Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Fedpolynek, exams
I learnt that Fed Poly Nekede, Owerri (Morning program) will be starting their exams on 6th Jan, 2014 therfore, all morning program students are adviced to revise their books and prepare for the exam. Though, it hasn't been confirmed to be true because the examination timetable is not out yet. Please, I implore you to read your books and prepare for any possible scenerio. Thanks.
Friday, 20 December 2013
Ethnicity, religion, corruption undermine good governance in Nigeria – APC
Ethnicity, religion, corruption undermine good governance in Nigeria – APC
Abuja – A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okeckukwu, says ethnicity, religious bigotry and corruption are the major factors militating against good governance in the country.
Okeckukwu said this on Friday while delivering a lecture titled “ Corruption, a bane to Good Governance“ organised by the APC Youth Circuit in Abuja.
“Ethnicity, religious bigotry and corruption no doubt militate against good governance and undermine the development of our dear country at local, state and federal government levels,“ he said.
According to Okeckukwu, it is the effects of corruption that propel and fuel ethnic and religious jingoists who canvass and agitate for their so-called members of religious sects.
“ We are witness to how people covet power in the name of tribe and religion and end up not using the power for the good of their people.
“It is painful that corruption has permeated the fabric of our dear country and made a mockery of our humanity,“ Okeckukwu said.
He said the APC was determined to wage strident war against corruption, noting that the nation could not develop if the current level of corruption was allowed to continue.
Okeckukwu stressed the need for INEC to ensure transparent elections in 2015.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of APC Youth Circuit, Mr Aruku Kalita, said the group was committed to restoring the dignity of youths, which had been “battered for a long time.“
Kalita regretted that youths were always being seen as mere political tools used by politicians to achieve their political aspirations and dumped only to be picked up again when needed.
The national coordinator said the group would partner with the APC leadership and would no longer be just political tools in the hands of politicians.
“ As youth we are creative and can help proffer solutions to most of the country’s nagging problems if given the opportunity, “ Kalita said. (NAN)
Suspected Islamists attack Borno barracks again
Suspected Islamists attack Borno barracks again
KANO (AFP) – Scores of suspected Islamist gunmen stormed a military barracks in northeast Nigeria on Friday, spraying gunfire on the troops inside before torching the compound, the army and residents said.
The military has reportedly deployed fighter jets and ground forces in pursuit of the gunmen, presumed to be Boko Haram Islamists, who have killed thousands in the region during a four-year uprising.
“There was an attack on the military barracks in (the town) of Bama this morning,” said Mohammed Dole, army spokesman in Borno state, the epicentre of the Boko Haram conflict.
He declined to comment on details provided by several Bama residents who said dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, of insurgents swarmed the barracks in a convoy of 4X4 trucks, armed with assault rifles, explosives and rocket-propelled-grenades.
“It started at around three in the morning with huge explosions and the cracking of gunfire,” said Bama resident Abdullahi Idris. “Later we saw plumes of smoke and fire from the barracks.”
Bama has become a flashpoint in the insurgency and the scene of several bold Islamist attacks. One of the Islamist rebels’ largest-ever strikes targeted the military in Bama in June.
According to Idris and other residents, military jets flew over the town after the attack.
The nearest air force base is in Borno’s capital Maiduguri, roughly 70 kilometres (44 miles) from Bama.
“A large section of the barracks” had been destroyed by fire, said another resident who asked for anonymity but identified himself as a member of the vigilante force which has formed in Borno to fight the Islamists.
He told AFP that fighter jets dropped bombs on the attackers, forcing them to flee.
Residents and Dole offered no estimates of casualties.
Borno and two other parts of Nigeria’s northeast were placed under a state of emergency in May.
The military operation launched in the region to crush the uprising has entered its eighth month but its effectiveness has been widely questioned.
Defence officials have claimed Boko Haram is now only capable of attacking soft targets, but Friday’s raid in Bama, which came after a December 2 assault on the army and air force in Maiduguri, indicates the insurgents are still capable of daring offensives.
