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12166300684?profile=originalThe glamorous lovers’ day celebration on Monday turned bloody at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) when gunmen killed two students. Daily Sun gathered that the clash was between two rival cult groups, namely, Black Axe and the Buccaneers,’ over a female student allegedly snatched by the Capone of the Black Axe for Valentine celebration.

 

The action of the Capone , the source said did not go down well with the other group leading to the clash.
A student who witnessed the shooting said besides the two cult members who were shot dead, about four others sustained injuries and were ferried out of the campus by their leaders to shield their identity.

The sources said the cult members who carried out the attack were not UNILAG students but members from another campus, adding that the attack was carried out in a commando style with sporadic shooting.
An undergraduate student of English Department told Daily Sun that the Buccaneers’ group attacked the Black Axe members while another student returning from the Mosque said those who carried out the killing were not from UNILAG because they did not cover their faces.

It was learnt that as soon the shooting started, students scampered for safety while others took cover behind the wall and under cars packed around, while others ran into the halls to avoid being hit by stray bullets. 
A senior lecturer who confirmed the killings said the university management had met to curtail any reprisal attack while security personnel had taken over the investigation of the deadly cult clash.
When Daily Sun visited the troubled institution yesterday, there was uneasy calm, as most staff and students rebuffed efforts made by the reporters to get their comments.

However, one of the students who resides at Sodeinde Hall, said there was sporadic gunshots outside the premises which caused panic everywhere. 
It was gathered that the crisis, which erupted when the students were at the peak of lovers’ day celebration, created stampede on the campus as people ran for safety.

One of the victims of the attack reportedly ran into Sodeinde Hall for help, from where he was taken to the hospital.
Although the Hall Master of Sodeinde Hall declined comments on the issue, one of the officials, who wouldn’t want his name published, said the attack could not be linked to any cult group. He said there was increasing speculation that the perpetrators of the attack could be fighting for love. Efforts made by Daily Sun our reporter to ascertain the identities of the victims were unsuccessful.
The news bulletin of the university, Information Flash (ISSN 08195540) also captured the incident, while assuring the staff and students of the university of adequate security.

“The attention of the universities authorities has been drawn to the incident which occurred in one of the Halls of Residence in the late hours of Monday, February 14, 2011 where two persons were reportedly injured in fracas. The university management has commenced investigation into the unusual incident, in particular at a time when preparation for the first semester examinations due to commence on February 21, 2011 are in top gear. Security has been intensified to ensure safety of life and property on campus. Law enforcement agents have been involved to assist the university in this respect,” it said. 
Daily Sun learnt that students are leaving the campus because of the fear of reprisal attack while some parents called their wards on phone to return home until the situation is brought under control. 

The Deputy Registrar Information of UNILAG, Mr. Dare Adebisi refused to pick his calls or replied to text message sent to his phone.
When the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Samuel Jinadu (DSP) was called thrice, he promised to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area and did not call back as at the press time....

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The report on the investigation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) under the leadership of its former director general, Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, showed that in 2008, the Exchange spent N186 million to buy Rolex watches for long serving employees.

The yet-to-be officially released report, a product of investigations by KPMG, an audit firm, and Aluko Oyebode & Co., a legal firm, revealed that “at the beginning of 2008, the NSE expended the sum of N45 million in purchasing 64 Rolex watches for presentation to employees who had served the NSE for 10 years.”.....

The report also noted that “later in the same year, Candy Floss Limited (a company owned by Yinka Idowu, former head of NSE’s corporate affairs department), was given N95 million for an additional purchase of 91 Rolex watches, and subsequently, after the award ceremony, another 10 Rolex watches at the cost of N46 million were purchased.”

Meanwhile, the investigators said they observed that the award ceremony document showed that only 73 out of the 165 Rolex watches purchased were actually presented to the awardees, meaning that 92 Rolex watches valued at N99.5 million were unaccounted for.

“We further observed that the schedule containing the list of staff members eligible for long service awards only contains 63 names; suggesting that 10 additional and unauthorised people received presentations,” the report added.

Car gifts

Furthermore, Candy Floss Limited, according to the report, was given N100 million to purchase 14 cars to be presented to employees who had served the NSE for 25 to 30 years.

At the same time, the report said that three cars purchased by the NSE in January and March 2008 for N59 million - one Land Cruiser purchased for N30 million, and two Lexus cars purchased for N29 million -were written off the NSE books at the end of the same year by their allocation to the Long Service Award account, as part of the gifts given during the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the award ceremony document showed that only seven people were presented with cars, compared to the 14 cars which were to be purchased by Candy Floss Limited and the three additional cars written off; meaning that 10 cars, valued at approximately N66 million, were unaccounted for.

The auditors also revealed that “although Candy Floss Limited was given the sum of N50 million for the special presentation to employees who had worked with the NSE for 25 to 30 years, another sum of N55 million was again disbursed in respect of the special presentation, which was to include a luxurious jeep and a special gift of the former director general’s choice.

