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LASU VC to face probe over embezzlement

The Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State, Lateef Hussein is currently battling between the devil and the deep blue sea, and if information reaching Huhuonline.com are anything to go by, he might be eased of his position any moment from now. Aggrieved lecturers of the institution who could no longer bear the daily torture they face as a result of his alleged high handedness spilled the bean this evening at the Lagos State House of Assembly to the amazement of the legislators present at the day's sitting.

Among allegations leveled against him are that he misappropriated several billions of naira given by the State as subvention to the institution between 2005 and now.
He was also accused of appointing his cronies most of whom have long retired from acting service and imposing contract staff as heads of departments and faculties.
Despite the efforts of the State government. Regarding the school, the institution does not have any dedicated library or laboratory. It has also not had any physical structure since the VC assumed office..

As a result of his dictatorial tendencies, LASU, once regarded as one of the best institutions in the country in terms of Law and other courses in the institution now has 10 courses denied accreditation by the National Universities Commission.

The affected courses include Law, Economics, Marketing, Chemical and Polymer Engineering, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Political Science, Sociology, Business Administration and Management Technology.
The NUC, the lecturers claimed would be visiting the school in November this year for another round of denial of accreditation of another 26 courses.
They accused Hussein of hounding several lecturers in the school making them run for their dear lives.

Chairman of the institution's branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Kabir Akinyemi, also accused the Vice Chancellor of sitting on the promotion of the lecturers since 2005.

As at when he became the VC,the institution was said to have about six professors in the faculty of Law, but this is no longer the case as the only one currently remaining, Prof. Olusegun Yerokun, is a retired lecturer who is also on contract and now heads the faculty as the dean.

The institution's Director of Academic Planning is manned by one Mr. Olanrewaju John, who was appointed and made a level 14 staff with just a Bachelor of Art(BA) and barely six years experience for a job that should be handled by a Professor.
Though, they did not mention the courses that may face accreditation problems next month, it was learnt that the College of Medicine might be affected as the institution also makes use of contract staff.

When asked to defend himself, the VC who was shaking and stuttering, blamed the entire situation on the school's senate, which he has allegedly pocketed and has continued to influence.

While accusing the Vice Chancellor of not been able to handle the institution, the lawmakers reminded him that apart from the N17 billion granted the institution by the state government, the government had not reneged in its commitment to the school.
They therefore resolved to hire the services of a competent accounting firm to probe the administration's spending so far, while the House decides on what action to take.
The Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, also stated that they would not be influenced by anybody in the course of investigating the issue as the House had severally warned the Vice Chancellor to desist from ruining the school aground.
Investigations revealed that Prof. Hussein would have been sacked before now, but for the constant intervention of the former Governor of State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was said to have appointed him.
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Fire razes new Benin market

Goods and properties worth millions of naira were yesterday destroyed in a fire which gutted parts of the popular New Benin Market, Benin City. The cause was unknown as at the time of this report...

More than 50 shops stocked with household and food items, which stretched from Eki-Edo Street were affected by the inferno, with about 10 shops burnt beyond recognition by the time the fire service got to the scene.

At the scene, men of the Supply and Transport Unit of Nigerian Army were seen putting out the flames, which still emanated from some of the goods.

Traders whose shops were affected by the inferno wailed uncontrollably as they moved to salvage what was left of their means of livelihood, and youth from the community joined the soldiers to put out the fire in some of the shops not badly affected.

One of the traders, Ignatus Nnabuefe, who deals in baking materials, told journalists that he was at his shop in the morning to drop some goods he just bought, after which he decided to go home after the compulsory morning's sanitation exercise in the market, only to be called back minutes later that his shop was on fire.

"And by the time I came here, everything I owned was gone; I was not able to retrieve anything from the fire, not even the goods I bought new this very morning to sell and which is very painful because I just dropped them there," lamented Mr. Nnabuefe.

Another trader who spoke amidst tears, Tochukwu Abieke, said her family lost everything they had laboured for, as they lost all the goods in their three shops which belonged to her, her mother, Lois, and her father, Patrick.

Omoregieva Gbajumo, the Oredo local government chairman, who was at the scene of the fire incident, praised the efforts of the community youth and traders who used their combined efforts in putting out the fire, thereby preventing it from spreading to other parts of the market.

Mr. Gbajumo promised that government will investigate the cause of the fire and also assured the traders who lost their goods of possible compensation.

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The president is launching Africa’s most ambitious privatisation scheme shortly before facing a tight election

THE e-mail from Nigeria claimed to come from an aide to the president and touted a business opportunity with potentially vast returns. But unlike similar-sounding messages from Nigerian princes and finance ministers—known in Nigeria as “419” scams after a section of the penal code—this one seemed genuine.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who early next year will stand in an election that could split his party and spark violent protests, has asked investors to participate in a grandiose privatisation programme meant to raise $35 billion over ten years. He wants to flog state power-generation and distribution companies, and put the grid under private management.

The scheme may be his—and his country’s—best hope of salvation from chronic power cuts. At a prayer meeting on October 4th Mr Jonathan was reading a biblical passage in front of many of the country’s elite when the grid failed and his microphone cut out. He walked off in a huff.


The problem is not new. Nigeria’s power supply has been stagnant for 30 years. During the tumultuous 1990s there was no investment despite surging demand. Since then, generation capacity has risen by half but distribution is so dysfunctional that actual supply has remained flat. One result is a laughably small manufacturing sector, about 4% of GDP.Ordinary Nigerians are angry too. The power supply, they say, is “epileptic”. Nigeria is a big oil exporter, but its people get only a few hours of electricity a day. The entire population–around 150m–is said to use as much grid power as the area around Narita airport in Tokyo. South Africans consume 55 times more energy per head, and Americans 100 times more.

