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sjeezy8: |
We’re dying: Ex-Biafran soldiers cry By PETRUS OBI, Enugu Monday, May 11, 2009 More Stories on This Section [b]The Nigerian Civil war may have ended several years ago on ‘no victor’ ‘no vanquished note,’ but the victims of the war, especially the disabled ex- Biafran soldiers who have been ‘abandoned’ at their settlement camp in Oji-River, Enugu State are still feeling the pains of neglect and abandonment by both the federal government and the defunct Biafran Republic. From the narrow entrance to the dilapidated camp, one could understand what Mr. Joseph Akani, spokesperson for the ex-soldiers meant when he said that “When we were brought here we were told that we would stay here, decay and die.” The visit of the de-mining team from the Federal Ministry of Defense to the camp recently provided the disabled soldiers an opportunity to speak out; and they seized it indicting both the federal government, the eleven States of the old Eastern Central States. They also indicted the former Biafran Leader, Chief Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu of abandoning them claiming that the former commander of the Biafran army had never visited them since they arrived the camp in 1970. Said he; “Today our sun has risen; for the first time since 1970 when the war ended we are seeing members of the Nigeria Defence in a great number like this. Happily enough you have seen us you have seen where we are quartered; by our right is the leprosy colony, in our front is the Oji River General Hospital ; it mainly treats the leprosy patients. As you can see, there is no government catering for us; we only live on charity. As you come here today, we and members of our family are rejoicing that at least, they’ll have something to eat. You represent the federal government and we know through you our message will get to the president. We need to be rehabilitated. If not that we are war victims, being members of the Nigeria family I think we deserve life. Our children deserve to be educated, our wives deserve to be clothed and have something doing, since they are our helpers; our eyes and our legs. We are pleading that you take our message to the federal government; we are begging that they should come and alleviate our sufferings. “It’s almost 40 years since the war ended and our existence has been is by the mercy of God. Here there is no water, our accommodation; if you enter there you will pity us. I have seen that those who are asked to die don’t die so quick. When we were brought here we were told that we will stay here, decay and die. Thirty nine years have come and gone but some of us are still alive. When we came here we were 697 today how many are left; less than 100. I am not happy to say that we are leaving because those who are dead, we are not better than them. Many of us died out of frustration; many died out of simply illness that could have been treated; and those of us living today, we are struggling with one illness or the other; there is one of us bedridden, sores here and there; nobody caters for him, except that the almighty God will never abandon his people. Leader of the federal government team and the director of Administration Commodore Essien Epkiken (rtd) disclosed that they have been sent to go round the eleven states that were involved in the war and to remove unexploded land mines and the ascertain the number of victims. As a token of goodwill we are here some gifts for you and your families. We are very happy to be here and we have seen you in person and your families and we seriously appreciate what kind of life you have been going through and it is our responsibility to enlighten all the people around us including the federal government of your plight. He urged the ex-soldiers to assist the team in identifying the areas where mines were laid during the war to make their work easy and to ensure the safety of the people. [/b] http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/may/11/national-11-05-2009-02.htm |
N3 Billion Contract Fraud: Senator arrested, Reps on the run Senator Nicholas Ugbane, Kogi East Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane has been arrested in connection with the N3 Billion rural electrification project said to have been paid to different contractors in December 2008 while three members of the House of Representatives also involved in the contract scam are currently on the run. Pointblanknews.com had exclusively reported the arrest of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Dr.Aliyu Abdullahi who was acting Minister for Power when the controversial contract was awarded. A source who confirmed the arrest of Senator Ugbane, Kogi East, told pointblanknews.com that members of the Senate and House Committees on Power had inserted the rural electrification project into the 2008 Appropriation Bill sent to the National Assembly by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua with a bid to offering the contracts to their cronies. The Source, a highly ranked official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where the Senator is currently being detained said the National Assembly appropriated N6 Billion for the Rural Electrification Project from where N3.5 Billion was earmarked for Grid Extension and N1.8 Billion for a Solar Project. According to the source, sensing that the project with its huge financial allocation would require the approval of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, members of the Senate and House committees on Power decided to split the contract in bits and awarded the N3.5 Billion Grid Extension to 113 Contractors and the N1.4 Billion Solar Project to 45 Contractors and connived with officials of the Ministry of Power to award the electrification project. Pointblank news.com gathered that one Chief Emeka Ohaegbena who was arrested alongside Senator Ugbane had 21 contracts awarded to nine companies registered in his name. He is alleged to be fronting for some unnamed officials. A Source had told pointblanknews.com that contracts for over 100 projects for rural electrification totaling about N2 billion and which process was under the watch of the Minister of State for Power were awarded and payments completely made to the contractors in a manner that smacks of fraud as it was done to beat the Federal Government contract award deadline in December 2008. Senator Ugbane, Dr. Abdullahi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Chief Ohaegbena and the five arrested Directors of the Universal Basic Education, UBE, have been scheduled for prosecution on Monday on the orders of the EFCC’s Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri. You got News for us, give us a tip at: newstip@pointblanknews.com. We treat them confidential as we investigate! http://pointblanknews.com/os1705.html |
ok, |
northing new. ![]() |
naija too much. ![]() |
Adeboyo is a thief.tribalism, the same people calling oyakhilome names are the same one crying over adeboole. |