“This suggests that there was a duplication of payment and a double purchase of a luxury car for the former director general’s choice,” the auditors said.

Further investigations

While the fact that Articles 52 of the NSE Employee Handbook for Management and Senior Staff, as well as Article 55 of the Employee Handbook for Junior Staff limits the value of gifts/cash that can be given to employees for the long service award, the auditors said, “We observed that the gifts awarded/presented far exceeded the value stated in these handbooks, “adding that “these Articles further stated that these awards should be presented to only members of staff, but we observed that former members of staff were also given awards.”

However, the auditors said further investigations to be carried out in respect of the award will determine if any payments were made by Candy Floss Limited to the accounts of NSE officers, including that of Mrs. Okereke-Onyuike.

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Sir Alan Sugar under fire over 'Nigeria insult' on The Apprentice


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He is used to handing out the criticism. But today Lord Sugar was on the receiving end as Nigeria's High Commissioner in London accused him of insulting millions of his countrymen.

In a statement, His Excellency Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida accused the Apprentice boss of making “demeaning” and “spurious” comments about the African country on his hit BBC show The Apprentice.

His Excellency accuses the peer of smearing Nigeria's reputation with an “unprovoked” and “damaging” attack based on his sordid dealings with one individual.

It comes after Lord Sugar suggested that Nigerians could not be trusted over financial promises.

During the opening episode of The Apprentice, the peer asked contestant Stuart Baggs why he should not be “fired” from the show.

Mr Baggs said: “If you give me one hundred grand a year, I will deliver to you 10 times that and if I don't — take it all back. A money back guarantee, I'm that confident”...

Lord Sugar replied: “I had an offer like that from Nigeria once and funnily enough it didn't transpire.”
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The peer gave no explanation as to whether his comment was based on a real event or a stereotyped view about Nigerians.

The BBC, which is often sensitive to such pejorative remarks, allowed the pre-recorded clip to be broadcast.

Today a statement issued on Dr Tafida's behalf said: “Lord Sugar's remark on Nigeria is preposterous and spurious for a number of reasons.

"It was an unprovoked, damaging remark on a sovereign and independent state of over 150 million people, based on his alleged sordid and isolated deal with a Nigerian individual. It is indeed demeaning and unfortunate.”

Nigeria has developed a reputation, however, as a base for “mass marketing” rackets in which organised criminals seek to cheat victims of their money by offering prizes or other incentives, which subsequently fail to materialise, in return for cash payments.

A report this year by the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group warned that the country continued “to serve as a base of operations for a wide range of mass-marketing activity.”

The 2001 census said there were nearly 90,000 Nigerian-born people living in the UK — just under 69,000 in London — and both numbers are believed to have increased significantly since.

The Hackney businessman versus the High Commissioner..

Lord Sugar started in business selling electrical goods from a van after leaving school at 16, and is now worth about £730 million. He founded Amstrad, the electrical goods firm, which he sold in 2007, and was chairman of Tottenham Hotspur for several years. The Hackney-born entrepreneur was knighted for services to business in 2000 and was last year appointed Gordon Brown's Enterprise Champion and elevated to the Lords. He also supports charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Jewish Care.

His Excellency Dr Dalhutu Sarki Tafida was appointed Nigeria's High Commissioner in London in 2008 after a career in medicine which included studying in Newcastle, Liverpool and the US. He was appointed chief physician to the Nigerian president between 1980 and 1983 and later served as minister of health between 1993 and 1995. He was a member of the Nigerian senate between 2003 and 2007, including a period as the Senate majority leader. He is married with nine children and his interests include playing Scrabble and table tennis.
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Abuja under siege

Abuja residents were again subjected to hours of traffic mayhem yesterday, as large sections of the Federal Capital were closed off to vehicles.

The heightened security measures left thousands of workers stranded, as they desperately tried to reach their offices and places of business.

According to authorities, the security measures were taken in order to “ensure zero risk” during the commissioning of police aircraft at Eagle Square, at which Goodluck Jonathan was in attendance. As a result, security cordons were put up in a one mile radius around the venue.

A traffic gridlock ensued because Eagle Square happens to be in proximity to the Federal Secretariat, situated in a hub of many businesses and activities.

Yesterday’s traffic chaos comes just days after similar logjams occurred on Friday. Ministry staff and other employees were forced to trek for miles to work, after all vehicles were prohibited from driving towards the centre of the town.

Joy Iwuese, a civil servant, recounted how the diversions caused her to be two hours late for work.

“My bus normally drops me just outside the secretariat,” she said. “Instead, what happened is that they drove only as far as Setraco then started turning back. By the time I even got to work, half of my colleagues were not there.”

Bomb detectors

The traffic tailbacks were no different at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, where bomb detectors were used to screen all approaching vehicles on the airport access road. Some vehicles were also stopped and searched, leading to several missed flights and disgruntled passengers.

Bomb detectors were also sighted at various other locations within the FCT, such as the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) had, on Friday, warned of another attack in Abuja, in an email sent to various media houses. According to the email, the attack was a direct response to Henry Okah’s trial in South Africa and “the persecution of innocent people in Nigeria.”

