₦airaland Forum

If rules applied eaqually in Nigeria, i think aso Rock and Akwa Ibom govt lodges should be sealed too

The Kawu Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the immediate sealing of the Presidential Villa, Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Legacy House (PDP Secretariat Annex) and other venues where political meetings allegedly holds, if the action of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on the Adamawa Governor’s Lodge, was to be justified.

The National Publicity Secretary of the faction, which is also called the “New PDP”, Chukwuemeka Eze, who stated this in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, argued that since President Goodluck Jonathan hold political meetings in the Presidential Villa, while the PDP Governors also meet in the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, both places should be sealed as, according to him, they belonged to the people.
Mr. Mohammed had on Saturday ordered the sealing of the Adamawa Governor’s Lodge, saying it had been turned to the secretariat of the PDP faction.

Denying that the New PDP had already turned the Lodge into its secretariat, Mr. Eze noted that Mr. Mohammed was desperately working to provoke the faction as well as Nigerians, adding that it would only halt its plan to take legal action on the matter if FCTA sealed the Presidential Villa, Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Legacy House (PDP Annex) and other places where political meetings were similarly held.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/146575-seal-aso-rock-akwa-ibom-lodge-now-baraje-pdp-faction-asks-fct-minister.html

Jonathan orders immediate deployment of troops to Nasarawa http://premiumtimesng.com/news/144859-breaking-jonathan-orders-immediate-deployment-of-troops-to-nasarawa.html <<< I like this move. We cant let another BH spring up.

[size=16pt]This PDP drama is getting too much, they should just give us a break already! [/size]

The seven governors of the Abubakar Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party are currently meeting behind closed doors with President of the Senate, David Mark.

There is also a separate meeting between the chairman Baraje himself and his supporters at the House of Representatives. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal is expected to lead the leadership of the House to the meeting.

The leadership of the faction and its seven governors last night held a strategy meeting where they reviewed the outcome of Sunday’s meeting between the ‘rebel’ governors and the president.

The meeting, our source said, also considered strategies for strengthening the faction in the light of last week’s pronouncement by Justice Elvis Chukwu of an Abuja High Court regarding the status of the faction.

Source: http://premiumtimesng.com/?p=144808

Palpable tension has enveloped Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, and environs, following a clash between Eggon youths suspected to be Ombatse militia and Alago youths in Obi local government area of the state.

Odobu, a village few kilometers to Obi town, mainly inhabited by the Alago tribe, have been razed down while the inhabitants have all fled to unknown destination.

Although the immediate cause of the crisis is yet to be ascertained, community sources claimed the clash started as a result of resistance by the Eggon youth to the arrest of their colleagues by security operatives after a tipoff by Alago youths who suspected the movement of the Eggons from Lafia east to Obi town about 40 kilometers away.

Witnesses say despite effort to check the crisis by the police, the youths had a field day as they spent almost three hours burning houses and properties.

One of the victims, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told PREMIUM TIMES he escaped death by the whiskers.
“I managed to escape narrowly,” he said. “As I am speaking to you Odobu community has been completely destroyed and as at the time I was scampering to safety, the angry looking youths were heading towards Obi main town having razed down Odobu.”.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/144663-breaking-nasarawa-boils-ombatse-alago-youth-clash.html

The Rivers State Government on Thursday night raised the alarm that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Mbu was taking measures it believed were endangering the life of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

In a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the state Commissioner of Police, Ibim Semenitari, accused Mr. Mbu of making curious discreet enquiries about the governor’s movements.
Mrs Semenitari also accused the police commissioner of redeploying the police officer in charge of Mr. Amaechi’s convoy for failing to furnish him with details about the governor’s movement.
“After redeploying the Escort Commander, CP Mbu also requested the Camp Commandant of Government House, Port Harcourt, to give him prior briefing of the Governor’s daily movement. A request which in practice would be difficult to comply with unless the Camp Commandant gets prior knowledge of the Governor’s movement,” the statement said.

The commissioner added, “We suspect that the request for daily prior briefing on the Governor’s movement may be to furnish strange persons with necessary details of his movement and, thereby placing him in harms’ way.

