₦airaland Forum

PassingShot:
Yes. In 2023.

You remind me of "there is no vacancy in Aso Rock" you and your fellows used to disturb us with in 2015.

breeze23:
They are now pushing this people to the wall. When they start now ,bokoharam and militants will be child's play. Next Biafra movement will be bloody . And i promise all the people that have hands in this barbaric act will not see the end of this year.

Scholes007:
Hmmm. But i hate the over use of the word whistle blower. They should just name the source as this is a serious allegation. More details are need.

A week after the slaying of pro-Biafra
demonstrators in Onitsha, details of how the mass
killing was coordinated by security forces has
emerged.
PREMIUM TIMES has obtained an insider account
by a whistleblower, who is an operative of the
State Security Service.
The same whistleblower had reached out and
provided vital information to two human rights
organization, the Amnesty International and the
Intersociety for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law.


Blowing the whistle
The operative, who was part of the security joint
operation but is now disturbed by the manner
soldiers “refused to play by the rule”, contacted a
trusted human rights activist.
The identity of the whistleblower is being
concealed so he is not punished by the
authorities. His recorded narrative is however in
the possession of this newspaper.
The whistleblower stated that the operation
started with medium use of force on the night of
May 29.
The following morning, the joint task force moved
from the Onitsha Army Barracks to the rally venue
on Nkpor-Umuoji Road only to find a crowd of pro-
Biafra supporters who had been battered the
night before by invading soldiers in the premises
of St Edmunds Catholic Primary School.
The crowd, joined by newcomers, was by now in a
resistance mood.
At that point the JTF retreated to Onitsha Military
Barracks. The retreat infuriated Cantonment
Commander, Issah M. Abdullahi, a colonel, who
ordered them back to clear the venue and roads
of all “miscreants.”
With this firm directive, the JTF, dominated by
soldiers and led by Major C.O. Ibrahim of the
Nigerian Military Police, stormed the streets and
the event venue.
The rest is history. The whistleblower said that
while other members of the JTF were minimizing
the use of force, soldiers recklessly opened fire at
crowds, shooting at close range, and “wasting
people indiscriminately.”
Passersby and people in their homes and shops
were not spared of stray bullets, the SSS
operative said.
He said it got to a point where injured pro-Biafra
supporters, seeing the countless bodies of their
colleagues on the ground, opened their arms
wide, advanced towards the soldiers screaming
that they too should be killed.
Three military trucks were used to cart away
heaps of dead bodies.
According to the whistleblower, there are two
cemeteries inside the Onitsha Army Barracks.
Though reserved for fallen soldiers, victims of the
massacre were buried in the cemetery close to
Yahweh Church, inside the barracks.
The whistleblower added that in the evening of
the same day when everyone thought the dust
had settled, JTF operatives invaded the Nnewi
Teaching Hospital and to the fury of nurses,
abducted 12 gunshot victims and seven of their
relations looking after them.
The 19, including women, were brought before
the Commissioner of Police, Hosea Karma. He
claimed that the commissioner accused the 19 of
threatening the security of the state.
He would however order that the wounded men
be returned to the hospital while their family
members be taken away by SARS for
interrogation. Human rights activists familiar with
police tactics in Nigeria say that interrogation by
SARS is a euphemism for torture.
Continuing his narrative, the whistleblower said
that on June 2, two days after the massacre,
soldiers stormed the Nnewi hospital and arrested
eight of the 12 critical injured men the
commissioner had earlier sent back to hospital.
Their whereabouts remain unknown.
PREMIUM TIMES separately gathered that on June
3, five men with serious bullet wounds were
transferred by soldiers from Onitsha Army
Barracks to the State CID and dumped inside a
cell without any medical attention.
We are unable to ascertain if the five men were
among the eight abducted from Nnewi Teaching
Hospital the day before. The name of one of the
abducted men is given as Ugoo K.C.
As the news spread that soldiers had invaded the
Nnewi Teaching Hospital, gunshot victims in other
hospitals begged their relations to move them to
other states.
Among those moved to Abia State were Chidi
Nwigwe, Uchenna Odaa, Ezeaka Ejike, Chima
Anamuasonye, Nwaowe John, Ifeanyi C. Azubuike
and Ugochukwu Nnamu. Those moved to Enugu
included Ifeanyi Ogumma and Arinze Aja.
Since the whistleblower’s account, human rights
groups have worked their contacts in the various
security outfits to check out the story.
A security source, another SSS source and a
military police source individually confirmed that
a mass burial occurred in the afternoon of
Wednesday, June 1 in a military cemetery, near
Yahweh Church, inside the Onitsha Military
Barracks.
The military police source added that a total of 15
graves were prepared with some taking as many
as 10 bodies while some contained only five.

