₦airaland Forum

A Nigerian official said on Sunday that his agency had discovered a “spiritual book” suspected to be used by the Boko Haram to indoctrinate their victims.

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Borno, Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed this in Maiduguri in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mr. Abdullahi said that the book, written in Arabic, was discovered during an operation by the corps officials at an abandoned house in Dikwa Local Government Area of the state.

“It is sad that many innocent souls had been dragged into submitting to Boko Haram through spiritual indoctrination,” he said.

“The book, named ‘Guduma’, was used by the insurgents as a powerful charm to indoctrinate followers into submitting to the dictates of leaders of the sect.

“Our findings revealed that the book was also used in deceiving victims and members of the sect into believing that it could make them invisible and also offer protection against bullet shots and bombs.
“The spiritual book was abandoned by ‘Boko Haram’ after the takeover of Dikwa from the insurgents, two years ago,” he said.

Nigerian troops have retaken several territory initially captured by the terrorists whose activities have caused the death of over 20,000 people since 2009.

A United States legal scholar and an official of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have provided answers suggesting that Nigeria could successfully request the extradition of Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, who is currently a resident in the US.

The responses from Rutgers law professor, Roger Clark, and DOJ spokesman, Peter Carr, came in response to inquiries by SaharaReporters into Mr. Obanikoro’s legal status with regard to US extradition laws. Both experts’ responses revealed that Mr. Obanikoro is susceptible to extradition should the Nigerian government follow appropriate legal procedures to request for it.

Mr. Obanikoro was again propelled into public attention on Tuesday when agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) searched several properties belonging to him and his family. SaharaReporters confirmed that EFCC agents went into Mr. Obanikoro’s posh Ikoyi estate in Lagos State and seized expensive wristwatches, vehicles, and other valuable items .

SaharaReporters first broke the news of Mr. Obanikoro’s involvement in the infamous Ekitigate scandal —detailing how the former minister anchored the rigging the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State in favor of Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr. Obanikoro, who was as one of the masterminds of the plot, was caught on a leaked audio recording inducing Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh with the promise of promotion and cash once the officer helped deliver the state for the PDP candidate.

It was later learned that the cash Mr. Obanikoro used to bankroll Ekitigate, which included bribing polling officers, the military, and other political leaders, came from then National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki. Mr. Dasuki, it is now known, illegally diverted security funds to the tune of at least $2.1 billion during his tenure at the Office of the National Security Adviser. Some of the stolen funds went to Mr. Obanikoro and other PDP henchmen for the purpose of rigging elections for the party .

Mr. Obanikoro fled Nigeria in 2015 shortly after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since leaving Nigeria, Mr. Obanikoro has been spotted in several places in the United States. Recently, SaharaReporters obtained graduation photos of Mr. Obanikoro, who had completed a graduate degree in history at Oglethorpe University in Georgia.

Questions have been raised as to whether Mr. Obanikoro is eligible for extradition from the United States owing to speculation that he holds American citizenship. A SaharaReporters investigation, published in 2007, included the data page of Mr. Obanikoro’s US passport issued on June 16th, 1995.

The name on the passport carries obvious similarities to the name Mr. Obanikoro uses today. At that time, the former minister was going by the name Muhammed Musiliu Olatunde Onikoro. The 2007 SaharaReporters investigation
noted that Mr. Obanikoro’s election forms for Lagos State governor used the name Mohammed Musiliu Olatunde Onikoro.

Further, a SaharaReporters inquiry confirmed that Mr. Obanikoro worked at the Little Flower Children Service in Brooklyn, New York under his passport name, Olatunde Onikoro, in the 1980s. According to Mr. Obanikoro’s biography on his former campaign website , he also worked in Houston, Texas in the Adult Probation Department following his studies at Texas Southern University.

SaharaReporters contacted an international legal expert, Roger Clark, to seek legal clarification on United States laws as they pertain to the extradition of people who, like Mr. Obanikoro, hold American citizenship. Mr. Clark is an expert on international criminal law and a professor at Rutgers University School of Law in the United States.

Asked whether the United States government would extradite an American citizen to a foreign country where they had allegedly committed a crime, Mr. Clark stated that “the United States has no problem extraditing its nationals provided there is a treaty.”
Mr. Clark added that some countries in Western Europe are reluctant to extradite their own citizens, but added that “common law countries” do not usually have a problem assuming legal processes are followed.

According to Mr. Clark, common law countries including Nigeria will often fall under the same treaty that outlines reciprocal and mutually agreed on rules for extraditing their nationals. The legal expert pointed out that the treaty was signed into force in 1935 when Nigeria was still under colonial control by Great Britain and that it remains in effect today.

The treaty provides a litany of crimes that qualify for extradition, including fraud, fraudulent conversion, obtaining money or goods by false pretenses, forgery, offenses against bankruptcy law, and bribery.

