₦airaland Forum

Very little is known about Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, the Nigerian lawmaker behind a bill prescribing a two-year jail term for offenders of “false comments” in the Nigerian social media.

The bill, seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes false allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder, passed second reading in the Senate on Wednesday.

Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah is a lawyer and a pilot. He is married with children.

He was elected to the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Zuru, Kebbi State from 2003 -2011 and elected to the Senate in 2015 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He currently serves as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/notosocialmediabill-meet-senator-bala-ibn-naallah-the-man-behind-the-social-media-gag-bill/

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has made “disturbing” revelations on the $2 billion arms contracts scandal, a source said yesterday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a Federal Government committee are probing how huge sums of money meant for procurement of arms were allegedly diverted to other purposes during the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration.

An interim report indicates that about $2billion may have been disbursed for inexplicable reasons.

Dasuki was arrested on Tuesday by the Department of State Services (DSS). He was transferred to the EFCC.

An EFCC source said: “When Dasuki was brought in, he initially refused to write any statement, alleging that he had been subjected to media trial.

“I think the ex-NSA decided not to open up based on the advice of his lawyers that he should leave everything for the open court.

“The EFCC operatives, however, obliged Dasuki a copy of the statement by a former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shaibu Salisu in which the latter made some implicating statements.

“Dasuki, who was shocked by Salisu’s confessions, repeatedly asked: ‘You mean Salisu wrote all these! You mean he said these! Give me a pen and paper’.

“Thereafter, Dasuki decided to open a can of worms. He gave a long list of PDP chieftains who collected money from the Office of the NSA.

“He mentioned the names of a former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, ex-governors and ex-ministers and many others.

“As I am talking to you, Dasuki is still writing his statement. The disclosures of the ex-Director of Finance in ONSA have assisted greatly in getting to the bottom of the armsgate.

“So, the investigation is still on. We will certainly arrest more suspects soon.”

There were indications that the anti-graft commission may extend its probe to the seizure of $9million cash by South Africa and quiz all those involved in the botched deal.

An Israeli suspect implicated in the deal is said to have bolted after throwing a lavish party at his Wuse residence.

Former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, AIT Chairman Raymond Dokpesi and former Minister Bashir Yuguda were yesterday battling for bail.

It was learnt that the EFCC was planning to arraign some of the suspects in court to enable the agency keep the more than 22 suspects being interrogated in custody.

The EFCC is said to be mindful of a situation in which the high-profile suspects will rush to court to seek the enforcement of their fundamental rights and truncate the investigation.

A source, who pleaded not to be named, said many suspects had admitted collecting huge sums of money from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) when Dasuki was in charge.

Said the source: “Our investigators have isolated these areas of probe: Were the funds budgeted for? If not, what informed extra-budgetary expenses? How much was actually voted for arms procurement? How were the funds sourced? Who or which agency awarded all the contracts? Who were the contractors? Was there any evidence of delivery of equipment? What will make any Minister to run to ONSA for funds?

“These are the areas our detectives have been mandated to look at.”

On other suspects, the source explained that some of the diverted funds had been traced to a bureau de change owned by a former member of the staff of the ONSA.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/dasuki-implicates-ex-governors-ex-ministers-pdp-chiefs-in-2bn-arms-deals/

Yemi Adebowale

It’s official. Former President Goodluck Jonathan has joined Twitter.

The former President who had many unofficial Twitter accounts opened in his name during the Nigerian presidential campaigns of 2015, thanked Nigerians and the rest of the world for their good wishes on his 58th birthday.

In a series of tweets via his official handle, @GEJ_Official, the ex-president responded to numerous Africans who extended felicitations to him, adding that he was further encouraged by such generous show of affection to remain committed to the cause of making the world a better place.

“I am deeply touched by the overwhelming support and kind wishes from millions of people in Nigeria and around the world, on my last birthday, and would like to thank all of you for this warm gesture,” he tweeted.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/its-official-former-president-jonathan-joins-twitter-tweets-via-gej_official/

A bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes false allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder, passed second reading in the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill also prescribed that anybody or group of persons who send any false text message or post false message on the social media against another person shall be jailed for two years upon conviction by the law court.

The bill, tagged: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”, sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, compels petitioners to accompany their petitions with sworn court affidavit, failure of which attracts a six- month imprisonment upon conviction.

But the bill provides for an option of N4 million for persons convicted of false newspaper,radio and television statements and N2 million for offenders of false phone text messages or messages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or WhatsApp.

“Where any person in order to circumvent this law makes any allegation and or publish any statement, petition in any paper, radio, or any medium of whatever description, with malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government, he shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction,shall be liable to an imprisonment term of two years or a fine of N4,000,000.00”, the bill specified.

On the social media, the bill read: “Where any person through text message, tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment.”

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/nigerian-senate-recommends-2-year-imprisonment-for-false-statements-on-social-media/

Kingsley Kanayo

The Cameroon army claimed Wednesday it dealt a major blow to Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamists, killing around 100 fighters and freeing 900 hostages in a three-day operation last week.