There have been reform attempts in the past. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the monopoly supplier, is known to consumers as Please Have Candle Nearby. Five years ago it replaced the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), nicknamed Never Expect Power Again. Mischarging and other sins continued. “I just got a bill for the last four months but had no lights for three,” says a doctor 20 miles (32km) outside the capital, Abuja.

To survive, many Nigerians have their own power plants, creating the world’s highest concentration of small-scale generators. Two-thirds of all electricity is produced in basements and backyards, at a cost of $13 billion a year. Generator merchants say the government is their best client. Some have set up steel plants to keep up with demand. One has 3,000 workers assembling the grunting machines.

All this could change if the privatisation scheme succeeds. It aims to raise $3.5 billion a year and boost the power supply 13-fold over a decade. The government is offering to guarantee some bank loans and may cap the interest at 7%. At a recent conference in Abuja Mr Jonathan wooed hundreds of investors, including executives from Goldman Sachs and General Electric.

Other African leaders are watching closely, sensing that this may prove to be a test bed for the continent. Some, though not all (see article), are asking what alternatives there are to growing dependence on Chinese investment. Like most of its neighbours, Nigeria is making big infrastructure deals with China. In May, it inked a $23 billion Chinese oil refinery project. But Mr Jonathan acknowledges that China’s interest in Africa is no panacea. The case for privatisation will get a boost if he can keep the lights on at home.

There are reasons to be optimistic. The programme has a sound legal basis. It follows a conventional privatisation model. Its pricing scheme seems transparent. That has reassured investors. They also welcome the easy access to local-currency loans in Nigeria, one of Africa’s most developed capital markets. And they like the country’s strong GDP growth, expected to top 7% this year.

Yet there is still plenty to worry about. Supplying new power stations with gas is a headache, as is recruiting competent staff. But it is the politics of privatisation that investors fear most. There will be plenty of losers, many with vocal lobbies. Trade unions are protesting against staff cuts, although the president has set aside money for compensation. Consumers fear steep price hikes. The fuel mafia that supplies generator owners is up in arms.

Even more worrying, the corrupt state bureaucracy is drooling in anticipation. The influx of billions of dollars will create long queues at the trough. Observers warn of the “rascality” of Nigerian officials.

The president says he will work hard to make his privatisation plan work. To convince investors, he has appointed himself electricity minister and scheduled weekly power summits (11am on Tuesdays). He has also surrounded himself with men familiar to potential investors. The central bank governor and the finance minister are career bankers with experience abroad. He calls them his “war cabinet”, although they have limited influence.

The strongest pitch the government could make would be its own re-election. Voting is due early next year and for the first time in recent history the outcome is uncertain. The president’s party—dominant since the end of military rule 11 years ago—cannot agree on a nominee. The losers in a forthcoming primary may break away. One-party rule could end..

As the election campaign picks up pace, the president’s focus is likely to drift and electricity may return to the back burner. Or perhaps it already has. At the two-day conference in Abuja, Mr Jonathan failed to show up for the second day. Apparently, he was lured away to another meeting by his wife, Dame Patience, who is one of his closest advisers.

For now, privatisation is wobbling along and some deals may be done. But consumers will have to wait until next year before they can even think about turning off their generators. Good luck and patience will both be needed.

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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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Cross-dressing Canadian killer sentenced to life in prison

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Life sentence: Russell Williams looks down as he leaves the court in Belleville, Ontario yesterday


A top Canadian military commander whose obsession with stealing women's underwear escalated into two horrific sex murders was jailed for life on today.


Colonel Russell Williams, who was in charge of Canada's largest air force base and who once flew Queen Elizabeth's plane, had pleaded guilty to killing two women in separate attacks.


Police said it was likely he would serve his life sentence in solitary confinement. He is not eligible for parole for 25 years.


In a case that appalled Canada, the court heard Williams had videotaped himself raping the women, capturing their pleas for mercy, and then filmed them as they died.


'I stand before you indescribably ashamed... I deeply regret what I have done and the harm I know I have caused to many. I committed despicable crimes,' he told the judge tearfully before being sentenced.


Justice Robert Scott said he believes Williams is sincere in his regrets, but nonetheless declared him a 'sick and dangerous' man.


'Russell Williams will forever be remembered as a sadosexual serial killer,' Scott told the court.


'The depths of the depravity shown by Russell Williams have no equal.'


A prosecution lawyer described the 47-year-old as 'one of the worst offenders in Canadian history'.


The videos, which were not shown in court, will be destroyed when Williams dies.



Justice: Roxanne Lloyd, mother of murder victim Jessica Lloyd, arrives at Belleville Court for the sentencing of her daughter's killer today





Tragedy: The Crown and police speak to media outside court after the sentencing today. The case has shocked Canada and shaken the military to its core



The court heard that Williams started off by breaking into homes in eastern Ontario and stealing underwear. He sometimes took photos of himself wearing bras and panties.


Last November he entered the house of Marie-France Comeau, 38, and sexually assaulted her for hours before putting duct tape over her mouth and nose.


Comeau, a corporal at the Trenton air base where Williams was commander, suffocated to death.


In January this year he abducted 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd, drove her to his house and then repeatedly raped her. He strangled her to death with a rope and later dumped the body by a rural road.



Victims: Jessica Lloyd, left, was 27 when she died. Corporal Marie-France Comeau was 38. Williams recorded video of her pleading for her life




Williams was arrested in February after a police roadside check discovered the distinctive tire marks outside Lloyd's house had been made by his SUV.