Numerous investigative reports by SaharaReporters and other media indicate that Mr. Obanikoro may have violated several of these laws, including evidence connected to his role in the Ekitigate plot. Sources speaking to SaharaReporters in December 2015 revealed that money stolen by the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki has been traced to several companies under the control of Mr. Obanikoro . The sources disclosed that the ill-gotten money was either used for Ekitigate bribes or laundered by Mr. Obanikoro for personal use.

SaharaReporters also discussed the issue of extradition with Peter Carr, an official at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) . The DOJ is the primary federal criminal investigation and enforcement arm of the US government and would play a significant role in any extradition process.

In an email to SaharaReporters, Mr. Carr explained that “within [existing] statutory and treaty framework, US practice is, generally, to extradite its citizens, assuming that the requirements of the treaty are met.” He added, “The fact of dual nationality with Nigeria would be irrelevant in this context.”

Article 8 of the extradition treaty “specifies that extraditions will comply with the laws of the requested country, i.e., the place where the fugitive is found,” Mr. Carr further stated in his email to SaharaReporters.

youngest85:
Are u a saint?

When asked by BBC if no African leader deserves to win every year, Ibrahim said: “Yes, exactly, it’s not because we are Africans, we have to accept substandard; excellence means excellence.”

Mudiaga Affe, Calabar

There are indications that the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. John Gaul-Lebo, might be impeached following a crisis in the House.
It was gathered on Friday that majority of the lawmakers are aggrieved over the prolonged non-payment of welfare to members.

The bulk of the lawmakers had four days ago threatened to impeach the speaker.
The latest move will be the third time since assumption of office in June 2015 that the Speaker will be threatened with impeachment notice.

It was learnt that the majority of the legislators are piqued that after one year in office, they had yet to get their official cars, housing and wardrobe allowances as well as other entitlements.

One of the aggrieved members, who spoke anonymously, said his colleagues were also worried of the inability to sit and carry out constitutional duties due to lack of diesel and unavailability of office stationeries to run the legislature.

“Beyond all the grievances listed above, we do not sit regularly due to lack of electricity and office facilities to ease the business. It is a serious matter,” he said.

The source added that the civil servants in the Assembly were angry with the Speaker over plot to transfer some top officials for allegedly divulging the leadership’s financial transactions to other members of the House.

Another competent source told our correspondent that about 11 lawmakers, allegedly led by the Lawmaker representing Ikom 2 State Constituency, Mr. Simon Nkoro, are already shopping for signatures to make up 2/3 of the 25 lawmakers in the House in order to impeach the Speaker.

Most of the lawmaker said to be in support of the impeachment, according to the source further include members representing Calabar Municipality, Bakassi, Odukpani, Obudu, Akamkpa I and II and Calabar South II constituencies.

The source added that the aggrieved lawmakers and the leadership of the house have series of peace meetings with the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, and the party Chairman, Mr. Inok Edim, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Reacting to the development, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr. Nelson Ofem, confirmed that there was “discontent” in the House.
He, however, said that no impeachment notice had been served the Speaker.

Also speaking, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Azogor Ideba, said, “There is no problem in the house, a few members cannot just wake up and impeach the Speaker.”

The council boss, who was recently recalled from suspension by the state House of Assembly,
stated that the bullets hit her in the stomach, hand and thighs, adding that 22 pellets were recovered.

The Nigerian Army on Thursday said Boko Haram terrorists now evade drones and aircraft surveillance by hiding in makeshift camps covered with shrubs.

Col. Sani Usman, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, revealed this new tactic in a statement in Maiduguri.

Usman said in the statement that the discovery was made during a clearance operation in the North Eastern area of Kumshe in Borno.

“Troops of 7 Division Strike Group Team B, attached to 21 Brigade have braved harsh climatic conditions to clear seven villages of Boko Haram terrorists’ presence in the North East of Kumshe village.
“The villages are Mulfuta, Baibawa, Jenere, Bembem, Maksamari, Bula Kafie and Bula Bodi.

“The troops discovered that the Boko Haram terrorists have evolved new tactics of evading surveillance by drones and aircraft. They now hide in makeshift camps covered with shrubs”, said the statement.

It added that the troops recovered some motorcycles, two Dane guns, large quantity of foodstuffs stored in a well constructed storage facility and solar panels.
It stated that the troops proceeded to Bembem, “where the suspected Boko Haram terrorists also laid an ambush for them.

“It was, however, cleared successfully although a soldier sustained gunshot wound during the clearance. He has been evacuated and receiving treatment.

“The team discovered and rescued some hostages held by the Boko Haram terrorists in the area.”
It pointed out that although the patrol team did not encounter any terrorists in Maksamari, they made a very rewarding recovery of an invaluable communication gadget.

“Through it, the troops discovered the terrorists new tactics and dispositions”, Usman said in the statement.

It said the troops had also shot dead four suspected Boko Haram terrorists after another operation at Kircha Dungus village and surrounding environment.