The UN has said that more than 1,200 people have been killed in the northeast in Boko Haram attacks since May, excluding insurgents killed during military operations.
Boko Haram, declared a foreign terrorist group by the United States, has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.
michael: Kabiru Sokoto bags life imprisonment for terrorism...
michael: Kabiru Sokoto bags life imprisonment for terrorism...: Kabiru Sokoto | credits: File copy The Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Umar, alias Kabiru Sokoto, was on Friday sentenced to life imprison...
Kabiru Sokoto bags life imprisonment for terrorism
Kabiru Sokoto
| credits: File copy
| credits: File copy
The Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Umar, alias Kabiru Sokoto, was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment by an Abuja Federal High Court for his role in terrorist activities, including the December 25, 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.
He was the governor of Sokoto State in the hierarchy of the Boko Haram group, according to evidence that emerged in the course of his trial, which lasted six months.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola found him guilty of facilitating terrorist activities in Sokoto State, and having prior knowledge of the bomb attack at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church.
Kabiru Sokoto, who was finally apprehended by operatives of the State Security Service in the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja after escaping from the custody of police officers who initially arrested him, was arraigned by the Federal Government on April 19, 2013 on a two count charge bordering on terrorism.
In count one of the charge, the Federal Government informed the court that, between 2007 and 2012, the Boko Haram kingpin facilitated bomb attacks on the police headquarters in Sokoto State and some other government organisations in the state, an offence contrary to section 15(2) of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.
In count two, he was accused of having prior information of the bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church but refused to disclose such to law enforcement officers, an offence contrary to section 7(1) of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011.
Following Kabiru Sokoto’s claim that he does not understand English language, the trial had to be conducted with the aid of an interpreter, who translated exchanges in Hausa and English languages.
But evidence emerged in the course of the proceedings that the Boko Haram kingpin actually understood English language, having obtained four credits in the Senior School Certificate Examination which he wrote in English.
At a point in the trial, Kabiru Sokoto openly disagreed with the interpreter over the interpretation given to a statement he made in Hausa Language.
Kabiru Sokoto had denied the two-count charge during his arraignment, with his lawyers claiming that he was tortured before he made the confessional statement tendered as evidence by the prosecution, in which he owned up to the crimes.
The defence counsel, led by Adamu Ibrahim, also argued that the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Chioma Onuegbu, did not prove the allegations made against the suspect.
Six prosecution witnesses, who testified against Kabiru Sokoto, insisted that he was guilty of the charge brought against him.
In the testimony he gave in his own defence, Kabiru Sokoto insisted on his innocence.
However, delivering judgment in the matter on Friday, Justice Ademola held that Sokoto’s confessional statement, in which he owned up to the crimes, was factual evidence.
“This court classifies the confessional statement as freely and voluntarily made by the accused person as recorded by the witness,” Justice Ademola said.
He went ahead to quote portions of the statement in which Kabiru Sokoto admitted his role in facilitating terrorist activities in Kano.
In the statement, Kabiru Sokoto had said, “Here in Abaji (a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory) nobody knows that I am a Boko Haram member. I have about 500 children that I teach as an Islamic instructor.
“Some of my members are in Mabira, Sokoto. I planted them to bomb the police headquarters in Sokoto and I purchased four AK 47 rifles with about 2000 live ammunition.”
Continuing, Justice Ademola noted that the statement was also corroborated by the account of one of the Boko Haram members arrested in Sokoto State, who informed SSS investigators that they were planted by Kabiru Sokoto, “who is the governor of Sokoto State in the hierarchy of Boko Haram.”
“This court finds as a fact that the accused person (SKabiru okoto) was the mastermind of the terrorist act in Mabira, Sokot State,” Justice Ademola said.