The claim, which could not be independently confirmed, comes on the heels of twin suicide attacks the previous day in the far north of Cameroon, an area repeatedly targeted by the jihadists.

“A special clean-up operation from November 26 to 28” against Boko Haram in the border area with Nigeria “neutralised more than 100 jihadists”, Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo said in a statement broadcast on national radio.

The sweep enabled troops “to release almost 900 hostages, seize large supplies of arms and munitions as well as black-and-white Islamic State flags”, the statement added, without providing details on the identities of those freed.

Boko Haram swore allegiance to IS in March 2015.

The minister attributed the success of the raid to cooperation between Cameroon security forces, a new multinational force being set up to fight Boko Haram and Nigeria’s army.

No independent confirmation of the statement was immediately available from the region, which is unaccessible to the media.

Some security sources reached by telephone confirmed that the raid took place but were unable to confirm the figures released in the government statement.

Since July, Cameroon’s far northern region has been regularly targeted by suicide bombers believed to be working with Boko Haram.

Late on Tuesday, at least six people were killed in twin suicide attacks in the small and once popular tourist town of Waza, said a security source who asked not to be identified.

The victims included civilian vigilantes trained by the community to guard Waza against attacks, the source said.

State radio confirmed the attacks, saying the two suicide bombers were women who killed four people when they blew themselves up. A further two people died of their injuries.

A third suicide bomber was shot dead before detonating their explosives.

The attacks were the first of their kind in Waza, a town on the edge of a national park teeming with lions, elephants and other wildlife that used to draw tourists but which has been abandoned by foreign visitors since the region bordering Nigeria and Chad became a target for the extremists.

Attacks have been blamed on radical Sunni jihadist group, Boko Haram, which is seeking to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/cameroon-army-kills-100-boko-haram-fighters-rescues-900-hostages/

Bruce Fein, an American constitutional lawyer has written an open letter to President Buhari. In the letter, which was published on Huffington Post, Fein questions certain policies Buhari promised to adopt.

Read the letter:

President Muhammadu Buhari
Aso Rock, Abuja
Nigeria

Dear President Buhari:

When you visited the United States Institute of Peace last July, you pledged that you would be “fair, just and scrupulously follow due process and the rule of law, as enshrined in [the Nigerian] constitution” in prosecuting corruption.

Such loftiness is laudable. As the Bible instructs in Amos 5:24: “[L]et justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

But to be just, the law must be evenhanded. It cannot, in the manner of Russian President Vladimir Putin, be something that is given to punish your enemies and withheld to favor your friends. If so, the law becomes an instrument of injustice bearing earmarks of the wicked rather than the good.

In the United States, you declared a policy of “zero tolerance” against corruption. You solicited weapons and other assistance from the United States government based on that avowal. But were you sincere?

During your election campaign, you promised widespread amnesty, not zero tolerance. You elaborated: “Whoever that is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in would be pardoned. I am going to draw a line, anybody who involved himself in corruption after I assume office, will face the music.”

After you were inaugurated, however, you disowned your statement and declared you would prosecute past ministers or other officials for corruption or fraud. And then again you immediately hedged. You were reminded of your dubious past by former Major General and President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who succeeded your military dictatorship. He released this statement:

“On General Buhari, it is not in IBB’s tradition to take up issues with his colleague former President. But for the purpose of record, we are conversant with General Buhari’s so-called holier-than-thou attitude. He is a one-time Minister of Petroleum and we have good records of his tenure as minister. Secondly, he presided over the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, which records we also have.

We challenge him to come out with clean hands in those two portfolios he headed. Or we will help him to expose his records of performance during those periods. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided.”

You then swiftly backed off your zero tolerance policy because you would have been its first casualty.

You opportunistically announced that zero tolerance would be narrowed to the predecessor administration of Goodluck Jonathan because to probe further would be “a waste of time.” That conclusion seems preposterous. In 2012, the World Bank’s ex-vice president for Africa, Oby Ezekwesili, estimated that a stupendous $400 billion in Nigerian oil revenues had been stolen or misspent since independence in 1960. The lion’s share of that corruption spans far beyond the Jonathan administration.

Your zero tolerance policy seems to come with a squint to avoid seeing culpability in your political friends. A few examples are but the tip of the iceberg.

A Rivers State judicial commission of inquiry found that N53 billion disappeared from the Rivers State Reserve Fund under former governor Rotimi Amaechi. Former Lagos governor and head of your campaign finance team Babatunde Fashola was accused of squandering N78 million of government money to upgrade his personal website. The EFCC has ignored these corruption allegations, and you have given both promotions: the Ministry of Transport to Mr. Amaechi, and the Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing to Mr. Fashola.

In contrast, you have played judge, jury, and prosecutor in the newspapers to convict former PDP Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke of corruption.

Is this evenhanded justice?

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/american-lawyer-writes-buhari-questions-buharis-sincerity-in-fighting-corruption/

Kayode Sesan

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arrested the founding Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa over the arms purchase scandal involving the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and the theft of N2.1 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

A former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda was arrested on Monday in connection with the same arms purchase scandal.

Dokpesi and Bafarawa were arrested on Tuesday and whisked to the EFCC, where they are now being interrogated.