“Troops of the 155 Task Force Battalion carried out a swift clearance operation at Kircha Dungus village and surrounding environment.

“This is a follow up operation to ensure proper clearance of suspected Boko Haram terrorists hideouts and prevent the fleeing terrorists escaping from Operation Crackdown.

“During the operation, the troops encountered pockets of the Boko Haram terrorists in which they killed four of them.

“A few others fled, leaving behind four women and a child. The troops have rescued and evacuated them for screening and further rehabilitation.”

The statement said a pair of military desert camouflage uniform and a generator set and water pumping machine were recovered.

It also said troops of the newly created 8 Task Force Division have commenced operations in earnest.
“The formations and units under its command have equally been involved in clearance operations through daily patrols, raids and offensive actions against remnants of Boko Haram terrorists.”

“It is in line with this that the troops of 153 Task Force Battalion conducted aggressive patrol to Gudusuri, Malalewa, Khadaamari, Rundi and Mugu villages in northern parts of Borno State.

“Although they did not encounter Boko Haram terrorists in the area, the troops recovered five vehicles, six motorcycles and one Boko Haram terrorists’ flag.

“In same vein, some elements of the same unit deployed at the Forward Operation Base (FOB) Old Marte, conducted another patrol to New Marte yesterday to clear suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area.”

lalasticlala

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital has started the trial of Kenneth Kobani, Secretary of State Government of the Rivers State charged with electoral offences, breach of public peace and terrorism allegedly committed on March 19 in Gokana local Government area of the state.

Kobani is being prosecuted for alleged electoral offences by the Department of State Security, DSS.

The case has now been adjourned for further hearing till 28th September, 2016 the continuation of the trial of Secretary to the Rivers State Government.

He was accused of allegedly holding some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials hostage during the March 19 rerun election in Gokana Local Government.

On cross examination at resumed trial, the INEC electoral officer in charge of the election in Gokana Emmanuel Isong told the court that the rerun election was disrupted in the area due to heavy shooting and explosions.

The INEC electoral officer did not indict any political party or individual for the electoral violence in Gokana.
The Secretary to the Rivers State Government Kobani, who is a lawyer and currently on bail was present in court.

In a related development, Justice Mohammad Liman of a Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt struck out a suit instituted by the PDP candidate in the March 19 rerun election for Degema Constituency Farah Dagogo.

The PDP candidate Dagogo had gone to court seeking an order compelling INEC to issue him Certificate of Return claiming that he won the election.

The court struck out the suit following an application for discontinuation of the matter by filed by counsel to Farah Dagogo.

Counsel to the Lulu Braide, the APC candidate in the Degema Constituency rerun election Emenike Ebete said the discontinuation of the case by the PDP candidate is commendable because the Federal High Court lacks the power to handle post election dispute.

Ebete also said the decision of his client Lulu Braide not to oppose the discontinuation of the matter is not an admission that Dagogo won the election.

Ebete hinted that the case would be pursued in an appropriate court, which is the Elections Petitioned tribunal in Abuja that purely set up for election matters.

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force has acquired a forensic laboratory, a digital resource centre and drones that could aid it in solving complex criminal cases in the country, including kidnapping, bank robbery, identity theft and others.

The facility, which has a wide variety of applications for positive identification of crime suspects through their fingerprints, iris and facial recognition functions, can also collect, store, merge and display the identity of targeted criminal elements even at the scene of crime.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, who inaugurated the equipment on Wednesday at the Force headquarters, Abuja, stated that the facility is a traditional scientific investigation tool of police departments all over the world.

He emphasized that modern policing is driven by the application of technology, forensic science, intelligence and citizens’ consent.

The equipment, the IG said, is a personal identity management systems that the police ought to have had long before now, stressing that its acquisition was meant to bridge the capacity gap in the Force in relation to forensic assets.

Arase explained that the facility was set up to complement the existing forensic laboratory in Lagos, adding that the digital resource centre was designed to serve as an information processing centre, where outcomes of analysed pieces of forensic evidence or other specialised policing materials or criminal information are disseminated in the most secure fashion to other police formations.

The resource centre, he added, has the capacity for accessing over 5 million law enforcement research materials such as journals, reports, Force orders, annual reports, forensic books and publications by renowned police authors and experts around the world.

According to him, from the digital resource centre, officers can conduct research on any facet of policing through the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Department portal, which he said was also connected to the INTERPOL Global Learning Centre in Singapore.

The IG said, “With this system, the Nigeria Police is not only set to comply with the provisions of the Administration of Justice Act, 2015, to capture and remit to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, all biometrics of suspected persons arrested by the police, but also put the police in a position to key into the Presidential directive that all data capturing government agencies should harmonize and integrate personal identities captured by such agencies on or before the end of 2016.”

The DIG in charge of the FCIID, Christopher Katso, explained that the facility also includes personal body camera systems for policemen on operations, that could transmit live feeds to GSM phones and the control room.

