₦airaland Forum

Mrs. Nkiru Mokwe, the wife of the owner of Upper Class Hotel, Onitsha, where human heads were recovered by security agents on Thursday has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark to save the life of her husband.

She insisted that her husband, Bonaventure Mokwe, was set up.

Bonaventure was arrested along with 10 other people in connection with the recovery of the two human heads in the hotel.

The hotel was on Friday demolished on the orders of Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.

Nkiru said the life of her husband was in danger and urged the President and the Senate President to come to their rescue before it was too late.

Nkiru, a lawyer, who spoke to reporters in Onitsha on Saturday, said the whole story was a set up, adding that her husband's enemies were in a hurry to destroy him and his business.

"My husband is being detained in a very dehumanising condition at SARS, Awkuzu, and the police have denied him access to his lawyer and relations.

"My husband's hotel at No 8, Old Market Road, Onitsha which he inherited from his father, Chief G.C Mokwe, has been demolished," she said.

She alleged also that the government threatened to demolish his plaza at Ose-Okwodu and other properties belonging to him and his family and confiscate all his assets.

She wondered why the police in Anambra state did not act on the matter until Inspector General's office send men to the hotel based on a petition written on July 2, 2013.

She claimed that the human heads might have been planted by people who were bent on nailing her husband and draw attention from the main issues in contention.

She said her husband dealt in lands and real estate and there were lots of conflicts over ownership of lands between him and some persons which led to the shooting of her husband on March 9, 2009.

Nkiru said about four of the disputes were pending in court and wondered why the masterminds of her husband wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police alleging that her husband stored human heads and arms in his hotel.

She further alleged that the masterminds of her husband's arrest got approval of their petition and smuggled in two rusty objects which the police claimed were human skulls and arms into one of the commercial rooms in the hotel on or before the arrival of the police.

She prayed that her husband be charged to court or granted bail.

greatest man: front page pls

some-girl:
Why leave important issues and tackle the easier ones? Electricity and roads are key in order to encourage investment.
What's education without the hope of a means of livelihood after graduation?

Bliss4Lyfe: Soludo is vast and trusted, but if i may make some recommendations, i did request urgent attention be given to cities like Onitsha(Asaba) and Nnewi as both the commercial and industrial capital of the State in particular Onitsha as an International commercial capital of Nigeria. Solid construction work needed along its bank and the city geographical sphere expanded. Onitsha as a business district at present is much too small. It should be a megacity in the east.


Thus a massive Seaport along the bank of the niger river would be necessitated for Cargo. A train station for Cargoes will be required on the Seaport for Cargoes from Aba and Nnewi. We also require a Solid Train station for commuters to onitsha and multinational inward investment. Perhap a free trade zone in Onitsha would suffice. The Niger River would require dredging to allow for Ships. A flood barrier would be required to safe guard the City Of Onitsha. Businesses moved to malls packaged to international standard(Onitsha market)preferably high rise building that provides for mall at the bottom, first or second floor and offices on the upper floors.

If u don't do it big, u aint doing nothing.

taharqa2: Jesus Christ!!!

A call has gone to the Federal Government to use good governance, social security, economic prosperity in the atmosphere of peace, and security for life and property as instruments to burnish Nigeria’s unflattering image among the comity of nations.

Journalism icon, and former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who made this call in an exclusive interview with Saturday Sun during the week, said accountable governance and security would polish Nigeria’s image and make the country to dazzle in the comity of nations.

He was commenting on the latest public relations stunt by the minister in charge of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, named Fascinating Nigeria.

“There can be no repackaging without the leadership. Leadership is crucial. And that repackaging must come from the leaders who must first of all repackage themselves for the majority of Nigerians to follow”, he stated.

To make Nigeria a business and tourism destination of choice, according to the former governor, goes beyond mere sloganeering that guzzles billions of taxpayers’ money. Making the country a beautiful bride in Africa and beyond, Aremo Osoba said, “has to be actualized by the action of the leadership. Whatever the packaging you want to do must start with the leadership of this country.