Also quoting part of Kabiru Sokoto’s confessional statement, Justice Ademola held that he was indeed guilty of having prior knowledge of the bomb attack on St. Theresa’s Catholic Church and refusing to disclose same to security agents.
Sokoto was quoted to have said in the statement that “The Madalla (St. Theresa’s Catholic Church) bombing was carried out by one Bashir Mohammed and other persons who I cannot remember or know their name but if their leader Suleiman is arrested, he will shed more light on the incident because I was not directly involved.”
Justice Ademola held that Kabiru Sokoto lied when he disowned the confessional statement attributed to him.
He noted that Sokoto’s false claim that he does not understand English was an indication of the fact that he lied to the court.
“This court finds that the accused person was economical with the truth right from the beginning of this trial when he claimed that he does not understand English language.
“A prosecution witness confirmed the accused person’s knowledge of English, as well as obtaining four credits in SSCE – and he wrote his examinations in English language.
“The accused person is not a credible witness; he is a pathological liar who has no respect for the truth.”
Concluding, the judge added, “The prosecution has proved it case and this court finds him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Accordingly the accused person is as guilty as charged.”
Interestingly, just as Justice Ademola was about to pronounce sentence on Sokoto, his lawyers begged the judge to “temper justice with mercy” because the convict has aged parents, a wife and two kids to take care of.
The defence counsel equally urged the judge to have mercy on Sokoto because he has not had the opportunity to see his family since he was incarcerated about two years ago.
But Justice Ademola stressed that Kabiru Sokoto does not deserve mercy, having failed to show any form of remorse throughout the trial.
The judge also condemned Kabiru Sokoto’s claim that he does not understand English, a development which made the trial cumbersome as an interpreter had to translate every statement made in the course of the proceedings.
“If he can take us for six months translating when he actually understands, then you will understand what I am talking about,” the judge said, adding that the crime was even more condemnable because it occurred on a Christmas Day.
He therefore sentenced Kabiru Sokoto to life imprisonment on count one of the charge, in line with the provisions of section 15(2) of EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004, and 10 years imprisonment on count two, as stipulated by section 7(1) of Terrorism and Prevention Act, 2011.
Justice Ademola ordered that the two sentences will run consecutively, which meant that Kabiru Sokoto will serve the life sentence first, before serving the 10 years prison term.
The judge in the same vein urged the security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kabiru Sokoto’s arrest in the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
According to Justice Ademola, “The police are yet to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the accused person in the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja – the seat of power.
“The members of the organisation (Boko Haram) have permeated all levels of government, the police have a duty to investigate and bring other persons involved to book.
“It is imperative that security forces finish off this investigation so that we can get to the root of this.”
The judgment held amid tight security at the Abuja FHC, and immediately after the proceedings, heavily armed SSS operatives whisked Kabiru Sokoto off to prison.
Credit: Punch newspaper.
Wednesday, 18 December 2013
mole in Nigera Military.
Moles in the Nigerian Military
Posted by Editor on December 18, 2013.
Dele Agekameh.
Since 2009, the country has been reeling from serious attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists. It started like isolated attacks involving terrorists who daily sneaked into people’s homes and murdered them in cold blood. Their activities later grew in proportion and capacity to wreak havoc on hapless citizens. These satanic activities were no longer confined to the homes of their victims, they also hacked people down on the streets, highways, churches, mosques and wherever they chose to ply their lethal wares.
Today, it has assumed the status of an epidemic on its own with countless people and numerous security agents fallen victims in the hands of these terrorists who seem very determined. It was this frightening dimension introduced into the whole saga that prompted the Federal Government to impose a state of emergency on the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. This underscores the government’s resolve to confront the growing incidence of violence and insecurity in the country.