thunder fire you,you are an igboman on under a fake name.you are not an ijawman you bloody liar.this how igbos used other people ethnicity to commit crime. |
i notice the igbos like to talk crap about other tribes,the same tribes that will welcome them to their states. |
the igbos will ignored this thread. ![]() |
why is the igbos always looking for trouble?the man changed security big deal?the poster is stupid so as the news.emeka go report on abia baby factory news.this make headline for what?nairaland is always baised when it comes to some state or some tribe.the ijebus are well know witches in yorubaland?are they not yoruba?.did,nt fashon william and damilola died in lagos and ekiti?was this because of politics or witches in yorubaland.? maybe PDP is after the talk too much gov?who knows.any way which be my own self?he is not my gov but the man like to talk.when will my Abia post make headline? |
Lagos faces threat of more building collapse By Emeka Ezekiel Published: Monday, 11 May 2009 There are strong indications that Lagos State may record more building collapse following revelations by the Nigerian Institute of Building and the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development that many buildings in the state have structural defects. Speaking during the builders’ forum in Lagos on Saturday, Chairman ,Lagos state Physical Panning and Development Authority said Mr. Taorid Alli, said that 800 buildings on Lagos Island, Ajeromi Ifelodun and Somolu Kosofe are currently in a precarious state He said, “We have done investigations of the structures in three local government areas in Lagos State.These local governments are Lagos Island, Ajeromi Ifelodun and Somolu Kosofe. In Lagos Island, we investigated 5,000 buildings and discovered that 100 of them were waiting to collapse. “It was recommended that over 400 should be subjected to further test and investigation to determine their structural stability. In Somolu Kosofe, we investigated over 18,000 structures and discovered that almost 200 of them should be demolished without further delay. More buildings have been recommended for further tests. When you look at these revelations critically, you would appreciate the challenges we are facing in Lagos State.” In the same vein, the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, told our correspondent that “over 90 per cent of buildings in Lagos State were concreted by the ubiquitous concrete gangs, using portable concrete mixers.” He said “We have discovered that in some collapsed building sites, some concrete debris recovered were looking so brittle. This raised serious question on the quality of the concrete.” In order to ensure that all the buildings in the state met the required structural standard, he said the NIOB would collaborate with the Association of Concrete Workers to ensure that they adhere to approved standards for concrete as recommended the Standards Organisation Of Nigeria He said, “Concrete has been identified as an important component in buildings. Poorly produced concrete can contribute significantly to failed performance of a structure. Following the incessant collapse of buildings in Lagos State and the brittleness exhibited by concrete debris recovered at building collapse sites, the need to look into concrete work around Lagos has become crucial. “The Nigerian Institute of Building in this state has been liaising with the Association of Concrete Workers on the campaign against poor workmanship. It is also important to examine the quality of materials being used to produce our concrete. “It is on the basis of this that we have decided to convene a meeting of all stakeholders in the industry to look into the concrete standards recommended by Standards Organisation of Nigeria vis-à-vis mix proportions obtainable at sites” In order to minimize the use of substandard building materials in the built industry, the Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr.John Akanya represented by Engr. Kareem Bello, said SON had developed over 3,000 standards for the building sub-sector adding that quality assurance in housing delivery would remain a mirage unless practitioners work according to the set guidelines in housing development. “He said “ Studies have shown that most of the problems encountered in the building /construction subsector is not lack of relevant standards, codes of practice or quality of materials but that of not following the standards and codes at the planning and execution of construction projects” http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200905111534042 |
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kosovo:idiot,bini witch dey uniben na. |
Ekiti: Hoodlums raze Fayemi's monarch's palace By Ogbonnaya Obinna Published Yesterday News Rating: Unrated Valuables worth N100m destroyed Fayemi THERE was tension in Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government area of Ekiti State, home town of the governorship candidate of the Action Congress (AC) , Dr Kayode Fayemi yesterday following the burning of the community's traditional ruler's palace by suspected hoodlums who destroyed properties estimated at about N100 million. The Onisan of Isan-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye, who confirmed the attack, revealed that the assailants fired several shots, adding that two of them wore masks while one did not wear masks. Indications are that the monarch, was allegedly being victimised for the support he offered his subject in his bid to become governor. The elder brother of the AC candidate, Mr. Segun Fayemi who also confirmed the incident fingered a chieftain of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) who is the son of a former Secretary to the State Government, SSG as the arrowhead of the attack. Mr. Fayemi said they were repelled by security men on guard in the house of his younger brother after which they headed for the palace of the Onisan to vent their spleen on the monarch. Some youths in the community have also vowed to attack the home of the former SSG whose son led the attack. Following the attack on the traditional ruler and member of his immediate family, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. John Ahmadu, had ordered deployment of riot policemen to the community to prevent breakdown of law and order. The youths in the town had staged a protest against the declaration of what they claimed was a fake result insisting that Fayemi, their townsman, was robbed of victory in the last governorship rerun election conducted in 63 wards in the state. Apart from the main palace building burnt down by the hoodlums, they also set Toyota Camry and Mercedes Benz E-Class belonging to the royal father on fire. Crowns, and other palace antiquities were also burnt in the attack. About six hoodlums were allegedly led by the OPC chieftain who stormed the palace at about 6.00 pm shooting sporadically into the air creating panic in the community. The Nation gathered that the hoodlums led by the OPC leader held a meeting in Ikere-Ekiti