“I will give you example. General Murtala Muhammed (the late Head of State) came into government and took major actions that totally repackaged Nigeria. He directed and focused on what he wanted. He told us we should consider Presidential system and he addressed the constitutional committee, packaged by eminent Nigerians. Another example is that of Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Babatunde Idiagbon. I was very close to General Idiagbon who was a major brain behind Buhari’s government. Idiagbon knew what they wanted. He knew that for Nigeria to make progress, there must be attitudinal change. Their government, therefore, launched the war against indiscipline, and the attitude of Nigerians changed. The campaign was honest and well focused. It wasn’t mere slogan.

“In 2013, I was watching a picture on the internet where Nigerians were struggling to board a plane in Abuja. They hardly allowed those who were to disembark to come down when they stormed into the aircraft. Whereas in Buhari’s time, the culture of queuing was strong and effective. We all went against indiscipline of any form and Nigerians immediately obeyed. There can be no repackaging without the leadership. Leadership is crucial. And that repackaging must come from the leaders who must first of all repackage themselves for the majority of Nigerians to follow.”

Bringing the point nearer home, Saturday Sun asked Aremo Osoba how President Goodluck Jonathan should ‘repackage’. The former Governor of Ogun State’s response came almost automatically, as he declared: “He must have a focused product. I will give you two examples. We used to think of Murtala Muhammed as an easy-going person. But when he became Head of State, he was a different person.”

So, does he not believe that the current public relations campaign of the government, Fascinating Nigeria, would enhance Nigeria’s efforts at generating more goodwill from its various publics? Again, Osoba was brutally frank in his reply.

“I don’t believe in slogans,” he said matter-of-factly. “They don’t even need to sloganise. What steps have they taken to show fascination? What does fascination mean? I don’t understand. They are the ones to explain. See the security issue that the country has been facing without any solution in sight. Once upon a time, my wife and I used to walk round Ikoyi. Now, you can’t do it anymore because people have started kidnapping. And they can kidnap a whole local government chairman and nobody could explain.

“When we talk about security, are we secured? Let them show us evidence, not by sloganeering, of a secured life. Like when I am in England, I walk round everywhere at anytime of the day without bothering myself about security. If you do that here, you don’t need a slogan before I would be convinced that we have security. What about power supply? I have not had power in Ikoyi here now for almost a month. We spend an average of N36,000 every other day to buy diesel in this house. I draw water from my own borehole, and so on. These are some of the things we need to repackage urgently, not mere slogans like Fascinating Nigeria.”

cogitoErgo: The funny thing is that where I work, I have seeing many educated women staying till being very old and hence in desperation marrying uneducated men. Ironically and with dew respect, [b[most of the women were Igbos![/b]

googlepikin: i thought they said they are saints and angels, they dont comit crimes in their region. ndi ara

Tolexander: op!
Where in specific is your location? I mean where you stay.

jerryzone1: its true as i write this upper class has been brought down by Gov. Peter Obi

realone2012: Tell me I'm the '2nd Person' to comment!!!

Tolexander: Another musiwa!

If they do not treat this kenyan lawyer very well, he may kill himself so as to go and bring Jesus from heaven to be a living witness to the petition he filed.

Scarpon: me wait? I have already started a business

AWKA — GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has protested to President Goodluck Jonathan, the alleged deportation of 72 persons by Lagos State government. The deporteees were dumped at Upper Iweka area of Onitsha at night last week.

Obi’s letter to the President came on the heels of a threat by Onitsha branch of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, to drag Lagos State government to court over the issue

Obi’s letter titled: “Unconstitutional, illegal and forced deportation of Nigerians to Anambra State from Lagos State” reads: “I wish to respectfully bring to your due attention a very disturbing development that has vast national security and political implications.

“Last September and again on July 24, 2013, the Lagos State Government contrived inexplicable reasons to round up Nigerians, whom they alleged were Anambra indigenes (most of whom the SSS report shows clearly are not from Anambra State) and forcefully deported them to Anambra State, dumping them as it were in the commercial city of Onitsha (see attached SSS report).


*File photo: Sranded persons numbering about 70 allegedly dumped at the upper axis of Onitsha, Anambra State at about 3:20 a.m. by unknown persons. PHOTO: NAN.

“This latest callous act, in which Lagos State did not even bother to consult with Anambra State, before deporting 72 persons considered to be of Igbo extraction to Anambra State, is illegal, unconstitutional and a blatant violation of the human rights of these individuals and of the Nigerian Constitution.