EFCC sources told SIGNAL on Tuesday that the suspects were still being investigated and interrogated. The sources however could not tell if they will be released today or charged to court.

http://www.signalng.com/arms-purchase-scandal-efcc-arrests-raymond-dokpesi/

The latest rapper to go viral on Twitter is…Pope Francis.

Twitter users started composing rap lyrics for the pontiff through the hashtag #PopeBars, which was inspired by photos that show Pope Francis in prime rapper stance — mic in one hand, gesturing with the other, surrounded by a “cypher” of very attentive African clergy members waiting their turn — and encouraged users to make their own lyrics and memes.

As of Monday afternoon the hashtag was trending with more than 60,000 tweets. Even best-selling author and columnist Ta-Nehisi Coates and Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the Broadway musical Hamilton, joined in on the game with a few genius lyrics of their own.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/popebars-the-latest-rapper-to-go-viral-on-twitter-is-pope-francis/

Yemi Adebowale

Mustapha Audu, one of the sons of the two-time former governor of Kogi State, the late Prince Abubakar Audu has called on Kogi indigenes to join him for a peaceful protest on Wednesday against what he called plans by a “cabal” to stand justice on its head in the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a chat on Monday with our reporter, Mustapha accused the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie Oyegun and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal of plans to manipulate the democratic process that produced his late father as the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Kogi State.

According to Mustapha, “Oyegun and the SGF are working hand in hand to give the ticket to Yahaya Bello, a man who did not even participate in the process. Is that fair? What is Oyegun and the SGF’s interest in Kogi State? My late father gave his all to this election and ended up paying the supreme sacrifice. They tried and tried to stop him from being the candidate of the party and even in death they are still fighting him.”

Mustpaha said he believes if anyone should benefit from his late father’s mandate, it should not be Yahaya Bello. “Faleke who was the running mate to my dad should be given the mandate, not Yahaya Bello who was not even on the ticket. It’s absurd. It’s total injustice and Oyegun is pushing this for his selfish reasons. We are aware he is doing this because Bello gave him N100 million to inherit Audu’s mandate. Does he not fear God? Is he not aware he is an old man and is closer to his grave?” he queried.

“I am calling on everyone who believed in the struggle ofmy late father to join me in a peaceful protest to the Senate President on Wednesday. We will be marching to the Senate President Bukola Saraki. We are asking him to call the National Chairman of APC and the SGF and ask them what is their interest in Kogi State because Kogi State will be thrown into an unprecedented political crisis if this injustice is allowed to prevail. As I am talking to you there are riots in Lokoja and parts of Kogi State, people are unhappy”, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled Alh. Yahaya Bello, popularly known as Fair Plus as the replacement for the late Prince Abubakar Audu. It would be recalled that Alh. Yahaya Bello was runner-up in the APC governorship primaries that produced the late Prince Abubakar Audu as governorship candidate.

Unveiling Bello at the National Headquarters of the party in Abuja, Monday after about 3 hours of meeting, the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun urged party leaders and stakeholders to accept the decision of the party leadership and ensure the party become victorious in Saturday’s supplementary poll.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/oyegun-sgf-behind-plot-to-steal-my-fathers-mandate-audus-son-alleges/

Boko Haram destroyed a Nigerian military base as soldiers fled and only self-defense fighters prevented the insurgents from retaking a northeastern town, residents said Monday.

The civilian fighters held Gulak town after soldiers ran away Sunday night until the military sent reinforcements who fought off the extremists, former council chairman James Ularamu told The Associated Press.

The military base was burned down, said Ularamu.

Sunday night’s attack came as a military intelligence officer confirmed that 107 soldiers remain missing nearly two weeks after a Nov. 19 battle. The attackers drove off with an army T-72 tank and dozens of new camouflage uniforms, according to the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the issue.

Nigeria’s military has denied dozens of soldiers are missing.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/report-boko-haram-destroys-nigerian-military-base-107-soldiers-still-missing/

Kingsley Kanayo

Suspected militants linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been apprehended in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State after a failed assassination attempt on former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday morning, Leadership is reporting.

The report indicates that the militants intercepted and drove into Jonathan’s motorcade at the Julius Berger bridge area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.

The assailants reportedly followed and pursued the motorcade to the entrance of Jonathan’s private residence in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa.