While justifying the need for the measure, President Goodluck Jonathan bemoaned the breakdown of law and order in the affected states, parts of which he said terrorists had taken over. In a nationwide television broadcast, the President said: “Following recent developments in the affected states, it has become necessary for Government to take extraordinary measures to restore normalcy… Accordingly, the Chief of Defence Staff has been directed to immediately deploy more troops to these states for more effective internal security operations. The troops and other security agencies involved in these operations have orders to take all necessary actions, within the ambit of their rules of engagement, to put an end to the impunity of insurgents and terrorists.”
After this proclamation, the military moved in with their war arsenals. The first few months were hectic as the terrorists seemed to have dug in. With the more sophisticated weapons paraded by the Nigerian troops at that time, the terrorists were soon routed from city centres as they took to their heels and sought sanctuary in the hills and dense forests of the North-east. But just as people were beginning to heave a sigh of relief, the terrorists came up with deadly attacks using guerrilla tactics. And because the troops were not fighting a conventional war, they had to be mindful in their assault against the terrorists so as not to incur heavy civilian casualties.
As it is, the terrorists seem to be capitalising on the self-restraint of the troops to wreak havoc on defenceless and innocent people, particularly in Borno State, which is the stronghold of the terrorists. Added to this is the fact that the terrorists who obviously enjoy some external support from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, have grown in sophistication in recent times. This is apparent from the deadly attack unleashed on many targets, including a military base in Maiduguri on December 2.
The attack, which came barely a few days after the President got approval of the National Assembly to extend the emergency operation in the North-east by another six months, took everybody, including military authorities, by surprise. Unfortunately, it was the military that suffered the heaviest casualty in the attack as about five aircraft were disabled by the terrorists when the Air Force base in the town was hit. Other military formations, including checkpoints, were not spared in the coordinated attack. That was just one of the many attacks in which the military suffered serious setback.
Sometimes ago, at least 40 Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed and 65 others went missing in a deadly ambush by suspected members of the extremist group in the state. The casualty, one of the heaviest for the military in its ongoing campaign, occurred along the Baga –Maiduguri Road on Friday, September 13, in what was described as a classic case of operational and communication failure. A detachment of soldiers under the 134 Battalion of the 12 Brigade under the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, stationed in Kangarwa village in Kukawa Local Government, had conducted a reconnaissance in order to gather intelligence around the area. During the exercise, they established the presence of previously unnoticed Boko Haram camps. The soldiers returned to their base and filed a report. The report recommended aerial bombardment of the area ahead of a ground operation by troops.
Unfortunately, the plan was cancelled at the last minute by a senior officer without formal communication to the more than 100 troops that had already advanced on the area. Consequently, due to lack of communication, the troop ran into the terrorists without knowing that the aerial bombardment had been cancelled and they were caught unawares.
The soldiers were trapped in the ambush as they came under heavy fire from the terrorists who had surrounded the area, leaving at least 40 soldiers dead. Some 65 others were missing. The terrorists also confiscated a huge cache of weapons from the soldiers. The attack jolted the army authorities which immediately ordered an investigation into the suspected operational blunder that gave the terrorists such an upper hand. The authorities were so irked that the commanding officer of the unit was instantaneously removed from his post.
That attack came less than two months after a similar miscalculation on August 4, which also resulted in a heavy casualty following a similar surprise attack by the terrorists on a camp at Malam Fatori where no fewer than 20 soldiers got missing. Just as with past failures and massacres, the military authorities had placed a lid on the two incidents. These terrorists’ assault are a sad reminder of the difficulties which daily confront the military in its campaign against a dodgy but adept enemy that continues to take advantage of mistakes by military planners to inflict heavy casualties on the military.
This was probably why the December 2 attack on the Air Force base and other security formations in Maiduguri sent the military authorities back to the drawing board. New strategies seem to be unfolding. It may have included the trial of those being held for terrorists’ activities. The Defence Headquarters recently recommended 500 suspects for immediate trial in respect of terrorist operations in the three North-east states. Some of those slated for trial include high-profile suspects, some of whom had been training other terrorists in weapon handling. Among the suspects are a medical doctor and some paramilitary or service personnel who had been fighting on the side of the terrorists. While some of the suspects might face trial in the states where they committed terror-related activities, others may be arraigned before federal high courts.