“At different times, CP Mbu has compromised Governor Amaechi’s security and safety, and even personally led an attack on Government House, Port Harcourt on July 10, 2013. As Commissioner of Police, CP Mbu, refuses to brief the Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of the state on the state of security in Rivers State.”
Read full statement here http://premiumtimesng.com/news/144243-breaking-gov-amaechis-life-in-danger-rivers-govt-cries-out.html

[size=13pt]Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was down with cold weekend and missed the controversial national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abuja due to the condition, an aide has said.

One of Mr. Obasanjo’s aides and loyalists,Tunji Akinosi, told PREMIUM TIMES in Abeokuta on Sunday via telephone chat, that it would have been “odd and embarrassing” for the former president to be at the convention with the condition.
Mr. Akinosi, a former commissioner in the state under the Gbenga Daniel, added that Mr. Obasanjo had really wanted to attend the event. According to Mr. Akinosi, the former president had lamented that it was the first time he was missing the convention since the party was formed.[/size]

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143954-obasanjo-missed-pdp-convention-due-cold.html

Sincere 9gerian: Fear fear governors. I thought they would have been bold enough to walk out of the party and join APC or form another party. But in the end, fear no gree dem. What they've simply done is just like a lady or child crying just to be noticed. It doesn't make any sense.

Meanwhile, I hate to say this but it is clear that all these happening simply because GEJ, the leader of PDP, is from minority tribe. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened to GEJ by now if not that atleast the Igbos have stood by him. This president has not committed any sin, except his tribe. If anything, atleast, this is the first time we'r having purposeful leadership in this country. While OBJ ran the opposition out of business, GEJ allowed free and fair elections, thereby increasing the politicals control of the opposition, in terms number of states and legislative seats. But what does GEJ get in return, its more attacks and more attacks. Very very unfortunate indeed.

This more than an ethnic stuff. Can't you ever open your minds?

Nigeria's salvation is here finally

Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party has finally officially split into at least two factions.

A new faction, consisting of seven of the party’s 23 governors has announced that it has taken over the party.
At a press briefing in Abuja, Bala Kaoje, a former sports minister, was announced as the leader of the new faction of the party.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143906-pdp-splits-seven-governors-oyinlola-atiku-members-of-new-faction.html

The Joint Task Force, Operation Restore Order, in Maiduguri, Borno State said intelligence report available to it “revealed that Abubakur Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram Terrorists leader may have died”.
The JTF in a statement by its spokesperson, Sagir Musa, on Monday said Mr. Shekau “died of gunshot wound received in an encounter with the JTF troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on 30 June 2013.”
According to the statement, “Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroun for treatment which he never recovered.”

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/143030-breaking-news-boko-haram-leader-abubakar-shekau-may-have-died-of-gunshot-wounds-jtf.html

May it be TRUE

While reviewing Nigeria’s history since independence, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said the country may have been cursed with poor and irresponsible leaders.

Mr. Obasanjo, who gave the keynote address at the 4th Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network, on Tuesday, said if Nigerians were yet to commend a leader after 53 years of independence, “Then we are jinxed and cursed; we should all go to hell.”

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/142676-nigeria-is-jinxed-cursed-obasanjo.html

