Fifteen billion smackers: That's the value Microsoft recently slapped on Facebook when the computer giant invested $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Mark Zuckerberg's online social-networking site.

You could seethe with envy--or you could chase your own fortune on the Web.

Some online businesses require only a few hundred dollars in equipment, while others demand significant hardware and perhaps even a warehouse. Some might make you rich; others might just cover beer money. And all involve various levels of time, capital and technological skill.

In Pictures: Eight Ways To Make Money Online

"Some people have dreamed about owning their own business and have not followed through because of the investment in resources," says Jim Griffith, head of eBay University, for those aiming to set up shop selling goods at the online auctioneer's site. "The Internet allows people to at least try without making a large initial investment."

Army veteran Brandi Ramos of Springfield, Ill., did it. As a single mom in need of extra income, she started her online retail career peddling "big and tall" men's clothing on eBay.

Three years later, Ramos, 32, makes a good living working online out of her 600-square-foot basement packed with hanging displays and baker's racks piled with tupperware containing underwear and belts. Ramos aims to offer quick service, answering all e-mails within four to six hours. She claims to net $25,000 on $100,000 sales a year, and even earns a few bucks per order on shipping.

If managing inventory seems too big a chore, play virtual landlord and charge other retailers monthly fees (or per-transaction fees) for the opportunity to market their products on your site. Amazon.com (nasdaq: AMZN - news - people ) nabbed 28% of its revenues this way in 2006.

Craigslist is another take on this model: The 25-person company, worth a reported $2 billion, charges businesses to post help wanted ads in San Francisco, New York and L.A.; it also collects fees for apartment listings in New York City. Total page views per month: about 5 billion.

Then there's every pajama-clad blogger's dream: producing content supported by advertising dollars. Selling advertising is how thousands of established online media outlets pay their electric bills. They charge advertisers two ways: by the number of overall Web pages (called "impressions" served up, and by the number of people who click on the ads.

Setting up a blog requires not much more than a basic publishing program, a server and software to track ad clicks. The hard part, though, is attracting enough eyeballs to make it worth someone's while to pay to advertise on your site.

To have any prayer of attracting large advertisers, sites need to attract at least 500,000 unique visitors per month, says David Hauslaib, publisher of Jossip.com, a media and gossip blog that counts Coca Cola (nyse: KO - news - people ) and Sketchers among its advertisers. Sadly, even if you do generate enough traffic, the "click-through" rates on ads tend to be quite low--in the neighborhood of one half of 1%.

Subscription-based models are even harder to crack. Unless your site fulfills an urgent need (for tangible investment ideas, a potential mate, etc.), users aren't likely to pay for the content.

One way to garner subscription revenue is to run a virtual marketplace. These sites collect by allowing buyers and sellers easy access to each other. Many of these marketplaces flamed out in the dot-com bust, but some persist. Mfg.com, for instance, matches equipment manufacturers with smaller component suppliers. Dating sites like Match.com charge subscription fees for access to their members. And H2Bid.com links municipalities with wastewater-equipment vendors.

As with tangible real estate, you can buy virtual plots (URL addresses), flip them and make a buck. GoDaddy.com sells unused domain names for under $10 dollars apiece. To attract buyers, run tests to determine how often certain key words are searched so that you can demonstrate the likelihood that your URL will show up in a Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) or Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) search. One tip: The best domain names are short, sweet, specific and easy to remember. (For more on this model, check out "Meet Noah Of The Internet" and "The Most Expensive Web Addresses."

As Internet usage grows, so too will the sophistication of online business models. Take 3-year-old Yoonew.com, which sells futures contracts on sports tickets.

Fans buy the right to take delivery of tickets if their teams make it to a coveted playoff game, perhaps months away. Given the uncertainty of the bet, those contracts sell for a fraction of the future market value of the underlying tickets. If your team makes it to the big game, you've locked in a cheap seat; if it falls short, you lose that insurance premium.

Yoonew makes money when the revenue it collects from selling all those contracts exceeds the cost of delivering a small number of very expensive tickets on game days. The danger: If ticket prices spike, or there are no seats available, the company could suffer a loss or alienate its customers.

