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The 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....

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.

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.

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.

Main Article

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.''

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:

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