In the email, signed by its putative spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the group said it will “give a 30-minute advance warning to avoid civilian casualties, then sit back and watch how the blame game will be played out on all those already falsely accused.”

A security source revealed to NEXT that a similar email was sent to security agencies on Thursday and this has stoked up security concerns in the Federal Capital. The source added that all such threats were now being taken seriously, and warned Abuja residents to brace themselves for stricter security procedures, including the introduction of more checkpoints and random searches.

No end in sight

“It unfortunately does not end here,” the source said. “Things may never fully return to normal because of what transpired on October 1st. Already, if you go to the airport now, all cars entering are being searched. This will also be introduced in strategic places across FCT.

“On Tuesday, again there will be more blockading. The president is commissioning the AYA Bridge, so that entire stretch of road which connects from Asokoro to Maitama is going to be closed off.”

The stringent checks are not a welcome development for increasingly frustrated Abuja residents. Taofik Adejuwon, another civil servant, compared the recent conditions to being in a militarised state.

“Of course, one can never be too safe,” Mr. Adejuwon said..

“But at what cost? It is as if we are living in a military zone. You see police, traffic wardens, VIO, civil defence everywhere. It is very uncomfortable for those of us who are used to more freedom,” he said.

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Many years ago, I found myself in Nsugbe as a student of the community’s famous College of Education. By the way, Nsugbe is a quiet town in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State. As an agrarian community, the people love farming.

They also do a little of fishing because of their proximity to the River Niger. I still feel the warmth of those good days anytime I remember the Otite Yam Festival which holds around this time every year. Usually, people would come from far and near with their friends to mark the festival.

Earlier in the year, I returned to Nsugbe after several years to pay my last respect to a father- figure who assisted me in those days, only to discover to my chagrin, an unusual development in the community. Nsugbe has lost those virtues and accolades that once made it the envy of its neighbours. My host, a great brother and friend with whom I had navigated the town in those good old days was more explicit. “My town has lost its innocence and the glory has departed.”

What struck me first was the brazen use of cannabis, otherwise known as Indian hemp by the youths of the town. My shock later turned to sympathy as I watched the young smoke brazenly on the streets. I also observed that hemp smoking had become a fad among the town’s growing army of unemployed youths. This, naturally became a source of worry for the people of Nsugbe, particularly the aged who are witnesses to the drama that plays out almost every minute in the place..

Apart from alleged pilfering and burglary, there have been incessant incidents of rape and harassment of innocent visitors by the youths. Usually, the youths target burial and wedding ceremonies because such occasions attract a a large number of people from within and outside the community.

Literally Nsugbe is under siege. The people have been held hostage by a small group of irresponsible young men who live under the strong influence of hard drugs and alcohol. They wake up in the morning looking for what to steal or who to devour. Domestic animals that roam the streets freely are not spared from the onslaught. Farms and private plantations are routinely ransacked and crops and livestock carted away. Unfortunately, the police in Nsugbe appear to be helpless.

Unfortunately, the police have not done much to restore public confidence and I understand that they have no apologies. As I watched with a heavy heart during that burial ceremony, the tragedy that had befallen Nsugbe, certain thoughts crept into my mind. I am afraid the situation might deteriorate. Already, many of the prominent natives of the town have gone on self-imposed exile. The situation is really bad and I doubt if a quick solution is in sight.

An elderly woman once told me on the eve of my departure from Nsugbe how a team of policemen raided the town a few months ago and arrested some of the youths. After spending some days in police detention, they were reportedly handed over to operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for prosecution. To the shock of many of the indigenes, the boys soon returned to Nsugbe after it was alleged that money had changed hands. In fact, they came back celebrating and boasting that they were untouchable. According to them, they could always buy their freedom from security operatives, whatever was the cost.

This incident, I gathered, had an instant devastating impact on the entire community and its people. Fear returned to the town. Apart from the fact that the criminals became more emboldened, it also served as a tacit endorsement of criminality in the community.

This piece was actually inspired by these disturbing developments. I love Nsugbe, no doubt and I am sad at the gradual loss of almost everything that the people once held dear. Nsugbe is like other communities in the South-east crying for help. Meanwhile, I have already told some of my friends in the town to convoke a conference that would address the issue of insecurity because it is an enemy of progress.

As bad and hopeless as the case appears, it is not irredeemable and there could not have been a better time than now as tomorrow may be too late. I wish them all good luck.

Echezonam, an educationist writes from Umuahia
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Editorial:According to Wikipedia Mali is considered to be one of the poorest nations in the world and For Nigerian Ladies to call it their home and debase themselves in the infamous oldest Profession in the world things must be really bad for our Ladies here in naija .Prostitiution has become a thriving Export Service in our dear country.Young ladies are being sold into a mini slavery like existence not only in Europe but in neighbouring African States.SENATORS & LEGISLATORs may God have mercy on your daughters as your decisions have turned our young men into Yahoo Criminals & our Girls into women of easy virtue.noelene.

