Latest Boko Haram Attacks Near Chibok Meant To Cause Religious War In Nigeria- Jonathan

Last Sunday’s attacks by Boko Haram on churches in  villages near Chibok, Borno State where over 50 persons were reportedly killed are meant to instigate religious war in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan declared in a statement on the deadly incident today.

The President who in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati condemned the attacks, stressed that Boko Haram insurgents have continued to show that they are totally misguided and are using the cover of religion to commit crime against their country men and women.

According to him "The President deplores the renewed targeting by Boko Haram of adherents of a particular religion and urges all lovers of peace and unity to wholly condemn the resurgence of efforts by agents of global terrorism to disunite and destabilize Nigeria by callously instigating violence among religious groups in the country.

"President Jonathan shares the view of the most learned Islamic leaders and scholars that no true Muslim will resort to the mindless killing of innocent people at any time, especially not during the holy month of Ramadan, to redress any perceived grievance.

"The President believes, therefore, that Sunday’s attacks on churches and other similar atrocities by Boko Haram are conclusive proof, if any is still needed, that its leaders and members are  thoroughly misguided persons who are only using religion as a cover for their reprehensible crimes against their countrymen and women.

"President Jonathan urges all Nigerians, irrespective of their religious beliefs, to resist this new attempt to undermine the nation’s firm and collective resolve to unite in full support of its armed forces and security agencies against the vicious perpetrators of brutal attacks on innocent citizens.

"The President assures all Nigerians once again that the Federal Government and national security agencies will continue to intensify ongoing efforts to end Boko Haram’s senseless attacks until the terrorists are routed and totally defeated.  He commiserates with the families and churches that lost loved ones, members and places of worship during Sunday’s attacks".

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States Can Have Own Police, Says National Confab

The National Conference sitting in Abuja on Thursday broke a generational jinx with a resolution that henceforth, any state of the federation desirous of having a State Police Force can establish, fund and control it.
 This resolution, when enacted into law would put to rest the long debate and controversies over the establishment of state police. The state police when established by states that desired them are to compliment the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force. The areas of jurisdiction of the Federal police will cover the entire country and on clearly spelt out matters and offences while the jurisdiction of the State Police will cover the state and operate within the laws enacted by the State Assembly.
 The conference also resolved that in addition to establishing state police, states laws should also provide for community policing. The decisions were made while considering the report of the Committee on National security.
 The Conference agreed with the report of the Committee that state governors should be involved in the running of the Federal Police in their respective states. It was also agreed that officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Federal Police should be deployed to their states of origin. It was reasoned that this will address the concern of language and culture, as this group of officers actually constitute the operational component of the force.
To make the police more people friendly, the conference called for the amendment of section 214 of the 1999 constitution so that The Nigeria Police Force will be called The Nigeria Police. A proposal for the establishment of a National Border Patrol Force to secure and protect the nation`s border was also approved by the conference. The Border Patrol Force is to be domiciled in the Ministry of Defence.
In mapping out security architecture for the country, the conference accepted the proposal for the creation of a Security and Intelligence Services Oversight Committee (SISOC). The committee is to be composed of a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria as chairman, a former head of the Civil Service, and a former Director General of the State Security Service or National Intelligence, as members.
Similarly, the conference also accepted the proposal for the establishment of Water Way Safety Corps to man the waterways and riverine areas. The corps is expected to perform similar functions as that of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC)
The proposals mandating government to enact a law that would impose speed limit on convoys of government officials and limit to the number of vehicle to be in such convoys were also accepted by the conference.
The number of vehicles in the convoys is to be determined by Federal Road Safety Corps in consultation with the Police and the Department of States Security Service. Such a law is expected to reduce the recklessness of convoys of government officials which had in the past led to loss of lives; it would also reduce wastage of government funds.
  The conference also agreed that retired military personnel should be mobilized and trained to fight terrorism. In addition, government was also mandated to set up Counter Terrorism Architecture to among others: harmonize national counter terrorism efforts; and provide the platform for foreign assistance.
 It would equally interface between Nigeria and Africa Union (AU) countries especially contiguous states such as Niger, Chad, Cameroun and African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism and engage the services of well trained counter terrorism operatives to work within the established in-country infrastructure.
 The proposal that the federal character outlook of the military be reflected at the entry point into the Nigeria Defense Academy in cases of officers and at the recruitment stages and training depots, in case of soldiers, airmen, and sailors was also accepted by the conference.
 Conference also agreed that table of equipment including clothing should be updated regularly instead of waiting for the declaration of a state of emergency.
The conference at its plenary also approved the proposal for the establishment of a Military Industrial Zone which will include but not limited to collaboration with the industrial and manufacturing sector in the area of research and development, production, use and support for military, training weaponry and equipment.
 A proposal for a compulsory life insurance for all armed security personnel by government was approved by the government. The conference also accepted the proposal that the Federal Government should set aside a special fund to rehabilitate and reconstruct the North East, which has suffered devastating attacks from Boko Haram.
Similarly the conference also agreed that all the communities such as Odi in Bayelsa State, Zaki Biam in Benue state and others that were destroyed in the process on restoring internal peace be compensated. On gender issue, the conference agreed to the proposal that government should ensure gender mainstreaming with respect to recruitment into the Armed Forces and the various security agencies.
 The Conference also agreed that there should be a compulsory life insurance for all armed security personnel by government as well as imploring the Federal Government to look into all pending Police Reform Committees/Panel Reports and implement their recommendations. It was agreed also that the Inspector general of Police should be the accounting officer of the Nigeria Police and be answerable to the Nigeria Police Council on financial matters.
Delegates agreed that the government should review the procedure of using the military in the aid of civil authority in matters of internal security because the existing procedure referred to as the “blue and brown cards” which was signed by the Prime Minister in 1960 is obsolete. The Nigeria Air Force, the delegates indicated, should be more involved in the management of Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority in securing the country’s airspace.