The police have again sealed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, secretariat known as Wadata Plaza, Abuja. Although no official reason has been given, it may not be unconnected with the intention to prevent the sacked acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, from gaining access to the place. A report monitored on radio indicated that Sheriff was locked out of the premises and was standing by the gate, having stormed the secretariat as early as 7am. Further details later

A prominent female activist from the Niger Delta,
Ankio Briggs, on Sunday condemned the Niger
Delta Avengers for attacking oil and gas pipelines
and installations in the region, the News Agency
of Nigeria reports.
Ms. Briggs, a close ally of ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan, said the avengers were from Somalia
and not Nigeria.
The avengers have claimed responsibility for
recent attacks on oil and power installations in
the Niger Delta. The attacks have reduced almost
by half Nigeria’s oil production and caused
darkness across the country by destroying
pipelines that supply gas to power stations.
Ms. Briggs spoke in Enugu at the 17th Annual
Convention of the Igbo Youth Movement, IYM,
with the theme `Nigeria, still in pursuit of true
fiscal federalism’.
She also condemned the recent murder by an
irate mob of a woman, Bridget Agbamihe, in Kano
for blasphemy as well as herdsmen attacks in
Nimbo, Enugu State and other parts of the
country.
Also speaking at the event, Alex Ekwueme,
Second Republic Vice-President, and a former
Minister of Information, Jerry Gana called for true
federalism and devolution of powers to the states.
They said that restructuring and resource control
by regions was a panacea to end acts of uprising
across the country.
The former vice-president, who chaired the event,
said that the British colonialists had earlier divided
the country to enable each region control and
manage its resources without interference.
“The British colonial masters divided the country
in such a way that every region will operate
within its constitution,” he said.
The guest speaker and former Information
Minister, Jerry Gana, said that the key solution to
Nigeria’s problem was through true federalism
and devolution of powers to states.
“True fiscal federalism is the only form of
association that will allow peace and stability in
the country and each region should be allowed to
manage its resources the way they want it,” Mr.
Gana said.
He noted that the formula for allocating revenue
made the Federal Government to get richer while
the states operated like beggars.
“States should be allowed to manage its
resources to enable them govern their people the
way they want and allocate some percentage to
the Federal Government.
“Government should not be far from the people
and the federating unit should be made strong to
meet the needs of the people,” he said.
Mr. Gana recommended continuous dialogue and
the implementation of the resolutions of national
confab by the government as the only means the
recent agitation and other national demand could
be handled.
A Yoruba leader, Ayo Adebanjo, said that the
various acts of political instability in the country
were because the constitution under which the
country was governed was not good for
heterogeneous country like Nigeria.
“To put a stop at the various uprising in the
country such as Niger Delta Avengers, MASSOB,
IPOB etc, our constitution needs to be changed to
allow for restructuring of the country under true
federalism.
Earlier, the founder of IYM, Elliot Uko, said that
the event was to honour prominent Nigerians who
had contributed to the growth and development
of the country.
He said Igbo youth were committed to building a
stronger Nigeria and to reduce the tension in the
region, adding that true federalism would help
the country to grow and prosper.
The highlight of the event was presentation of
awards to Messrs. Gana, Adebayo, detained Biafra
secessionist leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and Ms. Briggs.
The event was also attended by former governors
of Anambra, Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Peter Obi,
and students from tertiary institutions in the
South-East.
(NAN)