In the same vein, the report also asked the authorities to release 167 others from detention. It described 614 cases inconclusive and recommended a review of the issues against the suspects. The suspects are among the almost 1,400 detainees screened by the Joint Investigation Team set up by the Defence Headquarters at the detention facilities in Maiduguri, Yola and Damaturu between July and September this year. The report also proposed that some of the detainees be tried for other offences ranging from armed robbery, murder to drug-related offences. This is a good development.
From all indications, the military high command needs to look inward in order to be able to contain the activities of these terrorists. There is no doubt that with the various ambushes and surprise attacks on military formations, there are moles within the military itself.
Take the attack on the Air Force Base for example. Without insiders’ involvement, it would not have been easy for the terrorists to overrun the base and other military establishments with ease. And the fact that the attack was carried out by the terrorists as a pre-emptive attack on the military on the eve of a planned major offensive on the terrorists’ locations in the forests and hills of Maiduguri, shows the hands of insiders in the whole episode.
The military will do itself some measure of good if it can conduct a thorough investigation into both the December 2 spontaneous attacks and previous attacks on security formations in the past. It is only by doing this that the wings of the Boko Haram terrorists can be sacredfely clipped.
Posted by Editor on December 18, 2013.
Dele Agekameh.
Since 2009, the country has been reeling from serious attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists. It started like isolated attacks involving terrorists who daily sneaked into people’s homes and murdered them in cold blood. Their activities later grew in proportion and capacity to wreak havoc on hapless citizens. These satanic activities were no longer confined to the homes of their victims, they also hacked people down on the streets, highways, churches, mosques and wherever they chose to ply their lethal wares.
Today, it has assumed the status of an epidemic on its own with countless people and numerous security agents fallen victims in the hands of these terrorists who seem very determined. It was this frightening dimension introduced into the whole saga that prompted the Federal Government to impose a state of emergency on the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. This underscores the government’s resolve to confront the growing incidence of violence and insecurity in the country.
While justifying the need for the measure, President Goodluck Jonathan bemoaned the breakdown of law and order in the affected states, parts of which he said terrorists had taken over. In a nationwide television broadcast, the President said: “Following recent developments in the affected states, it has become necessary for Government to take extraordinary measures to restore normalcy… Accordingly, the Chief of Defence Staff has been directed to immediately deploy more troops to these states for more effective internal security operations. The troops and other security agencies involved in these operations have orders to take all necessary actions, within the ambit of their rules of engagement, to put an end to the impunity of insurgents and terrorists.”
After this proclamation, the military moved in with their war arsenals. The first few months were hectic as the terrorists seemed to have dug in. With the more sophisticated weapons paraded by the Nigerian troops at that time, the terrorists were soon routed from city centres as they took to their heels and sought sanctuary in the hills and dense forests of the North-east. But just as people were beginning to heave a sigh of relief, the terrorists came up with deadly attacks using guerrilla tactics. And because the troops were not fighting a conventional war, they had to be mindful in their assault against the terrorists so as not to incur heavy civilian casualties.
As it is, the terrorists seem to be capitalising on the self-restraint of the troops to wreak havoc on defenceless and innocent people, particularly in Borno State, which is the stronghold of the terrorists. Added to this is the fact that the terrorists who obviously enjoy some external support from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, have grown in sophistication in recent times. This is apparent from the deadly attack unleashed on many targets, including a military base in Maiduguri on December 2.
The attack, which came barely a few days after the President got approval of the National Assembly to extend the emergency operation in the North-east by another six months, took everybody, including military authorities, by surprise. Unfortunately, it was the military that suffered the heaviest casualty in the attack as about five aircraft were disabled by the terrorists when the Air Force base in the town was hit. Other military formations, including checkpoints, were not spared in the coordinated attack. That was just one of the many attacks in which the military suffered serious setback.