Sure, you can make money online. But no one said it was easy.

The Football Association's appeal against Wayne Rooney's three-match England ban will be heard on December 9th, Uefa have confirmed.

Manchester United striker Rooney was hit with the suspension following his red card for violent conduct during the Three Lions' final Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro.

The FA later announced their decision to contest the ban, which would see the 26-year-old miss the first three group games of next summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Uefa's appeals body will deal with the case at a hearing at the organisation's headquarters in Nyon next month, a week after the draw for the Euro 2012 tournament.

Uefa said in a statement: "The Uefa Appeals Body will deal with the case of England striker Wayne Rooney on Friday 9 December at Uefa's headquarters in Nyon.

"This follows Uefa's receipt on Friday 4 November of the official written appeal from the English Football Association against the three-match suspension given to Rooney by the Uefa Control and Disciplinary Body on 13 October."

Manchester United's Michael Owen says England were "strong as a unit" and there were "a lot of positives to take" following their 1-0 win over world champions Spain at Wembley, but says they need to find their "identity" as a team.

The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle forward has 89 caps and scored 40 goals for England but has not played for the national side since March 2008.

Owen was being interviewed by Alan Shearer for Football Focus, broadcast at 1200 GMT on Saturdays on BBC One and Online.

Politicking in his boyhood home, President Barack Obama told supporters Monday that everything they worked for and that the country stands for is on the line in his 2012 re-election bid, warning of a bleak America should a Republican win.

At ease in Hawaii, where he was born and vacations each year, Obama sprinkled his standard campaign speech with personal memories and called himself the "hometown kid."

But his message turned urgent in trying to get his backers to think of the next election as a choice between a vision of a big country of opportunity or one where regular people lose their voice, reports The Associated Press.

"You kept up the fight for change long after the election was over, and that should make you proud," Obama said inside a lush resort on the western side of Oahu. "It should make you hopeful. But it can't make you satisfied."

He added: "Everything we fought for in the last election is now at stake in the next election. The very core of what this country stands for is on the line."

Obama made time for domestic politics and the constant demand for cash amid a nine-day trip otherwise dominated by foreign affairs. He was enjoying a lighter schedule on Monday after hosting an Asia-Pacific economic summit of 21 nations over the weekend, and before heading to Australia Tuesday morning. Obama was also was to visit Indonesia before a November 20 return to Washington.

As he raised money for his re-election bid, the president sought to defend his record of change as more than a campaign slogan. Obama reminded his audience that he has presided over the return of the American auto industry, financial help for college students, higher fuel efficiency for cars and more.

When it came to noting his signature health care law, Obama spoke of expanded and improved coverage for Americans but made no mention of Monday's move by the Supreme Court. The high court promised a full review over the constitutionality of the historic health care overhaul, likely in time for a ruling just before the presidential election next November.

The president spoke inside the waterfront Disney-themed, Aulani Resort to a relaxed crowd of about 250 people at the fundraising brunch, where tickets started at $1,000 per person.

Obama said Republicans want to engage in a "race to the bottom" with other countries, rolling back wage protections and environmental standards. "Their attitude is, 'Let's go ahead and pollute," Obama said.

As for his promised change, he said he still needs time: "It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single president."

The president promised that his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, would be back in Hawaii for the winter holidays as usual. "Let's see if Washington gets its business done so I can get here as well," he said.

Following the fundraiser, the president headed for a round of golf at a course on a nearby military base. Among his golfing partners was childhood friend, Bobby Titcomb, who was arrested and pleaded no contest earlier this year to soliciting a prostitute.

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In some places people say the awards have gone to some undeserving people while some suggest the real beneficiaries are unnoticed.

Do u think the award went the way of unworthy Nigerians? If so; Name them


(I am Listening)

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, Monday declared that despite the challenges the stock market was currently going through, the capital market remained one of the best means of investing for the medium to long-term.