where strategies for the Isan-Ekiti attack were discussed and were allegedly offered N10,000 each to carry out the attack. They had earlier stormed Fayemi's residence in the community where they attacked the main gate but were resisted by the guards on duty before they proceeded to the palace to carry out yet another attack. Confirming the incident to reporters late yesterday night, Oba Ajiboye said he recognized some of the hoodlums stating that before the attack was carried out, there had been threats to his life which he had reported to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Oye Division. "Before then, there were lots of text messages threatening me that they are coming to deal with me. In their attack of today, they shot at me destroyed my vehicles, certificates, crowns and other valuables. "They burnt my Toyota Camry and Mercedes Benz E-Class and the value of what they burnt is more than N100 million. "Having carried out the act, they departed through Iludun end. I am still in Isan although in another location", Oba Ajiboye said last night on phone. Speaking on the development, Fayemi expressed regrets about the development describing the development as unfortunate. "As soon as I heard it, I spoke with the DIG and he reacted swiftly. The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Mobile Unit in the state said he was sending a unit to Isan tonight (yesterday). "It is just unfortunate and we hope our people in Ekiti are not taking this violent route but these characters in PDP are hell-bent on pursuing their do-or-die philosophy .and that explains why they are using some surrogates from our community to carry out their dastardly act after the pyrrhic", Fayemi said. There has been no official reaction from the state government at the time of filing this report. http://thenationonlineng.net/web/articles/3020/1/Ekiti-Hoodlums-raze-Fayemis-monarchs-palace/Page1.html |
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no igbo news? |
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rodan:hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ![]() |
How Nigerians fraudster duped me of $1m— American businessman Written by VANGUARD Sunday, 10 May 2009 [b]AN American businessman, Mr. Brandon Benson, has narrated in graphic details how a Nigerian fraudster, Engr. Taiye Ogboyomi, allegedly obtained $1million from him under false pretence. The American who is the president of Pipeline North Energy Inc, USA was brought into the country by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to testify in a case of Advance Fee Fraud brought against the suspect before Justice G.K Olotu of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In his testimony before the court on Tuesday, May 5 and Thursday, May 7, the American businessman said that Engr. Ogbonyomi who is the chairman of Energy Spread Network Ltd had sometime in 2006 contacted him and told him that he was a crude oil marketer with large quantity of crude oil for sale. An agreement was subsequently signed online by both parties for the sale of 1.985 million barrel of crude oil. This made the victim to send the first installment of $229,000 and another $5,000 on November 6, 2006 into the accused company’s domiciliary account with First Inland Bank Plc. The payment was said to be for charter party agreement. With the first breakthrough, Ogbonyomi demanded the payment of $159,000 for documentation at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. This the suspect said was to enable him obtain certificate of origin, certificate of quantity, bill of lading, cargo manifest, tanker village report and master’s receipt of documents. When the documents were eventually sent to the American businessman, he was further convinced to wire $425,000 to the fraudster who claimed the fund was for the warranty of title. That was shortly before another $180,000 was sent to the accused to seal the deal bringing the total sum lost to the fraudulent transaction to $989,000. Investigation by EFCC operatives has, however, shown that the entire documents sent to the victim were forged by the suspect to make the deal look genuine. The suspect was eventually arrested on November 11, 2007when the matter was reported to the EFCC and arraigned before Justice Olotu on October 23, 2008 on a 10-count charge of criminal conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence. [/b] The suspect’s trial commenced fully on February 3, 2009 when the lead investigator, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa gave evidence which he concluded last Tuesday, May 5. Soon after Bawa stepped down from the witness box, the American businessman stepped in to give evidence which he concluded on Thursday, May 7. After the victim’s account of his ordeal in the hands of Ogbonyomi, the trial judge adjourned the case to June 3, for continuation of trial. The victim has since Friday morning, May 7, left for his base in the U.S. http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/35520/42/ |
*jona: |
Baby sales racket • More ‘baby factories’ uncovered By HENRY UMAHI (umahi@sunnewsonline.com) Saturday, May 9, 2009 Photo: Sun News Publishing More Stories on This Section The last may not have been heard about the baby racket thriving in the country. Not long ago, the activities of a woman, who camps pregnant teenage girls and cater for them till they deliver their babies, were exposed. It was believed that the woman trades in babies, in the name of giving them out for adoption. However, it has been discovered that there are actually more “factories” of the babies in the country than earlier imagined. It is indeed, a racket. Curiously, the mafia, which runs the business, is believed to buy into government as well as law enforcement agencies and, therefore, remain untouched. [b]Saturday Sun observed that the business is shrouded in deceit. The owners and operators claim to camp teenage pregnant girls and taking care of them for charity. However, they have failed to say what becomes of the babies after delivery or how their bodies are disposed, in case of death. Investigation of the hospitals has, however, revealed that there is more to the activities of the operators of the teenage girls homes than meets the eye. A known factory Inside the Mercy Maternity Clinic/Nma Charity Home and Child Care Centre, Umunkpeyi Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, which was in the news recently when the police arrested its operator, girls in their teens and early 20s mill around when Saturday Sun visited. The girls form small groups, discussing only God-knows-what. Some sit by themselves appearing to be in sober mood or wearing pensive looks. Although they come from different places, looking different, in terms of built, they are brought together by common destiny or fate. The agony-ridden faces are reflective of the circumstances of their camping. All the girls have eaten the forbidden fruit at the wrong time and it is not difficult to tell. Their grotesque figures tell the story. They are all