A former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, is being economical with the truth in his claim that he made no reference to Nigeria corruption and the Nigerian government in a speech he delivered at a conference in Abuja on June 17, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.
A video recording of the event, where the former leader delivered the speech, has punctured his claim, with footages showing Mr. Rawlings not only repeatedly referring to Nigeria, but at a point mocking its government for hounding corruption fighters, characterizing authorities with the now famous pidgin adaptation for bosses: “Oga at the top.”
Addressing a largely Nigerian audience at a conference on “Emerging Democracies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities”, Mr. Rawlings accused African countries, of which Nigeria is one, of paying lip service to the fight against corruption, punishing petty thieves and sparing politicians who misappropriate millions of state funds.
He said, “We cannot continue to pay lip service to the strengthening, empowerment and independent management of our multiple anti-corruption institutions. We live in countries where poor, petty thieves get imprisoned for several years while businessmen who evade taxes in millions of dollars or a politician who misappropriates millions of state funds escape punishment.”
But Mr. Rawlings did not stop there. As shown in the video below, he went on to narrate how a former attorney general in his country was widely castigated for fighting official graft, but later celebrated as a hero. As he rounded off his account, Mr. Rawlings asked his audience, which included the President of the Senate, David Mark, if Nigeria had such a hero.
“Yes indeed, you do,” Mr. Rawlings answered. Then, speaking briefly off a prepared text, he added: “You do. Some of them (Nigerian anti-corruption heroes) are being persecuted by the ogas (bosses) at the top.”
He later offered some clarification that he did not “know about this one (in apparent reference to whether President Goodluck Jonathan was also hounding anti-corruption fighters). But I know about some in the past.”
He added that Nigerians should firmly support their anti-corruption crusaders to break the cycle of graft that has gripped the land. “I’m saying you do (have lonely heroes). And they need to fly with boldness. They need your support if you have to change that cycle. People must learn to profit from right, from virtue and not from vice.”
But in his reaction to PREMIUM TIMES’ report of the event, Mr. Rawlings vigorously denied alluding directly or otherwise to Nigeria, and did not say he made additional comments not captured by his prepared speech.
A statement by the former leader’s office (which was never sent to this paper by the way) suggested that everything Mr. Rawlings said at the conference was captured by the speech he read.
But the recording shows one of the ex-leader’s most vital points, not captured by his prepared text but which this newspaper considered one of the high points of his presentation. It eventually formed the basis for the paper’s reporting of the event.
Rather than own up to a remark he made in the open, Mr. Rawlings castigated our reporting, calling it “libelous and malicious” and warning of a possible lawsuit.

watch the video here http://premiumtimesng.com/news/139481-video-evidence-counters-jerry-rawlings-denial-of-premium-times-story.html

Video Evidence Counters Jerry Rawlings’ Denial of PREMIUM TIMES Story

A former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, is being economical with the truth in his claim that he made no reference to Nigeria corruption and the Nigerian government in a speech he delivered at a conference in Abuja on June 17, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.
A video recording of the event, where the former leader delivered the speech, has punctured his claim, with footages showing Mr. Rawlings not only repeatedly referring to Nigeria, but at a point mocking its government for hounding corruption fighters, characterizing authorities with the now famous pidgin adaptation for bosses: “Oga at the top.”
Addressing a largely Nigerian audience at a conference on “Emerging Democracies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities”, Mr. Rawlings accused African countries, of which Nigeria is one, of paying lip service to the fight against corruption, punishing petty thieves and sparing politicians who misappropriate millions of state funds.
He said, “We cannot continue to pay lip service to the strengthening, empowerment and independent management of our multiple anti-corruption institutions. We live in countries where poor, petty thieves get imprisoned for several years while businessmen who evade taxes in millions of dollars or a politician who misappropriates millions of state funds escape punishment.”
But Mr. Rawlings did not stop there. As shown in the video below, he went on to narrate how a former attorney general in his country was widely castigated for fighting official graft, but later celebrated as a hero. As he rounded off his account, Mr. Rawlings asked his audience, which included the President of the Senate, David Mark, if Nigeria had such a hero.
“Yes indeed, you do,” Mr. Rawlings answered. Then, speaking briefly off a prepared text, he added: “You do. Some of them (Nigerian anti-corruption heroes) are being persecuted by the ogas (bosses) at the top.”
He later offered some clarification that he did not “know about this one (in apparent reference to whether President Goodluck Jonathan was also hounding anti-corruption fighters). But I know about some in the past.”
He added that Nigerians should firmly support their anti-corruption crusaders to break the cycle of graft that has gripped the land. “I’m saying you do (have lonely heroes). And they need to fly with boldness. They need your support if you have to change that cycle. People must learn to profit from right, from virtue and not from vice.”
But in his reaction to PREMIUM TIMES’ report of the event, Mr. Rawlings vigorously denied alluding directly or otherwise to Nigeria, and did not say he made additional comments not captured by his prepared speech.
A statement by the former leader’s office (which was never sent to this paper by the way) suggested that everything Mr. Rawlings said at the conference was captured by the speech he read.
But the recording shows one of the ex-leader’s most vital points, not captured by his prepared text but which this newspaper considered one of the high points of his presentation. It eventually formed the basis for the paper’s reporting of the event.
Rather than own up to a remark he made in the open, Mr. Rawlings castigated our reporting, calling it “libelous and malicious” and warning of a possible lawsuit.