Williams was a rising star in the military before he was charged earlier this year. The charges have shocked Canadians and shaken the military to its core.


Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps, Chief of Air Staff, said said they can now fire Williams and remove his medals.
'We don't understand why,' Deschamps said.


'This individual was a man of tremendous capacities. He was professional. I still can't reconcile the two people we've seen.'




Double life: Left, Williams poses in lingerie during a break-in. Right, in uniform as the commander of a top Canadian military base (file photos)



Prime Minister Stephen Harper called it a 'horrific series of events'.


He said his thoughts are with the victims and their families as well as the Canadian military.


'Our thoughts go out to all members of the Canadian Forces ... who have been very badly wounded and betrayed by all of this,' he said.


Andy Lloyd, one of the victim's brothers, said he has been waiting for this day for a long time and that he's glad the military has moved to strip of Williams of his rank.


'My father served in the forces for 25 years and would never believe that a man of his stature could have done what monstrous things he did,' said Lloyd outside the courthouse.


'As long as he dies in jail, I'm happy.'

DAILY MAIL
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CNN creator Ted Turner Visits Nigeria

220px-Ted_Turner_LF.JPGAs Nigeria celebrates its 50th anniversary, UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner is in Nigeria from October 24-25, 2010 to deliver a message to local leaders that Nigeria must keep up the fight against disease by continuing to leverage the power of modern vaccines. "Working together, I know we can finish the job on polio," said Turner. The UN Foundation is pointing to recent progress in Nigeria as proof that vaccines are key to eradicating polio and reducing measles worldwide.

Ted Turner, UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, and UN Foundation Board Member Andrew Young are visiting Nigeria to meet with government and community leaders to learn firsthand about the power of public-private partnerships aimed at improving children's health. Their visit comes at the end of a week-long Board meeting in Africa where the Foundation's Board members called for increased participation by the private sector and civil society to maximize what the UN and governments can achieve together in tackling global challenges.

"Nigeria has made tremendous progress toward eradicating polio through partnerships with community and government leaders that encourage parents to have their children immunized," said Ted Turner. "With support from leaders like the Sultan of Sokoto, we are on the verge of achieving the first great humanitarian victory of the 21st century - the complete elimination of a disease that once afflicted millions. By building on the success of partnerships like these, we can eliminate measles and protect children from other vaccine-preventable diseases to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."

As a UN MDG advocate, Turner stressed that the country's recent progress in stopping polio is a testament to Nigeria's power to accelerate progress in achieving the MDGs. Set in 2000 by the United Nations, the MDGs
tackle the biggest problems facing the world today - these include global poverty, women's and children's health, hunger, and education.

Last year Nigeria reduced cases of polio by 98 percent with only eight cases confirmed in 2010, as compared to nearly 400 in the fall of 2009. This success is a result of the critical work of the Council of Amirs formed by the Sultan of Sokoto and the commitment of government leaders to assure that everyone eligible for a polio vaccination receives one.

While in Nigeria, Turner, Wirth, and Young will visit with the Sultan of Sokoto on Sunday, October 24. The meeting will include other religious, traditional, and civil society leaders who have played an active role in promoting immunization efforts.

Nigeria will hold a national measles immunization campaign in early 2011. The campaign will also include polio vaccinations and will build on the successful work of the polio eradication efforts to prevent measles deaths. Nigeria's government leads most African countries by financing over two-thirds of costs for measles campaigns.
Turner and Wirth will also hold meetings in Abuja on Monday, October 25 with Hajiya Amina Az-Zubair, who serves as Senior Special Assistant/Advisor on the MDGs to President Goodluck Jonathan. The UN Foundation leaders will also meet with the Nigerian Council of Governors, which represents the governors of the 36 states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Created in 1998 with Ted Turner's U.S. $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities, the UN Foundation connects people, ideas and resources to help the UN solve global problems. Since 2005, the UN Foundation, Nigerian Government and partners in the Measles Initiative have supported measles campaigns costing more than $100 million and developed public-private partnerships to support UN projects in Nigeria. These efforts are carried out by the Nigerian government, UN Agencies, and leading Nigerian business and nongovernmental organizations.

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In his latest exclusive interview with Eurosport, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger discusses how important it was for Manchester United to keep hold of Wayne Rooney, and what would have been at stake for the club if he had left.

376,http%3A%2F%2Fa323.yahoofs.com%2Fymg%2Fwenger_uk%2Fwenger_uk-889768257-1288020346.jpg%3Fym6Vz.DDMYk._MnI?v=2Were you surprised that Wayne Rooney is staying at Manchester United after the media talk?

It is a bit surprising because when you say publicly that your player is likely to leave, it means you have accepted the idea that he will do so.

A message to say: 'Come around the table, we are ready to sell the player.' So it is a bit surprising that they changed their mind..

It seems that United became aware of the consequences for the fans and the atmosphere inside the club if he did leave - especially considering the rise of Manchester City. It would have given them the reputation of being a declining club in comparison to the upwardly-mobile Citizens.

Afterwards, they had to take into account the impact signing Rooney to a new contract would have upon them, because it is going to be a big financial change. It means they have let Rooney have what he wants - and they are also going to be in trouble when it comes to renewing the contracts of the other players.

So the club's reputation was at stake?

When you let everybody know that you allowed your best player to leave at 25 years of age, rather than 30, it means that somehow there are clubs stronger than yours.

When you sell a player, you must consider what you are losing; the player himself, of course, but in addition all the consequences for people who follow the club. By that I mean the media, fans, the club's reputation and the indirect effect upon the other top players at the club, who may think: 'If the best players are leaving, what we are going to do now?'. So everyone at the club could start worrying.