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Photo Reverend Raymond Map of Mali & Malian Ladies

Rev Raymond moved to Mali in 1996 because, accoding to him, he felt an urge to take the gospel there. Little did he know what was waiting for him there. ''Mali is a country with the majority of its population being Muslims. The people are very friendly, so it was not difficult to adapt,'' he said. Soon, Raymond noticed an ugly trend: Nigerian girls were being trafficked to Mali in droves for prostitution. ''It was not as bad as it is now," he said. "It has become a serious problem because of the unending poverty and unemployment. It is Nigerian men who bring the girls to Mali under the pretext that they are taking them to Europe. When they get to Mali, they are abandoned to Brothel owners who become their masters.''

Ironically, he noted, the brothel owners are mostly Nigerian women from Edo State. ''A brothel can contain as many as 1,000 Nigerian girls. In fact, I know of one woman who has three such brothels, each containing 1000 Nigerian girls. Each girl is made to pay as much as N2 million, to offset the cost of transporting her from Nigeria to Mali. The same brothel operators would later go back to Nigeria and build houses in their states and nobody would know the source of their wealth.''

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The experience of Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali for prostitution is indeed harrowing because of peculiar circumstances. ''Prostitution is legal in Mali. Prostitutes pay stipulated amounts to the Malian government and police to maintain order in their brothels. This makes it quite difficult to rescue girls who were tricked into this job and have no desire to continue in it,'' Rev Raymond said. ''I took it upon myself to bring the girls home after I started coming in contact with them. Some who have paid up their debts are able to leave and seek refuge in churches. Since I work with all churches, I get to meet such girls.''

He acknowledges that many underage girls were still trapped in brothels in Mali. ''A few of these girls have escaped. The brothels are usually very secured. Any girl brought there is denied contact with the outside world. You are in bondage until you can pay off your debt. Some have taken ill, died and have been buried within the brothels' premises. I have tried to get the Nigerian embassy to intervene but they keep telling me there is nothing they can do, because they are on foreign soil. The Consular even said he had gone as far as calling on the governors of Edo and Delta states to get involved in bringing their girls back home. Some are very willing to come back and we need assistance to bring them home. The Nigerian government should get involved. It is now a matter of national honour because our image in Mali is tarnished. We are now known as a nation of prostitutes.''


While thousands of trapped girls await help from the government, the Nigerian Christian community in Mali is not folding its arms. There are lots of churches who have taken these girls in, pending when they would be taken back to Nigeria. ''You know I have been doing it on my own before. It was not until two months ago that I learnt about a government agency called NAPTIP, which is responsible for these sort of things. It was a border officer who saw me bringing back three girls to Nigeria that told me of NAPTIP and even gave me their number. I have been bringing girls to them ever since. But we need more involvement from government,''he said.

He recalled moments of frustration when he tried together with a catholic priest to get the cooperation of the Nigerian embassy in assisting with transportation. ''There is a priest in the catholic cathedral in Mali who has been involved too in assisting trafficked girls. He was overjoyed when he learnt of NAPTIP and went with me to the embassy. We wanted to discuss how these girls would be brought home. When we realised the embassy was not going to assist us with transportation we were so frustrated.

''If the Nigerian government decides to take action, a BRT bus would be filled with girls coming back home to Nigeria every month. It is not easy to do this alone. I am a married man with five children, but I cannot fold my arms and watch these girls suffer. At the same time, it is also a big sacrifice on the part of my family when I divert money meant for them to bring these girls back. We need the Nigerian government to be more proactive. This trafficking must stop. If they secure the assistance of the Malian government, it would be easier to break this network of criminals who are exploiting our girls.''



Statistics:


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Amongst the activities of the "West African Project Against AIDS" in Mali, numerous interventions are being conducted in the brothels by the local NGOs. It rapidly appeared that it's necessary to dispose the mapp of prostitution profile to enhance the coverage and results of our interventions. OBJECTIVES: 1. to determine locations, types and number of brothels in our zone of intervention, 2. to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the prostitutes working in the brothels and their clients, 3. to evaluate the feasability of preventive interventions towards prostitutes and their clients in these brothels 4. to make suggestions for improving the effectivness of interventions in those areas. METHODOLOGY: A crosswise survey has been realized during February-march 2001 in the brothels of the following cities: Bamako, Sikasso, Koutiala and Zegoua. NGO investigators working in the prostitution circles administered an individual questionnaire to consenting barmen, women prostitutes and their clients. Analysis was made with Epi-info 6.04. RESULTS: More than 212 establishments were taked census and divided up into three categories: 65 brothels, 85 bars whith guestrooms and 62 refreshment bars. During that we interviewed 139 prostitutes, 281 clients and 180 barmen. We've indenfieded many types of prostitutions; going from commercial sex- workers into the brothels seaters to roamers and casual to occasional prostitution. The prostitutes were mostly from Nigeria 47%, Mali 25,5%, Ghana 11,7% and from surrounding countries in the sub-region. The average age was 26,4 and ranged from 12 to 47 years old. The clients of brothels were from all categories of populationn CONCLUSION: These patterns of prostutution's profiles bring us to develop integrated and simultaneous strategies towards categories of prostitutes and theirs clients

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Written by Biola Azeez, Leon Usigbe, with Agency Report

THE Chairman of Lagos State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Wahab Oba and three other journalists, with their driver, who were kidnapped penultimate Sunday in Abia State, have regained their freedom.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that they regained their freedom in the early hours of Sunday, between 1.30 and 2 a.m. at Ukpakiri, in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

Narrating their ordeal to newsmen at the Police Headquarters, Umuahia, Oba and the others said that they were released by their abductors in a market.