Security agents are now on the trail of members
of the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Front (NDLF)
founded by the late ex-militant leader, John Togo
in connection with series of bombings of gas and
crude oil pipelines in parts of Delta and Bayelsa
States.
THISDAY learnt that the operatives of the Joint
Task Force (JTF) and the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS
Delta) have linked members of the defunct group
to the renewed crisis in the region.
A highly placed security officer said the militants
that carried out last Thursday’s bombings of the
crude oil pipeline belonging to Nigerian Petroleum
Development Company (NPDC) have been linked
to the late Togo.
“The boys that breached crude oil pipeline last
Thursday were late John Togo boys. They were
sighted at the scene of the blast by soldiers who
were on their trail before they fled into the creeks
with their high speed boats. At least, they
recognised some of them to be John Togo boys,”
he said.
The Niger Delta Liberation Front (NDLF), founded
by John Togo, was a militant group that had
affiliation with the defunct Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta led by Chief
Government Ekpemupolo alias “Tompolo.”
The group had then claimed that their main goal
was to secede and gain independence from
Nigeria.
Although, Togo was the NDLF’s most notorious
member, he was killed on July 19, 2011 by a
Nigerian air strike near Warri in Delta State.
During his reign, Togo was notorious on the
waterways in both Bayelsa and Delta States
robbing and maiming his victims at will.
Security sources told THISDAY that the foot
soldiers left by the late Togo are now being
suspected to be behind the series of bombings of
oil pipelines in the two oil rich states and
promised that the long arm of the law will soon
catch them.
He said the discovery by security agencies was
the reason for a lull in the activities of the Niger
Delta Avengers in the past few days, adding “we
are closing in on them.”
Commander Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta)
Warri, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, refused to
pick calls or respond a text message seeking
confirmation of the development.
The Nigerian Navy in Warri, penultimate
Thursday, arrested a commander of the Niger
Delta Avengers and some of his foot soldiers and
transferred them to Abuja for further questioning.
Meanwhile, former Chairman of Benikrukru
Community in Warri South West Local
Government Area of Delta State, Chief Jeffery
Ojogun, has condemned the renewed hostilities in
the Niger Delta Region.
He, however, appealed to President Muhammadu
Buhari not to scrap the Nigerian Maritime
University, Okerenkoko.
Ojogun who is the Amadiwei of Benikrukru
Community in a press release issued in Warri,
described attacks on oil facilities in the region as
unfortunate.
The Gbaramatu chief also condemned the
invasion of Gbaramatu communities by troops of
the JTF.
According to him, dialogue should be adopted in
resolving the renewed hostilities in the oil-rich
Niger Delta Region and commended President
Buhari for ordering a two-week ceasefire in the
troubled region.
Ojogun advised militants causing unrest in Niger
Delta Region to take advantage of the two weeks
ceasefire ordered by the President and take their
grievances to the negotiating table.
While urging all and sundry to create a conducive
atmosphere for the Ojogun stated that the people
of the Kingdom cannot afford another military
invasion, saying the memories of the May 2009
invasion were still fresh in the minds of the
people.
“I am pained by the recent happening in the
Niger Delta Region. The people of the region are
responsible and peace-loving and this is why I am
appealing that those breaching the peace in the
region should allow peace to reign.
“I am worried about the lives and property being
wasted and the destruction of our communities
as a result of the Niger Delta crisis that is doing
nobody any good. Peace is the answer,” he
added.
Ojogun expressed the belief that the crisis will
soon be over and urged his kinsmen and women
to desist from anything that will cause more
havoc to them and their communities.
“I am a promoter of peace. We in the Niger Delta
Region are one people; we are one big family. We
must not allow our enemies to divide us. We must
remain united. Let us not betray one another.
This is another trying moment for the people of
the region and when we are united, we must
surely overcome the current challenges.
“The people of Gbaramatu Kingdom are not
members of the Niger Delta Avengers and the
Kingdom is not a haven for the Avengers, we
need peace in the Kingdom. We should not be
used to tear our Kingdom into pieces and those
working for our enemies to ensure that our people
are divided and invaded again should have a
rethink,” he posited.
Ojogun urged those attacking oil installations to
put a stop to their activities and embrace
dialogue with the federal government.
“They should allow the oil companies to
commence the repairs of the damaged pipelines
because the nation is losing so much daily as a
result of the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers,
we should not allow these attacks to go on,” he
said. Ojogun while expressing gratitude to
President Buhari for the ceasefire he ordered in
the Niger Delta Region, implored the President to
address the vexed issues in the region, saying
only development would bring the required
peace.
He specifically appealed to the President not to
scrap the Nigerian Maritime University,
Okerenkoko, approved by the administration of
former President. Goodluck Jonathan.
According to him, “The university will attract
development to the entire Niger Delta Region and
engage restive youths in the region and so it my
humble appeal to the president not to do away
with the university. This is the only university
approved by the last administration for the oil-rich
Niger Delta Region out of the eight universities
approved by the government of former President
Jonathan. Those approved for non-oil producing
states are intact and here we are, government is
planning to scrap the only one approved for a
region as important as the oil-rich Niger Delta
Region. The Nigerian Maritime University,
Okerenkoko is the only federal government
presence in the area and therefore, the President
should allow it to kick off, it should not be
scrapped