Could the deal have been done in order to sell him for more money next June?

That is a really good question. However, if they sign him to a new contract for five years then sell him in June, it will be worse than if they had let him go now.

Were you convinced he was going to leave?

Yes, because when the club said they would talk about a transfer, I assumed they were ready to sell him.

If he had left, do you think it would only have been for another English club?

No, I think he might have moved anywhere in the world. Surely they would have been more open to a foreign club coming in for him than an English one - because the only domestic rival who could afford to buy him was their neighbour.

Do you think that he had to leave, considering the public opinion about his problems outside of football?

No, because people are focused on what happens on the field. What happens in a player's private life only feeds the scandal pages of the newspapers.

If you are 12 years of age, you only look at his performances on the pitch. You like him because he is able to do things you cannot do - and you want to copy him. You don't care about how he is living off the pitch.

Can he change the opinion of United fans?

Trust me: in this job, the only thing which changes everything is your performance on the pitch.

You could be the nicest, most elegant and polite guy in the world off the pitch - but if you are bad on it, everybody is going to hate you.

You can be unpleasant off the pitch, but if you are an extraordinary player, people will forgive you anything. It may not be fair, but it is the reality. People pay to see special things, and if you manage to give it to them, they enjoy it.

Would you have liked to sign him for Arsenal?

We never thought about it because we have enough people able to play up front. Moreover, if Manchester United are not able to pay his contract, Arsenal cannot even think about it.

So it means that he will keep scoring against you as he did in the past?

No, it doesn't mean he will keep annoying us - it just means that he will keep trying to annoy us. We will try to prevent him.

He likes to score against Arsenal.

Yes. He is world class player.

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s-MUGABE-AFFAIR-large.jpgZimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's wife is rumored to have had a five year affair with one of the president's best friends, a South African newspaper reported on Sunday.

Mugabe was told of the alleged affair by his sister, Sabina, as she lay on her deathbed in the Zimbabwean city of Harare after a short illness. Reports stated that a trusted bodyguard, Cain Chademana, who was present at the time of death and is said to have admitted to also knowing about the affair, has been found poisoned.

Grace Mugabe, who is 41 years younger than the president, has been accused of extramarital affairs before. One purported paramour, Peter Pamire, died mysteriously in a car accident, while another, James Makamba, fled Zimbabwe.

Gideon Gono, the most recent man to be linked with Grace, was personally appointed as the head of the country's Reserve Bank by Mugabe in 2003. He is the first politician from Mugabe's inner circle to be romantically linked to the president's wife, which is said to be fueling Mugabe's anger.gono-bob-praying.jpg

President Mugabe was described as "devastated" at his sister's funeral, although whether this was due to her death or her shocking revelations was unknown. Grace has been embroiled in family feuding over her husband's wealth as Mugabe, 86, struggles with poor health. Some have said that the affair accusations are part of a campaign to discredit Grace. ..

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace has reportedly been having a secret affair with central bank governor, Gideon Gono.

South African Sunday Times newspaper reports that Grace Mugabe- who is 41 years younger than Zimbabwe’s 86-year-old president,
has allegedly spent the last five years cuckolding him with Gideon Gono, her husband’s financial adviser and key politically ally.

The report says that Mugabe’s sister Sabina warned her brother before she died that he was being betrayed by two of the most important people in his personal and political life: his wife and his personal banker, a pivotal member of his regime.Photo:Mugsy & Gono

The couple would meet as often as three times a month either at Grace’s dairy farm or in expensive hotels in South Africa as well as on foreign trips to Asia.

Mugabe is said to have learnt the shocking news as he sat by his dying sister’s bed in July. He is said to have left the meeting “devastated” although initially refusing to believe the allegations.

The president later consulted his most trusted bodyguard, Cain Chademana, who had sat in on the meeting with Sabina.

The bodyguard reportedly said, like other members of the secret service, he had also heard the rumours.

Particularly infuriating for Mugabe however, was the fact that he had encouraged the friendship thinking the pair was discussing mutual business interests.

Chademana – who is said to be the source of the story by intelligence officers quoted by the newspaper – has since lost his life amid suspicions that he was poisoned.

His body, according to The South African Sunday Times, was handed to his family for burial at the end of August. The Sunday Times alleges no autopsy was carried out.

The newspaper claims officials had hoped the secret affair would be buried with Chademana but renegade officers in the intelligence services, unhappy with conditions of service, have started talking.

Still, it is not the first time Grace has been linked to affairs behind her ageing husband’s back.

One former lover, Peter Pamire, died in a mysterious car accident. Another, James Makamba, fled the country.

But never before has Grace been romantically involved with a politician in Mugabe’s inner circle. And never before has a man so close to the president risked allowing it to happen, the South African Sunday Times says.

Gono has known Mrs Mugabe, who married the president in 1996, for at least 15 years and they are partners in a number of business enterprises.

He is a pillar of the Zanu PF party that has held on to power in Zimbabwe since its 1980 independence from Britain.

As one of Mugabe’s most trusted friends, he has served since 2003 as head of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe – a period that saw the country’s currency suffer hyperinflation of more than a billion per cent a year.

While many of Zimbabwe’s desperately poor people struggle to find enough food to eat, Gono lives in a 47-bedroom mansion with swimming pool, gym and its own mini theatre.

Yesterday a source close to the banker confirmed that he and the first lady were lovers and claimed they had planned a life together after Mugabe’s death.