watch the video here http://premiumtimesng.com/news/139481-video-evidence-counters-jerry-rawlings-denial-of-premium-times-story.html

Twenty minutes to midnight on February 25, 2013, and a day before the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria was due to meet, Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi developed a craving for romance — he badly needed a kiss.

The governor, married with children, grabbed his mobile phone and typed out a message. “Maybe you should come kiss me before board meeting tomorrow,” Mr Sanusi wrote and then squeezed the send button. http:///kQYbl

In this investigation, PREMIUM TIMES reveals how Sanusi uses taxpayers money to feed his womanising lifestyle.

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has just announced his defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives Congress.

In a post on his Facebook post, Mr. Fani-Kayode said he took the decision after he met with Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi earlier today.

“I had a meeting with Gov. Kayode Fayemi afterwards and I have just publicly and formally declared for the APC,” the former minister said. “For me this is a great and historic day. Goodbye forever PDP.”

He said he met Mr. Fayemi after he chaired the public presentation of a book written by an old friend, Bunmi Aborishade, who now teaches journalism at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/136372-ex-minister-fani-kayode-dumps-pdp-joins-apc.html

The opposition Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to resign from office, after accusing him of lacking conscience and performing very poorly since assuming power.

In a statement assessing President Goodluck Jonathan’s mid-term performance, the party spokesperson, Rotimi Fashakin, said on Sunday that “as a party, we consider it unacceptable the precipitous governance of the nation in the last two years”.

According to the statement, the performance score-card on the economy, security, education, youth employment, foreign relations, and infrastructural development reveals overall dismal failure by the Peoples Democratic Party government.

On the Education sector, the opposition party said Nigerian students have recorded failure in Mathematics and English examinations more than at any other time in the nation’s history.

Read details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/136353-jonathan-has-failed-nigerians-he-should-resign-cpc.html

The Peoples Democratic Party has named an 11-man committee to investigate the allegations leveled against the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

The committee is headed by a Joe Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The party had earlier suspended Mr. Amaechi after an emergency meeting of its National Working Committee.

:http://premiumtimesng.com/news/136330-pdp-names-11-man-committee-to-investigate-amaechi.html

The Ministry of Trade and Investment has inaugurated the University Entrepreneurship Development Programme (UNEDEP) to promote self-employment among the youth, right from higher institutions of learning.

Olusegun Aganga, the minister in charge of the ministry, who inaugurated the scheme on Tuesday in Abuja, said that it was part of the government’s proactive strategies to tackle graduate unemployment.

He said UNEDEP will be implemented by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. He added that the scheme was to provide a mentoring platform for students, reduce poverty and re-orientate the undergraduate toward the right values.

M. Aganga said that the scheme would give students the opportunity to acquire practical experience that would enable them to successfully manage their own businesses.

Continue reading...http://premiumtimesng.com/news/national/135487-nigeria-launches-new-self-employment-scheme-for-undergraduates.html

The United Nations, UN, said on Wednesday that the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment in Africa had increased from less than one million to 7.1 million in the last seven years.

This is contained in a UN report entitled “Update” signed by Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS, UNAIDS, which was released on Tuesday.

The report was released to coincide with the opening of the African Union’s, AU, 21st summit in Addis Ababa.

“Africa has been relentless in its quest to turn the AIDS epidemic around.

Read details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/135589-un-says-more-than-7mn-people-in-africa-receive-hiv-treatment.html

A man working with a micro-finance bank belonging to the Federal University of Agriculture, UNAAB, Abeokuta has allegedly fled with the sum of N6.5million belonging to the bank.