At Jonathan’s residence, the men reported to be militants, were overpowered and arrested by the former President’s combined team of security operatives.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/police-make-arrests-as-ex-president-jonathan-escapes-assassination-in-bayelsa/

Perhaps the biggest rape scandal of the decade, the case of Lotanna Odunze-Igwe and Mustapha Audu, one of the sons of Prince Abubakar Audu, a former two-time governor of Kogi State who passed on last Sunday is an interesting one. Lotanna, popularly known by her social media identity, @sugabelly on Sunday exposed horrible details of how she repeatedly suffered sexual abuse in the hands of Mustapha, his brothers, his cousin and his friends. Her tweets, laced with graphic details of brutal sexual assault came moments after news of Prince Audu’s death filtered into the Nigerian media. Her story, gory and dehumanising as she portrayed it, immediately drew the sympathy of a wide section of the Nigerian public with condemnation and attacks targeted at the alleged perpetrators of what many thought was only possible in seedy x-rated Hollywood productions. All through this moment, the accused were silent. Their side of the story was completely lost in the social media mob that was already screaming blue murder! Perhaps, the accused sons of the late Prince Audu were too engrossed mourning the demise of their father to be bothered about allegations and condemnations that had gone viral in the social media. Just yesterday, Friday November 27, 2015, the accuser once again released another bombshell, this time a detailed blog account of her ordeal in the hands of Mustapha, his brothers, his cousins, and his friends. It was a chilling story that sparked further sympathy towards the “victim” and more condemnation towards the alleged perpetrators. In this exclusive interview, Publisher of SIGNAL, Ohimai Amaize and Editor of SIGNAL, Yemi Adebowale sat down in a chat somewhere in an apartment in Asokoro, Abuja face to face with the man in the eye of the storm, Mustapaha Abubakar Audu. This is his story.


Who is ‘Sugabelly’ to you?

Lotanna as her real name is called, is someone who we were colleagues together while I was serving at an IT firm in Abuja called Alteq. She was a staff at Alteq. We were colleagues for a while and at some point we dated for about two months. I came back to Nigeria in 2006, and it was at Alteq I first met her. I’m not sure how long she had worked there before I came to the company for my NYSC. It was a long time ago. I was about 24 then. We talked like every other person. There was a time she had a party for the office, I thought it was a party for the office but it was her birthday party, her 18th birthday party. It was in March of that year. I didn’t go for it. I usually don’t go to office parties. I had another business. I was working at my company and at the IT firm as well. So one day at the office she came to me and harassed me that I missed her party and I said, oh, don’t worry I will make it up to you. I will take you out for sharwama and I took her to 212; then they used to sell sharwarma. This was the first time I took her out. There are emails to corroborate this. From then on we started talking. She was a very interesting personality. She is very brilliant and she reads a lot of books. I read a lot of books too and I don’t meet people who read a lot of book. I used to read a lot of fantasy books. All these Game of Thrones people are watching as movies now, I read them as books like ten years ago. Knights of Shallaman, Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, Inheritance Cycle, many many books I read years ago and there were very few people who knew these things. She was one of them. She read a lot and she wrote. She was a very brilliant writer; in fact, I think that was why she was working as someone’s secretary at the office. She used to write a lot of letters for the company. Claims have emerged from her that as at January of 2007 I was in a relationship with her and doing all sorts of wicked things to her. Just like now, in December, precisely December 17, 2006, I lost my mum. I was in the UK. I watched my mum die. I loved my mum. I brought her body back to Nigeria, so just like now I was going through a period of grief. So it wasn’t possible all the things she is claiming that I did. I would be mourning.

How long did your relationship (affair) with her last?

Our relationship lasted like a month and a half. Not even up to two months. I found out she was sleeping with my friends. She slept with a couple of my friends. I discovered and told her about it. She told me she loved me, she wanted to marry me and was madly and deeply in love with me. And I told her it’s not possible, we can’t get married because I am not at the stage where I wanted to be married. And you’ve had something to do with my friends, so the relationship ended. While we were in the relationship, she had told me things about her mum, that she hated her mum, her mum wasn’t there for her and stuff like that. She sent me an email once making reference to her having visions of violent rape the first time that we had something physically. She said she had visions of violent rape from a past memory and that we weren’t close enough for her to tell me the details. On one occasion then when we spoke on the phone, she said I shouldn’t abandon her, and then she told me that her mum’s boyfriend raped her. She said a lot of negative things about her mum. This was part of the reason I didn’t want to release these emails to protect her.

But the main reason I am doing this is because I got a call today, someone told me that her friends disclosed that she’s being planning this for while, she is actually writing a book and planning to finish a book, she wants to start an NGO, she wants to appeal to the US government about surviving rape in Africa and she wants to use my family, because of my family’s political name to get traction. I heard she is getting influential people involved, I hear she has involved the lady behind the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. Dr. Ezekwesili reminds me of my mum. She reminds me of someone who should have been my mum and if someone said something about your son, you shouldn’t immediately go to the world and say “Oh, you are this or that.” At least call your son, hear him out. And this is not even about me wanting to say anything to defend myself.

Please read the communication between me and this girl. Everytime I sent her a message, it was always about “How are you doing? Hope you are doing okay? Don’t be too nasty in college. But I know you are very smart and you will do well. Even in the emails, I mentioned that I encouraged her. She even sent me a message on Facebook apologizing for flirting with my friends, how she loves me and I told her, it’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. And now, people are saying I’m such a beast and I’m such a monster. You didn’t even talk to me. You didn’t even ask me… These things are so horrific. What kind of person can actually do these things? Not only did I do that and I did it with my younger brother that was just 15 back then? I did that with my older brother who was about 30 years old then? And this older brother is not my immediate older brother. He is two brothers ahead of me. Then my cousin? Then my friends? Then the Nigeria Police Force? This is such a movie.

