13 Persons Roasted To Death In Sokoto Auto Crash…14 Others Wounded

 

 No fewer than 13 persons were on Thursday night burnt to death in an auto crash involving two passenger vehicles in Sokoto. The accident occurred in Tudun-Dukiya village, near Dogon Karfe, about 10 km to Illela town in Sokoto State. The crash which occurred at about 9.00pm local time also left 14 other persons injured. The deceased persons included women and children passengers. The accident, according to an eye witness, involved a Peugeot J-5 bus travelling from Jos, Plateau State to Illela and a Toyota Starlet car travelling from Illela to Sokoto. Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Sokoto State, Dr. Umar Gummi, said the two vehicles caught fire after a head-on collision. “Some of the passengers are seriously injured, with some having first degree burns,” he said. Gummi said some of the victims are receiving treatment at the Illela General hospital, while others have been referred to the Uthmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. “As for the deceased persons, they were burnt to ashes and it is too difficult to recognize them,” the FRSC official explained.

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JAMB Exposes Lagos Guber Aspirant Akinwunmi Ambode As Ondo State Indigene…Document Published

The heaps of lies piled up by a rumoured anointed governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Akinwunmi Ibidapo Ambode over his claim to Lagos as his state of origin have continued to fall apart as a form filled by the aspirant while applying for a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB's direct entry admission into the University of Lagos in 1981 has further confirmed that he is indeed from Ondo state. A copy of the form mailed to iReports-ng.com today reveals that Ambode had in his application form number JAMB/DE.03 and registration number 646789 filled in his own handwriting that he is an indigene of Ondo state in the portion of the form which asks his state of origin. He indicated his contact address as 101 Lagos street, Ebute Metta and his date of birth as 14th June, 1963. He also filled University of Lagos as his first choice of school, University of Benin as second and Ahmadu Bello University as third choice with Accounting and Business Administration as his first and second choice of course of study respectively. This exposure as a liar is coming on the heels of a revelation by the Edu family of Epe in Lagos east that the aspirant is not a member of the family as he has claimed. The Baale Buraimo Edu family he claims to belong to in Epe had t issue a statement last week to disown him. The family, in a release signed by both Alhaji M. Oladeinde Edu and Alhaji T. A. Edu, also insisted that Ambode hailed from Ilaje in Ese Odo area of Ondo State and not from Epe as he claimed. According to the release, the family stated that the Baale Edu while alive had 22 wives and 38 children and challenged Ambode and his supporters to trace his side of the Edu family tree and name his mother among the 22 wives. According to them “We hereby bring it to the notice of all Lagosians that we have tried but could not trace where the said Akinwumi Ambode belongs in the family tree of Baale Buraimo Edu of Epe. “At this juncture, we can categorically state here that in actual fact, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was a son of Festus Akinwale Ambode, one of the teachers posted to Epe in the old Western Region; a native of Ilaje Ese Odo in the present day Ondo State. “As a school teacher, the elder Ambode was very familiar and friendly with several Epe indigenes. The older Ambode came to Epe through the waterways. He came with his wife, Christianah Oluleye Ambode (nee Oresanya), who though initially did not stay with him which made the older Ambode marry a second wife, an Epe daughter, popularly called ‘Iya Vice from Poka, Epe. “She was a food seller in Epe Grammar School. This development led to Akinwunmi Ambode’s mother who also hails from Ilaje Ese Odo in Ondo State to eventually relocate to Epe to stay with her husband,” the family said. According to Edu family,  at death, Ambode’s father’s corpse was taken back to Ilaje, Ondo State for burial in line with the dictates of tradition and royalty as he was a prince, adding that, “The royalty from the kingdom came with the full royal insignia and ferried his remains back to Ilaje land for interment. “With these facts stated above, it is a rude shock to the entire clan of the Edus in Epe that the said Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode is laying claims to being a clan of the Edus. We reject this linkage, both paternal and maternal, or even marital,” the family said. Below is a copy of the JAMB form filled by Ambode confirming his true state of origin.