Sometimes ago, at least 40 Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed and 65 others went missing in a deadly ambush by suspected members of the extremist group in the state. The casualty, one of the heaviest for the military in its ongoing campaign, occurred along the Baga –Maiduguri Road on Friday, September 13, in what was described as a classic case of operational and communication failure. A detachment of soldiers under the 134 Battalion of the 12 Brigade under the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, stationed in Kangarwa village in Kukawa Local Government, had conducted a reconnaissance in order to gather intelligence around the area. During the exercise, they established the presence of previously unnoticed Boko Haram camps. The soldiers returned to their base and filed a report. The report recommended aerial bombardment of the area ahead of a ground operation by troops.
Unfortunately, the plan was cancelled at the last minute by a senior officer without formal communication to the more than 100 troops that had already advanced on the area. Consequently, due to lack of communication, the troop ran into the terrorists without knowing that the aerial bombardment had been cancelled and they were caught unawares.
The soldiers were trapped in the ambush as they came under heavy fire from the terrorists who had surrounded the area, leaving at least 40 soldiers dead. Some 65 others were missing. The terrorists also confiscated a huge cache of weapons from the soldiers. The attack jolted the army authorities which immediately ordered an investigation into the suspected operational blunder that gave the terrorists such an upper hand. The authorities were so irked that the commanding officer of the unit was instantaneously removed from his post.
That attack came less than two months after a similar miscalculation on August 4, which also resulted in a heavy casualty following a similar surprise attack by the terrorists on a camp at Malam Fatori where no fewer than 20 soldiers got missing. Just as with past failures and massacres, the military authorities had placed a lid on the two incidents. These terrorists’ assault are a sad reminder of the difficulties which daily confront the military in its campaign against a dodgy but adept enemy that continues to take advantage of mistakes by military planners to inflict heavy casualties on the military.
This was probably why the December 2 attack on the Air Force base and other security formations in Maiduguri sent the military authorities back to the drawing board. New strategies seem to be unfolding. It may have included the trial of those being held for terrorists’ activities. The Defence Headquarters recently recommended 500 suspects for immediate trial in respect of terrorist operations in the three North-east states. Some of those slated for trial include high-profile suspects, some of whom had been training other terrorists in weapon handling. Among the suspects are a medical doctor and some paramilitary or service personnel who had been fighting on the side of the terrorists. While some of the suspects might face trial in the states where they committed terror-related activities, others may be arraigned before federal high courts.
In the same vein, the report also asked the authorities to release 167 others from detention. It described 614 cases inconclusive and recommended a review of the issues against the suspects. The suspects are among the almost 1,400 detainees screened by the Joint Investigation Team set up by the Defence Headquarters at the detention facilities in Maiduguri, Yola and Damaturu between July and September this year. The report also proposed that some of the detainees be tried for other offences ranging from armed robbery, murder to drug-related offences. This is a good development.
From all indications, the military high command needs to look inward in order to be able to contain the activities of these terrorists. There is no doubt that with the various ambushes and surprise attacks on military formations, there are moles within the military itself.
Take the attack on the Air Force Base for example. Without insiders’ involvement, it would not have been easy for the terrorists to overrun the base and other military establishments with ease. And the fact that the attack was carried out by the terrorists as a pre-emptive attack on the military on the eve of a planned major offensive on the terrorists’ locations in the forests and hills of Maiduguri, shows the hands of insiders in the whole episode.
The military will do itself some measure of good if it can conduct a thorough investigation into both the December 2 spontaneous attacks and previous attacks on security formations in the past. It is only by doing this that the wings of the Boko Haram terrorists can be sacredfely clipped.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
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please friends do visit my blog spot for any latest information in Nigeria and the World. I pledge to serve you well. thanks.
please friends do visit my blog spot for any latest information in Nigeria and the World. I pledge to serve you well. thanks.
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