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Police, Youth Clash In Kebbi Claim 2 Lives

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Police, Youth Clash In Kebbi Claim 2 Lives

A violent clash between the police and some youths in Warra, Ngaski local government area of Kebbi has led to the death of two people, while several others were injured.

Police public relations officer in Kebbi, Mohammed Mainagge, a deputy superintendent of police, who confirmed this, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Birnin Kebbi on Friday that the clash occurred on Wednesday.

He said that two persons died in the clash, which ensued when some youths attempted to burn down the divisional police station in the area.

Mainagge, however, said that normalcy had since been restored in the area, while investigations into the causes of the clash had commenced.

The chief orientation and mobilisation officer, National Orientation Agency, NOA in Ngaski council area, Yusuf Umar, said the clash was triggered by a dispute between one Suleiman Aliyu and a policeman identified as Bala Atto.

He explained that attempts by Atto to arrest Aliyu for assaulting a policeman in uniform were resisted by some youths, who accused the police of victimisation.

He said that Aliyu took the matter to court, while the magistrate referred the matter to the police for investigation.

Umar said the police investigation found that Aliyu had a case to answer and that the court ordered that he should be remanded in prison.

He said that when the court refused to grant bail to the accused, some irate youths, who protested against the court’s verdict, became unruly and violent in their agitation for Aliyu’s bail.

Umar said that in the ensuing fracas, the police attempted to restore calm and fired some shots which led to the death of two persons.

Anti-Amaechi Lawmakers Begin Impeachment Plan

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Anti-Amaechi Lawmakers Begin Impeachment Plan

The minority six lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, opposed to governor Rotimi Amaechi have commenced moves to impeach him.

The dissenting lawmakers include Evans Bipi, Michael Okechukwu Chinda, Kelechi Godspower Nwogu, Martins Amaewhule, Victor Ihunwo and Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani.

The faction which enjoys support from the Police and top players within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is believed to have sneaked into the Assembly complex with the aid of the Police to commence sitting to oust Ameachi and his deputy, Tele Ikuru.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, had predicted the move but vowed to resist any act of illegality.

“There is no doubt that the six legislators opposed to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi will try to hide under the cover of the judgement to convene the Assembly with the sole purpose of removing the Speaker as a prelude to impeaching the State Governor…any such act will constitute an illegality and trigger a cataclysmic reaction, the end result of which no one can predict,” the party’s interim national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed said.

It would be recalled that Bipi, the self-acclaimed Speaker of the Rivers Assembly who leads the minority six, had suspended the 26 members loyal to Amaechi.

Speaking with newsmen on a live radio programme on Thursday, Bipi said: “As the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, I have not reconvened the House as the Court Judgment has not been served to the Police and other security agencies. All the so-called Governor Amaechi lawmakers have all been suspended by me and by Peoples Democratic Party. They cannot function until I call them back.”

He added: “Amaechi must recognise me as the authentic Speaker, but we must stop him from using Rivers money to sponsor APC.”

The Deputy Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, a lawyer, however, said that Amachree remained the Speaker of the Assembly, stressing that illegality, impunity and lawlessness would not be condoned.

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Kwanee assured that the 25 lawmakers would soon sit, but there must be adequate security, to prevent a repeat of July 9 and 10 fracas and confrontation in the Rivers Assembly.

An initial attempt by the majority faction to seat after a court ruling on Thursday was stalled by the police.

The state police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, in defending his men, said that the police prevented lawmakers from holding a session at the Assembly complex because his command had not been served the court ruling.

Supreme Court Upturns Bode George’s Conviction

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Supreme Court Upturns Bode George’s Conviction

Supreme Court Upturns Bode George’s Conviction

A panel of judges at the Supreme Court on Friday absolved Bode George, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain of the fraud charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

George, along with some other members of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authoruty, NPA , was convicted by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of a Lagos High Court and sentenced to two years in prison.

He served out his two year jail term at the Kirikiri Maximum prison about three years ago but appealed his conviction at the Supreme Court.

In a surprise ruling on Friday, the apex court said the EFCC had no evidence that George committed fraud through “contract splitting” when he was chairman of the NPA board and therefore acquitted the accused.

While delivering the judgement, Justice John Afolabi Fabiyi, ruled that the charges of “contract splitting” on which the EFCC arraigned and secured George’s conviction was unknown to law.

Human Rights Body Wants Perpetrators Of Plateau Killings Prosecuted

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Human Rights Body Wants Perpetrators Of Plateau Killings Prosecuted

The Human Rights Watch, HRW, an international non governmental organisation, NGO, on Thursday urged the federal government to prosecute the persons behind the killings in Plateau and Kaduna states since 2010.

A researcher on Nigeria at HRW, Eric Guttschuss, made the call in Abuja at a joint news conference to launch a new report on inter-communal violence in Plateau and Kaduna.