erusen:
no bird,o thought u are a Muslim because of ur name

Twenty-three years after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the family of the acclaimed winner, Chief MKO Abiola, has asked the federal government to de-annul the election, declare him the winner and pay his accrued entitlements as president to the family. This was the request made by the head of the family, Alhaji Muritala Abiola, on Sunday at the commemoration of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. The event was organised by the state government, and the day started with a democracy walk from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta and it terminated at Oke Ido ancestral home of the Abiolas, where speeches were made. Muritala who’s a younger brother of the late acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, said if the head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, who held the position for only three months, still enjoys the perks of a former president. He said their late bread winner deserved even much more, for dying for the enthronement of democracy in the country. He said, “First,we want the federal government to declare June 12 as democracy day. They should do even more than that. “The first thing the family wants is that, for example, Ken Saro Wiwa died fighting for this Ogoni oil spillage, the Federal Government is doing the cleaning up of the oil spillage in Ogoni land. “MKO was killed because of election he won maybe it is you journalists or the Nigerian government calling him acclaimed winner. He is not acclaimed winner, they should confirm him as slain President of Nigeria. “Afterall somebody ruled for maybe less than six months, they said Interim National Government. He is still enjoying Presidential privileges, so MKO should be declared President although slain, so all the entitlements belong to the family.” The head of the family thanked the state government for keeping the memory of the late MKO Abiola alive by staging walk democracy walk for the past five years, but berated the government for not declaring Monday June 13, as a work-free day, since this year’s June 12, fell on a Sunday. He argued that if public holidays like Independence day which fell on Sunday could be declared the following day, Monday as a public holiday, this year’s June 12, should not have been different. He noted that it was rather painful for Ogun State House of Assembly to have enacted a law declaring June 12 as a public holiday, and the executive arm would refuse to honour it. He said, “I don’t want to raise eyebrow, because as today I am aggrieved, that’s my own opinion. People are telling us rule of law. June 12, Ogun State House of Assembly enacted a law, declaring June 12 every year public holiday. Just before yesterday(Friday) when we went to Oke-Mosan (Governor’s office) we are hearing that because it falls on Sunday, there is no public holiday. “It means the Ogun State Government breaks the law because if it’s October 1st that falls on Sunday, they will give them public holiday on Monday. It is just the same thing but I believe we don’t have leaders, we have opportunists.” He, however, appealed to the state government to return the school established by the late Abiola, Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta, to the family to administer. On his own part, the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, said everyone knew that late MKO Abiola was the adjudged winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election but he was denied the chance to become the president. Amosun who was represented by the deputy governor, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, described him as the hero of the nation’s current democracy. He said, “We have been organising the democracy day walk and identifying with the Abiola family for the past five years that this administration have been in government. “He was a philanthropist and the hero of our current democracy.” One of the children of the deceased, Lekan Abiola, who was also present at the event, bemoaned the death of their father, adding that what the family lost could not be regained. He said the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, destroyed all the family’s business. Narrating how he got the news of the mother’s (Alhaja Kudirat Abiola’s) death, he said on that fateful day she was murdered, he said he called the mother’s telephone line, but it did not connect. He said he later got through to his brother, Jamiu, who broke the sad news to him. He said, “What we lost, we cannot get it back. The day they killed my mother. They shot her at the forehead(pointing to his own head). “I called her telephone line it was not going through, then I called my brother, Jamiu. He was crying, then I asked him ‘what happened?’ He said mummy has been killed. I thought I did not hear him well, I replied ‘you mean dad?.’ Because it was dad was in detention. But he repeated that it was mummy.” He said it was sad that the killers of their mother did not allow her to see any of the 20 grand children, the children had after her death. He equally thanked the state government for its support for the family and “remembering our father.” Others present at the event were the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, Head of Service, Sola Adeyemi, and Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa among others.