Onyema stated this while speaking in Lagos at the award presentation ceremony of the 10th NSE National Essay Competition for secondary schools and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

According to him, the Exchange introduced the essay competition 10 years ago as a way of developing the culture of medium and long-term saving among the youth.

“It was introduced to address the need to expand individual shareholder base through a sustained public enlightenment programme. In addition, the programme aims at encouraging well-rounded students in academics and development of a savings culture through medium and long-term investments at a tender age,” he said.

Besides, the initiative, he said, was also hinged on the cardinal objectives of exposing the youth to the operations of the stock market. Exposing students to careers in securities market and related professions and filling gaps between the school curriculum and practical lessons on investing in securities market, among others.

Onyema explained that the NSE management team knew that while investor education was important to improving participation in capital market activities, there were other initiatives that required their attention if they were to reposition the Nigerian capital market as the gateway to African markets.

“These include: efforts at restoring investor confidence through firm but fair regulations with zero tolerance on infractions; implementing market structure enhancements to improve liquidity in the market; revising our listing standards to drive listings of a diversified set of companies; articulating minimum operational and technical requirements for broker-dealers to operate in our market; introducing new complementary products to enable investors achieve portfolio targets in a risk managed manner; amongst others,” he said.

According to him, the need to deepen the market from both the demand and supply side could be over-emphasised.

He noted that the NSE was planning the introduction of new products that would give investors exposure to an array of asset classes.

Meanwhile, trading at the stock opened on a positive note yesterday as the NSE All-share Index rose marginally by 0.05 per cent to close at 20,426.19 compared with a decline of 0.17 per cent last Friday.

Oando Plc led the price gainers yesterday with N1.30 to close at N27.30 per share, while Flour Mills Nigeria Plc trailed with gain of N2.00 to close at N62 per share. Investors traded 215.054 million shares worth N2.062 billion in 3,843 deals.

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members and prices would remain stable.

Alison-Madueke also expressed optimism that oil supply from Nigeria would increase as her security improved.

Reuters reported that she told journalists last Sunday, on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) event in Qatar that Nigeria was currently producing 2.4 million barrels per day of oil.

She declined to make predictions about outcome of the upcoming OPEC meeting in December.

Quoting Dow Jones, THISDAY had reported that Nigeria’s crude oil exports were expected to increase to 2.18 million barrels per day (mbpd) in December.

According to Dow Jones, 2.18 mbpd of crude are scheduled to load in December in 72 cargoes, up from the 2.05mbpd of 68 cargoes in November.

Trade sources hinted that 17 crude oil production streams in Nigeria are due to be shipped in December, with cargo sizes ranging between 250,000 barrels and 1,000 barrels.

However, an earlier report by Bloomberg showed that Nigeria will raise December exports of Bonny Light crude to seven cargoes from six consignments in November. The December plan, according to the report, comprises seven shipments of 950,000 barrels and one partial parcel of 200,000 barrels, for a total of 6.85 million barrels.

Further details showed that the country would also export 12 consignments of benchmark Qua Iboe oil and four of Escravos and seven full cargoes of Agbami crude.

Crude export for September and October had been delayed by 17 days following the declaration of a force majeure by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on its Bonny Light crude exports on August 23 after several pipeline attacks.

Force majeure is a legal clause that allows a company to miss scheduled deliveries because of circumstances beyond its control.

Three shipments had been deferred to October from September, and two to November from October, a loading programme published by Bloomberg showed. One extra shipment was added to the October plan, while two were dropped.

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South Africa had a 4.9 billion randtrade surplus in June after recording a 1.0 billion rand shortfall in May, the South African Revenue Service said on Friday.

The improvement in the trade account was "buoyed by higher commodity exports, specifically for precious and semi-precious stones and metals," SARS said in a statement.

Exports rose by 7.5 percent month-on-month in June while imports were down 2.9 percent.
Economists surveyed by Reuters expected the trade account to register a 1.0 billion rand surplus in June.