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Confab Chairman Idris Kutigi Loses Wife, Maryamu…Adjourns Till Monday

 Proceedings at the plenary session of the National Conference were mournfully adjourned on Wednesday following the news of the death of Maryamu, the wife of the Conference Chairman and retired Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, GCON. Maryamu, aged 70, died at the National Hospital in Abuja at about 2 am on Wednesday and has already been buried in line with Islamic rites. Deputy Chairman of the Conference and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, who presided over a brief session of the conference said it was only proper that the Conference be adjourned to enable delegates participate in the burial. Delegates who readily and unanimously agreed to the proposal for adjournment expressed shock at the death and the fact that Conference Chairman could still preside over proceedings until the last day of sitting while the wife was in the hospital. The Deputy Chairman described the late Maryamu as a pillar of strength to the Conference Chairman and regretted that she had passed on at a time the retired Justice was handling a critical national assignment and needed her closeness and wise counsel. Akinyemi said it was in demonstration of his deep sense of patriotism and commitment to the affairs of the country that Justice Kutigi continued to preside over the Conference throughout the period the wife was lying ill in the hospital. Before the adjournment on Wednesday, delegates had earlier in the week agreed not to have plenary session on Thursday May 29 which has been declared a public holiday by the Federal Government in celebration of Democracy Day. It was agreed that proceedings at the plenary will resume on Monday June 2 with deliberation on more reports of committees and adoption of recommendations contained in the reports. Before the immediate adjournment of sitting on Wednesday, Conference had indicated its readiness to conduct debate on the report of the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue headed by Senator Adamu Aliero with Senator Azu Agboti as deputy chairman. Also slated for resolution on Wednesday were issues arising from previous committee reports that were put in “bracket” by the principal officers of the conference due to objections raised when they came under consideration. Such issues include the recommendation by the Committee on Land Tenure and National Boundaries that the Land Use Act be expunged from the constitution for easy amendment of the Act for the benefit of the people. Some of the delegates were opposed to the recommendation while others applauded it; a situation that forced the presiding officers of the Conference to put the issue in “bracket” and appoint some delegates from every section of the country to meet and resolve the impasse. Another of such issue placed in “bracket” by the presiding officers surfaced on Tuesday during deliberation on the report of the Committee on Religion that recommended the establishment of what it called Religious Equity Commission (RECOM). The committee stated that the commission would have the statutory mandate of advocacy, enforcement of constitutional religious rights such as freedom of religion, freedom to acquire land for religious purposes, among others. While some of the delegates said the National Human Rights Commission should be empowered to handle such issues, others believed the new commission would serve useful purposes. The committee envisaged the RECOM to serve as a platform that would bring individuals of the major religions in Nigeria to interact and crystalise ideas that would foster unity and tolerance; as well as monitor and investigate and expose cases of religious discrimination and violation. The body was also meant to monitor cases of religious extremism - both in ideology and practice - and formulate counter narratives that are balanced and tolerant to neutralise such extremism. It would have equally served as a watch dog and enforcer of religious rights of all persons, thereby creating confidence and trust in every Nigerian no matter their religious affiliations while also monitoring and investigating cases of hate speeches and utterances meant to incite religious tension and prosecute persons responsible. When arguments for and against could not be resolved before close of session on Tuesday, the presiding officers decided to put it in abeyance till the next sitting. Also put in abeyance was the recommendation by the Committee on Religion for the scrapping of the Pilgrims Welfare Board or its movement to the Foreign Affairs Ministry following the adoption of the recommendation for non-sponsorship of pilgrimages by government at any level. Some of the delegates were of the view that scrapping the welfare body would hinder preparation for pilgrimages while others believed retaining the board would be counter-productive since government’s non-involvement in pilgrimages had already been resolved and adopted.