The report catalogued sectarian violence in the two states since 2010 which is estimated to have left more than 3,000 people dead.

“The Federal Government needs to ensure that individuals who have perpetrated or planned incidents of communal violence and cases of mass murder in Plateau and Kaduna states are investigated and prosecuted according to international fair trial standards,” Guttschuss said.

He added: “We are calling on the Inspector-General of Police to conduct an immediate review of all the investigations that have been carried out and related to the communal violence in these two states and determine why the investigations did not go forward.”

Guttschuss said that there may never be an end to the crisis until the political and judicial will to prosecute those who are involved in the killings no matter their religion is mustered.

The HWR researcher advised the inspector general of police to establish a mass crime unit within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to strengthen the investigation of cases of mass crimes during inter-communal violence.

According to him, the 146-page report examined government’s inability to hold perpetrators of communal violence accountable, even when their identities are known in the affected communities.

He said: “The last local government election held in Plateau state was in November 2008 and there were more than 700 people killed in post-election violence. After the violence, more than 500 people were arrested, no one was prosecuted and no one was held accountable.”

He, however, acknowledged that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, prosecuted some suspects from the 2010 violence in Plateau state in Federal courts and secured convictions.

“Following the 2010 violence President Jonathan announced that those who have carried out the violence will be held accountable. For the first time in Plateau state’s history, the Federal Attorney general’s office stepped in and prosecuted some of these cases in Federal courts instead of leaving the cases in state courts,” he said.

He added that since then, several state prosecutors in Plateau have secured several convictions for communal violence.

Also speaking, the African director at HRW, Daniel Bekele, said that while the authorities may have forgotten the killings, the communities have not and that in the absence of justice, residents have resorted to violence to avenge their losses.

Kidnappers Delivers Fingers Of Retired Army Major And Wife To Family

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From Jessica Tamaraduoye, Asaba

The Delta State Police command has stepped up investigations in the kidnap of 80-year-old retired army Major, Azum Asoya and his 55-year-old wife, Elizabeth, after their family claimed they received two parcelled fingers from the abductors.

A close family member who did not want to be named said the family has been negotiating with the kidnappers who initially demanded the sum of N30 million, but later reviewed it down to N9 million which he confessed the family still could not raise.

Upset at the seeming lack of cooperation from the family, the kidnappers had threatened to eliminate the couple and as if to drive fear into family members, decided to send them two parcelled fingers.

Our family source, however, could not confirm whether the fingers belonged to the couple but the state public relations of the force, Lucky Uyabeme, an assistant superintendent of Police. said he doubted the fingers were those of the Asoyas.

Uyabeme said he believed the fingers were those of dead people whom the hoodlums probably dug from the grave and that the abductors may have resorted to such a desperate act to force the family into paying the ransom.

He added that only a medical examination could determine whether or not the fingers belonged to the couple but urged the family not to yield to their demands, assuring that his men would soon close-in on the kidnappers and ensure the safe release of the couple.

Azum and Elizabeth were kidnapped on November 30 at Okpanam while on their way home from a burial ceremony in another part of the town.

Fresh Crisis Erupts In Rivers Assembly

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Fresh Crisis Erupts In Rivers Assembly

The Rivers State Police Thursday barred the 26 members of the state House of Assembly loyal to the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, from sitting in compliance with a court order.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ruled that the state Assembly in not incapable of conducting its affairs, thus preventing the National Assembly from taking over its legislative duties.

But as the 26 members converged to hold a plenary at the State Assembly Complex, the police stormed the place and sealed off the building.

Undeterred, the lawmakers tried to hold their meeting outside, but again the police stopped them by firing gunshots and tear-gas into the air.

Video clips of the event aired by some local tv stations, showed that some persons were injured in the ensuing commotion.

Comfirming the incident, the state commissioner of information, Ibim Semenitari, said it is “an indication of the impunity ravaging the country and a clear indication that the PDP under the present leadership has lost all forms of democratic conduct.”

The state police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, could not be reached for comments at this time.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State Chapter, has blamed governor Ameachi for Thursday’s crisis and accused him of employing the services of thugs and hooligans to further threaten the peace of the state.

The party alleged that “armed thugs” who are neither members nor staff of the legislative assembly drove into the complex in buses with some legislators loyal to the governor to cause disturbance in the course of a sitting.

Special adviser to the state chairman of the party, Jerry Needam, commended the Police for its role in
“preventing what would have resulted to another face of chaos at the Assembly Complex.”

The PDP also advised the governor to appeal against the Court’s judgment if he feels uncomfortable with it, rather than squandering the wealth of the state on street thugs.

“The Party unequivocally says the action of the Governor is unacceptable and will not sit down and watch the State completely destroyed by him (Amaechi) and those who do not want progress and meaningful development in the State,” Needam said.