The United States government has confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s usual assertion that Boko Haram terrorists has been dealt a devastating blow by the Nigerian military, by affirming that the terrorist sect had lost considerable capacity to hold territory, though it continued to launch uncoordinated attacks.
This was contained in Country Reports on Terrorism for 2015 released by the United States Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, which noted that over 1, 240 persons were killed in terror attacks in Nigeria last year. The report identified inadequate cooperation and information sharing among the security agencies involved in the anti-terrorism war as the bane of the counterterrorism operation.

It reads in part, “Regional military forces made progress during 2015 in degrading the group’s territorial control, in particular following the election of Nigerian President Buhari, but Boko Haram responded by increasing its use of asymmetric attacks.

“Bilateral and multilateral efforts by these regional military forces successfully challenged Boko Haram’s hold on territory, forcing it to abandon major military-style campaigns and revert back to the asymmetric tactics seen in previous years. Despite these setbacks, Boko Haram withstood and adapted to the military offensives.

“The group carried out kidnappings, killings, bombings (including with child suicide bombers), and attacks on civilian and military targets throughout the Lake Chad Basin, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and significant destruction of property.

“While Nigeria and regional partners have made progress in driving Boko Haram from much of the territory it held in northern Nigeria, the group kept control over some territory and maintained its ability to carry out asymmetric attacks.”

While noting that coordination of the antiterrorism operations were mostly coordinated by the Office of the National Security Advisor, ONSA, the report stressed that “the level of interagency cooperation and information sharing was limited.”

It added that; “Among the problems that deterred or hindered more effective law enforcement and border security by the Nigerian government were a lack of coordination and cooperation between Nigerian security agencies; a lack of biometrics collection systems and the requisite databases; corruption; misallocation of resources; the slow pace of the judicial system, including a lack of timely arraignment of suspected terrorist detainees; and lack of sufficient training for prosecutors and judges to understand and carry out the Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011 (as amended).”

modath:
Dumebi Kachikwu isn't Ibe Kachikwu's bro only, he also used to be married to Kema Chikwe's (PDP former leader) daughter , but now seperated/divorced.

