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YOUTHS (8)
The youths, according to eyewitnesses, killed five people, razed four buildings and kidnapped the monarch, Oba Samuel Oyegbemi.
The Police Public Relations Officer in charge of the state command, Mr. Aremu Adeniran, who confirmed the incident, however said only two lives were lost, while the palace of the monarch and two other houses were torched.
Adeniran confirmed that the monarch, who he described as a very nice man, was abducted by the irate youths..
The police spokesman explained that the Ijaw youths were probably on a revenge mission following the discovery of the body of an ex-militant in Iju-Osun on Thursday.
He explained that the people of Iju-Osun could not account for the death of the ex-militant, hence the invasion of the town by the irate Ijaw youths.
He said, “Security has been beefed up to avert further loss of lives. Our men are there. We are making efforts to release the monarch. The man is good. No report of any clash was recorded before the discovery of the corpse in the town.”
Our correspondent learnt that the invasion of the town by the ex-militant, followed the mysterious death of a middle-aged Ijaw man, identified simply as Samuel in the town.
The man, who was from Arogbo Ijaw in Ese Odo Local Government, according to sources, was a father of one of the militants and had resided at Iju-Osun town for many years.
The son, whose identity could not be ascertained at press time, was said to have contacted his colleagues and in retaliation, arrived in the town on Friday in company with armed youths.
A high chief in the town, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told reporters on Friday that the militants shot sporadically and later set several houses, including the palace of the Olughogho of Iju –Osun, ablaze.
Eyewitness said residents of neigbouring towns like Ajagba, Akotogbo and other villages in the area had also fled their areas in anticipation of possible invasion by the ex-militants. About six towns in the area have been diserted as residents were said to be taking refuge at Ode-Irele and the state capital.
"Change grindeth slowly...as slow as the oil that drips dry" One way thinking .
Divisions have emerged within the influential religious establishment, including the religious police body itself, over long-held restrictions that have been enforced in the world's leading oil producing country and key U.S. ally.
An official at the Jeddah court confirmed the filing of the lawsuit for the crime of "openly declaring sin" and said it would take at least one week for the Islamic sharia court to decide whether to proceed with a trial or dismiss the case.
The Saudi judiciary system, based on an austere reading of Islamic sharia law, reserves harsh punishments for such offences that could involve lashes with whip and years of imprisonment.
Aired last month, MTV's "True Life - Resist the Power, Saudi Arabia" followed how three Saudi youths and a heavy metal band cope with the strictures they encounter in their daily life in Jeddah, seen as the kingdom's most liberal city (here).
The kingdom is ruled by the Al Saud family in alliance with clerics from the austere Wahhabi school of Islam who oversee mosques, the judiciary and education, as well as run their own coercive apparatus, the religious police.
Interior ministry police and the religious police work together to make sure unrelated men and women are kept apart, women are covered from head to toe and that sharia law is implemented, including a ban on alcohol.
"We are not free to live as we like," said Aziz, one of the youths who appeared on the MTV show. The episode showed how he tries to meet his girlfriend for a date, a risky endeavor in the kingdom. "I feel great solace when I talk to her."
Fatima, a young Saudi woman, seeks to start a business selling the traditional abaya cloak that women must wear in Saudi Arabia, but in colors other than the standard black.
The show also followed the struggle of a heavy metal band to find venues to play. They explain that when they pray they turn their heavy metal T-shirts inside out to show respect for God.
Saudi rulers have wrestled with whether to moderate Wahhabism since the September 11 attacks in 2001 on U.S. landmarks, carried out by mostly Saudi nationals, and the emergence of al Qaeda militancy against the Saudi government in 2003.
King Abdullah is seen as favoring reforms that water down some of Wahhabism's more controversial tenets. Analysts and diplomats say he is opposed by other senior princes who are closely allied to the powerful religious establishment.
Lawyers following the case fear the first instance court in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah -- where the lawsuit was filed on Monday -- would take the case.
"It will be very difficult to stop the religious clockwork once this gets to court. They may face harsh sanctions like those dealt to Abdul-Jawad," one of the lawyers said.
It is the second time in a year that Saudis got into hot water for appearing on foreign television.
Mazen Abdul-Jawad was sentenced last year to five years in jail, 1,000 lashes and a five-year travel ban after he bragged about his sexual exploits on a TV show aired by Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC).
A total of 10 youths have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while allegedly attempting to smuggle 12.33kg of narcotics out of the country..
A statement by the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Ofoyeju Mitchell, on Sunday also revealed that drug barons were now targeting Nigerians living in Europe, because they possessed travel documents.