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Military Bars Senator Ndume, 278 Umrah Pilgrims From Travelling Through Maiduguri Airport

Military commands in Borno State today barred hundreds of intending pilgrims from taking off from Maiduguri International Airport to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia despite the intervention of the Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, a situation that raised tension at the airport.
A max airline chartered by a Hajj and Umrah operator, Skynet International Limited, had arrived Maiduguri earlier today to convey 278 intending pilgrims that had undergone all security checks and were waiting to board the plane when military issued what many regard as strange orders, directing the plane to take-off empty while insisting that the hundreds of pilgrims travel five hours to Kano through the not too secured Maiduguri-Damaturu-Potiskum road to take-off from Kano airport.
The military, citing 'orders from above' said their action was for security reasons. Explanations by officials of Borno State Government, including Governor Shettima that pilgrims carrying pocket money and moving to Kano by road from Maiduguri could be at risk given past instances of attacks along Maiduguri-Damaturu-Potiskum route, was turned down by the military. The management of Skynet which chartered the max airline had explained that it had written letters to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and military authorities that include the Brigade command, the police headquarters and the air force authorities and it was duly authorised to go on with the operations given the fact that previous exercises took place in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri and yet, flights landed and took off to Saudi Arabia hitch free.
The military insisted it wasn't allowing this year's Umrah operations in Maiduguri on the orders of the chief of air staff that the airport be immediately closed to commercial aircrafts and the max airline had to leave empty after it landed hitch free in Maiduguri airport. Some Government officials were worried that the military might be playing a script to frustrate the Government being controlled by the opposition APC.
Just when the dust was yet to die down, the military also yesterday, barred a serving Senator, representing Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Ali Ndume alongside a serving member of House of Representatives, representing Gwoza, Chibok, Damboa Federal Constituency of Borno State from boarding an aircraft chartered by the Borno State after an 8-seater aircraft arrived Maiduguri with some Government officials it conveyed from Abuja.‎ The military ordered the plane to take-off empty, leaving behind all eight persons, including the two lawmakers scheduled to board the flight to Abuja from Maiduguri.
Tension flared up  at the airport as intending pilgrims become agitated, a situation that made Governor Shettima to send the State SSG, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda to address  the pilgrims and calm their nerves. The pilgrims left in numerous buses driving through the night in order not to miss the flight's inaugural slot to land in Saudi Arabia.
The ‎Maiduguri airport has been officially opened some months ago by the Nigerian Air Space Management Agency after it was closed when insurgents attacked the Nigerian Air Force base near the airport. The Borno State Government had on the request of NAMA, intervened with donation of high powered electricity generator along with other facilities to NAMA which were installed in January at the Maiduguri airport. Aircrafts have been consistently landing and taking off from the airport since January without any incident recorded. It was therefore not clear why the military took today's actions.
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Another Explosion Averted At EMAB Plaza, Abuja…As Police Recover 13 Bombs At Kano Praying Ground