The suspect is said to be the accounting officer of the bank and used his position to siphon money from the bank account for his personal use.

He was reportedly in charge of the money coming into the account of the bank and the subsequent transfer of such to the GTBank, which is the superintending bank for the microfinance bank.

However, rather than lodge such money on a daily basis to the account of the superintending bank, the suspect allegedly uses fake tellers as evidence of payment.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/regional/135584-banker-elopes-with-university-micro-finance-banks-n6-5mn-in-abeokuta.html

Some artistes in the Nigerian music industry on Tuesday turned out en masse to clean up the streets of Lagos, feed the hungry, and visit the homeless.

Musicians who participated in the exercise included TuFace Idibia, who was accompanied by his manager, Efe Omorogbe. Others were Ras Kimono, Dizzy Falola and Chibuzor Orji, popularly called “Faze’’, amongst others.

The exercise was organised by the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) as part of efforts to create awareness about the industry and bring music to the doorstep of every Nigerian.

The event was one of the major highlights of the COSON week which commenced on May 19 with the tag “COSON in the streets”.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/arts-entertainment/135544-tuface-faze-ras-kimono-clean-lagos-streets.html

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Air Nigeria to pay N5 million to Hakeem Ogunniran as damages for cancelling his flight from Nigeria to South Africa.

Justice Okon Abang gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the plaintiff against the airline over loss of business due to cancellation of flight.

M. Abang awarded the sum as general damages for the inconvenience and emotional trauma suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the defendant’s negligence.

“The defendant ought to have put in place measures to ensure that a passenger does not incur further expenses where there is a flight cancellation.

Read details here:http://premiumtimesng.com/news/135548-jimoh-ibrahims-troubled-air-nigeria-to-pay-passenger-n5mn-for-flight-cancellation-court-rules.html

Some 200 troops arrived in Yola, the Adamawa capital city, on Monday in continuation of the deployment of troops in the state following the declaration of a state of emergency.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe on Tuesday, May 14, following prolonged insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamic group.

Addressing the troops at the headquarters of the 23 Armoured Brigade in Yola, the Brigade Commander, Fatai Alli, urged the soldiers to adhere to all necessary rules of engagement in their assignment.

Mr. Alli said necessary areas for deployment in the state had been identified for action and that more troops were on their way to join those on ground.

Continue Reading...http://premiumtimesng.com/news/135139-state-of-emergency-more-troops-arrive-in-adamawa.html

Since 2009 when the Islamic religious sect, Yusufiyya – which later became popular with its ideological identity, Boko Haram – began to blossom, the deadly sect has continued to deploy various tactics to sustain its resolve in undermining the Nigerian state.

From a bunch of radicalised Islamists with versed but seemingly skewed orthodoxy seeking to impose a totalitarian rule of Sharia in a multi-religious Nigeria, the sect began to embark on selective killings and maiming of politicians and security agencies.

Later on, the group acquired the knowledge of making Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, which it used effectively to target mostly security operatives, security formations and churches within and around Borno State.

Boko Haram later became notorious for its attacks and heists on banks and other financial institutions, as well as the robbery of bullion vans in which millions of Naira were at different occasions stolen to “promote the Jihad of God,” as they claim.

Read details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/135082-how-boko-haram-turned-to-kidnapping-to-raise-funds-in-borno.html

Union Bank has been ordered to repay a N34 million illegal deduction from a customer’s account. This directive was given by a Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Morenike Obadina.

The court based the ruling on a revelation that Union Bank failed to support claims that the N34m deduction were remitted to the Central Bank of Nigeria for “series of foreign transaction between the customer and foreign partners.”

The customer identified as Prince Nwokocha Ezikpe and his company- Felimex Nigeria Limited, instituted the court action against the bank when the Central Bank denied receiving the remittances.

See details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/business/135111-union-bank-ordered-to-refund-n34m-fraudulent-deduction-from-customers-account.html

Members of Boko Haram and other extremist groups in Nigeria, could face war crimes charges for deliberate acts leading to ethnic and religious cleansing, the United Nations, UN, has said.