The PDP also reiterated that Evans Bipi remains the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, adding that it would not fail to ensure that he resumes proceeding in the House accordingly and as provided by the law.

The Party called on the Police Authorities to continue to ensure that the Assembly is safe for “normal” activities.

Obasanjo Reminds Jonathan Of His Single Term Promise

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Obasanjo Reminds Jonathan Of His Single Term Promise

As calculations towards the 2015 general elections intensifies, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan to remind his of his promise to run for only a single term, charging him to tread the path of honour by keeping his words.

Obasanjo’s letter gives credence to earlier agitations from some governors that Jonathan should not contest the presidency in 2015 going by an agreement he entered into in 2011 to appease the north, even though the President has continued to deny knowledge of such a pact.

The governors too are yet to provide evidence of such a deal but Obasanjo in the letter he tagged  “Before it is too late”, specifically mentioned that the governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, had informed him of Jonathan’s acceptance not to seek re-election in 2015.

“He (Suswam)  told  me  that  you  had  accepted  a one-term presidency to allow for  ease of getting support across  the board in the  North. I decided to cross-check with  you. You  did  not  hesitate to confirm to me that you are a strong believer in a one-term of six  years for the  President  and  that  by  the  time  you  have  used  the  unexpired  time  of your  predecessor  and  the  four  years  of  your  first  term,  you  would  have almost used up to six years and you would not need any more term or time,” the former President said.

According to him, up to two months ago, Jonathan continues to assure that he has not discussed plans to re-contest even when his body language says otherwise.

Obasanjo accused the President of destroying the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by placing personal and political interests above national interests and failing to draw the line between advice from selfish and self-centered aides and advice from those who in the interest of the nation may not tell him what he will want to hear.

Citing some examples, Obasanjo accused Jonathan of supporting the candidates of opposition parties in governorship elections held in Lagos, Ondo, Edo and Anambra states, thereby causing disagreements between party members.

“Maybe you also need to know that many party members feel disappointed in the double game you were alleged to play in support of party governorship candidates in some states where you surreptitiously supported non-PDP candidates against PDP candidates in exchange for promise or act of those non-PDP governors supporting you for your election in the past or for the one that you are yet to formally declare,” the letter said.

He stated further: “If you as leader of the party cannot be seen to be loyal to the PDP in support of the candidates of the party and the interests of such party candidates have to be sacrificed on the altar of your personal and political interest, then good luck to the party and I will also say as I have had occasions to say in the past, good luck to Goodluck.”

The former leader charged the President to keep to his promise of a single term, saying it will be “fatally morally flawed” for him to contest in 2015.

“As a leader, two things you must cherish and hold dear among others are trust and honour both of which are important ingredients of character. I will want to see anyone in the office of the Presidency as a man or woman who can be trusted, a person of honour in his words and character,” he told Jonathan.

Obasanjo’s letter touched on many other national issues including security, corruption, oil theft, leadership, democracy and international partnerships.

He called on Jonathan to take at least one effective corrective action against high corruption which seems to top other issues bedevilling the country, using transparent means.

“This allegation will not fly away by non-action, cover-up, denial or bribing possible investigators. As  head  of  government,  the  buck  of  the  performance  and non-performance  stops  on  your  table  and  let  nobody  tell  you  anything  to the  contrary.    Corruption has reached the level  of impunity.    It  is  also  necessary  to  be  mindful  that  corruption  and  injustice are fertile breeding grounds for terrorism and political instability,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the President’s aides have described the letter as “most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous”

Special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Reuben Abati, said he finds the letter “highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative”, adding that it was deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership.

Abati said that the President has instructed that no response is provided to the letter on his behalf, as he would personally respond to the charges levelled against him and his administration at the “appropriate time”.

Rivers Assembly Crisis: APC Criticises Court Ruling

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Rivers Assembly Crisis: APC Criticises Court Ruling

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has criticised the ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which quashed requests for the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly, following the mayhem that broke out on July 9.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed restrained the Senate, its President, the House of Representatives and its Speaker from assuming the law making functions of the Rivers Assembly, a move it said is unconstitutional according to of Sections 11(4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution.

By Sections 11(4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution, the court rules, the Senate, its President, the House of Representatives and its Speaker “cannot assume the law making functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, when there are no facts that the House of Assembly is unable to carry out its functions.”

Justice Mohammed held that there are no facts to prove that the Rivers Assembly is unable to carry out its functions as provided under the Constitution and upheld the argument by the plaintiffs that the House reconvened under the former Speaker and passed the state’s 2013 budget after the fracas.

The court also faulted the directive by the National Assembly to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to redeploy the state police commissioner, noting that by the provisions of Sections 215 (2) and (3) of the Constitution, the Senate, its President, the House of Representatives and its Speaker did not have the power to direct the IGP to redeploy the River State CP or any officer under the command of the Nigeria Police Force.