It may or may not be connected to the 750m "they" collected from Ndudi Elumelu for the Delta state governorship ticket that eventually was procured for Okowa & his cousin by Tompolo!!


http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/10/kema-chikwe’s-ex-son-law-dumebi-kachikwu-held-n750-million-scam

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Oyegun, on Saturday said President Muhammadu Buhari inherited a bad economy and he is working towards overhauling the system to, initiate the desired change envisaged by the people. This is as he said the President is one of the few incorruptible Nigerians that can take sacrificial decisions and instill discipline. Speaking at the luncheon and award programme organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, the national Chairman of the ruling party urged Nigerians to persevere and be optimistic. According to Oyegun, “The price of crude oil dropped drastically when we came on board,” he said. “Rather than a plastic solution, President Muhammadu Buhari took some sacrificial decisions to overhaul the entire system. “In the period of pregnancy, there is always pain. Buhari remains one of the few incorruptible Nigerians that can take sacrificial decisions and instill discipline. “Lack of discipline is one of the factors that brought our institutions to the prostrate state we met them. I have no doubt in my mind that the future is very bright.”

FORMER Senate President, Senator David Mark, has commended Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, for being an agent of genuine development for the people of the state. This is as Governor Wike declared that the PDP would continue to solve the developmental challenges of the people by keeping campaign promises made to the people. Commissioning the eight-kilometre Ozuoba- Ogbogoro-Rumuolumeni road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Saturday, the former Senate President described the governor as agent of “true change” who has improved the living condition of the people by his delivery of democracy dividends. Senator Mark said that Governor Wike has used his mandate to positively change the developmental outlook of Rivers State, keeping his promises, instead of giving excuses for failure. Speaking on the project delivery of Governor Wike , Senator Mark said : “so far, he has governed well , now people are beginning to see the results of the promises that he made. “He is not only keeping his promises , he also has the welfare of the people at heart. That is what governance is all about. Those who voted him are reaping the benefits of democracy. “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is a man of action who keeps to his words and promises. I want to thank you for keeping to your promises.’ He said all the PDP governors have kept their promises, while those who promised change to Nigerians have failed to deliver. “I am a great advocate of change. Because what brought APC to power is change. Now we have seen that change has not taken place. We have to change that change now. Why we must change the change is because those who called for change are not keeping their promise”, Senator Mark said. In his address, Governor Wike said that in his projects delivery framework, he was not con­ cerned about who awarded the project, but its impact on the lives of the people. He said: “For us, as PDP, we knew there were problems before we made pledges. That is why we are resolving the problems that we met on ground . It does not matter the party you belong, we shall continue to deliver democracy dividends to all Rivers people “ He said that as a governor he would always work in line with the campaign promises he made , because the people have always supported him. “I pleaded with you to give me your mandate when I came here to campaign. Today, I am back to fulfill that pledge because you gave me the opportunity to serve”, the governor said. Wike reiterated his commitment to flush out cultists from the state, noting that security agencies have been given the free hand to deal decisively with cultists. He said: “Since they have said that I will not sleep, they will not sleep. Anyone who is arrested, will be dealt with in line with the tenets of the law. Whether you belong to the PDP or APC, you will not be spared if you are a cultist”. Works Commissioner, Bathuel Iheanyichukwu said the road was awarded by the previous administration, but abandoned at 30percent completion stage. He said the road was impass­ able before Governor Wike reconstructed it and revived