Rupert Colvile, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said this in a statement made available at the UN Head quarters in New York on Friday.

He reiterated calls on Boko Haram and other extremist groups in Nigeria to cease their “cowardly attacks” against civilians, members of government institutions, security forces and foreign nationals.

“The High Commissioner noted that members of Boko Haram, if judged to have committed systematic attacks against a civilian population on grounds such as religion or ethnicity could be found guilty of crimes against humanity.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134808-boko-haram-members-may-face-war-crimes-charges-un.html

The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, has said President Goodluck Jonathan acted within his constitution powers to declare a state of emergency in Borno.

The President announced, in a presidential broadcast on Tuesday, the declaration of a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. The announcement took place hours after Mr. Jonathan met with Mr. Shettima and his Yobe State counterpart.

The Borno Governor, in his address to residents of the state, said the president took the action to curtail the violence.

“It is the constitutional responsibility of the President to take such measures,” he said. “It is also the duty of any responsible state government, to support lawful efforts that would guarantee the security of lives and properties.”

Read full text of his speech here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134478-jonathan-acted-rightly-in-declaring-state-of-emergency-borno-governor.html

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mukhtar, has fired a query in the direction of Lawal Gunmi, the Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory, seeking explanation over an annual grant made to the FCT judiciary by the FCT administration during Nasir El Rufai’s administration.

Mr. El Rufai had said in his recently published book, The Accidental Public Servant, that his administration decided to budget an annual grant in support of the FCT judicial system to make some procurement.

“…We also decided to budget an annual grant to support our judiciary to procure court recording and automation equipment…,” Mr. El Rufai said.

Now, a coalition of over a hundred and fifty anti-corruption organisations, under the umbrella of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, want the Chief Justice to investigate the use of the said budget and its legality.

See details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134405-el-rufais-book-causes-chief-justice-of-nigeria-to-query-abuja-chief-judge.html

Nigerians reacted differently to the declaration of the State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday to check the security challenges in the states.

Mr. Jonathan had, in a nationwide broadcast, announced the declaration of the state of emergency in the three states.
He, however, said the democratic structures in the states would remain intact.

While some hailed the president’s decision, others condemned it, insisting that it would not make any major difference.

Do you the Emergency ruling was the best option to tackle the issue of insecurity in those states?

See details of their reaction here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134285-mixed-reactions-trail-declaration-of-state-of-emergency-in-borno-yobe-adamawa.html

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court on Tuesday fixed May 15 to give ruling on the admissibility of five documents tendered as confessional statements made by Mustapha Umar.

Mr. Umar is standing trial for allegedly masterminding the ThisDay Newspaper House bombing in Kaduna.

He was brought to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, after his arrest in Kaduna on April 26, 2012.

Testifying Tuesday, a prosecution witness, Simon Labaran, said the suspect wept profusely several times in regret that he did not die in the blast. Mr. Labaran said Mr. Umar kept lamenting that he would have made heaven if he had died alongside other victims of the blast.

Read details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134328-suspected-thisday-bomber-cried-for-surviving-blast-missing-heaven-witness.html

Gunmen, believed to be members of the extremist Boko Haram sect, on Tuesday evening shot dead the Borno Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.

Faye Pama Musa was killed inside his Maiduguri residence less than an hour after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

The National President of CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor, confirmed the cleric’s killing.

Kenny Asaka, the spokesperson to Mr. Oritsejafor, in a brief statement described the killing as “sad.”

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134324-boko-haram-kills-can-leader-minutes-after-emergency-declaration.html

Fresh from Canada where he had gone on official assignment for about three weeks, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, on Monday described the call by the opposition parties for President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation as “ignorance.”

Mr. Tukur also said that the PDP is not distracted by the merger of the opposition parties into the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, had, in a statement by its spokesman, Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, asked the president to resign if he does not have an answer to the increasing security challenges facing the country.

Read details here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/134083-tukur-to-cpc-acn-youre-ignorant-for-asking-jonathan-to-resign.html