The senior official in Gono’s office told South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper: ‘Mugabe trusted Gono. He even thought our boss was taking care of the first lady, keeping a protective eye on her so that she could not again be adulterous.’

Mugabe’s relationship with Grace, his former secretary, is itself founded on infidelity.

Two of their three children were born when Mugabe was still married to his popular first wife, Sally, who was battling a kidney disease from which she died in 1992.



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Police: Man masturbated near day care

By Bart Pfankuch

Police say a man parked his car near a Sarasota day care center, called up pornographic videos on his cell phone and began to masturbate in his car within visual range of children, according to a press release.

After an investigation, police arrested 28-year-old Jesus M. Perez of the 3500 block of Coronado Drive on charges of lewd and lascivious behaviour.

Witnesses called police to say a man was acting strangely in his car around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday near a day care center on Tuttle Avenue just north of Fruitville Road.

Police arrived and stopped the man, who was found with his pants unbuttoned. He later admitted to masturbating and watching the porn on his phone, the release said. No children were harmed, police said.

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Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN} in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Bisiriyu Semiu Adebare was at the weekend abducted by suspected party thugs.

Sources say the victim was forcefully taken from his private office at Quarry road, Abeokuta by armed men who allegedly demanded for the party’s registration forms and register, which they needed to increase the number of party members in the camp of their suspected sponsor.

After the abduction, the victim was allegedly driven to the home of one of the party leaders where he was said to have being beaten blue and black as part of efforts to collect the register from him.

Relief came his way later after obeying the wish of his abductors, but that was not before his dress was torn to shreds during his captivity.

On regaining his freedom, the victim headed straight to the police station where he lodged a petition to the police authority narrating his ordeal in the hand of his alleged captors, who have since disappeared into thin air as at the time of this report.

The petition, titled, ‘Abduction and Theft,’ was addressed to the Area Commander of Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 located in Oke-Ilewo area of the town.

Mr Adebare, while narrating the ugly experience said: “I was in my office when these political thugs stormed my place asking for our party local government membership registration. They threatened to kill me if I do not provide it for them.

“I told them the registration register is in the party secretariat and that where they came is my private office, but this explanation did not go down with them. They forced me at gun point into the vehicle they brought and took me away.

“I was abducted, molested and stripped naked and taken away with one car. They said they were looking for membership card in which I told them to go to their various wards to register. I would have been killed if it was not because one of the boys in my office recognized three of them.” He said he had equally informed the state chairman of the party, Tajudeen Bello about the incident.

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"Through Heaven's Eyes"

Jethro:

A single thread in a tapestry-
Though its color brightly shine-
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design.

And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face-
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life,
Look at your life through heaven's eyes.
Lai-la-lai.....

A lake of gold in the desert sand
Is less than a cool fresh spring-
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy
Is greater than the richest king.
If a man lose ev'rything he owns,
Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning
Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man-
In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come,
The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven's eyes.

And that's why we share all we have with you,
Though there's little to be found.
When all you've got is nothing,
There's a lot to go around.

No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance,

And though you never know all the steps,
You must learn to join the dance-
You must learn to join the dance.

Lai-la-lai...

So how do you judge what a man is worth?
By what he builds or buys?

You can never see with your eyes on earth-
Look through heaven's eyes.
Look at your life,
Look at your life,
Look at your life through heaven's eyes!
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Denrele denies being Charley Boy’s gay lover

click to expand image
Charley Boy and Derenle

Area Fada, Charley Boy, has been associated with a lot of negative – and positive – things, but never before has he been called a homosexual. That is up until now.

A romantic picture of Charley Boy kissing Denrele has been circulating on the Internet for a while, and it has made many believe that both of them are involved in a sexual relationship.

But Denrele told Life and Beat that he didn‘t owe anybody any explanation.

“If not that I know you, I would have told you I don’t owe you any explanation. I just think that some people are out to tarnish my image. Call it Photoshop, call it publicity stunt or whatever the picture is, people just want to tarnish my image.”

But to those who he feels are out to tarnish his image, Denrele said, “I’m not bothered in anyway. They are just making me popular. The story is not affecting me in anyway. I have been receiving calls from all over the world about this same picture. I’m not gay, but I don‘t think I owe anybody any explanation.”


Charley Boy’s phone was unreachable when Life and Beat tried to contact him.

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Arsenal punish Man City

  • Arsenal overwhelmed 10-man Manchester City 3-0 in the Premier League yesterday while Manchester United secured a 2-1 win at Stoke City with two goals from Wayne Rooney's stand-in Javier Hernandez.

City were left chasing shadows from the fifth minute at Eastlands after defender Dedryck Boyata saw red for a last-man foul on Marouane Chamakh and Arsenal won with goals by Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner.

Chelsea, who beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Saturday, lead the Premier League standings with 22 points.

Arsenal and City are both now on 17 points, alongside Manchester United after Hernandez struck four minutes from time to seal his side's first away league win of the season.

In Sunday's other match Liverpool claimed only their second win of the season when they beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Anfield, with Fernando Torres among the scorers.

Arsenal had Cesc Fabregas back pulling the strings in a league game for the first time in five weeks and he made a huge difference with a display full of promptings and probings.

Arsenal had a scare in the first minute when Lukasz Fabianski saved well from David Silva's clever flick but before five minutes were up the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Fabregas slid a perfect pass into the path of Chamakh and Boyata dived in needlessly to bring him down just outside the box...

Arsenal soon made their numbers pay when Nasri played a nice one-two with Andrei Arshavin before scoring from a tight angle in the 21st minute.

Fabregas's nimble feet proved too much for Vincent Kompany five minutes before the break, earning a penalty for a trip, only for Joe Hart to make an excellent diving save from the Spaniard's spot kick.

