Scores Killed, Wounded As Bomb Explosion Destroys Maiduguri Market

A car bomb exploded Tuesday in a market in Maiduguri, the northeast Nigerian city that is the birthplace of Boko Haram Islamic extremists, reducing stalls, goods and vehicles to piles of trash. Dozens of people are feared dead, witnesses said.

They blamed Boko Haram extremists who are accused of a series of recent bomb attacks in the West African nation. Tuesday's explosives were hidden under a load of charcoal in a pickup van, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Trader Daba Musa Yobe, who works near the popular market, said the bomb went off just after the market opened at 8 a.m., before most traders or customers had arrived.

Stalls and goods were reduced to debris as were the burned-out hulks of five cars and some tricycle taxis set ablaze by the explosion. Yobe said security forces cordoned off the area but had a hard time keeping people out, though they warned there could be secondary explosions timed to target rescue efforts.

Witnesses said they saw about 50 bodies. They said the toll may be worse but fewer than normal traders and customers were around because most people stay up late to eat during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to sunset.

A security official at the scene confirmed the blast, saying many casualties are feared. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.

Explosions last week targeted the biggest shopping mall in Abuja, Nigeria's central capital, killing 24 people; a medical college in northern Kano city, killing at least eight; and a hotel brothel in northeast Bauchi city that killed 10. It was the third bomb blast in as many months in Abuja, and the second in two months in Kano. In May, twin car bombs at a marketplace also left more than 130 dead in central Jos city and killed at least 14 people at a World Cup viewing site in Damaturu, another town in the northeast.

Maiduguri, a city of more than 1 million people, has suffered many attacks. In March, twin car bombs killed more than 50 people at a late-night market where people were watching a football match on a big screen. Boko Haram has attracted international attention and condemnation since its April abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from a northeastern town.

Nigeria's military announced Monday night that it had busted a terrorist intelligence cell and arrested a businessman who "participated actively" in the mass abduction that caused outrage around the world.

It was unclear if the first arrest of a suspect in the kidnappings could help in rescuing at least 219 girls who remain captive. Boko Haram is threatening to sell the girls into marriage and slavery if Nigeria's government does not exchange them for detained insurgents.

Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement that businessman Babuji Ya'ari belonged to a vigilante group fighting Boko Haram and used that membership as cover "while remaining an active terrorist." He said information yielded by Ya'ari's detention had led to the arrests of two women — one who worked as a spy and arms procurer and another described as a paymaster.

Boko Haram has adopted a two-pronged strategy this year of bombings in urban areas and scorched-earth attacks in northeastern villages where people are gunned down and their homes burned.

 

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Osun Guber Election Will Be Better Than Ekiti, INEC Chairman Jega Assures

Despite widespread applause for the recent Ekiti State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is working hard to make the upcoming Osun State governorship election better, the Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has said. He said no effort would be spared to make the Osun election scheduled for August 9, 2014, more qualitative in all aspects than the June 21 Ekiti State election which has been widely acclaimed as the best so far by the Commission. He spoke on Tuesday, July 1, 2014, when the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China, H. E. Gu Xiaojie, paid a courtesy visit to the Commission. The Chairman said the present Commission had since 2010 when it came on board been devoted to improving the electoral process in Nigeria, “to make it more participatory and ensure that it is more transparent, that elections are conducted consistent with international best standards and in accordance with our own electoral laws.” He added: “Since 2011, we have been doing our best to keep on improving the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. We have cleaned up the Register of Voters, and we have been doing our best to address the challenge of logistics of deployment, which has been a major obstacle to our conduct of good elections. I am pleased to say there has been progressive improvement in the series of governorship elections that we have conducted since 2011, culminating in the Ekiti election that we conducted two weeks ago, and which has been generally acknowledged as perhaps the best election that we have conducted so far. On the 9th of August, we have another election in Osun State and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the Osun election is better than Ekiti.” Professor Jega restated INEC readiness to conduct the 2015 general election in all states of the federation, despite security threats in some areas. He said: “We know that both nationally and internationally, there are concerns about the 2015 general election, partly because of the challenges of security in some states. On our part, we have been doing our best to ensure that we are able to conduct elections in those areas; and we have been working very closely with security agencies to ensure that there is adequate security for the conduct of election in those states.” The Commission, according to him, has improved its engagement stakeholders – including political parties, security agencies and civil society organisations, among others – in order to deepen the political process. “We have periodic meetings with these stakeholders where we explain what we are doing and we receive suggestions for improvement; and we take these suggestions on board as we continue to improve the process,” he said. The Chairman also acknowledged the support of the international community for Nigeria’s electoral process. “Our development partners have been very helpful, other friends of Nigeria have generally been helpful; they have encouraged us and shown understanding, and that also has gone a long way to contribute to our continuous improvement of the electoral process.” The Chinese envoy, in his remarks, said there is much that his country and Nigeria could mutually learn from each other’s electoral experience. He added that Nigeria being an important country in Africa, global attention is on the country as it prepares to conduct the 2015 general election.    