at various stages of pregnancy. These young pregnant girls, about 50 of them, are crammed into the few available rooms in the home, owned by Mrs. Lillian Achomba, a nurse. When Saturday Sun visited the ‘baby factory’ three weeks ago, the home had bounced back to life after the raid some weeks earlier by the X-Squad Unit of the Nigeria Police on allegation that Achomba was trafficking in pregnant teenage girls. The raid did not finally stop the wheels of the factory turning, as it were. The Commissioner of Police in-charge of the X-Squad Unit had said that Achomba also operates a private mortuary and cemetery for preservation and burial of any of the girls and/or their babies who died at the home. He said that police operatives dug up one of the graves and discovered a fresh body of an infant with its mother during the raid. “When any of them delivers, the baby is sold for N150,000 and the children whose HIV status is negative are offered at prices from N200,000 and above depending on the sex of the child. This woman is so rich that she bought over all the security agencies in the state and also highly connected in the state,” the police chief said. They lied against me The light-complexioned woman running the home, however, told Saturday Sun that she was framed up as a result of a problem in her community. Claiming that the pregnant girls were in the home at their volition, she volunteered that a new girl was brought to her shortly before the reporter arrived. Incidentally, the woman’s mien changed completely when the reporter began to probe into the activities of the centre. It was like touching a tiger by the tail, as she became hostile threatening fire and brimstone. Here was a woman, dressed in the robe of civility when the writer arrived, claiming she had no skeleton in her cupboard but only interested in helping underage ladies, who could not restrain themselves from sexual liaisons and thus became pregnant too early. But when the reporter switched on his tape recorder for a formal interview she became visibly uncomfortable. Her face reddened when she was asked the whereabouts of the children born in the home. Having waited for an answer for what seemed like eternity without one, except blazing eyes, the writer fired again: “How do you recoup the expenses incurred in taking care of the pregnant girls until they put to bed?” At that point, Achomba had become so agitated that she insisted on inviting in her younger brother, Ukandu Achomba. The siblings then consulted and decided that they must get clearance from their lawyer before responding to the questions. Strangely, the lawyer ordered the duo to maintain sealed lips. All efforts by Saturday Sun to make him lift the gag order was rebuffed. Saturday Sun had a bad experience in the hands of some youths believed to be working for the centre. On Monday, April 20, a group of four men, reeking of alcohol and marijuana ambushed the reporter and snatched his digital camera that had photos of the camp as well as some of the teenage pregnant girls loitering around the area. He was issued a stern warning not to be sighted in the vicinity again. In the same vein, Achomba prevented the pregnant girls from speaking with Saturday Sun, as she ordered them into their rooms. State of the home One of the characteristics of the home is the prevalence of rats, lizards and cockroaches. Native fowls were seen doing the marathon with the cockroaches all over the place, as rats dashed across in all directions. According to an inside source, deaths occur in the home regularly. This is attributable to lack of qualified personnel and inadequate facilities. “The shambolic state of the healthcare facilities in the centre is a problem. In fact, the place operates like a traditional maternity home. The equipment, where they exist, are neither adequate nor safe. There are no qualified doctors or nurses. You can imagine what happens in an emergency, that is if any of the girls develops complications during childbirth,” the source said. An evangelist (names withheld) told Saturday Sun that there is no doubt the operators of the home are well connected. Otherwise, he argues, the place would not remain in existence till date, considering the hair raising stories emanating therefrom. Pregnant in, no baby out According to him, “you do not see any of the girls leaving with a new baby. While pregnant, sometimes you see some of them in the market or in the front of the building relaxing, but when they are leaving, after putting to bed, you don’t see the baby. Something is wrong there. There must be something fishy going on.” Another pastor from the area corroborated this position. He disclosed that sometime ago, one of his distant relations became pregnant and disappeared and when she came back several months later, there was no child with her. It was suspected that she took up residence in the camp for the period of her pregnancy. Since they lack the wherewithal to follow up the matter and also avoid scandal that could jeopardize the girl’s future, they chose to let the sleeping dog lie. He added that the lady is now married. When Saturday Sun traced the lady to her matrimonial home in Aba and wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth as it were, she dissolved in tears. “I don’t want to say anything. I have nothing to say. Please, don’t drive me away from my husband’s house,” she pleaded, sobbing softly. An old deal A taxi driver, who identified himself as Isiala, alleged that the baby trade has been going on for quite some time. He claimed that not too long ago, a woman from Anambra State chartered his 504 Peugeot cab and he took her to one of the popular camps. According to the Umunkpeyi indigene, about 30 minutes later, the woman emerged with a child of about four months. He observed that with the swiftness with which she came out, it appeared the deal had been signed and sealed before that day. He added that the woman was so relaxed in the manner of someone playing a familiar game. Another source told Saturday Sun that some youths watch the back of the operators of the clinic even as the state police allegedly offer security protection. Hence, each time police from Abuja raid the place, it bounces back shortly afterwards. And going by the experience of Saturday Sun with the police in Abia State, it appears that the complicity theory may be credible. For instance, all efforts to make the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ali Okechukwu, to speak on the matter, was futile. Whenever his telephone number was called to discuss the matter, he would claim to be either driving or attending one meeting or the other. Even when a text message was sent to him, he chose not to respond. This seems to support the position of the commissioner in-charge of the X-Squad, CP Okorie, who reportedly said that the woman has “bought over all the security agencies in the state.” He added that investigations revealed that the clinic is not registered. Yet it continued to operate, even after the police from Abuja