“Your Excellency, no amount of offense committed by these people, even if deemed extremely criminal, would justify or warrant such cruel action by a State authority and in a democracy.

“Even refugees are protected by the law. Furthermore, the extant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution states: ‘Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part, thereof, and no citizen shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom’.

“Sir, forced deportation such as this, which Lagos State seems to be making a norm in addressing its domestic challenges are egregious and calls into question the validity of Nigeria and its federating components. Such acts violate human decency, the rule of law and constitutionally ordered liberties. Were Anambra and other states in the federation to resort to such extreme measures, there would be total anarchy.

“It would amount to complicity on the part of the states and the Federal Government, if this issue is not thoroughly investigated and some form of censure brought to bear on Lagos State. I suggest, Sir, that you direct the Attorney-General of the Federation to investigate these incidents.

“Naturally, I have the obligation to protect the interest and welfare of all Nigerians resident in Anambra State irrespective of their states of origin and I would be left with no option other than reciprocity or reprisal”.

I will, however, put any such reaction in abeyance until Your Excellency has had the opportunity to address our concerns.

“Please accept, Your Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest regards.”

Similarly, rising from a meeting in Onitsha, the NBA frowned at what it described as flagrant violation of human rights of some Nigerians by Lagos State government and warned that it could be forced to take appropriate legal action against Lagos State government if the ugly incident was not redressed.

In a communiqué, the chairman, Mr. D.C. Maduewesi and secretary, Mr. Steve Ononye, recalled that a similar incident occurred at the same Upper- Iweka in Onitsha last year in which over 100 persons of South-East origin residing in Lagos State were deported to Anambra State without any reason.

According to the association, most of the victims of the illegal deportation were innocent Nigerians who lived below poverty level and regretted that a state like Lagos that has a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) at the helm of affairs could embark on flagrant abuse of the rights of fellow Nigerians.

It wondered when it became fashionable for a state in the country to engage in internal deportation of fellow citizens without tangible reasons and called for adequate compensation from Lagos State government to alleviate the suffering already experienced by the deportees.

MAIDUGURI — Eight persons, including a lecturer at the College of Education, Waka, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State (names withheld) were, yesterday, slaughtered by suspected Boko Haram members.

They were suspected to have invaded the town after escaping from their camps in Sambisa and other camps in Borno and Yobe states, during the military raid.

It was learnt that the killing took place around the popular Kadafur Cinema area and other wards where a lecturer at the Waka College of Education, who was also an Islamic cleric, three members of a family and four others were slaughtered.

Meanwhile, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Kano is considering floating a civilian JTF outfit to complement efforts by security agents to police Sabon Gari, a predominantly Christian quarters that had witnessed terrorist attack recently.


*Boko haram

Briefing journalists in Kano, Chairman, Kano chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Tobias Idika, explained that the option had become “very viable in the light of increased activities of terrorists in the densely populated quarters.

Idika said that the “option of taking up our collective security through civilian JTF, is long overdue to set an example on how members of the guest community can best come together to confront a national question threatening the fabric of the nation.

“Residents of Sabon Gari have been the target of attacks by the extremist group since they struck January 20, 2012.

“The motor park bombing last March, with its attendant devastation, is still fresh in our mind and the question left unanswered is ‘for how long would members of the guest community continue to lose its productive population?”

Borno Dep Gov reacts

Last Tuesday, Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha, who is also from Biu Local Government Area in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, lamented the increasing killing of innocent people in Biu.

He said the state government was not interested in the restoration of GSM network in the state for now as doing so will jeopardise the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.

A reliable source, who just arrived Maiduguri from the troubled town, said: “Biu is no longer safe. There were pockets of killings by suspected Boko Haram sect in the last few days.

“In fact, most of the killings were targeted at school teachers and Islamic clerics, and the most unfortunate thing is that the terrorists have devised a means of using knives to slaughter their targets, as using gunshots will attract security agencies.”

It was gathered that military task force has been deployed to the streets of the town to ensure safety of lives and property, even as some volunteered youths have offered to assist the security agencies in apprehending those perpetrating such act.

JTF spokesman, Lt-Col Sagir Musa, could not be reached at time due to lack of telecommunication services in the area.