How is your family reacting to this?

Of course it’s very hard. We are mourning. She’s been releasing these this for a while. She’s been doing this for a while but my family has kept quiet all along because we know the truth. Yes, some of my family members are really shaken right now. We are grieving. I have just been orphaned. I loved my dad. My dad is a hero. Anybody from Kogi State knows that. Look at his burial. How many people have received his burial? Look at the whole country? If we were such wicked people, if my dad was a monster, would people react? There was a rumour that my dad had risen. If you saw the people the way they were praying and rejoicing. And now this girl has used this unfortunate incident to capitalize in painting my family as evil…

How long have you been married?

I have been married for like six years now. I got married December 15, 2009. And that was when my problem with her really started; when she found out I got married.

Have you ever raped anyone?

Common, why would I do that? It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. I can never and will never support such heinous act. Common! It’s not even a question you ask a normal person. It’s like asking, have you committed murder before? Because it’s such an inhuman thing! And I understand why people would do this and she’s brilliant. Because she knows human beings are emotional and sentimental. Play on their intelligence. Play on the fact that women have been raped before and for us men, we hardly speak up. I am not saying men are angels. I’m not saying I am an angel. But I have never raped anyone in my life before. I am happily married. I have three little daughters. I can’t even imagine it. God!

You know what? I am going to step out for those who have been accused falsely. There are a lot of people who have been falsely accused. You know, because of my last name, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to speak up. You see, people don’t even need to hear me speak. Just read the conversation I had with this lady and you can read her blog. It’s just a blog. You can compare the two. In my email conversations with her, you can tell that I have genuine feelings for her and she has genuine feelings for me. We are communicating as human beings. Then you read this blog and it’s something else. In her mails to me, you will read her asking about me, my brothers, my friends, my cousins, telling me how she knows that I’m so hardworking and that I’m a good person. I don’t understand how that translates to a blog that says I was such a terrorist.

What do you think she wants from you?

It’s fame. It’s simple. Fame. She has skills and in her heart, she’s found out that you know what? My blog isn’t really getting a lot of traction, I’ve been working on this story, I’ve been writing a book, so let me put out this story first. First, she got some Twitter people to put it up, when that didn’t get as much traction, she resorted to this. That was the groundwork for this. Now she has put this on her blog and everybody is going to her blog, she is about to launch a book on surviving rape in Africa; all of this is some sort of elaborate plan to make money and fame to the detriment of someone who hasn’t done anything to her. Whatever it is that’s bothering her, I think her mum should speak to her. Her mum honestly needs to speak to her. Her being in the US and being away might not be the best solution. She should actually have a sit down. What is bothering her? She told me she hates her mum, that her mum’s boyfriend raped her. Let her talk to her mum about that.

What is your next line of action?

It has to be a legal action. I’m not doing this because I want money from her. The suit I am going to carry out against her has nothing to do with money. I want her to write a public apology, publish it in the newspaper, take down her blog and retract all she said against me. I want all those she has lied to, to know she lied against me. She needs to come out and tell the world: “I lied about this. These people are innocent of all I said against them.” That’s what I want from her.

And going forward, I want people like Dr. Ezekwesili to think before they act. People called me to draw my attention to her tweets. I thought she was fighting for a cause. I thought she was a mother. I know her sons and they know me. Chine and Chuba used to play football together with me every weekend. They know me. I am not a rapist. I had a mother and my mother would not be proud of Dr. Ezekwesili. What would have been her first reaction if this same girl accused her sons of rape? Would she have gone first to Twitter to condemn them? Would she have gone first to Afe Babalola SAN? If that would be her first reaction, then I must confess, she must be a really terrible mother. Is her cause real? What cause is she on? Is it because Bring Back Our Girls is no longer working? Dr. Ezekwesili, please read the emails. Your sons will tell you the same. They are my friends. They know I’m not a rapist. Have you approached me? Have you said who is the person? Let me approach him? Let me reach out? Please someone give me his number. She didn’t do this, instead she went to Afe Babalola. Chuba is my good friend. If they said this about Chuba, would she go to Afe Babalola? Please answer me?

I never did anything to Lotanna, read the emails. Don’t even listen to me, please read the emails. Since she’s made claims, read our mail conversations after the events she alleged occurred had happened. Read her timelines. Some of these terrible events were occurring and she wasn’t talking about it? She’s emailing me and I’m emailing her and not for once was it mentioned? Common! No, that just means nothing was actually going on except our normal conversation. I had other people in the office that left, some for the UK that I still chat with. We were colleagues!

What is your advise to men out there who find themselves in your kind of situation?

I have to stand up for those who have been victimized, those who have been condemned even before they were given a chance to defend themselves. I will be fighting, like my father who has always been a fighter. And I am a winner. I will fight this and anyone who believes that what I have done is so terrible based on the allegations, I will ask you, please come and ask me. Come and hear my own. If you are not satisfied then you can do anything. The truth is out there. Nobody right now in the country knows what I am feeling right now, the trauma and the stress. Everyone is calling either to condole with me or to condemn me for what was alleged against me. People are asking, what did you do? I am under tremendous pressure. At the same time, I am grieving. I don’t have a mum anymore and I don’t have a dad. A lot is going on. I can’t even breathe. No one cares. Everyone just sees me now as a monster; this guy, his family… and its very painful and it could cause a long-term damage not just for me.