ordered its closure. When contacted, Mr. Sam Hart, Chief Press Secretary to Abia State governor, Chief Theodore A. Orji, said he was not aware of the existence of the camp. He, however, admitted that he is “aware that such places exist in some remote parts of the state.” Other factories It appears that illegal baby trade is really booming in Abia or so it seems. For instance, Saturday Sun investigation revealed the existence of another centre in Aba, where babies are freely sold. The centre is located in an uncompleted two-storey building off Nicholas Street, by Brass junction, off Aba-Owerri Road. It is tucked away in between high walls and a massive black gate. The hospital has no signpost, but home to teenage pregnant girls whose babies are suspected to be sold when they are delivered. The pregnant girls, whose number could not be confirmed, are quartered in dingy rooms. All day, the ladies remain inside their rooms, only peeping through the windows to see the world outside. But when night falls, they perch like vultures on the decking of the unroofed building savouring the fresh air they had missed all day. Saturday Sun learnt that the hospital is well-patronized by those who need babies. In fact, in many instances, the source said, buyers queue, waiting for the girls to put to bed in order to snap up the babies. The source said the location of the hospital is an added advantage, as a buyer would simply melt into the crowd after leaving the premises. According to an inside source, an average of eight girls share a small room. The number, the source explained, could actually be higher, depending on the number of inmates at a given time. On the modus operandi, the source volunteered: “When the girls come, the hospital begins to take care of them until they are delivered of their babies. They prepare their food themselves, in turns and eat from the same pot. They hardly go out once they are admitted into the hospital. Beans is a regular feature on the menu because of the nutritional content.” Community sex/baby making The source further said: “Sometimes, some boys are brought in to make love to some of the girls who are in heat, so to say. Those who introduce the girls go home with between N5,000 and N7, 000 depending on the stage of the pregnancy at the time of arrival. If a girl is less than four months pregnant, the person who introduced her to the hospital gets N5,000 but if the pregnancy is five months and above, the person is rewarded with N7,000. And when a girl delivers safely, she is paid off with between N40,000 and N50,000 depending on how much time spent there. Saturday Sun tried to see the doctor in charge on two occasions, but he was said to be unavailable. The undercover reporter was, however, requested to leave his contact address and telephone numbers. But two weeks afterwards, the hospital is yet to make any contact. Sex-defined price tag The price of a bay is determined and dependent on the sex. While a female child could sell for between N300,000 and N350,000, a male child fetches between N350,000 and N400,000. So, while the ‘social mothers,’ as they are known, are made to believe that their babies will be put up for adoption by willing foster parents, with the prospect of a guaranteed future, the fact remains that they are mere money spinners for the doctors. However, to create a semblance of a legitimate transaction, the baby merchants brandish phony documents. The source hinted that the rate of deaths in the hospital is high, attributing it to poor and inadequate medical attention. Because of the pricing formula, based on the sex of the babies, a lady who operates a scan, revealed that girls whose tests show they are carrying boys, get better medical attention because the product/commodity she bears attracts more money. He did not say how the corpses of dead babies are discarded. A former staffer of the hospital, who identified himself as Morris, alleged that workers were usually meant to take compulsory oath of secrecy by swearing to a juju not to divulge any information about the place to anyone no matter the circumstances. Orthodox factory A certain private hospital on Okigwe Road, Aba, was recently fingered as a baby factory. When Saturday Sun visited the hospital, very prominent, at an end of the street where rugs and carpets are sold, it was locked. However, peeping through the broken glass door, it was discovered that the ceiling fan, in the front office, was on. Mr. Ndubuisi Ekeh, who sells electrical gadgets beside the hospital, described it as a market. According to him, at the place, babies are sold, like beans cake, adding that NAPTIP raided the place some time ago[/b]. Baby factory under watch Speaking with Saturday Sun, Mrs. Ijeoma Okoronkwo, zonal head, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Human Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP, Enugu zone, said the organization is working on the hospital’s case and other teenage camp centres in Aba. The NAPTIP chief explained that the medical director of the hospital is trying to stop the agency’s investigation and prosecution. “We know he sells babies in the name of adoption,” she said, adding: “There are reports of so many other areas where babies are sold in the area. We are investigating them. It is assuming an alarming proportion around the South East and NAPTIP is not taking it lightly.” She argued that the illegal baby trade is booming because of the high profit in the business and low risk, volunteering that the agency was determined to nip it in the bud. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/may/09/national-09-05-2009-01.htm |
THE KILLER HIS INNOCENT NIGERIAN VICTIMS http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8025260.stm Will Nigeria's 'Apo Six' ever get justice? In the fourth of a series of articles looking at policing in Nigeria, the BBC's Andrew Walker asks what happened to the "Apo Six", the most infamous case of extra-judicial killing in Nigeria's history: The pictures are truly gruesome - we cannot publish them. Lawyer Amobi Nzelu spreads the glossy prints out on his desk, covering it with horror. There is nowhere else to look except at the bodies. There is a close-up of a face, gaping exit-wound at the temple. Limbs and torsos covered in blood. Dead eyes stare upward. "This is a human being," he says. "Look what they did." Apology The bodies belong to six young Nigerians killed by the police. Ekene Isaac Mgbe, Ifeanyin Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Paulinus Ogbonna and Anthony and Augustina Arebu were killed on 7 and 8 June, 2005. My friend was going to the bush, to go to the toilet, when he saw the police digging a hole and preparing to bury some people Elvis Ozor Younger brother of Ifeanyin Nigeria's 'civil lunatics' Vigilante 'jungle justice' On patrol with Nigeria's police The police tried to say they were armed robbers who had opened fire first. But a judicial panel of inquiry set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo rejected the police's story and