An Ilorin, Kwara State-bound helicopter with three passengers and a pilot on board crashed Friday at Oke Obala village in Ife-Odan, Osun State. The four persons aboard the plane are believed to have died.
Those on board were Mrs. Josephine Oluwadam-ilola Kuteyi, the managing director of Josepdam Group of companies, her Personal Assistant, and another passenger and the pilot, a Filipino.

Sources said the helicopter that left Lagos for Ilorin at about 12 pm disappeared minutes after taking off and the company operating it, OAS Helicopters, immediately made frantic efforts to locate its whereabouts.
Eventually, the air traffic control in Lagos got a call from around Osogbo about the crash.
A Fulani herdsman who was around when the accident occurred at Oke Obala told Thisday that he was watching over his cattle when he suddenly heard a loud bang and saw billowing smoke afterwards.

He opined that the accident might not be unconnected with the foggy nature of the area because of the rocks that dot the village.
The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren , who confirmed the incident, said the regulatory body had sent a search and rescue team accompanied by the woman who claimed to have heard the noise of the crash.
Demuren said: "A helicopter left its Lagos Maryland terminal to Ilorin with three souls in addition to the captain and has not been seen since. We have sent a search and rescue team with the woman who claimed to have heard the crash noise to the area and we are holding vigil in our office.

Head of Operation of the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr Olaniyi Babalola confirmed that it has received the report of the accident and has deployed a team to the area.
A source at NEMA said the agency has confirmed the location of the crash after more than six hours of search at Ife Odan village in the state.

A police inspector identified simply as Victor assisted the NEMA rescue team at the site of the crash in a forest.

tellmemore:


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Air travellers and other airport users have been alerted about the circulation of fake United States dollars at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Bureau de Change operators at the airport have cried out against the circulation of the currency and millions of dollars exchange for the Naira every day at the airport.

Reacting to the arrest of two ladies caught with over 2000 fake dollars at the Hajj camp of the Bureau de change office, the Chairman of Hajj Camp Forex Exchange Market, Arewa Complex, Mr. Abubakar Usman said the trend had become a source of worry to them.

According to Usman, the two ladies in their late 20s were apprehended while trying to exchange fake dollars for Naira.

Usman noted that members of the association have lost millions of naira to fraudsters as a result of fake foreign currencies . He warned that anyone caught will be handed over to the law enforcement agents for prosecution.

He said the ugly trend had adversely affected their goodwill and reduced the trust their customers have for them. He added that every month, about 12 suspects were apprehended for similar offences.

Usman recalled with sorrow how some of their members were killed by fraudsters after inviting them to hotels to exchange money and vowed that none of their members will do any transaction in hotels, eateries and other public places anymore.

He lamented that some military personnel were in the habit of defending some of these fraudsters when they were arrested, noting that it took the intervention of Operation MESA to get one of the suspects arrested and taken to the police station.

He said henceforth any officer caught encouraging the release of suspect would be reported to the appropriate authorities for discipline.

Usman warned that the incident of fake foreign currencies has dented the image of the country as it also affected foreigners.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Hajj camp police station was not readily available for comment but a senior police officer confirmed the arrest of the two sus

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah has ordered Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) which built and is operating the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (MMA2) to stop the collection of N2, 500.00 passenger processing charge which the company has been collecting from air travellers.
The Minister's directive is contained in a letter addressed to the Managing Director of the company and signed on her behalf by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ms Anne Ene-Ita.
The letter noted that the Federal Ministry of Aviation had not given any approval to Bi-Courtney Ltd to charge the sum of N2,500 as Passenger Service Charge.
According to the letter, "There is a procedure in the Concession Agreement which must be adhered to and until then, you are to desist from the collection of the Passenger Service Charge (PSC)".
Special Adviser (Media) to the Aviation Minister, Joe Obi says the Minister's directive on the PSC has been copied to the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure strict compliance.
On Monday the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Harold Demuren condemned the physical collection of the charges and also the hike from N1, 000.00 to N2,500.00.
Passengers have vigorously protested against the charges, describing it as exorbitant and exploitative, especially as the air fares have increased by over 150 per cent.
But Bi Courtney which introduced the charges on July 11, explained that it was high maintenance costs that prompted the management of the terminal to up the charges.
Before the hike, Bi Courtney was charging N350.00 for passenger service charge, while facility maintenance charge was N650.00, which amounted to N1,000.000 passenger processing charge. But this has been increased by 150 per cent.
According to the company, since December 22nd, 2006 it had obtained approval from the various authorities to charges $15 and N650, a total of about N3,000 per ticket. It said the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) is used by the terminal operators to maintain the terminal, adding that the annual cost of running the terminal has been increased and is reflective of the economic situation in the country.
The MMA2 operators further disclosed that in the last two weeks, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which operates other airports in Nigeria, has increased its PSC by 18 per cent for all domestic air tickets in Nigeria in all the location of the various airports.