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UN Indicts Boko Haram For Child Abuse…As Human Rights Watch Calls A Halt

All parties implicated in a new United Nations’ report about abuses of children during armed conflict should call an immediate halt to these crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN secretary-general’s annual report on children in armed conflict was released on July 1, 2014. The report lists parties to armed conflict that are documented to have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law against children. These include recruiting and using children in their operations, killing and maiming children, sexual violence against children, or attacks on schools or hospitals. Human Rights Watch cited inconsistencies in the UN monitoring and reporting, however, which may reduce the report’s effectiveness. “All groups on the secretary-generals’ list of shame for their serious violations against innocent children deserve the world’s contempt,” said Bede Sheppard, deputy children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “All parties named in the UN report need to work with the UN to put a stop to abuses against children and to protect them from harm.” Once a party to an armed conflict is placed on this list, it triggers increased response from the UN, including intensified engagement by UN agencies in the affected country and potential Security Council sanctions. Such sanctions can include arms embargoes, travel bans, asset freezes, and referrals to the International Criminal Court against the officials responsible for violations. For government armed forces or non-state armed groups to be removed from the list, the UN must verify that parties have ended the abuses, primarily with time-bound action plans. This year’s report added eight new parties to the list of abusers, including Boko Haram in Nigeria for systematic attacks on schools and killing and maiming of children. The Chadian Armed Forces was removed from the list after the UN determined that it had fully complied with its action plan, documented no new cases of recruitment of children, and found no children during monitoring of armed forces activities. Although certain groups were mentioned in the text of the report, they were not formally added to the list. The report notes, for example, that Maoist forces in India and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Coordinate (BRN-C; National Revolutionary Front) in southern Thailand continue to recruit and use children, yet neither group was added to the list that could trigger UN action against them. Similarly, the report documents attacks on schools by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Pakistan, by the Maoists in India, and al-Hirak separatists in Yemen without adding them to the list. Taliban forces make the list for their attacks on schools and teachers in Afghanistan, but not for similar attacks in Pakistan. Parties that have been included in the list for five years are labeled “persistent perpetrators,” leading to extra scrutiny and increasingly targeted measures by the UN. Yet the Maoist armed group in India, also known as the Naxalites, which has been featured in the text for the UN reports for five years, has never been added to the list. Although Maoist attacks on schools have decreased in recent years, the secretary-general’s report clearly shows that the attacks persist, and that the group qualifies under Security Council Resolution 1998 (2011) for inclusion in the list, Human Rights Watch said. Although this is the first time that the secretary-general’s report has named the BRN-C for violations in southern Thailand, the secretary-general first reported on the recruitment and use of children by unspecified “armed groups” in 2010, and has referenced attacks on schools in the area by “armed elements” since 2007. Human Rights Watch has documented that the BRN-C was responsible for recruiting children and attacks on schools since 2007. “Child soldiers and schools in India, Pakistan, and Thailand deserve the same protection from the United Nations as children suffering from other conflicts,” Sheppard said. “Unless all groups are rebuked and punished for similar offenses, the credibility and impartiality of the UN process is threatened.” The UN report reflected several improvements in its actions to address abuses of children during conflicts, including increased monitoring of attacks on schools, teachers, and hospitals. There is also more information on the military use of schools, which endangers children and deprives them of their right to education. The UN documented such abuses in 15 conflict situations. The secretary-general encouraged all member countries to make it a priority to adopt concrete measures to deter the military use of schools. These measures should include incorporating into legislation or military doctrines protections proposed by the “Draft Lucens Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict,” Human Rights Watch said. “The secretary-general’s annual report is one of the most effective ways that the UN has to push for real improvements in the behavior of parties to armed conflict toward children,” Sheppard said. “It’s critically important for the UN to be unquestionably impartial as it reports on abuses against children during war and presses all parties to halt their abuses.”