the government apologised on behalf of the police for their killings. The government paid $20,300 (£13,800) compensation to each of the families. It recommended the officers be arrested and face a criminal trial. But nearly four years since the night the Apo Six were killed, the trial has got nowhere. The public has almost forgotten the case is still going on. Danjuma Ibrahim, the senior police officer accused of ordering the killings, lives free on medical bail. And the families of the dead have all but given up on justice. Tight-knit Elvis Ozor is the younger brother of Ifeanyin Ozor. Like his brother, he works as a spare car parts merchant in the Apo mechanics' village, south of the capital, Abuja. It is a kind of shanty-town of sea crates and workshops where five of the Apo Six worked. APO SIX TIMELINE 7 June 2005: 2200 Apo Six meet Danjuma Ibrahim at a party 8 June: 0200 Four shot at police roadblock 0400 Ifeanyin and Augustina seen alive at Garki police station 1100 Police try to bury six in a cemetery near Apo Two days of rioting in Apo and Garki districts 13 June: Police begin internal investigation 24 June: President Obasanjo orders inquiry 5 July: Police witnesses testify the six were slain in cold blood 6 July: Police armourer admits weapons planted on bodies 13 July: Court rules the suspects will face trial 15 December: Bodies buried by families 18 January 2006: Trial of police officers begins 3 August: Danjuma Ibrahim released on "exceptional and special" medical bail This is a tight-knit community, mostly of ethnic Igbos from Nigeria's south-east. On 8 June 2005 the Apo mechanics found the police burying their friends in a cemetery that, by chance, was near their workshops. "My friend was going to the bush, to go to the toilet, when he saw the police digging a hole and preparing to bury some people," Elvis says. "They recognised my brother. When the police said they were armed robbers, no-one believed them - they knew my brother was not like that." "When I arrived at work, word had spread, but I didn't know. I arrived and everyone was looking at me," he says. The story was out, and an angry mob gathered. There was a riot in Apo and the police shot two more people dead. Unlike any other case of suspected extra-judicial killing in Nigeria, some of the police broke ranks and turned on the senior officer involved. The other five officers accused of the murders and eight more police witnesses have testified that Danjuma Ibrahim ordered the killings. During the judicial panel hearings, some Igbo police officers fed information to Mr Nzelu, who represented the families of the Apo Six. The panel heard that the six were at a nightclub in Abuja's Area 11 when Mr Ibrahim - then off duty - propositioned Augustina. She turned him down, according to the testimony of Ifeanyin Ozor's friends. Ransom demand Mr Ibrahim went to a police checkpoint at the end of the street and told officers there were a group of armed robbers in the area. When the six young people came in their car, he drove into them, blocking their way and ordered the police officers to shoot. Danjuma Ibrahim was a high ranking police officer in the Nigerian Police Ifeanyin called his friends after he survived the first burst of gunfire, they testified. Who actually fired the shots is still disputed by Danjuma Ibrahim's lawyers, but four of the six were killed there, the prosecution says. Ifeanyin and Augustina were taken to a police station. Officers called Augustina's family to demand a 5,000 naira (then $43, £22) ransom to let her go, according to a report by the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial execution. Her family could not raise the money. They were taken to a piece of rough ground outside town where they were executed, police officers testified at the criminal trial. Augustina was strangled. Then the police planted guns on the bodies of all six of the bodies and pictures were taken of them in the grounds of a police station by a police photographer. Danjuma's defence At the criminal trial, Mr Ibrahim's lawyers maintained that the Apo Six fired first. He says all of them were killed in the gun battle, and a "home made" pistol and a shotgun were found in the car. [b] Extra-judicial killing in the police remains a shockingly common occurrence Eric Guttschuss Human Rights Watch His lawyer Hyeladzira Nganjiwa says the prosecution dropped charges against some police officers in return for them changing their testimony. Mr Ibrahim is the fall guy in a government plot to sweep the incident under the carpet, he said. "I could never have done what they are accusing me of," Mr Ibrahim told the BBC outside the Abuja court where he is being tried. He was released on medical bail in 2006, after his lawyer said he had a heart condition. The five other accused - one of whom is now dying of Aids, according to his lawyer - remain in police custody. That trial has been going on for almost three years. After hearing the testimony of eight prosecution witnesses, the defence is now cross-examining the first. Lawyers say the case is being stalled so it will eventually be forgotten, and the charges dismissed. 'Stalling' In this case people accepted the victims were not armed robbers because they came from a close community. But in other less high-profile cases, the public turns a blind eye to police killing, human rights advocates say. The reluctance to punish police officers "emboldens" other officers to kill, says Eric Guttschuss of Human Rights Watch. But the police say a great deal has changed since Apo Six case. "The police have a higher respect for human rights than before," says spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu. "I am not aware of any recent cases of extra-judicial killing." Divine justice? Mr Guttschuss of Human Rights Watch, which tracks alleged cases, disagrees. "Extra-judicial killing in the police remains a shockingly common occurrence." He says the police lack the capacity to properly investigate crimes, and because of the pressure from society to deal with violent criminals, they simply dispose of suspects without the encumbrance of trials. "[A] Nigerian's guilt or innocence is immaterial," he says. Elvis Ozor says he has given up on the judicial system. "When Danjuma was released, I forgot everything about the case." "The only way justice will be delivered is from God."[/b] naija is scary, ![]() |