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Chibok Girls: Four More Abducted Students Escape From Boko Haram Captivity

Four out of the 223 schoolgirls abducted  by Boko Haram insurgents from Government Secondary School in Chibok have escaped from their captors enclave and reunited with their parents, Borno's Commissioner for Education, Musa Inuwa Kubo has told the presidential fact finding committee on Chibok attack when he made a presentation before the body.
Kubo who appeared ‎before the committee on Friday at the committee's seating in Maiduguri was quoted to have said the four girls were discovered after Governor Kashim Shettima directed the Ministry of Education to open data pages for families of all the girls which should include names and pictures of the girls, class and age as well the pictures of their parents.
It was during the data capturing and visits to parents that it was discovered that four girls who were among those declared missing had reunited with their parents but the parents failed to inform the school authority. The Commissioner was said to have been furious with the parents for keeping the government in the dark. The four girls are believed to be amongst those that escaped to the bush and lost direction during the attack and abduction.
The Commissioner told the committee that with the discovery of the four girls, a total of 219 girls were still missing. He informed the committee that after the April 14, 2014 attack on the school, the State Government had made series of announcements calling on parents whose daughters might have returned home after the attack to bring them back so the Government could take record to ascertain the number of missing girls. Many parents brought back their kids while others who escaped from captivity were also reunited with the school.
A total of 276 girls were initially said to have been abducted based on reports by the Borno State Police Commissioner and the State Director of DSS. Of this, 53 were found and 228 still declared missing. However, with the four girls found, the number of those missing stands at 219 and those found now 57

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Jos Bombings: One Suspect Arrested As Military Rebuffs US…Insists It Knows Where Abducted Girls Are Being Held…Confirms 12 Soldiers, 13 Policemen Killed In Yobe

The Nigerian military today said a suspect has been arrested in connection with the recent Jos, Plateau state bombings even as it rebuffed the United States which expressed doubts over the military's earlier claim that it has located where the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents are being held.
The US Department of states had said that the claim by the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff could not be verified. However, the military in an apparent reaction to the US jabs insisted that it is aware of the locations where the abducted Chibok secondary school girls are being held.
Defence Spokesperson, Major general Chris Olukolade who spoke at the regular briefing by the National Information Centre, which holds at the headquarters of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Abuja said “let everyone believe what the Chief of Defence Staff said and if you don’t believe, wait for developments but our interest is in the safety of these children and every effort will be put towards that and we expect cooperation from everyone. We remain with the position taken by the CDS. When we have any further comments or developments, the nation will be told.”
Speaking on the attack on recent attacks on Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Olukolade confirmed that 12 soldiers and 13 policemen were killed during the fighting but denied insinuations that the troops in Buni Yadi were abandoned by the military command during the hours of the incident.
“The logistics will have to be understood and it will not be proper just to conclude that there were no help or response. However, we will continue to respond based on logistics that is available and information that is made available as quickly as possible”, he said.
The military spokesperson responded to a question about reports that the terrorists have hoisted their flags in some communities in Borno State by simply reiterating the determination of the Nigerian military to continue to defend territorial integrity of the country.
“Nigerian armed forces will not allow any portion of this country to bear any strange flag. It is our duty and responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of this country. We will not allow any strange flag to fly anywhere”, he promised.
Olukolade disclosed that based on intelligence reports and information provided by Nigerians, a number of arrests have been made in different parts of Kaduna and Zamfara states and thus reducing terror activities tremendously in those parts.
“Troops have continued to raid different locations. A number of arrests has been made in Kachia and Zamfara”, he said while adding that in the course of the raids, some suspects died while exchanging gunfire with troops while arms and ammunitions were recovered in the process. He added that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the Jos bombing.

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Atiku Cautions Military Against Using Security Matters For PR Stunts

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to collectively protect the country’s democracy, which was attained after years of struggle to end military rule in Nigeria.
 In a Democracy Day message issued by his Media Office in Abuja, Atiku encouraged Nigerians to emulate the examples of statesmen and women like late MKO Abiola, Bola Ige, Kudirat Abiola and Gani Fawehinmi, whose lives were fully committed to democracy in Nigeria.

 As Nigeria commemorates the restoration of democracy in the country, Atiku said that the end of military rule in Nigeria brought about a new era of regular elections as well as the return of civil liberties, free press and an end to arbitrary arrests and torture, but said that Nigeria was gradually deviating from that path.

 “The responsibility for our country’s democracy lies with each and every one of us,” he said.  “We must participate actively in the process of governance, and ensure that the constitution and the rule of law are upheld at all times.”

 He described as pitiful, a situation where the government and the armed forces debate critical issues bordering on national security in public. “Relations between civil-military authorities should be managed with care and maturity to safeguard our democracy. Some of the issues being discussed in public are not matters for the market square,” Atiku emphasized. The former Vice President then urged Nigerians to contribute their quota to national security, by reporting any suspicious activity to the police.