He noted that the facility would significantly improve the surveillance capabilities of the police and assist in tracking kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements.

bejeria101:
Its easy to do the blame game,all dis pple talking crap,it was intentional and planned by the man not her,even at 1am he wld still find a bike to go home,and now dat he is dead yes blame the woman.

“I came back to my room and saw Peter Nwogu
who is my church member in my room. He told
me that he travelled but couldn’t reach home
because it was late.

“I welcomed him as a church member, he then
asked me if I have food, I gave him the food I
warmed and I went to take my bath.’’

The defendent said when she came back from the
bathroom, she saw the deceased with only his
boxer and he made love advances to her.

A man has been arrested after he poured petrol on his wife and set her on fire during marital disagreement between him and the wife, leaving the woman in a critical condition in the hospital, in Benin, the Edo State capital.

It was gathered that the shocking incident happened on Saturday, June 11, at the family JB Street, Ekosodin Ugbowo, around the University of Benin.

An eyewitness narrated how the ugly incident happened:
"The place is actually a campus area and I happen to live there because of the nearness to school. I heard a noise outside and decided to know what's going on. At first I thought It was normal cultist fight again, not until I saw people crying.

I was so scared and asked what happened and I was told that a man poured fuel on his wife and set her ablaze and ran away.

This woman was badly burnt; the weavon she fix peeled off on her skin. Her skin was in layers and were all gone as at the time I ran out. She was rushed to the hospital but I heard hospitals are on strike, so I don't know how she's going to survive the terrible burns and pain."

"Everyone is saying different versions of what happened to the woman. Some men are wicked ooo, ladies please be careful of the kind of men you marry. He will either make or mar you."

According to Becky, who had gone to report the matter to the police, the N580,000, was money she had saved, which the fleeing suspect, Stephen Onyeukwu, ought to use to pay her bride price.

Lagos - A 26-year-old trader, Uchenna Okeke, on Tuesday appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates' Court for allegedly beating up a policeman.

Okeke, a resident of Oluwalimu Street, Ikeja, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace and assault.

The Prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 11 at Ikeja, Lagos.

He said the accused unlawfully assaulted a policeman in uniform attached to MAN Centre Police station for preventing Okeke from killing his lover.

``The accused beat up the complainant and also caused injury to his head,’’ he said.

Nwosu said that the complainant while performing his official duty sighted the accused beating up a woman and dragging her on the ground.

``The police corporal saw the accused beating his girlfriend and dragging her on the ground, he rushed to the scene to prevent the accused from committing murder.

``When he wanted to stop the accused from beating his lover, the accused transferred his aggression to him for preventing him from dealing with his fiancée.
``He beat him up and hit him with a stone on his head which resulted to bleeding,’’ he said.

The offences, said Nwosu, contravened Sections 166 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which on conviction attracts three-year imprisonment.
The accused pleaded innocence of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mr A.A Adesanya, adjourned the case till July 6 for mention.

Immediate-past Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador S.S Yusuf, was murdered in the early hours of yesterday by yet-to-be identified assassins.

According to an eyewitness, Oche Andrew who spoke to our correspondent when he visited the scene of the incident in Zone 6 District of Abuja, the former ambassador was thrown out through the balcony of his apartment by the four assailants who broke into his house at about 2am on Monday night.

The eyewitness said he was thrown out from the third floor of the apartment. He added that as the time the unfortunate incident happened, the late diplomat was alone.

“We woke up this morning only to find the body of the man lying lifeless. That was when I overhead neighborhoods saying that some people broke into his apartment midnight. They threw him out through the balcony and he died right there,” the eyewitness, Andrew told Daily Sun.

Speaking to Daily Sun, a relative of the deceased, Mrs Yemi Adebisi Kuti, said her brother was assassinated. She alleged that the assailants who carried out the killing did not tamper with anything in her brother’s apartment.

“My brother was born in 1957. He was the immediate-past ambassador to South Africa. All I can say is that he was murdered. The people that broke into his apartment did not take anything with them. They did not even tamper with the smallest item in the house. They just came and carried out their assignment,” she said.

Late Ambassador Yusuf hailed from Niger.

Written by: Oluwatoyin Malik

AN undercover police working with the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command, Iliasu Saidu (34), recently arrested the ring leader of a suspected four-member car robbery syndicate and cheated death by whiskers after he was shot by the gang leader.

He has, however, been praised by the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, for the resilience and doggedness he displayed.

Crime Reports learnt that the operative, Iliasu Saidu, (34), sustained an injury on the right leg after he was shot by the leader of the syndicate, one Wale Jamiu a.k.a Ijebu, who, unknown to him, had been monitoring him.

But the police operative, despite his gunshot wound, still managed to pick his pistol and shoot the suspect in his right thigh, leading to his arrest.

When the information reportedly got to the state governor, he reportedly ordered immediate transfer of the police officer to the Emergency Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for a comprehensive medical attention.