However, the APC views the judgement as bizarre and alarming.

“With the Mace as well as several heads broken and the hallowed chambers desecrated by a free-for-all that was watched all around the world, what else must occur before the stipulated conditions can prevail for the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly?” the party queried.

In view of the judgement and the dangers it portend, the interim national publicity secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, warned that any move to impeach the Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Amachree Otelemaba, by 6 out of 32 members of the House will be highly resisted.

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“There is no doubt that the six legislators opposed to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi will try to hide under the cover of the judgement to convene the Assembly with the sole purpose of removing the Speaker as a prelude to impeaching the State Governor…any such act will constitute an illegality and trigger a cataclysmic reaction, the end result of which no one can predict,” the party said.

It added: “’The six legislators opposed to Gov. Amaechi do not and cannot form a quorum (9 members) that will even allow the House to convene legally, not to talk of at least 20 members, representing two third majority that can constitutionally impeach the Speaker.”

The APC also urged the police and other security agencies not to provide cover to any act of illegality, stressing that their role must be to ensure the safety and security of all legislators if and when the house decides to sit.

Senate Investigates NNPC’s Alleged Unremitted $49.8 Billion Oil Proceeds

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Senate Investigates NNPC’s Alleged Unremitted $49.8 Billion Oil Proceeds

The Senate has launched investigations into the alleged unremitted $49.8 billion accruing from oil sales which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, allegedly failed to pay into the Federation Account.

The Senate finance committee headed by Ahmed Markafi is to conduct the investigation and report back as quickly as possible “but certainly not more than one week,” Senate President David Mark said.

The senate investigation stem from reports of a letter written by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, in which he expressed worry over what he described as huge shortfalls in amounts remitted to the bank for a period of a year and the half.

Sanusi said in the letter that the NNPC earned $65.3 billion from crude oil sales between January 2012 and July 2013 by selling 46 percent of Nigeria’s oil but only remitted 24 percent of this to the government’s account and that $49.8 billion representing 76 per cent of the total crude oil revenues within the period under review was still outstanding.

However, the general manager, media relations department of the NNPC, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, has tried to shed light on the allegation which he says show clear misunderstanding of the workings of the oil and gas industry, as well as the modality for remitting crude oil sales revenue into the Federation Account.

“Revenues from crude oil liftings are in various categories, namely Equity Crude; Petroleum Profit Tax, Royalty, Third Party Financing and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC,” he said.

Ibrahim said that revenues from each of these categories are statutorily collected by different agencies of the government and that the NNPC collects only the Equity Crude which it pays  directly to the Federation Account.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it needs to be stated that the figure of 594.024 million barrels of crude oil given by the CBN as the total crude oil lifting for the period of January 2012 to July 2013 does not represent the correct picture of crude oil lifting for the period. From our records, the correct figure is 618.55m barrels. This shows that the CBN understated the actual crude lifting by 4.13%,” he said.

Explaining further, the general manager said that the Petroleum Profit Tax is collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and that while Royalty goes to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, third arty financing goes to NPDC.

He said that the sum total of proceeds paid by the FIRS and DPR as PPT and Royalty respectively into the Federation Account with the CBN, make up the alleged unremitted $49.8 billion revenues.

Ibrahim stressed: “The 24% of total crude oil revenue receipts which the CBN governor is reported to have acknowledged that NNPC remitted represents the proceeds from the equity lifting which NNPC is directly responsible for. The alleged unremitted 76% was paid to the agencies that are statutorily empowered to receive them for onward remittance into the Federation Account.”

He said there was need for institutions of the Federal Government and top government functionaries to seek understanding of issues that are not clear to them from relevant agencies before misleading the public with information that is capable of creating public disaffection.

The NNPC has in recent times been criticised for lacking transparency and for diversion of funds but the matter has always stopped on the table of probe panels with no punishment for those found culpable.

Boko Haram Kill Nine Passengers In Maiduguri

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Boko Haram Kill Nine Passengers In Maiduguri

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

Nine innocent lives were yet again wasted along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway on Wednesday by members of the banned Boko Haram sect.

The Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road has become famous for attacks and killings carried out nearly on a daily basis.

Those slain were said to be commuters who were travelling before their vehicles, a bus and a gulf car, were suddenly attacked by members of the terrorist group.

Other motorists on getting to the scene, were forced to make a U-turn when they saw nine bodies lying on the road with slit throats.

Some supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who were on their way back to Biu after a day’s out on political engagements in Maiduguri were forced to return to the town, following the attack.

One of them said: “the road today is not good, we have to turn back because we saw and counted nine dead bodies and there was nobody around there so we were afraid to continue our journey to Biu and made a U-turn.”

Security operatives could not be reached to react to the incident.

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