Fabianski was called into action to foil Silva again as City started the second half brightly but the fluttering flame was extinguished when another Fabregas pass caused chaos and allowed Song to poke in the killer second goal after 66 minutes.

Bendtner came off the bench for his second appearance of the season to complete the scoring two minutes from time.

"We played some outstanding football at times and it's very difficult to stop a team playing at that tempo," Fabregas told Sky Sports "Even if they had 15 (players) and we had 11 we would still go and win." Rooney replacement

After Rooney had hogged the headlines all week it was his stand-in Hernandez who was the toast of Manchester United fans after his double overcame battling Stoke.

He opened the scoring with a dextrous back-header after 27 minutes but as United eventually stat back to defend their lead they looked to be heading for another draw when substitute Tuncay Sanli curled in a lovely equaliser after 81 minutes.

Mexico striker Hernandez, however, topped an impressive all-round display by seizing on a loose ball to prod in the winner four minutes from time.

"Drawing so many away games hasn't been good enough this season, so today there was a lot of relief at the end," said defender Gary Neville after his 600th United appearance.

Liverpool remain in the bottom three on nine points but there was a real feeling of relief around Anfield as they not only chalked up a rare win but played some enterprising soccer.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos put them ahead early in the second half with a header and after a Jamie Carragher own goal in the 52nd minute, Fernando Torres grabbed the winner a minute later with only his second goal of the season.

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90 escape death as Aero makes emergency landing


Ninety passengers on board an Aerocontractors Airlines’ plane coming from Port Harcourt escaped death on Sunday as the pilot made an emergency landing at
the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport , Lagos.

Shortly after touching down on the runway 18R-36L, the aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 series, was totally engulfed by a thick smoke as it taxied towards the
tarmac, according to airport officials.

The pilot quickly opened all the six doors, and passengers used the emergency slides to disembark from the aircraft, according to airport officials who
witnessed the incident.

Fire fighters from the Federal Airports of Nigeria were quickly mobilised to rescue the passengers being evacuated from the aircraft.

An official disclosed that a fire, discovered inside the cockpit of the Boeing plane, spread into the cabin deck and threw the entire cabin into
pandemonium as passengers scampered for safety mid air.

Rescue officials told our correspondent that six passengers and an infant that sustained injuries were rushed to the hospital.

Aero confirmed the incident. .

A statement by the airline read in part, ”An incident occured this evening on flight AJ 320 from Port Harcourt to Lagos when a smoke was detected in the
cabin. Aero was able to succesfully evacuate all 84 passengers, an infant and
five crew members as the B737-500 aircraft landed at the Murtala Mohammed
International airport, Lagos at 6.15 pm local time.”

The airline said its officials had been invited by officials of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities for an investigation into the cause of the incident.


It was learnt that the fire might have been caused by an electrical spark from the electronics system of the aircraft.


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An aircraft conveying President Goodluck Jonathan’s aides, landed in a primary school last Wednesday amidst pandemonium. TOYOSI OGUNSEYE writes that over 12 students were injured in the stampede

It looked like a scene from a movie. Initially, pupils of Apostolic Church Secondary School, Ketu, Lagos, saw the aircraft hovering in the air and this was enough to distract those sitting close to the windows from their early morning classes.

The teachers in different classes that morning were curious about what their pupils were looking at, so they also looked out of the window and saw that the plane was descending closer to the roof of the building.

No one needed to tell them to run. Once the teachers took to their heels, perhaps thinking it was air mishap, the students followed en masse. With loud screams, everyone ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Some of the students on the second floor of the school building attempted to jump down in a bid to save their lives. One of them was an eight-year-old JSS1 student who landed on her buttocks and could no longer stand. Eleven other students were severely injured.

While this pandemonium was going on, the airforce plane with number NAV541 landed on the school premises. Heavily armed soldiers alighted from the aircraft and surveyed the area without saying a word.

When the fleeing students and members of staff saw that the aircraft had successfully landed, they surrounded it, with curiosity written all over their faces. The scene further attracted passers-by and people in the neighbourhood who trooped to the school. The armed soldiers ignored the crowd, went back into the plane and, after a few minutes, took off.

The injured students were then taken to the school‘s official clinic, Delta Crown Hospital, Ketu, where some of them were given first-aid treatment and discharged. Two of the students were still in the hospital as at last Thursday, including the young girl who fell from one of the two-storey buildings in the school. An X-ray showed that the girl had no broken bones but she had a severe tear in her private part, which had to be stitched.

The mothers of one of the children who were admitted in the hospital pleaded anonymity and said, “I have five children in that school. I thank God that my daughter is alive and I‘m not crying. I am not ready to make a case of this or even talk to the media because God has given me a reason to rejoice and not cry.”

One of the people in the area who witnessed the incident identified himself as Yemi. According to him, he was about to have his bath when he felt the building shaking. He said, ”I live just two houses away from the school. I had an appointment that morning and was about to have my bath when I heard a very loud noise outside; my room was also vibrating. So, I looked out of the window and saw a plane moving towards the ground. I ran out of my house in my boxers.”

Yemi added that he joined the crowd when the plane landed. ”When some of the soldiers alighted from the plane, they left the door slightly ajar. I saw some soldiers inside, but some people whispered that the President was inside the plane.”

It was gathered that the pilot and some of the crew muttered that the plane had ‘a problem.‘

The school authorities declined to make any comment about the incident. It was however gathered that Ketu Police Division, and the Lagos State ministries of health and education visited the school and the hospital a day after Jonathan‘s visit.