According to information gathered by Crime Reports through a police source, the RRS undercover team had two days before the incident got a lead to a robbery case with the arrest of one Musa Sadiq, a tailor at Obalende area of Lagos Island, who was receiving stolen vehicles from robbers. Most of the vehicles, according to Musa, were sold to buyers in Kaduna and Kano states.

The RRS undercover team had reportedly worked on Musa who provided links to the robbery suspects, which made the shot RRS officer to disguise as an intending buyer of a Lexus which was snatched at gunpoint in Okokomaiko, in a bid to arrest the four-member gang.

The undercover team reportedly took Musa along with them after tutoring him on how to comport himself and play along with the RRS team. But, as they were devising their plan, their target too was being very careful not to expose his syndicate members.

The source further disclosed that after several hours of delay tactics by the robbers aimed at ascertaining the true identity of the buyer, they finally brought the Lexus SUV to Alaba Market to pick the buyer at about 9:00p.m.

The source further revealed: “Then, the detective told the gang that he should be allowed to drive the car himself. They gave him the car but they were telling him the direction to take. After it was agreed that that he should go and bring money for the vehicle, the RRS operative reportedly informed his colleagues who had positioned themselves in the vicinity of the hotel where the transaction was to take place.

“But one of the robbers told the ring leader that he suspected that policemen were around the hotel vicinity. By then, the detective was with the ring leader. One by one, the robbers, who were outside the hotel premises started to leave. As the ring leader also made to leave, the detective grabbed him, resulting in an immediate response from his gang members who started shooting while other operatives also engaged them in a shoot-out.”

Crime Reports’ source added that it was at this point that one of the robbers shot the detective in the leg while the policeman, in turn, shot the ring leader and eventually arrested him with the SUV.

Tony Okafor, Awka

THE burial of Sir Richard Okeke, the father of Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, on Friday, was like a carnival for pickpockets.

No fewer than 10 cell phones, several handbags and cash were stolen from guests at the funeral, which took place at Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

The Master of Ceremony, Mr. Chido Obidiegwu, disturbed by the ugly trend, continually warned guests to guard their phones and other personal effects as complaints of missing phones had increased.

At the graveside, when the patriarch of the Okeke family was been lowered to his final rest place, a female voice shouted, “My money, my money”.

She pounced on a young man near her and N100,000 was found in the young man’s pocket.
Security agents went for the man; beat him thoroughly before whisking him away.

At the VIP tent, one of those who lost their phones and other valuables, Mrs Roseline Okoye, said she lost N50,000 and a phone.

She said, “I bought that phone just last week and it was a costly phone. I bought it N60,000. They took everything with my handbag. There was N50,000 in that bag. What is all this?

“How can this happened in this high class VIP tent. No poor person was allowed into this tent where I was sitting. How can this happen here? I’m confused”, she lamented.

Pa Richard Okeke died at the age of 88. He was a retired engineer and contractor. His funeral was attended by top class politicians in the country.

Former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano; his Enugu counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Deputy Senate President, Ike Enweremadu, were among the dignitaries that bade the deceased farewell.

Others at the church service held at Immanuel Anglican Church, Enugwu-Ukwu were former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and five deputy governors of Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River and Adamawa.

Former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; National Assembly members, Anambra State speaker, Hon. Rita Maduagwu; industrialist, Chief Godwin Ezeemo; Senator Uche Ekwunife were also in attendance.

The Dean of Anglican Communion, Archbishop Christian Efobi, led over 100 other clerics, including 12 archbishops to the ceremony.

In his sermon, The Most Rev. Efobi, blamed Christians for the numerous problems bedeviling the country including Boko-Haram, Niger Delta Avengers, among others.

He said Christians were not strong in their prayers to avert some of the problems confronting the country, adding that all hands must be on deck to salvage Nigeria from its current situation.

He said, “Christians need to pray hard for President Buhari to take Nigeria to the Promised Land, all these problems confronting this nation were because we have not prayed hard and this is the time for that.”
Efobi described the late Richard Okeke as a unique person that served God with all his heart.

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, in his speech, described the deceased as a great man and implored the children to emulate their father’s legacy.
Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, thanked everybody that had given honour to his father.

He said his father’s death was a celebration of life, noting that his father lived a simple life that should be emulated by all.

He said, “There is nothing sad about this process and my father left a wonderful legacy for the family and for everybody to emulate. Therefore, this is real celebration”

Written by: Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

SERIOUS concern has been raised on the health status of a 12-year old female rape victim in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, as one of the two suspects arrested by the state police command in connection with the case, one Emmanuel Nwachukwu, has confessed to testing positive of HIV/ AIDS after being screened by doctors in a public hospital in the state.

Nwachukwu, a 52-year-old man and a builder by profession, stated this while being paraded by the police in Minna along with the second suspect, Chinedu Andrew (22).