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Over 40 Killed, 70 Wounded In Maiduguri Bomb Blast

Death toll in the bomb explosion that shut down commercial activities in Maiduguri, Borno State capital today has been put at over 40 with more than 70 others critically wounded. The bomb which exploded near the Maiduguri Monday market around 8am local time was said to have been concealed in a Peugeot saloon car killing traders and members of the civilian JTF. Briefing Governor Kashim Shettima at the scene of the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Lawan Tanko said the car which carried charcoal, was laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), adding that "the blast occurred when the IEDs hidden in the charcoal went off thereby creating crater at the middle of the road and many died." Also narrating what happened to the governor, chairman of Civilian JTF in Sector 3, Illiya Saidu said 17 bodies were recovered from the scene, adding that 15 of the victims were members of the vigilante group who had accosted the suicide bomber. About 70 persons wounded in the attack were moved to various hospitals in the city even as the blast destroyed some parts of the market and about 11 vehicles mostly taxis parked at a mini-motor park opposite the scene. After listening to various accounts of the incident, Gov. Shettima condemned the attack on innocent residents stressing that "We will not be deterred from providing services to our people despite Boko Haram antics." Overall Secretary General of the Civilian JTF, Tijani Abba however told journalists that more than 40 people died, adding that 21 bodies were evacuated from the scene shortly after the attack while another 20 charred bodies were later discovered.

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Why I Dumped PDP For APC – Sen. Abe

The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, says the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni land forced him out of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said his decision to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was based on the belief that unlike the PDP, the APC, when elected in 2015, will implement the recommendations of the UNEP report to the latter.
Senator Abe who spoke in Port Harcourt, during a dinner in honour of Ogoni Young Professionals, organised by the Ogoni Generation Next Project (OGNP), said the delay in the implementation of the report was not the fault of oil giant, Shell, but that of the Nigerian government.
“About two years ago, Shell told us during its Annual General Meeting in London, that the One Billion Dollars for the clean-up of Ogoni environment was ready and now left for the government to move into action. I have met with the Minister several times over the issue and Governor Amaechi, who carried same to President Jonathan, but nothing happened”. He opined.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who initiated the remediation move is not from the Niger Delta; late Yar’adua, who signed a Federal Government’s resolve to implement whatever be the outcome of the investigation is not from the Niger Delta, but someone, who is from the Niger Delta region has refused to implement the UNEP report”. The Senator noted.
Senator Abe said, “I cannot continue to belong to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when those who are in-charge of the party have refused to attend to the needs of my people. I decided to leave because of their refusal to implement the UNEP report on Ogoni”.
“The Bible said, withhold not good of another person when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. That money is there and it is in the power of their hand to do it and they have withheld it from us. So, that is what is going on; it is nothing other than politics against our people and I have responded by leaving their party for the APC.”
The Senator regretted that Nigerian political leaders seem not to be bothered about the issue of gas flaring and how to end it because it concerns the ordinary people, pointing out that the only way to end such government insensitivity was to fight for change by voting out the PDP.
“As long as you ignore errors in government actions and policies, you can do whatever you like; but once you draw attention to flaws in the system, government will appear. So, that is what the Nigerian people need to change”. He said.