He said that the hoodlums had taken them to a market square where they were abandoned between 1.30 a.m. and 2 a.m. and that they had to wait till 6 a.m. “and we were there until the police came and rescued us.

“They collected all our personal effects, including laptops, wristwatches and the sum of N3 million and even shared the money in our presence,” he said.

Oba said that they were fed on bread once a day but that at a time they declared a fast “and they asked us if we were fasting against them.

“We explained to them that we are journalists, who were at the vanguard of enthroning good governance, and even told them that we have been in the forefront for the release of Chief (Ralph) Uwazuruike, leader of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MOSSOB).

“We even requested them to give our phones to us to contact our families for them to bring the money they requested but they said that they were not after our money but that of the government.

“We were not beaten except the fact that they blindfolded us on some occasions.

“The kidnappers told us that they resorted to protest as a result of bad governance in Abia and accused the state government of diverting the money the Federal Government released for amnesty.

“They told us that they were giving the state government one month to either complete the amnesty programme or face their wrath and that they will come out openly to shoot at people,” he said.

Oba said that the hoodlums accused the government of insensitivity to the plight of residents of the state and threatened to disrupt the 2011 general election.

Mr Silver Okereke, a Daily Champion correspondent, said that at a point the kidnappers blindfolded them and took them to a point they were to be slaughtered.

“They told us to say our final prayer,” he said, adding that it was a sad experience.

“I don’t know whether government paid any money but they told us that they did not collect any money and that they were releasing us due to our profession so that we will go and right the wrongs in the society,” Okereke said.

He said that the hoodlums had the best of communication networking, adding that all the information that transpired in the course of their captivity were at the finger-tips of the kidnappers.

“These people are well connected and are aware of every bit of police movement both internal and external,” he said....

Okereke said the kidnappers’ colleagues outside the country were also communicating with them to give them information.

Meanwhile, Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr Jonathan Johnson declined comments, saying that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo, would be in Umuahia to address journalists on the issue.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has welcomed the release of the four journalists, and their driver.

According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr. Ima Niboro, in Abuja, on Sunday, the president noted that their release brought to closure “a sordid criminal incident, which, however, must be uprooted once and for all in Nigeria.”

While commending the police and Nigerians in general “for turning sufficient heat on the kidnappers and causing them to abandon the victims,” President Jonathan charged Mr Onovo, to ensure that the criminals were apprehended by all means.

He felicitated with the freed journalists, their families and the NUJ, saying “even as we celebrate freedom today, let us insist that this spate of criminality must stop. In every way possible, we must say no to these vices, and assist the authorities to expose perpetrators and bring an end to these vices as quickly as possible.”

However, the Abia State government has said that the traditional ruler of Amauba-Ime Oboro Autonomous Community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of the state, Eze Vincent Okezie Uche, has been placed under arrest and has been charged to court for allegedly aiding kidnapping and armed robbery.

The state government also said the monarch had been dethroned as the traditional ruler of Amauba-Ime Oboro Autonomous and his staff of office withdrawn.

The Abia State government, in a press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kingsley Emereuwa, also said that other traditional rulers, namely, Eze Okechukwu Atulobi of Osusu Abala Autonomous Community; Eze Nwabiaraije Eneogwe of Abayi Autonomous Community, and Eze S. Onwukwe of Abala Ibeme Autonomous Community, all in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, had been suspended as traditional rulers of their communities.

The decision to suspend the three royal fathers, the statement said, “followed security reports of their alleged serious involvement in sponsoring kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, for which they are currently under investigation.

“The state government wants to assure the entire citizenry that it will not stop at anything to eradicate the shameful manace of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, as any person/s suspected to be behind this ugly vocation, no matter how highly placed, will be summarily dealt with,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State and Mr Onovo have promised kidnappers in the state total onslaught henceforth if the kidnappers refused to lay down their arms.

Speaking while receiving the freed journalists and their driver at the executive chambers of the Government House, Umuahia, on Sunday, the governor urged kidnappers in the state to partner with the government rather than go into criminality to attract attention. “No development can take place in a state of insecurity,” the governor said.

Governor Orji said that the youth of Ngwa area, particularly Obingwa, had hindered development projects by kidnapping either the contractors or expatriates handling projects in the area, adding that they refused to key into the recent amnesty programme of the state government.