The two suspects were accused of raping a Primary Six pupil, Bright (not real name), whose mother is said to be a close family friend to the wife of the first suspect and a neighbour to both suspects.

According to Nwachukwu, “I have tested positive to HIV/AIDS, but before the test was conducted, I did not know I had the virus.”

He said he did not rape the girl, but made love with her, adding: “She told me she was about 15 years old.” He further stated that he was married and blessed with four children.

Giving an insight into how he got involved with the rape victim, the suspect said: “One afternoon in November 2015, Bright came to my residence when I lay on my bed .

“She climbed the bed and was touching me. I asked what her problem was because I saw her as a young girl, but she responded that I would not understand. She kept on playing with me and when I could no longer hold myself, I made love to her.”

The suspect further explained that when he realised that the girl was wayward, “I started telling her that I was going to report her to her mother but she responded that she was going to tell her mother that I was the one that had been making love to her.”

Also, the second suspect, Andrew, confessed to defiling the young girl but claimed that she agreed to be his girlfriend when he informed her that he was aware of her love affairs with the first suspect, who happened to be the father of his bosom friend.

The SSS2 student narrated his story thus: “I used to see Bright with Oga Emma (Nwachukwu) sometimes in his house. One day, I asked her what she was doing with Oga Emma as I was always seeing them together.

“I advised her against dating a man old enough to be her father and she replied that it was the man that was pestering her for sex.”

Andrew added that no sooner had he given the advice to the victim than she started touching him in some sensitive parts of his body, after which he quickly stripped his clothes and had carnal knowledge of her.

Andrew said that his love making sessions with Bright continued, but that did not stop him from revealing the first suspect’s escapades with the young girl to his son. This, he stated, made Nwachukwu unhappy.

“It was Oga Emma who went and informed Bright’s mother that I was sleeping with her daughter. This made the woman to report the case at the police station and I was arrested. I felt I had not done anything to warrant being arrested by the police because I felt I was innocent as the girl voluntarily agreed that I should be her boyfriend. I also told the police that I was not the only one sleeping with the girl and mentioned Oga Emma’s name.”

When Crime Reports contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, he confirmed the incident, saying that the suspects would be charged to court, as investigations into the case had been concluded. He however refused to talk on the health status of the first suspect.

By Sam Eyoboka

THE election for the presidency of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has assumed a new twist as the outgoing President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is said to have summoned a meeting of the President-in-Council, PIC, for tomorrow amidst reports that the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, has threatened to pull out of CAN.

Feelers indicated that Dr. Jeremiah Gado, the candidate of TEKAN/ECWA bloc and alleged government candidate for the CAN presidency, has approached an Abuja High Court for unlawful denial as a candidate in the election. It was learnt that the TEKAN/ECWA candidate was actually looking for an interim injunction to stop the election but the court refused to grant the request. The court instead asked that the parties be put on notice and served to enable them appear before it on Tuesday. A reliable source close to the umbrella body of Christians confirmed the development, saying Gado had approached the court seeking to address his undue denial as a candidate for the presidential election and some other issues.

According to the schedule of events, the election of a new President to succeed Oritsejafor is billed for Tuesday by the 309 members of the CAN, NEC. The Electoral College has screened the only two candidates —Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle of the Baptist Convention, who polled eight votes, and Prof. Joseph Otubu of the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), who scored two votes.

According to the Constitution of CAN, the Electoral College, headed by erstwhile Chaplain to two Nigerian presidents and Head, Aso Rock Villa Chapel, Rev. William Okoye, was expected to screen the nominated candidates and recommend two of them for the National Executive Council for election. The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN and the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, CPFN/PFN, which nominated the outgoing president, did not present candidates for the election.

Following the unresolved dispute in the TEKAN/ECWA bloc the number of candidates for the CAN president was reduced to just two which, some now reason, should have made the Electoral College to recommend the two to NEC for the election.

Meanwhile there were indications last night that the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, has threatened to severe relationship with CAN, unless the impasse is resolved and adequate opportunity is given to every candidate who had indicated interest in the presidential contest.

Details were sketchy but the CSN was said to have threatened that they would pull out of CAN if the election was not cancelled. Our source, who said it was still top secret as at yesterday evening, claimed that the Catholic Secretariat, making up one bloc of CAN, had sent in a letter demanding that the election was cancelled...”because indirectly they are looking for an ECWA man to lead CAN.”

Oyetunji Abioye and Ifeanyi Onuba

The Federal Government has ruled out any possibility of providing bailout funds to banks to boost their operations, following the gale of job losses in the banking sector in the last two weeks.

A top government official told one of our correspondents on Saturday that it would be wrong for the government to bail out the banks with pubic funds because all the other sectors of the economy were faced with one challenge or the other.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not permitted to comment officially on the matter, said if the government announced any bailout for the banking sector, all other sectors of the economy would start requesting for their own package.

According to him, the government does not have enough funds to finance its operations, therefore, bailing out any sector will further compound the current economic situation in the country.