But for vigilance and timely response of security agents, another improvised explosive device (IED) would have exploded at EMEB Plaza shortly after the one that killed 21 persons and send many others to hospitals for treatment on Wednesday.
Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) Mr. Mike Omeri said this in Abuja Friday afternoon when he led other members of the Centre in a media briefing on government’s efforts to curb insurgency in the country.
He explained “that their prompt action on that afternoon led to the arrest of one of the attackers and the killing of another that was almost using his gadgets to detonate the second and possibly the third deadly device.”
Omeri however, disputed popular insinuations that the CCTV cameras installed around some areas in the Federal Capital Territory are not functioning as a syndicate has stolen most of the batteries installed in them. He narrated that Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed told him that the cameras were functioning and that more are to be installed. Omeri however, advised citizens to also install the cameras in their premises to complement that of government.
While refusing to give details, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency gave the assurance that efforts by the military especially in the North East to subdue the Boko Haram terrorists were progressing steadily and that the war was being won by government troops.
“While we do not want to go into details of operations currently taking place, it is advised that the practice in which some persons just bandied figures of casualties on either the side of the military or insurgents should be discouraged and checked. The truth remains that the military is winning the war and the nation shall surely triumph in this fight”, he declared.
He also urged Nigerians especially parents and school pupils to ignore messages on the social media that some schools were being targeted for attack and assured that security agencies were working assiduously to ensure that schools are safe and academic activities remain unhindered.
While responding to worries that terrorism suspects were being held without trial, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, who was promoted to the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police on Thursday appealed to the public for patience.
Mba noted that investigations on terrorism cases are tenuous and strenuous but pledged that once investigations were concluded, every suspect would arraigned in court for trial.
Meanwhile, a major bloodbath was today averted in Kano as policemen intercepted 13 gas cylinders of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) primed to explode on worshipers at a Jumat Praying Ground in the state capital. The Improvised Explosive Devices were loaded in a rickety ox- blood starlet Toyota car with registration number AV 234 NSR , within the surrounding of the Praying Ground at Sauna General Area, Dakata in Kano State, a few minutes ahead of the praying time which was to commence at 2.00pm. Briefing newsmen on the development at the Bompai headquarters of the Command, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji  Adenrele Shinaba, said that the IEDs were already primed and were tickling to the hour of explosion, when they were intercepted by the police, adding that if they had exploded on the innocent worshippers, the Abuja tragedy, two days back, would have been a child’s play. The Commissioner, who also displayed a remote control key, billed to trigger off  the explosion, also announced the recovery of some live bullets in the ill fated vehicle. Talking about the recovery of the IEDs, he said the police received information from the members of the public that a vehicle was abandoned in their vicinity. He added that following the tip off from the community, the police immediately dispatched detectives of its Explosive Ordinance Unit to the spot adding that upon arrival, the vehicle was screened and found to be loaded with explosive devices. He explained that the police immediately asked residents of the area to leave the vicinity of the parked car, following which they detonated the first gas cylinder, adding that the impact of the single detonation shook several houses simultaneously and made a very load, huge explosive sound. Following this development, the Explosive Ordinance Unit advised that the rest of the explosive devices should not be denoted at the point, but should be removed to somewhere else to ensure they were safely detonated. He thanked Kano residents  for the timely information while restating that if the terrorists had succeeded, “the agony would have been unimaginable by now"

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Defection: PDP Begins Fresh Moves To Remove Kwankwaso, Amaechi, Nyako, Ahmed, Wamakko As Governors

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP today launched a fresh offensive to remove from office five state governors who defected from the party to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC as a federal high court in Abuja has already granted its request to serve fresh summons on the  five governors through substituted means by publishing it in two national dailies. This  followed an application filed on June 26, 2014 in pursuant to order 6 rule 5 (c) of the federal high court with one prayer based on seven grounds supported by 12 paragraphs affidavit deposed to by Friday Izinyon. While granting the PDP request, the judge said "I am satisfied that the plaintiff/ applicant has disclosed good reasons to warrant  the granting of the application. And it is hereby granted as prayed, the applicant shall within 7 days  published the suit in ThisDay Newspapers or Guardian Newspapers. They would be entitled to 30 days to respond. The case is adjourned to 22 Sept 2014 for mention." PDP had filed the first legal action in December last year following the defection of Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers, Governor Muritala Nyako of Adamawa, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto  and Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano to APC. The suit filed  through its counsel Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), PDP had  prayed the court  to declare the seats of the five governors vacant in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 ( as amended). However,the five governors through their counsel appeared in court under  protest that they heard about the case in the media. They therefore raised objection to the mode of service adopted by the plaintiff. Ruling on the objection which was argued last month, Justice Gabriel Kolawole said that from the document before the court the respondents were not served with the originating summons and other processes that were filed against them by the plaintiff. He said that failure by the PDP  to follow the procedures allowed by law in reaching the defendants since December 10 when the court action was instituted meant that there was no proper service. The court agreed with the lawyers to the governors that they have not been served with court papers and as such the court cannot assume jurisdiction until the plaintiff (PDP) has done the right thing by serving the governors with the court summon. According to the judge, the purported service of court process allegedly effected at No. 40 Blantyre street, being the new office of the APC was illegal, invalid, defective, essentially as it was not  endorse by the court before it was dropped at that premises. Justice Kolawole further ruled that the issue of service of originating summon by the plaintiff on the defendants was fundamental before any court can take further action against any defendant adding that in the instant case, the service done by PDP was not in conformity with the procedure of the court. The Judge adjourned the case indefinitely pending the time the plaintiff will comply with the law in the service of the originating summon on the five governors. Justice Kolawole asked PDP to formally write the court and attach the evidence of proper service of court processes on the defendants before any action could be taken against the governors. The PDP had claimed that it effected the service on the respondents  in line with the court order made on December 13, 2013. PDP said that it took the originating summon to No. 6 Bissau Street, Wuse II as directed by the court  but discovered that the APC had vacated the office and relocated to No. 40, Blantyre street, Abuja as the new office. PDP claimed that the originating summon and other court papers were subsequently taken to the new office for onward delivery by the APC to the governors. But Justice Kolawale agreed with the governors that the service at 40 Blantyre Street was invalid, ineffective and faulty because the order of the court for service did not embody the address. The Judge said that what the plaintiff (PDP) ought to have done was to come back to the court to legally vary the order of service before it can be effective on 40, Blantyre Street, being the new APC National Secretariat. Apparently in reaction to the newspaper publications on the legal action, counsel to the governors stormed the court under protest to challenge the purported service of court papers on the governors. They claimed in their different reactions that the appropriate places to serve them with court summons are their office in their respective state capitals. The governors insisted that no legal action has been instituted against them until they have been properly served with court summons and other processes. But PDP had argued that the governors were just evading service. Justice Kolawole said that PDP would have done well if the service of the originating summons had been effected on the Attorney General of the affected states since such service can hardly be faulted in law. He therefore ordered PDP represented by Dr. Alex Izion SAN to do the right thing  before the case can be resuscitated by the court for adjudication.