The governor said the state government had not received any money from the Federal Government with regard to the amnesty programme as being rumoured by the kidnappers. “If we receive any such money we will give it to them,” Orji said.

He congratulated the South-East governors, the Nigeria Police and all those who assisted in securing the release of the abducted journalists, adding that kidnapping should be fought nationally.

He also charged journalists to fight kidnapping with their pens and also fight for freedom in all its ramifications, adding they should also join in he campaign for a better equipped police.

Also speaking, the IGP said that rescuing the journalists was a big challenge to him and the Nigeria police, since their ultimate goal was to rescue them alive, adding that the kidnap of the journalists had brought out the fact that everybody was a potential victim of the kidnappers.

The police boss thanked the governor for his assistance, saying that security was the business of everybody and that police operation in the South-East to rout criminals had just started. He said the police would go after the criminals, warning that many innocent people would be inconvenienced.

In a vote of thanks, Mr Oba expressed his appreciation to all Nigerians, their families, the police force and the Abia State governor for all the sacrifices they made to ensure their release.

Oba called that the police to be properly equipped, saying that their weaponry did not compare favourably with what the criminals were flaunting.

Ukpakiri town, where the four kidnapped journalists were rescued, on Sunday, was calm, but there was still a heavy presence of security men in the area.

A NAN correspondent reported that the people carried on their normal activities but they expressed joy that the journalists regained their freedom unhurt.

Chief Okoro Kalu, a community leader, told NAN that he was happy that the journalists, who had helped to shape the country positively, regained their freedom.

Chief Azuka Alagwu, the president of Aba Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, said the kidnap of the journalists had drawn the attention of the Federal Government to the sufferings of the Aba business community.

He urged the government to eradicate kidnapping to save businesses in Aba, which is 10 kilometres from Obingwa.

Also, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, expressed gratitude to God over the release of the journalists by their abductors.

The commissioner told NAN in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, that it was a thing of joy that the journalists came out unharmed.

Mr Akinola Ariyo, the Financial Secretary, Lagos State council of NUJ, told NAN on telephone that journalists in the council were happy over the freedom of their colleagues.

He added that the families of the journalists received the news with joy.

Ariyo thanked the federal and state governments, the security agencies and the NUJ president, Muhammad Garba, for their roles in the release of the journalists.

He also thanked other members of NUJ, religious leaders and Nigerians for their prayers over the incident.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, charged Nigerians, on Sunday, that they should stand up against the kidnappers.

Akunyili told NAN that payment of ransom had encouraged kidnapping, which, she lamented, had now become an industry.

In his reaction, the president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Gbenga Adefaye, recommended that kidnappers should be punished to put an end to the act.
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Chimamanda Adichie listed in the New Yorker ‘20 under 40′ young writers list



The New Yorker recently selected 20 young writers who are headed for literary stardom and who it believes we’ll be reading in years to come. Nigeria/Africa’s own Chimamanda Adichie made the cut! Here’s the full list!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 32

Chris Adrian, 39

Daniel Alarcón, 33

David Bezmozgis, 37

Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, 38

Joshua Ferris, 35

Jonathan Safran Foer, 33

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Army, Police launch manhunt for Okah

Sola Adebayo pix2009062517473835%5B1%5D.jpg


The Delta State Security Council rose from a crucial meeting in Asaba on Thursday with a resolution to arrest a prominent leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta over Monday's bomb blasts in Warri, Delta State.


Leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah.

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A source at the meeting who made this known did not give the name of the MEND leader. However, our correspondent noted through his description that Mr. Henry Okah was the ex-militant chief in question.

The source told our correspondent that security agencies had collated some intelligence reports on his alleged involvement in the blasts, which aborted a conference on amnesty in the oil-rich city.

According to him, the report showed that the MEND leader was sighted in Warri on the day of the incident, ostensibly to supervise the operation.

The source said, "We have a report that an internationally acclaimed MEND leader (name withheld) was in Warri in the early hours of Monday, apparently, to supervise and ensure the success of the bomb attacks.

"The security council rose from the meeting with a resolution to further dig into the intelligence report which indicted the MEND leader in order to arrest him .

"Since his group has claimed responsibility for the action, he (MEND leader) has to explain his business in Warri shortly before the bomb blasts."

But one of Okah's lawyers, Mr. Wilson Ajuwa, denied that the MEND leader was in Warri on Monday.

He told our correspondent on the telephone that Okah was in South Africa where he had been attending to his health since last year.

He said, "I can tell you, as one of his lawyers, that he has been in South Africa since last year after meeting with the President (Yar'Adua).

"So, to the best of my knowledge, he couldn't have been in Nigeria on Monday, let alone be in Warri. They (security agencies) should 'rearrange' their intelligence.

"Their claim is therefore far from the mark. He is still taking care of his health in South Africa."

The MEND leader is one of the militants who recently benefited from an amnesty granted them by ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua.

His involvement in the blasts is said to have dominated discussions at the Asaba meeting of the security council.

The council comprises heads of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service in the state.