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PDP Will Rule Beyond 2019 – Anenih

Controversial Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has said that the ruling party is looking beyond 2015 and even 2019 in providing leadership for a democratic Nigeria.
Anenih, in a statement titled: “Nigeria is stronger than it has even been” issued in Abuja to commemorate 15 years of uninterrupted Fourth Republic Democracy, said the PDP-led Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan has been upholding the sanctity of unfettered democratic interaction and expression in the country since stepping in the saddle. He declared that despite the security challenges occasioned by the scourge of terrorism, Nigeria remains stronger than it has ever been.
The statement reads: “May 29, 2014 marks 15 years since Nigeria returned to democracy.  I congratulate all Nigerians on this important occasion, especially since our nation is now well into her longest running democratic dispensation since independence in 1960.
“This year’s Democracy Day falls within a period when, arising from the scourge of terrorism, some people question the strength of our democracy and unity. Without hesitation, I assure all Nigerians that, despite the challenges we are facing today, Nigeria is stronger than it has ever been.
“Let me express how grateful we, in the Peoples Democratic Party, are to our fellow compatriots that they have entrusted our great party with steering the ship of state since our nation’s return to democracy in 1999.  It has been a great privilege and a momentous undertaking.
“And though—as with all human endeavours—we have had differences with our fellow citizens on the other side of the political divide, our on-going democratic journey is proof that the PDP continues to faithfully discharge its foremost duty to our country, which is sustaining a stable, functional and democratic State.
“Indeed, in its 15 years at the helm of affairs of our great nation, the PDP has created an atmosphere that allows total freedom of expression, dissent and the greatest level of inclusive political participation ever recorded in our country.  A case in point is that never before has Nigeria seen the high number of women in senior elective and appointive positions as obtains today under the PDP’s leadership
“Moreover, it is to the credit of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan-led PDP government that this ambience of democratic freedom has encouraged the most combative opposition rhetoric ever experienced in Nigeria’s history.  President Jonathan has also demonstrated respect for the rule of law by his non-interference in judicial, legislative and electoral matters.
“Ironically, our liberal and exceptionally tolerant President has been vilified for promoting and protecting the very democratic freedoms that others are using unfairly against the government.
“Be that as it may, certain that we are on the side of what is right by upholding the sanctity of unfettered democratic interaction and expression in our country, the PDP is looking beyond 2015 and even 2019 when the Fourth Republic will be twenty years old.
“The reason for our confidence stems from the fact that the PDP has always been the party of the people, for the people and by the people.  Furthermore, our unequalled experience in successfully piloting the affairs of State is what ensured that, for the first time in the course of Nigeria’s history, under the PDP we witnessed the smooth transfer of power from one civilian president to another; and the successful constitutional succession politics after the unfortunate and untimely death of our dear President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in office.
“In addition, the PDP has been responsible for the strategic restructuring of a largely state-run economy to a free-market economy, thereby engendering greater human development, free enterprise and irreversible economic expansion.  It is important to note that pursuing policies that are necessary for inclusive economic growth has further guaranteed our political and democratic stability.
“Besides, the rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for 2013, which showed an 89 percent increase in the estimated size of Nigeria’s economy, making it the top economy in Africa, has also seen our debt-to-GDP-ratio, shrink to 11 per cent.  In the past four years, Nigeria has remained the choice destination for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Africa.
“As has been widely noted, the success of the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) held recently in Abuja is an affirmation from the international community that Nigeria’s democracy is on a firm footing despite security challenges.
“Lest we forget, before the advent of the first PDP government in 1999, official statistics placed the number of telephone lines in Nigeria at just about 500,000. Today, the Nigerian Communications Commission reports that there are well over 120 million active telephone lines in Nigeria.  The benefits and the multiplier effects to our economy are phenomenal.
“I would like to point out that in the PDP we are continually strengthening the mechanism for internal democracy and would urge all other parties to also do the same.
“Finally, as we mark the anniversary of our return to Democracy, all Nigerians must stand together against the forces that seek to endanger our freedoms, unity and security.”

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