The source said, “We all know that this government is seriously looking for money to finance its operations.
“So, can a government that is looking for money and that is also struggling to pay its workers’ salaries be able to provide a bailout for any sector? Where will such money come from? I can tell you that such is not currently feasible.”

The Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Festus Akanbi, also said the option of a bailout for the banks was currently not on the agenda of the government.

“As we speak now, there is no plan to provide bailout funds for the banks. We are not considering such an option currently,” Akanbi simply said and declined further comments.

No fewer than 1,400 workers have been sacked in the last two weeks by banks in response to the challenges in the nation’s economy, which have led to most of the financial institutions to record declining profits.

The PUNCH had reported that Ecobank Nigeria sacked over 1,040 of its employees, while Diamond Bank and Skye Bank also retrenched 200 and 175 members of their workforce, respectively.

FBN Holdings, the parent company of First Bank of Nigeria, had earlier said it would prune the number of its employees by 1,000.

Following the gale of job losses, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, had directed the banks to stop the retrenchment exercise.

The minister further directed that all the retrenchments done in the past four months should be put on hold pending the outcome of a proposed stakeholders’ summit for employers and employees of the banking, insurance and financial institutions scheduled for the first week of July.

Ngige’s directive to the banks had fuelled speculations that the government might be thinking of a package to cushion the impact of the withdrawal of funds through the Treasury Single Account from the banking sector.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, had while speaking shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, said the recent appeal by the government to the banks not to sack workers was based on the conviction that by the time the economy picked up, the banks would need the workers again.

He said the government was convinced that the economy would pick up soon and the banks would need the workers again.

Udoma said, “With regards to the plea to the private sector (not to sack workers), it is because we know that by the time the economy picks up, they will need those people again.

“We know the economy is going to pick up and we are confident about that. That is because of our plan; the plan was conceived because we knew that this was the trajectory we will move into.”

Meanwhile, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees said on Saturday that it would not overlook the recent sacking of about 1,400 of its members.

The union said it was about concluding plans to picket the branches of the three banks nationwide.
The union said following a meeting of members of its executive committee, letters had been written to the management of the three banks asking them to recall the affected workers or invite NUBIFIE for negotiations on redundancy, if recalling the affected staff was inevitable to their survival.

The General Secretary, NUBIFIE, Mr. Muhammed Sheik, who stated this position in an interview with one of our correspondents, said should the affected banks failed to respond to the two options, the union would not hesitate to proceed on the picketing of their branches nationwide.

He said, “The matter of the sacking of about 1,400 employees by three banks is not over yet. Certain actions taken in violation of extant labour laws must be reversed. We have told the banks that those who have not sacked should not do so, and that those who have sacked should reverse the action.

“In our letters to them, we also told them that if the sackings made in the last two weeks are inevitable, they should invite the union for negotiations in line with redundancy rules.”

Asked whether the union had set a specific timeline, Sheik said, “We are sceptical of putting a deadline. Before the end of next week, we may decide to picket one or two of the three banks. We don’t need to give them any notice again before doing that.
“We will begin this picketing by ourselves or involve our partners in the civil society group.”

Speaking on recent engagements between the union and the affected banks, the NUBIFIE general secretary said, “Already, Ecobank has started engaging us in talks and we have sent a proposal on redundancy to them but they have not responded to that. Diamond Bank and Skye Bank have yet to respond. They either bring back the people or negotiate redundancy.”
Sheik said the union was calling on all affected bank workers to visit its secretariat to furnish it with relevant information for possible negotiation on redundancy should the banks prefer the option.

According to him, a situation where financial institutions usually sack their workers in times of economic downturn or whenever their businesses are affected by government policies without following extant labour laws will no longer be tolerated.

While emphasising that sacking of employees was not a permanent solution to the economic challenges and government policies, Sheik said the unfolding situations in the country called for innovation and new strategies on the part of the banks rather than sacking of employees.

The Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Mr. Segun Osinowo, could not be immediately reached for comments on the development via his telephone lines.
Our correspondent gathered he had travelled out of the country.

Osinowo had earlier said banks, like every other employer of labour, had the right to hire and fire.
But Ngige warned on Tuesday that the Federal Government would sanction errant banks because it had a duty to protect jobs in this harsh economy.

Ngige said, “We will go a step further if they continue. We know what to do. After all, the banks have the licences given by the government. We know what to do. They need to comply. They need to come to the negotiation table.

“Section 20 of the Labour Act says it. You must call the unions and discuss with them. You don’t just treat them as slaves in their own country and you want us to keep quiet. We want them to maintain the status quo. As far as I am the minister of labour, I will protect the interest of workers; same to the telecommunication companies, they are also talking about compiling lists without discussing with anybody.”

The Bankers’ Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria had on Thursday said the mass sacking in banks would be reduced in the shortest time possible.
It noted that while it was working on how to reduce the level of job losses in the sector, there would always be reasons why people would have to be sacked from their workplaces.