Authorities in southwest China have confirmed the deaths of 21 workers in two flooded coal mines, state media said Monday, highlighting the dangers of toiling in the nation's collieries.
In Guiyang city, the capital of Guizhou province, 13 people were confirmed dead at the Fuhong mine, following a flood on May 29, the official China Daily newspaper reported.
According to AFP, only five bodies have been recovered, but experts have determined that the eight miners still inside had no chance of survival.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the mine was not constructed in accordance with an approved design -- a possible cause of the accident.

The second incident, which took place at an illegal mine on May 31 on the border of Guizhou province and the Guangxi region, left eight workers trapped. All of their bodies had been recovered by Saturday, the newspaper reported.
Police have arrested four mine owners, it said.

Last year, 2,433 people died in coal mine accidents in China, according to official statistics, or a rate of more than six workers per day.
Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely much higher than official data indicates, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.
Fatalities at Chinese coal mines peaked in 2002 when 6,995 deaths were recorded, sparking efforts by the government to boost safety standards.

In its latest campaign, the government last year issued a policy that required six kinds of safety systems, including rescue facilities, to be installed in all coal mines within three years.

With Apapa-Oshodi Expressway now impassable because of the road that has collapsed, the Ijora-Apapa end is now the only route to Nigeria’s premier port. You could be in the traffic for five hours, and that is not an exaggeration!

You can see it for yourself on this picture below!

Contrary to insinuations circulating round the country that the health of the national leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has degenerated, it has been affirmed that he is in stable health.
A statement by Royal Berkshire Hospital, United Kingdom where Ojukwu is presently receiving treatment and made available to THISDAY Thursday, insisted that its patient is in stable condition.
Since the evacuation of the former Biafran leader to the UK in December, last year, reports said this is the second time speculations have been rife about his state of health as regards reports suggesting that he had fallen into a coma.
However, the statement signed by the hospital’s Public Relations Manager, Mr. Joe Wise on behalf of the family dispelled the reports that Ojukwu’s is imperiled in anyway.
The statement reads: “We have been requested by the family of General Odumegwu-Ojukwu to clarify newspaper reports regarding his stay as a patient at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
“The Royal Berkshire Hospital is one of the largest acute hospitals and is nationally and internationally renowned for its high standards of care, using the very latest treatments and clinical equipment available.
“General Odumegwu-Ojukwu was admitted as an emergency patient from the Lynden Hill Clinic. He was suffering from a chest infection for which he received treatment. His condition is stable.
“Contrary to reports published in a number of newspapers, the General has not suffered any further strokes; he is not on a life support machine and has not been on one at any time while a patient in the Royal Berkshire Hospital; the General’s treatment is being funded privately.
“Any further media enquiries should be directed to the Public Relations Department, but further statements will only be issued at the request of the General’s family.” Some on-line publications have fuelled rumours that Ojukwu had a relapse. However, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Bob Onyema had since debunked it as the handwork of those who do not mean well for Igboland.
Contacted on the development, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State on Media and Publicity, Mr. Valentine Obienyem said that since the governor noticed that people were using Ezeigbos’ sickness for other purposes, he had directed his aides not to make comments on him, but always to remember him in prayers and book masses for him.
The 77 year-old national leader of APGA is spending his eight month in hospital since he was flown to the UK last year when his health conditions developed problems where he was been treated at a Nigerian hospital.
Asked on the funding of the treatment, Obienyem said that Obi was still solely responsible for the bill, which he said the governor had refused to make public even to debunk the allegation of junk on-line journalists on the reason that he saw his assistance as that of a son to his father that should not be sensationalized for any reason.

