sureties must be a civil servant on GL 09 and adjourned the case to September 17 for further hearing. NAN

Andrew Owoeyi Azazi, a retired military general, recently sacked by the president as National Security Adviser, has retired into posh multi billion naira Abuja homes, which cost far above his known earnings, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation has revealed.

The two exotic homes sit side by side on 19 and 21 Mambila Crescent in Aso Drive, a choice part of the nation’s capital where some of Nigeria’s men of power and means live.

Both mansion-like properties, were bought at the tail of Mr Azazi’s service at the presidency.
Property experts, who we requested to value the houses, estimate that each of the properties are worth at least N1.5 billion.

A third property, recently acquired, is yet undeveloped. It sits behind the two mansions on Mambila Crescent, sharing a fence with their swimming pools but accessible through Olumo Close, off Mambila Crescent.

http://saharareporters.com/article/former-nsaazazi-acquires-multi-billion-naira-properties-abuja-premium-times

If report by a Ugandan publication is anything to go by, then, Nigerian artiste, Chinedu Okoli popularly known as Flavour Nabania might be in an alleged child’s fatherhood scandal.

According to what the news media, Uganda Picks published, which is presented below;

“Many of us have been waiting for the birth of this baby and now it is born and still wondering who the real father is.

Given the fact that Bad Black has given birth to a black baby, we are now ruling out David Greenhalgh as the father and we turn to the likes of Mr. Flavour, Meddie Sentongo, and all the men who have been around her.

Among all the men, if analysed well, Mr. Flavour might be the father of Bad Black’s baby.
Lets look into this, Mr. Flavour came to Uganda in September for a performance and Bad black offered him $10,000 to sleep with him which he accepted and spent a night with her in a certain city hotel.

Now if we are counting the period at which Bad Black gave birth it brings us to close seven months.

Supposing they did not use any protection in September, lets Start counting from October, November, December, January, February, March, April, and a few days into May.

This definitely supports our thinking and brings back Chinedu Okoli aka Mr. Flavour N’abania as the father of the baby.

Bad Black was too tired of the pregnancy that she opted to give birth at seven months.

However, this cannot be depended on alone. There is a possibility that the baby black might be fathered by Meddie Sentongo her ‘limelight’ boyfriend because at one time Bad Black was over heard asking Meddie at Club Rouge when he is giving her a child in Luganda, “Naye Meddie ompayo di owana nga nkwagala nyo.”

Many other Men also had affairs with Bad Black but the ones who came to the limelight are Meddie, Mr. Flavour, and Greenhalgh.

Despite of the doubts about the baby’s father, Bad Black insists that the baby is fathered by Greenhalgh and she is waiting for him to clear the hospital bills and also take his child.

The mother and the baby are reportedly in good condition though still weak.”

What is wrong with the Nigeria police? If revrend Ugolor is guilty let the police prove it behold reasonable doubt and take him for trial instead of this continue detention and not wanting to prove the allegation beyond reasonable doubt.

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a total and comprehensive re-organisation of the Nigerian sporting sector following the disastrous outing of the country’s contingent to the recently concluded Olympic Games in the United Kingdom.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku who dropped the hint after Wednesday’s federal Executive Council meeting however declined to give details on who may lose his job in the planned re-organisation of the sports sector.

According to the Minister a national retreat which will involve state governments as well as the private sector to re-order priorities in the Nigerian sporting sector would be convened to address the challenges in the sector.The minister said “President Goodluck Jonathan today(Wednesday) ordered for total and comprehensive re-organization of the sporting sector, following the disappointing performances of the Nigerian contingent to the London 2012 Olympics. The President accordingly directed for a national retreat which will involve state governments as well as the private sector to re-order priorities in the Nigerian sporting sector.
”He said what took place in London must be the beginning of a new momentum to place Nigerian sports at a level that will enable this country return to the glory it is known for in the areas of sports.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/08/jonathan-orders-overhaul-of-sport-sector/

Would you like to see your son, daughter, niece, nephew or teenage neighbor become hard-working, respectful, disciplined, honorable and prepared for life? Would you like to see crime, teenage pregnancy and substance abuse rates decline? No, this is not an advertisement for a magic pill; this is an argument for mandatory military service.
Each passing generation produces teenagers who are more and more brazen, disrespectful, lazy and ill-qualified for success in the real world. Thus, our society becomes more dangerous, depleted and dishonest every year. With one simple – albeit radical – move, our government could eliminate these problems and help our children and our country reach their potential. Since the National youth service Corps scheme has failed, its better at this stage to introduce a two year compulsory military service to ease or create a momentary or valley in the number of unemployed youths in the country.