The state Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okonwa, were among the top government officials that were also in attendance at the meeting.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan presided over the meeting, which was shifted from its normal venue in Warri to Asaba, due to security reasons.

Though the deliberations and resolutions of the meeting were not made public, the Commissioner, Delta State Police Command, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, confirmed the meeting but said it was not unusual.

He said, "The Delta State Security Council met in Asaba on Wednesday but it was a usual security council meeting of the state, which usually holds on Wednesdays. Naturally, the issue of Monday's bomb blasts in Warri was discussed, but the meeting was not convened primarily because of the Monday's incident.

"But since the issue (Warri bomb blasts) borders on the security of the state, it was discussed at the meeting. I don't want to speak further on the matter; as you know, security matters are not discussed on the pages of newspapers."

Meanwhile, ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta will meet on Sunday to deliberate on the recent security breaches in the region, especially Monday's bomb blasts.

It was learnt that the meeting was at the instance of Chief Government Ekpemukpolo (alias Tompolo) and the Secretary of the Federal Government Committee on Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku.

Alkhali, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said that they deliberated on Monday's bomb blasts among other security issues in the state.

He, however, refused to comment on the details of the deliberations at the meeting and their outcomes.

The meeting is expected to hold at a coastal community in either Delta State or Ondo State.

It was learnt that the ex-militant leaders might also deliberate on the state of the nation and the implementation of the post-amnesty programme by the Federal Government.

A source close to Ekpomupolo said, "Former leaders of the freedom fighters in the Niger Delta are meeting on Sunday to review the security situation in the Niger Delta, particularly the Monday bomb explosions in Warri.

"The meeting will also deliberate on the post-amnesty programme, especially the fate of the ex-militant commanders in the plans of the Federal Government and the March 28 encampment of their lieutenants by the Presidential Sub-Committee on Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Re-integration of the former militants in the Niger Delta, headed by the former Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd.).

"But a decision has not been taken on the venue of the meeting, it will either take place at our leader's (Tompolo) place in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West LGA, or the place of our representative in the presidential sub-committee on disarmament (Kuku) in Arogbo-Ijaw, Ese-Odo LGA of Ondo State."