The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, could not confirm SUNDAY PUNCH‘s findings. He said, he was not aware of the incident.

The President was on a visit to the flooded areas in Ajegunle, Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area on October 20 when the plane made an emergency landing in the school.

The Director, Public Relations and Information of the Airforce, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas said, “It was a flight to survey the area where the president was visiting. It was not an emergency flight. The presidential aides were in it. We were not aware that 12 children were injured.”

Efforts to speak to the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Ima Niboro, proved abortive. When our correspondent called his mobile line on Friday night, he did not pick it. Neither did he respond to the text message sent to him.

It could be recalled that a Cessna Model T9B training aircraft belonging to the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, crash-landed at a village just outside Kano on May 2, 2010. It plunged into a farmland at Katoge Village, directly behind the Science Secondary School at Dawakin Tofa, about 20 kilometres from Kano City.

Three occupants of the light training plane escaped unhurt and the aircraft was not badly damaged. Those on board the plane included the college instructor, Mr. Ozogwu as well as Akerele Ojo Olu and Jafar Suleman, who are trainees.

source punchng


http://bit.ly/abDtav

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Ejiro Henry, a 19-year old cocaine trafficker, currently standing trial for his involvement in the illicit trade, has been arrested again for peddling hard drugs.

Mr Henry, who was apprehended the second time on his way to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, was found with 167 wraps of powdery material that the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed as cocaine, weighing 2.45kg. “The suspect was first arrested on May 25, for allegedly ingesting 73 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine weighing 1.285kg during screening of Alitalia passengers to Italy,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency. He also added that the suspect was subsequently charged to court and granted bail on September 6. According to him, the agency confiscated the international passport of the smuggler at the time and documented his Italian resident permit for safe keeping.

Premeditated action

Mr Ofoyeju explained that the cocaine was found in a polythene bag inside the suspect’s luggage, adding that he was equally in possession of a valid Air France ticket, with which he intends to “immediately” travel to Italy the same day. “Also in his possession was another international passport, as well as an Italian resident permit, as the travel document recovered from him in May is still in the custody of the agency,” he said.

The suspect, in a statement from the anti-narcotics agency, blamed his involvement in illicit trade this time on the devil, as he explained that his first attempt was as a result of his financial difficulties. “I actually needed money to settle my bills when I was first arrested but I cannot explain this one; I think it is the devil,” he said..

Blame the courts

Ahmadu Giade, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, said that the granting of bail to accused persons allow smugglers to go back into the criminal trade. According to him, the next bail trial date for the first charge against the suspect is to come up on November 4, 2010. “Bail encourages long adjournment, thereby prolonging litigation period,” he said. “It also provides a leeway for accused persons to go back into the illegal trade. When they are in detained in prison custody, cases are decided within a short time because they are usually agitated for their cases to be fast tracked.”

Hamza Umar, the Lagos airport commander for the agency, however, commended officials of Federal Airport Authority for detecting the drug and reporting it to the NDLEA, describing the collaboration as healthy for effective security and safety in the country. According to Mr Ofoyeju, preliminary investigations revealed that the accused was adequately prepared for the crime, as the current passport found with him was issued in March before his first arrest. “The new resident permit also suggests that the accused has established contacts in Italy and he will soon be charged to court in connection with the latest arrest while he will be appearing from NDLEA custody in the on-going trial,” he said.

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Mr. John Davou, the 75-year-old grandfather, who is seeking a refund of N63,655 from Miss Hope Joseph, his estranged 20-year-old lover, has agreed to collect N53,655, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Davou told the Hwolshe Area Court in Jos, Plateau State, at the resumed hearing of the case he filed last week that Joseph’s relations had “begged him” to reduce the amount to N53,655.

“Because of their plea, I have agreed to reduce N10,000 from the amount,’’ he told the court and added that Joseph’s relations were asking for an out-of-court settlement..

Davou, however, said that he would rather collect the money through the court and stressed that he would only accept full payment and not “piecemeal” payment.

The respondent, who had vowed not to refund the money at the first mention of the case on October 13, however, changed her stance on Wednesday as she promised to pay.

She, however, pleaded with her former lover to reduce the money to enable her to pay and also pleaded with the court to allow her to pay N5,000 monthly through the court over 10 months.

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Pastor Kumuyi remarries in UK

Eighteen months after he lost his wife, the superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has found love again.

The wedding, which happened outside the spotlight, was reported to have taken place in the UK, last Wednesday. However, the bride, who sources identified as Esther, is said to be a member of his church. But not much else is known about her, or about their courtship. Details of the wedding ceremony, including venue and attendance, officiating priests, protocols, were closely guarded.

Responding to a question whether he would remarry after his late wife, Biodun, passed away, the man of God told reporters that it was too early to think of a replacement. It was a highly emotional moment for him, as the bad news came to him while he was delivering a sermon during the church’s Easter retreat last year.



Mrs. Kumuyi who died at 57 in the early hours of Saturday, April 11, 2009 at her residence in the International Bible Training Centre, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos, following a brief illness, was the National Woman Co-ordinator of the church. She was also International Co-ordinator of the women ministry in Africa and other continents where the church has branches, and was Editor-in-Chief of the well-circulated Women Mirror magazine published by the church.

Pastor Kumuyi, 71, was introduced to the Apostolic Faith Church, and became born again on Sunday, April 5, 1964. He started the Deeper Life Bible Church, which now has over one million members in more than sixty countries around the world, as a 15-member Bible Study group in Kumuyi’s official quarters (Flat 2) at the University of Lagos in August, 1973. Kumuyi was at the time a Mathematics lecturer in the university..