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Secret Draft Constitution Tears Southern, Northern Confab Delegates Apart…Coomassie Accuses Dokpesi As Coordinator Of Govt Hidden Agenda

 Proceedings at the National Conference started on Monday with lengthy arguments over a newspaper publication alleging that the leadership of the Conference was involved in premature preparation of a report that would be adopted as representing the position of the conference.
 As soon as the matter came up on the floor through a motion by Ish’aq Moddibo Kawo, arguments started as delegates were divided on whether the Conference Deputy Chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, who was mentioned in another allegation involving the writing of a new constitution, should respond to it or not.
 Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, and others were of the view that the publication should be dismissed as it was meant to distract the Conference from is set goals. Chief Ahamba claimed that those who are disappointed by the progress the conference has made so far are bent on scuttling it, but admonished that it should be resisted and not allowed to succeed.
 Those who shared that position also challenged those behind the publication and who claimed to have been lobbied by the Deputy Chairman to step forward and justify their claims with evidence; failing, the Daily Trust newspaper that published the stories should be asked to apologise to the Conference.
 However, former President of the Senate, Dr Ken Nnamani, raised a counter motion demanding that Akinyemi be allowed to explain himself since he was present at the sitting.
 The same position was canvassed by Dr. Haruna Yerima who argued that the allegation should not be dismissed because “morality demands that the Deputy Chairman clears his name.”
 The Deputy Chairman, in a brief comment, denied ever lobbying anybody to adopt a new constitution which the publication alleged he was spearheading.
 He explained that a few days ago, as was customary when they are contentious issues that have the potential of threatening the smooth progression of the Conference, he had approached political leaders at the Conference from both the north and the south separately, to discuss their differences regarding the issue of whether or not there was need for a new Constitution arising from the proceedings of the Conference.
 He said it was normal for him or any member of the leadership to seek such diverse opinions from delegates across geo-political lines towards resolving any contentious issue that usually arise from the Conference before such issues are eventually put up for division at plenary.
 Akinyemi, a former Foreign Affairs Minister, went ahead to mention names of people he met to discuss the issue and stated without any ambiguity that the issue of lobbying for adoption of a new constitution for the Conference was absolutely false as he only set out to ensure harmony between two opposing groups.
 Shortly after, the former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, who was also mentioned in the story, confirmed he was invited to the meeting by Akinyemi but could not attend although he raised a team of northern delegates to meet with the Deputy Chairman to discuss the issues involved.
 He explained that when he observed some moves which tended not to be in line with his initial conception of the meeting, he became weary and decided to pull out. He said “by last Tuesday, I was told a new constitution has been written. ”He went ahead to mention Chief Raymond Dokpesi as the person who had also invited him to a meeting and who later gave him a document which allegedly was published on the claims of representing the position of the Conference.
 Chief Dokpesi who spoke next absolved the leadership of the Conference from involvement in the meeting he convened and the issuance of what he called a Working Document produced by the group which comprised delegates from the existing geo-political zones.
 He said he and Professor Ibrahim Gambari had convened a meeting under the auspices of National Consensus Bridge-Building Group to discuss and close areas of differences regarding some critical areas of agreement and disagreement at the Conference.
 Chief Dokpesi mentioned the controversy surrounding the creation of State Police which was resolved last week without any dissenting voice as one of such areas discussed and agreed upon.
 The delegate noted that membership of the Group which he said he convened as a lobbyist body without the knowledge of the leadership of the Conference cut across all the geo-political groups represented at the Conference.
 He said three delegates were nominated by the group from each of the geo-political zones and that part of their agenda was analysis of all the reports submitted by the 20 Committees appointed by the Conference, particularly the recommendations of the committees.
 Regarding the publication, Chief Dokpesi said it had nothing to do with the leadership of the Conference and that “there is nothing secret in the document,” declaring that it was a mere working document agreed upon by 15 of the 18 members of the group.
 He declared: “I want to affirm irrevocably that the leadership (of the National Conference) has nothing absolutely to do with this Committee. This is a working document and not a final document.”
 He however noted that Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a delegate, had approached him last week with a letter declaring that all the northern delegates were withdrawing from the group on the grounds that what the group was doing was sponsored.
 Dokpesi told the conference, he did his best in telling Professor Yadudu that the activities of the group had nothing to do with the Conference leadership; and that the group was there to discuss and agree on certain contentious issues.
 At the end his explanation, the Conference Chairman and retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, GCON, said from all the explanations offered, it was clear that the leadership of the Conference knew nothing about the document in question.
 He said while delegates were free to meet and discuss issues of interest regarding the Conference, “If you want to do anything for yourselves, please do so but don’t include us.” He told delegates that the leadership of the Conference was seeing the document for the first when it was presented to him during the plenary session by Alhaji Coomasie and insisted that the leadership had nothing to do with it contrary to what was speculated in the media.
 Meanwhile the Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters has recommended that any person convicted of any electoral offence should be disqualified for a period of ten years from the date of conviction; from contesting any election or holding any elective or appointive position either in government or political party.
 Such offences mentioned by the Committee include registration offences, campaign finance breaches and breach of political party finance provision.
 The committee also recommended that any action challenging the conduct of primaries by a political party shall be filed within fourteen days of the accrual of the cause of action.
 These and other recommendations were presented to the plenary of the conference by the co-Chairmen of the Committee, Senator Iyorcha Ayu and Senator Ken Nnamani, on Monday.
 The Committee in its recommendation advocated the enforcement of a Code of Conduct for political parties already drawn up by the Inter-Party Advisory Council.
 In the course of screening nominees of the President for any INEC position, the committee recommended that the Senate should set aside at least two weeks to allow for public objection if any.
 The committee also recommended that for party to enhance party independence and discipline, all members must submit themselves to the principle of party supremacy and that elective members of the party must respect party decisions at all times.
 On the conduct of election, the committee recommended that biometric data of all electorates should be captured, stored and used for elections in the country.
 In addition, it said INEC should ensure that the latest technology is deployed at all times in the conduct of elections as is the case in other jurisdictions.
 The committee also recommended that relevant sections of the Constitution and the Electoral Act be amended to provide for independent candidacy during elections.