Unfortunately, I am not active in the social media and even if I was, I don’t think it is appropriate to just expose her and her family issues. That’s why I kept quiet. But to all those out there who are quick to jump to conclusion when you hear one side of the story, please have a rethink. It’s not fair. I was long guilty before anybody decided to contact me to hear my side of the story. I thank those who refused to jump to conclusion, but for the many majorities who did, it’s not right, especially given this time that I am grieving. I just got orphaned. It is very very sad. She probably did this because she knows I will protect her. I have children and I know what it’s like. I will not release everything she sent to me. But please read the emails and Facebook conversation.

I will also like to appeal to mothers today. They need to take responsibility for their children. I am certain that there are many people sitting and rotting in jail because of this. I will not go down quietly. I will not let them tarnish the good name and image my father built. I will not let someone my family’s grief as an opportunity to launch a social or a media career. I will not allow it to happen. I will start a legal process and I will sue everyone who decides to make me their next launch pad. Once this is over and the dust settles down, I will be starting an NGO for those who have been falsely accused and for those who have been falsely accused by authorities bigger than them and for those who have been falsely accused of rape. I believe they need a voice and I will be that voice.


Read more: http://www.signalng.com/ezekwesilis-sons-are-my-friends-they-know-i-cant-be-a-rapist-mustapha-tells-his-story/

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A non-governmental organization (NGO), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has said that if measures are not urgently put in place to halt the rate of tobacco smoking, about eight million people are estimated to be at risk of loosing their lives by the year 2030.

CISLAC, therefore called on the media to as a matter of national importance create awareness on the Act controlling the use of tobacco product in the country, adding that despite the proven negative impact of tobacco product on users, most Nigerians are not aware of the existence of the Act meant to control the usage.

Speaking at a one day workshop for the media towards supporting effective tobacco control in Nigeria with support from African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in Abuja, the Senior Programme Officer, CISLAC, Okeke Anya, called on the media to create awareness for the Act.

The Act, assented to by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 26, 2015, is an offshoot of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC).

According to him, about 178 countries have signed on to the convention while some countries need to domesticate it before becoming a law in their countries just as some others need not to.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/8-million-nigerians-may-die-of-tobacco-smoking-by-2030-ngo-raises-alarm/

National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo, yesterday declared that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to carry the Nigerian youth along.

He said that the practice of “use and dump” of the youth after each election should be stopped forth with, saying it was counter-productive.

Jalo spoke against the background that no youth made it as a minister in the cabinet of President Buhari.

The APC youth leader spoke yesterday in Abuja at a workshop organized for the APC youth in collaboration with the International Republican Institute (IRI), with the theme “The Role of Youths in post-election era.”

Jalo said: “There is this saying that the youth are leaders of tomorrow but in Nigeria today, the tomorrow seems endless. After all we are leaders of today not tomorrow because we have waited long enough and this tomorrow remains an elusive business.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/buhari-has-betrayed-nigerian-youths-apc-national-youth-leader-speaks/

The Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalong on Tuesday revealed that the payment of N5,000 stipend to unemployed Nigerian youths will commence in 2016 as it was not included in the 2015 budget. This was as the minister also blamed Nigerian youth for aiding and abetting corruption.

Mr. Dalong said the youth submit themselves to people with questionable wealth, most especially those in government.

He charged the youths to play key roles in the fight against corruption rather than submitting themselves to people with questionable characters.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/minister-of-youth-blames-nigerian-youths-for-aiding-corruption/

A former Minister of Education, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, said on Tuesday that Nigerian citizens were losing huge productivity hours to find and buy fuel products.

A situation, she said, was inconsistent with Nigeria’s desire to improve efficiency.

She also lamented that Nigeria squandered the opportunity to build its reserve and Excess Crude Account to close to $100 billion.

Ezekwesili in several tweets said it was shameful to see people who oversaw and supported the depletion of Nigeria’s huge oil reserves for six years walking freely.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/nigerians-are-losing-productivity-in-search-of-fuel-buhari-must-act-ezekwesili/

Ali Khamenei, the dictator of the Islamic Republic of Iran, claimed in a meeting with the President of Nigeria on Monday that the United States is assisting the Islamic State terror group.

Khamenei, whose Shiite theocracy opposes the Sunni Islamic State, said the “Americans and some reactionary governments in the region are directly helping ISIS in Iraq.”

In his meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the ‘Supreme Leader’ said that Islamic countries should work together to defend Muslims from the west.

“Those international coalitions that claim to be fighting against terrorists are not trustworthy in any way because these destructive forces – particularly America – are the ones that stand behind the scenes of creating and supporting terrorists such as DAESH (ISIS),” Khamenei said.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/america-is-sponsoring-isis-iranian-supreme-leader-khamenei-tells-buhari/

Plans to create an umbrella association that will regulate bloggers and online news platforms are being put in place by the Nigerian government, SIGNAL can report.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a meeting on Monday with selected bloggers and publishers of online news platforms in Lagos set the tone for the emergence of the new platform which sources familiar with the plan disclosed to SIGNAL will help the Federal Government regulate and censor the activities of online news media.