The military career of at least 35 senior army officers came to an abrupt end yesterday after the authorities laid them off for their alleged involvement in the $2.1billion arms procurement deal, and ‘unprofessional’ conduct during the 2015 elections. The affected officers are said to be in the ranks of Major General, Brigadier General, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and a Major. Their names were not announced, neither was the number of those fired given officially confirmed. The development may have sparked tension in the force, it was gathered last night. Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman who broke the news of the retirement merely said: “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the general public that quite a number of senior officers of the Nigerian Army were retired from service yesterday (Friday). “Those retired were mainly some Major Generals, Brigadier Generals, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and a Major. “Their retirement was based on service exigencies. It should be recalled that not too long ago some officers were investigated for being partisan during the 2015 General Elections. “Similarly, the investigation by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts revealed a lot. “Some officers have already been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). People should therefore not read this out of context. “The military must remain apolitical and professional at all times. We must applaud and support this laudable and bold initiative by the government.” However, an informed source put the number of the affected officers at over 32. It was also gathered that a similar purge is likely soon in the Air Force, the Navy and other security agencies. All the affected army officers were served their retirement letters on Friday before the formal public announcement yesterday. The decision to keep the names of the affected officers secret is said to be part of the effort to douse the tension generated by the retirement. A top military source, who is familiar with the situation, said the retirement was predicated on the following reasons: Involvement in partisan politics during the 2014/15 elections; Incontrovertible evidence of romance with politicians in gross violation of the code of conduct of the military; Inordinate ambition to be Chief of Army Staff (COAS) or General Officer Commanding (GOC) leading to lobbying of politicians or being used by politicians; Outright fraud by some of senior officers including abuse of procurement process; Involvement in arms deal scandal; and Gross acts of indiscipline. The source added: “Before we got to this retirement stage, a Commission of Inquiry was raised by the Nigerian Army. There were many petitions against these officers which the Army Council asked the Commission of Inquiry to look into. “The commission found all these officers guilty of one infraction or the other. “The recommendation of the commission was that it was not good for these officers to continue to remain in the system. To retain them is to pollute the service which is a professional calling. “Overwhelmed by the findings against them, they were given the option of retiring quietly. Some of them retired on their own but some waited to be asked to go. “If the Army releases the findings of the Commission of Inquiry to the public, Nigerians will be shocked. You should however appreciate that this is not the first time the Army will carry out this type of cleansing. In 1999 when ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power, military officers allegedly implicated in politics and partisanship were retired. This retirement was done in the interest of the system.” The source dismissed allegation of ethnic bias in the retirement. “There was no ethnic motive. The retirement affected Northern and Southern officers. The list cuts across ethnic and religious groups. There is no Northern or Southern agenda at all,” he said. “We know some people will read meanings into the retirement but we have sufficient evidence to back up our decision. “It is a good development that we are in a democracy. These retired officers can go to court and the evidence against them will be laid bare for the public to know why the Army asked them to go.” The source also hinted that other services may also retire some of their officers. The source added: “Other services will carry out a similar exercise. The Army just started the initiative.” Asked to be specific on the actual figure of those retired, the highly-placed military source said: “They are not up to 50 but they are over 32. We have read about figures being bandied about like 100, 120 and even 100. I don’t think it is up to 50. “A newspaper even bandied some names which were far off the track.” When the names of some officers alleged to have affected were read to the source, he shook his head and replied: “I won’t tell you Yes or No. You have to be careful.” Another source, a Brigadier General, said: “The Army Council was careful in screening the list of those retired. So, those you think were retired are not likely to be there. “We have many officers who got involved in one thing or the other in line of duty. Such practises fell short of official conduct or expectations. “In deference to their service to the Army, these officers were individually served their letters of retirement. No signal has been released to Army formations as I speak with you. “The Army hierarchy has its own style of conducting its activities within certain ethical prism.” Some officers were reading ethnic bias into the retirement yesterday. An officer who cannot be named said the retired officers were removed because ‘some northern interests’ perceived them as a threat to their agenda. “But I tell you that this is very political and wicked. It’s like a payback of what happened to some political officers mostly of northern region,” he said, and claimed that some of the retired officers committed no offence to warrant their lay off. He charged:”What did they do? Which EFCC or arms panel called them for questioning? In the army there is a provision for dealing with misconduct. “Orderly room trial or a court martial. Which of the procedures was followed? Was there a fair hearing? Any evidence on their alleged offences? I believe you can investigate and get the answers yourself. Find out.” Several officers were accused of taking sides during the 2014 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States in particular. They were said to have held meetings with senior government officials of the day for the purpose of manipulating the result of the poll in favour of the then ruling PDP. Captain Sagir Koli, in mind-boggling details, revealed how army officers got entangled in the manipulation process. He said 1006 soldiers were deployed in Ekiti as part of a Special Task Force for the Ekiti election alone. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was physically prevented from flying out of Benin to attend a campaign rally for the APC candidate in the Ekiti election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. The then governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi was similarly stopped by soldiers at the boundary of Ondo and Ekiti states from Proceeding to Ado Ekiti for the same rally. The army authorities in October last year set up a Board of Inquiry (BoI) to “investigate among other things alleged malpractices and involvement of its personnel in Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in 2014.” The BoI, the army added was to “investigate the alleged unethical conduct of some army personnel in Ekiti and Osun States’ Gubernatorial Elections 2014, as well as in any other state of Nigeria where other allegations of misconduct were made during the 2015 general elections. “As part of its terms of reference, the BoI is to also review the involvement of the Nigerian Army formations/units and their personnel in elections and other duties in aid to civil authority.” Besides, the army had last year handed over 12 of its officers to the EFCC for further investigation after an internal probe had indicted them for allegedly diverting funds earmarked for arms purchase to fight Boko Haram. Usman said at the time that the indicted officers comprised three serving Major-Generals, one retired Major-General, three Brigadier-Generals, four Colonels and a Lieutenant Colonel. The Nation also reliably gathered that some of the affected officers may have attracted the army’s wrath for making ‘positive’ comments in the arms deal files. It was gathered that investigations by the Presidential Committee investigating Defence Contracts showed that certain officers failed to give dispassionate advice in respect of the arms procurement deals. Major-General Emmanuel Atewe, Guards Brigade Commander under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was on June 3, 2016 arraigned alongside former Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josphine Otuaga before Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi on an 11 count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said they have a case to answer over alleged fraud of N8.5billion. Former chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, his predecessor in office as Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, and National Security Adviser (NSA) in the last dispensation, Colonel Sambo Dasuki are already facing trial for various corruption-related offences. President Muhammadu Buhari has attributed failure to curb Boko Haram until not to corruption, and blamed those involved for the deaths of an unknown number of civilians and troops in the uprising that has killed more than 20,000 in six years.