When contacted on Wednesday, Kuku confirmed the meeting but declined further comments.
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It has been revealed how Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, extranvagantly squandered about N3.1 trillions while a player of Newcastle.MartinsadvertisementHis former management company, NVA Management Limited who has dragged the player to court over breach of contarct, told the jury how the player’s account almost went red because of his lifestyle.Obafemi Martins was paid £75,000, but allegedly squandered the earnings on an extravagant lifestyleA former Premiership footballer routinely blew his £75,000 a week wages in a matter of days and was constantly overdrawn, a court was told yesterday.Obafemi, ex-Newcastle striker 25, was paid the handsome salary after he joined the club for a £10million fee in August 2006.But despite his extraordinary earnings, his former management team yesterday claimed they repeatedly bailed him out after his bank account continually slipped into the red.The High Court heard that the Nigerian international player would withdraw £40,000 in cash from his bank account at the end of the week.But that would only last him two days, the court heard, as he topped up with a further £25,000 on the Monday morning.He was always overdrawn and repeatedly relied upon NVA Management Limited to ‘manage his life’, the High Court was told.Martins, who owned several fast cars including a top of the range Porsche 4X4, spent the money funding an extravagant lifestyle of luxurious penthouse homes and fine dining.He is now being sued by his former management company which claims that he still owes them 300,000 for sorting out his finances.He told the court that Martins would withdraw £40,000 for the weekend, followed by another £25,000 on the Monday.‘Despite earning these vast sums of money he was constantly overdrawn,’ added Mr Tennink.He said the firm, which looks after the affairs of several footballers, film and music stars, said that Martins had agreed to pay them for simply managing his life.It was under their stewardship that Martins agreed a £2million image rights deal ‘simply for being Mr Martins’.It’s claimed Martins was constantly overdrawn despite earning £75,000-a-weekHe also had lucrative sponsorship deals with various companies including Pepsi and Nike but had not been paid.When the company stepped in to run his affairs they sorted the unpaid contracts, bringing in thousands of pounds.They also organised visas when he travelled to Italy, where he once played for Inter Milan, and sorted out his passport, his mortgage and property valuations.They even arranged critical illness cover and were constantly running up and down the motorway from their London offices to Newcastle in a bid to do all that he required.‘But surely these were things a secretary could do?’ asked Judge Richard Seymour QC, referring to the size of fees charged.‘It was a Jeeves-type of role that they performed.’Mr Tennink protested that managing every aspect of his life was just part of what they did, and asked the judge to bear in mind the sort of figures these players earned.He said Martins had come to them in July 2007 and had agreed a fee of around £300,000 plus 20 per cent of any sponsorship monies they managed to acquire on his behalf.“He asked for these services to be carried out,” Mr Tennink told the court.Before they managed his affairs, Martins had not been paid a penny for his image rights for the use of his name on Newcastle shirts and mugs and had received nothing from his sponsorship deals.He could not even find the contracts he had originally signed, Mr Tennink added.Martins paid the company £67,500 in January last year and another £25,000 in April last year.But the question for the court to decide, said Mr Tennink, was whether there was a ‘binding obligation’ for him to pay the outstanding bill of over £300,000.After Newcastle were relegated from the Premiership last summer Martins was sold for £9million to German Bundesliga Champions Wolfsburg.Martins, who once owned a penthouse apartment overlooking Newcastle’s exclusive Quayside, is fighting the claim.The hearing is scheduled to last for three days.
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Highlight: As The Age reports today, federal police are investigating whether Securency bribed Nigerian officials to win a bank-note contract. The probe centres on a series of multi-million-dollar payments made by the company into an offshore tax haven account of two UK-based businessmen, Benoy Berry and Mike Harding, who boast high-level political connections in Britain and Africa. The men were paid to help Securency win a 2006 contract from the Central Bank of Nigeria to print its polymer notes. An Age investigation unearthed evidence the firm paid millions into a tax haven bank account belonging to Dr Berry, while an overseas-based source claims Securency paid $1 million into accounts tied to two companies overseen by Mr Harding. Our investigation also found that Mr Harding directs some of his companies' earnings into a tax-free business zone at Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates. The RBA declined to answer questions about Securency's activities in Nigeria, in the same way it kept mum last month when Securency's Africa manager, Peter Chapman, resigned and the company's convicted South African middleman, Donald McArthur, was sacked. The sacking took place only after The Age revealed McArthur had pleaded guilty last year to reckless trading involving fraudulent transactions. Again, the details of Securency's engagement with McArthur raise questions of the RBA Complete Story: For obvious reasons Australians are entitled to expect their central bank to comply with the highest standards of probity, transparency and good governance. This includes an assumption that the Reserve Bank, as chief custodian of the nation's financial system, would apply proper scrutiny to the activities of its subsidiary companies, especially when those companies seek contracts, however lucrative, in corruption-riddled parts of the world. And yet as The Age continues to expose a worrying trail of dubious deals struck by the RBA's half-owned subsidiary Securency, the Reserve has maintained a somewhat undignified silence on the subject. We acknowledge the RBA acted properly in initiating a federal police probe - and KPMG audit - into commission payments made by Securency to politically connected foreign middlemen. We would not expect the RBA to say anything that cuts across those inquiries. But the silence is beginning to smell like an unwillingness to face facts and to act on them. Securency's operations, namely the engaging of middlemen with shady pasts and the payment of commissions into offshore tax haven accounts (contrary to RBA rules) and the curious size of those commissions, raise serious questions about the extent of the RBA's knowledge and the quality of its oversight. At the very least, we deserve some kind of explanation about why, in the Reserve's recent annual report, governor Glenn Stevens expressed confidence in the way the bank had supervised Securency's activities. The bank has effectively opened the door on its own probity through this extraordinary assertion. The Reserve's failure to stand down officials within Securency while the company remains under investigation - a convention of good governance - is also mystifying. Nigeria: As The Age reports today, federal police are investigating whether Securency bribed Nigerian officials to win a bank-note contract. The probe centres on a series of multi-million-dollar payments made by the company into an offshore tax haven account of two UK-based businessmen, Benoy Berry and Mike Harding, who boast high-level political connections in Britain and Africa. The men were paid to help Securency win a 2006 contract from the Central Bank of Nigeria to print its polymer notes. An Age investigation unearthed evidence the firm paid millions into a tax haven bank account belonging to Dr Berry, while an overseas-based source claims Securency paid $1 million into accounts tied to two companies overseen by Mr Harding. Our investigation also found that Mr Harding directs some of his companies' earnings into a tax-free business zone at Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates. The RBA declined to answer questions about Securency's activities in Nigeria, in the same way it kept mum last month when Securency's Africa manager, Peter Chapman, resigned and the company's convicted South African middleman, Donald McArthur, was sacked. The sacking took place only after The Age revealed McArthur had pleaded guilty last year to reckless trading involving fraudulent transactions. Again, the details of Securency's engagement with McArthur raise questions of the RBA. And there's more. Why did Securency in 2003 engage an arms dealer linked to the supply of weapons to Latin American drug gangs to help it win a bank-note printing deal in Paraguay? Why did Securency discuss its bank-note technology with Sudanese central bank officials last year? Doing business with Sudan would not violate Australia's international obligations under the UN sanctions regime, but should an RBA subsidiary even be talking to a country backlisted by the US for supporting terrorism and ranked among the world's most corrupt by Transparency International? And, while we're at it, why did the RBA pay $500,000 to a self-styled ''white witch'' to oversee an ultimately disastrous workplace overhaul at the fully owned Note Printing Australia, Securency's sister company? On the other hand, perhaps a consultant with special powers may have helped Securency's officials better appreciate the risks of using agents in corruption-prone countries. Government agencies and departments must also account for their knowledge of Securency's activities, and their action, or inaction, as a result. But first, we wait for our bank to speak.
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