Speaking to SIGNAL on Monday, an informed source who did not want to be named disclosed that the idea is to create an impression that the Nigerian social media needs to self-regulate but the real agenda is to create an umbrella body that the government will use as a tool to muzzle the freedom enjoyed by online news platforms.

“This plan has been in the works and today’s meeting by the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed is a first step by the Buhari government to create a body that will censor online media. They claim it is self-regulation but it is a scam and a subtle agenda to create a platform that they will be controlling and using to set narratives for the Buhari government. If online publishers need a platform to protect their interests from government harassment and intimidation, is it not curious that the government is the one suggesting it? It’s like going to battle and your opponent is the one suggesting the kind of bullet proof you need to wear”, the source elaborated.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/press-freedom-fg-activates-plan-to-control-activities-of-online-media/

A few hours ago I stumbled by chance on the tweets of a lady on twitter who goes by the handle @sugabelly. She was tweeting triumphantly about the death of Kogi State’s Gubernatorial candidate for APC, Abubakar Audu, who died on Sunday, November 22, 205 from health complications. Her tweets were chilling to me but I also knew that there was a foundation for this and decided to research a bit on her and what really caused her open tirades against Audu and his family.

When she heard that Audu had died, she tweeted; ‘’Irrefutable proof of the existence of an almighty God’’.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/abubakar-audus-sons-gang-raped-me-and-their-father-covered-it-up-woman/

Nigeria can be the center of regional cooperation in Africa, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday.

Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with his visiting Nigerian counterpart Geoffrey Onyeama.

Zarif described the trade and banking prospect in post-sanctions era as good, saying Africa can be the center of regional cooperation.

Iran and Nigeria can improve their technological, scientific and economic capacities within the framework of regional and bilateral cooperation, said Zarif.

There are enormous opportunities for Iranian and Nigerian businesspersons and entrepreneurs. who should try to expand bilateral ties, noted Zarif.

Referring to the threats resulted from terrorist groups of Daesh, Boko Haram and Al Shabaab, Zarif said there is no link between the extremists’ approach and Shia and Sunni lessons.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama described Iran as a great country.

Onyeama said Nigeria is willing to deepen ties with Iran.

He said Abuja is ready to identify new grounds for further bilateral relations with Tehran.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/nigeria-is-ready-to-deepen-ties-with-iran-nigerian-foreign-minister/

Prince Abubakar Audu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC) in yesterday’s election in Kogi State, died as early as 6.30 a.m on Sunday, SIGNAL can report.

A source informed about the matter who did not want to be named disclosed to SIGNAL that Mr. Audu started vomiting blood on Friday night in what was initially considered a case of suspected food poisoning. According to findings by SIGNAL, Mr. Audu was also hypertensive.

“He started vomiting blood after he returned from Lokoja,” said a family source who witnessed Mr. Audu’s deterioration.

He was certified dead at about 6.30 am Sunday morning.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/prince-abubakar-audu-died-around-6-30am-on-sunday/

Contrary to allegations from the Buhari administration that top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration plundered Nigeria’s treasury before leaving office, a key player in the Jonathan administration, former Minister of Petroleum and ex-OPEC President, Diezani Alison-Madueke has disclosed in an exclusive interview with the Boss Newspaper that she actually left billions of dollars in government accounts before she left office.

“I actually left $5.6 billion in the NLNG alone… I doubt if such ever happened but no one is talking about it. I’m not seeking to be praised but to be acknowledged that I made some little contributions. That money could have been wasted on frivolities but I was determined to keep something for the incoming government once we lost the election”, she said.

Speaking further, Diezani revealed how she ensured that the money was kept in tact and not tampered with. “On 4th of May, Ngozi (Dr Okonjo-Iweala, then Minister of Finance) wrote to the President to release $2 billion from the money to clear her table and pay contractors, which would have depleted the money to $3.6 billion, but I said to the President we shouldn’t do that. I explained what the accrued money was meant for and gave a detailed background of the account… Even in the past, Ngozi and the NSA had asked to be funded from it and I stood my ground because the money was meant for the gas project in Brass LNG in Bayelsa. Conoco Phillips pulling out affected it.

“We wanted to run a gas economy. It was the money that made it possible for President Buhari to pay the bail-out… If I was corrupt I would have spent the money on paying contractors who would have been too happy to do anything… I got calls from some of them promising kickbacks if I could pay but I refused and the rest is history…”

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/report-buharis-bailout-is-from-5-6-billion-i-saved-in-nlng-account-diezani/

Members of the FIFA U-17 World Cup winning squad, the Golden Eaglets have disclosed that they are yet to recover from the shock after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF handed them a paltry N20, 000 each before they dispersed in Abuja last Thursday.