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Fani-Kayode’s Lies Against APC A Gimmick To Get Off The Hook Of Money Laundering Charges Against Him, Says Opposition Party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode to retract his comment alleging that the APC, through its National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed, condemned the Federal Government for proscribing the terror group Boko Haram or face a legal action. In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said at no time did it issue a statement condemning the proscription of Boko Haram, and challenged Mr. Fani-Kayode to produce such a statement if he was so sure the APC issue it. It quoted Alhaji Lai Mohammed as saying: ''I have caused my attorneys to formally write both Fani-Kayode and Channel television, where he made his allegation, to retract the statement and apologize, failing which I will sue for defamation of character.'' ''Our position on Boko Haram has been well articulated for anyone who cares to know, but at no time did we condemn the government for proscribing it. When the state of emergency was declared on three northern states, we criticized it and we stand by that. But we did not condemn the proscription of Boko Haram. We are not Boko Haram sympathizers and we cannot be under any circumstance,'' APC said. The party also condemned Mr. Fani-Kayode's description of Boko Haram as the armed wing of the APC, saying the statement is most irresponsible, uncharitable and without basis. ''Equally irresponsible and condemnable is Mr. Fani-Kayode's deliberate distortion of statements made in the past by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to mean that he or his party is a sympathizer of Boko Haram,'' the party said. It said Mr. Fani-Kayode's latter day castigation of opposition politicians, after he returned to his vomit and repudiated all the damaging statements he made publicly in the past about the PDP and the Jonathan Administration, is not based on any altruistic considerations. ''It is common knowledge that Mr. Fani-Kayode has been charged by the Federal Government with money laundering. The trial is almost ending, and he knows he faces a certain jail term if convicted.
''It is therefore not impossible that Mr. Fani-Kayode may be seeking to ingratiate himself to the FG by using various media platforms to destroy the APC through accusing its leaders of being Boko Haram sponsors or that the party is bent on fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket in next year's presidential elections.
''Unfortunately, in his eagerness to please the FG and cut a deal to avoid going to jail, he has resorted to pathological lies aimed at calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Whatever evidence he has to prove that our party is a sponsor of Boko Haram, he should be prepared to tender such in court,'' APC said.

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