Mandatory military service is one of the oldest forms of national service and is common to both democratic and non-democratic countries. Such democratic countries as Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey require male and occasionally female citizens to participate in military service when they become 18 years old. These countries prove that Mandatory military service, when handled properly, can be an asset to the military, the society and the the graduates. Here's my basic plan for Nigerian conscription: Every able-bodied citizen (both men and women) must honorably serve at least two years in the Nigerian military. They can enter the military branch of their liking, request to be trained in a specific field, and serve in the state of their choice.
Furthermore, the military will guarantee that conscience objectors or conscripts wary of conflict will be placed only in non-hostile positions. After two years of service, conscripts are free to depart the military if they choose to do so.

Mandatory military service benefits the military, the country and the conscript. The military benefits because its forces increase dramatically. For a small increase in expense, it receives an influx of able young men and women – including many of the best and brightest, who often avoid joining a professional army. Resources that go into recruiting programs can be used toward training, and because of higher head counts, outsourcing and subcontracting jobs can more easily be handled in-house.
The country benefits from conscription because national spirit increases, national unity improves, neighborhoods become safer, and society grows healthier. With conscription, disgruntle and troubled teens who normally head to street corners enter the military and receive the training, discipline and experience that propel them to a stable and secure life. They unite with people of all sexes, races and religions to work toward a common good. This allows neighborhoods to become safer and society to become stronger.
The workforce gets better workers, families get better mothers and fathers, and the country gets a more unified citizenship.
Conscripts benefit from the military service because they learn practical life skills such as first aid, wilderness survival, computer proficiency and self-defense. They become physically fit, mentally strong and knowledgeable in multiple areas. Conscripts learn how to work hard, discipline themselves, follow orders, think on their feet and lead their peers. Most importantly they come away from the military with the skills that benefit society, the workplace and the family. With their degree, the men and women who served their two years with honors will be sought after by the public and private sectors.

Of course there are many people who believe conscription armies are illegal, immoral and ineffective. Arguments have been made (and sometimes history has shown) that conscripts often have low morale and little motivation to properly serve in the armed forces. Some say that many conscripts are physically or mentally unfit to be trusted and need training, educating and counseling that the military cannot provide. And finally, because of time and resource constrictions, many mandatory military service opponents point out that conscripts usually receive only rudimentary training, which can cause bloodshed during hostile situations. Besides these noted disadvantages, some economists believe that conscription armies cost more than voluntary ones.
These disadvantages are certainly valid, and I welcome them in a debate about conscription.

Mandatory military service may seem too drastic, too un-Nigerian or too impractical to implement in the 21st century, but it is a legitimate idea that deserves a fair discussion and open debate. A review of current democracies using conscription, an analysis of the Nigerian military and an evaluation of our country's civilian state lead me to believe that conscription is the answer to many of our country's – and children's – woes.

What can anybody say again than to say that Wenger is a businessman, he got Persie for 2.75m pounds and his now letting him go for 24m pounds.. But i promise you the Gunners will pay for these sale.. Manchester United have come out of the deal on top and this buy might just take them back to the top again

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has admitted that the club was left with no choice, but to sell wantaway striker, Robin van Persie, to bitter rivals, Manchester United. Both clubs announced last night that they had agreed a fee for the Dutch striker, and he just needs to agree personal terms and undergo a medical.“It’s sad to lose a player of his quality. He had a year left on his contract so we didn’t have the choice,” the Frenchman said.

When asked by TF1 whether he will recruit another player to replace Van Persie, Wenger replied: “We already recruited to replace him.”

The Gunners boss, was evidently referring to Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski, who he bought this summer, from Montpellier and FC Cologne respectively.

HOLD IT!!!!!!! Who was the former Gov. of that state? Okay 7000 thats nice to know but also who are the people involved? We need to know them pls bring them out.......

he Oyo State Government recently declared that it has uncovered about 7,000 ghost workers in its civil and public service in the last one year.

The Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Mr Bosu Oladele, spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, at a roundtable organised bythe League of Veteran Journalists in the state.