As criticisms continue to trail his plan to send a constitution amendment bill to the National Assembly to propose one-term tenure for the president and governors, President Goodluck Jonathan has denied that he originated the idea.
He said those insinuating that he was planning to extend his four-year tenure beyond May 29, 2015 were off the mark, blaming the people he consulted over the one-term proposal for leaking the information to the press prematurely.
The President was speaking at the 56th National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Abuja Thursday.
Opposition parties, particularly the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had reacted angrily to the proposal, saying it was an attempt by Jonathan to stay longer in power.
Jonathan said the idea of a single, longer term was that of the Committee of Inter Party Relations which he chaired between 2008 and 2009 as Vice-President.
He explained that parties, with the exception of ACN, proposed one-term limit in their memoranda.
He said: “There is a brief comment I want to make on this so-called single tenure. I wouldn’t have loved to but probably, it is becoming so topical in the papers. Most of the papers carried it today (yesterday) and when things happen, they do take it to a different direction.
According to the President, “Since we are meeting here as the NEC of the party, it is probably proper to clarify some of these issues so that it will not be misunderstood. It is me that asked some few people whether a single tenure will be a better option than a double tenure.
"Before I take any decision, I ask people. But that is not the end of consultation. It is a major [link in the] chain. So, before I can even send such a bill to the National Assembly, I will consult with the governors because any constitutional amendment involves the states and if they are not on the same page with you, there is no way such an amendment can easily sail through.
“So, I have not even discussed with the governors. I have never. Though as individuals, probably I have mentioned to one or two. Even the leadership of the party and the National Assembly, I might have mentioned to one or two persons, but not the formal group consultation. I have not done that level of consultation.
“But, why should the story come up? Of course, I asked one or two people about this and I felt that it was a good idea. So, the issue was leaked to the press and instead of talking about whether a single tenure is good or not, people were rather pinning it to extension of tenure.
And people were holding meetings [against it]. When we got to know that people were holding meetings, we said no, no, no, clarify this. Nobody should hold meeting about elongation of tenure. It has nothing to do with elongation of tenure. The tenure of Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo will end on 29th May, 2015. That is the constitution.”
Jonathan said a clarification was issued on Tuesday so that nobody would think he was planning to stay beyond May 29, 2015.
But the clarification seems to have compounded the issue, he said, even though the idea of a single term had been in the pipeline before he became president.
He continued: “Some of you will remember that in 2008/2009 when we (Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Jonathan) came on board, the feeling that the election was poorly done was so dramatised both within and outside the country that people felt elections were not properly conducted.
“I feel personally insulted whenever I travelled abroad to hold meetings and people came to take issues as if it was a stolen mandate. I used to tell people around me that no Nigerian President or Vice-President would like to go out and get insulted. So, if I have the opportunity to oversee elections, elections must be credible so that people will accept us anywhere.
“Because of those challenges, the late President set up the Justice Uwais Committee to look into the electoral reform and so on. He also asked all the parties to come together and form a team so that all the parties would submit a common position. And he asked me then, as vice-president, to chair the inter-party committee to come up with a common memorandum to the Justice Uwais Committee.

The probe panel set up by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate allegations of corruption against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami, has said it established evidence of conviviality between Justice Salami and some chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
THISDAY gathered that after going through the report of the panel headed by Justice Umaru Abdullahi, which was presented and discussed at the council’s meeting Wednesday, the members agreed that Salami’s allegation that the CJN attempted to influence the election petition appeal in the Sokoto matter was “baseless”.

Salami had claimed that Katsina-Alu asked him to manipulate the course of justice in the Sokoto State governorship election appeal.