Kumuyi is the latest entrant to the fold of pastors who have new wives: Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of the Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Chris Okotie of the Household of God, and Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of the Trinity House. Only Odukoya, like Kumuyi, remarried after losing his wife, Bimbo.

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A family of seven travelling in a Mitsubishi car which was damagedbeyond recognition were among the over 25 persons who died in a ghastly motor accident that occurred at Onyeama hills on the outskirts of Enugu on Wednesday .

Although the identities were yet to be ascertained as at the time of this report, sources confirmed that the seven occupants of the red Mitsubishi car with Enugu registration No. BD 371 UWN, were members of a family amongst them a man, his wife and five persons believed to be their children..

The accident, which involved multiple vehicles including two trailers also claimed the lives of all the occupants of an 18-seater commuter bus.
Eye witness account reported that the accident was caused by a trailer being towed by another lorry and which lost control when the rope with which the trailer was tied to the towing vehicle cut.

The trailer, which hit other vehicles in the process ended up in a valley while the other vehicles involved ended up in a valley. The Onyeama hills, which is near the Onyeama Mines has become a nightmare for drivers and travellers as it has recorded accidents in which lives were lost.

As at Thursday morning when our reporter visited the scene of the accident ,bodies of some victims that were trapped were still being removed. While sympathizers wept uncontrollably at the scene of the accident ,so many lamented the government’s insensitivity to the condition of roads in the South -east, expressing fears of similar incidents during the christmas period .
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Henry Okah: Activist or Terrorist?

In a country accustomed to puzzling developments, this one stands out. The revelations coming from the trial, in far-away South Africa, of Nigerian citizen Henry Okah, the alleged mastermind of the October 1 Independence Day bombings, and the speed at which events are unfolding, are astounding.

Mr. Okah is not a stranger to law courts and prisons and criminal charges in various countries. On September 3, 2007 he was arrested in Luanda by Angolan authorities and detained for almost six months on charges of gun running and money laundering. On February 14, 2008, the Angolans handed him over to Nigerian law enforcement, who subsequently held him for another 17 months.

During this time – in which MEND loomed large in the imagination of the world – he was charged to court in Nigeria, for treason. In a 2008 profile of Okah titled: “The Nigerian Rebel Who ‘Taxes’ Your Gasoline”, Time Magazine said: “Okah may be in prison, but the organisation he leads, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) continues to wreak havoc on international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta, sabotaging facilities and kidnapping personnel.”

Indeed Okah was the public face of MEND, as well as the stated reason for many of its attacks; MEND made it clear on a number of occasions that their attacks on oil installations in the Delta were as a result of Okah’s detention.

In July 2009, all the charges against him were dropped, and he was released unconditionally, days after it was reported that he had “unconditionally” accepted the Yar’Adua administration’s amnesty offer.

Following that his ‘rehabilitation’ was swift, and almost total. No longer seen as the menacing public face of MEND, he enjoyed a spell of heroic publicity, marked by media interviews, and an October 2009 meeting with President Yar’Adua at the presidential villa; a meeting whose agenda or outcome the presidency declined to release.

In his interview with this paper in September 2009 he described himself as a “peace-loving citizen of the Niger Delta” who, like many other Niger Deltans, is “engaged in a just fight against the Nigerian government and its collaborators – the western oil companies.”

He however added a chilling caveat: “…Should the Nigerian government fail to take advantage of this opportunity before them to bring a lasting peace to the Niger Delta region, and choose instead to wage an unwinnable war against us, I will side with my people and do all within my power to bring us victory and justice.”

Today, one year after that threat, the Nigerian and South African governments are insisting that Okah was “the mastermind behind the [October 1] bombings.” In court South African prosecutor Shaun Abrahams described him as a “dangerous man.”

Evidence of this seems to exist: items seized from him during a recent raid on his home included a diary containing potentially incriminating entries (including lists of ammunition), and telephone records (calls and messages) that link him to Chima Orlu and Ben Ebere, two of the suspects, who, very disturbingly, remain at large. Okah’s various conflicting statements also hint at the deliberate concealment and falsification of information.

There are several questions that need answers: How did Henry Okah acquire his reputed vast wealth? What happened to the evidence acquired by the Angolan and Nigerian governments, evidence which was used to detain him for almost two years? What is his relationship with MEND? Indeed, what - or who - is MEND now?

These answers will prove very crucial in answering the most important question of all: Who exactly is Henry Okah - activist for the fair and equitable treatment of the inhabitants of the Delta; or terrorist and criminal?

The Nigerian and South African governments need to cooperate with each other to the fullest to get to the bottom of this matter. We commend the South Africans for the sense of urgency and determination they have brought to this case.

The Nigerian authorities on their own part need to get their act together, and not say or do anything that will jeopardise the progress of the investigations and trial. One of the arguments of Okah’s defence team is that “little or no reliance can be placed on any evidence emanating from that part of the world [Nigeria]” because of the preponderance of “conflicting statements” arising from our authorities.

It is high time the Nigerian government realised that it would have no excuse for bungling this case. The secret trial (defence lawyers and journalists were kept out of the court premises) on Thursday, of Henry Okah’s brother, Charles, and other arrested suspects in Abuja is condemnable. It is disgraceful that while South Africa is conducting an open trial of the main suspect, Nigeria on its own part is resorting to Abacha-era behaviour.

Indeed our greatest fear is this: that, in the quest to bring the perpetrators of the Independence Day bombings to justice, and to bring some form of closure, however belated, to the families of the victims, our government and law enforcement agencies will once again demonstrate their matchless capacity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

In this case that would be totally unforgivable.

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