What started as a big joke suddenly became a reality. In a desperate bid to stop the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari the heat of the 2015 presidential election, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Ekiti state Governor, did the unthinkable. He single-handedly placed an “obituary” of a living person on the front pages of The Punch and The Sun (January 19, 2015). What was his reason for this: “Will you allow history to repeat itself? Enough of State burials.” These he told Nigerians who listened to him eagerly. Suffice to say that many political analysts described the advert as one of the lowest moments in the run-up to the election. Trust “Prophet” Fayose he did his utmost to make his “prophesies” come to pass. He told us all that Buhari had “advance stage” cancer, even coming up with a “medical report” from Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital (I meant the one in Ikare, not ABUTH please)!

Let us spare the Fayose’s infantile theatrics for a while. Recently, a group that calls itself the Niger-Delta Avengers (NDA), threatened to assassinate President Buhari if he goes on with his intention of going to Rivers state on official visit on Thursday 2 June, 2015. An NDA member reportedly issued a threat to the President on his visit to the volatile region. In a phone monitored on the pirate Radio Biafra, the militants say the president will be signing his death warrant by visiting Ogoniland as scheduled.

If the President is visiting the land with a history of oil spills to assess the extent of damage(s) done by multinational oil companies in the region, it still baffles rational minds to know those who really wish the president dead!

I happened to be one of the people who wished the President will call the bluffs of these so-called militants who threatened to assassinate him should he attempt to visit the region. I was so disappointed to know that the president will later shelve his plans to attend the official launch of the cleanup of Ogoniland.

The reason for my disappointed steams from the fact that, as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the President should not be seen to be cowardly. This was the reason some of us supported him in the first instance. Is there any part of the federation that the President cannot visit? Can the so-called Avengers be more powerful than the Nigerian Army? What becomes of the morale of hardworking soldiers under the Joint Task Force (JTF) fighting the militants when his C-in-C is “too afraid” of “assassination threats” from a ragtag group? That also reminds us, why the president made the visit a public announcement when he could have appeared unannounced?

Let us take the argument of these groups that they are indeed fighting a course on behalf of their “offended” ethnic groups. Let us assume for the sake of analysis that the NDA wants to “right the wrongs” meted out on them by the Federal Government in the past. To whose benefit really is the cleanup of Ogoniland when it is finally done?

On getting the news of the cancelled Buhari’s visit to Ogoni, a colleague of mine quickly, in a desperate attempt to attract my attention, told me how he wished to “disappoint” me with the piece of news having barely resumed work that day. “Buhari shouldn’t be afraid of these Niger-Delta Avengers because they are smaller than Boko Haram. Buhari should have gone to launch the cleanup.” I had to agree with him. While agreeing with him, I thought about the what the headlines will be in the online media. “Coward President Buhari Succumbs to Niger-Delta Militants” will be a good one on an anti-Buhari media platform. Is is just about the president not honouring his own visit, or is he just being “bullied” or misadvised?

I remember sometimes last year when late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s son, Chukwuma, was to be buried. The drama was so sensational that, just for some people to justify their arguments of Buhari “hating Igbos”, they won’t mind insulting the late son of the Zik of Africa even in death just because of his friendship with the President. He was buried, Buhari did not attend the ceremony and they were happy! To these ones, as long as Buhari has no ‘footings in the South East’, the party can continue.

On the assassination threats coming from the Avengers is really nothing new. If Buhari had attended the event, the worst that would have happened would have been some pockets of protests here and there just to “show the world how unpopular Buhari’s administration is.” Their own problem is that they see it as a taboo that a Fulani man (a tribe they told the world hates them) is the one to commence the cleaning up of the oil spills in “Biafra land” a feat “our son” could not achieve in several years in power. Does it surprise anyone that as Buhari was planning to launch Ogoniland’s cleanup brought “our son” back home from his “hiding spot”?

Earlier this year, the fiery Enugu Catholic priest and Founder, Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, alleged that there were plans by unnamed people to assassinate President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the clergyman, many people were plotting to kill the President because of what he described as his campaign against corruption, saying, “I am not a sycophant, but I want to tell you that so far, God is happy and he, who God has blessed, no one can curse. Many people are planning to kill Buhari - there are many plans on how to eliminate his life so that corruption will continue, so that embezzlement will continue.”

When Mbaka made this statement, the so-called NDA that threatened to assassinate Buhari was still in incubation. They were waiting to see whether some of their paymasters, like Sambo Dasuki will be granted a leave to travel abroad for “medical treatments” or granted bail on his present corruption charges. The question some of us ask ourselves is whether Dasuki comes from Niger-Delta that these ones are avenging!
The forces that have been battling the president before his elections are not giving up the fight as one may have thought. For these once, they will prefer a dead man occupying Aso Rock than for Buhari to withdraw from them their daily bread!