97.5m alleged fraud: Court remands Kenny Martins in Police custody [b]By Kamarudeen Ogundele Published Today News Rating: Unrated A Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday remanded the National Coordinator, Police Equipment Foundation (PEF), Mr. Kenny Martins in Police custody pending the determination of his bail application. Police declared Martins wanted on April 3, for allegedly swindling a United States of America-based security company-Calvary Security Group of about US$97.8 million. This was based on a purported order of a Senior Magistrate Court, Wuse which the police claimed granted the application to arrest Martins. Sensing danger, Martins rushed before Chief Magistrate Sunday Ochimana who on April 9 ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending determination of an application filed by Martins to stop the police from arresting him. Martins was later arrested by the police within the court premises last Tuesday and was subsequently arraigned yesterday on a four-count charge prepared by police counsel, Prisca Oguamalam against him yesterday. Martins is alleged to have knowingly and falsely induced the company to deliver to various persons including Export Import Bank (EX-IM Bank), various property including $400,000 under false pretence that he was representing the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The offence is contrary to Section 1(1)b) and punishable under Sections 1(3) and 10 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2004. He also allegedly induced the said company to confer on himself "the right or benefit of assessing a loan of $97.5 million on the understanding that the loan will be repaid and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2) and punishable under Section 1(3) and 10 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2004. Martins pleaded not guilty to the charge afetr they were read to him. His counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome asked the court to grant him bail on liberal terms pending the trial and determination of the suit. Counsel to the police however opposed the bail application; he said the police needed time to consult the authorities cited by the defense lawyer before responding to the application. Justice Adamu Bello thereby ordered Martins to be remanded in the Police custody pending reply of the police counsel and determination of his application today. The charge reads in part: *That you Chief Kenny Martins and Police Equipment Fund ………, under the false pretence that you are representing the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by virtue of an agreement dated November 2, 2007, and series of other agreements, attempted to obtain by false pretence the sum $97,500,000.00 million and thereby commited an offence contrary to Section 5(2) and punishable under Sections 8 and 10 of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2004." He is also accused of inviting officers of the company with the intent to take further steps to assess the said loan from the EXIM Bank, falsely claiming to be an agent of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 and punishable under Sections 4 and 10 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2004. Oguamalam attached the Certified True Copy of court processes filed by the Calvary Security Group, LLC against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and four Nigerian Banks at a United States Disrict Court, Southern District Court of New York as a Proof of Evidence. Four Nigerian Banks are fingered in the scam. The action against PEF as an agency of the FRN was brought pursuant to 28 USC 1330, governing actions against foreign states and the jurisdiction was to be obtained by service pursuant to 28 USC 1608. The action against the banks is claimed under 28 USC 1331 and 28 USC 1332, diversity of citizenship for damages exceeding $75, 000. According to the process, it was based upon the parties’ agreement to litigate all disputed claims pursuant to the laws of the State of New York and in the United States District Court, Southern District Court of New York as a Proof of Evidence. The Nation recalls that Martins is facing alleged forgery of Corporate Affairs Commission documents with his deputy, Ibrahim Dumuje and two lawyers-Joni Icheka and Cosmos facing a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and forgery brought against them by the police at a Chief Magistrate Court, Abuja. They allegedly conspired to commit a felony to wit: forge documents relating to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) punishable under Section 96(1) of the Penal Code, Cap 532 Laws of the Federation Nigeria 1990 (Abuja). They also allegedly forged form CAC.7 of NIGERSTALG LIMITED with intent to defraud the Police Equipment Fund thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364 of Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 (Abuja).[/b] http://thenationonlineng.net/web/articles/2486/1/975m-alleged-fraud-Court-remands-Kenny-Martins-in-Police-custody/Page1.html |
blacksta: |
Fire on the mountain By Chinedu Ozordi The [b]diesel tanker that burst into flames at Obadore junction, along Iyana-Oba expressway, late last year wiped out a total of 18 shops that were located in a mini market in the area. The way the fire was spreading, I had to rush to my house and evacuate my [academic] credentials,” said Ifeanyi Mbadugha, whose apartment is located a little more than 200 metres from the burning truck. “It was a terrible sight to see fire raging like that without any hindrance whatsoever. We were even lucky that the tanker was carrying diesel; what if it had been petrol? There was absolutely no sign of disaster management personnel from the government. The fire service came hours after the fire had destroyed all those shops. I had never felt so helpless in my life. Onlookers at the site of the disaster were unhappy at the inability of the state government to effectively manage rescue operations at the spot. Idi-Araba Collapse At the scene of the collapsed four-storey building at Idi-Araba, early last month, 12 people died because rescue workers were unable to excavate the pile of debris that fell on them in time. Eyewitness accounts disclosed that the first persons to respond were volunteering youth, armed with pickaxes and sledgehammers, who dug fruitlessly into the debris, while calling out intermittently to the trapped inhabitants. When the giant excavators of Julius Berger and Dublin Machinery Ltd. construction companies rumbled to the scene hours later, meaningful rescue work commenced. Except for one of the trapped tenants who was rescued alive, the rest died before they could be rescued. “There was no meaningful impact from the state government in the management of that particular disaster,” said Casimir Ehirinne, who witnessed the rescue efforts which continued into the day after the collapse. “The main people that worked at that site were the construction companies whose machines were used in excavating the blocks [of concrete] and the Red Cross [officials] who were assisting some of the traumatised victims in recovering, and relocating their property; then, of course, the hundreds of volunteers who were prepared to dig with their bare hands,” he said. Large population Lagos State is prone to disasters, both natural and man-made. The high population figures, low topography, proximity to surrounding water bodies, and advanced industrialisation are some factors that contribute to the high rate of disasters in the state. The rapidly growing population of the state, and the attendant difficulties in meeting the housing needs of this huge population, has pushed