In a suit seeking to stop his promotion to the Supreme Court, Salami had deposed on oath that Katsina-Alu asked him to compromise the appeal panel in giving judgment in favour of the incumbent governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Investigations also showed that the report, however, cleared Salami and other justices of the Court of Appeal on the allegations that the members of the governorship appeal panels in Osun and Ekiti States were financially induced to give judgment in favour of ACN.
The panel was said to have concluded that there was no evidence of financial inducement in the outcome of the two appeals.
But on the controversial call-logs, the panel was said to have recommended that they (call logs) should be further investigated by relevant security agencies to determine their relevance to the allegations against the jurists.
The council, according to an insider, adopted the report Wednesday, though its meeting continues Thursday.
NJC's spokesman, Mr. Soji Oye, was not available to confirm some of the information received from sources at the council's meeting.
But former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who is also a member of the NJC, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said no decision had been taken on the report.

He said: "As a member of council, the NJC is looking into the matter. Nothing is concluded yet."

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, has admitted operational failures by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, Borno State, saying five members of the task force are currently undergoing trial for their complicity in the misconduct.

Petinrin made the disclosure in Maiduguri Wednesday while speaking with newsmen after an official visit.
“The Defence Headquarters does not take the issue of misconduct lightly when it comes to any serving officer because we abide by rules of engagements in all our operations.

“In line with this, the commander of the JTF has initiated the process of trial of five officers suspected to have committed acts of misconduct while carrying out operations in Maiduguri,” he said.

Petinrin, who was reacting to allegations of excesses by members of the task force, said the military authority was doing everything possible to address lapses in the operations.

“Any officer found to have gone against our rules of engagement will be brought to book,'' he said.
He explained that “for an operation as massive as this”, there were bound to be mistakes and his men might have made one or two mistakes with those responsible currently facing trial.

He, however, commended his men for a job well done, claiming that the state was better now than it used to be and assured Nigerians that the soldiers were ready to bring the terrorists to their knees.
He said the initial advantage the terrorists had was because terrorism was alien to Nigeria but that security agencies had learnt fast and now ready to tackle them.

Petinrin also vowed that there would be no hiding place for the members of Boko Haram as he noted that rather than withdrawing the troops from Maiduguri, “we are busy reinforcing our security operation with a view to restoring order to Maiduguri and its environs.”
The CDS, who said he was in the state to attend to the challenges of his men and encourage them to carry on “with the good work” of protecting lives and properties, lambasted those calling for the withdrawal of the JTF from the state.
According to him, the advocates of the withdrawal of the troops from the streets of Maiduguri do not have the interest of the common man at heart.

He also said most of the advocates of the withdrawal of the JTF from the state reside in the Government Reservation Areas (GRA) where they do not feel the impact of explosives thrown at the market places and homes of the common people.
“The people in the GRA can afford to call for the withdrawal of soldiers because no bomb explosion had been recorded in the area.
“But the people living in densely populated areas have been cooperating with the JTF because they have seen lots of security improvements since our men took over.

“In fact, while the people are calling for the withdrawal, I am busy strengthening the JTF to make it easy for us to attain our goal of securing peace,'' he said.

He said: “The Federal Government did not send the JTF here to cause harm to the people of Borno State or any religious sect. We are here to ensure the restoration of order and protect innocent citizens who are being terrorised by Boko Haram.”
Petinrin said the JTF would not allow the sect to have a field day in terrorising the people of the state for no just cause, adding that many had been killed either through shooting or explosives.

He warned the sect members to desist from the act of terrorism and threatened that there would be no mercy for anyone caught in the act.

He said the members of the sect were “more or less animals by the way and manner they go about killing innocent people. This we must stop and we shall treat them adequately”.

On the alleged excesses of the JTF which led many to flee the state, he promised that the issue would be checked.
On the call for dialogue, he said: "The military is not in the business of dialogue," but rather complement its position in order to take the battle to those troubling Nigeria and Nigerians.

He revealed that the Maiduguri operation had been difficult because errorism was strange in the country. “The issue of terrorism is new in Nigeria and when things are new, it takes time for people to get to the bottom.