The failure of the National Hospital in Abuja to
inform a federal court of the transfer of Olisa
Metuh, former spokesperson to the Peoples
Democratic Party, to a Lagos hospital, was
because the hospital could not issue a referral to
a “junior” hospital, Mr. Metuh’s lawyer has said.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in
Abuja on Friday accused the National Hospital of
treating the court “with levity” by not informing it
of Mr. Metuh’s transfer.
Mr. Metuh is standing trial for alleged corruption
and the court had earlier turned down his
application to travel abroad for medical
treatment. Mr. Metuh’s referral abroad was issued
by the National Hospital.
The court was forced to adjourn Friday after it
was informed of Mr. Metuh’s transfer to Lagos.
But the judge said the National Hospital had failed
to write the court notifying it of the transfer.
He hinted at conspiracy and warned that “heads
will roll” if he ordered the probe of the Abuja
hospital.
But Mr. Metuh’s lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, said the
management of the National Hospital declined to
issue a recommendation letter or write the court
because the hospital had earlier recommended
Mr. Metuh to a foreign hospital, which it believed
was the best option for the PDP leader.
According to Mr. Etiaba, the hospital
management believed it was the best hospital in
the country and would not refer a patient to a
“smaller” hospital.
He however said the new hospital, where Mr.
Metuh was being treated, The Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, had written to the court.
“The National Hospital stated clearly that they are
number one in Nigeria, and that they cannot refer
a person they had advised to go and get
treatment in a foreign hospital, to a lower hospital
in Nigeria.
“The situation we find ourselves is similar to that
in the Bible where it was recorded that God swore
by his name because there was no higher being,
by whose name he could swear,” said Mr. Etiaba.
The letter from the new hospital said Mr. Metuh’s
condition was critical, requiring urgent evaluation
and further action.
“He is currently on strict bed rest. He is to have
an MRI on the thoraco lumber and lumbo sacral
spines,” the letter said. “The result of which will
be useful for further evacuation and management
expectedly over the next 2-3 weeks.”