developers into cutting corners in the construction of houses in the metropolis. It has become a norm for property owners to add additional floors on existing houses without considering the strength of the foundations. The Idi-Araba incident, where three floors were added to an originally one-storey building, is an example of this. Civil engineers have also attributed the high incidence of collapsed buildings partly to the fact that they were erected on water-logged land. Welcome to LASEMA The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was established in 2007 by the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola. It is expected to “coordinate activities in terms of responding promptly, timely and (to provide) sustained intervention at any emergency site. Tola Kasali, the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, whose ministry supervises the activitiesof the agency, acknowledges that managing disaster in the state has not met expectations. “Issues like electricity have been a problem for LASEMA,” he said during a ministerial press briefing last week. “There is nothing we can do about it. We can only bring in our own generators to disaster management situations.” Critics, however, accuse the agency of not living up to its responsibilities, especially in the prompt response to emergency situations. “They do not respond as quickly as they should in emergency situations,” said John Olageyi, a pharmacist and witness of the Idi-Araba tragedy. “They are never on the scene until others have started the work. You will notice the Red Cross and even Julius Berger were at Idi-Araba hours before LASEMA people came. Reacting to questions on the ability of the agency to promptly respond to disaster calls, Mr. Kasali admitted that the agency could do with some assistance from volunteers, but stressed that the public ought not to expect them to always be the first on the scene. “LASEMA is the coordinating agency [meant] to coordinate all the disaster management agencies in the state,” he said. “We have first responders in all disaster situations, and other stakeholders like the police, fire fighters, LASTMA, LASPPDA, and LASAMBUS [other government agencies in the state].” The presence of the charred remains of the tanker, at Obadore, half of which is skewed into the roadside gutter, constantly reminds victims of that helpless day. As they go about rebuilding their shops, and their lives, the traders wish the government had responded faster.[/b] http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5407802-146/story.csp |
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samparian: |
Why we kidnapped 3-year-old boy - Suspect By Waheed Adebayo - updated: Tuesday 05-05-2009 [b]The suspected kidnappers.OUR intention was to rob the woman and cart away money and other valuables. Kidnapping was never part of our plan. But when I noticed that the woman was rich and that we could make more money from her, if we kidnapped her son, I introduced the idea to my gang and it was accepted. We planned to demand for N20 million as ransom.“ That was Funso Otuyalo confessing to the police on how his gang kidnapped a 3-year-old boy. Funsho Otuyalo (25), Henry Adekunle (27), Biodun Oke and Taoheed (deceased) were recently caught through the joint efforts of the men of the Oyo and Kogi State Police commands. Speaking during a parade at the Oyo State police command’s headquarters, the leader of the syndicate, Funsho, confirmed that it was true that they attacked one Dr. Iyabo Bassir and carted away valuables, including N138,000, $138 and her Mercedes Benz car. They also took her three-year-old son away. Funsho, who claimed to have attended the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Lagos where he graduated with a Diploma, said he decided to take to armed robbery and kidnapping, when he could not get a job. “I attended NIIT Lagos. I did Diploma programme between 2001–2003. There was no job. It was one Taoheed that introduced us into this ‘business’. “I regret my action, especially the kidnapping of the boy. My friend had asked us not to take the boy away and that we had had enough from the woman. “But my thinking was that we should be able to get more money from the woman. The woman is very rich, I thought that if we kidnapped his son, we would demand for more money from her before we released the boy,” he said. A another member of the syndicate, Henry Adekunle, who claimed to be a driver in Burkina Faso before returning to Nigeria in February for his father’s burial said that he joined the gang when he became stranded after the burial, of his father. He confessed that it was during that period that a friend introduced him to armed robbery. “We went to Lokoja with the boy with the hope that the mother, would be ready to pay N20 million ransom. But it was when Funsho went to collect N300,000 part-payment at a bank in Lokoja that he was arrested,” he said. The third suspect, Biodun Oke, denied being part of the syndicate. “I am not a member of their gang. My friend only called that he wanted to stay in my place and I allowed him. I asked him when I saw the boy and he told me he was the father. That was how I allowed him. According to the Oyo State Police Commissioner, (CP) Baba Adisa Bolanta, the suspects had on March 29, 2009, stormed Dr. Bassir’s house at about 10.00 p.m, carting away her valuables, and kidnapping her son. He explained that the suspects had driven the boy in his mother’s vehicle to Ile-Ido but later had to abandon the vehicle when it developed a fault. On March 30, the trio, after passing the night at Ogunmakin village, along Lagos -Abeokuta road, took the child to Obajana, Kogi State, where they called the mother and demanded for N20 million for the release of the boy. He said policemen with the collaboration of the State Security Service (SSS) employed various professional tracking techniques to get to the root of the matter. “The syndicate later agreed to N2 million as ransom and demanded that the money be paid through the Western Union Money Transfer so as not to be traced,” he said. The police boss added that the woman was encouraged to play along with the criminals with a view to arresting them. He said N300,000 was paid as part of the ransom. Sequel to the part payment of the ransom, he said the Oyo State police command contacted the Kogi State police command to flood all the branches of the bank where the money was paid into with policemen with a view to arresting who ever might come forward to withdraw money from the account. On April 6, 2009, he said Funsho came forward to withdraw money from the said account in Lokoja and was arrested. The abducted child was said to have been kept with one Chidi at Ajaokuta. When Chidi discovered that the game was up, he took the child out of the house, and abandoned him on the street.[/b] http://www.tribune.com.ng/05052009/tue/crime1.html |
JosBoy4Lif:https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-249879.0.html |
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