Players and officials of the U-17 National Team returned to the country last Wednesday, following a successful campaign at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

Contrary to the usual custom of handsomely rewarding and celebrating Nigeria’s sporting heroes, the 2015 world football champions were handed a paltry sum of N20, 000 each.

SIGNAL conducted a Twitter poll on Tuesday to determine the opinions of Nigerians on the N20,000 cash reward given to the Golden Eaglets.

The poll which lasted for 24 hours as required by the newly introduced Twitter polling system had 80 votes at the time of conclusion with 83% of the votes in support of a more deserving reward to the world champions.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/signal-poll-nigerians-unhappy-with-nffs-cash-gift-of-n20000-to-golden-eaglets/

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday in Washington, United States faulted claims made by President Muhammadu Buhari during his recent visit to the United States that $150 billion was lost to corruption in Nigeria under previous administrations.

He also said that some of the corruption allegations against his administration were grossly exaggerated.

Jonathan, who spoke in the United States on Thursday at an event titled: “Presidential Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Case Studies on Nigeria and Tanzania” and co-hosted by National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in as much as he would not join issues with the new government, the figures made public were staggering and untrue.

“Corruption is now used for political campaign. During the first visit of President Buhari to the United States, he said that about $150 billion was lost to corruption, though he didn’t mention me, he said by previous administration. The figures are staggering and untrue, another governor said someone stole a million barrel of oil per day”.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/buhari-lied-against-my-government-jonathan-speaks-in-the-us/

Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against political intolerance by mounting a well-orchestrated campaign of intimidation and harassment against the opposition, in a bid by the ruling party to gain an unfair advantage in Saturday’s governorship poll in the state.

In a statement issued in Lokoja on Monday by Governor Wada’s Chief Communications Manager, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, the governor also wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari chose to look the other way while his party engaged in dirty and dangerous game to frustrate the opposition.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/dont-ignore-your-partys-atrocities-in-kogi-wada-appeals-to-buhari/

Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against political intolerance by mounting a well-orchestrated campaign of intimidation and harassment against the opposition, in a bid by the ruling party to gain an unfair advantage in Saturday’s governorship poll in the state.

In a statement issued in Lokoja on Monday by Governor Wada’s Chief Communications Manager, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, the governor also wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari chose to look the other way while his party engaged in dirty and dangerous game to frustrate the opposition.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/dont-ignore-your-partys-atrocities-in-kogi-wada-appeals-to-buhari/

Nigeria’s former Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has said that entrepreneurship education is killing education in Nigeria.

Speaking at TEDxJabi – an independently organized TED event on Saturday in Abuja, Mallam Abdullahi decried the rise of a merchant mentality in Nigeria’s educational development. According to him, the craze to raise entrepreneurs is creating a dearth of skill and competence in our public institutions.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/tedx-entrepreneurship-education-is-killing-education-bolaji-abdullahi/

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio has debunked as “completely false”, claims by a former Minister of State for FCT, Mr. Mr. Udoedehe that the former governor doled out cash gifts of N3 million each to PDP caucus members during PDP meetings.

Akpabio in a telephone interview with SIGNAL on Monday disclaimed the report describing the allegations as mere hallucinations.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/akpabio-disclaims-allegations-that-he-shared-n3m-each-during-pdp-meetings/

Mr. Udoedehe, a former Minister of State for FCT has said caucus members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were given at least N3 million each by former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio as “transport”, every night they met to discuss the party’s affairs...

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/akpabio-gave-us-n3-million-transport-each-after-pdp-meetings-ex-minister/

An emotional Madonna broke down in tears and asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Paris attacks and their families during a concert in Stockholm

Her eyes welling up and voice cracking, Madonna said she was considering canceling Saturday night's show "because in many ways I feel torn. Why am I up here dancing and having fun when people are crying over the loss of their loved ones?"

But then, she said, she thought canceling the show would let the terrorists win: "Why should I allow them to stop me and to stop us from enjoying freedom?"

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/parisattacks-madonna-breaks-down-in-tears-on-stage/

President Muhammadu Buhari rode to victory in May on a promise to revive the country’s moribund economy, vanquish Boko Haram terrorists who controlled much of the northeastern part of the country and tackle the pervasive corruption that has stifled development in Africa’s most populous nation.

Five months later there is growing disenchantment that the president has not delivered on his lofty promises, while taking an unprecedented amount of time just getting his government staffed.

“I think he’s too slow,” said Innocent Lagi, a Buhari ally and former attorney general of Nasarawa State in central Nigeria. “He must have underestimated the problems of the country.”

Six months into office, Mr. Buhari had installed just half of the Cabinet and top-level appointments under his discretion, slowing the former army general’s ability to capitalize on his postelection honeymoon. Recently the Nigerian Senate approved the last of his Cabinet picks, but only after the president admitted he hasn’t figured out exactly which portfolios his new ministers will be given.

Mr. Buhari has complained that the country was “materially and morally vandalized” before he took power, but critics say that his slow start is undercutting the momentum to overhaul the government and economy in Nigeria, which Transparency International ranked as 136th — tied with Russia — among 176 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index.

Read more: http://www.signalng.com/buhari-too-slow-to-deliver-washington-times-report/