The commissioner, who said a search for such workers is ongoing, explained that they were discovered through staff audit and biometric exercise.

According to him, the search will be extended to local governments and the pension’s board to expose those feeding fat on government revenue.

Oladele, however, said despite the discovery, the state has about 38,000 workers and 38,000 pensioners, who receive monthly income from the treasury.

http://dailypost.com.ng/2012/08/16/incredible-7000-ghost-workers-discovered-oyo-state-civil-service/

1800bc: In my opinion,i think we shuld know better judging from past records of these agencies...didn't the police once let out a terrorist suspect claiming that he escaped along lokoja express? and without gun shot wounds sef. Leave matter!

mean while tomorrow these set of unreliable security agency are asking for more allowance!!!!!!! Wen they can't Han dle social issues.... Haba Haba pls make dem go sleep......

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Another propaganda, we HAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonders shall neva end.....

HammedSodiqq: Hehehehehehe. A man who sees nothing good in people's Govt finally admits that he carried out illegal deals as FCT Minister. Is he aware of the pains the 8 people whose plots were revoked passed through? Can a man like this now define what leadership means? Yesterday he called those around him clueless, today he admits that he is a criminal. God don dey catch am. #naijagobeta

El-rufai you again!!!! now i know some thing is wrong with you, abi air-forceon de pay you visit? talk am now make we know oooooooooo.

Every year, all these roads that have been mentioned keep coming up for construction and maintenance why? Abi other roads no they the country again too? Go to the south!! Places like Cross River, Abia, Imo etc whats & why has nothing been happening to these routes or abi now na railway be the new excuse? See the road that leads from Cross River to Akwa Ibom and Abia is very very bad and small. Accident rates on that road is moving up fast every yr combine with heavy duties that apply that same road. Its crazy that for over the yrs no one has mention it or are we waiting to have a major disaster b4 we look at that part of the country??.

The contractors are working that i know because most of these roads i passed them while some are under construction but you don't expect a miracle over nite especially when you pass a particular route all the time.

Any thing you can do to stop these people is very welcome from every Nigerian.. Why are people so wicked, they just wake-up every morning and decide to kill innocent people WHY, WHO GAVE YOU SURE POWER AND RIGHT?? Stop killing us because of some stupid money your trying to make ooooooooooo! Its about time nothing like bail should be provided for them Abeg ooooooooooo, catch and lock them with the keys thrown away..

Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii Not satisfied with some sections or provisions in the law which spelt out punishment for offenders, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has canvassed stiff penalty for any culprit caught in the act.

And for such punishment to be implemented, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, Thursday disclosed of plan to review the current laws especial the one bordering on the use of counterfeit drugs and other related products.

Speaking at a one-day sensitisation workshop for NAFDAC shareholders, Orhii said the present law which stipulated a fine of N500,000 or 15 years jail term on conviction of any offender should be replaced with life imprisonment.

The United States wants to help Nigeria fight the growing violence blamed on the Boko Haram sect, but the country cannot rely on military might alone, an official travelling with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
Mrs Clinton arrived on a one-day visit in Abuja yesterday, where she held a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan as well as security chiefs, offering to help fight the sect, which has waged a campaign of bombing and shooting in parts of the North for more than two years.
She arrived at the Presidential Villa at 3.57p.m., accompanied by officials of the U. S. Embassy in Nigeria and some diplomats, and was received by the Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru.

Her meeting with security chiefs lasted for more than two and half hours, focusing on security matters affecting Nigeria and other African countries, officials said. Those in attendance include all the service chiefs, the National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and the Inspector General of Police Muhammad Abubakar.
“A security strategy is not enough,” the senior U.S. official travelling with Clinton told Reuters.

Military crackdowns have had mixed results - reducing Boko Haram’s capabilities in some areas but generating anger because of their heavyhandedness.

Washington is offering to help Nigeria with things like forensics, tracking of suspects and ‘fusing’ disparate strands of police and military intelligence, the U.S. official said.

“We know all too well from our own experiences in both Iraq and Afghanistan what can happen if soldiers and police are not operating under appropriate authorities.

“We will encourage them not to use excessive force and to look at this as a ... law enforcement operation designed to catch perpetrators and bring them to justice,” he added.

The U.S. is also concerned that the violence could disrupt regional peace, the official said

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/other-sections/lead-stories/174115-us-force-alone-cant-beat-boko-haram[b][/b]