The NDLEA stated that apart from two of the suspects residing in Lagos, the others were residents of European nations. It said that 12.33kg consisted of 1.115kg heroin and 11.215kg of cocaine.
The Airport Commander of the NDLEA, Alhaji Hamza Umar, gave the names of the suspects as Osaze Monday, 37, who allegedly ingested 60 pieces of cocaine weighing 1.010kg; Izevbokun Kelvin, 22, who ingested 111 pieces of cocaine weighing 1.610kg; Joe Favour, 26, who ingested 82 pieces of cocaine weighing 1.300kg; Nwodo Oscar,34, who swallowed 95 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.515kg; and Chinedu Okeke,40, who swallowed 69 wraps of heroin weighing 1.115kg.
Others are Obarisiagbon Marvis, 32 who ingested 77 pieces of cocaine weighing 1.445kg; Liasu Ajadi, 41,who ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.190kg; Ejiro Henry,19, who ingested 73 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.285kg; Lever Ehigie,21, who ingested 66 pieces of cocaine weighing 900 grammes; and Omorose Kingsley,28 that swallowed 960 grammes of cocaine.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, in a goodwill message on Democracy Day charged youths to shun for illicit wealth.
He charged youths to take advantage of the numerous windows of opportunities in the economy to reposition themselves for leadership responsibilities.
Giade, who identified indiscipline and greed as the factors responsible for the involvement of youths in narcotics trafficking, urged them to “positively rebrand” themselves.
“Drug traffickers usually act on impulse as a result of greed and indiscipline. Unfortunately, many only have a re-think after they had been caught,” the NDLEA boss stated.
Abuja:
It was another day of protest in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Tuesday, as a coalition of youth leaders from across the country stormed Abuja with a call for the removal of all the heads of security agencies in the country for failing to stop the recent carnage in Dogon Na Hauwa area of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State..
Charley Boy
![pix200702174511745[1].jpg](http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/17/punch/images/pix200702174511745%5B1%5D.jpg)
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The protesters, who represented professionals, entrepreneurs, artistes, activists and students, also demanded President Umaru Yar'Adua's removal from office if he could no longer perform his duties as the President of Nigeria.
Some of the notable artistes who marched with the youths were Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charley Boy; Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Six Foot Plus; as well as columnist, Dele Momodu.
In a four-point petition addressed to the President of the Senate, David Mark, the protesters said the Jos situation made it clear that the Nigerian state was incapable of securing the lives and limbs of its citizens, given the manner people were slaughtered in Jos.
"We demand an urgent overhaul of the security and intelligence apparatus in our country; the heads, the structures and the people that power the structures need to go, and they need to go now.
"We also demand that President Yar'Adua should resume, resign or be removed so that Nigerians know who their leaders are, and the cabal usurping the Presidency can finally be dislodged," the statement said.
The protesters demanded that the Federal Government should, within one month, produce a realistic plan for solving the perennial power problem in the country.
They also pressed for the speedy conclusion of the electoral reform process, insisting that there could be no credible elections under the present arrangement.
"Nigerians aged below 35 constitute more that 70 per cent of the population and we are putting you on notice that we intend to begin to use this power. This is only the first of many steps we are going to be taking to ensure that our leaders take us seriously.
"We will come out massively to vote this time around, we will be watching closely and we will not leave election centres until all votes are counted. Anyone who rigs elections this time around will have themselves to blame. Young people across the country - from the North to the South - will be coming out in their millions and they will strongly resist any attempt to rig," they insisted.
Meanwhile, the march suffered a hitch when policemen barricaded the main entrance to the National Assembly.
After hours of waiting, the youths forcefully made their entry through the gate, breaking the wall of fence made by the police.
But they eventually could not enter into the arcade of the complex where protesters are usually allowed to gather to make their demands because the National Assembly security closed the iron gates and deployed hundreds of armed policemen to keep the protesters off.
The intervention of Charley Boy and other artistes to get the leadership of the National Assembly to come out to speak with the youths failed.
Oputa at a point came out to announce to the protesters that the legislators had left the complex through the back gate.
But incidentally, the House Committee Chairman on Youths, Mr. Oyedokun Oladepo, appeared, claiming that he was sent by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole.
But the youths refused to listen to him. They said they would rather go away than speak with any person lesser than the President of the Senate or the Speaker.
Some of the artistes were, however, not happy as the youths walked out on the lawmaker, as they expressed the view that the Speaker's representative was good enough.