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Charly Boy Disrupts Father’s Burial, Attacks Gov Okorocha During Funeral Mass In Church…He’s Being Used By Abuja Politicians- Imo Gov

Rascally musician and grandfather, Charles Oputa popularly called Charly Boy today disrupted the funeral mass organised at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Oguta, Imo State for his late father Justice Chukwudifu Oputa as he suddenly went gaga and attacked his state Governor, Rochas Okorocha who he prevented from making a speech during the church service. Sensing that protocol was being breached during the funeral mass, Okorocha had called the officiating ministers to the need for him to make a welcome speech before  President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim will make his remarks. His idea was approved by clerics who decided to hand over the microphone to the governor. However as Okorocha rose to make his speech, Charly Boy seized the microphone from the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Ike, a development that created pandemonium in the church. The officiating priest and Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. (Dr) Matthew Hassan Kukah had pleaded with Charly Boy to allow Okorocha speak, but he refused, saying he would not allow his father's burial to be politicized. The scene led to a mass exodus of dignitaries thus ending the funeral service abruptly shortly after the governor stormed out of the church service. Nevertheless, the body of Oputa was later taken back to his country home for interment. In a swift reaction to the incident, the Imo State government in a statement said Charly Boy was sponsored to embarrass the governor by some Abuja based politicians who are angling to take Okorocha's seat in 2015. The statement said "It is highly regrettable that the son of the late Justice, Mr Charles Emeka Oputa, aka, Charly Boy threw caution to the wind and turned the church service into a political theater that saw him acting or playing out the script he drafted in Abuja with some Imo politicians who have remained cowed by the overwhelming popularity of Governor Rochas Okorocha. "The Imo State governor had worked together with Mr Charly Boy both when the late Justice was sick, until the time he died and the preparation for the burial which also encouraged the state governor to make substantial financial input and also organized a special day of tribute for the late Justice at the expense of state government with Charly Boy also present with other members of the family. "This is why the sudden change of character of Charly Boy at the church service, in which case, he insisted that the governor would not talk as protocol demanded  could not be understood, except that he was acting out the script handed over to him by some of the  gubernatorial aspirants from the state who might have been rattled by the thunderous ovation that greeted the governor by the crowd when he was first introduced. "At a function like that, protocol had demanded that the host governor must talk before any other speaker.  But  Senator Pius Anyim representing the President was first called to talk.  Ideally, as a repsentative of the president, there was no way Senator Anyim would not have talked at the event.  But protocol would have seen the governor talking first to welcome the invitees to the service as the host governor. "Perhaps afraid of the  popularity of governor Okorocha among the Imo populace that has always made them to hail him where ever and whenever he talks, the few politicians from the state in Abuja who are desperate to capture power in the state in 2015, saw a willing tool in charly Boy for them to ensure that the governor would not talk at the event. "We condemn that ugly incident.  And also wish to advise politicians from the state to stop heating the polity over power since God is the  giver of power.  In 2015, God will decide who will be governor of Imo State and when God decides that, there is nothing anybody can do about  it. And for Charly Boy, we ask God to bless him.

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ice prince ft oritse femi tears naija remix

Ice Prince and Oritse femi have collaborated to bring about a remix for the music “Tears for Naija”. The remix was produced by Sammy Gyang.

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